Au Revoir, Mont Blanc

After six tough days of hiking, I’ve folded up my hiking poles, packed away a pile of stinking Under Armour clothing and headed to Geneva to celebrate the completion of our Mont Blanc adventure.

Hiking here in Europe was an entirely different experience than hiking to Machu Picchu in Peru.  There, we worried with high altitude and drinking the water but were rewarded with a lost Incan city. Here, we encountered lots of daily mileage and rocky terrain but were rewarded with alpine villages and fine wine as we winded up each day.

The Europeans have an interesting take on hiking. They think nothing of cranking out a dozen miles on the trails on a random sunny Saturday. They will stay in spartan accommodations with shared bathrooms and lumpy mattresses but insist on chocolate croissants and cappuccino at the trailside refuges encountered high on hiking trails. 

During our adventure, we traveled counter-clockwise around majestic Mont Blanc, beginning and ending the journey is picturesque Chamonix, France. Each day was packed with miles of rocky terrain and challenging inclines and descents, but we were greeted to spectacular vistas laden with glaciers, alpine lakes and grassy knolls for mid-day picnics. We visited tiny hamlets bursting with flower boxes and alpine inns. We traveled through France, into the Italian countryside and through Switzerland.  We visited local cheese makers and enjoyed their wares for lunch each day.  We learned of local history, celebrations and customs from our knowledgeable guides.  Local cuisines and wines surely packed on a few kilos. It was challenging each day, but we were more than rewarded for our efforts.  Au revoir, Mont Blanc!

Queen of Queens: Mad Cow at its Best!

I wouldn’t have believed it without a Google search, but welcome to the land of Swiss Fighting Cows!

As we trek across the European countryside, we’ve encountered all shapes and sizes of goats, sheep, marmot (I thought it was just a clothing company!) and cow.  Friends had prepared me for the enchanting symphony of cowbells I’d encounter on our trip.  Imagine hearing a cacophony of ringing bells lilting across the countryside as we go about our journey.

For generations, farmers have placed large (and often heavy and ornate) cowbells around the neck of their milk cows to allow them to quickly find their grazing livestock and bring them in for twice-a-day milking.  The bells sound loudly across the countryside for miles as the animals enjoy grazing in the hilltops.  All that’s missing is Julie Andrews singing “The Hills Are Alive…”

Apparently, the cows like getting milked and line up quickly at the portable milking station and storage tank taken out to the grazing area for the daily ministrations. The cows enjoy the tasty grass until winter approaches and the annual parades and ceremonies are held to welcome them home to lower climes and hay for the winter. I guess this is where the saying about the cows coming home started.

Our guide alerted us that we may see some of the famous Swiss Fighting Cows.  Our group of skeptical and jaded Americans accused her of trying to pull one over on the gullible tourists so we shared our own tales of cow tipping and snipe hunting.  That was, until we got back to civilization and the internet to confirm this exciting competion!

Cow fighting is a traditional Swiss event drawing up to 50,000 spectators a year.  Each year, the canton of Valais and the town of Marigny host a series of cow fights known as combats de reines (“queen fights”). Local district winners vie for the coveted title of La Reine des Reines (“the queen of queens”)  There is no swimsuit competition or scholarship awarded but the value of the winners greatly increases.

These female Herens breed of cows typically get into scuffles in the fields as they assert their dominance of the herd.  Each of these head-to-head butting clashes can go on as long as 40 minutes and end when one contestant either refuses to engage or is pushed from the ring. No worries- horns are buffed down to minimize possible bovine injury.

Spaniards, keep your bullfighting.  Bring on the Swiss fighting cows!

Hard Core vs. Soft Core

I’ve always thought the most difficult people were those who think they are low maintenance but are really high maintenance (of course, I consider myself low maintenance so who am I to judge?) Similarly, as I begin my Mont Blanc hiking excursion, I’m feeling like a bit of a hard core adventurer as I start this 60+ mile trek across the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, rounding Europe’s most famous and celebrated peak. That was, until I reached Chamonix, the quaint French mountain village hosting the Ultra-Train de Mont Blanc.

Frankly, I’d never heard of the UTMB.  These men and women are nuts and are definitely hard core! This annual mountain ultramarathon covering approximately 166km of wicked mountain terrainand elevation gain, takes place annually, beginning and ending in Chamonix.  Some believe it is the most difficult footrace in Europe. These 5000+ athletes don’t have a guide, a bed or a support driver. They run armed with hiking poles, compression socks and headlamps to assist as they trek throughout the night.  Rain, cold and rugged terrain are to be expected.  While the speediest will cross the finish line in slightly more than 20 hours, most take up to 45 hours to complete the course and this year 1100 were forced to drop out along the way.  My most memorable moment was watching four runners hoisting a makeshift sled carrying a disabled little red-headed girl over the finish line.  While no prize money is awarded to the winners, this team and their accomplishment was priceless.

Our group of six took the decidedly more soft core approach.  We head out on Monday with our lead guide, Flo, a 40-something lithe bundle of muscle, and our driver/ assistant guide, Laurent, a lean Frenchman with unbridled energy and enthusiasm.  Our group, all experienced hikers, are ready with our Camelback bladders in backpacks, rain gear on ready alert, Voltaren on our achy knees and stories to keep each other entertained as we conquer the trails of Mont Blanc.

Wish us soft core luck!

Hail? REALLY?

We packed up early for our adventure to Lake Hope.  Two-way radios- check. High energy snack foods- check.  Rain gear and hiking poles- check.  Now, if we could just find Lake Hope.  Armed with three (yes, three) hiking trail references, we went off in search of what was billed as a hike to lovely Lake Hope, a high-altitude alpine lake nestled in the mountains south of Telluride.  Unfortunately, every guide provided different directions to finding the elusive trailhead.  We circled lakes, ended at posted “Private Property” signs, and finally mounted a drive up a rocky dirt trail up a mountainside (reminiscent of Costa Rica) to start our hike.  Surely, we’d need all our gear as we’d never encounter homo sapiens during the day- only wildlife and wildflowers were on our agenda.

After miles up the trail- Eureka- we arrived, only to find a dozen other cars already parked- their drivers already enjoying our private hike.  We’ve determined Telluride is not the place to attempt an illicit affair.  We keep running into the same local hikers (and their big dogs, of course!) on different trails  each day.  So much for quiet moments!

But the trip was well worth it.  Long stretches of switchbacks through the forest trail dotted with magenta and yellow wildflowers helped ease the pain of the 2000 foot ascent.  When we finally arrived at the lake, it was well worth the effort.  At close to 12,000 feet, ice flows still floated on the lake surface and snow crept across the mountainsides ringing the lake.  We began to enjoy our snacks when a hailstorm began.  Actually, hail is better than rain since it quickly bounces off your head!  Unfortunately, hail brought its cousins thunder and rain to the party so we hurried down- drenched but happy from the adventure.  Why is the drive down the mountain always so much easier? 

But It's a Dry Heat!

Who decides to leave a 72 degree mountain retreat and head off to hike in the Moab desert in 100 plus degree temperatures?  Apparently, we do! When we found out that the famous Arches and Canyonlands National Parks were only two hours away (western geography was never a strength of mine!) we figured we had best go visit- we may never pass this way again.

After a two hour journey across breathtaking mountain ranges on winding switchback roads, we arrived in Moab, a small Utah town nestled smack-dab in the middle of a handful of national and state parks.

We were not fully prepared for the beauty of the landscape in the area.  Within a few miles of each other, Arches and Canyonlands Parks offer visitors quite different topography.  Arches NP, attracts over a million visitors each year- all eager to view its iconic images like Balanced Rock or Delicate Arch.  Rangers constantly warn visitors to avoid hiking during the hot part of the day and drink copious amounts of water.  On the day we toured, the car touted a temperature of 122 when we returned from our hike.  After running the AC, it quickly dropped down to a balmy 99!

Just down the road at Canyonlands NP, we attended a ranger talk on the geology of the park (fascinating!)  It makes you realize we are miniscule in the scheme of things when you see what thousands of years of wind, rain & gravity can do to form these stunning canyons, waterways and rock formations.

My big question is, if aptly-named Arches NP has amazing arches & rock formations, and Canyonlands NP has canyons deeply cut by the Colorado River, what is going on at nearby Dead Horse Trail State Park?   

Stop the Car- NOW!

It takes a lot to create a traffic jam in Telluride.  With only a few thousand residents and only one main road into “downtown”, granted, things could get busy from time to time.  But yesterday, as we headed home after a long day of hiking (did I mention Telluride sits in a canyon at 8700 feet ABOVE sea level so hikes are around 10,000 feet?) cars were at a standstill and pulled over at every available roadside spot.  An overturned tractor-trailer?  An early visitor to this weekend’s Nothing Festival (where revelers wear “nothing”?  No, it was a herd of elk, calmly grazing roadside.  Over 100 of these muscular creatures were lounging in a field, enjoying the endless salad bar of field flowers.  What struck me was that there was only one male in the mass of females and babies.  What must his job be like?  Protector, gatherer, husband, father, provider, chief bottle washer.  Does he EVER sleep?  It’s like REALLY Big Love. 
Today they were back but moving west to new land.  I guess he is travel guide as well .

My Million Dollar Telluride Idea

Telluride is a magical place- the kind of place that offers you its beauty and charm both in winter and summer seasons. While we’ve skied here several times, this was our first foray into summer at Telluride and hopefully, won’t be our last.

Because it is a more newly-developed, everything is aesthetically pleasing and well planned.  That’s not to say that the town isn’t rich in history. Snuggled into a box canyon in the San Juan Mountains, Telluride, once known as the City of Gold, is now a National historic District.  Spanish explorers came in the late 1700s, followed by fur traders and the Ute Indians, and later persevering miners in search of riches. 

Today the town is still sprinkled with historic buildings and charming renovated miner homes. Nestled alongside these quaint structures and dotting the hillside are opulent stone and wood homes for the town’s wealthy residents (Tom Cruise lives in our “hood”.  No Suri sightings yet!)  Top-notch hiking trails and bike paths snake along the downtown creek and up the side of adjacent Bear Creek Mountain.  The hot yoga studio doesn’t publish fees, but asks you to pay what you can (although they suggest you “can” afford to pay between $12 and $20 a session) and the local medical marijuana stores appear to be doing a healthy business. Somehow, it all just “works” to make Telluride a highly “livable” location with a young, laid-back, healthy vibe.

But who rules this quaint town with its main street dotted with flower boxes and local hardware store coexisting side-by-side with  trendy shops and organic restaurants? 

It’s the DOGS! 

I’ve come to realize that there are probably more dogs than humans in this town.  And they appear to be revered by its residents! Telluride would put Paris and New York to shame.  On our first day of hiking, on the trail we noticed that almost everyone we encountered had their dog with them.  Since then, we see them everywhere- on the gondola, reigning over stores, and my favorite, quietly sitting on a bar stool with his human at a trendy mountainside bar last night- watching the sports channel.

Now for my plan- Telluride Rent-a-Dog!  For those visitors or those new-to-the-area who want to immediately fit in and have an instant friend an status symbol (without the worry of crating and airplane travel.)  And these can’t be normal sized dogs.  The bigger, the furrier, the slobberier the better.  Lolling tongues and panting are a plus.  Labs and Goldens will be our specialty . And they will have “immediately friendly” names to match- Rusty, Bo, Buddy, Mac and as a nod to my Southern heritage, Dixie.  These new friends will serve as hiking partners, provide entry into any and all local establishments and be great for picking up members of the opposite sex.  And they will even come with a tennis ball for play!  Investors, anyone?

 

Gotta Up Our Cool Factor!

Do you ever go someplace and finally realize, “I’m no longer cool!” 

Jeff & I have arrived at our final destination, Oxygen Jungle Villas, up in the hills outside the Pacific coast town of Uvita.  After following a series of secret instructions (you only get them after making reservations) we arrived at our villa and were greeted by staff in black tees. They led us to a table with a small pellet in a bowl for each of us.  Our greeter, Dallas (go figure?) informed us this was for freshening up and poured spring water over the pellet which quickly grew to unwrap and become a damp washcloth.  Jeff noted that it was interesting to be greeted with a science project after a dusty drive.  We were then led to our Balinese hut. 

Each unit is guarded by a Buddha (Namaste, Mr. Buddha!)  The hut consists of three walls of glass with all white furnishings inside and on our outside porch daybed.  At least the bathroom and rain shower have opaque glass and we draw curtains for a bit of night time privacy.  The infinity pool is pretty amazing, with lanterns, buddhas, and piped in zen music- all overlooking the cliffs and the Pacific.  I dare you to have high blood pressure here. And you feel like you should talk in low tones. Of course, on the river trail, you pass the yoga hut in the woods before you arrive at the resting platform by the waterfalls.  I feel like a little kid thinking, “Cool!”  Dinner was also interesting.  With only 12 rooms, they can’t offer a full menu so it is “Chef’s Choice” of several tasty courses, all at the discretion of the kitchen.  It was actually really nice to not have to decide what you wanted but to let it unfold and just enjoy. 

One night we ventured off property.  Not an activity for the faint hearted.  This involves a 4-wheel drive, a GPS and mental fortitude.  We left well before dark for dinner at the highly-recommended restaurant, Exotica (I was concerned we were being sent to a Gentlemen's Club instead of a restaurant!) but after going 15k to a bumpy dirt road, we arrived at a tiny (think nine tables) thatched roof building.  We were greeted by the owner, Lucy, a gregarious French-Canadian, who proceeded to serve us the most delightful and sophisticated caribbean-asian fare.  I even broke down to have her homemade chocolate tart with a chili finish.  It amazed us how such a wonderful place can exist and thrive on a hidden road in the middle of nowhere.  Luckily, we made it back up the mountain in the dark and tucked away in our hut for the night.

I think for today, we will imitate my friend the sloth and enjoy our view from the day bed.  Namaste!

Costa Rica: Pura Vida

While Costa Rica may lack in size, it doesn’t lack in natural abundance. This tiny Central American country, about the size of West Virginia, accounts for 0.03% of the earth’s surface but is home to nearly 5% of the planet’s plant and animal species. With over 9,000 plant species, 2000 butterfly species and 876 bird species, it’s hard to avoid natural wonders. The country boasts of 12 microclimates resulting from the combination of mountains, valleys, and coastline. We’ve only filled up our gas tank twice yet have been to two steaming volcanoes, a misty cloud forest, numerous national parks teaming with wildlife, and beaches ringed by rainforests.

The Ticos, as the Costa Ricans call themselves, have an interesting heritage. When the Spanish landed here, unlike other Latin American areas, they didn’t find a large indigenous population with an established empire like the Aztecs or Mayans. The “Rich Coast” set off early in a peaceful direction and has headed that way ever since. While political upheaval and civil war have affected its nearby neighbors, Costa Rica is a stable democratic republic (with a female president) that is famous for lacking an army. Its agricultural exports- coffee, bananas and pineapple are spectacular, as is its major cash crop, eco-tourism. It now walks a fine line- encouraging tourism but controlling its impact on its valuable natural resources. We’ve also found it interesting to have internet everywhere we’ve stayed… you can’t get that in Europe!

What’s been amazing to us has been that our most fascinating animal encounters have not been in parks or reserves but as we casually went about our days. While enjoying coffee on our terrace at Manuel Antonio, a capuchin monkey jumped down off the roof to join us. I’m not sure who had a more terrified look- the monkey or Jeff! Our hotel restaurant had two sloths in the trees that we watched for hours before grabbing drinks. Iguanas would come beg snacks as you sat at the pool. Little need for park tours- most properties have their own trails with amazing viewing opportunities. Nature can be deafening as you awake to the calls of howler monkeys and tropical birds as they start their days. At night, you’re sure every sound from the jungle is a huge tourist-preying mantis.

One of our favorite experiences was a lovely morning horseback ride to Nauyaca Falls near the coast. After a typical Tico breakfast, our feisty horses led us up a rocky trail to a pristine waterfall where the guide strung ropes so that brave participants could climb the falls and jump into the pool below. Eager to get home for food, the horses galloped and trotted most of the way home- riders holding on for dear life. So many times we thought, “The lawyers in the US would have a field day with this!” Needless to say, all arrived safe & sound.

With only two days left, we head off to Uvita, a small coastal town down south. Hasta la vista.

Meet My New Boyfriend, Laylo

This past year when I visited the Peruvian Amazon, I shared a long-hidden passion of mine… I love sloths! For some reason, these slow-moving, clumsy-looking, furry creatures have always captured my imagination. It started when I saw an Animal Planet special on sloths & watched their mating process. When the female is ready, she begins howling loudly. Males jump into action- or as jumpy as a sloth can get. Watching the males ever-so-slowly move through the forest to the waiting female cracked me up. It looked as if they would arrive a week too late to do the job at hand!

I came back from my adventure and was sadly forced to report- no sloth sightings. This was remedied today when I visited the sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica. Take a look at my new boyfriend, Laylo. He was initially a “Layla” until they confirmed “she” was a “he.”

These creatures are absolutely adorable. Living up to 30 years, they come in 2-toed and 3-toed varieties. The 2-toed are omnivores while their 3-toed cousins dine on leaves and vegetables. They hang upside down most of the day and sleep for up to 18 hours at a time. They aren’t lazy- just blessed with an extremely slow metabolism. Their faces charm you with a constant smile.

The sanctuary began when the owners took in an injured sloth years ago. Buttercup was injured, was nursed back to health and now is grand dame of the sanctuary. Word spread and local began bringing other injured or neglected sloths in to join the family. The sanctuary is now home to over 120 adults and 20 baby sloths requiring constant feeding and rehabilitation- with the goal or reintroducing these gentle creatures back to their habitat. It costs them close to $11,000 a month for feed and upkeep of their sloths.

Unfortunately, deforestation, roads and pesticides have made the rainforest a dangerous place for these slow-moving cuties. Imagine trying to cross roads when a turtle can leave you in the dust. Chemicals have left many of their favorite leaves toxic to the sloths. Humans, who take babies from their mothers, to use as pets or tourist attractions, account for a number of their residents. Falls from their treetop hideaways can leave them badly injured or vulnerable to predators such as jaguars. A careful diet of goat’s milk and almond tree leaves revives weak babies. It takes 30 days for food to pass through a sloth’s intestinal tract so medicines and proper diet take a long time to do their magic. Big plastic bins (like you’d use to store holiday decorations) serve as homes to the babies.

Their habits are interesting… they leave their trees only once a week for the tiresome journey to the ground to go to the bathroom. Once done… they even dig and cover their waste. This may be an effort to cover their scent and keep predators off their trail. I’d like to think they are just thoughtful and clean. I bet Laylo would even put the seat down!

To find out more, visit www.slothrescue.org.

The Big Ditch

After seeing the Panama Canal in action, you can honestly see why it is dubbed one of the man-made wonders of the world. What’s really wondrous is the fact that the canal exists today given the political, public health, budget and engineering challenges faced since work began on the canal back in 1840.

First take a moment to step back in time. Sailors, for centuries, had searched for the fastest and most efficient way to circumnavigate the globe. When the Spanish first landed on this isthmus, they traveled overland to the Pacific Ocean some 50 miles west. But how could sailors and merchants build a canal of sorts to shave off the 8000 mile journey around the south end of South America at Cape Horn?

In stepped French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps, the man who built the Suez Canal. Lesseps (shallow trivia fact: Lesseps is related to one of the Housewives of NY… the one who says she is a countess) envisioned using the same process used on the Suez- building a sea-level canal blasted through the mountains and utilizing existing rivers. Unfortunately, this approach failed to take into account the topography of Panama, the jungles, and possibly most importantly, mosquito-borne disease. After eight years of digging, Lesseps finally relented and hired Gustave Eiffel (yes, the tower guy) to design a lock-based system (actually, DaVinci first developed the concept!) By then, money had dried up and countless thousands had died due to rampant malaria and yellow fever, forcing the French to abandon the ambitious project.

Years later, in stepped Teddy Roosevelt and the US. At this point in time, enough had changed to support the success of the canal project- engineering had advanced to allow for the movement of water required for the lock system, railroads could be built to carry away the tons of rock removed from the canal bed and medicine had advanced so that doctor’s now understood how malaria was spread and importantly, how to prevent the disease from spreading. The US was able to use much of the digging completed by the French and opened the canal in 1914. The Panamanians took control of the canal in 1999 and currently employ 9,500 to run the canal.

Our ship, the Coral Princess, a Panamax ship, is specifically built to the specifications of the canal and is currently the largest vessel traversing the canal. We had a scant foot or two of space on each side as we entered the canal. To cross, each ship must be raised and subsequently lowered 85 feet using a series of locks, each of which requires 52 million gallons of fresh water to fill each lock. Rainfall in the mountains and gravity provide the necessary water (in fact, recent rains left the system with too much water requiring release through dams at Gatun Lake.) Six locomotives called mules (after the original furry animals that did their job) are attached to the ship to help guide it and avoid damage to the canal. A trained canal pilot boards each boat and takes control of each vessel throughout the 12-hour journey.

What was amazing to me were the fees charged for each crossing. Cruise ships pay a premium for an appointed crossing time (don’t want to keep us busy tourists waiting!) and pay a per-cabin fee. We paid about $330,000 for this trip. Container ships pay less- in the range of $20,000 - $40,000 per crossing, but may queue up for two days before being assigned a spot. We didn’t actually cross the entire canal for this fee- we turned around at Gatun Lake and returned back to the Caribbean Sea. A million ships have made this traverse- growing demand of 40,000 ships annually is supporting the building of an additional lane of locks at Gatun to be completed in 2014.

Seeing this marvel up close is something to behold and should probably be on your bucket list. Just considering the scope of the project (it cost over $350 million a century ago); the engineering feat; the cost to human life (over 22,000 died building the canal) really hits home as you watch the workers going about their daily jobs, moving huge ships along as they travel the world.

Rodents as Big as Scooby

After the 35 miles of trekking to Machu Picchu, the Peruvian Amazon seems a bit calm. Here, the excitement comes in enjoying the journey, not in reaching the destination. Canopy and rainforest walks are slow and cautious to allow for better viewing of the animals. In this Madre de Dios region, I’m staying in the Manu Reserve in Reserva Amazonica, a property with 34 individual eco-huts complete with bathrooms, mosquito netted beds and two lovely hammocks crying out to me on my screened porch. Lanterns dot the walkways and your porch at night, adding a pleasant glow to your walk home from dinner. After a plane, truck & boat to get here, a little luxury is greatly appreciated.

The region boasts of 20,000 plant, 1,200 butterfly, 1,000 bird, 200 mammal and 100 reptile species identified so far. Largely ignored during the Spanish conquest, the region grew in the 19th century with the discovery of shiringa- the rubber tree. Still, very few people live outside the entry city of Puerto Maldonado.

Yesterday on our afternoon forest hike, we ran across a large troop of squirrel monkeys. It was like a scene from the movie, “Predator.” The forest felt alive, branches moved above our heads and you could hear movement all around you but barely get glimpses of the feisty little creatures. Another find was the poisonous chicken spider. Our guide showed us the holes they use as homes and proceeded to prod a baby spider (a furry 4 inches long) out of his hole. I’m glad his mother decided to stay put as they grow to the size of your hand. In the spider department, we also saw tarantula nests growing in trees.

Today we spent the morning walking the numerous canopies and towers built above the forest. These provide exceptional bird viewing and offer a unique perspective on the trees and plants.

For some reason, I think my favorite animal so far are the brown Aguti that live on the fringes of the forest. These huge rodents which grow up to 14 lbs. are quite comfortable with humans as the property provides a nutcracker along the path so you can toss food to these critters. As they forage at night, they make quite a ruckus lending your imagination to thinking there must be a band of jaguars hunting outside your hut walls- ready to make you into their next meal. I think I like them most as they remind me of Scooby, always on the lookout for a treat.

Tomorrow I begin my journey home- a 2-day combination of canoe, plane and jeep. My ipod, eye covers & ambien are ready for the overnight voyage home.

What Once Was Lost, Now is Found

Finally, after six drays of trekking, we arrived at Machu Picchu!

Talk about a happy accident. Yale historian Hiram Bingham, the man credited with re-discovering Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Inca, was actually on the hunt for another city when he happened into this magical site. Bingham and his team of explorers arrived in Cusco in 1911 with hopes of finding Vilcabamba, the LAST city of the Incas. Since the local Quechan language is spoken and not written, little survived from the Incan times to tell of Machu Picchu (meaning Old Mountain in Quechan.) Local maps to Vilcabamba showed another settlement and as Bingham headed off to Vicabamba, he uncovered Machu Picchu which lay directly in its path through the Sacred Valley. Actually, locals continued to farm the flat, sunny terraced areas of the city and the Incan Trail had served as a local supply route since ancient times. The site had gone undiscovered by Spanish conquerers and later explorers due to its heavily overgrown vegetation. Even from nearby Agua Calientes, you can look directly up to the site and not see it. Bingham later returned to the site in 1915 with a band of scientists to uncover remains and begin research.

The real boom to the city came in 2007 when the site was named one of “The Seven Wonders of the World.” This led to efforts by UNESCO and the Peruvian government to carefully restore and preserve the site. Daily crowd limits to both the site and the Inca Trail serve as a means to keep the site intact.

Built in the mid-15th century, Machu Picchu was a sanctuary for Incan royalty. The landscape is stunning with orchids and the massive cliff face of Huayna Picchu towering overhead. The city is divided into three sections- the Sacred District, the Popular District and the District of the Priests and Nobility. The architecture and location indicate the site is a sacred place. Numerous nearby archeological sites such as the one we visited the day before all face Machu Picchu. As with other sacred buildings, the finest craftsmen build the site’s temples using perfectly fitted stones and no mortar. Agricultural and less important structures use rougher stones and mortar. Incan architectural elements such as trapezoid windows, inward slanted walls and terraced planting areas reinforce the stability of Incan building and city planning techniques.

Theories abound as to why the city was abandoned. Some speculate it served as the estate of a local ruler and was deserted upon his death. Others theorize that disease brought by Spanish conquerors ultimately led to the city’s demise.

When he left in 1915, Bingham took 174 boxes of human remains and artifacts to the U.S. for further study. Most reside today in the Peabody Museum in CT and the Peruvian government continues to negotiate the return of these artifacts.

What a fitting end to our journey. After an overnight stay in Cusco, I’m headed off to the Peruvian Amazon.

Coffee, Cuy & Uphill Battles

Ah, more long hikes these next two days. While we won’t be crossing peaks at 15,000 ft anymore, these are “sucking wind / what was I thinking / did I EVEN work out” altitudes that leave you panting on the uphills. Our fifth day, luckily, consisted of 10 miles of mostly downhill. Sounds easy, but you need walking poles to take the pounding off your knees. The hike snaked along the rocky Salkantay river- one of the many that feed the Amazon. During this trek, we’ll pass through nine bio-spheres. You can really see the difference as we descend. Wildflowers, coffee plants and birdlife abound along the trail. We enjoyed the gurgling sounds of the river for most of the 8-hour adventure.

Our final long day of hiking was a special one- but tough. Our day started with a visit to a local home of a coffee grower. We huddled in the small shack as we watched how they sifted the coffee shells from the beans and toasted them over a live fire. What an amazing scent! Since the Peruvians love their guinea pig, a dozen roamed around the hut sniffing at our hiking poles- not quite sure what they thought of these new visitors. Next, we were off for our 3-hour hike uphill (we climbed from 6,600 ft. to 8,900 ft. before descending. At the top, we were treated to distant views of Machu Picchu in the misty clouds.

After a lovely mountaintop lunch, we visited the recently-restored Llactapa Ruins. While this area is not sacred (you can tell by building techniques) it was important as a stop over on an Inca Trail and looks directly toward Machu Picchu. Four hours of downhill hiking followed and led us to the local PeruRail stop where we boarded a small train to Agua Calientes. To make it up and down the steep mountains, the train uses a series of switchbacks, moving forward and back like a pendulum to make it to the top. What an adventure. After a great dinner in town, we all set out alarms for an early wakeup and dreamt of our next day when we would visit the Lost City of the Incas.

Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Peruvian Cowboys

Last night before dinner, we had the chance to sit down with our horse wranglers for a chance to learn more about their lives and practice our fledgling Spanish. After muddled introductions, we learned more about the lives of these hardworking Peruvian men. They are caked with grime from a long day on the trail moving gear and supplies from lodge to lodge & the years of hard work were etched in their deeply tanned faces. Most are primarily potato farmers and supplement their meager income by wrangling horses along the tourist trails. They operate on a simple principle that we can all live by- that of “ayni- today is for you; tomorrow is for me.” When the leader of a wrangling crew picks his crew members, it is with the understanding that when they serve as the next wrangler, there is a place for them on that crew. It is just one of the ways Peruvians take care of their neighbors & friends.

Today was described as much easier & thankfully, it lived up to its billing. We slept in until 7:00am (hurray!) for our 4-hour hike along the lovely Salkantay River. Butterflies were everywhere (apparently they are big fans of horse dung!) and as we passed through this cloud forest, greenery replaced bare rock and flowers showed their colorful blooms. Our lodge for tonight sits at 10,300 ft.- our first evening to sleep at under 11,000 ft.

When we arrived, we began preparing a Pashamanca feast for lunch, using the traditional Incan method of underground stone cooking. First, piles of various potatoes, corn, bananas & beans were placed in the pit then covered with chicken, pork & lamb. After more stones and layers of cloth covered the feast, it was left to roast for 45 minutes. Yummy! We’ll need the nourishment for tomorrow’s long day of hiking.

Child Birth, Marathons & Machu Picchu

They say they are certain things in life that while you are doing them you say to yourself, “I will NEVER do this again!” I can’t testify to childbirth but can promise you are not considering another marathon as you cross the finish line after running 4+ hours. This trek to Machu Picchu is a lot like that.

Yesterday was described as our toughest day of the trek. I can only hope that advertisement is true. The prior evening I got a case of Incan revenge & spent most of the evening & trekking day, cramping & nauseous. For the life of me, I can’t think of what I ate or drank, although I have caught myself about to rinse my toothbrush at the tap several times.

After an early morning start, our band of 11 hiked up the Rio Blanco valley, circling Humantay Peak. After reaching the highest point of our trek at 15,000 ft., we stopped for obligatory pictures at the sign marking the peak. The air was thin as we took in the views of the glacial moraines & the surrounding Vilcabamba Range. The GI issues left me very weak- I was just focused on moving one foot in front of the next & had to take constant breaks to catch my breath. I could not have been happier to arrive at our lodge (still at 12,000 ft). I knew in my heart, there was no way I was not going to finish this day- no matter what! This day was truly one of the toughest endeavors I’ve undertaken but as they say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” and already, I find one day later, the pain of the day has started to fade & is replaced by memories of the beauty that surrounds me in these mountains. I wonder if childbirth works that way? I did do another marathon so I can only imagine it does.

It Takes A Village

I assumed we would be a rag-tag band of hikers with a few well-seasoned guides to help us on our adventure. I had NO idea what a big production this was. Our group of 11 trekkers is supported by a virtual village… 2 guides, 2 chefs, 5 porters, 5 wranglers & 12 mules- not to mention the existing lodge staffs. As the hiking began, I began to see why.

Bright & early; up & at ‘em. We headed out for our 4-hour trip to a glacial lake today. Our lodge is situated at a breathtaking 11,800 feet & today we will ascend to 14,000 for a picnic and optional quick swim. None of my training hikes prepared me for today. I thought my heart would jump out of my chest. Actually, several times I hoped an Incan God would grab it out of my chest and offer it up as a human sacrifice. Frequent stops to avoid cardiac arrest were extremely helpful. We’ve lost one team member to food poisoning and one was on the mule today feeling puny.

Tomorrow is the big day. A windy & chilly 9-hour hike to over 15,000 feet. I will have to wear every item of clothing I brought- along with those I haggled for in Cusco. Honestly, I am terrified but know there is no turning back at this point.

Been There, Done That

Greetings from Salkantay Lodge in the Andes.

Before we left Cusco, we had dinner at a local restaurant to try the local delicacy, cuy (pronounced COO-ee). Let me add eating Guinea Pig to my list of “Been there, Done that, Don’t need to do again." And no, it doesn’t taste like chicken. The little teeth staring at me were the biggest issue.

It was an interesting drive up into the mountains. As we crawled up switchback roads, farmers worked their patchwork fields of potato crops (they grow 180+ varieties in Peru.) Children in neat uniforms and knee socks walked along the road on their way to school. We visited the ancient Incan site of Tarawasi (from the tara tree and "wasi" meaning home.) Like all important building it was built using no mortar- stones are carefully cut and placed using Incan techniques to withstand earthquakes. Here the Incans placed their important people in cloths in the fetal position so that the mythical condor could carry them away to the next life.

Soon paved roads gave way to gravel as the air thinned. Often hotel brochures are more glossy & luxurious than the property itself. This lodge is nestled on a pampas with 360 degree views of the Salkantay Mountain & its neighboring peaks. All the comforts of home! Then came orientation…

My Day with the Sexy Woman

Apparently Peruvians & I can’t resist a parade!

This morning I planted myself on the church steps at Plaza de Armas (the plaza is said to sit in the exact center of the Incan empire) to enjoy the weekly military parade. It was interesting to see the dignitaries, militia in uniform and watch as the Peruvians proudly sang their national anthem.

These folks know how to throw parades. While the main parade is going on, other competing parades continued to break out. A local men’s club here… a scout troop there. But my favorite was the religious parade. I’m a sucker for anyone carrying a two-ton Madonna. She was covered in gold and was followed by smaller sub-Madonnas and a band of masked men drinking 1-liter cervasas.. I was fascinated as snippets of daily life unfolded- boys enjoying a final cell phone call and ice cream before their band began performing, the old ladies in their traditional bombin bowler hats, the local business men in their Sunday finery practicing drums for their own parade. What a wonderful weekly tradition!

As the festivities wound down, I went to visit the Sexy Woman. Sexy Woman is the local name for the Sacsayhuaman ruins (say it quickly and it does sound like Sexy Woman!) Translated, it really means “city of stone” but that name wouldn’t draw as many tourists, would it? Construction began in the 1440s, requiring 20,000 workers to finish the project. With its sweeping views of Cusco, the ruin once served as an important military position for the Incans.

Today, it served as my first test of stamina as I walked up to enjoy the site. Yes, my lungs burned and my breathing was labored but I thoroughly enjoyed it and also had the chance to make friends with a number of alpaca / llama up on the mountainside. I can’t tell them apart and even googled to learn this differentiating skill (www.ehow.com/how_5324124_tell-difference-between-llama-alpaca.html ) to avoid offending any alpaca / llama I may meet in the future.

Tonight we meet our fellow hikers for orientation. Tomorrow, let the games begin!

Machu Picchu, Here we come!

I feel like packing is my part-time job. I'm on final approach for my Machu Picchu adventure. I've had a number of queries as to what is Machu Picchu & why in the world I would want to go there.

Machu Picchu was selected as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World in 2007. This lost city of the Incas was thought to have been built around 1400AD but was later abandoned as the official site for Incan rulers a century later during the Spanish conquest. It was "re-discovered" in 1911 by US scholar and adventurer Hiram Bingham (the role model for Indiana Jones) and has since become Peru's premier tourist destination.

My friend, Nicole, & I will depart from Lima to the town of Cusco (situated at 10,000+ feet) to acclimate to the altitude before heading up the Salkantay trail for our trek. While we'll reach heights of 15,000 feet, Machu Picchu is nestled in a lower valley. After our day in MP, Nicole will head back to NYC and I'll move to Reserva Amazonica, an eco-lodge in the Amazon basin. I'm hopping to encounter lots of interesting "critters" there.

We'll keep you posted on our progress. Adios!

The Long & Winding Road

It was festive, fun & finally relaxing once all the teams arrived at the CN Tower to turn in their final score sheets and enjoy celebratory cocktails. Small annoyances and irritations from past weeks seemed to melt away as we realized the undertaking we’d just completed together.

For those of you keeping score, for the Toronto leg of the competition, Jeff & I pulled off a respectable second place finish, sandwiched in between two strong Canuck teams (Home field advantage… they already knew the language, ay?) For the overall competition we took the third place bronze medal- just 100 points behind the second place team.

But, the scavenging, points and competition was such a small slice of this adventure. We had the honor of traveling with some lovely, funny and talented individuals who made the adventure a learning experience for us. We hope to continue these relationships for years to come. We also found that if we utilized the scavenge/challenge list, not as a checklist or rule book for our journey, but instead, allowed it to guide our actions in each city, it helped each city unfold for us in interesting and unexpected ways. Many special moments presented themselves- a stunning view, an interesting interaction, a quaint shop or café- as we were in the process of hunting for an item in our book.

It’s a bit overwhelming to consider. We traveled over 41,000 kilometers as we circumnavigated the globe (we determined that is a difficult word to say when drinking wine.) We did much of the travel using public transportation and even threw in the occasional camel or horse for fun. We traveled through countries practicing many varied religions- Greek Orthodox, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim & Christian- all with equal fervor but varying customs & belief systems.

We saw so many similarities among the many places we visited. Whether in Nepal, Toronto or Athens, ethnic enclaves exist & thrive. We visited Chinatowns, Little Italys & Little Indias around the globe. They were more alike than different and reminded me a lot of the ethnic neighborhoods we frequent in Manhattan.

We also saw solutions and opportunities in many countries that could hopefully be applied on a more global scale. Toronto utilizes an efficient system of trolleys and underground protected walkways to ease commuting. Amsterdam residents integrate commuting and exercise by biking to work. China, unfortunately, has picked up western customs and is ditching bicycles for road-clogging & polluting cars. I couldn’t help but imagine NY with pedestrian walkways, trolleys, bike lanes and less honking taxis.

Throughout the adventure, we reconfirmed that human nature is basically good and people want to help and enjoy other people. People in our group had very few negative experiences with local residents & they were far outweighed by the positive ones. So many shared stories of taxi drivers sharing family dinners with team members. We had so many drivers take a personal interest in our adventure that they worked hard to lead us to scavenges and even called friends to get information to help us in our efforts.

We feel very privileged to have seen many of the world’s greatest wonders on this adventure- from the Great Wall of China and Beijing’s Forbidden City; Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers; Mt. Everest in Nepal; the Pyramids in Cairo; the Acropolis and Temple of Zeus in Athens, the People’s Palace and castles in the Romanian countryside and the lovely canals of Amsterdam.

But ultimately, as Dorothy told Toto, “There’s no place like home,” & we’re looking forward to coming home to our little cottage by the sea and to our own little Toto, Scooby. Thanks for your words of encouragement on the blog- it meant a lot as we were on the road. If you are planning trips abroad to any of the sights we visited, let us know… we have scavenges to share!

Maple Leaf Madness

Our global adventure wraps up in Toronto- another city Jeff & I have never visited together.

An update on the GreatEscape World’s Greatest Traveler competition (view the event blog at www.globalscavengerhunt.com/blog.)... I can see why so many of our pals are so successful- what a goal-oriented bunch! Many of you have written back to say, “We love hearing about your trip, but how is the competition going?”

As you know, in Greece we made a difficult decision to pull back from the competition (the 24 hours of Greek & Romanian buses & trains did not sound the least bit enticing)- instead opting to forego the points for that leg of the competition, to fly to Romania. Since five other teams ultimately opted to join us (the more, the merrier, we always say!) we knew we’d drop from second place to a solid middle-of-the-pack position. We were at peace with this decision and at least knew we’d be well-rested for the remainder of the trip. Upon arrival in Bucharest, it became apparent many teams had veered from the prescribed (but a bit cryptic) rules for the leg- some in minor ways by utilizing taxis to one or two scavenges… others in more major fashion. The organizers debated partial point fines for each leg where infractions occurred to more draconian measures of eliminating points for entire portions of the journey. Ultimately, their decision was to call the Greece to Romania leg a “Mulligan” and not count the leg at all (We now refer to that entire region as the "Land of Mulligan!")

As you can imagine, this caused quite an uproar- especially from the teams that had endured train rides without food or water or waiting for hours for buses that never arrived due to modified holiday schedules. Those of us that flew to Romania felt well-rested but quite guilty, since the standings remained the same yet we were not forced to endure the hardships of the Mulligan leg. We found the decision particularly difficult as one of our favorite teams had worked extremely hard to follow each and every rule, only to have their efforts and points negated.

So, as we moved to Amsterdam, we remained with a meager few point toehold on the second position. Our attitude was that while we would continue to complete scavenging efforts, if a team that went through the grueling train/bus effort to Romania jumped ahead of us, we were fine with that as they truly deserved the recognition.

Apparently our “Steady Eddie” (the kissing cousin of Even Steven) approach paid off as when we met in Toronto on the final morning of the competition, organizers shared the current standings. No one could mathematically challenge the leading team, Steve & Bart, for the title. We’d partnered with them for several legs of the competition (think Survivor alliances) and were in awe of their work ethic (they awoke at 4am many days to begin scavenges and averaged 4 – 6 hours of sleep nightly.) We particularly enjoyed our many strategy sessions to plot and plan approaches to maximize our impact in each country (did I just slip into Pfizer-speak?) Zoe & Rainey, a hard-driving pair of attorneys seemed a lock for second place throughout the journey. These two had been action-oriented and ferreted out points around every corner throughout the adventure.

Three teams- none of which had taken the arduous Mulligan journey- were in close competition for the final third position- 100 points separated the teams. At this point, we had to make the call… do we turn it on in Toronto or take in a Blue Jays game?

Jeff was a trooper… The competition monster got the best of me & I dragged him around Toronto as we traveled the city through its labyrinth of neighborhoods by foot, subway and PATH to accomplish challenges in local markets, visit Toronto’s Chinatown & Little Italy, museums (we even visited the Shoe Museum, ladies!) and landmarks. Torrential rains may have dampened our shoes and clothes but not our spirits as we made final stops at the Hockey Hall of Fame (Jeff got to touch the Stanley Cup) and yes, we even got to catch part of the Blue Jays game, before our group convened at 3pm high above the clouds at the top of the CN Tower. How would the points tally up? Stay tuned...

Canals & Cannabis

What a great city! We LOVE Amsterdam.
We arrived bright & early and took a train to our hotel and hit the ground running on today’s scavenges. We opted for bikes to speed ourselves throughout the city. There are thousands of bikers throughout the city- encouraged by the system of bike lanes and easy bike parking. We’re still stopping frequently to fight through with our maps (every street has at least 16 letters in its name!) and there is no such thing as a grid system for streets. But, around every corner is an enchanting view of a canal or cobblestone street lined with lovely homes. Flower markets, town squares, pubs and sidewalk cafes abound. We’re in the middle of a series of national holidays so the locals have been partying a bit and are all sporting orange garb and hangovers.

We’ve been using our scavenger list as a roadmap to lead us to hidden windmills, great cheese and chocolate shops, parks, museums and don’t-miss landmarks. We've also been instructed to visit a local museum and have now been fully informed on the history of cannabis. Our hotel is great- right next to the red light district and near to lots of great restaurants. It’s a visually-stimulating city with a great vibe and healthy energy.

Tonight we head to Toronto- then on to NJ. See you all soon.

From Bats to Bars

We continued our Romanian adventure with a trip to Transylvania. I’ll hand it to the Romanians- they are smart marketers. They’ve latched on to pieces of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and pieces of reality to build a healthy tourism industry.

We first visited Peles Castle. Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful castles in all of Europe, Peles and its 160 rooms are a masterpiece in architecture and are an opulent display of design, artifacts, glass, Cordoba leather (not rich Corinthian), and sculpture.

Bram Castle, a fortified medieval castle, often referred to as Dracula’s Castle, was built in 1377 to protect nearby Brasov from invaders. It sits atop a 200 foot rock overlooking the village and is full of passageways, courtyards and fireplaces. Not a vampire bat in sight but plenty of gypsies to sell us postcards and plastic teeth.

Actually, Count Dracula (the word Dracula means “son of the devil” in Romanian) was supposedly inspired by one of the best-known figures in Romanian history, Vlad Tepes- Vlad the Impaler. When Turkish invaders landed in Romania, they were greeted with a horrible stench. Supposedly, Vlad had had the heads of earlier Turkish invaders impaled on poles and placed in fields as psychological warfare. Apparently it worked well. Although he was greatly overwhelmed in numbers, he was victorious over the Turks.

Later that evening, we gathered with the group to get instructions on flying to our next leg- Amsterdam (these 3:30 wake-up calls are tough.)- neither of us have been outside the airport in Amsterdam.

It's Bucharest, not Budapest

Greetings from Bucharest Romania!

After a quick hop-skip flight from Athens, we landed in Bucharest with our crew of eight renegade scavengers last night. Eager to prove we still had our adventure traveler chops, we opted for the city bus ride to our hotel. Bad idea. I think we got on the rugby team route and ended up several kilometers from our hotel in a semi-deserted area at night without a cab in sight. Finally, after quite a hike lugging our heavy bags, we were able to get a ride to our hotel. Important Lesson #1: Don't make things difficult when you don't have to!

Today was relaxing and fun. We enjoyed the beautiful architecture and history of Bucharest. What an interesting city. A highlight was our tour of the Parliament Palace (aka: the People's Palace). This enormous structure, the second largest administrative building in the world (only the Pentagon is larger) was designed by over 700 architects and built between 1984 and 1989. The Palace was commissioned by Romanian dictator Ceausescu and includes over 600 rooms (we kept speculating on how rich we'd be if we had the Stanley Steamer carpet cleaning contract for the building.)

Opulent doesn’t do justice to the Palace. Each room has towering ceilings, marble columns, silk tapestry curtains with matching wallpapers, crystal chandeliers (some of which weigh over two tons) and custom carpets, woven to match the inlaid wooden floors or fabrics used in each room. In one room, the carpet was so large, it was actually woven as one piece in the room and weighs two tons.

Ceausescu was a strange bird (as dictators have been known to be.) He feared being poisoned and, as such, would not allow air conditioning in the Palace. He was vertically challenged and made the builders re-do the grand staircases five times until the stair heights were to his liking. As an aside, Ceausescu and his wife were executed by firing squad in 1989 and their bodies displayed on TV. Hmmm, do you think there was a link?

A number of famous people have tread this path before the Blakelys… Nadia Comaneci was married in the Palace (that must have been quite impressive to Bart Connor’s folks from the US! No pigs-in-a-blanket at that shindig!) We were so tired after our tour, we awarded our entire team 500 scavenge points for completing the tour and debriefed at the oldest pub in Romania. Tomorrow we are off to Transylvania. So far, no luck on finding bloody mary mix. No one said this would be easy.