4 times 30 is 120

They say if you hear something three times you need to perk up and listen. David said it. Tolley said it and I think a loud voice in me said it--it's time to InkyThinky.

I can't believe it's been 120 days since we ended our trip in Costa Rica. And frankly today is the first nice day we've had in California since I've been back. I think Chrissie has had better weather in London--go figure!

But I'm going to keep this short--it's late and I've been working WAY TOO MUCH.

120 days later this trip continues to feed me and form me. I can't tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity, for my traveling companion, for my dear DL that popped in and out of the trip, and for all my friends that have had to look at photos or listen to me complain about the lack of ladies lunches in my life. Thank you.

AND

This is what I gots to say. If you are thinking about traveling, stop thinking and just do it. Even if it is just an hour away to see something different, learning something new, taste something unusual.

If the Incans can build gigantic walls like this then I think we can find some time to explore our lives.

I shall be back...enjoy your weekends dear friends!

How to Ladies Lunch

I am one-third back--and counting. Some say it will take equal time to readjust to returning home as was spent traveling. So we're one-third there, or here, depending on how you look at it. I won't bore you with any of the re-entry drama.

The one talent Chrissie and I perfected in South America was the Ladies Lunch. So all of you out there thinking to yourself, "Those beyotches shouldn't complain about re-entry because it's been 20 years since I took more than 5 days off!", I say put your resentments aside. In one simple afternoon you can have what we had--a moment of pure joy and a celebration of friendship!

So think of a person or two you haven't seen for ages or someone you want to know better, pull out that calendar of yours, and mark an afternoon for a proper Ladies Lunch.

A few tips. First, make sure you have at least 3-4 hours to simply enjoy a long meal (all electronics turned off). I know, I can hear you, who has that kind of time when you're working, have a family, yah-dee yah-dee yah???!!! Well all I have to say is how much time do you spend a week on the internet or facebook? Hmmm, maybe it's about priorties and not just a matter of having time.

Ok, now tip two. Location is key, but not the most important factor. Nice is probably the most important factor, like table cloths rather than paper napkins. A view is a huge plus, like the view we had in Valpariaso. Outdoor is ideal (not easy in foggy San Fran), but not necessary because as you can see below we had a Ladies Lunch in a wine cave and that was delightful. 

And that leads me to tip three. Always start with a little taste of something like cheese and bread and a glass of bubbly, like a rose brute. If you're not a drinker like my not-such-a-lady-but-can-lunch-like-a-lady friend Timothy, any nice restaurant can mix up a delish palette livener to start off your Ladies Lunch.

And that reminds me, you needn't just lunch with Ladies. Any real man with an appetite for fun and food is a perfect companion for a Ladies Lunch, as learned by Lucia International.

I will say here for the wine drinkers that a bottle trumps by-the-glass for a LL. When you have 3-4 hours the tipsy factor is diluted by the consumption of food, water, coffee and dessert. It's all about pacing yourself. And if you happen to be in Europe or a fancy schmancy restaurant, there's often a half-bottle choice if you're feeling conservative about your afternoon wine intake.

  
Tip four is all about timing. In Buenos Aires we once broke a world record (at least we thought we did) when we started a Ladies Lunch at 2pm and finished at 8pm. The goal is to let your waiter know ahead of time that yes, this is a LL and that yes, you will be there until they close or they kick you out or until dinner starts. The best time to start a LL is about 1:30 or 2pm, this gives you time to get things done early in your day, plus you don't have to worry about eating dinner. It's perfect!

Tip five is about conversation--this is critical to the LL. Different Ladies have different preferences for conversation. Some like politics others prefer literature or philosophy. It's important to keep it lively and light with room for moments of deep conversation. There's always the wonderful conversation starter game of "Snog, Shag, Marry." (contact InkyThinky for game rules) The point is to enjoy your fellow Lady Luncher(s) and learn more about her/him or them. I learned that Chrissie would prefer to skip a course in the lunch meal to ensure she had room for dessert! Which brings me to another tip--go for at least 3 courses, preferably 4-5. If you only order a salad, well that's lunch, NOT a Ladies Lunch!!

Finally, it's important to remember you are never too full for dessert. Always order something to finish off your palette at the end, like cafe con leche y flan. This is the time during the Ladies Lunch where you can lean back in your chair, watch other diners, gaze at the view, talk about what you might do when you finish, like shopping or a walk around the block. This is also a perfect time to pull out those iPhone's and plan the next lunch in 4-6 months (or in a few days if you're out galivanting around the world).

What not to do during a LL? Ordering 2 shots of tequilla isn't the best idea. That's not really a proper lady thing to do. And that's about the only thing I can think of that you shouldn't do. (Note paper napkins as well, also a violation!)

Since I've been back so many people have commented about how lucky I was to have taken this trip. I see it differently. I feel grateful. I worked hard to make that trip happen--it wasn't a lucky lottery ticket win.  But I also know that I relied on so many people in so many different ways to make that trip possible--from the airlines to the hotel staff to the farmers and wine makers, and we can't forget the magic of the rivers, mountains and glaciers. I am so grateful I could be a part of the whole adventure and so deeply appreciative of my traveling companion Lady Elgar. And finally, if there is one thing this South American Aventura showed me over and over again, it is that life is precious and despite the showers of suffering around us, we have the opportunity every minute to choose gratitude and happiness.

All of those Ladies Lunches we had in South America were some of my most favorite and most memorable moments of the trip. And I don't have to travel thousands of miles to make those kinds of memorable moments.

So go on, pick up that phone and call a dear friend or two and schedule a Ladies Lunch and make some memorable moments. Tell us how it went...we can't wait to hear from you!

Bon appetit!

 

Six days

Memory is a funny thing--it conjurs, it allures, it terrifies, it lies, it reveals the truth, and most of all, it builds the vibrant narratives of our lives.

Six days into our return to life in the Northern Hemisphere Chrissie and I both agreed over a cup of tea via Skype today that it almost feels as if our three-month South American adventura never really happened. There seems to be a space between day-to-day reality and memory making that is a kind of limbo. I can barely feel the heat of Buenos Aires or hear the pound of the falls in Iguazu or taste the bite of malbec in Mendoza or breathe in the lushness of Peru. Memories are now starting to build and form and twist and turn, but the tangible touch of travel is dissipating.

The Secret Tonic
Early on into our trip dearest Alex sent me an article by a writer (can't remember his name) who so aptly wrote, "We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something in our mind has been changed, and that changes everything."

I'm not sure what in my mind has been changed, but I am restless and I am resisting all the blatant urgings around me to spend money, to need more, to do more, to want more. In six days I've thought of moving back to the City (SF), buy a car, buy a house in Healdsburg, quit my job, buy an entirely new wardrobe, go live in a tent and pack it all up and move to Peru to learn to drive a moto-taxi (that's my moto-taxi below).

So I decided to come here and do a little "inkythinky" to remind myself that this trip did happen and that I needn't do anything but be where I am. Perhaps amidst meetings, email, dinners, commuting, online shopping and a few hikes I will begin to get a glimpse into that little something in my mind that  changed over the last three months. Until then, I will keep popping back here and offering a few new narratives from the aventura.

Enjoy your week and keep an eye open for a posting on some very helpful guidelines on how to do a proper "ladies' lunch."

Sometimes you get what you ask for

Today as we got ready to board our American Airlines flight to Dallas, our last flight together, our final farewell to south and central america, our final hours in this grande aventura, I whined to Chrissie, "I don't want to go home." And that may be why I am propped up in bed at the Hyatt at the DFW Airport rather than watching a bad movie while eating bad food on a flight home to San Francisco. The good news is that as part of my $250 plus bill for tonight not only did I get a new toothbrush and comb (thank goodness cuz I threw out my kid's toothbrush I purchased back in Cuzco), I also got a "free" stick of Lady Speedstick deodorant. This is another perfect example of getting what you ask for because shortly before I exclaimed to Chrissie I wasn't leaving Costa Rica, I also exclaimed to her that I smelled awful because I forgot to primp with a bit of deodorant this morning. So tomorrow I'll be fresh and clean for my flight home to San Francisco, despite the fact that I'll be wearing the same clothes I had on today, and in fact, the same clothes I've been wearing for the last three months. But who's going to notice?

For some reason my flight got canceled due to bad weather, whilst at the same time Chrissie and Stevo lifted off to Heathrow and Dan is merrily on his way home out of Houston. On the bright side, I get to sit here and go through the gazillion pictures from our travels and remind myself of these last three months and conjure amazing memories which are too quickly beginning to fade around the edges, partially thanks to the bright and busy flash of the DFW Airport. What happened to the beach? Why is everyone so loud and speaking with funny accents? Why is it so clean here? Why is there so much stuff around? Why do I suddenly want to shop (the customs agent couldn't believe how little I claimed--and I was telling the truth, well close to the truth)? Where are all the mangy dogs? And where is that dear friend of mine with the ginger hair and the scars on the left of her temple?

Oh well. Thank goodness for Amex and airport hotels that make these kinds of experiences easier to stomach. I'm sitting here sipping tea, listening to Beethoven and marveling at the photos. Here are a few of my favorites from a rapid-shot photo shoot we did one morning in Mendoza at our favorite coffee shop. Thank you my dear friend for your laughter, your spirit and your company these last three months. I will treasure these memories forever!

And for those of you fearing the end of the Inky Thinky Aventura, thinky againy. There are loads of stories you still haven't heard, so stay tuned for "post script" stories, thinkie's and thoughts. And if you become sick of my memorializing of the South American excursions, then simply go back to your emails about oil spills, terrorists and other exciting news from around the world!

Hasta luego!

Jungle, Beach and more

This will be quick because I have to go meet up with Steve (Lady Elgar's prince), Chrissie, Terry (known to some as TAT and making friends everywhere in Costa Rica) and Dan (my man) at the beach. They have been out fishing for the last few hours and it's cerveza time.

Bobby and Genius have headed to the airport (I have a tear in my eye) and I am sitting here at the pool looking at the pacific wondering how in the hell I am going to be back in the office in five days.

But enough of that. Costa Rica esta buena! Chrissie and I spent our first few days getting lost and driving around in circles while enjoying the company of a few French Canadians and attending a horse parade! When the rest of the gang arrived, we found our bearings, headed for the beach and it's been nothing but fun and laughter since. We have done beach, Four Seasons posh, jungle, volcano, mud, hot springs, river jungle, aligators, monkeys, bugs, dogs, spiders, iguanas etc and we have eaten lots of pescado thanks to the talents of Chef Lucia (well everyone else has, I'm still sticking to my no fish diet!).

Enjoy the photos and perhaps more will come later today after a few beers and some reflection on how to put this whole adventure to a close. I will tell you that having all these wonderful people here this last week has made me so incredibly happy that I'm feeling so full I have no appetite. Well, maybe a little one, for a little beer and nachos.

Hasta luego!

There's always a man who knows a man

This is going to be short and to the point: be a well prepared international traveler.

1. On Tuesday, April 20, with tears streaming down my face and gazing out over Cuzco, we bid farewell to South America before venturing on to Central America.

2. On Tuesday, April 20, we were supposed to leave Cuzco, land in Lima and then connect on to San Jose, Costa Rica.

3. On Tuesday, April 20, our flight was delayed out of Cuzco so we missed our connection to Costa Rica.

4. On Tuesday, April 20, we spent the night at the Lima Airport, restless and quiet at the same time.

5. On Wednesday, April 21, with nervous stomachs, but strong wills, we boarded our flight to Costa Rica.

6. On Wednesday, April 21, with happy smiles we landed in Costa Rica and shuffled our way safely through customs and now we are listening to the night sounds of crickets and birds and frogs (and I already saw a huge spider!).

7. Heed this warning: When planning an international adventure, be sure to check all requirements for coming in and out of countries. Do not, I repeat. DO NOT assume that if you checked the requirements for traveling from your home country to said adventure countries that you have done a thorough job of preparing for said international adventure. For example, let's say you want to fly down to Costa Rica from California. No problem, just grab your passport and go. But if you've been traveling in Columbia, Subsaharan Africa or even Peru and you want to hop over to CR, well guess what, it is important that you know that you need to have documentation that says you have had the yellow fever vaccination before you're allowed to step foot in, let alone board a plane to, CR. And be sure to read the fine print, because that vaccination must be received at least 10 days in advance of your leaving one country for another. We saw two women practically fall to pieces when learning this news because they had not done their homework and come prepared with the proper paperwork.

8. Know this: in every difficult situation there is always a man who knows a man, or sometimes, a woman who knows a man.

9. Always carry American dollars with you, but use them wisely.

10. It's a good thing that we are expert international adventure travelers and we had no such problem! Happy travels...and more to come from the jungles of Costa Rica.

Muchas Piedras

Our hands and feet have touched thousands of rocks over the last week - climbing, grabbing, knocking, slipping, brushing and resting. The Incas were obviously very dedicated, hardworking people. Just as the shackles of work finally dropped from my body two-thirds of the way through this trip, I was faced with creations and works far grander and far more complicated and difficult than the work I have done in my lifetime. This got me thinking--what is work????




It's easy to gaze over the span of Machu Picchu and think only of the heavy grit of labor required to build, as well as restore, this magnificent city. Yet we often forget the brains behind the brawn. Who is to say which is more primitive: building fortresses out of 7 ton rocks at 10,000 feet or building markets out of imaginary electronic digits? I guess both came to their own demise in their own time.....

So it is clear my struggle to reconcile the ancient world with the modern world is best left for the archeologists, anthropologists and economists.

What is left for us is to sit back and marvel at a grand creation...and so it is.

Chrissie and I spent two luxurious days climbing on, napping in and gazing upon Machu Picchu. One day was in blistering heat and one in rain and fog. This contrast beautifully revealed the vastness of this grand lost city.

The landslides back in January have devastated the region both economically and ecologically. Trains are the only access into Aguas Calientes, the tourist trap of a town at the base of the mountain. Just a few weeks ago they were able to begin running trains from KM 102 to Aguas Calientes with the help of buses and a lot of coordination. We hadn't counted on being able to visit Machu Picchu, but yet another surprise was offered to us on this trip.



Chrissie and I were both transfixed by the mountain and its ruins. I don't have much more to say other than thank you dear snakes for letting us pass through your trails...thank you dear tourists for keeping yourself scarce...and thank you dear mountain for hosting us so safely for those days and for showing us your wonder and your magic....what an amazing experience.

Showering with Spiders

eds note: You may only get one photo because I only have one bar of internet. We've had no internet for a week so not to worry, we're just fine, just no email...ah, how wonderful to be unplugged!! Let's cross our fingers and hope we can post this!

When you land in Cuzco there are people selling shots of oxygen because at about 4,000 meters your lungs can use all the help they can get. Chrissie and I passed on the shots, but then we passed out in the taxi on our way to our new destination in the Sacred Valley. This area is the heart of the Incan Empire and known most famously for Machu Picchu. It is yet to be seen if we will see the famous Machu Picchu due to the landslides a few months ago, but regardless, we are soaking up the vibes here in this beautiful valley.

On our one-hour taxi ride to our hotel (well, I think it is more like a camping compound), I managed to stay awake for some of the time and as we passed over mountains and into the valley I felt like I was in a dream. Now after a few days here I still feel a bit like I’m in a dream and I really don’t know how to describe our first days in the Sacred Valley except exceptional in every way. It is exceptionally beautiful. It is exceptionally poor. It is exceptionally rich in heritage and the people are exceptionally friendly. And it is exceptionally unique—unlike any other place I have visited. Now Lady Elgar, being from the British Empire, has obviously seen more of the world than I, but either way we are both enchanted by the beauty of the landscapes and the ruins and the people (but not the dogs…hay mucho perros aqui!).

After a restful day and an introduction to our new Spanish teacher, we attempted a short walk that had both of us wishing we had an oxygen tank strapped to our backs. We then enjoyed a warm meal and a warm bed. The next morning, as is not always the case in this area, we also enjoyed a warm shower. And Chrissie also enjoyed a GIGANTIC SPIDER! (Gene, don’t look at the photo!)

When I stepped out of my room that morning to meet her before breakfast, Chrissie says to me in her proper Queens English. “Ingrid, there is a rather large spider in my shower.” I’m hungry, so I quickly say, “How big?” in hopes that she’ll say, “As big as a quarter” so we can get to breakfast. But no, she says, “It is really quite big and I’m not sure you want to see it.” Of course I want to see it, but I’m thinking it’s about as big as the spider I saw outside my bathroom, a little bigger than two quarters, legs and body in total. So I walk into the bathroom and there near the shower head, as you can see in the photo below, is a GIGANTIC TARANTULA! (It makes me paranoid just writing about it and I want to turn on the lights to look around my bed just to make sure there’s not one peering over my shoulder reading this and planning his attack).

Ok, so at this point I look at Chrissie and I realize her hair is soaking wet, which means she SHOWERED WITH THE SPIDER!!!!! (Bobby the exclamation points are for you) I’m not sure what kind of proper Lady would do such a thing, but frankly since arriving here a lot of what I thought was normal, like hot water in the kitchen or guinea pigs as pets not as food, is not normal. But sure enough, she showered with the spider as he sat perched above her, ready to spring at any moment. I wonder if he covered his 16 eyes???

I believe Lady Elgar deserves a medal of honor for her bravery and I suggest all of you on that little island across the Atlantic who are supporters of medals of honor and knighting of rock stars speak to the Queen about a formal ceremony. I’m sure if you also mentioned Lady Elgar’s ability to scale Incan ruins like a puma, a proper recognition will be made.

More to come on the Sacred Valley….until then, be sure to check your shower walls before you lather up! 

PS. You’ll all be happy to know that on Thursday we head to Machu Picchu. We hope to back online later this weekend or when we arrive in Costa Rica next Tuesday...hasta luego!

 

Inspiration

The Andes Montanas have a way of silencing you and forcing your gaze to stay only on them. For five hours I couldn't take my eyes off of them after Chrissie and I buckled ourselves into the two front seats next to our mini-van driver and sped west from Mendoza to Santiago. By 5pm that afternoon were sipping cerveza in Santiago.

The next day we headed further west to Valparaiso where we spent two days wandering around the hills, shopping, eating and gazing at the pacific. What a delight that city is...it's rough around the edges, but some of the neighborhoods, such as where we stayed, are bohemian and delightful. On good Friday we hiked up to Pablo Neruda's house. Neruda is a hero of mine. His words are rich, powerful and enchanting and his life was the same. Thank you Pablo for the inspiration!





Arte Poetica  - Pablo Neruda

Between shadow and space, between harnesses and virgins,
endowed with a singular heart and fatal dreams,
impetuously pale, withered in the forehead
and in mourning like an angry widower every day of my life,
oh, for every drink of invisible water I swallow drowsily
and with every sound I take in, trembling,
I feel the same missing thirst and the same cold fever,
an ear being born, an indirect anguish,
as if thieves were arriving, or ghosts,
and inside a long, deep, hollow shell,
like a humiliated waiter, like a bell gone a bit hoarse,
like an old mirror, like the smell of an empty house
(poem continued here)

Ghosts of the Past
Santiago is a gigantic city. On Easter we took a funicular to the top of one of the cerros where the Virgin Mary stands tall amidst a crowd of cellular towers. 

What struck me most about Santiago was that it seems to be wanting to forget the past but it doesn't really know how to embrace the future. It feels in conflict of old world and new world. You could still feel the ghosts of Pinochet's blood shed in the streets, yet the people of Santiago are incredibly optimistic, even in the face of the last earthquake and the endless aftershocks (we had a taste of one on Sunday night!).
 Tomorrow we are off to the Sacred Valley in Peru. We may be offline for a couple weeks, but more to come!

Sorpresas y Cena Fiesta part deux

We’re going to go back in time quickly here because there are two things all travelers must know: allow for surprises and always be willing to learn something new.

We were surprised in three ways when we landed in Bariloche, the famed town in the beautiful Seven Lake region of northern Patagonia. 

Sorpresa Una: After we woke up and were wowed by our lakeside view at our hotel, we were then even more surprised to be joined at breakfast by our friend Udo, husband to Marina. We met Marina and Udo in Iguazu one morning after they told us they were witness to Our Lady of the Poolside Acrobatics’ stupendous tumble. Marina was at a conference in Buenos Aires and we had invited Udo to join us for some hiking in Bariloche. What a delight to have him show up that morning! We all had a great time hiking and touring the lake over the next two days.

Sorpresa Dos: Bariloche’s claim to be make the best chocolate in Argentina was, well, let’s say, not really true, as affirmed by two very expert chocolate eaters.

Sorpresa Tres: While the lake region is visually spectacular, it is probably no surprise that its resemblance to the Alps of Europe is probably why it was a haven for the Nazis after the war. The political history of South America is so complex, we won’t begin to delve into its treacherous waters here, but I didn’t care for the secretive airs of Bariloche’s fascist history.

Chrissie and I quickly planned an alternate location and on day two we left the ghosts of Nazis for the promise of a hippie town. Where we landed was a tiny B&B outside of a town, run by a French woman who could cook. We were in hippie heaven!

For two and half days we relaxed. We visited a forest that had been burned and its remains turned into sculpture. 

We hiked to a refugio where we enjoyed tea and a delightful meeting of many people from all over the world. But as proof of the small world feeling you have when traveling, we chatted for two hours with a guy who was born in Britain, taught school in Oakland and lived in Healdsburg. 

Learning to Cook

On our last night in El Bolson, before our 20 hour bus journey to Mendoza, our wonderful host Odile invited us into the kitchen and taught us how to make a proper soufflé. Kenny y familia de Chrissie have a lot to look forward to when she returns home with her new culinary skills, but someone will have to show her how to use the oven!

We had a lovely dinner party, just the three of us, talking about food, love and laughing about life. Que vida loca de las chicas! 

Here's the recipe complete with spelling errors (some of them the delightful corrections assumed by my iphone).

See more photos below. Next, that crazy trip across the Andes!

One Last Day in the Vineyard

The last you heard from us was about our final legs of the W, but truth be told those postings have been written from the wine haze of Mendoza. There are some stories to come about the ghosts of Nazi hideout villages and hippie towns, but those will have to wait.

It is harvest time here in the Southern Hemisphere (fall, not spring) and in vino country that is a big deal. Today we took in our last ladies lunch in the valle de Mendoza. After our cab driver finally admitted he was lost and stopped and asked for directions (yes, an Argentinian man can ask for directions) we landed at the 100 year old Clos de Chacras and enjoyed wine, lunch, tour and tasting. We did our last day quite big.

As you can witness from the following video, Chrissie is finding her inner sommier. For the last week we have: wandered the small streets of Mendoza, we have explored the deep valleys of Lujan y Maipu, we had an old woman beg change off a punk rock kid in Chacras to fund our bus ride that lurched and stopped throughout the outskirts of Mendoza and we ran frightened by the cacophony of American voices in the local wine shop. Mendoza has been tranquil and restful.

What must be said, before we fall into our sleep and cover our heads so the buzz of the mosquitoes doesn't drive us mad, is that we have loved our time in Argentina more than words can say. It is with chiquita lagrimas that we say goodbye to Argentina--her cities, her waters, her glaciers, her montanas, her winds, her uvas, her cafe con leche, and her gente! Muchas gracias grande pais!

Manana we hop a small van and careen over the Andes into Santiago for semana santa-holy week. I can't wait to go to mass on Sunday!

Enjoy Chrissie's eloquent description of the chardonnay! Ciao chicos!

Words speak louder than words

Rather than blabber on to you about the last three grueling days of the W (not really that grueling), I thought we'd offer you the following slide show. The audio is a bit low, so turn up the volume on your computer, put your ear close to the speaker and enjoy Chrissie's mileage count of our trip--nearly 43 miles!

But before we end things here on the infamous W, we thought we'd offer a few bits of advice:

If you pay for the best you don't necessarily get the best. Sure the mega-expensive cabana on that stormy night was wonderful, but the truth is the best dinner and the best ambiance came with the cheapest, most "rustic" Refugio Grey. It was a great way to end our trip!

Don't pretend to be what you're not. Chrissie and I are walkers, sometimes hikers. But we soon realized on this trip that we are not trekkers. Trekkers walk faster and they don't look at the views until they get to the mirador. I recall one day when we spotted a rainbow and pointed it out to a gang of trekkers headed the opposite direction, they turned, glanced quickly and moved on as we stood in silence and enjoyed. And as Chrissie noted for both of us, we didn't realize how "bloody feeble" we were. On day 4 Chrissie confirmed that she was NOT going "trekking" at 4,000 meters in Peru! I concurred. Leave that for the sherpas!

Travel light. "I could never carry my house on my back...all those blasted implements hanging off those rucksack. Shell out a few dollars and stay somewhere!" says the Lady of the Trail.

You never need as much as you think you need. Truthfully you can wear the same clothes day after day and no one really minds, not even your bunkmate. When I get back I plan to cut my wardrobe in half. But Chrissie wishes she brought one more pair of platform shoes on the trail!

It's about the journey not the destination. I know this is contrary to what I said the first day, but it really is true. I can say this with complete confidence as I sip on a big fat glass of crisp Argentinian Chardonnay/Voigner!

Here's to our slow walk through the W--Thank you Patagonia!

PS, if the slideshow doesn't play at first, let it buffer and then drag the play marker a little to the right to get the slideshow started.

The Rainbow Connection

A wise frog once sang a song about rainbows, visions, illusions, and "the lovers, the dreamers and me." Well I can honestly say that Patagonia likes to parade rainbows in front of you to draw you further down the trail.

For me there is a silence that fills me when I see a rainbow, a kind of wonder about science, nature and spirit. I think rainbows are about 90% science and about 10% mystery, myth and mysiticsm. On Day three of our Torre del Paine hike, about 30 kilometers into our 60+ km hike, we were in good spirits and despite the previous night's storm, the day was cloudy but bright, and the rainbows were on parade.

In our time in South America we have probably seen over two dozen rainbows--the light, the sun, the ice, the wind, the rain...all of these ingredients mixed with the latitude and longitude, produced numerous rainbows that had us jaw dropped and mesmerized.

What didn't have us mesmerized on the trip were the sack lunches. You can see below Chrissie's surprise when we sat down, rainbow in view, to have a little lunch on day 3 to find soggy cheese, canned mushrooms and hearts of palm lining her stale bread! But as we've learned on the trail, gratitutude is always a thought away. Good thing we had those peanuts and chocolate!

That's it for now. Maybe we'll do a line or two tomorrow about our last day on the trail and the fantastic stuffed zucchini prepared by a refugio chef in the wilds of Glacier Grey on our last night on the trail. But what you'll probably hear more about in the coming days is the complete gluttony that has taken over in Mendoza! Good lord they can make wine here!