tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-264306012011-04-21T13:20:22.488-07:00Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comBlogger541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1160537632849527532006-10-10T20:33:00.000-07:002006-10-10T22:03:14.583-07:00

Day 1: At the end of Sept, Todd and I piled in his car took a 2500 mile drive. It felt great to be traveling again and seeing new parts of the country. One the first leg of the drive Todd and I drove to Temecula (So Cal) to see his sister Aimee and Phil, an old friend of mine from Charleston. On the way we stopped in Paso Robles to sample the beer at the Firestone Brewery. We also dropped by

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1160536528842585272006-10-10T20:14:00.000-07:002006-10-10T22:01:09.300-07:00

Pics on the way...

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1159561256817479172006-09-29T13:15:00.000-07:002006-09-29T14:11:47.116-07:00

On Thursday, Sept 14th I joined my cousins Ellen and Henry for a Bay Area Maritime cocktail party which was hosted aboard the USS Potomac in Oakland. The USS Potomac served as Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidential yacht from 1936 until his death in 1945. My injury has brought me closer to a lot of old friends and has added some new ones into my life such as Henry and Ellen.

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1158684810440152192006-09-19T09:44:00.000-07:002006-09-19T15:58:47.520-07:00

Labor Day Weekend I went to a backyard grill out party in Potrero Hill (a neighborhood in SF) with my good friend Craig Bluestien. Craig mentioned before the party that Warren Sapp would probably stop by the party. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_SappWarren is big guy and larger than life. At the party I was kicked back in a chair enjoying the heat from a heat lamp, when Warren passed me. He

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1156133324818994402006-08-20T21:04:00.000-07:002006-09-19T15:57:32.466-07:00

This is me with my pal Rhodora. We're in the SF Maersk office. Rhodora sent me a box of really good Oregon cherries while I was in the hospital in Greenville. That's seems like ages ago. Today is Sept 19th.========================This is Jonathan signing in. Just wanted to send a quick note out to let everyone know that Kirstin and I have returned to the WC (San Francisco)...what a change from

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1155785080809698582006-08-16T19:25:00.000-07:002006-08-16T20:24:40.850-07:00

Nothing gets between Jonathan and some good ole Civil War fun!Before we dart off to SF, John Paul lined up a private visit to the Hunley (the first successful submarine) for SuSu, Kirstin and Jonathan! John Paul knows Michael Merdikian the Senior Conservator on the project, and Michael gave us a lengthy private tour of the vessel in his lab where they have been doing research on it since it was

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1155781544574035222006-08-16T18:55:00.000-07:002006-08-16T19:25:44.636-07:00

Jonathan has been challenged.Miss Annie Weathers claims she will walk before he does! The bet is on! And she is giving him a run for his money.They are both doing superbly with the walker, but let's just see who stays vertical without assistance first! Who will have the most focus and determination? She DOES have the advantage of not falling too far if she topples over. Jonathan, however, stands

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1155158961833087642006-08-09T12:50:00.000-07:002006-08-09T14:29:21.933-07:00

Today it is a month since we flew home on that air ambulance! We've come a long way! In fact, in the last couple of days Jonathan has spent more and more time using a WALKER instead of the wheelchair. We didn't think we'd see that so soon, so are thrilled! The walker is hard work, though, so we keep that wheelchair in the wings in case he'd rather roll.Day 31 in Greeville:Late afternoon exercises

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1154892661865860772006-08-06T12:11:00.000-07:002006-08-06T12:31:01.880-07:00

Hi from Kirstin. It is Sunday and we're starting to have a routine around here. We just got back from church and lunch with J's dad, just like any other Sunday in Greenville might be.Firstly, I should tell you how utterly healing it is to finally be at a home (even if its not our own). Comfy surroundings and generous-spirited friends make all the difference! While staying with friends,

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1154541258011544532006-08-02T10:40:00.000-07:002006-08-02T10:54:18.026-07:00

(Kirstin here)Hi everyone!Yesterday afternoon Jonathan checked out of the rehab center! WAHOOO!We're staying with some family friends in Greenville and it was nice to hang out in a real home instead of an insitution. Much as the medical staff was good to us, we're happy to have a little peace and quiet! As I've said, we'll be here for a couple of weeks, before heading back to N. Cal.But there is

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1154098529015491622006-07-28T07:07:00.000-07:002006-07-28T10:44:42.313-07:00

(Kirstin here). This rehab business will keep a guy on the run! Or on the roll, as the case may be.I know our posts have slowed down, but that is because there is lots to do. I try to sit in on much of it, so I can learn how to be a help rather than a hindrance. Here's a snapshot of J's day:6:00 Perky nurses rush in to to wake him up and take his blood pressure and bring a few meds. He dozes off

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1153856886727003742006-07-25T12:38:00.000-07:002006-07-25T12:48:06.740-07:00

I wanted to put a post up for Kirstin to thank her for all her efforts. Without her encouragement and help, I wouldn't be near where I am in my recovery. She is a true godsend. Rehab is slow, but we are seeing progess daily. The phone # to my room is 864 455-7000 (I think the ext is) 7-2915. My room # is 2915.Tks for the comments on the blog, cards, and other forms of encouragement. We're

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1153513907712822712006-07-21T13:26:00.000-07:002006-07-21T13:31:47.723-07:00

Tks to all my friends and family and for the support. I'm in therapy in Geenville, SC my home town. Your suppport means the world to me. This is the hardest challenge I've ever faced. With your help we will get thru this. I haven't felt like calling people, but I will return messages soon, hopefully. I'm concentrating on recovery for now. Love and thanks,Jonathan

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1153351044044537512006-07-19T16:07:00.000-07:002006-07-19T16:23:28.716-07:00

Hi from Kirstin.Last night was Jonathan's first night in the physical therapy/rehab center (Roger C. Peace in Greenville). While it was a sleepless night with frustrating nurses coming and going, physical therapy today was great. They took a baseline assessment of Jonathan, and he is doing well. They are thrilled with his strength and have a lot to work with, it seems. He informs everyone at

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1153235568486663552006-07-18T06:32:00.000-07:002006-07-18T08:12:48.576-07:00

Kirstin again...We're awaiting word that the adjacent rehab center (called Roger C. Peace) has kicked someone out of their bed to make room for Jonathan to move in! They've had a waiting list, but it looks promising that he'll move in there today. In the meantime, physical therapists have been making visits to J here in the main wing of the hospital, but once he's in the rehab center there will

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1153016425732399392006-07-15T19:11:00.000-07:002006-07-15T20:12:21.396-07:00

Kirstin again, and things are a bit the same today. My family came into town to visit me and Jonathan this weekend, plus some old Greenville friends have stopped in to see him. He's finally relaxing and resting a bit, and has slept a lot more these last few nights.We went out again in the wheelchair for about an hour. His daily routine includes physical therapy as well as occupational therapy.

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1152911872468669482006-07-14T14:09:00.000-07:002006-07-14T14:17:52.496-07:00

Kirstin here again...Today Jonathan got in a wheelchair and got outside for the first time. Believe me, he was thrilled to get out of that hospital bed and wheel out of that room! He was happy just to watch the people and cars go by!!It looks like Monday he might be able to move to the physical therapy center (Roger C. Peace), but until then some great physical therapists are coming to him to

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1152757202330285112006-07-12T19:05:00.000-07:002006-07-13T09:43:48.506-07:00

Hi, Kirstin again. I'm beat, so will make this short.Jonathan had a short surgery late today that went great. The surgeon went in from the backside again and pushed the bone fragments down and away from the spinal canal, and the result is that his spinal column is 100% decompressed, we couldn's ask for more. What this means is that there is no longer anything pressing in on the spinal column

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1152646777768685542006-07-11T11:43:00.000-07:002006-07-11T12:39:37.783-07:00

Kirstin here with another update...The surgeons here in Greenville have decided that the right next step is to do a small surgery to tomorrow to go in and clean up more of the broken bone pieces that may be floating around Jonathan's spinal column. The surgery will be about an hour or so, not a big deal. The expectation is that this will help maxmize nerve recovery and promote increased

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1152558036221545962006-07-10T11:39:00.001-07:002006-07-10T12:33:41.466-07:00

Hi everyone, its Kirstin again! I'm happy to report that I'm updating this blog today in an air conditioned home in South Carolina with a cup of sweet tea at my side! The short story is that we are safe and sound and back in the USA! We landed in Greenville Sunday night at about 11pm, where an ambulance took Jonathan to the Greenville Memorial Hospital. He is in ICU there and doing great! In

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1152449233319875332006-07-09T05:26:00.000-07:002006-07-09T05:47:13.333-07:00

Hi everyone, Kirstin here.Thanks to Jonathan's aunt Debbie and my bro Steve hanging in there to find the right flight, Jonathan, me and his dad will be flown by air ambulance to Greenville today (Sunday) -- and J couldn´t be happier to be getting back to US soil!!These services are door-to-door, so a local ambulance is arranged to pick up J at 11am to take him to the airport in Lima. We'll take

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1152319872171243972006-07-07T16:50:00.000-07:002006-07-08T05:53:46.116-07:00

I am waiting to hear more details, but Jonathan's aunt Debbie has begun to organize a medivac flight home to Greenville, SC! Possibly Saturday or Sunday. I will come to Greenville, too, so I can be around for his next stages of care.The docs who I have shared the xrays with in the US feel strongly that a second surgery is needed, SOONER rather than LATER, and the surgeons here are of a different

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1152194933905683452006-07-06T06:48:00.000-07:002006-07-13T09:37:02.026-07:00

Hi Everyone, this is Kirstin and I have commandeered Jonathan's blog for now!As some of you have begun to hear, Jonathan was in an accident on Monday afternoon. He fractured one of his vertebra (lumbar 1, for you medical types). He was paragliding and during his 3rd solo flight he landed really hard on his feet and the vertabra was compressed. He had a five hour surgery that wrapped up on Tuesday

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1151536700246473992006-06-28T16:13:00.000-07:002006-06-29T20:17:09.330-07:00

Day 1- What a cool feeling fliying over the skies. I had my first day of school today. I hope to have some good pics for you of flying in the days to come!!! The iguana belongs to my flight instructor, Micheal.Day 2- Today I feel as if I´ve acheived the impossible by climbing tandem in a paraglider to a altitude higher than the 17 story buildings that we soared by. Late this morning in the sand

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1151283274009826812006-06-25T17:38:00.000-07:002006-06-29T20:21:57.070-07:00

The poverty sticken town of Picso is a great place to take a tour to the quaint fishing village Paracas, the Island of Ballestas, and Reserva Nacional De Paracas. Pisco´s nearby island tour is dubbed the ¨poor man´s Galapagos,¨ and offers views of the enigmatic candlabra, sea lions, penguins, many other birds, and lots of dramatic ocean scaped scenes draped in guano gallore.The area is on the

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1151280909863482252006-06-25T16:54:00.000-07:002006-06-25T17:36:59.600-07:00

Wacky Huacachina...the hip strangness of a desert enclave emanates from this oasis gathering of eclectic travellers. Giant wind swept dunes with perfectly rippled precision caresses of time frame the town of Huacachina which has a scenic lagoon anchored in it´s center. One knows that he is becoming an invetorate to a country, when he starts to become familar with the scenes on the countries

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1151278237003262242006-06-25T16:18:00.000-07:002006-06-25T16:53:43.200-07:00

Archaeologists believe that the Nazca Lines were created between 400BC to 1200AD by a pre-Incan Society. The lines span several miles of desert terrain, and one has to view them in awe wondering how and why they were created. Many theories abound as to the origin of the Nazca Lines; however, I´ve postulated my own! The queers are in it with the aliens. Yup, they created landing strips for gay

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1151277383731246082006-06-25T16:05:00.000-07:002006-06-25T16:16:23.743-07:00

Our last supper in Arequipa was a delicious one! One of the restaraunts on the square was empty and cajoled us into to coming for a local specialy that consisted of Alpaca ribs and an avocada salad garnished with local varities of potatoes and maize (corn). All of which was delicious and of course was washed down with a frothy Arequipena cerveza. While we shared our feast, we gazed down at the

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1150842859403380742006-06-20T15:30:00.000-07:002006-06-24T19:12:39.943-07:00

I´d like to deadicate this posting to CP, who ran the Maersk Charlotte region while I was working in Memphis.Business is handled a little differently in Latin America as you can observe from this picture. This guy is one of my favorites. He walks around the street wearing a jacket with thousands of shoe strings on it yelling, ¨heladras¨ (shoestrings) as he walks down the street. He looks like a

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1150842357419762892006-06-20T15:18:00.000-07:002006-06-24T19:16:57.206-07:00

On Sat, June 17th Kirstin and I caught a bus (3 hrs) from Arequipa to a launching spot on the Majes River. The water was warm enough so that we didn´t need wet suits. The scenery was incredible, and the river was kind...although we both wish that the river had been a little more challenging.

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1150841894754240452006-06-20T15:08:00.000-07:002006-06-21T19:56:16.516-07:00

Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world (nearby Cotahuasi is the deepest), is a scenic 3 hour drive from Arequipa. The drive takes on a steep ascent to climax of close to 5000m (15,500ft), and then a decent of 3800m to the charming mtn town of Chivay. In the pictures above you can see: 1) me posing by a sign pointing to Mt Ampata, where excavations took place for the finding of

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1150841267030930352006-06-20T15:03:00.000-07:002006-06-21T08:27:06.090-07:00

Kirstin and I have spent close to a week in Arequipa and have really enjoyed this charming and enchanting city. The food is great in Arequipa and the sites are spectacular. Seeing Juanita at the Andean Museum was one of my favorite highlights.

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1150475235898475642006-06-16T09:24:00.000-07:002006-06-19T15:31:16.336-07:00

Travelling defintely has it's finer moments. However, I'd like to point out that travelling is not all the glamour and problem free times that some might think it is. When it's the fifth day in a row that your food comes and you find a hair in your soup or pasta, you know that you're not dining at Applebee's or even in the USA for that matter. Not to mention are those late nights when the only

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1150332140437827922006-06-14T17:39:00.000-07:002006-06-16T09:39:25.596-07:00

Arequipa is a great refuge from the tacky beach towns of Northern Chile. The weather is warm here in the day time and cool at night. You have to respect and admire the awesome mountians, El Misti and Chachani, that give Arequipa it's signature look. El Misti is shaped in a perfect conical form while Chachani has three peaks and a frosty topping. If you visit Arequipa and find yourself drinking an

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1150330933785048382006-06-14T17:14:00.000-07:002006-06-16T10:20:44.763-07:00

Don´t have much to say about these towns accept that I was disappointed in them. I really want to try paragliding in Iquique but was impeded by Sunday´s business shutdowns which carried over into Monday, June 12th which as a holiday in Chile. No worries I´m going to try to enroll in a week long paragliding class when I get to Lima.Arica and Iquique both have pretty Pacific Ocean setting are are

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1149982188522786542006-06-10T16:24:00.000-07:002006-06-14T17:13:50.323-07:00

Arqueologigas y Museo RP Gustavo Le Paige in Chile´s remote but enchanting San Pedro de Atacama is well worth the visit if you are interested in seeing Paleo Indian to modern day artifacts (11,000 BC - 2006 AD). The curators of the museum did a fantastic job of setting up a chronological display of artifacts from the Atacama area. The dryness of the Atacama and it´s ability to perfectly

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1149980856713558302006-06-10T16:01:00.000-07:002006-06-14T17:39:15.450-07:00

Passing from Argentina into Chile:Like an army of mad bandits running through the dark of night, I escaped the cold torture of the Bolivian altiplano, and tasted the last days of the colorful waning Argentinian autumn. Now in this time being the general of travel that I am, I have launched the orders thru the ranks. The weary are once again motivated. The battle wounds from this incessant journey

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1149978243868932302006-06-10T15:18:00.000-07:002006-06-24T19:24:08.586-07:00

Peru May 5th $1 US = 3.30 solesBolivia May 25th $1 US = 7.9 - 8 bolivianosArgentina June 3rd $1 US = 3.08-3.10 pesosChile June 10th $1 US = 520 - 530 pesosPeru June 15th - June 24th $1 = 3.20 - 3.31 soles (rates vary althougth the standard rate seems to be around 3.25)

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1149977865141963222006-06-10T14:56:00.000-07:002006-06-10T16:09:23.063-07:00

Here are some pictures from my hike thru the cactus studded valley in Cafayate to an amazing waterfall. I started the hike in the center of town which is shown in one of the pictures.When I returned to Salta, I hiked to the top of a mountain and observed this beautiful sunset over the city.

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1149561731028632152006-06-05T19:33:00.000-07:002006-06-07T21:26:58.206-07:00

Wow, what a perfect mixture of activities for me to do in Cafayate today. I´d like to dedicate this posting to my good friend DVD of Greer, SC. He truely appreciates, knows the finest of wine, and has shared several from his collection with me for my edification.I started the day out with a wine tasting tour of 2 Cafayate vineyards. My comments from the tour are listed below/1) Domingo a)

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1149471536137618512006-06-04T18:37:00.000-07:002006-06-07T22:04:04.613-07:00

The first picture was taken in the Garganza del Diablo, (the throat of the devil) which is in a canyon north of Cafayate. The second picture shows one of the breath taking canyon scenes. The red color that you see in this picture is from iron deposits that are imbeded in the hills of the canyon.The train picture shows me playing Casey Jones at the old train cemetary just outside of Uyuni. This

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1149207758220875932006-06-01T16:53:00.000-07:002006-06-07T21:51:25.936-07:00

Day 1 in Argentina:Today I crossed the border from Bolivia into Argentina. The 13 hour train ride from Uyuni to Villizan, Bolivia was extremely monotnous. I think the train peaked out around 20mph....I´m not kidding!!! The border crossing into Argentina was pretty easy. Tonight I saw my first Argentiniian sunset! I tried to order a steak at dinner, but was brought the following tray (see the pic)

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1149111393631597912006-05-31T14:23:00.000-07:002006-06-04T18:54:10.326-07:00

Driving that train...The views are some of the prettiest I´ve ever scene. Here are a few pics. The tour lasted 4 days and the majority of the tour was spent in a ragged out 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser. I love old trains so the tour started out by visiting and old train cemetary. Further along the tour I saw many lakes with beautifully colored water. The color of the water is enhanced by the

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1148747150188095442006-05-27T09:05:00.000-07:002006-06-07T21:55:51.830-07:00

The picture of the bird is for my dad. He´s always been fascinated by colorful birds and birds flying in formation on the South Carolina beaches. This ones for you dad!The first picture shows the captivating Mt Illamani which sits as the awe inspiring back drop behind La Paz.On Wed, May 25th I attempted and successfully conquered the world´s most dangerous road. Our group left La Paz around 7:

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1148745427760385742006-05-27T08:56:00.000-07:002006-05-31T12:55:42.776-07:00

The Chino/Canadian, Sandra Do (the only Chinese girl I´ve ever met who has a mustache), with whom I was traveling with flaked out on me and left last night. She barely even told me goodbye. As usual I¨ve managed to turn what could have been a stressful situation, into a serendipitious one. Fortunately, some other folks from my school (2 girls from NZ and a guy from USA-KC) were staying at my

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1148512157957073032006-05-24T16:08:00.000-07:002006-06-04T18:36:41.863-07:00

The bus from Cusco to Copacabana took 13 hrs. We arrived on Bolivia on Monday, May 22nd around 9am. Copacabana sits at 3800 meters/approx 12,000 ft elevation. One feels the lack of oxygen and the cold crisp in the air immediately. On the first day we walked around the city and saw the ancient carved Incan tables that sit on the edge of the city. I´m traveling with a Canadian girl from Toronto

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1148512056604692532006-05-24T15:48:00.000-07:002006-06-03T16:01:30.326-07:00

On Sat May 20th I drank the Ayahuasca jungle juice. This is a coctail that is much revered by the Quecha culture and a potion that is reserved for the Quechan shaman. The Quecha culture is what has survived from the Incan times. The shaman ritually drinks the Ayahuasca, which puts him into a pyschedelic, halucinogenic trance. Ayahuasca has medicinal properties that are very similar to mescaline.

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1147825916092883112006-05-16T17:30:00.000-07:002006-05-22T14:30:43.473-07:00

All of these pics, with the exception of the pic of me with the Incan statue, were taken at the Pisac ruins in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Pisac is a 40 minute drive from Cusco. The last photo is a perfect example of Incan terracing. The Incans built the terraces so that they could level out the side of the mountians and grow crops like maize/corn, coca, yucas/potatoes, and beans on the

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1147465571334323232006-05-12T13:15:00.000-07:002006-05-16T23:09:52.903-07:00

I´ve included some pics from the last week. The pics include:1) me enjoying a delicious milkshake with Cusco´s Plaza de Armas in the background. The Plaza is the center of life for the city. 2) Some cuy (guinea pigs) that are about to be roasted. On Sunday May 14th, my host family put some cuy on the dinner table. Against the judgement of my stomach, I tried it. The Peru: Lonely Planet

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1147124431980726102006-05-08T14:36:00.000-07:002006-06-04T16:45:42.890-07:00

The modern day Inca Trail begins by leaving Cusco at 5am on a bus which takes the hiker thru the pristine Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, an ancient Incan farming spot with many terraces and graneries that are seen on the mountain side as one approaches. The bus stops at kilometer 82 where the hiker begins his journey. The first day of four on the Incan Trail is a relatively easy 10km hike which

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1146534031031480282006-05-01T17:54:00.000-07:002006-05-03T15:36:10.283-07:00

I´m coming up on my second week in Cusco, altitude 11,100ft. What an experience! It´s easy to see why the Incans picked this city as the site for their almighty capitol. I´ve encolsed some pictures in my Cusco posts that show some of my new friends...they´re around 600 yrs old! Yeah, you guessed it; the Egyptians weren´t the only ones who had mummies. One shot shows me drinking a "Cusquena,"

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1146192906922646022006-04-27T19:53:00.000-07:002006-05-01T17:54:10.016-07:00

I´m having lots of fun in Peru and getting acclimated to Cusco. Today I had classes as usual then went on a tour of the city and saw some ancient Incan sights outside of Cusco. I´m a little frustrated with the profesera at my school...she´s good and means well but doesn´t speak English. So learning is going well, but I have to stop and constantly look up words in the translation dictionary which

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1145407286457517042006-04-18T17:35:00.000-07:002006-04-18T17:41:26.460-07:00

Today, April 18th, 2006, marks the 100 year anniversary of the infamous 1906 San Franisco Earthquake. Marcus and I went to Lotta's Fountain on Kearny, Market, and Geary Streets to commemorate the anniversary of the quake. I couldn't help but to think of the sheer pandemonium that surounded the city 100 years ago.I leave for Cusco, Peru in 3 days. These will be my last days in the city for an

Bid Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850733830562944365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26430601.post-1145406723527732202006-04-18T17:20:00.000-07:002006-04-18T17:32:03.536-07:00

Kirstin and I attended the Sunday Easter service at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Pacific Heights. This is my last Sunday in SF before I depart for Cusco, Peru. This picture was taken on top of a roof in Cow Hollow near my old apt 2351 Filbert St. -April 16, 2006

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