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Photo of the Week – Netherlands

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:26:18 +0000

The land of windmills and bikes

This week I bring you a shot hot off the presses – from my current trip in Amsterdam. I felt like this picture captured quintessential Holland quite well; windmills, beautiful clouds, bicycles, and marshland. I took this shot while on a rest break from my own bicycle ride in the countryside near Amsterdam. A gorgeous day to ride into the the breezy, green flatlands.

Remember – you can purchase any of my photography of course!

If you want to see more travel photography this Friday – then check out Briefcase to Backpack’s Photo Friday!

Photo of the Week – Boston

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Doing something a little different this week and instead of one photo, I’m bringing you a photo walk I did while staying in Boston this summer. I walked around the historic neighborhood of Beacon Hill where cobblestone streets and gas lamps take you back in time. Then I took a wander through the famous Boston Common; a historical gathering spot for all of Boston. The park was bursting with color and some new life this summer! Enjoy!

Gas Lights Burn all day

Cobble Stone Streets of Beacon Hill

Flowers at the Market

Beacon Hill Homes

Bike Beacon Hill

The Grand Lawn of Boston Common

Hanging Trees

Swan Gracing the Lake

Purple Pods

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

To view more travel photos this Friday – check out Briefcase to Backpack’s Photo Friday!

Photo of the Week Egypt

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:39:17 +0000

In the Spotlight – Egypt

I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t even know where this was shot. Sure, I know I was in Egypt in yet another temple, but I had my overdose of temples much earlier in my stay, so I stopped really keeping track. As I wandered around yet another temple I turned around to look for my friend and that’s when I saw this perfectly lit shot.

The ancient Egyptian Gods provided a single ray of light to shine on this lucky man. A natural wonder.

To see more travel photography – check out Briefcase to Backpack’s Photo Friday

SmugMug.com – Serving up crisp, clear photos – without the side of Spam.

Photo of the Week – World Cup Fever

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:50:27 +0000

Balancing Act

Balancing Act – Rome, Italy

I don’t know how it happened, but I’ve been transformed into a football fan. Yes, that’s right, I said football, not soccer; just to prove how authentic the transformation is. With the World Cup championship coming up this weekend, I felt like I better give this new love of mine visibility on my Photo of the Week. One of the constants as I travel and live around the world was the presence of the beloved game of football. From Thailand to Turkey to Italy to Kenya – it is the world’s sport.

I snapped this shot in a park in Rome. Teenage boys were walking on one of the many paths and this one decided to show off some skills. Who knows – maybe he’ll play in the World Cup one day…

To see more photography from Rome, visit my Global Photography website where you can view and purchase photography from around the world.

To see more travel photography check out Briefcase to Backpack’s Photo Friday or to see more World Cup photography check out Wandering Educators World Cup photo of the week.

SmugMug.com – Serving up crisp, clear photos – without the side of Spam.

Photo of the Week – Langkawai, Malaysia

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:11:36 +0000

Unsettled Seas – Langkawi, Malaysia

I did something a bit different this week, I asked you what you wanted to see for Photo of the Week. Actually, I asked my Twitter followers what they wanted to see this week! They had the choice of Kids, Action, Landscape, or Gory Photo topics; Landscapes overwhelmingly won out! Never mind the fact that I chose a beachscape as opposed to a landscape shot…

Experience sunny Langkawi, Malaysia. Tourists flock to the stunning beach in northern Mayalsia; however even in paradise there are storms. You can’t escape Mother Nature! This storm quickly rolled in as I was taking a beach walk. The waters were full of energy and the sky grew dark; needless to say – it rained pretty hard moments after this shot.

Read about my Langkawi travel experiences.

To view more travel photos, check out Photo Friday at Briefcase to Backpack or Delicious Baby.

Want to vote on the next weeks category? Follow me on Twitter -> @Ottsworld

Have a great 4th of July!

SmugMug.com – Serving up crisp, clear photos – without the side of Spam.

Photo of the Week – Milford Track

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 04:30:53 +0000

Colorful Carpet - Milford Track New Zealand

The Milford Track (Kiwi speak for hike) is called the most beautiful hike in the world. It received this accreditation when an English journalist walked it and wrote about her journey titling it “Milford Track, Possibly the Most Beautiful Walk in the World”. Her editor looked at it and crossed out the word “Possibly”. After that Frommers, Lonely Planet, Rough Guides as well as many marketing brochures has used the quote to describe it.

I hiked this 3 day 32 mile trek in November of 2006; certainly one of the most beautiful walks in the world! Waterfalls and colorful landscapes surrounded us making one feel that they had been transported to another world.

Like what you see? View and purchase my other New Zealand photography!

SmugMug.com – Serving up crisp, clear photos – without the side of Spam.

Tiger Balm Tales E-book – Annapurna Circuit with my Father

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:55:00 +0000

Dad and I being welcomed to Nepal

Father’s Day was last Sunday; what better time to reflect upon my recent travels with my father.

Last October I traveled to Nepal to hike the Annapurna Circuit with my 73 year old father. We hiked for 21 days with many ups and downs…quite literally. I blogged about each step of that journey here on my website. However I feel like I put so much into that writing that I wanted to offer it to my readers (or whomever is interested!) in a non-blog format!

My first e-book is here – the Tiger Balm Tales from beginning to end with a few pictures in between.

The book is great for anyone who:

Will be hiking the Annapurna circuit and wants more info on what to expect
Enjoys heartwarming stories of family travel
Has ever considered traveling with their parents
Loves hiking in general

Download the Free ebook now!

It’s in pdf format – so you can simply download the file and read it at your leisure on your computer, your ipad, your Kindle, or whatever device you read on these days. Heck – you can even print it off if you like the feel of paper between your fingers!

It’s completely FREE – I simply wanted to provide it to my readers to give something back. However, I would of course appreciate it if you continued to support me and my other online travel ventures by:

Signing up for my newsletter

Following Briefcase to Backpack on Facebook

Checking out Meet, Plan, Go!

At the end I’ve also added a resource section for those who are looking for information on doing the hike themselves. However, I will also give it a a plus here. The trip wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing planning done by my friend Giri and his company. He organized everything for us and treated us like a part of his family in the end. I can’t say enough good things about our experience using Nepal Tourism Company.

Click here to Download the Tiger Balm Tales

Planning a trip to Nepal? Please consider utilizing Giri’s services:
Giri Gurung
Nepal Tourism
www.nepaltourismtravels.com.np
Kathmandu Office – Nurshing Chowk, Thamel 17
+977-1-426-1114

Photo of the Week – Morocco

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 04:36:04 +0000

Tough Stain – Fes Morocco

This isn’t what you think. This man is holding silk thread and is in the process of dying it a bright red color. I took this photo while I toured around the most miraculous medina in Morocco. Here’s my excerpt of my fist impressions:

The moment you entered the big arched gateway you inhaled the smell, taste and sound of the markets. We were surrounded by the sounds of people and music, we could smell the rich spices intermixed with the smell of olives, and your eyes were entranced by the rich colors and textures that surrounded you. I think I honestly walked for the first 20 minutes with a dumb stare on my face as I took it all in.

I loved Fes…a truly cultural experience – and a treasure trove of photography.

Photo of the Week – Rio De Janeiro

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:38:04 +0000

Beach Balls - Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

An early morning stroll on the beach in Rio provided a unique scene - calm. Rarely do you find the beaches in Rio de Janeiro empty, except in the early morning. This beach ball vendor sat and waited patiently for customers to show up, enjoying some peace and quiet.

To see more travel photos this Friday check out Briefcase to Backpack’s Photo Friday and Delicious Baby Photo Friday.

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

A Disappearing Town

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:23:47 +0000

This says it all...

I remember the streets crowded with people for Pilger Days, a weekend celebration which happened once a summer. There was cotton candy, music, families walking hand and hand, a cake walk (my personal favorite), a dime toss and a myriad of other carnival games. However, now I walk through the streets of Pilger looking at the run down buildings, closed businesses, houses for sale, and the empty main street; it feels like all of the air has been let out of it, and it’s on it’s last breath. It feels like it’s dying.

Pilger is a small town in Northeast Nebraska with an ever decreasing population of 328 people. It’s your typical farm town; a gas station, a main street, a church, the grain elevator, a small park, and a big water tower. There’s one school serving 5th and 6th grades, there’s a brand new town swimming pool ,and a ball field. I guess that actually sounds like quite a lot of a population of 328.

The feeling is a bit eerie....

However it’s missing something crucial, there are no kids running around playing. The park is empty and the main business which is actually still open and running on main street seems to be the Senior Center. The population of Pilger is aging.

Why do I care about Pilger, Nebraska? It’s my parent’s home town – sort of. It’s actually the closest thing to a home town they have as they both grew up on farms about 3 miles outside of Pilger. But for them, Pilger was their ‘big city’. Back then it had a population of 537, and farmers from all around the area gathered there to conduct business, attend social functions, provide their kids an education, and of course to worship.

My parents went to high school in Pilger and had a graduating class of 11 people. My dad played sports there, and my mom was on the cheer squad. The school was brimming with excitement and life. However a number of years ago they moved the high school to a bigger town as there just were no longer enough students in Pilger to keep it running. Pilger now struggles to keep its grade school running. They split up the grades and share the overall schooling with neighboring towns

I found myself in Pilger recently visiting my aunt and took the opportunity to walk around it with my camera. I of course had a few locals stop me and ask me what I was doing…they don’t see strangers walking around with a big camera every day…or ever!

Photography from my Pilger wanderings

The cemetery on the edge of town seems to be getting bigger and the town seems to be getting smaller. The decreasing population in Pilger has left it with an empty feeling. As I walk around, it feels no different than a town in a foreign country. In fact the lack of energy in the town reminds me of villages in the Gobi Desert. I find the whole thought a little depressing as I see this small town farming culture disappearing in the US – right before my eyes. Is this happening to all small towns in America as the big farmers/companies/cities take over?

The tallest structure - the water tower

The remaining population of Pilger is gearing up for it’s 125th year anniversary in 2012 and my aunt is on the planning committee. I am hopeful my vision of the ‘old PIlger’ will come back to life; the main street full of people and pick-up trucks, a cake walk, and farmers walking around socializing. I have a hard time imagining it now, as I walk around the edges of town surrounded by corn fields. I can’t help but wonder how long it will take for the corn fields to eventually take over the town. All that will be left is the water tower and fuzzy memories.

If you ever find yourself in Northeast Nebraska – I suggest you stop in the small towns and have lunch at the local cafe – it will be a truly cultural experience you won’t forget. You’ll meet some really nice people and probably learn a little history too! Heck – you may even make it into the local paper! In all honestly – I find Northeast Nebraska’s rolling hills to be one of the most gorgeous landscapes I’ve encountered in the world. Yes, not all of Nebraska is flat plains!

Some links on Northeast Nebraska:
Northeast Nebraska History and Culture
Northeast Nebraska Travel Council

If you’d like to read more about small towns in America you can check out some of my other posts:
Farm-sitting – a Cultural Adventure in Owatonna
Corn and Cowboys – Mitchell, South Dakota
Sex in The City Small Town Style – Twin Brooks, South Dakota
Chasing Wabbits in Ozark, Arkansas

Tree near the cemetery

Photo of the Week – Manhattanhenge

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:43:25 +0000

Apocalypse Now on 34th St – New York City

Two times a year the Sun God works it’s magic on Manhattan in a spectacle called Manhattanhenge. The rare occurance when the sun sets in exact alignment with the grid of streets in Manhattan. This 15 minutes of illumination on the cross streets of New York City provides an Apocalypse Now feeling with people shading there eyes, armed with their camera standing in the middle of 34th street trying to get the perfect photo. Last weekend, I was one of them trying to get the perfect sunset picture of the Empire State Building.

If you missed it, you’re in luck; the next Manhattenhenge is July 12th. Get that camera ready and grab some sunglasses!

You can read more on the spectacle of Manhattanhenge on Hayden Planetarium’s website.

Can’t get enough photo Friday? Then check out Briefcase to Backpack Photo Friday and Delicious Baby Photo Friday!

SmugMug.com – Serving up crisp, clear photos – without the side of Spam.

Photo of the Week – Vietnam

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:34:58 +0000

Hard Hat – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

While on a cyclo ride in HCMC, I encountered this guy hanging out of a little motorized tuk tuk in HCMC. I found his choice of helmet funny – a throw back from the war. Granted, sometimes I felt like driving in Saigon was similar to going into combat!

To see more travel photos, check out the Briefcase to Backpack Photo Friday!

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Photo of the Week – Ao Nang, Thailand

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 05:08:42 +0000

Paddle Through – Ao Nang, Thailand

While traveling solo in Ao Nang, I decided to take a kayak trip and was treated to an adventure of caves and monkeys…and a few bats. I loved the small town of Ao Nang, a little beachy tourist community that I would have loved to spend a few extra days or weeks in.

If you want to view more Photography this Friday, then check out the Briefcase to Backpack Photo Friday

Photo of the Week – Sinai Egypt

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 05:17:26 +0000

Color Canyon Hike in the Sinai Region of Egypt

The wind had formed the sandstone of Color Canyon in Sinai Egypt is a memorable hike. The canyon floor ‘trail’ was sometimes wide and sometimes very, very narrow. As you walked through the cannon and followed the path of the wind, you saw the various colorful rocks weaving through the sandstone as if it were a Paint –n-Swirl work of art. The canyon got so narrow at one point that we had to crawl through a small opening blocked by a boulder.

Read further about adventurous travel through the Sinai Region at Ottsworld!

If you want to view more photography this Friday – check out Photo Friday at Delicious Baby

Photo of the Week – Agra, India

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 04:17:12 +0000

Squaring it Up – Agra, India

View of the Taj Mahal from the Agra Fort; a different perspective of the famous and often photographed site. It was just as spectacular seeing it from the walls of the old Agra Fort.

To see more Photo Friday around the web – check out Delicious Baby for more travel photos!

Photo of the Week – Mongolia

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:30:18 +0000

Gobi Desert Trifecta

I am in Louisville this weekend for the Kentucky Derby so thought I would choose one of my favorite horse photos from Mongolia – the land where horses roam free. We were driving through the Gobi Desert when we came across a pack of horses near a well. The wind howled across the desert as we got out of the car and intermingled with them. They seemed tame, but I know they yearned to run.

View more Mongolia Photography

View more travel photography at Photo Friday on Briefcase to Backpack

Photo of the Week – Barbot, Nepal

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:05:43 +0000

Who’s Back There? – Barbot, Nepal

Going to villages that are off the tourist trail in Nepal are the most rewarding to me. So when the principle of the school I was volunteer teaching at invited me on a 4 hour hike (actually it took 7 hrs) to his village of Barbot for the weekend – I said yes! Barbot was perched high on a mountain and full of amazing scenery and people to photograph. What made it better was my personal ‘guide’ and friend who took me around the village and surrounding areas providing me access to great photography opportunities.

This young mother and son had just left the local market when I was able to capture them. I think the young boy was as curious about me as I was about him!

Read the complete story of my weekend in Barbot.

To see more travel photography – check out Photo Friday at Briefcase to Backpack!

Kathmandu Photography – Pigeons

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 12:18:14 +0000

Venice thinks that it has the corner on the market when it comes to pigeons, but don’t discount Kathmandu’s pigeon population! They were everywhere, intermingled with each other, people, and of course the holy cows!

A walk to school among the pigeons

Coming in for landing

Diversification - In Dubar Square the pigeons and cows intermingle happily

Kathmandu Photography – Boudhanath

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 12:55:14 +0000

The Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath is one of the largest in the world. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is one of the most popular tourist sites in the Kathmandu area. Everytime I’m in Kathmandu it’s worth a stop not only for the stupa itself, but for thetemples, buildings, and people surrounding it. Monks, tourists, and locals intermingle as the holy Buddha eyes peer down upon you.

Boudhanath peers out over it's visitors

Praying Clockwise

Monks reciting spiritual lines in front of Boudhanath

Colorful gong inside the temple waits for contact to be made

Boudhanath Decor

Photo of the Week – Kathmandu

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 05:06:39 +0000

Modern Nepal

Kathmandu is a town full of old buildings and history. The whole place feels dusty, like my grandmother’s attic. However as I was out shooting one day I came across this young boy and felt transported to modern times. He was more than willing to pose for my photo. The phrase “One of these things is not like the other” kept running through my head. He seemed so out of place. I wondered if I was in Queens or Nepal? It left me wondering if this was the direction of Nepal to come? With a sigh and a heavy heart, I continued on in the dust filled streets exploring the old buildings; sometimes modern is not always better.

I’m highlighting Kathmandu Photography all week on Ottsworld!

View Markets, People, and Dubar Square Photography

To see other Travel Photography around the web, be sure to check out Briefcase to Backpack’s Photo Friday!

Kathmandu Photography – People

admin — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:10:59 +0000

Kathmandu is a great place to photograph people. Most locals are excited to have their photo taken if you ask their permission. However I prefer catching them in their daily activities as opposed to posed shots.

Nepalese! Old, young, sleeping, working, spiritual, and happy – a broad spectrum of the people of Nepal.

Rickshaw business can be slow, so naps are frequent

Enjoying the morning with a smile

Gazing over the square

Peanut vendor waits for some customers

The Godfather look...

Colorful Sadhu roams the neighborhood

The morning news is displayed and read in the public square

Commuting through the back alleys of Kathmandu

Kathmandu Photography – Markets

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:05:52 +0000

The city of Kathmandu is filled with markets everywhere you go. The morning is especially active as kids make their way to school by foot and adults get their fresh produce and meat for the day. Everywhere you look it feels as if someone is selling something; produce, flowers, jewelry, peanuts, and guiding services! The one thing you can always count on is that it will be colorful!

Women choose product in the middle of a busy road

An apple vendor wheels around his goods on an old bike

Colorful powder for sale used for tikas (forehead markings)

The food of Nepal - Dhal for sale

Bracelets come in every color - you can't buy or wear just one.

A woman surrounded by her colorful produce in Dubar Square

Malla (flower necklaces) are made and sold near the many temples

Kathmandu Photography – Dubar Square

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:16:33 +0000

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dubar Square in the heart of Kathmandu is a must see. Yes, it’s full of tourists, however locals do go here too and that mixture of tourists, historical buildings, statues, and locals is what makes the site so amazing. You’ll see many Kasthamandaps or “Wooden houses” which gives the city its name. The architecture and statues are stunning; but make sure you leave yourself a lot of time to wander into the crevices and corners, and don’t forget to look up – you’ll find some great surprises!

Cars, motobikes, rickshaws, and people crowd the square during their morning commute

The Eyes of Buddha

Ancient Rooftops

Colorful Offerings

Weathered Statue

Off the beaten path, this little square had character

Learn about the Square’s surprising ’sexy side’; these buildings have more surprises to them than expected!

Travel Wonders of the World – Dubar Square

Photo of the Week – Monument Valley Utah

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 05:08:17 +0000

Monumental Road – Utah, USA

Spring is in the air in the US. It’s time to start thinking about summer road trips! The National Parks in the Utah/Arizona area are abundant; however I like to find some of the ones off the beaten path and Monument Valley in Utah is one of those. This Navajo Indian Park was my favorite in my road trip across America. Massive rock formations that seem to come out of nowhere.

It is located on the southern border of Utah with northern Arizona, near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation, and is accessible from U.S. Highway 163.

Monument Valley is part of the Grand Circle, which includes popular National Parks such as the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Capitol Reef, Natural Bridges Monument, Hovenweep, and Arches National Park. I saw most of these on my US Road Trip in 2008 and they are all worth a stop!

Want to see more Travel Photography? View my National Parks Photography or check out Briefcase to Backpack’s Photo Friday!

Photo of the Week – Nepal

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 05:33:31 +0000

Piggy Back – Lamjung District Nepal

I spent a few weeks volunteering in the remote mountain village of Puma in 2008; an experience that was truly eye opening. While teaching English in the small village of 40 homes I came to know many of the kids well. This boy wasn’t old enough for school yet, but he and his grandmother were always hanging around school in hopes of having their picture taken. This day I obliged them. Communities like this all around the world don’t have the means to have personal pictures of themselves. I don’t know that the kids learned much English from me, but I was able to send the people of the village all of the photos I took thereby providing them some recorded memories that would last a lifetime. Giving back comes in many different forms.

View more Puma village photography or read about my volunteering experience in this remote, leach filled village!

To view more Photo Friday around the travel blogsphere – check out Briefcase to Backpack Photo Friday and Delicious Baby Photo Friday!

Photo of the Week – Ubud

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:10:27 +0000

Hot Feet - Ubud on the island of Bali Indonesia

There’s a variety of cultural shows to attend every night in Ubud. This photo is from the Kecak Fire and Trance Dance. It consisted of about 50 men all chanting this tune with no accompaniment while the story of the dancers played out in front of us. At the end they lit a big pile of coconut husks on fire and let them burn high like a bon fire. A man is put in a trance by the 50 men choir of chanting. He then can walk through burning coals. He didn’t just walk through once, but at least 10 times. A colorful, and HOT show.

Read about my travel adventures in Bali

Help a Mongol Out…

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 05:15:46 +0000

A race to Mongolia

I am drawn to the unusual – it’s a curse, but I’ll never change. In fact that magnetic pull towards the unique and different seems to get stronger and stronger for me as I get older. The harder part is that the unusual/unique/different becomes harder and harder to find. So when I found out my friends and career breakers, Lauren and Mike, over at Abandon The Cube were doing the Mongol Charity Rally, I was intrigued.

According to the Abandon The Cube website,

There are no rules in the Mongol Charity Rally, no set route, no assistance on the road, and no way to make the 10,000 mile journey in an ill-suited, 1 litre car without encountering problems. As the founding father of the Mongol Rally say, “If you haven’t run into massive difficulties on the way, then you are doing something wrong!”

Yup – that’s all I needed to read, I knew this was something I wanted to do in my lifetime. I decided I would follow the Abandon the Cube team this year in hopes of learning more about it for a future go of my own.

I contacted Lauren and Mike to learn more about the unique charity rally. Lauren kindly answered my numerous questions.

Lauren and Mike - Abandon The Cube Team

The Plan:

When and why did you decide to do the Mongol Rally?
In 2009 we were in Central Asia traveling for a few months and saw a rally car. The four folks insider looked miserable, dirty and helpless, they were trying to put gas in their car out of tiny little water bottles (what a Central Asian gas station usually consists of) and they could not understand the attendant, so we helped them out and they told us about the rally. We checked it out online later that afternoon and we were hooked on the idea.

What is your route and how did you decide upon it?
We will be traveling through 13 countries, leaving from Hyde Park, in London, through France, Germany, Czech, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia. We decided on this because we looked at a map over Christmas and then colored in all the places we wanted to see. Romania is a bit out of the way, but we really wanted to visit Transylvania, so we added it to the route. Basically, its a semi-logical traveling wish-list that we get to see come true this summer. There is no time limit, but after we launch in the UK, we have three days to get to Prague, where there is a massive ‘czech out’ party where teams link up to caravan, or just to network,. After Prague, we are on our own until Mongolia. We want to see stuff along the way and are allowing around 40 days for the rally.

Will you be camping, staying in Hostels…or sleeping in the car?!
We will be camping almost all of the time. The luxury of having a car traveling is that we can now drive to the middle of nowhere, camp out, and drive away the next morning. We don’t have to find camp sites, just stop along the road out of site and catch a few Zs. When we cant find a spot, we’ll do hostels, but that is a last resort because of the cost associated with it, and safety for the car and supplies parking in cities and towns, etc.

Good cars in Mongolia are hard to find!

The Car:

You say that you need a car that is fully ‘decked out’. What is meant by fully ‘decked out’?
Well, spending 40 days in a car is alot. We’ll want to make sure its comfortable, capable, and can carry everything we need for that long a trip. We’ll need to add a roof rack, add a few cup holders, paint the exterior and apply all the sponsorship logos, etc. Ideally, we’ll also have a few amenities, like a CD or MP3 player on board– no body wants to hear me sing for 40 days.

Do you all have international driver’s licenses?
Surprisingly, that was one of the easiest things to get. We simply sent in a form to AAA and a few bucks and they send back the license. Easiest part of this adventure so far!

Are any of you mechanics? Can you all change a tire?
None of us know anything about cars, but luckily we’re all pretty good with tools. I’ve been reading a lot online about minor car problems and how to fix them, so hopefully that helps. I’m waiting to find out what kind of car we’ll end up with before i tackle how to deal with major breakdowns. I’ve changed a tire or two in my day, but I can’t say they look perfect when the new one is on. Guess that’s another skill we’ll perfect along the way!

The Charity:

Did you get to choose your own charity or was there a list to work with?
There was a list to choose from. The rally administrators create a list of verified charities since there are just so many scams out there that they really want the rally associated with good, helpful charities.

Why did you choose Mercy Mongolia?
We chose this charity because it is well known, and because they have a high rate of donation. Additionally, 90% of donations made to Mercy Mongolia go directly to their causes, with very little overhead. We’re excited about the work they do, and we are looking forward to seeing the good they have done first hand when we arrive in Mongolia.

The Sponsors – or lack thereof:

How much money do you need to raise in order to participate?
We’re looking for around $5,000, which would cover the entry fee ($1,500) as well as the car, supplies, gas, insurance, and visas. That’s in addition to the money we need to raise for charity in order to participate in the rally ($1,700)

You talk about media coverage and web frenzy – How will you cover your progress while on the road?
Surprisingly, while traveling we rarely had a hard time finding wifi. This year we’ll be in new territory, but I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to find an internet cafe wherever we stop. We have a blog to maintain, media information and press releases to send out, as well as just keeping in touch with concerned and excited family members.

How’s the sponsorship progress going so far?
So far, things are going slowly. With the tragic earthquake in Haiti, many companies and individuals have donated their maximum already. We’re hoping a generous company out there somewhere will take pity on us and supply us with ogles of cash so we can compete.
Here’s your chance to help sponsor their effort and raise money for Mercy Mongolia. To learn more, here’s a great PDF document about sponsorship benefits and details that Lauren provided. LINK (PDF document)
Please do consider helping as what they are taking on is no easy task!

Excited? Nervous?

What is the one thing that you are most looking forward to about the Rally?
I’m very excited for the experience of traveling in a car while abroad. We’ve always taken local transportation like buses and trains, which can be nice but also holds you back on what destinations you can visit. Last year in Uzbekistan it was just too difficult to get to the Aral Sea. Now that we’ll have our own ride, we can go where we want, see what we want. That liberation is amazing, and we’re looking forward to pointing our car towards some great sights along the way.

What is the one thing that you are nervous about regarding the Rally?
My biggest concern is raising the money to do the rally. Fund-raising is harder than I imagined and so far we’ve been striking out more than not, so we’re growing nervous. But, in the end you just have to have some faith that things will work out (and if not, we’ll tackle that when we’re faced with it). We’re doing the rally regardless of the funds, even if it means riding in the world’s crappiest car.

Mongolia has a very special place in my heart and I’ll be following the Abandon the Cube team with great interest during the Mongol Rally starting in July 2010. By the way – they are currently looking for another two teammates – so if you want an adventure for 40 days for a great cause, contact them!

Abandon The Cube

Coming Down to Reality

admin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:03:27 +0000

The Enchanted Forest

Tiger Balm Tales vol. 19

Coming Down to Reality

Down Dooby Doo Down Down, Comma comma
Down Dooby Doo Down Down, Comma comma
Down Dooby Doo Down Down
Leaving Annapurna is Haaarrrrdddd…. tooooooooo…. dooooo…

I couldn’t get this tune out of my head. Probably because…

There was nowhere to go now but down.

Our downward path first led us through the ‘enchanted’ Rotadendrum forest as we left Ghorepani and the white peaks behind. The forest was beautiful and creepy at the same time. Rays of sun made their way through the mossy green foliage poking thru crooked tree branches with powerful light rays. The scene was made even more eerie by the incessant sound of singing locust in the trees. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the headless horseman reared up in front of me.

After a couple of hours, we left the locust and enchanted forest behind and popped out on a terraced hillside bustling with harvest activity. It was as if we had broken out of a fog – the whole landscape changed in a few small steps.

The trail was like the super highway. People were on their way up to Ghorepani and fast people were practically sprinting down towards Pokhara. It was fun to meet all of the fresh faced trekkers just starting their adventure – it actually made me feel very happy to be where we were – near the end of our circuit and closer than ever to a good shower and real bed.

We stopped for lunch at the picturesque hill town of Ulleri and then started the knee crushing stairway to Hell…oops…I mean stairway to Hile. We had already read about this challenge in our guide book…the dreaded 3,283 steps down to Hile descending over 1,879 feet. Truth be known, we had already been going down steps for the last 40 minutes of trekking so my dodgy runner’s knee was already feeling the effects of the steep stone descent.

Stairway to Hile

I knew this would pose the greatest challenge for my dad too. His descending skills were far worse than his climbing skills – it obviously ran in the family. To make it worse the descent was on the open hillside with no shade. Just switchbacks of ‘stairs’ – uneven, haphazard stones placed like stairs. After all – there weren’t the steps to the public library – they were ‘trail’ steps. It could’ve been worse though – we could have been going up the stairs!

All I could think about as I planted my hiking pole on the step below to take pressure off my knee was , “Who in their right mind actually counted these steps?!” Seriously – how did they know there were 3,283 – that’s bullshit.

We had been descending stairs steadily for an hour, nearing the bottom and knee relief when we came across the chicken porters. Actually you could first smell them, then you could see them. At one point on the trail, it was like an animal super highway; chicken couped porters, a donkey train, and herd of sheep all converged on the steps. Are there animal rules for who has the right of way? Dr. Doolittle would know the answer to that question I bet.

We slept in Hile that night after a good beer and popcorn; you could tell that we were getting much closer to civilization now…popcorn was a special treat! We slept late the next morning and had a easy rolling 3 hour downhill hike to Birethanthi. We took our time and observed all of the harvesting in the fields and kids going to school. Birethanthi was really the last village on the circuit and we could’ve easily went on to Pokhara but instead we soaked up one more lazy afternoon of peace, simplicity, and mountain peaks.

Chicken Porters - you could smell them coming!

That night Bishnu, Deihl, Dad, and I celebrated our last night together with Roxie (Nepali moonshine); reliving some of the best moments on our circuit hike thru the hundreds of photos I had taken. I think we were 2 of about 10 people actually overnighting in Birethanti; the comforts of Pokhara were too enticing for most hikers who had been on the circuit for over 18 days!

The next morning we had breakfast and put on our packs one last time. As soon as we crossed over the bridge out of Birethanti we left the trekking village world behind as if we had went thru the exit of Disneyworld…the fantasy was over. We entered a grittier, charmless area with shops lining a muddy road. The people I saw might have been better off financially but in the case of village life I’m convinced less is more. It felt as if we were walking through slums in a way – or maybe I was just adjusting my perspective back to ‘reality’.

Then the real jolt happened. The sound of a loud bus horn blew at an annoying pitch. It was like nails on a chalkboard ; the noise echoed through my skull and I let out a sigh.

For my dad and I , the Annapurna Circuit was finished.

View photos from Days 20 & 21

Read the complete Tiger Balm Tales from the beginning!

Vol. 1 – The Begining of a Nepal Trekking Plan
Vol. 2 – Preparing the Parents
Vol. 3 – Annapurna Itinerary
Vol. 4 – Travel Back in Time
Vol. 5 – Breathe Through Your Mouth
Vol. 6 – Road Work Ahead
Vol. 7 – Changing Rhythms on the Annapurna Circuit
Vol. 8 – And on the 7th Day We Rested
Vol. 9 – Paralyzed on the Annapurna Circuit
Vol. 10 – No Room at the Inns
Vol. 11 – A Mouse in My House
Vol. 12 – Beware of Falling Rocks
Vol. 13 – The Longest Day
Vol. 14 – Motorized Travel
Vol. 15 – A River Runs Thru It
Vol. 16 – Carbo Loading
Vol. 17 – Danger Curves Ahead!
Vol. 18 – Going Up Again

Photo of the Week – Delhi

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:05:03 +0000

Bucket Bath

Delhi, India

While volunteering in India, I often walked around the slum neighborhoods to see the family culture. Family homes don’t have bathrooms, and baths are taken outside in front of the house with buckets. It didn’t seem to phase the kids, as this was a great way to cool down on a hot Delhi afternoon! True to form, the kids were always smiling when I put my camera up to my eye; even a bath didn’t stop them from smiling!

Read about my volunteer work in Delhi – a series of posts entitled the Spice Diaries

To view other great photos on Photo Fridays around the web check out:

Briefcase to Backpack Photo Friday

Delicious Baby Photo Friday

Going Up…AGAIN

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:40:33 +0000

Heading back up the terraces

Tiger Balm Tales Vol 18

Going Up…AGAIN

We had been on the trail now for 18 days. We no longer had that rookie look in our eyes. We were no longer surprised by cold showers, the same menu, donkeys squeezing by us on the trail. We were old timers. We had 4 days on the trail before we hung up our boots in retirement. Dad and I had one last pass to get over, and then on to civilization.

Basket Weaver

Today we were starting a two-day climb…yes climb. Even though we had peaked on the Thorung La Pass 3 days earlier, it wasn’t all downhill from there. Instead it was downhill – and then uphill again to 9075 ft and then back downhill into Pokhara. However what made this climb different was that this was stress free hiking. Unlike Thorung La Pass, we knew we could make it to Ghorepani at a mere 9075 ft – no problem. It’s really amazing how enjoyable it can be when you aren’t constantly worried about “will I make it?”

Tatopani was a nice stop for us once I calmed myself from my harrowing bus ride. Tatopani is a popular stop along the Annapurna Circuit thanks to its natural hot springs; trekkers tend to use it as a rejuvenation stop before continuing the upward climb to Ghorepani. Try as I might, I’m not really a Hot Springs gal. I realized this must run in the family, as my dad also had no interest in the hot springs. Instead, my father and I decided to simply use Tatopani as a good internet and beer stop skipping the famous hot springs.

Instead, Tatopani offered me a special kind of therapy that my body was craving; fruit therapy. The little village was tropical compared to the high altitude peaks we had come from. Orange and lime trees were abundant and my body welcomed some sweet/sour citrus fruit into my system; better than any hot springs in my opinion!

Leaving Tatopani after a hearty breakfast including fresh orange juice, we were energized for our climb. We hadn’t really done any strenuous hiking since the pass, but that was going to change today. We were at 4,580 ft and had to climb to 9,075 ft in two days.

The trail to Ghorepani took us back among the rice fields and functioning villages – a welcome site. The villages before this at higher altitudes seemed to mainly exist for the circuit trekkers, but the villages we walked thru today were farming villages full of kids and families who lived there year around. Kids along the trail sold sweet green oranges bursting with flavor; I of course put a few in my pack.

Video Trekking to Shikha:

After a good morning hike we stopped for Daal Bhat and corn bread. As we were getting up to leave, an old friend ‘floated’ by – Roman. We had been meeting and leaving Roman for the past 4 days on the trail; each time thinking it would be our last to see each other. The ‘river’ of the Annapurna Circuit never ceased to amaze me – depositing friends floating down the ‘river’ when you least expected it. Roman trekked with us to Shikha where we were to stay for the night. We said our final goodbyes as he headed for the big climb to Ghorepani and dad and I settled down for a relaxing night in Shikha.

Model in the Making

Shikha wasn’t exactly a normal stop on the trail; they had a few guest houses. Shikha was mainly a functioning village full of farmers and herders. It was great to be back in a non-touristy village. We spend our afternoon walking around the village watching the villagers go about their afternoon chores; thrashing beans, feeding goats, milking cows, and making baskets. Of course the kids came running down home from school and offered a wealth of entertainment for us posing as ‘models’.

The next morning we knew we had a challenging climb to Ghorepani, so we ate a hearty breakfast of porridge and started the climb. We walked with kids on their way to school; brothers and sisters walking in cheap flip flops hand in hand bounding up the steep mountain to go to primary school; a typical day for them as we were gasping for air. It was fun however to see the hillside come to life in the golden morning sun. Villagers were out harvesting their hillside crops; serenading us as we walked by.

As we walked up a seemingly never-ending array of stone steps, various parts of my body cried out in exhaustion. Strangely my whole body seemed to be itching too. I tried to ignore it and get into a hiking rhythm. I was able to get a second wind and decided I would speed up a bit and take fewer breaks; mainly because I wanted to be done with this day of climbing and those damn steps! I took off and found myself quickly all alone on the trail. I hit my stride and arrived in Ghorepani about 20 minutes ahead of dad, Bishnu and Diehl. It actually felt great to work that hard and sweat profusely; I had earned my cinnamon roll today!

Signs marked the trail

I sat on the wall itchy and hungry waiting for my crew to arrive taking in the lovely views of Ghorepani and dealing with a tinge of sadness knowing this was our last big climb on the circuit.

We checked into an ugly little room; but it came with a hot shower…a real HOT shower. I had been waiting for a good shower for a while now and quickly called dibs for the first shot to use the shower! Unfortunately I thought my itchiness was due to the fact I was wearing the same dirty, sweaty clothes for the last 3 days, but I quickly realized that it was a rash all over my body! Apparently I was having an allergic reaction to the antibiotics I had been taking since falling ill in Manang . The saga never ends. I took some allergy pills and put on lose fitting, clean clothes and tried to ignore the itchiness.

Sadly, Ghorepani was a disappointment. Maybe I had too high of expectations (which is usually the case) since I had to work so hard to get to the mountaintop town. I was disappointed because it appeared to be just another tourist town; cold and thrown together like a bunch of legos. No real locals lived here, but they came here to work at guest houses for the tourist season. Two men dressed in ethnic garb, stood in the town ‘center’ with violins and played the same exact tune for 4 hours for tourists in hopes of donations. Dad and I sat and watched as ‘newbie tourists’ were enthralled by the singing and dancing and then were hit up for money. It felt as if we didn’t belong here with the rest of the tourists; as if we had been banished to the ‘kiddie pool’ after swimming in the deep end. It just wasn’t exciting or authentic as the past days going over the pass. Let’s face it – we were old timers existing on the trail for 19 days, and here was the new batch of rookies coming all wide-eyed and fresh. The little town tried to be charming by painting all of the metal buildings and roofs blue; but it all fell gravely short if you ask me. It really existed, in all of its blueness for tourists; mainly the ones who came from Pokhara and wanted to hike to Poon Hill.

Rooftop

Ghorepani is seen as a nice alternative for tourists who don’t want to do the whole Annapurna circuit, but want to do a short hike with views of the peaks. It is a short day or two-day hike from the big tourist town of Pokhara. Many groups came to Ghorepani to see the sun rise at Poon Hill viewpoint, and then hike back down. In order to see the sunrise, you need to get up at 4:30 AM to trek up 1.500 ft. to the viewpoint and see the sunrise on a clear day. Dad and I talked about it, but decided that we would skip the early rise trek. This was mainly because we felt like we had already been to the Super Bowl…Thorung La Pass; we were among the peaks that the others were vying to get a photo of. For some reason it didn’t appeal to us.

Instead us two old-timers had a celebratory beer and cinnamon roll happy we had finished our last major climb. It would be all downhill from here!

View photos from Annapurna Day 18 & 19

Read the complete Tiger Balm Tales from the beginning!

Photo of the Week – Philippines

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:14:51 +0000

Puzzle of Green – Banaue Philippines

In honor of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day – I thought I’d go GREEN with Photo of the Week. These are the luscious Rice Terraces of Banaue Philippines (UNESCO World Heritage Site). People think the Philippines is only about beaches – well think again. This northern part of the Philippines is home to some of the oldest and most stunning rice terrace culture in SE Asia. Actually, these terraces are my favorite terraces in Asia!

You can also trek from village to village along the terraces learning about the village culture along the way and staying in ‘home-stays’ – a fabulous 3 day hike you’ll never forget!

To read more about the Philippine’s rice terraces and hiking in the area – check out my posts:

Rice Culture – Travel in the Philippines

Girl Power – Trekking in the Philippines

Ups and Downs – Trekking to Batad

Photo of the Week – Cambodia

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:40:43 +0000

Oodles of Noodles

Siem Reap, Cambodia

On the streets of Siem Reap, this mother gave a helping hand. The young girl would have rather been playing, but she had to eat lunch instead! I had a fun day exploring the city realizing that Angkor Wat is just one of many great things to photograph!

View more Siem Reap Photography

Photo of the Week – Tokyo

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:14:36 +0000

Tokyo, Japan – Vending Machine Blurs

In Tokyo you can find practically anything in vending machines – they are high tech! Walking down the street you’ll find them lined up pimping the familiar and not so familiar! Can you imagine buying beer or sake from a vending machine?

View Additional Tokyo Photography

Photo of the Week – Zanzibar

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:12:03 +0000

African Sushi – Zanzibar

I love markets, they never disappoint. This man in the Stonetown Market looked like had been carving up fish for hours. A few minutes earlier I saw a man drag in a huge hammer-head shark – amazing. Read the entire Zanzibar market story on my post from 2006.

View all of my Tanzania photography

The Longest Day – Annapurna Circuit

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:00:33 +0000

Dad going to Thorung La Pass

Tiger Balm Tales vol. 13

The Longest Day

KLOMP, KLOMP, KLOMP
The sounds of hiking boots on wooden floor echoed outside my door. I poked my nose out of my warm sleeping bag cocoon, breathed in the cold air, and let it out only to see my hot breath evaporate into the darkness.

I’m aware those footseps are a ‘wake-up’ call to begin this worrisome day, but I know the footsteps aren’t for me; they are for my neighbor. I tried to put my head beneath the sleeping bag again like a turtle reverting back into his shell. I didn’t want to think about the coming day; I just wanted to sleep another 20 minutes. Soon my watch alarm went off beckoning us to stand upright and face our challenge. However the reality was we were both already awake thinking and wondering about what lie ahead for us.

Snowy peaks Annapurna

We started at 5:30AM in the complete darkness. I was wearing nearly every piece of clothing I had been carrying for the last 12 days. Well-outfitted Europeans breezed by us in their down jackets and other technical gear covering them from head to toe; they were a walking Northface billboard. On the other end of the spectrum, my dad and I looked like we had raided a garage sale with a hodge-podge of winter type trekking gear. Honestly, we were poorly prepared when it came to technical, winter clothing. I had just spent the last year living at the equator in Vietnam, I didn’t even own a coat, so I had to borrow one. We operated under the idea that as long as we kept moving we would stay warm.

Our little headlamps cut through the darkness giving you the effect of being in a tunnel. It was un-nerving to not be able to see more than a 5 ft. radius of your surroundings. The sun slowly rose in the sky, so close to us I felt I could reach out and touch it. I let the radiating rays hit my body and give me energy. Everything around us seemed to be happening in slow motion, our breathing, our steps, the people moving around us, yet there was a palpable energy in the air propelling us forward.

The march to the top was a surreal experience taking us 4 hours to go from 15,100 ft to the 17,770 ft Thorung La Pass. The 4 hours seemed to be a roller coaster of emotions not to mention a roller coaster of nausea. Trekking in high altitude slows down your pace, and turns your insides as well as your brain into jelly. It’s like some drug induced high; memories and thoughts seemed to float through my brain in slow motion getting stuck for a while and rattling around. Until you actually experience this yourself, you can’t imagine how each step seems to take such an effort that it leaves you breathless. My normal healthy self had eroded away into heavy breathing and legs that felt like they were 60 pounds each.

Video of trail up to the pass:

The sound of silence on the path was eerie; sounds of breathing, and snow crunching below our feet were the only thing I could hear. I don’t even think we talked among ourselves except to ask the occasional question “How are you doing?” My dad was breathing heavy and going slow, but his spirits were high. Bishnu was our eternal cheerleader, greeting us with a smile and encouragement at every rest break; and there were many rest breaks. One thing that fueled us was the local Nepalese who sat perched with their donkeys at the steep switchbacks, waiting for us to give up and use 4 legs instead of 2; I imagined them to be vultures. It was cruel punishment. However, one thing that holds true for my family – we don’t give up.

As any great challenge is achieved, great emotions tend to go along with it. As we neared the pass I turned around and watched my dad come around the last bend. My whole body tensed up, my throat closed, my brow furrowed, and I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. I was overcome with pride and love as I watched him realize that he was at the top. I clumsily tried to video the moment but tears stung my eyes and my narration was wobbly at best as I swallowed my words.

Thorung La Pass Accomplishment

I was relieved that we both had made it up safely and I was happy that we had met the challenge together. As I watched him walk toward me I wondered what I would be doing when I was 73. What adventures would I have, and who in the world would be with me?

Even my dad was overcome with emotions; something I rarely get a glimpse of. In fact, I don’t know if I can ever remember a time when I saw him emotional. Angry – yes; tears of emotions – no. He talked about his mom watching him from above on this day, her birthday. She would’ve thought he was crazy for doing this, and she would have been really mad at me for talking him into it!

Bishnu and Diehl (our porter) smoked a celebratory cigarette. We took pictures by the summit sign and reveled in our massive accomplishment. That feeling of being on a high of utter happiness is one of the best feelings in the world. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, we were at 17,770 ft. and we were ecstatic. In my dad’s elation, he gathered us ( Bishnu, Diehl, and myself) all around and told us he had a question that we had to answer honestly – no bullshit. We all agreed to the terms. He got very serious and asked , “On the first day of our trekking, did you think I would make it here to the pass?” We all broke out in laughter and answered a resounding “NO!” . That’s the honest to God truth. After the first few days Bishnu and I sat down and starting making plan B…we didn’t think dad would be able to make it. I never told my dad this. But in the end he proved us all wrong, which made him glow with pride.

Video at the top!

As we soaked in our accomplishment, little did we know what lie ahead of us. Unfortunately it turned out to be an icy downward slope which would prove to take our elation, chew it up, and spit it out down the other side of the snow covered pass. We next had to go from 17,700 ft. to 12,335 ft at the next town of Muktinath. We sent Deihl ahead so that he could get to Muktinath and secure a room as we knew we’d have a slow descent.

The other side of Thorung La

I looked over the other side of the pass and saw a white expanse of rock and snow. Upon closer look the snow was really a sheet of ice. I decided to embrace the wide open space, avoiding the well traveled/icy trail and go ‘off-road’. I picked my own trail through the deep crunchy snow imaging my heavy hiking boots were light, wide snow shoes. At times I could walk on top of the snow and sometimes I would sink in to my upper calf. I generally ran wildly down the mountain side (think Sound of Music in the snow). My dad however didn’t like the uncertainty of my route. Instead he took the slow, slippery route where hundreds before him had gone a few hours earlier leaving a snow packed ice slide.

Needless to say he fell more than once or twice, but he persevered at a turtle pace; and I could feel his nerves with every step. This set my worrying mind in motion again. Visions of broken hips and ankles dominated my thoughts so much so that I could no longer watch him tediously choose his icy route. So I point myself downhill and tried not to think about him as I knew Bishnu was there to watch him and worry for me.

After a few hours we got through the icy snow path and a steep descent down another mountain lie ahead of us. It felt never ending. While most younger, braver people quickly went down the mountain, Dad and I slowly and cautiously made our way down. The good news is that we made some really great friends along the way. We had already been hiking for 8 hours when we met Roman, a tall solo hiker. He was a breath of fresh air since we were all tired of each other by that time; the excitement of someone new to talk to gave us new energy!

Dad slowing down...

However, my dad was slowly deteriorating. The pounding downhill, the stress of the day, the hours on our feet, and little to no food had all taken its toll. First it was his back, then his feet. After 11 hours of hiking he was walking like he was a 73 year old; limping a bit, a pained look in his face with each slow step. We were still far above our destination of Muktinath. The sun was quickly going down and the moon was already up. We had to end the day as we started 11 hours earlier; with headlamps.

I felt like we were barely moving at times, and it pained me to see my dad struggling so much. The sun was down when Deihl came out on the trail looking for us. He had arrived in Muktinath 4 hours earlier and booked our room expecting us to arrive hours before this. He was worried that we hadn’t arrived yet and had come out looking for us; a touching act for a porter to do. He was so happy when he found us limping down the mountain in one piece.

That’s when the most memorable part of this trip happened for me. Diehl and Bishnu each took Dad’s arms and placed them around their shoulders and helped my dad ‘walk’ the last 40 minutes into town navigating down yet more steps by headlamp. I walked on the side trying to illuminate the way with my headlamp and giving encouragement. But in my mind was this feeling of pride, sadness, and gratitude equally vying for my attention. I was sad that my dad couldn’t walk into town on his own two feet, but so immensely proud of his 13 hour accomplishment today.

Towards Muktinath

Bishnu and Diehl helped dad make it to the guesthouse. We arrived in the ‘lobby/dining hall’ and the 3 Polish women who we had befriended the day before were there eating their dinner and celebrating. When they saw us they let out a gasp and as they saw my dad being helped in, they actually stood up and clapped for us. I love the camaraderie on this trail. This was the welcome we needed; smiles beamed on our faces. We were done for the day, and we survived.

Diehl had reserved us a room with a hot ensuite shower – heaven. I quickly gave dad some Alieve and set up a hot (ok – warm) shower for him. Even though we were both starving, exhaustion set in and we barely ate or celebrated at all at the guesthouse. We would save that for tomorrow.

For the first time in 2 weeks we slept without the cloud of anxiety over us. We had successfully made it over the pass. The next day when we woke up and I started getting up to go to breakfast, Dad sat up slowly and said “What adventure are we going to do next?”

I just laughed. I loved his quest for adventure. I answered, “I don’t know – maybe Antarctica?” He laid back down apparently happy with my answer.

See all the photos of our 13 hour Trek!

Like the Tiger Balm Tales? Then start from the beginning!

Photo of the Day – California

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:52:42 +0000

Rock Hard Love
San Francisco, California

Considering Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I thought I’d try to embrace it this year. Hell, if a love can find it’s way into a rock, then maybe there’s hope for me!

View other San Francisco Photography

Photo of the Week – Mongolia

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:13:38 +0000

Mongolia Herds

Gobi Desert – Mongolia

Grazing Goats

I chose this photo this week in order to bring more visibility to the current state of emergency in Mongolia. There are a lot of weather disasters happening around the globe right now, and Mongolia is no exception. The extreme cold weather has been the cause of death to 1.7 million heads of livestock. Herding in Mongolia is the main way of life. In a country where life is already difficult, this blow is crippling. Livestock is the main source of food and business for most of the 2.6 million Mongolians.

Some herders have lost more 50% of their livestock. This saddens me greatly because I stayed with herder families in the Gobi Desert, learning their way of life was a highlight to me. My interaction with these families made my trip to Mongolia a moving experience for me.

Hopefully as the summer months arrive, the Gobi will be a scene like this photo once again. Teeming with life and color, and never-ending landscape.

Read more about the current Mongolian Weather Crisis , Mongolia’s Severe Weather Threatens Lives

Read about my experience living with Herders in Mongolia

See more Mongolia Photography

See more Photo Friday pics at DeliciousBaby.com

A Mouse in My House

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:50:14 +0000

Ledar, Nepal - Annapurna Circuit

Tiger Balm Tales vol. 11

Day 10 – A Mouse in My House

After 10 days of decreasing temperatures and increasing wind my body is rebelling. My lips have become as dry as the Gobi Desert , my nasal passages feel like hard booger craters have invaded it, and my hands are so dry they look like they belong to a 60 yr. old; the elements most definitely do have an effect on your body.
We hiked slowly from Gunsang to Ledar today. We saw ice for the first time on the trail. We saw no trees. We breathed harder than we had the day before. Now we are holed up in the 1 of 3 guest houses in the encampment of Ledar waiting; waiting for our body to acclimate a little more.

Donkey Aroma

During one of our trekking breaks today our guide, Bishnu, said “Ohhhhh, I’m smelling like a donkey! I can’t wait for a shower.” Not only did the donkey reference make me laugh, but it also made me realize that I’ve now been wearing the same pants for 10 days, the same shirt for 9 days, the same jog bra for 9 days, the same socks for 4 days; this is beyond donkey filth! On top of the filth, everything smells like Tiger Balm! However, it’s a part of trekking for 21 days. I do wonder at times if these clothes will ever be clean again, or should I burn them for warmth at high camp? I guess the good news is that everyone smells equally badly; like a pack of donkeys.

Even more troubling that my physical rebellion or my odor, is my mental rebellion. After 10 days I’m annoyed. The sunroom in our guesthouse is buzzing with various conversations I find hard to ignore. I don’t understand why trekkers only like to share bad stories about trekking; trekkers who have disappeared, ones who were robbed, ones who die from AMS. This is seriously annoying conversation. Why isn’t anyone telling any good heartwarming stories – the ones about people making it? Or is it that people don’t ever make it…no…that’s just my mind playing stupid tricks on me – right?

All of this negative talk is making me feel ill.

Ledar Guesthouse View

However I also knew why I was annoyed and feeling crappy. Of all days, at all times – I got my period today. So not only was I exhausted, cold and sore – but I also had cramps. Timing is everything. Even though this is a subject that my dad and I had never discussed in my lifetime (my family rarely discusses anything personal), I decided what the hell, I’m an adult and we are trekking partners – so I mentioned to him that I wasn’t feeling well because I had my period. His reply, “Well, at least you’re not pregnant.”

Wait a minute…was this my dad? My dad making a very funny joke about a subject that we had never talked about before? I was in shock! I felt as if I had entered the Father Knows Best twilight zone. This is why I love traveling with my dad, I get these glimpses of him that I never had exposure to before. Previously I only had exposure to the ‘father figure’, not the man. These are the memories that will be burned in my brain.

Dad and I started studying our next 2 trekking days on our map; in 2 days we’ll be climbing higher than either of us ever have climbed before. As we looked at the calendar we realized that we’ll cross the pass on Oct. 30th. We both realized what that meant; Oct. 30th was a special date to our family. My father’s mother (my Grandma Ott) who just recently passed away last Febuary at 97 years old, would have been 98 years old on Oct. 30th. We were going to cross the pass on her birthday. We didn’t plan this – it just happened thanks to our slow speed and my illness ; but it was clearly meant to be.

That afternoon as I sat and tried to journal, trying not to listen to the horror stories around me. I looked over at my dad, he seemed just fine. In fact, he was great. He didn’t seem worried or annoyed like me. Instead he seemed really happy. I started to think about how far we’ve come. In all of that distance, I never saw anyone near his age range attempting what he is attempting. I’m sure there’s been plenty of people over 73 years old get over Thorang La Pass, but they are not my dad, and that’s who I care about now.

Dad taking a break

We are a good father-daughter team. We lean on each other and provide encouragement when we need to. I realize this is the longest time we’ve ever spent together alone. In fact, this is the longest time he’s been away from my mom since they’ve been married 50 years. Surprisingly this is all going really well. I think the best thing about growing older is that your relationship with your parents change from inequal to equal….and I suppose eventually that will change again. But I’ve decided that instead of being annoyed with everything, I’ll enjoy this moment. Sure, I’ll still worry about our ability to get over the pass as a team. But I will appreciate every possible moment of this teamwork.

Our teamwork was never appreciated more than that night when we went back to our cold, dark room to sleep. I entered the room with my headlamp providing a narrow beam of light cutting thru the darkness. I went to put my journal on my bed and that’s when I saw it – two beady eyes staring back at me. A little mouse was scurrying around on my bed as if it were his. I scared the shit out of it; it scared the shit out of me. Amazingly I turned around to my dad who was closing the door to the room and said in a stifled, yet startled tone, “There’s a mouse on my bed.” With precision teamwork and two headlamps we were able to chase the outnumbered mouse off my bed and out the door. I slammed the door shut…whew.

Yet in reality I knew the mouse on my bed had scarred me mentally; this would be a worse than usual night of sleep at altitude. After all, it didn’t take me long to realize that the mouse got in our room when the door was shut; we were in its house. I pulled my sleeping bag string tighter so that only my eyes could peer out; attempting to shut out any entrance for the pesky mouse. One good thing about my excessive worrying about the mouse was that I was no longer worrying about crossing the pass!

Video of Trail:

Start the Tiger Balm Tales from the Beginning!

Photo of the Week – Singapore

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:00:41 +0000

Thaipusam Festival Singapore

The Tamil Hindu festival of Thaipusam is only celebrated in 5 places in the world. I was lucky enough to experience it in Singapore in 2007. With my camera I was able to capture a close up view of the body piercings which are meant to show a family’s devotion to the god Murukan, the personification of wisdom. In this photo, the man was pulling a heavy ‘offering’ for 5km via these back piercings. Participants carry offerings for the Gods as an act of penance. However, to me it appeared as one of the most painful processes I’ve ever seen!

The unique and painful festival is celebrated this weekend on Jan. 30th in Singapore, Batu Caves, Penang, Jahor Baru, and Ipoh. (the last 4 locations are in Malaysia) If you are anywhere near these locations, I implore you to go check it out; it’s a day you’ll never forget!

To learn more about the Thaipusam, you can read my original post on my Thaipusam experience.

See other travel photos at Photo Friday with Delicious Baby

Lonely Planet Wants You…

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:03:19 +0000

Me visiting Lonely Planet offices in San Francisco

You may have noticed that little blue banner on the left side of my home page…yes, there…that one…the one that says “Lonely Planet Featured Blogger 2010″. What does that mean? Well, it means that I’m a part of a beta program for Lonely Planet where they post my blog posts on their website under the destination that I’m writing about. I’ve been a part of the program now for 6 months and it’s been a great way to add visibility to my site and my adventures.

As a Featured Blogger, they’ve asked me to put out this request to my Ottsworld readers…’Joe Average Traveler’ – a chance to be a part of a travelers discussion forum! So, if you love travel, love to talk about travel, love to think about how travel can be improved, or simply want someone to listen to you becuase your family is tired of hearing you – then read below and see how to sign up! If you are chosen, you’ll even get some free gifts! You can’t lose!

To my dedicated Ottsworld readers (mom, dad, Miles, and ummm – is there really anyone else?) – don’t say I never gave you anything!

Calling all travelers!

Lonely Planet invites you to join our Travelers’ Pulse Panel!

Our panel is a discussion forum where we engage travelers and listen to what you have to say about travel – where to go, how to plan, and other creative travel ideas. We’ve always got interesting topics up for you to comment on, like our current survey on what you’re looking for when you take a trip to a theme park.

Joining the panel is free and if you’re accepted to be a panelist, we’ll send you a free Lonely Planet 2010 calendar (as supplies last) as a gift to welcome you on board! Not only will you get to talk about travel, but we regularly run promotions exclusively for panelists where you can win prizes like Lonely Planet products and Amazon gift cards.

If you’d like to join this panel (numbers are limited) all you need to do is click the link below and take a short survey to register. We’ll look at your responses and depending on your age, travel experience and country of residence you might be one of the people we’re looking for! The type of people we need on the panel changes from time to time, so if you aren’t suitable for our panel this time we may contact you to participate in future.

https://www.travellerspulse.com/R.aspx?a=56&Source=BLOG

Thanks again!

Regards,

The Lonely Planet Travelers’ Pulse team

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