Looking for the next big adventure!

Livestrong Recap

2010-07-24T11:53:00.002-06:00

Team Spudman raised over $700! In total the San Jose - Livestrong Challenge raised $1 million dollars towards the fight against Cancer. Well done everyone!!

It started out as a cool, overcast morning in San Jose, but it didn't last for long. Soon the sun was out and we were sweating away the calories with each stroke of our pedals. We took full advantage of the "fuel stations" that were put in place about every 15-20 miles. Staffed solely by local volunteers, these pit stops had ample supplies of fruit, water, PB&J's, gummy bears, trail mix, power bars, sports drinks, and everything else you would want to snack on when racing under the hot sun!!

I am proud to report that we exceeded the 65 mile distance I originally said we would be doing, and finished the 100 mile course with our heads held high! It really wasn't as terrible as I thought riding 100 miles would be. Everything felt pretty good up until mile 70 when we hit "the hill". This 1.8 mile hill was a 1600 foot elevation climb and oh did I feel it! However I didn't stop at any point during my climb, I was a man on a mission to reach the summit!

In total we gained 3600 feet in elevation winding though the vineyards of the Silicon Valley. We finished in roughly 7 and a half hours, which flew by so quick! It was amazing to see the names attached to riders of friends, family, or other victums of Cancer that they were riding for. Many participants were even Cancer survivors. It was a great event to be a part of and I thank you all for your support!

Livestrong Challenge

2010-06-30T21:06:00.003-06:00

So I just joined "Team Spudmen" for the 2010 Livestrong race in San Jose, California on July 11th. I will be racing 65 miles on my road bike along side hundreds of other enthusiasts. I need your help to reach my individual goal of raising $250!! Besides having the satisfaction of being a part of the fight against cancer, you will be supporting me and my team. The best part about any donation is that it's tax deductible! So whether you give $1, $2, $10, or $20 it all adds up quick.

You can follow this link to my personal fundraising page: http://sanjose2010.livestrong.org/dhirschi

The LIVESTRONG Challenge Series is the signature fundraising event for LIVESTRONG. For the past thirteen years, the Series has raised over $60 million for the fight against cancer. The LIVESTRONG Challenge is LIVESTRONG’s signature fundraising event inspired by the hope, courage and determination that exist in all of us. We take to the streets on bikes and on our feet, uniting individuals to stand together to fight cancer.

In San Jose, on July 11, the LIVESTRONG Challenge takes place in downtown San Jose at the Center for Performing Arts. In the spirit of LIVESTRONG's mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer, we invite children in active treatment to participate in the LIVESTRONG Challenge via pedicab. Their enthusiasm is contagious as they ride among the riders, reminding us all what we're truly fighting for.

Life Happenings

2010-06-13T12:30:00.005-06:00

Here it is the beginning of summer and I have failed to give any updates on the happenings of my life these last few months. I hope to fill in the gaps with lots of details!! First off, probably the biggest news for me, I was able to purchase my very own place! Nothing amazing, but it is a perfect fit for my 1st time home. It's a two bedroom condo in the heart of Holladay. Its close to many great shops and has a beautiful view of Mt. Olympus! I was sad to move away from Park City, but hopefully I will make my way back there sometime in the near future.

Another exciting happening in my life is that I was awarded a sponsorship for my races this summer/fall. I am now a proud member of Team Aquaphor! You can view my bio as well as my other teamates here in SLC at www.teamaquaphor.com/Roster/Salt_Lake_City.htm I have already had my first race of the season, which was last week at Willard Bay. I competed with my good friend Amanda who was celebrating her 21st that day. I finished 6th overall and 1st in my age group. Not bad considering the zipper on my wet suit broke moments before I was to begin my swim. I had no choice but to swim with my suit unzipped, dragging water the entire swimming portion. I will keep you posted on the results of my other races throughout the summer.

Ski Trip

2010-03-13T19:14:00.003-07:00

Had an amazing weekend getaway with the boys to Grand Targhee and Big Sky the first weekend in February. What a great time of year to enjoy some of the best snow in the world!! Targhee had at least 12 inches of fresh powder each of the two days we were on the mountain, which made for a lot of work! By the time we made it to Big Sky, my legs were ready for some easy groomers!

Big Sky was so BEAUTIFUL!!! Hardly a cloud in the sky. You could see for miles and miles in either direction! Even on the top of Lone Peak the weather was ideal, which was great since the snow was no where near perfect compared to Targhee.

I think I'm accident prone

2009-12-12T16:19:00.003-07:00

So my latest injury happened about a month ago at the swimming pool. I had just hopped in to swim my warm-up and was nearing the wall for a flip turn. When I flipped, my heal clipped the side of the wall and sliced me clean and deep! I didn't think twice about it and kept swimming until the end of my set. When I was done, I stood up and felt down toward the pain coming from my heal. I didn't expect my fingers to slip into the slit that was now oozing out bright red blood!

I hobbled over to the guard station where they bandaged me up. Oh did it looked disgusting! There was no doubt I needed stitches. I drove myself over to the nearest insta-care facility. The nurse had me sit on the bed and took off my bandages (which were soaked and stained in blood). The doctor came in with a giant needle (no joke, at least three for four inches). She proceeded to jab straight into my gaping wound. This is when I started to freak and instantly pulled my foot away!

The other nurse had to come in and lay over my waist line (one to keep my eyes off what was going on, and two, to hold me down!). The doctor proceeded to probe my foot with the hell maker. I twisted and clinched with every jab! OOHHHHH the PAIN!!!! I have never been subject of such torture! I was moaning, shouting, and cussing at such volumes that other staff began peaking in to see what was going on.

When she was finished, I was so pale and sweaty. They gave me a cold rag for my head and told me to lay down. I was exhausted! After a few minutes, the numbing medication kicked in and the doctor continued with the stitching. I guess with all the nerve endings at the base of your foot, it makes it extra sensitive, as I found out.

I had to walk on my toes for the next few weeks but am finally back to normal. Swimming will never be the same :-(

And I'm back!

2009-11-08T18:15:00.006-07:00

Summer isn't really a time when I leave much room for blogging, if any at all. The season is filled with all of my favorite activities, and I find myself going, going, going until the sun leaves the sky. Hence the reason I have neglected to update my blog since April! So sorry.... but I will try and keep it going through the Winter months ahead.

Here are just a few cliff notes of what I have been up to the past few months!

- I coached the Park City "Piranhas" this season. We had around 70 kids from age 5 to 15 and swept each of our meets. It was a fun experience, being my first time as a coach for anything.

- I competed in 3 triathlons around the area. Echo, Jordanelle, and Rock Cliff (also at the Jordanelle). Two of the three had over 200 men in my race. I placed 5th overall at Echo and 4th overall at Jordanelle with a 1st place finish in my age division at each event. Not bad for only being my 4th and 5th races to date!

- I landed a full time job in SLC working for an oil and gas company called Questar. It's been about three months now and I am still enjoying it!

- I managed to get out on my mountain bike more than I ever have in the past and found a new love! What a great way to access some of the most amazing views.

- My "little" sister got hitched in August and the whole family was there to give her away. The Tetons made for a beautiful backdrop!

- I took my first trip to Moab! We camped along the river, cooked all our meals, slept under the stars, and road our bikes through the parks!

- I turned another year older and probably not much wiser. 24 is the new 18 or so it feels. I haven't slowed down yet and don't plan on it anytime soon!

- I joined a Sand Volleyball league here in Park City. We finished 2nd in the end of season tournament.

- I also just finished up a Fall Kickball league which was hands down the highlight of my week for the past two months! We didn't fare as well as Volleyball taking 4th place to end the season.

Well that is about all that has been going on since April. Now I am just sitting around and waiting for the white stuff to fly. I scrapped for a new snowboard and a season pass, so cross your fingers for a plentiful season!

I posted a few pictures from the past several months.

What ever happened to April showers?

2009-04-23T21:57:00.003-06:00

So its been a cold an snowy April here in Park City. Not exactly my idea of a delightful Spring, but I've learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to weather. Last Wednesday it snowed ALL day and yesterday it was 75 degrees... so weird. On what nice days we have had, I've been trying to put some miles on my bike, and check out the area. I can't wait until the snow melts and I'm able to explore the mountain trails!

Slowely but surely I am meeting some locals. The other night I was invited to take a dip at the hot springs over in Midway. It was a random little spot, but made for a fun night under the stars talking about the most random things in the world. I cannot wait for summer to be here and all the adventures its going to bring!

Well not much has been going on in my life so thats about all for now. Hopefully with the warming weather more exciting things will be coming my way.

Work, work, work...

2009-03-22T18:58:00.008-06:00

So its now been three weeks since my move to Park City and so far so good! The weather this past week, with the exception of the snow storm today, has been so beautiful! I've already taken my bike out several times to go exploring on different rides. The other day I rode all the way to Ben & Kristie's, but my legs definitely were feeling it! Slowly but surely I am working them back into shape!

I have been staying amazingly busy with my now... 3 jobs! Last week I snagged a hosting position at a restaurant here in Park City called Cafe Terigo. Its a cute little Italian place right on Main Street. I guess I have hopes of using it to meet some locals and get my social network going in this town. I've only worked one shift so far, but am looking forward to getting my feet wet. I know its gonna be a get job!

Its nice being so close to Kristie, Ben, & little Coco. I try and stop in at least once a week to say hi and make sure I secure my role as the favorite uncle :-) Coco is such a spaz and makes me laugh with all her little gestures.

Amongst the hustle and bustle, I bought myself a car. Its a 2008 Scion XD and I love it! Its a little red four door and gets up and down the canyon in a breeze!

I had my first night out in Park City this weekend. A bunch of friends from Logan came down for the Clumsy Lovers concert. It was one of the best nights I've had in such a long time! From the pictures I posted, you can see that we are easily entertained and have such a great time in anything we do.

Well I am going to enjoy the rest of my Sunday, the one day I work 0 jobs, and try to catch up with a few episodes of LOST.

SLC so far...

2009-02-25T20:43:00.004-07:00

I am in the middle of my sixth week living here in Salt Lake City. To tell you the truth it was the last place I wanted to move. Its definitely a hard city to warm up to. I don't know how to describe it, but there is a thick feeling in the air and everyone seems to be uptight and pretentious.

I haven't really had too many opportunities to meet new people. For the most part I have been hanging out with old friends from my time spent in Logan. They have been my sanity and entertainment. Two weeks ago I took advantage of a reasonably warm afternoon and took my bike up City Creek Canyon. I rode all the way until the ice and snow covered the trail. At this point I stopped and started chatting with the nicest people I've met since moving here! They told me all about the amazing trails around the area, grocery stores, coffee shops, and great restaurants. We talked for nearly 20 minutes before they let me go on my way. Its amazing what a little kindness will do for you day...

Everything about my job has been amazing, other than the fact that it is only part-time... the company is on a hiring freeze right now because of hard times, and are unable to hire anyone until that lifts. The company executives project the freeze to life here in another month or so... I'll keep my fingers crossed. In the mean time I started a second job at the Aquatic Center in Sugarhouse.

This past weekend I said goodbye to SLC and headed to Boise for some R&R. Stephanie has been there for about a month now, so I was showing here around to the different highlights the area has to offer. We were able to drive about an hour North to some hot springs I used to frequent when I was in college. We soon found ourselves amongst a crowd of skinny dipping back country hippies... but nonetheless we had a good time enjoying the outdoors and the hot water.

From here... I will be moving to Park City this weekend. Hopefully that will make for an easier commute and place me at the foot of the great outdoors. We will see how it goes.

Back to Reality

2009-01-18T22:17:00.005-07:00

The girls on the new Karaoke machine Steph bought

Sporting our Panama Hats I brought back from Ecuador

Mom & Dad in a hot Ping Pong Tourney

The traditional walk to Grandma's on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Dinner

Battling hurricane winds while snowshoeing the lake

Me and Sam at the cabin

Rockin' the Wii

Its back to reality, sadly. It was one thing coming home for my grandfather's funeral and knowing I would return to enjoy more experiences, but when I got on that final jet a sullen feeling came over me. My emotions were very mixed. The American based flight attendants were all decked out in their Christmas sweaters, holiday pins, and on the loud speakers Christmas carols could be heard.

I didn't want to leave all the freedom, the experiences, the adventures, the people, the culture, the food, the music, the land, the water (for swimming, not drinking), and most importantly my friends... my heart was sad. On the other hand, with it only being a few days to Christmas, the idea of "The Holidays" hadn't even phased my mind. Walking around the past month in 80 degree heat with no sign of Christmas decor (minus the mall), made it hard to believe it was really that time of year.

Observing the middle aged, red headed flight attendant with bright red sequined glasses and a slight southern accent, I strangely wanted to be home with my own mother. It must have been her sweet motherly way of joking with passengers and catering to their needs. A sense of happiness and warmth came over me that seems to come with the "season" and when you feel that emotion you want to be surrounded by your family. My eyes were wet from all these feelings.

It was a bittersweet ending to my three month stay and play. I am so happy to have had the chance to go and do the things I have done. I hands down don't think I could have done a better thing with my life. I will forever cherish the memories, the friends made, and the journey traveled.

Some fun facts:

In my 109 day travel, I spent:

- 3.9 hours on a train
- 6 hours on a boat (excluding my 4 day sail around The Galapagos)
- 63 hours in a plane
- 176 hours or roughly one week on a bus! (excluding countless taxi rides)

I also trekked through 4 countries (Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, & Uruguay).

As for reality... well its been tuff. Christmas was different this year. None of the other siblings were able to make it home Christmas Day, so it was simply me, the parents, and grandma. Lacking the presence of Grandpa was also an adjustment, but we had fun playing games, eating amazing food, opening presents, singing songs, and laughing until we cried.

We had a few days at the cabin with the nieces and close friends. The weather wasn't the best with 60+ mile an hour winds, so we vegged out between the Wii, ping pong, meals, movies, and the hot tub. After spending time with the family, I headed south to reunite and celebrate the New Year with good friends.

My sibling Christmas present this year was money for snowboarding. I decided to hit up The Beaver in Logan, only to break my collar bone on the last run of the day :-/ My first break ever... and its really trying my patience. I really dislike being immobilized. I guess everything happens for a purpose and this allowed me to focus my job hunt in the unpromising market.

I was able to snag a part-time job working an HR position for a recruiting firm headquartered in Park City, UT. I decided to jump at the offer (in hopes of finding additional work) and moved myself south. Tuesday is the first day on the job so wish me luck! That's about as interesting as my life gets these days. Now I am just counting down the days to Spring!

Uruguay

2008-12-10T15:11:00.004-07:00

The sister

Family photo

Bikini Beach!!

Ice Cream Girls

Ready to devour my Chivito :-)

Punta del Este

Having lunch on our back patio

Our cool little beach house

View from the ship as we pulled away from Buenos Aires

Trying to catch some Zzz's on the ship

So much has happened these last two weeks, and yet it feels like just a few days have gone by. The weather has been so off and on. The first few days after Thanksgiving it was a straight downpour! It rained so much they canceled the Polo Tournament we were planning to attend :-( I was really excited to see it too.

Eventually the weather cleared up just in time for our concert. For Christmas, I bought Steph and I tickets to see Madonna! And boy was it a show! I think her concerts are just another excuse for her to workout. She was non-stop dancing the whole night! We both agreed it was like watching a continuous music video. It was held in a soccer stadium right next to the river, so there was a constant cool breeze... pretty much we were freezing the entire time! We tried to dance around to keep warm but it just wasn´t happening. All in all we had a blast and were so happy to see such a legend.

The next morning we met the rest of the crew at the boat dock, where we caught a ship for Uruguay. We sailed three hours before arriving in Colonia. From there we took a two hour bus ride to the capital, Montevideo, and from there another five hour bus ride to a little surf town called Punta del Diablo. It sits just less than an hour south from the border of Brazil.

We were able to snag this great little beach house for super cheap. It was a short walk from the ocean and made the stay so amazing! The town was very low key and all the houses were quaint and beautiful! It couldn´t have gotten any better and then one day on the beach a school (is that what they would be called pod maybe??) of Dolphins swam across the waves right in front of us... so awesome!

After three nights of tranquility, Steph and I split off for the big city. Punta del Este is known as the Miami Beach of Uruguay. It sits on a small peninsula off the southern coast. High rise hotels, expensive yachts, and hot sandy beaches were all around. We lounged on the beach by day and strolled the boardwalk at night. Munching on ice cream and enjoying one of the best sandwiches I have ever had! It was called a Chivito, and oh was it good!

The second day, I just had to make it to Bikini Beach! Made famous for its surf breaks, this beach is listed as one of the most hippest beaches on the planet, at least according to the Travel Channel :-) Still being between seasons, there really weren´t too many people to be seen, however, we still enjoyed laying back, watching the surfers, and taking an occasional dip in the cool water.

It was a great way to enjoy a little sun and heat before heading back to the snow and cold of Idaho. Today I sent Steph back to reality and I will be joining her shortly in another week. I am going to try and enjoy these last few days as much as I possibly can!

Back to Buenos Aires

2008-11-30T11:32:00.004-07:00

Getting some fresh juice at the San Telmo Market

One of the many groups of walking dogs... I think their walker was getting some water.

Creepy cat in the Recoleta Cemetery (they are all over!)

Street performer at the San Telmo Market

Plaza de Mayo in the Mircocentro

Our very hot and humid Thanksgiving feast up on the Terraza

Cutting up our Argentinean Steak (we decided to trade in the Turkey)

Standing outside my bedroom

The past week has been a rough ride, but now things are starting to get back to normal. It was so nice to be able to travel home for the weekend and be with all my family. It was a sad time, but it was spent cherishing the memories of the man that brought us all together, Grandpa. I cant explain to you the amazing bond my family has. When we get together, for better or for worse, we always have a good time. Even with the tears and sorrow over Grandpa, we were able to have a memorable time.

My three night, four day visit was a quick reminder of the things I really need to enjoy on vacation before I head home. One of them being the heat. Arriving back in Buenos Aires, the high temperature was well over 10 degrees warmer than before I left along with high humidity. It was a welcoming surprise!

I was also able to enjoy the company of Kristen, Whitney, and Natalie, my Utah friends who arrived in the city while I was home, as well as our friend Emilie from California, whom we all met in Ecuador. Two days after I arrived, I headed back to the airport to pick up my sister Stephanie who will be traveling with me for the next two weeks.

As if I didn't eat enough while I was home, I had the opportunity to host Thanksgiving Dinner at my house here in Buenos Aires. It was by far the hottest and most humid night yet. We were all covered in a nice glaze of sweat sitting up on the terrace enjoying great food and the night sky. I made Mashed Potatoes for the first time ever with a white bacon gravy, and I must say they were pretty darn tasty! Instead of Turkey we decided to order steak, after all we are in Argentina. I had the privilege to slice and dice the meat, being the man of the house, and we all dug in to our various dishes. It was such a good time!

Today we are in San Telmo for the antique market. I really wanted to bring Steph here so she could enjoy the excitement of all the shopping and street performers. Weather permitting we are going to try and make the polo game tonight. The past day it has been raining quite a bit, so we don't know if it will be on or not. I guess we will keep our fingers crossed.

Buenos Aires

2008-11-19T07:59:00.004-07:00

Buenos Aires has been the perfect location to spend my last few weeks of travel. The city is made of up 40 plus barrios, each having their own unique characteristics. I have spent the last few nights in the area called San Telmo. This area is know for their antique shops and the weekly Sunday market.

The San Telmo market is so crazy! They close down the entire street, nearly the whole length of San Telmo. There are bands, performers, artisans, and food vendors amongst other things. It´s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon browsing around and people watching. When the sun goes down, the dancing gets intense. Tango, African, and other type of dancers are everywhere and the crowd is encouraged to join. It´pretty much one big dance party!

Most of the day, I have been enjoying one of the many parks/gardens, walking around the ecological reserve, or catching up in my travel journal at a corner cafe. It really can´t get anymore relaxing. I also purchased a month pass at a indoor swimming pool. I would love to run on the river or through the parks, but my foot has been ridiculous lately so swimming is my next best alternative.

Shopping is another topic in itself... I have never been to a city where I love everything I see... its bad! Buenos Aires is honestly the best city for shopping I have ever been to. There are so many boutiques that design their own clothes. Everything is unique and exceptional. The prices aren´t exactly cheap but they aren´t unreasonable either.

Today I moved into a barrio called Palermo Hollywood. I am living with a host family that has a beautiful antique home in one of the hippest areas of Buenos Aires. My room has french doors that lead out to a cobblestone patio full of flowers and plants. Upstairs, there is a large open air terrace and art studio where my host mom, Nora, teachers painting classes. We also have a large, but very friendly dog named Moto. I am so excited to settle in and enjoy this city for a few more weeks.

However, yesterday my grandfather passed away... He was in decent health before I left, but I didn´t think such a thing would happen while I was gone. But I guess God takes us when he wants us, and there is nothing else we can do about it. Fortunately, I will be able to attend his funeral thanks to assistance from my traveler´s insurance.

It will be good to go home and be there to support my family and especially my grandmother. My grandfather was a great man that always loved to be working on some type of project. He was very hardworking and taught me many things. I am grateful for his example and love he showed to me throughout his life.

A little slice of Paradise

2008-11-15T10:58:00.007-07:00

Iguazu was nothing more than the gates of heaven! Every two steps, I wanted to snap another picture because they were so beautiful! I was able to take a high powered boat ride up the river and actually get up close and personal with the falls. A little too personal at times. I thought we were going to be sucked under the falls there for a bit, but like the rest of my stories I made it out alive :-)

The hikes up around the falls had breathtaking views and one could sit and take it in all day long. It was a relaxing, yet very hot day. Many of the overlooks were so close to the falls that there was always a slight mist in the air, so that made everything feel much better. After spending the entire day enjoying the splendor of this amazing creation, I was ready for a nap!

Iguazu was well worth the 18 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires!

Still alive

2008-11-09T16:28:00.010-07:00

The past week has been a whirlwind of activities! My four hour ride south of Lima to Huacachina, was well worth the drive. This crazy little oasis is unreal! I hiked to the top of the dune just behind our hostel to find nothing but sand as far as the eye can see! Me and the girls signed up for some sand boarding on these massive mountains of sand. I don´t know what was the bigger thrill, riding around in the dune buggie or flying down the mountain on a piece of wood. The bottom of the board was hard to keep slick. They had wax for us to put on before each run, but the sand would rub it off well before you reached the bottom of the slope :-(

That night I took a bus back to Lima only to wake up at 4am to catch my flight to Cuzco. The girls arrived later that afternoon, taking a 16 hour overnight bus ride from Huacachina... I'm glad I flew. The day was spent exploring Cuzco and enjoying some fine dining. That night we went to an election day party for Americans held at a nearby diner. It was fun to watch the votes come in and hoop and holler to our liking.

I never knew how difficult it was to actually get to Machu Picchu, but after an 1 1/2 hour taxi ride, a 2 hour train ride, and an overnight stay in Aguas Calientes, we were on our way to seeing one of the most magnificent wonders of the world! We woke up at 4am (yet again) to start our hike up the mountain to the park entrance. It was so great to watch the valley take shape as the dark faded into a dim glow. (You can take the bus from Aguas Calientes but they don't start running until 5:45, you don't get the experience of hiking in the wee hours, and they cost $14 round trip.)

We hiked literally straight up for about one and a half miles. Kristen and I were on a mission to get tickets to Wayna Picchu (This is the mountain you see in the background of Machu Picchu. They limit only 400 people on this mountain per day.) and never stopped til we reached the top! We were about 20 people from the front of the line and had no trouble getting our tickets.

Machu Picchu is absolutely out of this world! The views, the architecture, the mystery, and even the llamas! It all adds up to the amazement I have for this unusual place. The photos don't even do it justice. By far, its one of my most favorite places ever! Not to mention the hike up Wayna Picchu... mom I suggest you not hike this one. Steep drop-offs, narrow trails, and nothing to hold on to but a little wire cable, if that. We were so sweaty! It was such a nice sunny day once the morning fog burned off. I posted one picture from the top. Its of me, Kristen, and this Peruvian girl that wanted a picture of us... I guess we looked like celebs.

That afternoon I boarded my train back to Ollytatamba and took a 2 hour bus ride back to Cuzco. Catching my flight early the next morning, to again catch another flight early this morning... and this is why I am fighting off a cold. No sleep, stress of travel, hiking all day, and high elevation doesn't make for a healthy person.

Despite it all, I made it to Buenos Aires safe and sound. The streets are alive with the weekly Sunday market. Bands are playing, people are dancing, and the city is alive! I cant wait to soak it all up in these next few weeks, but tomorrow I am going to try and catch a bus to Iguazu Falls. And so is the life of a backpacker :-)

Love you all

Lima

2008-11-02T11:09:00.007-07:00

I really didn´t have high expectations for Lima, but to my surprise it has been one of my favorite stops! The entire coastline has massive cliffs speckled with fancy buildings and a nice boardwalk. The views are simply amazing! Most of my time was spent in the barrio called Miraflores which has great shopping, dinning, and entertainment.

On Halloween, I was able to meet up with Kristen and Natalie. It was great to see them once again and listen to their stories from Peru. On Saturday, Kristen and I headed to central Lima (Natalie was under the weather) where the first day of bull fighting was beginning!

So there we are in the stadium, all ready for the games to begin, when we hear and feel a faint rumble. We both thought it was the bulls running around somewhere under the stadium, but we were wrong. When the second rumble (louder and stronger) shakes the entire stadium, my heart skips a beat and I realize it´s an earthquake!!!

Luckily, the earthquake only consisted of the two minor rumbles and it was over with. By far it was the weirdest sensation I have ever experienced in my life! The people sitting around us said it was normal for Lima. I guess its a rather high earthquake zone. The rest of the night was great! There were a total of six bull fights, one of which was a ten year old boy! Kristen and I both thought he was going to be a goner. As tradition has it, each bull is dueled to the death and dragged out of the stadium by a chariot of horses.

Afterward, everyone gets together outside the stadium to socialize, drink, and partake of grilled bull´s heart (anticucho). It was such a great way to practice our Spanish and we met so many great people. The anticucho was very tender and had so much flavor! Later that night, we headed to the airport to meet the fourth and final traveler, Whitney.

Today I hopped a bus five hours south of Lima to a desert oasis called Huacachina. It is nothing but a small Lagoon surrounded by massive palms and giant dunes. Tomorrow the girls are meeting up, and we are all going sand boarding (much like snowboarding but on sand). I am pretty excited about it. I will try and post some pictures soon.

I hope things are getting better at home. Grandpa and Grandma you are in my thoughts and prayers. Love you!

Mancora - My saving grace

2008-10-28T11:03:00.005-06:00

After crossing the Peruvian border, I was really hoping the rest of Peru wasn´t anything like the shamble of a town that welcomed me to this highly anticipated country. With just a two hour bus ride from the border (on top of my 6 hour bus ride from Cuenca) I arrived in Mancora. The hostel I stayed at was just the place to relax, meet lots of great people, and participate in a number of activities.

The hostel had a on site cook that dished up some of the best grub I´ve had on this trip. I posted some pictures of our Beach Olympics. It had a number of events and made for a good time. Most of the people there were either Aussies, Kiwis, or Brits and once again I was the lone American. With that the case, I did learn how to play a good game of Cricket.

Last night I took the overnight bus from Mancora to Huanchaco. This little fishing village is know for their reed boats that the locals still make the traditional way. Tomorrow I am planning on visiting the ancient ruins of Chan Chan just near here.

Terminado con Ecuador

2008-10-23T11:35:00.010-06:00

Well my last week in Ecuador has been outstanding! This city is picture perfect with it´s cobblestone streets, historic buildings, museums, galleries, and quaint cafes. Yesterday after school, I stopped off at this beautiful cafe right on the river. From my table, I had the perfect view of the afternoon thunderstorm rolling in across the mountains. The clouds here are absolutely unreal. I could sit and watch the sky for hours, its simply mesmerizing.

My family has been more than perfect. Every afternoon we have a grand ¨almuerzo¨ with Rita, Jaime, Mama Eulee, two of Rita´s sons (Jaime Jr. & Javier) , and Javier´s one year old daughter. The conversation makes for great practice with my Spanish. The food is outstanding and at the same time very different. For example, yesterday for dessert we had melted cheese (which in Ecuador their cheese is very salty, I´m not a huge fan) drenched in syrup made from Sugarcane. Hmm....

Tomorrow, I am going with my teacher Carmen to eat Cuy! This typical dish is an Ecuadorian specialty. Cuy is more or less a fried Guinea Pig... I will let you know how it goes.

I also posted one of my favorite pictures from Cuenca. I took it from the rooftop of my school looking across the city. The video is obviously from the Galapagos. It was taken after snorkeling. We got of the water to find several Sealions had taken over our little beach spot!

Cuenca

2008-10-20T16:33:00.008-06:00

Rita and her husband Jamie were there to greet me as my bus pulled into the station. Even though it was late, they insisted on taking me on a grand tour of the city, which actually helped a great deal when walking around today. We live in a beautiful home right on one of the four rivers here in Cuenca. Along with Rita and her husband, ¨Mama¨ Eulee (who is Rita´s grandmother) also lives with us. She is a ripe old 103!! I would have never guessed. I will have to ask her what the secret to life is...

The school here is beyond words to describe. It is an antique building with much of the original wood and brick. There are huge skylights that fill the whole building with natural light from above. It has a natural calming effect that really helps me absorb the things I am learning. My teacher, Carmen, is very helpful and I am learning so much!

I ended up having to buy a new camera... but the good news is that I am not without! The first few pictures on this post are from the Boardwalk and Las Peñas in Guayaquil. The rest are around the streets of Cuenca, with one of my house here. Enjoy...

New Pictures

2008-10-20T12:11:00.002-06:00

So the pictures I posted below are of my family in Manta and the house we lived in. I also posted one with my professor Antonio.

Moving on

2008-10-19T13:24:00.006-06:00

Its goodbye Manta, hello Cuenca! So I am on my way to Cuenca, with a stop in the country's capital, Guayaquil. What a beautiful city it is! They have an a amazing boardwalk along the river that runs the whole length of downtown. It is filled with shops, gardens, and an occasional cafe. I spent all of last night covering the entire thing!

The boardwalk ends at the bottom of a small hill community know as Las Peñas. There are stairs that lead all the way through the colorful houses and cafes up to a quaint church and lighthouse. Supposedly this is where they used to fire cannons to protect Guayaquil from pirates. They still have some on display, which are still fired for certain holidays.

My last night in Manta, I made my family dinner, well kind of. I decided to make crepes, so I guess it was more breakfast than anything. They loved them! I wish I had photos to show, but my camera is having difficulties at the moment. I am hoping I just need a new battery, because cameras down here are about twice as much as they are in the States! I will keep my fingers crossed.

So I decided it was about time to take my chances getting my hair cut. I have been afraid of it being butchard with no mercy, however, I found a great salon in Manta that did an awesome job! I was so impressed! And all for a grand total of $5!!! I told my teacher at school just how much I paid, and he thought it was far too expensive for just a hair cut. He said he doesn't pay over $1.50. I think if I had his hair style, I would be better off cutting my own hair and saving the $1.50 :-)

I will try and post some pictures soon...

Random thoughts...

2008-10-16T08:23:00.006-06:00

- Unleaded gas here in Ecuador is only $1.48 per gallon and Diesel is only $1.03!

- Coffee is one of Ecuador's biggest exports, yet the entire country drinks nothing but instant Nescafe.

- The U.S. dollar is the country´s official currency... which is nice considering I never have to calculate any conversions.

- It is mandatory for each resident to vote. When they do, they receive a card which allows them to apply for important things such as loans and visas. Maybe the U.S. should consider such a policy and we´d have a better turn out at the polls.

- While I was in Quito, every night I would have the most vivid and intense dreams I´ve ever had in my life. It was almost like I was exhausted in the morning. So strange! But talking to other travelers they have been experiencing the same phenomenon. Weird huh? We can´t decide what exactly it is, but my best guess has to be the altitude, 9400 feet.

That's all...

A great weekend retreat

2008-10-14T08:11:00.004-06:00

After spending a week in Manta, I was ready for some excitement. The students at this school aren´t really social and for the most part keep to themselves. So I spend my days at the beach or swimming some laps at the pool, which sounds nice but not so much when your doing it alone. So Friday after class I was bound and determined to get out of here!

I caught the first bus heading south and planned on staying the night in Puerto Lopez. Reading about this town in my travel books, it sounded so quaint and picture perfect. I soon found it was the total opposite. I had never seen so much trash along the side of the streets! All the roads were tore up and most of the buildings were falling apart. It was such a surprise since this was a hot spot for tourists to view Humpback Whales during their mating season (which just ended).

I tried to make the best of it, but didn´t have much luck. The people at my hostel were again anti-social and didn´t seem to have much spirit about them. I was in desperate need of some interaction, so I went on a stroll of the boardwalk (by myself) and enjoyed a few batidos or milkshakes made from fresh fruit.

Sleeping was the next problem. The mosquito's were on a mission to terrorize! Laying there with a mosquito net over my body didn´t give me a warm fuzzy feeling of comfort, rather that of claustrophobia. I managed to prop the pillows just right so I had a sort of canopy going on. Let´s just say, I really didn´t get much sleep.

The next morning I walked down to an American owned cafe where I enjoyed some banana pancakes. I really needed a taste of home to keep me going at that point. The cafe was right on the beach, and it was pleasant watching the fisherman come to shore with their morning catch. After breakfast, I packed up and headed out for Montañita. I was desperate to see Natalie and Kristen!

From the moment I stepped off the bus, I knew I was going to love Montañita! The streets were packed with young Ecuadorians, and there was music echoing from the beach. I arrived a few hours before the girls (who were traveling 7 hours from a city in southern Ecuador) and decided to check out the town. There were so many hippies, surfers, gringos, etc... this town had it all. Strolling down the beach, I was surprised to find my friend Robert from England, what a small world. He and I both traveled the Galapagos together.

Around three in the afternoon, the girls arrived and the rest of the weekend was spent in bliss. The ocean water was so refreshing and amazingly clean! Natalie and I spent most of the time body surfing or just rolling in the oncoming waves. It was heaven! Some of the others spent some time surfing and did quite well. I wish I could have been out there with them, but my foot is still in shambles.

Sunday night was a cool experience. Ecuador was playing Chile in soccor and the whole town was watching. We grabbed a table at a corner restaurant, and joined in with the mass for an amazing showdown. It was so surreal. Ecuador ended up winning 2-0.

It was an great weekend (minus Puerto Lopez) that I desperately needed to get me through this next week. Now its back to studying Español.

9 hours later

2008-10-07T13:41:00.004-06:00

After an intense ride through the steep mountain passes of the Ecuadorian Andes, I arrived in the coastal city of Manta. The nine hour journey was filled with countless switchbacks, near misses of oncoming cars/buses, and great views of the mountain drop-offs we were teetering. The bus drivers in Ecuador are down right crazy! I can´t imagine having their job, but at least they seem to enjoy it. We were whipping around the mountain passes so fast that some of the passengers couldn´t hold in their lunch! I was lucky enough to only get away with a small headache from the twists and turns. Luckily, we arrived in Manta safe and sound.

Manta has just under 200,000 people and is a drastic change from the mass chaos of Quito. I do, however, miss my host parents, Susana and Marco. I really thought of them more as my grandparents than anything. Such a nice couple. They did tell me, ¨Mi casa es tu casa¨ and to call them when I get back in town from Argentina. So I am planning on officially telling them goodbye at the tail end of my trip.

My new host family is much younger. Javier and Dana are a young couple (the same age as my oldest sister Kami, 35) with three kids, 2 girls and a boy. They both work during the day and a maid (Maria) comes to cook the meals and do the cleaning, laundry, etc... I heard before arriving in Manta that the costal people like to talk.. alot! Maria is solid proof of this stereotype. She has attitude and loves to be in conversation. So I love to sit and talk with her, it is such good practice! Except much of the time she speaks so fast I get lost in her words. So I have to tell her to slow down.

One of the girls reminds me so much of my niece Amber. She is turning eleven on Saturday and is so excited about it. Today at lunch she was joking around with me and helping me with my Spanish.

Yesterday I had my first day of class in Manta. I was so worried because I was pretty much the only student in the school! But today I had class in the morning and it was filled with many people. What a great relief!

So my foot is still causing me stress! I am so fed up with it. I really don´t know what else to do. I can´t play soccor, volleyball or go for a run on the beach! Its driving me crazy! I am halfway tempted to find a Shawman and have him work his magic. Natalie and Kristen want to can go to the market in Iquitos, Peru (where they sell many strange things from the Amazon such as medicine, fruit, animals, etc..) and find a cure.

I guess I will just hope for the best.

devin

Just call me Charles Darwin...

2008-10-01T16:46:00.005-06:00

So I am happy to report the Galapagos are one of the most bazaar and unique places in the world. The four days and three nights I was able to spend in this extraordinary place will forever be one of the most amazing trips of my life. Not only are most of the plants and animals unique to this part of the world but also the weather. Each island can have up to five or six different climate zones. Its simply amazing! Rain and sun, hot and cold, humid and dry, you name it they have it.

For the most part we sailed around on our yatch visiting up to three different islands each day. Each of these having their own significant species. The water was on the cooler side but it didn't stop us from enjoying some of the best snorkeling I have ever experienced. Seriously, where else in the world can you swim with Penguins? The sea lions were by far the highlight for me. They were so unafraid and curious of us. Most of the time they just wanted to play, so I dove down deep and spun around with them for a while.

I was the solo American in our group, along with four Germans, and three hilarious girls from Ireland. Together we had a blast sailing the seas and seeing the flora and fauna of the Galapagos. Now it is back to reality... well not really since I'm still on vacation, but I do have a language to learn and a move to prepare for.

Sunday I will be heading to the coast for the remainder of my stay here in Ecuador. After getting a taste of the sun this past weekend I cant wait to get back to the ocean and work on my tan.

Hope all is well

devin

Making friends with Blue Footed Boobies

2008-09-26T08:37:00.006-06:00

Well most of the sickness has subsided for now. Kristen and Natalie are back on their feet and I am about there as well. Tomorrow morning I booked a last minute trip to the Galapagos Islands. I am pretty excited to get out and see all the strange creatures Darwin studied all those years ago. I will be there for 4 days and 3 nights. A quick trip but for the price I couldn´t refuse.

Yesterday we trekked to the top of a nearby hill here in Quito where a statue called the Virgin of Quito resides. There were amazing views of several volcanoes around Quito, including the famous Cotopaxi. It almost made me feel like I was at home seeing all the snow capped mountains, but then the mass city beneath me reminded me I was far from it.

Have a great weekend everyone.

devin

Midweek shout out

2008-09-24T07:58:00.004-06:00

So this week has been off to a slow start. Sunday night Kristen starts to get really dissy. All dayMondayy she layed in bed all day with stomach aches. We are thinking it is because of the altitude change from Tena to Quito. Monday night Natalie and myself start feeling a little under the weather as well. Mine was more of a headache with a scratchy throat. That night my host mom, Susanna, made me a nice broth that soothed my aches.

I slept for nearly 10 hours and yesterday I was fine, but Natalie left school early because shedidn'tt feel well. Hopefully today everyone will be back on their feet and ready to see some more sights. Its not that great being sick in a different country.

I posted some pictures of my house and bedroom along with views of the city from Natalie and Kristen's apartment.

>devin

Rafting in Tena

2008-09-23T08:36:00.005-06:00

So our first field trip from Quito was about 90 miles Southeast to a little jungle town called Tena. River rafting is the number one reason most people visit Tena. It took about six hours by bus from Quito. It was a very long and bumpy ride. We dropped 6,000 feet between the two cities so you can imagine what a ride it was. Up and down the Andes, we saw some pretty amazing views with steep cliffs all along the way. Mom would have been on the floor for sure.
We didn´t arrive until after midnight, so we went straight to our hostel and crashed for the night. Early the next morning we ate breakfast (consisting of a roll, fried bananas, and papaya) and headed to the rafting company´s main headquarters. There we jumped in a van and drove to a small community where we were to start our journey. Many of the little kids from the area came to say hello and were interested in asking our names and talking to us. They were so cute! A little girl told me her name was Estefani. I told her that was my sisters name and she blushed.
Starting our decent along the river, we were amazed by the beautiful thick jungle on each side of the river. Monkeys and birds were frequent sights. It was like we were in a National Geographic documentary. I almost had to pinch myself. Ben (our guide) told us that we would be merging with a total of five rivers along our way.
We floated for about two and a half hours before we stopped for lunch. In this time to make a long story short, we were hiking around a rough part of the river where there were many boulders. From what I understood, we put in before we were supposed to and ended up getting sucked into a huge pocket of churning water. To save on the details, we all made it out with a few bumps and bruises.
It felt nice to walk around on the beach during lunch, we needed a good breather from our traumatic experience. The river was really calm and we swam around for a bit, it was a nice escape from the sand flies, which were really getting to us. The guides dished up a number of bowls, which all together made an excellent taco.
The rest of our journey still had some exciting moments, but we made it back in one piece. That night we all went to dinner with our new friends Jeff (from Canada), Ann, Bijorn (from Sweden), and our guides Luis and Ben. We were all pretty exhausted from fighting for our lives all day, so after dinner we went back to catch some sleep.
Sunday morning we were picked up my a local guide and taken to a place called Isla de los Monos (Monkey Island). There we go to see various species of Monkeys along with several other animals found in the Amazon. Our guide was an indigenous man who had a lot of really cool insight. He also taught us how to make bracelets out of a common plant found here in Ecuador.
It was an exciting adventure that we will be talking about for years to come. Now its back to school for this week. Yesterday we met two new students from New York who are fresh out of high school. I look forward to getting to know them and getting more confident in my Spanish speaking.

Much love,

devin

¡San Viernes!

2008-09-19T10:18:00.007-06:00

I made it through my first week here in Quito! Classes are going great, my teacher Manuel is teaching me so much! Even at home, we only speak Spanish. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, are pretty much extra study sessions that help me practice. Hopefully at this rate I will be fluent in no time.

Kristen and Natalie arrived Wednesday night and I rode the Eco Via (the bus here in Quito) to their hostel Thursday morning. Together we went to Old Town, which is filled with many museums and historic buildings. Old town sits on a hill on the south end of town, so we had great views of the city. The main plaza was so beautiful. It was filled with orchids and other plants. There were some protesters arguing the new constitution for Ecuador that will be voted on here shortly. Supposedly their new president is taking this very far left from where they have been.

We ate lunch in a little cafe. The meal was so big and it only cost $1.25! We were stuffed! We also purchased a funny looking reed type thing. The woman we bought it from said it was guava. We had to twist it to crack it open and inside were little white seeds. The white part had a cotton like texture and you were supposed to strip it with your teeth from the black seed inside.

Today after school we are heading to Tena, which is a small town near the Amazon (about five hours by bus from Quito). I am super excited and can´t wait to see more of this country!

Hope all is well with everyone at home.

Much love

Bienvenidos

2008-09-16T10:01:00.003-06:00

After months of anticipation, I finally began my trek of South America! Its only been just over a day and I feel like I´ve been gone for weeks. My flight was late getting into Quito on Sunday night, but my ride was there waiting on the other side of customs. I was taken strait to my Host Family where I was greeted with open arms.

Susanna and Marcos are now my Ecuadorian parents! They are both retired and spend most of the time at home. Susanna cooks me three meals a day she is the sweetest lady. They have five grandchildren that spend most afternoon at the house. Last night we played soccor in the park until it was too dark to see. They absolutely loved the key chains Ben sent with me. You can see them clipped to their clothes in the pictures.

Quito reminds me a lot of San Jose in Costa Rica except for much much bigger! The mountainsides are covered in high rise apartment buildings and there is always a slight smell of exhaust in the air from all the cars. But it is very beautiful! The weather is perfect as well. During the day it will get into the low 70´s and at night it will cool off enough to require a jacket.

Last night I went salsa dancing with several students from my school. I had such a good time and can´t wait to go again. Tonight we are playing soccor with everyone from our school, including the teachers.

In two days I´ve already done so much and can´t wait to experience the adventures ahead!

Jardine Juniper Hike

2008-09-08T11:49:00.003-06:00

On the rare occasion that me and Steph both have the day off, we try and do something we both love... spend time in the great outdoors! What a better way to do it than go for a hike! The Jardine Juniper Trail up Logan Canyon is one I have always been wanting to do, and with only a week before I leave to S. America I guess there was no better time than now.

This 10 1/2 mile round trip trail led us to the top of the mountain where a 3200 year old Juniper Tree sits on the edge of the hill overlooking the valley below. So beautiful! You can see from our pictures its not the most appealing tree to look at. Its branches are twisted and appear to be dead with only a few small green branches coming out its top.

Kristen, who is also joining me in S America, Steph, and Myself enjoyed our lunch of Huckleberries, grapes, veggies, and sandwiches. With sunny skies and hardly any other people on the trail it was a great break from reality.

Goodbye ATK!

2008-08-01T18:30:00.004-06:00

Today was officially my last day as an HR Intern for ATK Launch Systems.... I don't know whether to be excited or depressed about it.... but one things for sure, I am free to enjoy what's left of (what could be my last) Logan summer! Despite the long commute, eights hours staring at a computer, and lack of social interaction, I did learn so much!