tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71049856751789003192024-03-05T19:08:41.951-08:00The Wayfaring BaddorfsAn attempt to keep friends and family updated on our travels with photos and stories, with the hope it will encourage others to travel as well.
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-35828581096957000742018-07-26T23:44:00.000-07:002018-07-26T23:44:51.612-07:00Bhutan: A Hike to Phajoding <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cq7oz-K-_mLcFdT8PVfGeaoufN1drdHvVAoY-OnxvbWrcR_Z_rN20gMP5r3upzP8nidWYMGuIF0eAskVBUrrg23lgi9EYQQZ0wokxWsuaesSkI6Tn2BrQ8KOH06owH-iuoVLqOT6s_c/s1600/P7201595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cq7oz-K-_mLcFdT8PVfGeaoufN1drdHvVAoY-OnxvbWrcR_Z_rN20gMP5r3upzP8nidWYMGuIF0eAskVBUrrg23lgi9EYQQZ0wokxWsuaesSkI6Tn2BrQ8KOH06owH-iuoVLqOT6s_c/s320/P7201595.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Not all hikes are the same. Some take you to very special places, while others just take you to another beautiful location where a person can stop and wonder in awe of creation. This past weekend one of the other volunteers in Bhutan asked us if we would like to go on a hike up behind Thimphu. After a short description of what to expect, and reading about it in a book, we decided it sounded like a good way to spend our Saturday. We met him Saturday morning, jumped in a taxi to ride up to our starting point, and then started into our trek.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJ5E3MUg5uAO7Al5Q1mZ7a7xOIZngodpIFv9vD5_5-1-pMFbTepkHnQDap9WFzY2d0UH9CDvWpChbNhprO5tsGl8n5ULG54UOPVaAFebimK9hU99a2ky8rkV7JPUj6fpsAHSnY-d2Jyc/s1600/P7201597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJ5E3MUg5uAO7Al5Q1mZ7a7xOIZngodpIFv9vD5_5-1-pMFbTepkHnQDap9WFzY2d0UH9CDvWpChbNhprO5tsGl8n5ULG54UOPVaAFebimK9hU99a2ky8rkV7JPUj6fpsAHSnY-d2Jyc/s320/P7201597.JPG" width="240" /></a>We ventured in search of another monastery for the first hour of our hike as we were told it had a really cool artifact to look at, but when we got there it was under the process of being renovated. We asked a few of the workers if we could try to peek our heads in anywhere but they all gave us a firm no. Too much work to be done I suppose. So we headed on back to find our original path via another route and continued our way up the mountain towards our destination. Along our way we were able to take in some wonderful sights - prayer flags, some small chortens, a man hanging some prayer flags, a monkey making some crazy calls, and a spectacular trail. There were some parts that did make us work, but on the whole the trail does some nice undulating and gave us a few breaks on our way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1O4ziK7daGcrJq3_8-bDZ-Y_sUcRp-32dZAtpLfMyG3qxiYP6zhp1WO0FuMQXGB4-TSZ8XrJfDjDUo4T0BgnrHoSJJmV9jSOnHcCtQhy1oJT_3EBsSpBexVKCnRErGF1UL41F9o4b0M/s1600/P7201603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1O4ziK7daGcrJq3_8-bDZ-Y_sUcRp-32dZAtpLfMyG3qxiYP6zhp1WO0FuMQXGB4-TSZ8XrJfDjDUo4T0BgnrHoSJJmV9jSOnHcCtQhy1oJT_3EBsSpBexVKCnRErGF1UL41F9o4b0M/s320/P7201603.JPG" width="320" /></a>We made sure to take a few breaks so that we could eat a few snacks. We brought a giant bar of dark chocolate that became an early lunch snack. Man that thing tasted good. The highlight of our trek up, to me at least, was the tent-like structure we came along that was made entirely out of prayer flags. It looked as though it was set up as a place to break and have tea, though there was no table or chairs or tea. The way the sun was beating down at the moment it seemed like the perfect spot to take a nice respite. Anyway, it was a really wonderful spot to come upon and I took some time to marvel over what it might actually be used for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPXOvpBnhNDqNNAYifgT0LapG8QEw02Mgxn6n92LCgt5sXyyJhbeb_sGViqiaBKxWsDtzcoBo7ebkPSjo11e7PZ-_B8BWJJWSfIQ8gHqB0cr-gVwIHJ3ey4cN2Gf8xvCOoaWnEaB8aXE/s1600/P7211669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPXOvpBnhNDqNNAYifgT0LapG8QEw02Mgxn6n92LCgt5sXyyJhbeb_sGViqiaBKxWsDtzcoBo7ebkPSjo11e7PZ-_B8BWJJWSfIQ8gHqB0cr-gVwIHJ3ey4cN2Gf8xvCOoaWnEaB8aXE/s320/P7211669.JPG" width="320" /></a>The real draw to this particular hike though, is what is at the top. <a href="http://phajodingmonastery.com/" target="_blank">Phajoding Monastery</a> (yes they have a website) has been looming over the city of Thimphu for quite some time. At one point it was well cared for and full of wealth, but then with the change of the times things shifted and it became somewhat dilapidated. Then it was given a new purpose and came under new management, or that's how I am describing what I read about. Not only is the monastery now being taken care of again but it has a spectacular purpose. It has been doubling as an orphanage for young boys with no where else to go. They are welcomed into the monastery and raised as monks, with a place to live and grow. How wonderful is that? Many religious buildings exist for good purposes, but some of them rise above these purposes and become a place where the broken can become whole. Phajoding is one of these such places and it was special to visit it. You can actually visit that website and donate to the orphanage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8i8zeB7s4pen79RmnX0r3vZRoD88OZgMDsng0i6yUIO_rLHpOmjMnFNCRPw0Uqr4jyHAKHtQewb898XjVx9t_zZigScG6cLPCXpnq03agP04X4HTeUA0OBs4iHRQQQaz2yMLQlyUIK4/s1600/P7211648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8i8zeB7s4pen79RmnX0r3vZRoD88OZgMDsng0i6yUIO_rLHpOmjMnFNCRPw0Uqr4jyHAKHtQewb898XjVx9t_zZigScG6cLPCXpnq03agP04X4HTeUA0OBs4iHRQQQaz2yMLQlyUIK4/s320/P7211648.JPG" width="320" /></a>When we arrived we were almost immediately asked if we would like some tea. There were some young boys sitting at a table (as pictured) and they were quite excited to offer us some piping hot tea. What a welcome surprise! So we took a much needed break after arriving at the monastery while drinking some delicious tea and taking in the amazing view over Thimphu. What a fantastic gift the monks had given us by being so willing to show hospitality to people who just wander up to their monastery. Such a gift allowed us to relax and enjoy the environment with an optimal level of peace. It is really hard not to be happy when receiving an unexpected gift of kindness from children in monk robes.<br />
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We spent a few moments enjoying our tea and the views, and then as if on cue we were greeted by the friendliest of what we were calling monastery dogs. They all had a quiet temperament about them and they loved to come up and then roll around in the grass at our feet. I usually try to keep from playing with too many dogs in other countries but I just could not help myself in this case. These pups were just too adorable to be left alone - seriously just take a peek at the pics of them. I was trying to figure out how to take one home. We paid attention to the dogs and then we made our way into the monastery itself.<br />
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It was really neat seeing a monastery functioning as an orphanage. Everywhere young boys walked around in their robes, not as the monks we have seen in previous monasteries but as boys roaming their home. Names on doors signified which room a boy lived in. Boys wandering around with a sense of belonging and giving us smiles that seemed to say, "Welcome to our house." The feel and existence of the place palpably washed over us as we wandered the facility. I could not get over how much different it felt from every other monastery we have visited, whether in Bhutan or in other countries. It just felt like life. That was the word that kept emanating from everything.<br />
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We wanted to take more pictures of the young monks and the monastery but at some point you just have to stop and experience the place you are visiting. We walked around and looked at the parts of the monastery we were allowed to visit. Then we braked for a snack of fresh cut mango, Honey Stinger waffles, and a few other small snacks we brought up with us. While we at our scrumptious snacks the monks took their daily lunch together. They all sat together in a small courtyard just outside of the monastery, sharing a meal together and talking. It was fun to watch their fellowship and see their daily routine of taking a meal together. The entire monastery is a community where the young monks can live, eat, work, play soccer (or futbol as they say round most of the world), walk the mountainside, and do all the other things young men do while training to become monks. It was a joy to share in their lives for a short amount of time.<br />
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We spent the rest of our time there investigating the area around the monastery and hiking to a small spot nearby where some locals live. Smiles, greetings, and curious faces always welcome us as we venture through the Bhutanese countryside. It is a joy to spend time here and get to know their way of life and culture. Our hike down was easy and nice. Horses carrying gear went the other way and a few others joined us on the way down going at various paces. If you ever find yourself in Thimphu you should definitely hike up to the Phajoding Monastery. It is worth your time. More pictures below from our time there. <br />
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Taken inside the tent made of prayer flags. It was super cool to stand inside. </div>
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Hiking up was a real joy - so many sights to see. </div>
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It is fun to pass the mules and horses as they carry things down and up. In this group one of them passed so closely he pressed up against me. Close encounter!</div>
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Sarah enjoying her tea and watching the monks.</div>
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Feisty dogs. It was fun to play with them. </div>
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Too cute to handle.</div>
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Sarah took these super cool shots from inside the monastery entryway back out. </div>
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Honey Stingers helping give us some nutrition to make it through our hike.</div>
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Gotta hone those mad skills.</div>
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And those skills are no good without a proper field.</div>
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Daily life.</div>
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Doing the job.</div>
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Taking time to pose for a shot.</div>
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Exploring near the monastery.</div>
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Modern life mixed with the traditional.</div>
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After finishing the hike we got to see some Takin, the national animal of Bhutan. Never seen anything quite like it before. We were far off but it was fun. </div>
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Some tiny Takins too! Till next post. </div>
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<br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-2689412000583678802018-07-22T22:37:00.003-07:002018-07-22T22:37:36.576-07:00Bhutan: A Beautiful Visit to Punakha <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPu8Qv2DAFZNvjK2HYmT3Wdc00695_6ipDbjcvKys2cT08HcjuNrIrewuxikx8p54HikPunVlEFNJoTjLncLSyTwdlILbKd-eO_cG7iC9s2jx5BTtPCwqCbb9BDAW3Q65VGWOLrRObnG4/s1600/P7140826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPu8Qv2DAFZNvjK2HYmT3Wdc00695_6ipDbjcvKys2cT08HcjuNrIrewuxikx8p54HikPunVlEFNJoTjLncLSyTwdlILbKd-eO_cG7iC9s2jx5BTtPCwqCbb9BDAW3Q65VGWOLrRObnG4/s320/P7140826.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Posing for a pic at the Dochula Pass)</td></tr>
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Bhutan just keeps getting more beautiful, or we just keep experiencing more and more of its beauty more likely. (Once again a massive reading of this blog was lost to not being saved, so if you see typos please ignore)<br />
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This past weekend we were able to get up and through the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dochula_Pass" target="_blank">Dochula Pass</a> on our way from Thimphu to the city of Punakha. A winding drive with amazing views, some of us had a little bit of trouble with motion sickness but I will not tell you who it was to protect the innocent. Those of you who know us at all will know which one of us suffers from this most terrible of maladies that should be eradicated from the human race. But alas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEle9HtKIaG_F5Cmn6Lw_e4xp5o8dI5zgy9HXrz6aCEnbAq92vCIWvkol0sXA042MqIvyJHj2fygfoUifVaIdJyIA23NhyphenhyphenZz-iK21UsqBzc9q4zjy40N0tHGBSGrs28ivAedO2e4E2x24/s1600/P7140860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEle9HtKIaG_F5Cmn6Lw_e4xp5o8dI5zgy9HXrz6aCEnbAq92vCIWvkol0sXA042MqIvyJHj2fygfoUifVaIdJyIA23NhyphenhyphenZz-iK21UsqBzc9q4zjy40N0tHGBSGrs28ivAedO2e4E2x24/s320/P7140860.JPG" width="320" /></a>We made it to the top and enjoyed walking around in a much cooler climate than the one we had left behind in Thimphu, and than the one we knew we were heading to down in Punakha. There are 108 memorial chortens built at the top of the pass, though we only walked through a few of them as it began to mist quite insistently on us while we were there. They were built to honor the Bhutanese soldiers who were killed fighting a battle with insurgents in 2003. It is a very interesting place and would definitely warrant some more time wandering around and exploring than we had time to give. There is only so much time in the day!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-JSQYV5RBcut_Uqpmd8cUTwIYALkztF4TBse1sh0BfGi4MkpTFYMrGfcOtqlKzejGWhyAOCkw66YBK7L9uFUwm9Bi4gkxO4LfFPVlj3J0g53MrISc8alY4rYyt9SndyqHlQZShf693I/s1600/P7140885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-JSQYV5RBcut_Uqpmd8cUTwIYALkztF4TBse1sh0BfGi4MkpTFYMrGfcOtqlKzejGWhyAOCkw66YBK7L9uFUwm9Bi4gkxO4LfFPVlj3J0g53MrISc8alY4rYyt9SndyqHlQZShf693I/s320/P7140885.JPG" width="320" /></a>After winding our way down the mountain, again through very curvy roads, we made our way to our hotel for the night. Quite a wonderful little spot called the Eco Lodge. Not only did they have a knowledgable and friendly staff with fantastic accommodations, but just look at the view we got to enjoy from the balcony off our room! Such a treat and certainly one we enjoyed very much. After getting our things into our rooms Sarah went off for a walk and I took advantage of having been invited out for a run with Dave, a super cool New Zealander who also likes to run. We wandered off on some trails we saw and ventured into the unknown. Seldom can I remember enjoying a run more. We marveled over the mountainous vistas, worked our way through some dried up rice fields, worked out how to manage our way to certain points of interest, got tangled in brambles when we took some animal trails instead of people ones, and made our way to a little village up in the mountains. Such a treat! I think we only ran around just under three miles but it was quite fun. Unfortunately I did not take the camera but look at this shot Sarah took on her walk and just imagine running off into trails that blaze into the wilderness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGz7C6Bql0-gs2DKygcVIpIejyXnQjYZlwPpqbclm_TcF-8BCE0wQJKo4Powx_5yQS02cohtT3mYUo5LHJgYTkRcD3jygYYNjcvkKqehhScbUtPzo-3-AjKEqAxkqGGR9x24pCmHuq0A/s1600/P7140934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGz7C6Bql0-gs2DKygcVIpIejyXnQjYZlwPpqbclm_TcF-8BCE0wQJKo4Powx_5yQS02cohtT3mYUo5LHJgYTkRcD3jygYYNjcvkKqehhScbUtPzo-3-AjKEqAxkqGGR9x24pCmHuq0A/s320/P7140934.JPG" width="320" /></a>When we woke up the next morning I had to pinch myself. Oh ya, I'm in Bhutan and we have this wonderful hotel room overlooking a dzong. I made us some coffee with hot water kettle in our room and then went out and sat on the balcony and just absorbed the morning experience. Yes, I tried to take an artsy shot of my coffee, but it was so I could always remember just how wonderful the spot really was. One day I'll look back and think, "Dang, I had coffee there. How amazingly blessed I have been to live this life." And I will be more right than I will ever know, that is for certain.<br />
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Ok, pause for a moment. I have to try to explain something before we go on. Punakha is well known for a tradition that is linked to an intriguing person named Lama Drukpa Kunley, or also known as the Divine Madman. And yes, he lived up to his name quite well. In an effort to bring enlightenment to what he saw as a drab and legalistic system (all my words to explain what I think I have learned about him), the Madman used unorthodox techniques to get his point across. Sarcasm, jokes, blunt diatribes, poetry, and sex. Yes, a Buddhist monk traveled the countryside laughing at the celibate monks while claiming to bring others to enlightenment with many of the behaviors they had abstained from. He is credited with having performed the miraculous and often times won people over with his whit and humor. It is said no one in Bhutan can tell a joke without eventually having to mention Drukpa Kunley.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(One of the many stores where one can find<br />
interesting handicrafts)</td></tr>
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Having said all this, the tradition the people of Punakha work into to their daily lives is one of the phallus, especially near the monastery built in honor of Lama Drukpa Kunley. This comes from his insistent reference to his own "thunderbolt of flaming wisdom," a reference all but the most devout will understand immediately and needs no further explanation. Because of the traditions that have grown around the monastery and after his teachings, the phallus is a symbol of many different things and this symbol is everywhere - painted on almost every building nearby. Most commonly it is a symbol for phallic blessing and fertility. People come from all over the world to this particular temple in the hopes of the miraculous - a blessing that will enable them to have children. This is a natural outgrowth of the Divine Madman's teachings, and there are many reports of people who receive this blessing suddenly finding themselves capable of having children.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JLjsEawpogLTig3iBxGboA6YkSViaHrzbtAoGONpfjetNY09T_Je_ePVZeRvT_g_x39-lmL1AyqLCadtoATs6zzTDATQoFwXsS96L8Nsx-iEB0qEaWJI-9GNLDYTNPltquPGq6Dhitc/s1600/P7140975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JLjsEawpogLTig3iBxGboA6YkSViaHrzbtAoGONpfjetNY09T_Je_ePVZeRvT_g_x39-lmL1AyqLCadtoATs6zzTDATQoFwXsS96L8Nsx-iEB0qEaWJI-9GNLDYTNPltquPGq6Dhitc/s320/P7140975.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The walk to Chimi Lhakhang Monastery was<br />
very beautiful, even if a little odd) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We watched as a Bhutanese woman went through this ceremony. Surely there are not many greater hopes in this world than for a mother who can bear no children. We were quite fortunate to have experienced the solemnity of the ceremony, though how awkward such a ritual would be for someone outside of these traditions. Lama Drukpa Kunley used the phallus and constant reference to his own genitalia for the same reason this ceremony felt so unusual. People do not feel comfortable with such references and it forces them to consider things they otherwise might otherwise avoid. This is certainly true of the American culture I am used to operating within. While I might have a different set of beliefs, it was easy to see the beauty of a blessing designed to help with fertility. Trying to explain all of what we saw would be difficult as I understood so little, but seeing the look of hope on her face as she left was truly special.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aZX4Cz9Cn2cIH1hcoIF7TOORWPzz6FzQBYRdWW0bAbmVlQkvQv_8sW_wqn_39hYX0hr1tEXRsC1BPA2970ISv3L01-Wh1zvNQLEWokXEZM9oa53VOrEcbjR6etOnRAj_sVDKIEegNRQ/s1600/P7141028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aZX4Cz9Cn2cIH1hcoIF7TOORWPzz6FzQBYRdWW0bAbmVlQkvQv_8sW_wqn_39hYX0hr1tEXRsC1BPA2970ISv3L01-Wh1zvNQLEWokXEZM9oa53VOrEcbjR6etOnRAj_sVDKIEegNRQ/s640/P7141028.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(In front of Chimi Lhakhang Monastery - the monasteries are so intricate and beautiful)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FSzsaVhGU2EbhaKM-N7XVTSHJp4iFIt0cO7CbsIcYfsQflfKXf_2nBTx-FiYFURHkmRX6IFWZAvhO8Fttv8EhvRuSYyRLg7_5U-Whhc-TTYMKmm8U6HUJdpelW9rzpvNPr22MSyezy0/s1600/P7151036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FSzsaVhGU2EbhaKM-N7XVTSHJp4iFIt0cO7CbsIcYfsQflfKXf_2nBTx-FiYFURHkmRX6IFWZAvhO8Fttv8EhvRuSYyRLg7_5U-Whhc-TTYMKmm8U6HUJdpelW9rzpvNPr22MSyezy0/s320/P7151036.JPG" width="320" /></a>After visiting the monastery we walked back towards the town and shops, making sure to see all of what they had to offer. Picking up souvenirs here is definitely different. Most of them are of the phallic nature, and the ones that are not kind of seem like stuff you should get somewhere else. It has always been in our nature to buy things from areas that remind us of the particular spot, so when in Punakha there is a gift of another kind. But who does one give it to? Most people are not going to put this sort of carving on display are they. So we made our choices wisely and then moved on to then next part of our journey. There was one gift we should mention however. The Nixons, or the Kiwis I keep mentioning in our posts, bought us a gift as seen in the group picture. With all the talk of fertility, we talked a little about our probable future plans for a wee-Baddorf at some point in time. They figured our time table would inevitably move up after a visit to this particular temple, so they bought us something to hang in our future nursery. How sweet of them! Thanks.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HlfTnYB5TiVMedAOnBpD231Yvo5q-0OBzA-nBLYkcWb4KK8JAn5gRIb5zV8Erlipsj61ljx_nC4rFzfaE4XF3sOrrr7FscPbKdqja5CMCPPOkUCdSmNCeDuVbTgoSQ8p1vecq0viuJQ/s1600/P7151072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HlfTnYB5TiVMedAOnBpD231Yvo5q-0OBzA-nBLYkcWb4KK8JAn5gRIb5zV8Erlipsj61ljx_nC4rFzfaE4XF3sOrrr7FscPbKdqja5CMCPPOkUCdSmNCeDuVbTgoSQ8p1vecq0viuJQ/s320/P7151072.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Our hosts for a day - so amazing)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next stop in our journey was planned amazingly well by Pema our guide, though he described it simply as lunch at a farm house. To be honest I pictured a restaurant called The Farm House for some reason. In reality we drove high up into the mountains until we reached a small village, one our van could barely make the last leg of, and arrived at the farm house of the most generous Dorji family. Not only did they invite us into their home for a fabulous home cooked meal (seriously this was so good and we got to experience more of a traditional Bhutanese way of eating), but our host was so open to conversation about their lives and anything we were interested in learning about life there. He talked of his previous life and vocation, the transition into the rural life of living in the mountains, and showed us how he made Tsa-Tsas (<a href="http://palacesandtigers.com/2016/12/06/mini-stupas-in-bhutan/" target="_blank">or small offerings that are left all over the country in various holy places</a>). Such a wonderfully enriching experience.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iexT3X9wZweaBqbPtADKnan14dO4zTJT2mpABYlFcYKDXAf8yHuO4k_xUCSb4uUHUkg5PnPshQVzBSe25tcPnIdurOLK4x4cULux5QVXkFKfzCq5TqWsea-QuCbxdEU1xBAcPEgQlX8/s1600/P7151039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iexT3X9wZweaBqbPtADKnan14dO4zTJT2mpABYlFcYKDXAf8yHuO4k_xUCSb4uUHUkg5PnPshQVzBSe25tcPnIdurOLK4x4cULux5QVXkFKfzCq5TqWsea-QuCbxdEU1xBAcPEgQlX8/s320/P7151039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(From modest farm houses to ornately designed<br />
small palaces, the countryside was truly a sight<br />
to see)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After we finished lunch we walked outside and our host asked us if we would like to take a short walk. No longer than an hour he promised. Feeling slightly sluggish from lunch I will admit this was not my first thought, especially as it was quite hot outside. But a chance to explore the rural part of the Bhutanese countryside should not be missed. Off we went, purple umbrella in hand for shade or sudden rainfall, following our new local guide around his village and surroundings. Woah, if only we knew what we would have seen there would have been no hesitation! Our eyes were about to be wowed by some amazing sites of lush rice fields, sprawling mountain countryside, and even a visit from our host's mother!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH366dbOngKqVBnkYnhn4hYK1kzpSz_ICJ1St0Mj9IVbgDQt1eXz0StlgtJCcPAxUNzYiIYmQk6LZXZdEF27USCru8hbeA8oyzwnK4irWbVtgTOorPpQ6RL646i2yZhAmbeWt3gp3EOaU/s1600/P7151085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH366dbOngKqVBnkYnhn4hYK1kzpSz_ICJ1St0Mj9IVbgDQt1eXz0StlgtJCcPAxUNzYiIYmQk6LZXZdEF27USCru8hbeA8oyzwnK4irWbVtgTOorPpQ6RL646i2yZhAmbeWt3gp3EOaU/s320/P7151085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Don't hate. I'm stylin')</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm going to go into full picture mode here. Most of these need to be seen at a larger size than putting writing around them. Then I'll be back to continue explaining more about our visit to a famous dzong in a few moments. Please enjoy the wondrous photos we caught during this short hike. If you have not fallen in love with Bhutan yet (seriously what's your problem) you just might while looking at these. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6URz_oqSh4uTReEUKGblhh8UfvRpb2vckx03M03HtUG3LEXGwhtVbFEt2vKfj49ZbfN3Ec6eM3X06-ZJ9UbUdM1y-NekAWuEaNqS2zlfBMXhXwiOnyYi4WhE1qb301TuEDPZNPl8E_Xo/s1600/P7151111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6URz_oqSh4uTReEUKGblhh8UfvRpb2vckx03M03HtUG3LEXGwhtVbFEt2vKfj49ZbfN3Ec6eM3X06-ZJ9UbUdM1y-NekAWuEaNqS2zlfBMXhXwiOnyYi4WhE1qb301TuEDPZNPl8E_Xo/s640/P7151111.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Our host points out some sites around his village and countryside. From his home, to other small villages, to the far off religious sites... so much to behold)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsicuiNIyWQFKySSdbIXq58APwsmkoP4QCqmmMCZzN3_2QWWTRdxw50YjpwttXT4q9t4TWrvZWLtT4vYrM7qPZ9Nj7RWDs7b7g8WFJbiY05EAR_jwEYbfYPt_OY_yPpvltUau3xzx77Q0/s1600/P7151116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsicuiNIyWQFKySSdbIXq58APwsmkoP4QCqmmMCZzN3_2QWWTRdxw50YjpwttXT4q9t4TWrvZWLtT4vYrM7qPZ9Nj7RWDs7b7g8WFJbiY05EAR_jwEYbfYPt_OY_yPpvltUau3xzx77Q0/s640/P7151116.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(This one needed two photos because this came out so well. The prayer flags were swooshing around our heads and the wind was making an eerie sound as it blew through the tiny cracks of the bamboo poles, almost playing their own somber death instruments)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDeUFiOVAytz8dTZXBF7SdbPiIwd0qyCvIV5zVHwXKRcqXOSBCGwMjpBuMqKU2vbxTHwq4kP98D7tkkwkWYiBSQKbl7v2Dee2Jnn0vPQjEbWWSzdW-11EkqZ7gp4314j9Uww5wUp0bM8/s1600/P7151144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDeUFiOVAytz8dTZXBF7SdbPiIwd0qyCvIV5zVHwXKRcqXOSBCGwMjpBuMqKU2vbxTHwq4kP98D7tkkwkWYiBSQKbl7v2Dee2Jnn0vPQjEbWWSzdW-11EkqZ7gp4314j9Uww5wUp0bM8/s640/P7151144.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Color mode was the only way to get a picture of these fields as they actually looked to our eyes - yes they were this green!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSC_cenL5FHeyFWBdq0bnsmxa1AbSCyUGjBdzdMIa8kT2J4Xhb6-VSbW7wAlXZ1ah04nTfSarrFhtRESRxbGcRLBGC3TtveZxVDRySKQG_sULINdryjGHjUEqWhw5uvOVsuzqHPm9TOms/s1600/P7151153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSC_cenL5FHeyFWBdq0bnsmxa1AbSCyUGjBdzdMIa8kT2J4Xhb6-VSbW7wAlXZ1ah04nTfSarrFhtRESRxbGcRLBGC3TtveZxVDRySKQG_sULINdryjGHjUEqWhw5uvOVsuzqHPm9TOms/s640/P7151153.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(And one more... yes)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMpdFDlTZdbC-asI22wTy-k1kDdyAEbUzxlChrLFszIB9BTs5NEazQHJZJHzlgRlpOrqCffGkIOvTia7B5Rl4Qz87XSdFOrZypUfGVx-Y8aHFwDEqvcUb358aB2GpdYhYxxtSb3j6vr0/s1600/P7151174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMpdFDlTZdbC-asI22wTy-k1kDdyAEbUzxlChrLFszIB9BTs5NEazQHJZJHzlgRlpOrqCffGkIOvTia7B5Rl4Qz87XSdFOrZypUfGVx-Y8aHFwDEqvcUb358aB2GpdYhYxxtSb3j6vr0/s640/P7151174.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(And then our host's mother walked by and he said, "This is my mother!" So we asked them to pose for a few pictures of course. FYI, I loved his shirt with a picture of the King on it. So cool)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NvmZsKdEEcN4r6hDfc2cbqCXl-qC6IUCGruItGy1CCzzPHaWmEUZLkkLLCaMGjUzMZoVzOCImKIwXIWVmrB4K7RAhhgdNNJFDLCNSygiUIqNRhS1y9Oo8jmWTloE3ep2Sn49yF_AkQI/s1600/P7151177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NvmZsKdEEcN4r6hDfc2cbqCXl-qC6IUCGruItGy1CCzzPHaWmEUZLkkLLCaMGjUzMZoVzOCImKIwXIWVmrB4K7RAhhgdNNJFDLCNSygiUIqNRhS1y9Oo8jmWTloE3ep2Sn49yF_AkQI/s640/P7151177.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(And one with Sarah too)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1Sf9YO2HPfYFd5pb146aTfEpItYBxEuLEE37X3OTh6I5SQpCoeNDNWmKkOU1577IaqUAWQnlZwG6r5a8fasnma0V1IDy7MvB-IoeuZZHkUsCZJLiZSNgegm_IxU1xld3Hdxa8e0kg10/s1600/P7151204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1Sf9YO2HPfYFd5pb146aTfEpItYBxEuLEE37X3OTh6I5SQpCoeNDNWmKkOU1577IaqUAWQnlZwG6r5a8fasnma0V1IDy7MvB-IoeuZZHkUsCZJLiZSNgegm_IxU1xld3Hdxa8e0kg10/s640/P7151204.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(When we finished our hike we found these gentlemen hanging out with this baby. They seemed to be having a blast and were more than happy to pose for Sarah as she took their picture. Their expressions were fabulous!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4u8rl9Ni4yTi4qya4GcoZQmTvuhVVqGnMhdqCqlNW_w-9HPYU2Nu-gYjAuC3tFN2kW9AQ9pdjbD-asF9LiIkw-bJnvSrTNqgKK76_KWWLfHOzojbp4WDhYJsbkhyLYuY5TsTHy9MbQ0/s1600/P7151213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4u8rl9Ni4yTi4qya4GcoZQmTvuhVVqGnMhdqCqlNW_w-9HPYU2Nu-gYjAuC3tFN2kW9AQ9pdjbD-asF9LiIkw-bJnvSrTNqgKK76_KWWLfHOzojbp4WDhYJsbkhyLYuY5TsTHy9MbQ0/s640/P7151213.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Sarah spotted these cows and had some fun talking to them and taking their photographs. The one let her pet it a little bit. She loved them) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsnX2oxV_za9HeDhFlOYj1Fu-SR59BDBithxRYBlXrPfj91GxzVOWeGdLLJLdy5Va_oYyl10PL1WEohgnpUolt_EIRSgvA1DdpOGLyaawHoBynRkIgyuomJeqSwmVpGxeukqx3D6wn4g/s1600/P7151231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsnX2oxV_za9HeDhFlOYj1Fu-SR59BDBithxRYBlXrPfj91GxzVOWeGdLLJLdy5Va_oYyl10PL1WEohgnpUolt_EIRSgvA1DdpOGLyaawHoBynRkIgyuomJeqSwmVpGxeukqx3D6wn4g/s640/P7151231.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(This wonderful woman owned the cows, we think. She came out to talk to us/smile while we took pictures of her. Actually she would have this wonderful smile and then it would disappear as soon as the camera went up)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOn7RknezUUAucNPdVTCo1Z9L7weikPcmhOp6bpy2QWxml4WEtxguEilyGeJ4mAVNJF5SHWoyzDAoz9E6ieP9jwnXsPKJ8Km6T7CLFgS5CYpkTzF5s1E3vQc6qyiWmL3gBtiE-MgldiA/s1600/P7151255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOn7RknezUUAucNPdVTCo1Z9L7weikPcmhOp6bpy2QWxml4WEtxguEilyGeJ4mAVNJF5SHWoyzDAoz9E6ieP9jwnXsPKJ8Km6T7CLFgS5CYpkTzF5s1E3vQc6qyiWmL3gBtiE-MgldiA/s640/P7151255.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Such a wonderful experience seeing this village. Homes varied quite a bit from structures like this to way more elaborate ones. And this old building has been turned into a useful area for the cows to have shelter. Not bad for the cows)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfQPXTdMbKeYannqy9kLp4D5nSjG5TaWW5lTl5Qpe5zCa48QxggE8Wt-GwG2s0rUtJAnIjDOei4foZK-1GoSkSobS6dfuxiUxVu_fuAmCbpe2gqGqK2H2siSLabFJ4dDN6jlH4u5o9bI/s1600/P7151315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfQPXTdMbKeYannqy9kLp4D5nSjG5TaWW5lTl5Qpe5zCa48QxggE8Wt-GwG2s0rUtJAnIjDOei4foZK-1GoSkSobS6dfuxiUxVu_fuAmCbpe2gqGqK2H2siSLabFJ4dDN6jlH4u5o9bI/s320/P7151315.JPG" width="240" /></a>Ok back to writing about the weekend a little bit, although I think I'll be more brief now due to being further away from the time and already being excited about the next post (and this one is getting long) - time's flying over here. When we finished our time in the farming village up in the mountains we came back down to Bhutan's most famous Dzong. The Punakha Dzong. And it is impressive. Built right where two rivers meet, this dzong's massive structure is amplified by the beauty of where it is placed. Pema, <a href="http://redriceredchillies.bt/" target="_blank">who's website can be found by clicking here</a> (and we really like and recommend him if you ever need a guide in Bhutan for anything), explained to us that one of the rivers is seen as the female version, while the other is viewed as the male. This then creates an auspicious location for the dzong as the two rivers meet and become one just outside of its walls. Good choice guys!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhmWLkf6GLsYMzZ0E1Zql2uODKX96Gh393RSdzTFx4EozeL4dJUo9Jz5eJE1fnFLk7jZScw0TqNaZxxHMXZim1rpGMo5mI_HZwcPiBwZzH8pvtr7gfOvUmc44BNxpOarf-G4rbsDXRlI/s1600/P7151329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhmWLkf6GLsYMzZ0E1Zql2uODKX96Gh393RSdzTFx4EozeL4dJUo9Jz5eJE1fnFLk7jZScw0TqNaZxxHMXZim1rpGMo5mI_HZwcPiBwZzH8pvtr7gfOvUmc44BNxpOarf-G4rbsDXRlI/s320/P7151329.JPG" width="320" /></a>Then there is the wonderful Bhutanese architecture. The dzong is ornate, beautifully crafted, painted in brilliant colors, imposing in structure, and adorned with all sorts of precious metals and amazing paintings. Walking into it really does feel as though a person is walking back in time, into a place built by people who had different agendas than builders do today. In Bhutan we have found the country values the look of their country very much. There is hardly a building put up that does not have some touch of the old culture on or in it. But the Punakha Dzong breathes this culture into life! It sets the example for all others to follow. Every step is in the shadow of high towers, all of them holding their own unique stature and architectural design. It was such a treat to have been able to wander through this beautiful complex.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho90PpM9awGBOZdgYVOq43uNKZxOR03pBiPr5xatdoBfskXtuWxhVBe8jS4Xe3Jv3V_zWZrxUsljhytkzArmlfBaM6dIsLdrsVHM555eP95B_LyUwllwujUcDMFbEi07a_J7KQQIIb-UQ/s1600/P7151346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho90PpM9awGBOZdgYVOq43uNKZxOR03pBiPr5xatdoBfskXtuWxhVBe8jS4Xe3Jv3V_zWZrxUsljhytkzArmlfBaM6dIsLdrsVHM555eP95B_LyUwllwujUcDMFbEi07a_J7KQQIIb-UQ/s320/P7151346.JPG" width="320" /></a>If the dzong were not enough, we were in Punakha on a special holiday. This means that the Bhutanese people were out in droves to visit sites like the Punakha Dzong all over the country on this particular day. This day is celebrated in commemoration of Buddha's first sermon. If the building itself was a treat, the people visiting in their wonderful attire was a topping beyond any comparison. Buildings are nice but even in their most awe-inspiring of moments they can hardly hold a candle to the stunningly august people of Bhutan. They are some of the kindest and most gentle people we have met in our travels, though make no mistake about them not being fierce in battle when they need to be (we have heard tell of tales). Their level of respect for their culture and their way of life is remarkable. The Bhutanese are always ready with a smile on their faces and are most considerate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxkeC7ymwxfBHtPYmN_n9oqrVi-fADPVf92ECvimhkAbbxiGDHx8jwnkcRD7bacGjkBOAAR52q2WHnQMEJiKVfVooQO5iVN3WVuptKRZ09XHiCXUYsugVeki5tiDDv1S5f0ogKTQIMDs/s1600/P7151331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxkeC7ymwxfBHtPYmN_n9oqrVi-fADPVf92ECvimhkAbbxiGDHx8jwnkcRD7bacGjkBOAAR52q2WHnQMEJiKVfVooQO5iVN3WVuptKRZ09XHiCXUYsugVeki5tiDDv1S5f0ogKTQIMDs/s320/P7151331.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">We spent our time at the dzong looking up at the architecture, but mostly down at the people walking through in their intricately designed traditional clothing - men in the gho and women in the kira. We were even fortunate enough to spot some government officials, which our guide pointed out by their specifically colored sashes (you can see some in some of our photos with blue and other colors on). Some of these visitors even had on the superbly decorated Bhutanese boots (wait for another pic to come where I stole a picture through a railing - no reason to make people feel weird when you're taking a pic of their super cool boots)! These boots are quite nice. Even more so than the regal looking Bhutanese government officials, we quite enjoyed seeing all of the families together. Unfortunately we did not get a great shot of any of them because we did not feel comfortable just jumping out and taking a picture - I should have just asked as I think most families would be proud to have their picture made. But how much fun to see such large families, and of all different ages, all visiting the dzong together in their traditional outfits. We loved it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVULHNmmNbRUjnETDAy3CSxuSUnAwPFWrpbLiJ26bCz07m2Lh6Y8Km9QKmaCFSrhYkp0RDzYLnwaGtsycAkA8tFli7pFZgTWS6x-3Z1Cf6XsFDK9dQH14GhK7CwCRlgQWmDxOcFuYLHcs/s1600/P7151337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVULHNmmNbRUjnETDAy3CSxuSUnAwPFWrpbLiJ26bCz07m2Lh6Y8Km9QKmaCFSrhYkp0RDzYLnwaGtsycAkA8tFli7pFZgTWS6x-3Z1Cf6XsFDK9dQH14GhK7CwCRlgQWmDxOcFuYLHcs/s320/P7151337.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">We were granted permission to enter into some of the buildings, though no photos are every allowed once inside. Our guide took the time to walk us around the mammoth sized room of the main attraction at the dzong to explain the excruciatingly detailed murals depicting the various life stages of the Buddha. Without his guidance we would not have been able to understand or appreciate most of what we were seeing. Not a spot was left uncovered. Dragons covered ceiling beams. Elaborate drapes and hanging fabrics covered the ceilings and walls where there were no paintings (or maybe even where there were paintings and they covered them with further designs!). Enormous statues sat in various positions throughout the room for people to visit and pay their respects to/receive blessings from. What an amazing space!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As we left we took extra care to watch the families that were either entering or leaving with us, taking special joy as we passed by. What an amazingly special day it was for the two of us to have witnessed so many beautiful sites all at one time. We will certainly cherish our time at the Punakha Dzong for a long time to come. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We finished our weekend in Punakha by visiting their long walking suspension bridge. Pictures were taken, I shouted quotes by Shortround from <i>Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom </i>(naturally), and we all made it safely across and back (unfortunately there were no crocodiles swimming underneath the bridge to complete my movie picture). We then backtracked through the pass on our way back to Thimphu. This time we stopped momentarily due to monkeys on the side of the road. We sat there, us watching them as they in turn speculated over us, and then we slowly continued our journey. What a wonderful country we find ourselves visiting! A new treasure around every corner we look. Till next time we have some more pictures posted below with a few descriptive words. Begin planning your trip to Bhutan now! <i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The paintings found in the Punakha Dzong truly were all this detailed. And almost all of them tell some part of the Buddhist way of life here. </span></div>
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In trying to be somewhat classy about how we took photos of the people, we did not get the best shots. But I still prefer these to just blatantly holding the camera up in their faces. Look at these beautiful outfits! </div>
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As promised, the boots! These boots look awesome. </div>
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A little out of focus but this is my only shot of the entrance to the bridge over the river to the dzong.<br />
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Even the bridge is built amazingly. And even here you find Bhutanese dogs. </div>
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Photo op on the bridge. </div>
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The other bridge!</div>
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Adorned with tons of prayer flags, the bridge is not lacking in decor. </div>
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Quick look at the river. </div>
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Yep, it looks good on the outside too. </div>
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We are both keeping our eyes protected while staying stylish with our Goodr sunglasses. Nice.<br />
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We finally did get one family to pose for us. Unfortunately their son was not feeling well, which is why they had pulled over, but after taking our photo we took theirs for them. </div>
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And the monkeys.<br />
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I kept waiting for one to jump in Sarah's open window to take her camera and any food we might have but they were well behaved. </div>
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<br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com1Punakha, Bhutan27.5920869 89.87974589999998927.578013900000002 89.8595759 27.6061599 89.899915899999982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-86349500335589773702018-07-11T23:33:00.001-07:002022-04-11T08:49:18.787-07:00Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyINFW-YqtUd0yyebHp6qQ9vqsBoh3j3Q01rXx38jciOpq5A8lYC4rWHQ5XezKhM9fKkHK2t5VswnwA9b9IZHZa83d16qks49kkJI245F_gQp36gofA9127vWYzwIU2z5sbLxa6iW_ZU/s1600/P7040048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyINFW-YqtUd0yyebHp6qQ9vqsBoh3j3Q01rXx38jciOpq5A8lYC4rWHQ5XezKhM9fKkHK2t5VswnwA9b9IZHZa83d16qks49kkJI245F_gQp36gofA9127vWYzwIU2z5sbLxa6iW_ZU/s400/P7040048.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
Bhutan, land of the Thunder Dragon. What an auspicious place indeed! A mystical country tucked away in the Himalayan mountains, it is a place where a Buddhist kingdom has remained fairly untouched by the outside world for a long time.<br />
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Bhutan came on our radar when we were living in New Zealand a few years ago. Sarah came home talking about it. One of the other American doctors working with her there had traveled to the country and said it was his favorite place in the entire world to hike. Well we like hiking and the description he painted was a little too wonderful to not look into visiting. Then more recently Sarah worked with someone else who had been to Bhutan and this person also described a place we just had to visit. So the wheels began to turn more intentionally and we began to figure out how to make our way to this mountain country on the other side of the world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVgRd8Fa8FdbccZ7bxVh4hpjpFJ0PnpEeEvgQ0KYTfm3xORz7Szj1WR-TJFuOgBRYdHwDl7QKWdfiuWZPTcabJ8LWgKsF-RO_AY8Zz-KkEDOlFL5ra520yINth974EWoH2X9xKzY-t6Y/s1600/P7040056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVgRd8Fa8FdbccZ7bxVh4hpjpFJ0PnpEeEvgQ0KYTfm3xORz7Szj1WR-TJFuOgBRYdHwDl7QKWdfiuWZPTcabJ8LWgKsF-RO_AY8Zz-KkEDOlFL5ra520yINth974EWoH2X9xKzY-t6Y/s320/P7040056.JPG" width="320" /></a>It is not super easy to get to Bhutan. For one, they only let so many tourists visit every year and they charge a decent per day fee for anyone who wants to come. Fortunately this does not apply to volunteers - sweet. Sarah is volunteering in the hospital and I am working out the details of where I will be spending my time, which I should have figured out soon. I had hoped it might be arranged for me but I'll figure it! Stay tuned.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah's first walk to the hospital)</td></tr>
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So here we are in Thimphu, Bhutan for just over five weeks to volunteer and see as much of the country as we can while here. It took us just over forty-eight hours to get to the country and this included some interesting airport experiences, but we made it. Our drive from Paro (where the airport is) to the capital of Thimphu was no disappointment (though the aftermath of my motion sickness meds put me to sleep after about fifteen minutes so Sarah had to tell me about some of it). Driving through a lush green valley in between towering mountains on weaving roads with prayer flags fluttering from every bridge and on the nearby hills was amazing. So far for me Bhutan is a place where the clouds creep in and hug the mountains as if to blanket them with shrouded mystery. Monks walk the crowded streets in the city and dogs are everywhere! It is a land untouched by time now slowly waking in a technological age. Monks carry cell phones, some people have abandoned the traditional dress, and one can feel the tension that exists between old and new. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDom_ocsPHiUqEaTsiv3AOBVTzGzc3ptgaKKzOew2XOBGkIu0mJYyxvVD-OF4rO87IEz1VSitaxgcU0fYQXy9QGL32H6ZGFHTH-IWgoU-4CwKauQaP22D2Ui7toUYm3V3Tpg-FJ2-Fpk/s1600/P7070308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDom_ocsPHiUqEaTsiv3AOBVTzGzc3ptgaKKzOew2XOBGkIu0mJYyxvVD-OF4rO87IEz1VSitaxgcU0fYQXy9QGL32H6ZGFHTH-IWgoU-4CwKauQaP22D2Ui7toUYm3V3Tpg-FJ2-Fpk/s320/P7070308.JPG" width="320" /></a>Well wouldn't you know it, our second day here we had a note on our door from some volunteers from New Zealand asking us to dinner. So we joined them in their apartment before heading out. As we talked they began to mention a weekend trip they were planning to go hike up into the mountains and then down to the Tiger's Nest. One of them mentions they had a person on their trip cancel and maybe we could join them! A few texts and telephone calls later, we were on for trying to join them in the morning for an overnight hike up into the mountains and then down to the most infamous monastery in Bhutan. We packed our bags, laid out our hiking outfits, and went to sleep with the excitement of our first excursion only two days into our stay.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPX874ZuqMw6EqdeDuosWfiQKT1Ld1VNp98Ndepjq5uREf0zPCfG0IqzUh1L1Z7Rz1iGnliwtZJ7TCdbOrvne6j2rYxMvA0DdarEHVPH9MM53xbE5HhOnxxrzsZL6OMzhiNt2lHQ6D_HY/s1600/P7060270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPX874ZuqMw6EqdeDuosWfiQKT1Ld1VNp98Ndepjq5uREf0zPCfG0IqzUh1L1Z7Rz1iGnliwtZJ7TCdbOrvne6j2rYxMvA0DdarEHVPH9MM53xbE5HhOnxxrzsZL6OMzhiNt2lHQ6D_HY/s320/P7060270.JPG" width="320" /></a>And it was amazing! Challenging to say the least, especially in our acclimation attempts of getting used to the mountain living here (mostly just not used to hiking up such steep grades). And boy were our legs sore upon finishing but it was so worth it. Our hike started at a monastery in the hills outside of Paro where we were able to visit and tour the site. After some pictures and thanking the monks for letting us walk around their monastery we began our trek into the surrounding mountains. I knew it was going to be one heck of a hike when our guide pointed out our lunch spot. It was <i>not</i> close. But off we went and immediately the scenery shifted around us dramatically. There had been a forest fire (only three months before we were told) and the landscape was completely torched. Trees were darkened with ash. Undergrowth had only recently began to spring back to life. And where there would normally be plenty of shade there were just pitiful looking barren tree tops. It made for a strange but intriguing beginning. There was still a beauty to the forest as it willed itself back to life, though it will still be sometime before the trees can burst back to life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfskOk9s6i4VNgtf-fcj30FdtQfwfDtCLt53KcLCfceZeI1RDx7mMDptt8pi3eg0kmr_U8fpMA1UCbNRELZmbIeYKf1VHkKEKoJE4w2PnmM7E-66Tk-rbA5KX0JbTgVePVxEIEH7wHIs/s1600/P7070323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfskOk9s6i4VNgtf-fcj30FdtQfwfDtCLt53KcLCfceZeI1RDx7mMDptt8pi3eg0kmr_U8fpMA1UCbNRELZmbIeYKf1VHkKEKoJE4w2PnmM7E-66Tk-rbA5KX0JbTgVePVxEIEH7wHIs/s320/P7070323.JPG" width="320" /></a>As we worked our way up, always up, through the fire torn landscape, it was fascinating to see that in such a short amount of time the sacred prayer flags had already been hung back up, especially in the holy areas. Our group of seven folks slowly made our way steadily higher until finally we made it above where the fires had reached, and everywhere around us the forest was alive and bursting with floral decorations. Sarah kept stopping to look at all of the various kinds of flowers along the way - blues, crimsons, yellows, whites, and all other colors to greet us as we hiked. As we curled our way up the mountain, Paro kept sprawling out below us as it grew more distant. The view that was most interesting was that of the airport. Labeled one of the most dangerous international airports in the world for planes to land in, it was easier to see why as we hiked higher. There was simply not much room for a plane to maneuver in through the mountains before having to straighten up for what looked to me to be a relatively short runway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sxsKrjcN8wlISwgtrVedSIWUjiyqFyAq_R0QNJQVP0-FIXp7lTyfrys69UeWESDfWwNDY8mhyphenhyphen64z6p90_37fMXpl92A6lINU_LEz0OUvgzvHGGDbAxrecBbSqyAQZ5UjbhQdCkQ5SQ4/s1600/P7070363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sxsKrjcN8wlISwgtrVedSIWUjiyqFyAq_R0QNJQVP0-FIXp7lTyfrys69UeWESDfWwNDY8mhyphenhyphen64z6p90_37fMXpl92A6lINU_LEz0OUvgzvHGGDbAxrecBbSqyAQZ5UjbhQdCkQ5SQ4/s320/P7070363.JPG" width="320" /></a>And up we went, pausing for breaks, photos, and conversation. What a beautiful country. We were quite fortunate with the weather. As summer begins in Bhutan it brings with it a lot of rain, even described at times as monsoon. But we spent our entire first day climbing in some of the most picturesque weather imaginable. Then we finally made it to our lunch stop. That far off hill our guide had pointed to when we were beginning. Chicken, rice, a mango juice box, and our choice of coffee or tea - wonderful. We sat and ate our food with some of the best views a person could ask for during a meal, worrying only about whether or not we had put on enough sunscreen. And what a view it was! Eventually we had to get started again, but not without first thoroughly enjoying the wonderful vistas our lunch spot offered. This was glamping at it's best. We did not even have to carry or prepare our own food. Luxurious, goodness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkONf135Q1Fzreg96BiJmCksnV0L0i8b-naHYP9L4CfziW3tgLybfsNt31fG-VSGiINdO8WH4JxUe-1uSxL-RFInW5Ih5GQUzQvO7ttheeFFtuXDlEqUp_ugJR0ysis5WnfsZVtpgF3Tk/s1600/P7070398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkONf135Q1Fzreg96BiJmCksnV0L0i8b-naHYP9L4CfziW3tgLybfsNt31fG-VSGiINdO8WH4JxUe-1uSxL-RFInW5Ih5GQUzQvO7ttheeFFtuXDlEqUp_ugJR0ysis5WnfsZVtpgF3Tk/s320/P7070398.JPG" width="320" /></a>With our minds steeled toward the remaining few hours of our hike left, we left our lunch spot and headed further up the mountain. Fortunately the remaining part of the hike was easy in comparison to the first few hours. Having not known this ahead of time it gave us some nice hiking. When you're prepared for something tougher then what you get, sometimes you can enjoy it more. This does not mean our legs were not already somewhat spent from the first part of the hike. We certainly took advantage of all nice spots for a rest (as seen in the photo when we came upon a nice field in the middle of our forest trek), and the undulating hills were nice compared to the steep climbs we made earlier. Still part of our discussion revolved around whether or not we would do a two hour extension at the end of our day for some higher and nicer views. Our evaluation would have to wait for the end.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj984-pX0xAgFi1MSJAOwvw9padwHTrBfTt3oKoEk6BcUlLccp8kQ0qEBvR1ojvkGrrOxmxITiFaH2wIIMI234tMxOcOpWYtKuhL1uhCCqXIbWzhVX3H20ud4qCLNPSfl9Y3a9K_2XmAY/s1600/P7070404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj984-pX0xAgFi1MSJAOwvw9padwHTrBfTt3oKoEk6BcUlLccp8kQ0qEBvR1ojvkGrrOxmxITiFaH2wIIMI234tMxOcOpWYtKuhL1uhCCqXIbWzhVX3H20ud4qCLNPSfl9Y3a9K_2XmAY/s320/P7070404.JPG" width="320" /></a>When we finally came around a bend and through a break in the canopy we could see our destination! So close. It is always nice to be close to the end of a long hike. The last little bit was more open as we made our way up a few more hills. A field of blue flowers, the view of a vast valley to our left opening up as we climbed, and more importantly a super amazing looking monastery looming in the distance - and just below that the tents we would be sleeping in that night. Yes, we paid a little bit extra for this trip to stay in tents already set up, which oddly enough had full sized beds in them! What? I'm talking wooden bed frames and everything. Quite comfortable and a little unnecessarily so, but I still enjoyed the comfort that night for certain. And what a fun little camp, which we made our way into and took a quick rest stop in some proper chairs. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_ITTVHr1Gv0XM8TQgBrTg5sUc-Xg_IdhIJP26m_z4uosmzmFsPx-6YQSR1oBngIIYrY6T7hVrXNLtrm19gJJUQpcI4HDMMoXnZXmXfH_zZB1P3iwkTuHBHIov7adOnHAbvaLWEd-8E4/s1600/P7070423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_ITTVHr1Gv0XM8TQgBrTg5sUc-Xg_IdhIJP26m_z4uosmzmFsPx-6YQSR1oBngIIYrY6T7hVrXNLtrm19gJJUQpcI4HDMMoXnZXmXfH_zZB1P3iwkTuHBHIov7adOnHAbvaLWEd-8E4/s320/P7070423.JPG" width="320" /></a>Once we had rested a few minutes some of our group decided to make the additional hike up. How could we not when we were told it was called the "sky warrior" trek. Supposedly a two hour round trip, we were encouraged that we could see the top of this venture. As this can obviously this can sometimes be misleading at times, it was still a boost to our morale to clearly see our goal in sight and to know it was not round some never ending bend of climbing. Being promised the views were well worth the extra trip, and of course wanting to claim the title of trek, we started off on the last burst of the day in the hopes of beating what looked like rain on the horizon. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwToYrLB8xcWsp4I3Vx2T2Bw33qRJGBAzQtLzrUsBoatDhmAq5T9iYPPT2HM4T_lZUEaLqIIqWVQ55YktY0Iz01FZQioOaK877cOKfompruQC8oQeAfEtgjuvCeU1EXVkTb-i0MTvttGM/s1600/P7070468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwToYrLB8xcWsp4I3Vx2T2Bw33qRJGBAzQtLzrUsBoatDhmAq5T9iYPPT2HM4T_lZUEaLqIIqWVQ55YktY0Iz01FZQioOaK877cOKfompruQC8oQeAfEtgjuvCeU1EXVkTb-i0MTvttGM/s640/P7070468.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLilNf7KQKBsHXGJiaJYUbyO4IS9rIe49TeFG5wkuIjYtv-o7s272OpE4gGaLjFMvXwqEW17UQmxMhruOboVhExHOt9cvaByEEQKAqvgtua4CcNLVR9nwW9EPTA4KltYp0V70q3-9bpPo/s1600/P7070493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLilNf7KQKBsHXGJiaJYUbyO4IS9rIe49TeFG5wkuIjYtv-o7s272OpE4gGaLjFMvXwqEW17UQmxMhruOboVhExHOt9cvaByEEQKAqvgtua4CcNLVR9nwW9EPTA4KltYp0V70q3-9bpPo/s320/P7070493.JPG" width="320" /></a>The hike up is splattered with prayer flags. From almost every hill to tree to rock there is some string of red, white, yellow and green flying about. Our guide took us on what seemed like a less used route and we made our way up isolated from all other hikers. It seemed we were the only ones on the mountain, which was a nice feel. This last climb of the day was rather tiring but it was completely worth the extra amount of effort it required. The views were stunning. Not only could we look back down towards the valley we had spent our day climbing out of, but we could now see out and into the further peaks on every side of us. Again we were lucky with the weather and our view was mostly unobstructed, outside of a few clouds that shrouded nearby peaks making them look mysteriously dangerous and appealing at the same time. We could just disappear in the clouds if we hike up one more ridge line. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWF3NVWbV1IVbTSb0e60JjSBRL60uUTF56NPl-54Z7ckhL8byLuJ4itRGW_sPvk29i_Z6wyqzsWhpj7d-QuCv9X6kuceo5ZdVadBX6kcTkJD56w2AprlG0vMzEZZA6GH0Ki34S476YIw/s1600/P7070510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWF3NVWbV1IVbTSb0e60JjSBRL60uUTF56NPl-54Z7ckhL8byLuJ4itRGW_sPvk29i_Z6wyqzsWhpj7d-QuCv9X6kuceo5ZdVadBX6kcTkJD56w2AprlG0vMzEZZA6GH0Ki34S476YIw/s640/P7070510.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAQGNNw_rDUywOLTlVdPV93gwgBG2wgBA0_u73euZ_P5i9OPGUvpiIG1xi13l9LWFGgF4wmHBjFkZUAh1zwWf6p-KN39lllB2NWul5aDAYZfj7iox2rIBjQlKimKsed_sfelpYuKoHBI/s1600/P7070511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAQGNNw_rDUywOLTlVdPV93gwgBG2wgBA0_u73euZ_P5i9OPGUvpiIG1xi13l9LWFGgF4wmHBjFkZUAh1zwWf6p-KN39lllB2NWul5aDAYZfj7iox2rIBjQlKimKsed_sfelpYuKoHBI/s320/P7070511.JPG" width="320" /></a>The peak of the mountain had a small monument surrounded by prayer flags on every side. What a sight. Prayer flags whipping in the wind, mountains proclaiming their majesty, beams of sunlight sheering off in the distance, our bodies enjoying the physical demands of the day, and those ominous clouds continuously begging us to stay longer so they could pound us with their gift of rain. It was quite the experience and I think each of us who ventured up were quite glad we had decided to go just a short distance further that day. We posed for pictures (even what Dave was calling our boyband photo with all of us in different colored jackets), drank what water we carried with us, took a few extra looks around, and then slowly began our descent. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0TVinwQ56auszRi_xqenjCLv-YyxrNfxlPi2jgfU6ej_1k5wkaMA2eqHxXv6Q2-BTsKwA52o96UHAexspIfgjkCJnxO7ag6720OJj5az09nBMdpcfrrGhYRSJwwuzCk66foBEz6JVOU/s1600/P7070551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0TVinwQ56auszRi_xqenjCLv-YyxrNfxlPi2jgfU6ej_1k5wkaMA2eqHxXv6Q2-BTsKwA52o96UHAexspIfgjkCJnxO7ag6720OJj5az09nBMdpcfrrGhYRSJwwuzCk66foBEz6JVOU/s320/P7070551.JPG" width="320" /></a>Camp was fantastic. Tea and cookies. Khuru. A tasty dinner prepared for us. Those beds! Warm tents. Views that went long into the night. A libation Dave brought and shared with the group. Horses wandering around. A few wonderful dogs. And rest, oh the rest was nice. REST. <br />
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Ok, Khuru. Khuru is a game of giant scary darts. They are thrown around what seems to be around 35 to 40 feet away at a wooden post that is only around two feet high and about six inches wide. If a person is able to hit this wooden plank, which I depressingly missed in spite of trying a number of times, dancing is expected and follows. Between the few of us who tried non of us ever hit the mark, though we did come close a few times. The worst part was getting close only to miss by a vast distance on the very next throw. Progress was difficult. The game, though we had no idea how to play or score it, was fun to try. Sarah and I already discussed how much fun it would be to have it in a yard we might one day own to put it in. Bring home the Khuru darts! First get a yard. Second make sure it's a yard big enough to safely play the game of Khuru.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EMW9yz_SSZsc9fd686qmpJ8wNyY7wQbgmZy0iPRpTwT5QMzO4eDTlbCc0EP9UMCL0Fgsz_FHCZh8MalMp8E4v1J2hDbn-xCrTL8CaVylDawQizh53X3zjySWi787ZwOnPUaqKqTrM34/s1600/P7070589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EMW9yz_SSZsc9fd686qmpJ8wNyY7wQbgmZy0iPRpTwT5QMzO4eDTlbCc0EP9UMCL0Fgsz_FHCZh8MalMp8E4v1J2hDbn-xCrTL8CaVylDawQizh53X3zjySWi787ZwOnPUaqKqTrM34/s320/P7070589.JPG" width="320" /></a>Well we played Khuru until it was really getting unsafe, though safe is not a word that really should be used to describe the game ever. Then we retired for discussion, dinner, some mafia (I fell asleep right as everyone was ready to play and I slept through the whole game), and then we all went to sleep. A nice rain lightly pelted the roof of the tent most of the night as we slept a well earned rest. I probably dreamed of becoming an expert Khuru player, though all I remember was instantly falling asleep with very few disturbances throughout the night and waking in the morning feeling very refreshed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih65_SMR2kPq59kyQEectYP-9t_Ub-k8pZsTo_DXMGAqUtlijCrfam-p1ihhXzedw7iyC49rifQFmNyHJP9os0TTWAD6RYbjuPMKeKNuU4T9_7gFVqys01U3X5aj0QcsqsOXKziekZiq8/s1600/P7070532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih65_SMR2kPq59kyQEectYP-9t_Ub-k8pZsTo_DXMGAqUtlijCrfam-p1ihhXzedw7iyC49rifQFmNyHJP9os0TTWAD6RYbjuPMKeKNuU4T9_7gFVqys01U3X5aj0QcsqsOXKziekZiq8/s320/P7070532.JPG" width="320" /></a>We woke to a beautiful morning and a most gracious rain that stopped as soon as we were supposed to be getting ready for breakfast - quite nice of the rain to be so polite really. We packed our bags and prepared for a day of hiking and then walked over to the dining tent for breakfast. Quite a nice layout of food to prepare us for a long day of going back down the mountain. Oh ya, down the mountain. Once you climb up one you have to go back down. Where are all the two mile long zip lines to transport a person from place to place? Several times during our hike down I wondered this as I could easily see where we wanted to go but could not easily get there. Nevertheless, we filled our water bottles, grabbed our packs and then made one important stop before heading down - the Bumdra monastery. We had slept under it's view all night long and it was now time to visit. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXNTva9-SLvNYGYYwkHUMiRKQPFJM6BWsMY8g6f8N1lY8Ylf9nnCDd_L5HK3eIgNhAaYijS5J77HXSESiBlGhbxbEK-LnoVMmHdTM5EElenA6mEoL3R7urnm2BchRzzE2w5Nxnrnd-yE/s1600/P7070556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXNTva9-SLvNYGYYwkHUMiRKQPFJM6BWsMY8g6f8N1lY8Ylf9nnCDd_L5HK3eIgNhAaYijS5J77HXSESiBlGhbxbEK-LnoVMmHdTM5EElenA6mEoL3R7urnm2BchRzzE2w5Nxnrnd-yE/s640/P7070556.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The Bumdra Monastery is up on the left behind us. Also our Goodr sunglasses have been working well over here in the high altitude. Can't wait to go for a run in them soon! Thanks +Breakawayrunning for helping connect us.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU8BZ1B6MnRKdfn4EEHoNliZ4ODYEB7GSBm2PeOh9RlhLKV462yzPsN5j_vDwZ8XVpwcUk3k135LGTh2osNZ32BxY6KGXwR_ci9GWQRQaed-ECtkYTrVOMHMwisLkDB55FPdsE6w-GPk/s1600/P7070667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU8BZ1B6MnRKdfn4EEHoNliZ4ODYEB7GSBm2PeOh9RlhLKV462yzPsN5j_vDwZ8XVpwcUk3k135LGTh2osNZ32BxY6KGXwR_ci9GWQRQaed-ECtkYTrVOMHMwisLkDB55FPdsE6w-GPk/s320/P7070667.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Looking back up at the Bumdra Monastery)</td></tr>
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Visiting the monasteries along the way was a nice addition to the hike. They all offer different glimpses into the local religion and no two temples are built alike. There are plenty of similarities for certain but one can never grow bored exploring them - from small to large to built on the side of a cliff. The Bumdra monastery is built up on the side of a mountain and looks like a place an ancient war structure inhabited by monks. We had taken a few pictures of it and in front of it the night before, taking plenty of time to admire its beauty and peculiarity. As we approached it that morning we walked past monks going about their daily duties. One seemed to be cooking something down in front of the monastery, while others were off and about to head off on errands. Entering this monastery was unique as it was directly up a ladder. I am not sure how many of these monasteries were built to make it easy to defend from attackers, but this one would work nicely for this purpose.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVueWpHTepSHujVfNVVDf7ID4e764zu_T2IhF8rkX2jOno0Av9BL0XFTQjjEEGWCSQ9Sr60SWlXwYNivBH41bFRcgp3GQKJ_ogfM4VddAqSrgSZ3gsdtD_bVi0P2PX0a5hgAqtIeuwBE/s1600/P7070671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVueWpHTepSHujVfNVVDf7ID4e764zu_T2IhF8rkX2jOno0Av9BL0XFTQjjEEGWCSQ9Sr60SWlXwYNivBH41bFRcgp3GQKJ_ogfM4VddAqSrgSZ3gsdtD_bVi0P2PX0a5hgAqtIeuwBE/s320/P7070671.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Prayer wheel powered by water from the stream<br />coming down the mountain. Pretty cool)</td></tr>
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Once we had our shoes off up we went. What a cool experience. The monks were right in the middle of doing their chanting and a ceremony, and yet we were ushered in to sit down in the same small room with them. They chanted as the incense burned, reciting words off of small scrolls that would be flipped over and moved aside once finished. Then the monk who seemed to be in charge of it all stopped his chanting and organized his scrolls back to the proper order. Once done they all began playing musical instruments - the traditional long horns were being used (which were super cool to hear), cymbals and drums were in use, and a few other instruments I could not quite identify. When they finished we rose and paid our respects as we exited. They continued in their ceremony. I completely understand and appreciate why no photos or videos are allowed in such a situation, especially as a minister who has been disappointed when a sacred moment seems watered down by such behavior, but oh how I wanted to record it, mostly to share once back home! The memory will have to suit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD82raowMQoT0v4-itd3q3a8LdnIBSk3XwIyfB-88CxYNGvCwFc_46VjR3reV2cmbzwQ9-oV5X7l9iG8VaLr3mZ_14yb_FBrAJwthrFnNiQi1Qf7ldFZhEXdEHZBqyJKdOWGOl508fS5Q/s1600/P7080705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD82raowMQoT0v4-itd3q3a8LdnIBSk3XwIyfB-88CxYNGvCwFc_46VjR3reV2cmbzwQ9-oV5X7l9iG8VaLr3mZ_14yb_FBrAJwthrFnNiQi1Qf7ldFZhEXdEHZBqyJKdOWGOl508fS5Q/s320/P7080705.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(There it is!)</td></tr>
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Then we began our long trek to one of the most sought after locations in all of Bhutan - Paro Takstang, or a monastery built high up on a cliff referred commonly to as the Tiger's Nest. But we had a ways to go first. Our quads tired from the walk up were now in for a rude awakening as we were about to engage in a long and consistent down mountain experience. Despite the aches and pains we were feeling though, the hike was quite nice. We passed a few more monasteries, plenty of beautiful sights marked with prayer flags, a few small chortens, and plenty of wonderful views including peering down upon the Tiger's Nest from above at multiple locations. Only one or two of our photos quite get at how high up the monastery is nestled in the cliffs, but I think one of our last ones gets it a little bit better.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Klb7efN3FZws1b6QX7PtifCXF3C58h52bXvju8uzhY8LzTYxUa8zxeKPOR0Oc4fULvtPJmGckJxI3Q2irsEoi0L50Z315EcRTw0xBQbZ-eRZuWik2j6ZGgzcw6MQbh5eupFvYUwDX4o/s1600/P7080720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Klb7efN3FZws1b6QX7PtifCXF3C58h52bXvju8uzhY8LzTYxUa8zxeKPOR0Oc4fULvtPJmGckJxI3Q2irsEoi0L50Z315EcRTw0xBQbZ-eRZuWik2j6ZGgzcw6MQbh5eupFvYUwDX4o/s640/P7080720.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Pausing to take a photo in front of the Tiger's Nest)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DWxSyycUYyDUnAU6wmuMRNc0NYI3pD6VIiTRboOG2caRm9cWcNrlTZhQr1J0FdqdriTfJmFIob6EhANwP8LEo0hweyZkZSW_JyHevEItu5Cf-Kgey1_uRbvVllRIDygDGbFSS7nKlhg/s1600/P7080756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DWxSyycUYyDUnAU6wmuMRNc0NYI3pD6VIiTRboOG2caRm9cWcNrlTZhQr1J0FdqdriTfJmFIob6EhANwP8LEo0hweyZkZSW_JyHevEItu5Cf-Kgey1_uRbvVllRIDygDGbFSS7nKlhg/s320/P7080756.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Wind powered prayer wheels made out of old<br />gatorade bottles - not bad)</td></tr>
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When we finally arrived at the entrance to the monastery my jaw dropped just a little bit, even if only metaphorically in my mind. The remaining walk to enter was down and up what seemed an uncountable number of steps. I paused for a moment as I looked at the steps and then I realized I was looking at them through the lens of tired legs. Really it was actually quite intriguing to think of however the Bhutanese built these crazy winding steps down the mountain and back up to the monastery. It's very beautiful if it was not for having to actually endure them, but all things worth experiencing seem to have some sort of price tag on them. This one just happened to be stairs, and I appreciated the religious significance for the locals who were visiting. Down we went, weaving our way along the opposite side of the mountain until we reached the point where the stairs finally started climbing back up towards Paro Takstang. Ah, we made it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAev_sA3Tuj-ap8Wd6WJiVtAzXOuqexrgZsEZnOaQyj426Ik2CcWFWxrNmgJjBwdWH3NwqBGqxqQ93_DKALZwko3SFWO7ojzHJ3TGqWZfiRY5iv4rAQqsKC8hi5RmAy4OGXH7vbWRP84/s1600/P7080761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAev_sA3Tuj-ap8Wd6WJiVtAzXOuqexrgZsEZnOaQyj426Ik2CcWFWxrNmgJjBwdWH3NwqBGqxqQ93_DKALZwko3SFWO7ojzHJ3TGqWZfiRY5iv4rAQqsKC8hi5RmAy4OGXH7vbWRP84/s400/P7080761.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(You can see the Tiger's Nest far up behind us)</td></tr>
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Visiting the monastery was nice. There were multiple religious sites to see within the confines of the monastery, again no pictures so you will just have to imagine them with your mind. There was a monk giving people blessings, a few different representations of the Buddha for people to visit, and then the cave down below which I believe is part of the original cave where original worship took place before the monastery was built. There are multiple tales about how <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Padmasambhava flew to this particular location on the back of a tigress before spending time in the cave to meditate. Feel free to search online for many of these legends and see which ones you like most. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The local dog and I enjoy the last few views of<br />the mountains before we lose all light for the<br />night. What sights we have seen!)</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once done with our visit to the infamous monastery, we again started on our way down the mountain. We enjoyed the fortune of good weather for a little bit longer until it finally started to rain as we descended the final few hundred meters of the trail to where our driver was waiting to pick us up. What a hike! And how lucky we were to meet some fellow volunteers who had already planned the entire venture. Thanks to them we have already experienced one of the most sought after ventures in all of Bhutan, and we were able to do it in a way we enjoy quite a bit - through hiking (you can get there more quickly than the round about way we went)! What a start to our Bhutanese adventure. This weekend we are hoping to crash yet another of our fellow volunteer's weekend getaways to yet another of the places we most want to visit while here in the country. No spoilers though. You'll just have to come back when I finish the next post, though I doubt some of the pics from that one will be suitable for all audiences (ok one spoiler if you're really up on your Bhutanese knowledge). </span></span><br />
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Mountain flowers. They were everywhere and demanded our attention. Sarah marveled over them quite a bit and I think you can see why.</div>
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I do not know his name but this is the pooch with whom I shared the best views of the night with before the sun vanished for the day. Such a fluffy delight.</div>
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One last pic of flowers before the next post. Till next time, go off and enjoy some nature!</div>
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<br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.comThimphu, Bhutan27.4727924 89.63928629999998127.3600949 89.477924799999982 27.5854899 89.800647799999979tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-17932058410938696592018-05-18T17:11:00.000-07:002018-05-18T17:11:02.101-07:00A Baltic Adventure: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQXjtRMIppFamscYz5hz6M7NHgKOZWWT3nXvhlSwyaQgjavfoxZNbD3asPlcKqiOia-5FGMZS83aF8QjdKCF9HO7R04wtl2UALHnCSIoco92AtfZehz8VQuWnjHGH6awc8o-3kbb717M/s1600/IMG_20180405_113846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQXjtRMIppFamscYz5hz6M7NHgKOZWWT3nXvhlSwyaQgjavfoxZNbD3asPlcKqiOia-5FGMZS83aF8QjdKCF9HO7R04wtl2UALHnCSIoco92AtfZehz8VQuWnjHGH6awc8o-3kbb717M/s320/IMG_20180405_113846.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="320" /></a>A trip to Eastern Europe to see the Baltic States and Poland - why not? It all went down while we were sitting around a table eating some crab legs our good friends Mr. Matthew Paul Tubinis, Kristina Tubinis, and the infamous Ryan Bell. The Tubinis' started discussing a future trip they were planning to visit Lithuania. Lithuania? We were interested in hearing more about why they would want to visit this particular part of the world we knew so little about, but our ears perked up when they said, "It sure would be great if someone would go with us." Now, sometimes people say things like that to be nice and they do not actually want anyone to crash a trip they are going on to another country. I believe Sarah's response was, "Don't say you want someone to go unless you really do because we might just take you up on it." Well the conversation spun on from there and about five minutes later even Ryan Bell was professing a desire to head over to the Baltic states on an adventure of some kind. Five of us traveling into the unknown, what were the odds a trip like this would ever actually leave the ground? Highly unlikely. </div>
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(Also I did a thorough spellcheck and re-reading of this entire post and then it may or may not have saved most of it. When things do not make sense just read it out loud and correct it in your head. It's more fun that way)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjRsCqJDhz6Lb9a7qzsko2wwUz4X2gSkITGOiQmQCndkgF6b5eHm7wctGKsdqHVaT4_-nqHvAqzYOt_8PqXVOwy66-IJdlDViB7LTXdYegtobNssbUPOHat7pkO0RLbfTfuQ-KOxFcTw/s1600/IMG_20180406_215608_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjRsCqJDhz6Lb9a7qzsko2wwUz4X2gSkITGOiQmQCndkgF6b5eHm7wctGKsdqHVaT4_-nqHvAqzYOt_8PqXVOwy66-IJdlDViB7LTXdYegtobNssbUPOHat7pkO0RLbfTfuQ-KOxFcTw/s320/IMG_20180406_215608_1.jpg" width="320" /></a>Fortunately for us, the Tubinis' and Ryan were not bluffing. We began some planning and before we knew it we were purchasing plane tickets. I mean once you have bought a plane ticket things are getting serious! And so it went. We began a facebook message (because that's how all adults do it) thread so we could communicate about all important ideas, and a trip began to form around a few varied goals. Matt really wanted to see Lithuania due to some Lithuanian ancestry (which was the genesis for this whole adventure I believe), Kristina was the one I believe who came up with the idea about taking an RV for the five of us, and Ryan was suddenly suggesting we take a dip down into Poland so he could visit the homeland of his ancient family members as well. Most of our traveling has been done as just a couple, so it was a very welcome change to have multiple people researching, planning, looking for fun things to do, and coming up with all sorts of adventures we would have surely missed on our own. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1pL5_QYRAlITAUG-CX3BemVtCb9CUhgWSrWX4q-jJj4IKS4qIp04hGM38l9GeUhExxIcO3WBr6nAMGoFPJb2eou9N_mASLVljXoOV0yCOidBIH1VY2IPsiX17r0tXn0o6iELq5ytFbI/s1600/P4120701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1pL5_QYRAlITAUG-CX3BemVtCb9CUhgWSrWX4q-jJj4IKS4qIp04hGM38l9GeUhExxIcO3WBr6nAMGoFPJb2eou9N_mASLVljXoOV0yCOidBIH1VY2IPsiX17r0tXn0o6iELq5ytFbI/s320/P4120701.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1Tjsk3aKe3fOOWW0_YvCRQxlf1Z9RsWHkKukONOFBsiEGGp6QQsM2xyNDDAhPPF7TvTsLdyJaS71UQotk0zKHmXDQvAZ8k7HvPh1bb1uy7uapz6K9HwMUDklemGPN30PzhQBKaxp2V4/s1600/P4120708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1Tjsk3aKe3fOOWW0_YvCRQxlf1Z9RsWHkKukONOFBsiEGGp6QQsM2xyNDDAhPPF7TvTsLdyJaS71UQotk0zKHmXDQvAZ8k7HvPh1bb1uy7uapz6K9HwMUDklemGPN30PzhQBKaxp2V4/s320/P4120708.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Disclaimer: These pictures are going to be all out of sorts and in no specific order. Some were taken by various members of our group, some by a camera set on a timer, and some by strangers. If you have any questions about a specific one, such as where it might have been taken, please just send me a message. For the sake of time and not messing up the format of the post, I am not going to comment on the photos. Please feel free to ask anything about them. The pictures will be of places, FOOD (because that's one of the main reasons to travel), of ourselves, and some of the folks we met along the way. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxYEG4xnxTE13nFgMuWIuwS2xe_2Y08AjCmZTtzvvcBMzPLiKPzw022z17n1VYGK0bcaLianvJFd_O2WUYHMMCzm2jbtY7LX5sL3BlZDvuU2yvclyMwmPsFOsIzLaz60WMuC3OVhuNCk/s1600/P4120659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxYEG4xnxTE13nFgMuWIuwS2xe_2Y08AjCmZTtzvvcBMzPLiKPzw022z17n1VYGK0bcaLianvJFd_O2WUYHMMCzm2jbtY7LX5sL3BlZDvuU2yvclyMwmPsFOsIzLaz60WMuC3OVhuNCk/s320/P4120659.JPG" width="320" /></a>So off we flew in pursuit of an adventure that was sure to toss some curve balls at us. We had one traveler (you guess) who had never traveled internationally. We had not a single person in our group who had ever driven or had any RV experience previous to this trip. No one in our group knew an abundance about any of these countries, though we were learning as much as possible for sure. But what we did have plenty of was positive attitudes and excitement about the trip! That's what it's all about anyway right? And to be fair, as Sarah and I have traveled around the world we have found that we can be content in almost any setting as long as our minds are focused properly. This is not always the easiest of tasks but it is certainly a primary one if anyone wants to enjoy traveling. For this trip for instance, it would have been silly not to consider ahead of time what it might be like to travel in an RV for eight days with five people. I would say our group successfully inhabited such a small space with flying colors, though much of this is due to a group of amazing people who are quite considerate of those they travel with. I cannot imagine the same situation with a self-absorbed wild person. Let's just not think of such things.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vI4DWQlwcV0C-NL-t7rIby0NxkwoAAcB2s2HC99SfOQocMQHQRjody-7t69AB6LmtPicCIaNGojfdOGalYf7M7cvJuJ52YFvGF_X0KDcPQ-qDvc6UsZyHv-YwZ_2-OeJLkaa02a2YHQ/s1600/P4120649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vI4DWQlwcV0C-NL-t7rIby0NxkwoAAcB2s2HC99SfOQocMQHQRjody-7t69AB6LmtPicCIaNGojfdOGalYf7M7cvJuJ52YFvGF_X0KDcPQ-qDvc6UsZyHv-YwZ_2-OeJLkaa02a2YHQ/s320/P4120649.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqotH0p_24u6DPq1aSf8LzcILjeryFNznV-LK4GWLGRqW4M-zoSYB10gRqz2pkZIfS1siJHY-8GaHWPCqdEJGNs1TQvpCelpndsxX5kKKCfSxM_xTrF46t40m-ohXBcVLt7KodprBfN8/s1600/P4120526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqotH0p_24u6DPq1aSf8LzcILjeryFNznV-LK4GWLGRqW4M-zoSYB10gRqz2pkZIfS1siJHY-8GaHWPCqdEJGNs1TQvpCelpndsxX5kKKCfSxM_xTrF46t40m-ohXBcVLt7KodprBfN8/s320/P4120526.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Our trip began in Tallinn, Estonia. We flew in and made our way over to the RV rental place where we were required, rightly so, to watch a nice hour long safety video about traversing around in a vehicle of that size and its orientation. The company we used was helpful and set us on our way with a nice sense of RV driving understanding. As it turns out these short explanations were not quite enough to prepare us entirely for our RVing, but they were a good start. We are getting ahead of ourselves. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOhale3c53lddbB-5PoIBAJTMKtxi9Qnzj5sQFpjb-wEZQ7vxnpuu1HL_vLeXcZCmvfR48dqQ4pfy0NFTzRYTediXfCU2Ma8vUFD7jzA2qR1bGuau2zn496-XLOD1gpLN0lX34-cDTkk/s1600/P4110458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOhale3c53lddbB-5PoIBAJTMKtxi9Qnzj5sQFpjb-wEZQ7vxnpuu1HL_vLeXcZCmvfR48dqQ4pfy0NFTzRYTediXfCU2Ma8vUFD7jzA2qR1bGuau2zn496-XLOD1gpLN0lX34-cDTkk/s320/P4110458.JPG" width="320" /></a>The plan. Stay our first night near the airport and then get in the RV and work our way down to Vilnius, Lithuania (roughly six hours or so on the digital map). We learned a few things that first night. Number one, just because you plug your RV's electric chord into an outlet designed to give you power for the night does not mean you are actually receiving any power. Not to worry as our propane option kept us warm (it was pretty darn cold up in Estonia). We did discern from trial and error how to figure out if the darn chord was delivering power as we went along through our trip, but on that first night we were clueless newbs. We also had a crash course in the various types of RV parks we would meet along the way. We were about one month early for the tourist season of these countries, which means some of these parks are not open or various amounts of their amenities are not yet working (such as water, etc). This brings about a few various challenges, such as where one should deposit the waste from the toilet when it is beginning to get full, but for the most part we were able to learn the RV ways. We made it through the night and the drive South began.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYZzIRBtn4RT8qRf6Qi4Y5-g_itsX3_1C2t7Uug70WE_AewIlTjv4roRiQpRmmboLZlkhBSZCRVOB8OYmF0-zJDQBj_l7D1Zcg5Xd4ZoOPHAbx0x5dVpR7OtfAkk8IrGe4LmBy2knxYA/s1600/P4070070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYZzIRBtn4RT8qRf6Qi4Y5-g_itsX3_1C2t7Uug70WE_AewIlTjv4roRiQpRmmboLZlkhBSZCRVOB8OYmF0-zJDQBj_l7D1Zcg5Xd4ZoOPHAbx0x5dVpR7OtfAkk8IrGe4LmBy2knxYA/s320/P4070070.JPG" width="320" /></a>Vilnius is quite a fascinating city. Ok, really every city we visited was great. The drive down to Vilnius showed us the countryside of Estonia, Latvia, and then Lithuania. We drove through some wonderful forests, wove along the Baltic Sea coastline for a short time, and were able to get a concept of rural life in that part of the world. Vilnius greeted us with wonderful restaurants, beautiful city squares with lots of people and interesting architecture to watch, and it was not too difficult to even find a good parking spot for our tiny RV. This picture of Sarah and me is actually one that is matching up with the post. We are standing in a square in Vilnius not far from where we spent a good few hours in a delicious restaurant. This is as good a time as any to mention we owe a huge debt to the Tubinis' for their extensive research they did before we headed (and even during the trip on their phones) over for our trip. Vilnius was a great example of a perfect night thanks to the planning they had done ahead of time to weed out where we wanted to eat and explore. What a great night. We finished up in town and then headed off to our campsite for the night, which was arguably the best one we stayed at during our entire trip - and yes you could see a castle from it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPXfzj8RroRsv2cgzOVFaLci_-ZFCmkKCoj3yQDS9UTCdxVV_ysFWvDlN-HTkxf1tmy-t4xP6eFbtGyFoEr3JzpQE3haJntadIbZCcAR-xEP8q4eSp_ZjGi5cyXootJP6pmZHEgZC6aU/s1600/IMG_20180408_095757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPXfzj8RroRsv2cgzOVFaLci_-ZFCmkKCoj3yQDS9UTCdxVV_ysFWvDlN-HTkxf1tmy-t4xP6eFbtGyFoEr3JzpQE3haJntadIbZCcAR-xEP8q4eSp_ZjGi5cyXootJP6pmZHEgZC6aU/s320/IMG_20180408_095757.jpg" width="320" /></a>Not too far out of Vilnius is a spectacular castle that has been restored and welcomes tourists to come and experience a forgotten way of life. This was my one morning of personal success for the trip. One of my sub goals while traveling is always to get as many runs in as I can. While this is one of my favorite ways to see new places, it rarely happens due to tiredness from traveling and such. This morning, however, I woke up early and ran over to the castle, enjoying a wonderfully perfect day for a good run. How many times have I been able to run to and around a castle? I think this was my first. When I got back from the run we drank some coffee, made in our fancy coffee maker in the RV, and then we prepared to go investigate the castle. Quite a trip. This included watching some guys dressed up as knights fight one another, walking through most of a completely restored castle with plenty of artifacts to learn about, and posing for plenty of great self-portraits like this one! Afterwards we stopped off at a nice lunch spot that someone in our crew, most likely one of the Tubinis' had researched, and had some traditional Lithuanian food. Thinking about it is making me hungry so no more comments on how good it was. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoF6UfyPigy4R-xQZGcYUqWWpN52GxMeBzW7igcZDn1bbnFkUCc6azTjFfIgxgp4AP0sdDQWJBc9S3GtIUylGqHVH-ToiazOI0SATmpt1fV-3nk407_6rRyYEP3H3nrltslDoaHaUVJY/s1600/P4080164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoF6UfyPigy4R-xQZGcYUqWWpN52GxMeBzW7igcZDn1bbnFkUCc6azTjFfIgxgp4AP0sdDQWJBc9S3GtIUylGqHVH-ToiazOI0SATmpt1fV-3nk407_6rRyYEP3H3nrltslDoaHaUVJY/s320/P4080164.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47Vuceu-TO2kdQh4m7VTmj105uO39kQQ8vtLmHEaPKg2Fv7DWPryyBo-f6WSwgVRUesz_Slvihh23aTUqyYQGiCW_wGW5SPAiwC0FABNn3Wzh7BvzSoaqcLSmJ1ej09z-ByOg09LC2ag/s1600/IMG_20180408_102120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47Vuceu-TO2kdQh4m7VTmj105uO39kQQ8vtLmHEaPKg2Fv7DWPryyBo-f6WSwgVRUesz_Slvihh23aTUqyYQGiCW_wGW5SPAiwC0FABNn3Wzh7BvzSoaqcLSmJ1ej09z-ByOg09LC2ag/s320/IMG_20180408_102120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After finishing a super tasty lunch (dang it, I'm talking about it again), we began to work our way down towards Poland to appease some goals of our entirely too tall Ryan Bell. Yes, somehow he did manage to enjoy life in the RV, though he did opt out of trying to use the tiny shower and instead would utilize the amenities at the parks. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88OhcKEWecUMY3crKtn2yT6oLSXMPPxYsi9q4ZVZTR-9Ece6X9SXY_5U349QeRA38yr6TSvaUeC9QULgAUZaJGe-N-C5yy4CxAD2t-8wPx6nt1ZWYDtJnSFUITQIaNHIihB9c8oKMAp0/s1600/IMG_20180408_123143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88OhcKEWecUMY3crKtn2yT6oLSXMPPxYsi9q4ZVZTR-9Ece6X9SXY_5U349QeRA38yr6TSvaUeC9QULgAUZaJGe-N-C5yy4CxAD2t-8wPx6nt1ZWYDtJnSFUITQIaNHIihB9c8oKMAp0/s320/IMG_20180408_123143.jpg" width="320" /></a>The drive to Poland was very nice and gave way to extensive forests of evergreens. Peering into them as we drove by would lead the imagination into thinking of the many quests to be had by venturing off into the nearly pitch black paths between the trees only twenty feet in or so. I really enjoyed this part of the drive. Poland was the only border crossing that seemed to mind our RV freely roaming all over this small section of Eastern Europe. They stopped us and asked us a few questions like where we were going. This one turned out to be the hardest question to answer as we could not pronounce the name of the town in a way that he could understand. When we showed him on a map he immediately recognized the town and pronounced it entirely different from what it looked like to us. Dilemma resolved, passports all recorded, and after a nice "good luck" from our border patrol guard that made me feel a little uneasy, we were off and into Poland. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74MfPLr-y-R3-dgaUvx_I_yepzJOaFljO9KbSCpmw8sLY7WHEzv52cZ9g81fXp1rqVBr7TiWh32oohM9XPaOSofajRuPMs8uNyXrTK-b6tOHpgKGBNKo8bKm-2fC4mDQwfz42L2hvcWg/s1600/P4080216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74MfPLr-y-R3-dgaUvx_I_yepzJOaFljO9KbSCpmw8sLY7WHEzv52cZ9g81fXp1rqVBr7TiWh32oohM9XPaOSofajRuPMs8uNyXrTK-b6tOHpgKGBNKo8bKm-2fC4mDQwfz42L2hvcWg/s320/P4080216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This part of our trip was probably our least planned as it was a late edition. That does not mean it was not fun by a longshot. We made our way into Augustow and began to look around to see what a town in Poland has to offer. More good food, more wonderful churches, friendly people, a nice river to walk down, a few libations because one has to try the local options, some parks to explore, and of course a really fantastic cemetery that we ended up exploring at night due to the countless candles on the graves - really a site to see. There was no RV park open that we could find at the time, so we ended up finding a parking lot that looked relatively inviting. As it turns out we were not the only ones who had this idea and we shared the lot with another camper van. RV life! We played some card games, took a tour through the cemetery (night walk is the best), played some more cards, and went to sleep hoping no one would come and tell us to move. All good. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J68QFf2JeGrysgAUoltXZEDyhn_bjJG4TOuOWO50aHk3z23-ZDNNOdre2kh-F7wGvuHj1rAgfnq9pI7qUiQrB8gX5EIUJPwC4YSKxI-Tr-BKK9d4QCjlYu761zq4aMi-_uwM25ycBLA/s1600/P4080239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J68QFf2JeGrysgAUoltXZEDyhn_bjJG4TOuOWO50aHk3z23-ZDNNOdre2kh-F7wGvuHj1rAgfnq9pI7qUiQrB8gX5EIUJPwC4YSKxI-Tr-BKK9d4QCjlYu761zq4aMi-_uwM25ycBLA/s320/P4080239.JPG" width="320" /></a>In the morning we started making our way back into Lithuania along a different route with one goal in mind - making it to Aldona's place. She is famous in Lithuania for a home brew she makes. She would most likely be famous worldwide, but she does not use the preservatives necessary to ship outside of a small region even within her own country. Suffice it to say, we had caught wind of her operation through some of our extensive research and we really wanted to test out her product. This led us on a little bit of a wild goose chase as we only had her general neighborhood for an address. She brews out of a converted barn/garage behind her house and it is smack dab in the middle of a regular neighborhood. After a few failed attempts to locate her exact house we regrouped and headed to a local gas station for some advice. We left with a hand drawn map, renewed strength, and hope filled optimism. Though we took our directions exactly as given, we still ended up one street early and at a house that belonged to a very nice Lithuanian lady, but the wrong Lithuanian lady. We finally broke through the language barriers with the help of Google translate. We were only one road away! But through this whole process we had blown right past her hour and were now about forty minutes past her closing time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7ZXLHv3iXfowNPy99z94_wMMzvfP-axfG0gm8U76OMYU7OQJiY1ugpb4EJHrFafFMXVQICbfAbFq9V9YaJtGuRlF1x4yDcWHyFpFDa5KyIRHBrUy7iXnJxnvmTnvNndGyMzdoU2Y1AM/s1600/P4090259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7ZXLHv3iXfowNPy99z94_wMMzvfP-axfG0gm8U76OMYU7OQJiY1ugpb4EJHrFafFMXVQICbfAbFq9V9YaJtGuRlF1x4yDcWHyFpFDa5KyIRHBrUy7iXnJxnvmTnvNndGyMzdoU2Y1AM/s320/P4090259.JPG" width="320" /></a>We made the quick adjustment in our location and found her house. We walked up her drive and found the right spot. Aldona stuck her head out of her back door and had the look on her face like anyone who suddenly discovers a bunch of foreigners walking around their courtyard - skeptical and questioning. Again, Google translate comes to the rescue and we eventually were able to explain to her why we were there and how excited we were to taste some of her home made recipe. Very generously she opened the doors to her backyard operation and led us upstairs to a room perfect for a gathering of fifteen people or less. I loved the atmosphere in this room. It had pictures of Aldona's travels around the world, awards that she had won for her beer making, skulls from small antelope looking animals, old barrels, and a nice farmhouse type of feel. She brought in a few samples for us to test out and she disappeared. <br />
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Time felt slightly strained as we were already there after hours. Should we wait? Was she coming back or waiting for us downstairs to leave? We finally decided, after much debate, to head down and try to figure out how to pay her and thank her. I was the first one to walk out and stopped dead in my tracks as I looked up and saw Aldona coming towards me carrying a big tray of cheeses. I motioned back up and she nodded with a big smile. We could not believe we almost left! The next hour was magical as we tasted a few more brews, chatted with Aldona (again through the help of modern technology), laughed and made jokes together, and ate some of the most delicious cheese I can remember eating. Cheese and beer - who knew? By the time we left Sarah and convinced Aldona to sell her a small barrel she had been using to pour us some beer, and everyone was so happy to have experienced such a truly authentic Lithuania blessing. She did not need to open up for us or go way out of her way to be so hospitable, yet she did. This one event, for many reasons, was voted the most memorable part of our trip by more than one member of our crew. For this reason, and because I love the photo, I put the picture of Sarah and Aldona enlarged. What a perfect photo to describe our experience there. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRlI0OVd3yoAvoF6eoBvEvzcCohZ5RDxkfhOKF82L0UY5LqBGtGJEGRnQPJw-Z4HG62tYU_QjBAapv9LbdIRksIOs9Tq6PN2Xz5eq9hjmuzvcjlK25fVRXvl4k45xzB6NkiEgictsoms/s1600/MVIMG_20180410_192539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRlI0OVd3yoAvoF6eoBvEvzcCohZ5RDxkfhOKF82L0UY5LqBGtGJEGRnQPJw-Z4HG62tYU_QjBAapv9LbdIRksIOs9Tq6PN2Xz5eq9hjmuzvcjlK25fVRXvl4k45xzB6NkiEgictsoms/s320/MVIMG_20180410_192539.jpg" width="320" /></a>Having thoroughly enjoyed Aldona's homebrew, we then started making our way towards Latvia. It was time to experience the country we had only driven through on our way to Vilnius. There were of course countless stops along the way I am not mentioning, whether through neglect or absent-mindedness or even apathy, but not to worry as most highlights will make their way into the post. It was at this point our trip started detouring from some of the earliest made plans due to things like staying a night in Poland and making sure we went back past Aldona's place. Instead of heading towards the Southwest coast of the Baltic states along the sea, we made our way more directly towards Riga. Usually at this point someone in our group will say that's not what we did. They are probably correct, but this is how I remember it and how I'm reporting the facts.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DcSDZrvipUxZD2Wg1-8XvIHTVxPTusIWg1eADX3JsbmE4w9-nA0SnVtnlbV9XVlNLku_8m9aknq5ayEyhyp2HQS1bx1sPGVh59ltLDPebqgTAzJHHnBHMtR7y7NfLFMHaXD_jOzj0uA/s1600/IMG_20180411_142021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DcSDZrvipUxZD2Wg1-8XvIHTVxPTusIWg1eADX3JsbmE4w9-nA0SnVtnlbV9XVlNLku_8m9aknq5ayEyhyp2HQS1bx1sPGVh59ltLDPebqgTAzJHHnBHMtR7y7NfLFMHaXD_jOzj0uA/s320/IMG_20180411_142021.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF83MSnmyqqWQgpqNQopi81x_XEqhW0BQq4E0S0bFm6G8Wb6rXbkL92M1m4ST6VM0uOO3h5GulpyTGomF2irrbIVyYZvZmGIylWVierlFrYD8y0oH92vrMIJ5txOlHDHwAtaOxFEcvQU/s1600/IMG_20180411_140822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF83MSnmyqqWQgpqNQopi81x_XEqhW0BQq4E0S0bFm6G8Wb6rXbkL92M1m4ST6VM0uOO3h5GulpyTGomF2irrbIVyYZvZmGIylWVierlFrYD8y0oH92vrMIJ5txOlHDHwAtaOxFEcvQU/s320/IMG_20180411_140822.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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It is also at this point I realized I was missing a place or two. I will interject them here and hope it is correct chronologically, although who really cares? On the way to Riga we went to Kaunas for some lunch. This afforded us a nice stopping place for rest, food, and exploration. We did not spend much time there as we had goals to make it to a few other places along the way, including another castle.<br />
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This castle was not completely rennovated like our last one, offering a more rugged sort of experience for a person to enjoy. We were handed lanterns and told to have fun exploring the castle and to be aware of the very dark places we would be walking through. Awesome! And it was pretty darn cool. We walked through some ruins and wove our way to the back of the castle where we could wander down some steps and into a dark corridor. From there we used the light of our lanterns to guide us up a spiral staircase to other parts of the ruins. I personally thought this was a genuinely unique experience and enjoyed every minute of it. The self-guided tour took us through a few different rooms and overlooked the remnants of where the massive building used to stand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTxbMtIAXZkexYWOFT6jn3R3wP9_wgSVcWi8MVEGXXWEzV_iL7zWojqjBG5AAdCv7zWSYlq6I7puwse6-lNPuAPCxiYYvI92FsLhzsv7uSN2PSdQDmfMTJVyQs34X53-TkqJqk7cSDnA/s1600/IMG_20180410_143823_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTxbMtIAXZkexYWOFT6jn3R3wP9_wgSVcWi8MVEGXXWEzV_iL7zWojqjBG5AAdCv7zWSYlq6I7puwse6-lNPuAPCxiYYvI92FsLhzsv7uSN2PSdQDmfMTJVyQs34X53-TkqJqk7cSDnA/s320/IMG_20180410_143823_1.jpg" width="320" /></a>In Riga we spent time looking at ancient churches, walking past modern castles, working our way through crowded city streets to some shops, and eating more good food! This was a great stop and was also one of our better RV stops, in that there were some showers with good pressure which was super nice. We made it into town, found a spot for the RV on the street right in the middle of the city (which I'm still rather impressed with myself), and immediately walked to a lunch spot our team had scouted out. Delicious! I should take this time to mention I really like beets. Beets are a staple food of the Baltic states and in these pictures there will be more than one beet food depicted. Great rye bread was also a nice treat we would get along the way and I believe Riga was one of the places where we had some for lunch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnty_mdtN5RUToP6ho7gFXhac2EliL1KdIVhtL0asajmc7CTd3FhkO6aLkZ6VOisPpqvL0bNxRYSB5EeWLRicJrrRQl7lTfvhHWj2XIpv5roltw9vqCdcRN6w7Zax3tlYzRT_Wbz3uvSk/s1600/P4100354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnty_mdtN5RUToP6ho7gFXhac2EliL1KdIVhtL0asajmc7CTd3FhkO6aLkZ6VOisPpqvL0bNxRYSB5EeWLRicJrrRQl7lTfvhHWj2XIpv5roltw9vqCdcRN6w7Zax3tlYzRT_Wbz3uvSk/s320/P4100354.JPG" width="320" /></a>After shopping and parousing the city a little (with a quick run to drop our RV at the park for the night to make sure it would work and so that no one would have to worry about driving after dinner), we hunkered down for a few hours in a giant cellar for dinner. There was live music, good food, quite a lively atmosphere of young Latvians and others, and if you would like to know the names of these places you will need to ask Matt. I did a terrible job on this trip of keeping my notes up to date. We were there for quite some time working on some libations and a hefty meal. When we finished our meal we walked back through the night to our campsight, a close to two mile walk (which I think is great after a big meal), and played cards for a few hours. Ryan had introduced us to a game called Hi Low. It quickly became the dominate game of our late night RV times.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMv0ped_FRz-UWPt_SoF2VCdtVhZWDvCrVjnXTkx6179anqMnChFEn6ZTRhlCbdiaVub9QkAaMcSD2vDCvXH4lG_uF-_biO1S252hc0fG-lcOVRCvdeW3AyEjX4ndtrGnTfeIVVmUVbro/s1600/IMG_20180411_215434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMv0ped_FRz-UWPt_SoF2VCdtVhZWDvCrVjnXTkx6179anqMnChFEn6ZTRhlCbdiaVub9QkAaMcSD2vDCvXH4lG_uF-_biO1S252hc0fG-lcOVRCvdeW3AyEjX4ndtrGnTfeIVVmUVbro/s320/IMG_20180411_215434.jpg" width="320" /></a>In the morning we rose early, took advantage of those sweet showers, and then headed on our way towards Tartu, the intellectual powerhouse of the country. It was likened in one of the books we were using as the Oxford/Cambridge area of the Baltic states, or at least that country. I need to mention it was at this point in our trip when we decided we really needed to figure out one of the aspects of our RV life. There are four main factors: diesel (easy), water (not too bad, just got to find a spot that will give it to you), waste (not fun but also not bad as long as you find a place you can dump it), and gas (propane). This last one had become somewhat confusing for us. We had tried at a few gas stations to trade in our one empty tank (we had two cannisters) along the way, only to find out they did not deal in our kind (the propane, not us - at least we think that's what they meant). We remembered our guy saying we could trade it in at virutally any gas station, so we were surprised to find this to be difficult. Finally we called him and discovered it had to be a particular type of gas station that sold our kind of propane - boom, no longer a problem. To veteran RV people this must seem silly, but to us this was not self-explanatory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZ3j3tT_8lbfuTTLOii9AVSmJyEOM-c3WCYNVBlLAjnxihBHl0OyPce2SjT1eanlJK9yTR8UtzqorEHmXHANI92TJX-Ngg4qysKjrJVeHU7Hd4TQueE4z2CSR07lrHFsmIUE4MaHZ4ro/s1600/IMG_20180411_220159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZ3j3tT_8lbfuTTLOii9AVSmJyEOM-c3WCYNVBlLAjnxihBHl0OyPce2SjT1eanlJK9yTR8UtzqorEHmXHANI92TJX-Ngg4qysKjrJVeHU7Hd4TQueE4z2CSR07lrHFsmIUE4MaHZ4ro/s320/IMG_20180411_220159.jpg" width="320" /></a>Anyway, once we figured out how to get more propane we could relax significantly knowing we would not freeze to death (or spend a super uncomfortable night) while we slept. This was good news! We arrived in Tartu, exchanged our propane, and then tried to park as close as we could to our desired destination for dinner. This led the driver (me) to breaking the first major traffic law (that I know of) during our trip. In seeking our destination I must have missed a sign because suddenly I realized we were driving through what had to be the local town square. When I mentioned we might be in the wrong spot, our crew began looking out of windows only to confirm there were many snickering university students looking at the giant RV driving where it should not be. Fortunately I rectified the situation as quickly as I could and we were back on normal streets again. Phew, and no police came and got us (even bigger phew).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruyrBgVwTM26O8isQwPyoiUUhh3t5EI9uQ3exE4P_cKimoGcGVo58VcR1uHc2TB1NC9Yr_Ukvz6x1Qjv38QcS1pqz-UH6Ws46tYlQRHTGaiftT7mC9iB-oBB-1OLqPpePTELx4e5qNaI/s1600/P4070109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruyrBgVwTM26O8isQwPyoiUUhh3t5EI9uQ3exE4P_cKimoGcGVo58VcR1uHc2TB1NC9Yr_Ukvz6x1Qjv38QcS1pqz-UH6Ws46tYlQRHTGaiftT7mC9iB-oBB-1OLqPpePTELx4e5qNaI/s320/P4070109.JPG" width="320" /></a>Tartu was more of an evening adventure. We arrived to town a few hours before sunrise and then wasted a little bit of time as we replaced our propane. Once we were done with yet another delicious meal, we walked through the university town admiring the buildings and talking for a few hours. At one point we walked into a building that happened to be open and Sarah disappeared up a stairwell in discovery mode. It was rather dark and we no longer had our lanterns from the castle. I was relieved when I followed and found her at a locked door with a diappointed look on her face. Sometimes that girl sure does like to go wandering off no matter the situation, usually with a comment like, "It's fine." We finished up our walking, we played some cards, and then slept the night in the RV in a parking spot alongside a city park (kind of our signature move when we could not find or did not want to find a proper RV park).<br />
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Random RV story: One of these nights, perhaps it was this one, I heard Kristina going to the bathroom and thought someone had broken into the RV. I was still in sleep mode and somehow leapt from the top bunk I was sleeping in onto the floor. Loud crash. A few questions. Um, I am not quite sure. I guess it's good to know I was ready. Then I had strange dreams for a night or two. RV life. <br />
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I believe this brings us to the end of our trip. We headed from Tartu up to Tallinn so we could get a day and night there. Tallinn is quite special. It used to be a completely walled in city. Over time they have taken down walls, for things like traffic and such, but many of the walls are still intact and/or are being restored. The city really does have a unique feel to it and we just loved it. Sarah, Ryan, and I were able to spend a little bit of time there on our first day while we waited for the Tubinis duo to arrive on their flight (and they consequently had an extra day when we left), and we enjoyed being able to get some more time there. It seems redundant at this point to even mention food, but Tallinn does not disappoint in this department. I do not think there was a single moment during our trip where I thought, "You know, this food is just not good." I loved it all. Our lunch spot for the day was in a place that was called either Mothers or Grandmothers (something like that), and they had pictures of the original cook who had come up with the recipes we were eating. Quite tasty and fun. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYRUQm0K1SvtrecwTDjYBCHo0eV-0FJe4LEbeZk_p2_2ItzGl1WZR3MaGK9T2-9BbaGzWvSN0jE6DrbD_fJilXAjlvdDwYLmao0tGQ_1hHQWruBqhPVk7jgiC4BS3NCvDKCNtQGh9qvY/s1600/P4120629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYRUQm0K1SvtrecwTDjYBCHo0eV-0FJe4LEbeZk_p2_2ItzGl1WZR3MaGK9T2-9BbaGzWvSN0jE6DrbD_fJilXAjlvdDwYLmao0tGQ_1hHQWruBqhPVk7jgiC4BS3NCvDKCNtQGh9qvY/s320/P4120629.JPG" width="320" /></a>One of the things I had read about Tallinn in our research are the tours they do in tunnels under the city through passageways that were originally created for purposes such as moving troops around in a way that armies outside the walls cannot observe. Over time the tunnels have been used for various purposes, some of the passage ways even being forgotten or unused for many years, and now portions of them have been reopened for a few different reasons. We took a tour of these tunnels and wound underneath the streets of Tallinn learning of how they have been used in more recent years - as air raid shelters, by the homeless and teenagers, and other various purposes. It was interesting but I thought the tour included walking up onto the parapets and the walls some. It did not. I did not read the fine print on the tour. Oh well. It was a neat experience and it ended with what has become an underground art museum of concrete work that used to adorn much of the city buildings. The setting was perfect for viewing this type of art and it was very appropriate. <br />
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Our day in Tallinn included climbing to the top of one of their churches. This was pretty funny as visiting churches is pretty high on our list. We all are people of faith and love visiting various places of worship around the world. The funny (not that we like to visit churches) part was when Ryan noticed people high up on top of the church looking around the city. We walked in to investigate and discovered we were in for a nice climb - no elevator. Have I mentioned how tall Ryan is? But we made it up and the view was well worth the effort of making it up through the winding stairway, which by the way felt and looked as though it was hundreds of years old (I think it was and just assumed it was tested by time and probably would not pick today to crumble). This was a constant topic of our group as we walked through cities that have been around way longer than the country we all call home. Very amazing to step into such ancient buildings. We enjoyed our view from the top of Tallinn's old city and then we made a much easier way down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCKEWPOUDkCM5p3WKXUaj1WTvlMeUimCtDRNR91e7vH7Xk1TmeiwmZ4gpfHJSKRbt-Otz2Uwu5NLLEjN4WEbmF9w6fBBoveMXtMfvrd1lw3fmz8rCkvOYxkOHcpuqL_h5DJy0v6RnguY/s1600/MVIMG_20180412_102608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCKEWPOUDkCM5p3WKXUaj1WTvlMeUimCtDRNR91e7vH7Xk1TmeiwmZ4gpfHJSKRbt-Otz2Uwu5NLLEjN4WEbmF9w6fBBoveMXtMfvrd1lw3fmz8rCkvOYxkOHcpuqL_h5DJy0v6RnguY/s320/MVIMG_20180412_102608.jpg" width="320" /></a>Once down we continued to enjoy the city until we had to return to our RV park for the evening. We most likely would have stayed until the wee hours of the morning but we unfortunately had to be back to our park by a certain time for certain amenities like showers (it was strange that they did not stay open all hours like every other place we had stayed, and though it was super nice spot it was really bizarre at the same time). That did not stop us from getting some last minute shopping done, visiting a museum or two, sitting and enjoying some sun bathing (watching people) in their beautiful town square, and having yet another stellar dinner. <br />
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Was our last night in the RV bittersweet? I would say yes, but all the cleaning and packing we had to do kept us from thinking of such things. We had to return that bad boy pretty much as we found it - pretty much. But it had been a reliable way to make our way through four different countries and it never let us down. I would definitely do the RV thing again, especially having learned a few things that would make doing it way easier.<br />
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The shirts. Our team shirt for the trip says "Tubaddell/Drive the Baltic". The drive the Baltic part is pretty self-explanatory. And if you've been paying attention the Tubaddell is too. Tubinis, Baddorf, and Bell... or Tubaddell. Nice right? I know, I have thought of just quitting any job I have ever had and going straight into the creative industry, but something always holds me back. One day though, and then it will all be gravy. Ok. Photos below because it's hard to write as much as there are amazing photos, and I really tried this time. Sorry about that, the too much writing part. Hopefully if it was too long you just skimmed and looked at the pretty people in the photos. Thanks for reading and as always happy travels. Maybe you should go check out the Baltic states. I will finish by saying we found roundtrip plane tickets for just over 700 dollars, which is amazing for such a far off destination. Think about it. <br />
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Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0Baltic Sea58.487952000000007 19.86328100000002949.654399000000005 -0.79101599999997063 67.321505 40.517578000000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-8771897088343517492018-04-30T10:54:00.002-07:002018-05-01T08:02:53.250-07:00One Other Reason I Run<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RIfx0WIzG5aIm9NOuL1snbb_HV4msDIMdcJSPlLzXxde9PojMgYJT3MBRBvx_r433zL1gXzLcbW664B5_evuaF-gA2nB2FovTZZuD1pLG9S92Zyu3qPNO-_GZomSqvaiLdOkmSWZxCA/s1600/Eric_Liddell-paris1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RIfx0WIzG5aIm9NOuL1snbb_HV4msDIMdcJSPlLzXxde9PojMgYJT3MBRBvx_r433zL1gXzLcbW664B5_evuaF-gA2nB2FovTZZuD1pLG9S92Zyu3qPNO-_GZomSqvaiLdOkmSWZxCA/s400/Eric_Liddell-paris1.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(<a href="https://www.biographyonline.net/sport/athletics/eric-liddell.html" target="_blank">Eric Liddell - click on this link to see the site</a><br />
<a href="https://www.biographyonline.net/sport/athletics/eric-liddell.html" target="_blank">I borrowed the image from</a>)</td></tr>
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This past Sunday I was reminded of one of the many reasons I run. It's not something I think about much, and there are certainly moments when I all but forget about it. This reason goes beyond the personal benefits of running and enters into the philosophical.<br />
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Put simply, because others cannot run. <br />
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There are many aspects of my life that can often be taken for granted. Breathing, eating food, being healthy, enjoying the love of my wife - this list could go on for quite some time. Running is certainly on this list. <br />
<br />
And yet some people would find this surprising. Since I began running in middle school, there has always been a general confusion surrounding why I would ever choose to run. The expressions of the overall communal misunderstanding of why I run has been presented over the years in the forms of jokes, strained faces of disgust, people throwing things from their cars at me, insults or unimaginative movie quotes hurled out as they drive by, or any other number of odd ways. Suffice it to say, the average person I have talked to does not understand the desire to run long distances. <br />
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Today I do not want to talk about the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits I believe running offers. I do not want to dwell on the amazing camaraderie that is fostered through enduring mile after mile with another human. I do not want to comment on the many other reasons I have run previously, or ponder on a few that might arise in the future. I simply want to talk about a reminded inspiration this weekend offered me. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgok5RNXLe3oyEsL2G15E0RpHxFkoZ908ZPMn4w4ZLkhMB7tvbSVm-zPtncFkIyKLuNEbPaFWnS-ptvhCDbZk4pHXlwiuX0RroSIH5Dtm-skNMP70CaZqG05oHEvEaQWedMq8p_wdjXyfI/s1600/IMG-0902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgok5RNXLe3oyEsL2G15E0RpHxFkoZ908ZPMn4w4ZLkhMB7tvbSVm-zPtncFkIyKLuNEbPaFWnS-ptvhCDbZk4pHXlwiuX0RroSIH5Dtm-skNMP70CaZqG05oHEvEaQWedMq8p_wdjXyfI/s320/IMG-0902.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Shelby Farms right as we were starting)</td></tr>
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During a service at Hope Church this past weekend in Cordova, TN, a group of wonderful young individuals came out to perform to one of the songs from the movie <em>The Greatest Showman.</em> Hope has long been a church that offered ministry to and for the special needs community of Memphis. This Sunday service was a wonderful demonstration of how this ministry gives back to the church as a whole, and we surely benefited from their wonderful performance. Such beautiful young adults all giving their best to offer us a gift of dance, smiles, and wonder. <br />
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It started me on a long train of thought. I had run twelve miles the morning before with a friend and my brother. It was a great run and I cherish such experiences immensely. This train of thought led me to thinking on an odd running experience from years past. One of my seminary professors was struggling intensely in his battle with cancer. I became convinced, however silly it might have been, that on one of my runs that the greater I persisted and struggled the more relief he would feel. Strange, yes. But it was also meaningful and I believe there was some mysterious truth in it. <br />
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I then found myself thinking back on Eric Liddell, who I was introduced to in the watching of the movie <em>Chariots of Fire</em>. Liddell had a unique running form and would often tilt his head back as he entered the most difficult part of the race. Some have described his face as having an expression of joy, or a wide smile, as he began to push his body into the moment when a person cannot be sure there will be anything left to finish the race. At least one or two accounts I have read describe seeing Liddell run as watching a man who truly loved to run. It must have really been amazing to see a man run who love it so!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjniHferLNHcNYGkPGPOcUQY3f-PIgUxXcAwqT327rHq7PRwUfJFfml0tQ974llgfxFw8yN1a62F9v78uVf_r41tUIeVWPUU8execgGD1_3rxZp2Iw_Bfoc5Ul7fX5PO5TZ1n6AQgKxQ/s1600/IMG-0903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjniHferLNHcNYGkPGPOcUQY3f-PIgUxXcAwqT327rHq7PRwUfJFfml0tQ974llgfxFw8yN1a62F9v78uVf_r41tUIeVWPUU8execgGD1_3rxZp2Iw_Bfoc5Ul7fX5PO5TZ1n6AQgKxQ/s320/IMG-0903.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Running goofballs Bryce and Bryan. Good times)</td></tr>
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The method of thought was quite bizarre, but this is how my thoughts work sometimes. <br />
From there I was just stuck thinking, as I have in the past on occasion, how lucky I am to be capable of running. During injuries these thoughts are readily apparent. Every time I stop to consider this line of thinking I am always struck by the opposite of the gift of running. There are countless who do not have this gift. Some had it - some never have. One day I will look back on my running days with a longing sense of loss. When I find myself fixated on those who will never experience the fantastic April breeze and sunshine from the perspective of a body loping over trails and through trees, it is with a renewed sense of joy I remind myself of my love for running. <br />
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Running is a gift. Running is a choice. But there are some who cannot make the choice to go dashing off into the wild - to feel the burn of the lungs, good worked legs, renewing of body and mind through deep breathing, to experience the run in its entirety. Is it an obligation for me to run? No, I do not quite feel that but it is very close! <br />
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Why do I run? This week I run for those who would love to but cannot. This week as I find myself involuntarily smiling and thanking God for the ability to run, which does happen with regularity, I will quicken my step for the one who has no step. As I am enjoying the breeze in my face, I will allow it to be a reminder of the resistance others have that keeps them from the joy of a run. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9fcSqBHsLjZHZuAihHc9TwnKdpCVU0VJo2RH-02nlVvCnwW78sKD-yoi3Ef-O85sg366azMIk_kbMx3_XvVt6Qn0gdMV493VQFYnFKgddWZxzLZN_Y21Mch7S7LEAQxP0PoPkHvgclk/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="606" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9fcSqBHsLjZHZuAihHc9TwnKdpCVU0VJo2RH-02nlVvCnwW78sKD-yoi3Ef-O85sg366azMIk_kbMx3_XvVt6Qn0gdMV493VQFYnFKgddWZxzLZN_Y21Mch7S7LEAQxP0PoPkHvgclk/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Post run celebratory pic)</td></tr>
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I know there are plenty of folks who are wholly capable of experiencing this joy and who cringe at the thought of a perceived tortuous run. There are others, much fewer most likely, who understand what I am driving at here. And to those I say this - this week enjoy your runs a little bit more. In spite of speed, unachieved goals, nagging injuries, or whatever other ailments there might currently be in your running life, you're out there running! <br />
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So smile and go get some miles. Run as the young adults on stage performed this past Sunday, in a dance of smiles and wonder. <br />
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(I hope to add a group pic we took at the end of Saturday's run but for now it's still on the camera)Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0Memphis, TN, USA35.1495343 -90.048980134.7339688 -90.6944271 35.5650998 -89.40353309999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-67463660822181490032018-04-15T17:34:00.001-07:002018-04-15T17:34:39.555-07:00Antarctica By Boat<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp6aa-QOihyphenhyphenFOdoXqmjdfgBwJOdEELUI0wzKwsjW5OlL4Z5vGOyIgq3CO4vcBhyQeUQs6H6D-aHKw1JAaAvMdeCvkdvMNXgyyps41Hf-PsmtjCEDfabZbbGOsgH2tgZYitdMRT34oxhA/s1600/IMG_0406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp6aa-QOihyphenhyphenFOdoXqmjdfgBwJOdEELUI0wzKwsjW5OlL4Z5vGOyIgq3CO4vcBhyQeUQs6H6D-aHKw1JAaAvMdeCvkdvMNXgyyps41Hf-PsmtjCEDfabZbbGOsgH2tgZYitdMRT34oxhA/s320/IMG_0406.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Antarctica and it's vast landscapes - not the two<br />tiny zodiacs with around twenty people in them)</td></tr>
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I have mentioned before how amazingly mobile my wife's job can be. It's truly amazing in every sense of the word. Sometimes we travel just for fun but she has worked it out so that usually when we travel she is work-cationing. Is it too late to go back and become an emergency medicine physician? Maybe. And besides most of the places she goes/we go as I tag along, are often places where only one doc is needed. So even if I were a physician I would be coming along in other various roles just as I do now. In the case of this trip, I come along simply as a passenger. It's not a bad way to go, and there are certainly worse options. It does confirm the job title I gave myself when we were opening a bank account a few years ago in New Zealand. When the lady asked me my job title I floundered a little on how to describe my role of an unemployed husband following my wife around the world. She said, "You're a man of leisure then?" And something about the way a Kiwi says the word leisure sounds way better. "Yes ma'am, I am a man of leisure." Do I love that the title is ambiguous and perhaps even misleading? Yes. So, as an international man of leisure, I write this post about one of the best ways to spend time in said profession - on a cruise boat in the Antarctic waters. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6iDdgZfloG0u3wPbnaD3qirVz1_Mj_gzz1NUjtTt-gJTRQsoegdL14j3wdTuCUW_YusGEXhBGOObXgI8Wu7fwkrWDUt1Ug3A5h0E14E9ymGffg-D4uLSoDGnjmWisEPVs6Egs3KAc_8/s1600/IMG_0606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6iDdgZfloG0u3wPbnaD3qirVz1_Mj_gzz1NUjtTt-gJTRQsoegdL14j3wdTuCUW_YusGEXhBGOObXgI8Wu7fwkrWDUt1Ug3A5h0E14E9ymGffg-D4uLSoDGnjmWisEPVs6Egs3KAc_8/s640/IMG_0606.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Some beautiful Crabeater Seals laying out on some ice. One is as curious about us as we were about it)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_WPiXHLwY4IqNHS8oQBamI1br4Vrrb5Ysxf0NNSq-xxFOTPjdxfx8w_AtKzHBV1FzOKxjp_W7oQnfGnOKVSMYR-gwEDryJwbGmtBVwgsXRlHIbRpEcPMg2swqxLyOZuc8jqZgbkf8-4/s1600/IMG_0451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_WPiXHLwY4IqNHS8oQBamI1br4Vrrb5Ysxf0NNSq-xxFOTPjdxfx8w_AtKzHBV1FzOKxjp_W7oQnfGnOKVSMYR-gwEDryJwbGmtBVwgsXRlHIbRpEcPMg2swqxLyOZuc8jqZgbkf8-4/s320/IMG_0451.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I like this photo as it shows the thick ice, algae,<br />and a bunch of Adelie penguins - some of the first<br />I have ever seen. Such cute little fellas)</td></tr>
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A few years back Sarah applied for a job working as a doctor for a cruise boat company called Quark. They take passengers on expeditions to the wonderfully hard to reach wonders of the Arctic and Antarctic waters. <a href="http://whyeveryoneshouldmovetonewzealand.blogspot.com/2016/10/when-sarah-first-mentioned-going-to.html" target="_blank">By clicking on this line you can read about one of the three posts I wrote describing our Arctic trip (warning as there are amazing photos of polar bears!).</a> We had a fantastic trip and had been looking forward to any other adventures we might be able to make possible through such spectacular opportunities to travel in the vast areas near either of the poles. As we were finishing our time at the South Pole, Sarah started looking into this seasons possible trips through Quark and applied for a few. Long story short, she landed three trips to the waters just off Antarctic Peninsula! She packed her bags and headed off for the first two, and as her companion I was granted access to joining her for the third and longest of her expeditions. For anyone who asked why we would go back to Antarctica after having lived at the South Pole (<a href="http://whyeveryoneshouldmovetonewzealand.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-south-pole-both-us-are-at-south.html" target="_blank">click here for the first of many South Pole posts</a>), this post should quell any more questions. While on this note though, I can safely say the experiences I have had in the Arctic and Antarctic have only made me want to visit both of them again and again. Each trip misses animals on the list of those we both want to see. Every trip takes us somewhere we have never been but misses some other wondrous island or historically charged spot we have not managed to make it to yet. Why again? I think the pictures will do most of the talking. If anyone is still not convinced just ask me and I'll come talk to you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrhVkZ-ufBYMejPcSJH6h5t_aYokXvoPMbasgB5xgpnUou-XAiyXxkkEX1EkyUmPgA-w9sG1ApP5zi8OUQmY1V_dJar6S6k4cGVUGbL1tpZOmpgOyn_eVkiEPcS4_dCbQbomq8UIm_to/s1600/IMG_0952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrhVkZ-ufBYMejPcSJH6h5t_aYokXvoPMbasgB5xgpnUou-XAiyXxkkEX1EkyUmPgA-w9sG1ApP5zi8OUQmY1V_dJar6S6k4cGVUGbL1tpZOmpgOyn_eVkiEPcS4_dCbQbomq8UIm_to/s640/IMG_0952.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Some Gentoo chicks just hanging out and waiting for a parent to bring back a meal)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdh60KdHpnAywu9NNSZFn_HngGDDAueAhyphenhyphenhjcxlNH3CL7447Ho4QPxIZHfAhJ2QZAyCpgw8-KfRi7FFrMoEpWtrQOtA-SCOmZaRdysY0ZfviQB-ZKEqfEwfXD0h6Wze8H4TxXjzrCcV2c/s1600/IMG_0572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdh60KdHpnAywu9NNSZFn_HngGDDAueAhyphenhyphenhjcxlNH3CL7447Ho4QPxIZHfAhJ2QZAyCpgw8-KfRi7FFrMoEpWtrQOtA-SCOmZaRdysY0ZfviQB-ZKEqfEwfXD0h6Wze8H4TxXjzrCcV2c/s320/IMG_0572.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Notice the one penguin who looks different?<br />That is a King Penguin!)</td></tr>
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The trip was a blast! We saw penguins (Adelies, Gentoos, Chinstraps, and one King penguin), whales (mostly lots of Humpbacks, but also two Minke whales - no Orcas for me but Sarah did see some on her first two trips), seals (so many Crabeaters, Fur seals, Leopard seals, a few elephant seals, and some Wedell seals), and so many different kinds of Antarctic birds. I think instead of writing a long post attempting to describe the wonders of this trip, I will simply share some of the photos. Hopefully there will be an official story through one of the Guideposts magazines I can share later about some of the experiences we had with the animals, but for now I'll keep it short and sweet. The whales stole the show! We had some Humpbacks who decided to just come up one day and give us about a fifteen minute investigation. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! Such enormous creatures just gently lazing on the surface, peering up at us through the water with the massive eyes. Such a fun time! Pictures!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMrAQ50hsMveltz-Sp8rRRMPwP5LPN8pR39h3qh6a3B8UluuHCq6xKPqa0o9hy3vaCT1bGdhG_O8D5ixhQ5lVFMh4iq_BrvGxC1f9my-eSRqCGcDJ0Lf6xkdTJXrVG8fRbJHVtfUvseQ/s1600/IMG_1041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMrAQ50hsMveltz-Sp8rRRMPwP5LPN8pR39h3qh6a3B8UluuHCq6xKPqa0o9hy3vaCT1bGdhG_O8D5ixhQ5lVFMh4iq_BrvGxC1f9my-eSRqCGcDJ0Lf6xkdTJXrVG8fRbJHVtfUvseQ/s640/IMG_1041.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sometimes the formations of icebergs are just as beautiful as anything else)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20cUhfFe_19B1P6222PYTMzihXs-fzO82DSU3ofYzCLggJ4eCo4mocy-9asrC7Ch7nEykvqTj0d6ZzQhdJyaWiLTItRp20Ab3BFAX_Fu3qNPTer8B4cOBEf02t3pbdhhhyphenhyphenMkdME-quxs/s1600/IMG_0593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20cUhfFe_19B1P6222PYTMzihXs-fzO82DSU3ofYzCLggJ4eCo4mocy-9asrC7Ch7nEykvqTj0d6ZzQhdJyaWiLTItRp20Ab3BFAX_Fu3qNPTer8B4cOBEf02t3pbdhhhyphenhyphenMkdME-quxs/s320/IMG_0593.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(One of the highlights was visiting Vernadsky<br />station. Super fun to be hosted by such friendly<br />folks)</td></tr>
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We also were able to make several landings to old stations, abandoned whaling stations, and even a station still in use for scientific research. These were certainly fantastic experiences as well. After wintering-over at the South Pole, it was unique to see how other people have lived or are living at their stations in other parts of the Antarctic. The coastal stations are quite different from one 800 miles inland. Really neat to note the differences and similarities. More pictures!! These are just some of the best we took. Hundreds more of course.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOelnQxHNTBd5wV1oX3_zyw9-QvZny_kN4TJGReyZ9QGlznVMhX9p_ECJ0e62y5vIhU-4AILoJS9xY_Hvf0OeeEIYrPTAhuJiZMLVQLizI50A-xOGqbhK0W2OoRX4l-tiQXHy47ARqTc/s1600/IMG_0791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOelnQxHNTBd5wV1oX3_zyw9-QvZny_kN4TJGReyZ9QGlznVMhX9p_ECJ0e62y5vIhU-4AILoJS9xY_Hvf0OeeEIYrPTAhuJiZMLVQLizI50A-xOGqbhK0W2OoRX4l-tiQXHy47ARqTc/s640/IMG_0791.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(No caption necessary)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXcy7qB_DhWKq2x95JeJShNIDIhp3y-M_ZIL9UCFFZ8lBpKNrq_q-2GAT24W5xBYMHdTuTEnA4OzT2F7Su-5ERBqqrvpUOAG4bjXsmYAhpI-WtuxYjZ5W-e8zfVYzYx0aIBYrp-B1w1A/s1600/IMG_0876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXcy7qB_DhWKq2x95JeJShNIDIhp3y-M_ZIL9UCFFZ8lBpKNrq_q-2GAT24W5xBYMHdTuTEnA4OzT2F7Su-5ERBqqrvpUOAG4bjXsmYAhpI-WtuxYjZ5W-e8zfVYzYx0aIBYrp-B1w1A/s640/IMG_0876.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah driving a zodiac. She's so cool)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6ENLsW4k8D4Kemor_DYVdDsIfVAP9Fi-SyJAmy9WCLumsBQsURo3AfDZgsSU6Q9-zxlRhiFkieJWCo_eJXYIdanwTzfN2nQ_mCPPYSNQdxGnx4f8a4lOBzZX5foM1j52_SfN0vm9oak/s1600/IMG_1181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6ENLsW4k8D4Kemor_DYVdDsIfVAP9Fi-SyJAmy9WCLumsBQsURo3AfDZgsSU6Q9-zxlRhiFkieJWCo_eJXYIdanwTzfN2nQ_mCPPYSNQdxGnx4f8a4lOBzZX5foM1j52_SfN0vm9oak/s640/IMG_1181.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Penguin highway! Ruts in the ice caused by continuous penguin trekking up and down the ice. Pretty fun to watch them awkwardly make their way up and down these paths)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GXbwABCK-xf0QQutMRlypSgdTbByrK2Snbm8JUFwvqDbIt1tiPLqEIZiY8vJTTd4mNUG4rcxhX7YXvc93fR4zhjbmuP0t3b-7iA4vEs4uFOLkzg0vK7M80s7IFvv-eCdZZqZhsG8gOs/s1600/28337596_10159944102135244_6700833704557371744_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GXbwABCK-xf0QQutMRlypSgdTbByrK2Snbm8JUFwvqDbIt1tiPLqEIZiY8vJTTd4mNUG4rcxhX7YXvc93fR4zhjbmuP0t3b-7iA4vEs4uFOLkzg0vK7M80s7IFvv-eCdZZqZhsG8gOs/s640/28337596_10159944102135244_6700833704557371744_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The up close experience with the Humpback whales. That's me taking a video in the front of the boat - wowsers!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHFPCQXhL4EtfBAreKivLCOBWr-Npg7Nbcv5q6sCFXhl21tXwVZUSvmIjrYI3XcNcNIxcof9pgy2DISfsf4PlFP9K2H_iFjzgi8DT9eb24rXrnWKgw9dZHU7XEwZa65AHvOFRz4C7vrU/s1600/IMG_1335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHFPCQXhL4EtfBAreKivLCOBWr-Npg7Nbcv5q6sCFXhl21tXwVZUSvmIjrYI3XcNcNIxcof9pgy2DISfsf4PlFP9K2H_iFjzgi8DT9eb24rXrnWKgw9dZHU7XEwZa65AHvOFRz4C7vrU/s640/IMG_1335.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(So many penguins!!)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8A6XFCmWGPWaayebrNEb0T6nLciEepPMdEr4boMNfNsxLqk-uxqmDi8dPrfwhU9aFDU8dIY8P8xnC5_bMqbhGLhzWExFtIC4xxDnOAI_5tvSRDtkeVX1msh3HSBPh_WJ5UjbvUtDw1E/s1600/IMG_1366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8A6XFCmWGPWaayebrNEb0T6nLciEepPMdEr4boMNfNsxLqk-uxqmDi8dPrfwhU9aFDU8dIY8P8xnC5_bMqbhGLhzWExFtIC4xxDnOAI_5tvSRDtkeVX1msh3HSBPh_WJ5UjbvUtDw1E/s640/IMG_1366.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I did not ask this guy to come and jump up on a rock and pose, but it happened right in front of me)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdOfJfDnxLCUWPmrsovOky9hyphenhyphenAaRiJRft8x8FbmQ6FzGSXYTJ32DEuCyRNFFC8v62Mzb_CSdeCGe8wnM71yIgr7FB-CsrmcZViHhJAlPVGcv4Fo7CJ19CeCYwzfdO5fD68WzR4543IpI/s1600/IMG_1407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdOfJfDnxLCUWPmrsovOky9hyphenhyphenAaRiJRft8x8FbmQ6FzGSXYTJ32DEuCyRNFFC8v62Mzb_CSdeCGe8wnM71yIgr7FB-CsrmcZViHhJAlPVGcv4Fo7CJ19CeCYwzfdO5fD68WzR4543IpI/s640/IMG_1407.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Fur seals play and spar at an old abandoned whaling station)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIXQMRtktxpO7os1qJtEg-yAf4j84aUF5X6u06upR9BAchvDL3hD7NJG4aWoA9tfQ7tMy4760j9DHMIVBKXg7gsrcRpDVj3wTYt0z3DQAQkG49y4LWGSvkZQmGhedGbEooOzCCRYZQ-o/s1600/IMG_1431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIXQMRtktxpO7os1qJtEg-yAf4j84aUF5X6u06upR9BAchvDL3hD7NJG4aWoA9tfQ7tMy4760j9DHMIVBKXg7gsrcRpDVj3wTYt0z3DQAQkG49y4LWGSvkZQmGhedGbEooOzCCRYZQ-o/s640/IMG_1431.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah stops to take some pics of remnants left over from the whaling station. Thank goodness this time of history is mostly over. It still happens but not in the same way as before)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8DiTIOCrB1mNtRJjf-6PQYVdNNL1dMNqe5h5UHAixqrglGp4fZScx7ojvDCKkPQyNbTrsy87ficmphvRBjZKuOxWlLIospcds_tQPAG8XBEzpN5qT_MK_drouxNojhiQrmyhEZ4sCZw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-03-05+at+10.04.10+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8DiTIOCrB1mNtRJjf-6PQYVdNNL1dMNqe5h5UHAixqrglGp4fZScx7ojvDCKkPQyNbTrsy87ficmphvRBjZKuOxWlLIospcds_tQPAG8XBEzpN5qT_MK_drouxNojhiQrmyhEZ4sCZw/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-03-05+at+10.04.10+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(A still shot from the video I took of the two humpback whales just inches from my face. Sarah was unfortunately not in one of the three boats that had this amazing experience, but she has had several encounters I was absent for... so I feel bad but not too bad)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheB4d-TyrhLVWS4NcIer6GlgmMWtNAE6rA8MEbprAct0GhKqN8W86qpdYbFAbCgZ-Bo9rCn1Q3eHpMSzWNqbNQLC004f4RGghzvkvSSRD2au2AR_BdFem6bpdO-owe7xJUwMOvROq2miM/s1600/P2110987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheB4d-TyrhLVWS4NcIer6GlgmMWtNAE6rA8MEbprAct0GhKqN8W86qpdYbFAbCgZ-Bo9rCn1Q3eHpMSzWNqbNQLC004f4RGghzvkvSSRD2au2AR_BdFem6bpdO-owe7xJUwMOvROq2miM/s640/P2110987.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Such dignity, beauty, and wonderful curiosity. I am so glad these gentle giants are more free than they used to be to roam the seas free of the dangers of a whaling industry. They are still recovering but are on their way. After this experience it was heart wrenching to consider them coming up to investigate our boats only to be harpooned and drug ashore. This should not be the fate of any whale)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFvVLwbe6GfU2AUal-YyGKyBlcprqi1DQ8xlLk8ZUSsNGvmN8T2L01jbqa-I6y8WIwNikdIli7bVe4e_nQ1zHZLMr7ogPYhMG4NVccPEMXSqhhjRa8VvLjOZUYdvdmp_ccv1HQuGOOiA/s1600/IMG_0761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFvVLwbe6GfU2AUal-YyGKyBlcprqi1DQ8xlLk8ZUSsNGvmN8T2L01jbqa-I6y8WIwNikdIli7bVe4e_nQ1zHZLMr7ogPYhMG4NVccPEMXSqhhjRa8VvLjOZUYdvdmp_ccv1HQuGOOiA/s640/IMG_0761.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(One of the few abandoned stations we visited)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bwQ_hyphenhyphen5Mn0Ji9AXAaDEerczk_jLd-bNt4pp2BD745F4eCDlUV7PzI7BETV762dlJ5ZbLk1A554382d7c2WGFsaoxN6jEDWPgsi8J7kZw6ErSlo236qfrhfx3E9JmTu1cz9BS93sEEZM/s1600/IMG_1077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bwQ_hyphenhyphen5Mn0Ji9AXAaDEerczk_jLd-bNt4pp2BD745F4eCDlUV7PzI7BETV762dlJ5ZbLk1A554382d7c2WGFsaoxN6jEDWPgsi8J7kZw6ErSlo236qfrhfx3E9JmTu1cz9BS93sEEZM/s640/IMG_1077.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(My first ever Leopard Seal!!!!! Wow. No wonder the penguin in Happy Feet was so afraid of these guys. This seal was huge and it was probably not a full grown leopard seal at all!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6w-mJfHS0ij_s3TC3oXAs1iUaW-x3CxL6fSRuCf2CT0mmjrnpsbpJZfoLFEb2DcxvjPaPNMWic4GZfxgjsHcf-xxNEGeIIT8oqNQZ41g0OOdD5W8yGz-lQ75CUocMBM4HcoEDYld_VM/s1600/IMG_1287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6w-mJfHS0ij_s3TC3oXAs1iUaW-x3CxL6fSRuCf2CT0mmjrnpsbpJZfoLFEb2DcxvjPaPNMWic4GZfxgjsHcf-xxNEGeIIT8oqNQZ41g0OOdD5W8yGz-lQ75CUocMBM4HcoEDYld_VM/s640/IMG_1287.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The defining moment of the trip - when two Humpback whales decided to make our day by spending time with us. The photo with us in the boat shows just how close they really were)<br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0Antarctica-82.862752 135-90 -30.234375 -31.855489499999997 -59.765625tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-18820290360176796312018-03-29T19:39:00.001-07:002018-03-29T19:39:08.914-07:00Vietnam and Cambodia: Next Antarctica Again<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JjbOpZGO5xoigtergPeM9IHSHwZ7zosIxJ6IOvEGwghhzsM-KotkfIEXC5UUkglcVIRGLtagBsudm9bbcSVR9F2YRbhKAG-2BxrLqrZnQEJGdj4yOd3vD3HimmPPneoZ2SbLlZGmSRs/s1600/P1100877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JjbOpZGO5xoigtergPeM9IHSHwZ7zosIxJ6IOvEGwghhzsM-KotkfIEXC5UUkglcVIRGLtagBsudm9bbcSVR9F2YRbhKAG-2BxrLqrZnQEJGdj4yOd3vD3HimmPPneoZ2SbLlZGmSRs/s320/P1100877.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Taken from the train ride into Hoi An)</td></tr>
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I really should not have waited so long to write this post. The further away we get from a trip the more difficult it is to look back and give it justice in a post I am not nearly as interested in writing in comparison to one about a more recent venture, or one on the horizon. But in our last post I only took us as far as Sa Pa, which leaves a good amount of Vietnam and all of Cambodia left to cover. To this end, I will focus this post more on Cambodia, but it will also wrap up our spectacular times in Vietnam as well - it would be a shame to leave it off. Also, I apologize. I edited this at least once for errors and the changed were not saved. I was way to lazy to do it again. Read with your hearts people. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86vMf0y48mD5kwAmdyAtXc8LMw-rKU8PI4Wf6My30IbIN8-Ta0gAvKy3fCbsJR-SniA6uDe4De3dT9PQboM_AxIo2cAmUwP3cAEPPlguF7er6guj4zQ5-F5vVPkbdFoh9bAyQxGNY6-Q/s1600/P1110953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86vMf0y48mD5kwAmdyAtXc8LMw-rKU8PI4Wf6My30IbIN8-Ta0gAvKy3fCbsJR-SniA6uDe4De3dT9PQboM_AxIo2cAmUwP3cAEPPlguF7er6guj4zQ5-F5vVPkbdFoh9bAyQxGNY6-Q/s320/P1110953.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The lanterns - ya we bought a few. The prices<br />
are actually really amazing)</td></tr>
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After Sa Pa, we visited Hoi An. To get from Hanoi to Hoi An we took an overnight train. This was quite the adventure as it afforded us a way of travel we have rarely taken, along with some fascinating views of the Vietnamese coastline as we came into the area around Hoi An. We quite enjoyed our time in this part of the country. Not only did we try and love every food specialty Hoi An boasted, from Bahn Mi to White Roses, but this is the area where they make and sell really beautiful lanterns! Unfortunately we were not able to visit the islands off the coast due to weather (and they are supposed to be amazing), so instead we went to a cooking class and rode bikes around the farms surrounding Hoi An. We ate lots of food, had some dresses and suits made from hand (at truly outrageously low prices for handmade clothing), and even sought out some Vietnamese beer while we wandered around Hoi An. Great place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZnRAXT85Yr-2kYjfntMfq5fe3YU0hQLV_-IF0-v8kIqi7M1sqBvoPDZAmbT2D4C_nUkaW9pDCLrsUU5X0_DrNdZsbkk9Ydh-arurDrJy7yQDQZ-AVOGOtjY7IM3QBhlBnufCGN9xoRM/s1600/P1131103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZnRAXT85Yr-2kYjfntMfq5fe3YU0hQLV_-IF0-v8kIqi7M1sqBvoPDZAmbT2D4C_nUkaW9pDCLrsUU5X0_DrNdZsbkk9Ydh-arurDrJy7yQDQZ-AVOGOtjY7IM3QBhlBnufCGN9xoRM/s320/P1131103.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The Great Holy See Temple - Cao Daism)</td></tr>
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Next we headed down to the infamous Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon depending on who you are talking to. I originally thought that Saigon was an old name for the city and it was an incorrect way to referring to a place with a new name. One of our guides, <a href="https://theculturetrip.com/asia/vietnam/articles/ho-chi-minh-city-vs-saigon-whats-in-a-name/" target="_blank">you can judge for yourself</a> by researching just one of many articles, told us if you're pro-communist you say Ho Chi Minh City while if you're not you say Saigon. Well after that explanation it was Saigon to me! What an interesting place with so much going on. Again, plenty to eat and see everywhere we looked. Our first day in Saigon, <a href="http://getawayhalongsapa.com/" target="_blank">Getaway Halong Sapa</a>, our tour agency, which again we cannot say enough good things about, had planned an interesting day for us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05bYghmnWNGcqipXvpvUCV46A17sPhdN-Y4SHTmt0WuTwdNbzUcfBjxJ6untv6xWzy_-p3B8D7cC3nGQvsm_RwEXdaWkbHxtHHygHbk9Jcwg332JjoR8LIt35YrXAsI6DR36zBapFk8E/s1600/P1141174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05bYghmnWNGcqipXvpvUCV46A17sPhdN-Y4SHTmt0WuTwdNbzUcfBjxJ6untv6xWzy_-p3B8D7cC3nGQvsm_RwEXdaWkbHxtHHygHbk9Jcwg332JjoR8LIt35YrXAsI6DR36zBapFk8E/s320/P1141174.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Where is Sarah?)</td></tr>
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As a Christian minister, I am always interested to learn more and experience what I can of the local beliefs when we travel. While this may not always be the case, I believe there is much one can learn about a people by seeing how they approach the divine, even though, like in the case of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caodaism" target="_blank">Cao Daism</a>, I understand so little. This faith is a combination of Buddhist, Confucius, and Christian views and traditions merged into one faith - I think there are a few other things worked in there as well. One part of their faith I found to be most intriguing is that one of their three most venerated prophets is Victor Hugo - yes the author of <i>Les Miserables</i>. Feel free to click on the link on their name if you'd like to know more. We visited their temple and were allowed to come in during their noonday service to watch and listen. Unfortunately there was no interpretation of what was going on, but it was still quite fascinating.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zhT35yH4ti46d6CRRxTKv9EbOdukvXdeqXJkv5Un69X9fLLDrxdKocxlo18JpTRbOrE_Vg2YYPAIRaJZ4_f9dhjsri5pdiuIN8hdbgxSEzuftYCT7YTDLOfZavf2mY0yx6vrOMSK8qM/s1600/P1141175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zhT35yH4ti46d6CRRxTKv9EbOdukvXdeqXJkv5Un69X9fLLDrxdKocxlo18JpTRbOrE_Vg2YYPAIRaJZ4_f9dhjsri5pdiuIN8hdbgxSEzuftYCT7YTDLOfZavf2mY0yx6vrOMSK8qM/s320/P1141175.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(There she is!)</td></tr>
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After we finished at the temple we went to Cu Chi tunnels. This is a museum and area dedicated to demonstrating what the tunnels were like that the Vietcong used during the Vietnam War. A visitor can see everything from examples of the different sorts of traps they used to actually crawling through a 100 yard set of tunnels that have been preserved for exploration. Parts of the trip like this were interesting as we always heard and learned things from a completely different perspective. At times I certainly had to hold my tongue as I considered what I was learning to be quite fabricated, but in other moments it was certainly clear I had been told things in my youth that were equally muddled in political jargon. It as a fun place to visit, nonetheless, and we enjoyed working our ways through the cramped tunnels, which have much less air to breath than the surface. No way I could spend much time down there! And we were the only two in our group to take the entire 100 yard stretch. Most quit after twenty-five yards and I think the rest bowed out at fifty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxf6ComTF4CLYSrLDwviUiw1Vv4shqk3-fJmcaPl_75YtCnz5HDvd-A_dhD3PsrmGpTj9gx1eqoZ41etlZ0PFoIJvOWG7mBkV8HnRzy9E-DufX-L7cZGVvkfgIAM8wyCeuWaiqs2htpAo/s1600/P1141193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxf6ComTF4CLYSrLDwviUiw1Vv4shqk3-fJmcaPl_75YtCnz5HDvd-A_dhD3PsrmGpTj9gx1eqoZ41etlZ0PFoIJvOWG7mBkV8HnRzy9E-DufX-L7cZGVvkfgIAM8wyCeuWaiqs2htpAo/s320/P1141193.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The tunnels were small, dark, and<br />
narrow. Though I think our ex-<br />
perience of them was quite nice<br />
compared to during the war)</td></tr>
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During this part of our trip our home base was Saigon. After our Cao Daism and tunnel times, we spent the evening exploring the rooftops and streets of Saigon at night. In the morning we were off again, this time to the Mekong Delta to see and experience still yet another way of Vietnamese life. There are a set of islands in this delta with people doing anything from growing coconuts (a lot of them) to making honey to growing all sorts of other tropical fruit. We were able to taste most of these things as we enjoyed a peaceful boat ride from island to island, having a super delicious lunch on one of them, and of course trying their snake wine while we were there (not sure I would recommend it but when in Vietnam). Coconut candy, fresh tea with honey right off the cone, and a trip that ended with live music as some locals sang folk songs to us - our day of visiting the Mekong delta area was quite nice overall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1nIX5Htm7OZnlG8hF2q8hHp1RAFW2DjScIGPGU3eeHR5aqcvkscjF9ibfZh773sWMmjQsm9LRVvxyEg4v_KMIyklO0Dp7hu9tjHnW6u6v78MxP36mtSa5kaSfAVRJyi34pcvxmAcehc/s1600/P1141235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1nIX5Htm7OZnlG8hF2q8hHp1RAFW2DjScIGPGU3eeHR5aqcvkscjF9ibfZh773sWMmjQsm9LRVvxyEg4v_KMIyklO0Dp7hu9tjHnW6u6v78MxP36mtSa5kaSfAVRJyi34pcvxmAcehc/s320/P1141235.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Snake wine)</td></tr>
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This left us with one more night and a day to explore Saigon before heading over to Cambodia. Naturally this meant as much Vietnamese food as we could get our hands on in such a short amount of time (which included two stops for what they call Vietnamese pizza - so good!), visiting at least two breweries in the city, seeing the Vietnam War museum (a great place to get a different perspective on the war but quite depressing as well), drinking some ferret coffee (yes it is what you think it is), and seeing as many other sites in Saigon as we could handle in a short amount of time. We are actually pretty good at getting out and figuring out what a city has to offer according to our interests. The internet in combination with brochures at hotels and such can be quite a nice way to plan an adventure in any city around the world. I read blogs that talk about particular places and foods, while Sarah reads tripadvisor . At the end of the day it flushes out a lot of good options for what we like to do. Here are some pictures of our "street pizza." I can taste it right now! (At the bottom I'll post our list of top things to do in Vietnam again)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCOJ2Ar1d6PC_-_8z9xxwzkIrJYPGM9GHRI7-5_Jst2znqtHRyqk2M2uFMd4BrYuQl02lHHzVvX0dlWze2fsdCNR_it_5JnpbE4_q6H8439azxtYGoRLe9kGp9ETx4c3JOpgCxEsjWII/s1600/P1151294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCOJ2Ar1d6PC_-_8z9xxwzkIrJYPGM9GHRI7-5_Jst2znqtHRyqk2M2uFMd4BrYuQl02lHHzVvX0dlWze2fsdCNR_it_5JnpbE4_q6H8439azxtYGoRLe9kGp9ETx4c3JOpgCxEsjWII/s200/P1151294.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX2iVmh694PZj9-zMdCvfhmxVNDYZTtmGJnkxPB1EBzY_Ui-l9icKIgSruozUhBr-hBCthTE_okXd2ikDWCKjEtd1LDRQoRo0H01lwiNbokrnxvzg0hRbZJKUpIddYklmIwaDsbdirDw/s1600/P1151296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX2iVmh694PZj9-zMdCvfhmxVNDYZTtmGJnkxPB1EBzY_Ui-l9icKIgSruozUhBr-hBCthTE_okXd2ikDWCKjEtd1LDRQoRo0H01lwiNbokrnxvzg0hRbZJKUpIddYklmIwaDsbdirDw/s200/P1151296.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX2iVmh694PZj9-zMdCvfhmxVNDYZTtmGJnkxPB1EBzY_Ui-l9icKIgSruozUhBr-hBCthTE_okXd2ikDWCKjEtd1LDRQoRo0H01lwiNbokrnxvzg0hRbZJKUpIddYklmIwaDsbdirDw/s1600/P1151296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX2iVmh694PZj9-zMdCvfhmxVNDYZTtmGJnkxPB1EBzY_Ui-l9icKIgSruozUhBr-hBCthTE_okXd2ikDWCKjEtd1LDRQoRo0H01lwiNbokrnxvzg0hRbZJKUpIddYklmIwaDsbdirDw/s1600/P1151296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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Ok - Cambodia Time!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhGd4cXBhoSx4kXAifOCeuf9ESI3WN1oCTSCHXvDsSNRLnvWL7M8kwnvAyu6hDtHZY8iWxjv0j5Zjpc6qIKxcV25PqPlm8YiHmDW80WR1qwOPG83nmARn5vcxMPcSNixnI7s_b9ELBn4/s1600/P1161418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhGd4cXBhoSx4kXAifOCeuf9ESI3WN1oCTSCHXvDsSNRLnvWL7M8kwnvAyu6hDtHZY8iWxjv0j5Zjpc6qIKxcV25PqPlm8YiHmDW80WR1qwOPG83nmARn5vcxMPcSNixnI7s_b9ELBn4/s320/P1161418.JPG" width="320" /></a>We only went to two cities and spent six days in Cambodia. The first of these two cities in the famed Siem Reap. What's in Siem Reap? Oh lots of ancient temples, most notably one called Angkor Wat.<br />
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This is one of the largest temples and archaeological sites in the world. Not only is it beautiful and ancient, but the art and style in which the temple (and those surrounding Angkor wat) are wholly unlike almost anything we have ever seen. The vastness of the land dedicated to the temple grounds is as much a part of the grand display as is the intensely intricate amount of detail committed to the sculptures and art carved into the walls. One could dedicate hours to surveying the various outlying buildings and sculptures without even entering into the main structure itself. I have not done research yet to see if what our tour guide told us was correct, but if what he said is true, the history of this place is almost as interesting as it is. Originally built as a Hindu temple (to a very particular sect), it has survived a country who's overall religion has shifted a few times back and forth with Buddhism. These changes are always dangerous for a place like Angkor Wat, but it seems for the most part that it did not suffer too much from the deliberate decimation that comes with religious changes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme4QzE84AejGmc1-A8qCKgajVOVaWqxbYyR8BkWMOph5-nEtqKvr_BjHQxJ56-miqs3bUPe0TgQA3oTLSXV7UJP-opxUaauj9b6jZR1x7n7CuocvCt5euSVd-0LeFBXqtLenl3pFQbqU/s1600/P1161508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme4QzE84AejGmc1-A8qCKgajVOVaWqxbYyR8BkWMOph5-nEtqKvr_BjHQxJ56-miqs3bUPe0TgQA3oTLSXV7UJP-opxUaauj9b6jZR1x7n7CuocvCt5euSVd-0LeFBXqtLenl3pFQbqU/s640/P1161508.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Angkor Wat from the backside. There is no side to this thing that is not impressive)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-qKn2ibBd1ATTifWnMNQfnOLURPWB395V9e8_JbJP89oQW7KEYk5YRlB6Vp9HOJZB-LbKk7ujzyUn4GZeE2EBUSd5eS6XygOdShxJGXqYfB3BG3Ra4TOPpodszNh0bNDLo1UhVdrfHk/s1600/P1161436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-qKn2ibBd1ATTifWnMNQfnOLURPWB395V9e8_JbJP89oQW7KEYk5YRlB6Vp9HOJZB-LbKk7ujzyUn4GZeE2EBUSd5eS6XygOdShxJGXqYfB3BG3Ra4TOPpodszNh0bNDLo1UhVdrfHk/s320/P1161436.JPG" width="320" /></a>We very much enjoyed our time at Angkor Wat, making sure to see as much of it as we could. This often meant telling our guide we wanted to see a building he did not deem important enough to waste time on, but that was fine with us. He was not keen, for instance, on us waiting the forty-five minutes to ascend to the highest part of the temple (the government only allows 100 people at a time to the top but there was no way we were missing that). Our guide told us this was sort of the Mt. Olympus of the Hindu gods when it was built. The bridge over the moat was like coming to the city of the gods, while the last climb we did was representative of visiting where they resided. It was nice comparison that was easy to think about while walking through the temple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kP1fmaL-Kl5zeCORwIakeq98-mkYWxrmbDc6lnGmLjbGGYPuKKPHTcC0RM96ex_OLcyy3oUYAOfQ7qLU0_v9oIlKWqx21o_beaB_GTCMbInwGIQn9I_E4ZClF3d883KX7KWiKE1JJSM/s1600/P1161518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kP1fmaL-Kl5zeCORwIakeq98-mkYWxrmbDc6lnGmLjbGGYPuKKPHTcC0RM96ex_OLcyy3oUYAOfQ7qLU0_v9oIlKWqx21o_beaB_GTCMbInwGIQn9I_E4ZClF3d883KX7KWiKE1JJSM/s320/P1161518.JPG" width="320" /></a>But Angkor Wat is only the beginning of what we saw that day. There are so many temples in the surrounding area it's almost kind of crazy. So off we went in our tuk tuk and saw as many more of them as we could for the rest of the day, knowing we would need at least one or two more days to see even more of them. Seriously. Each temple we visited could have stood on its own as an impressive work of art, and each of them were only slightly over-shadowed by Angkor Wat - though one or two seemed to vie for our favorites. I am not sure if there were temple building rules, of if each ruler had their own creative streak to exhibit, but one of my favorite parts of these temples was how they all differed from the last one. Some of these variation were vast while others were less significant. In some cases this meant dedicating an entire art form to the temple, like giant faces carved into almost every elevated portion of the temple, to placing a small temple in an island that can only be reached by boat after a long walkway which may or may not have existed when it was created.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWocgChFGDpEtqtPiDJrEDAF3ZtvUxzAooFIqWD-dkYc6GnSPjRkpue4HNHY1-cwl5Fip8xjw1RB0G7YD2vC7__gSMEwnrQ1gqHvUJSquSqRaLcoKSCjsmbZ2fesuJjvCEhlnSp9j2ilA/s1600/P1171587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWocgChFGDpEtqtPiDJrEDAF3ZtvUxzAooFIqWD-dkYc6GnSPjRkpue4HNHY1-cwl5Fip8xjw1RB0G7YD2vC7__gSMEwnrQ1gqHvUJSquSqRaLcoKSCjsmbZ2fesuJjvCEhlnSp9j2ilA/s320/P1171587.JPG" width="320" /></a>To this end we went from temple to temple never really knowing what to expect. Some had ancient looking trees seemingly growing out of the temple itself, while another seemed a giant geometric cross with corridors running along the axis of North, South, East and West. It was exhausting trying to walk through them all and see everything they had to offer, knowing each time you chose going down one corridor you would miss something significant down the other. But a person has only so much time to wander through temples before it gets dark and they make you go back to town. So we did our best and tried to hurry our guide along, who was quite fond of long stories, in our attempts to experience as much as we could.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3iMESmQ3cWsRLH66i_UPQF_1t6CCRg87cN1SOLoe9W4x34_kCxUgkOFB2YL1M4ccrId_TxS85MGzTavvb3jEcV6-mi3mUgijvfkhnKUas8YbupUKGhT_A8LLPa6lwGqv_Wmi5pb028s/s1600/P1171626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3iMESmQ3cWsRLH66i_UPQF_1t6CCRg87cN1SOLoe9W4x34_kCxUgkOFB2YL1M4ccrId_TxS85MGzTavvb3jEcV6-mi3mUgijvfkhnKUas8YbupUKGhT_A8LLPa6lwGqv_Wmi5pb028s/s320/P1171626.JPG" width="320" /></a>At night we would shop, eat food, get some drinks, shop some more (Sarah loves to shop), and then usually eat some more food. I mean what better way to understand a country than to learn what types of food they eat right? While in Siem Reap though, it is all really just resting up so you can go see more temples on the next day...unless you're into thinks like a silk farm, which we are. The next morning we spent our time learning how Cambodians make their famous golden silk. Super cool. They took us through the process from beginning to end, from growing silk worms to the final beautiful silk product. It was very interesting and good way to spend a portion of the hot day not outside walking through the hot and humid temple grounds. I've got some great photos from this time but I might opt for only shots at more temples - still deciding. Maybe at the end.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpd7yNY4ynZ5-Y3GB2GtUGRrE6I27lwMqHreEgqH0ef0ts6EDFEZ61eZQqDu0dgsZ8a2oiMxKkMifZzzwzq4u1mnHKtTWJe0WkVmxUDxvh2w0B1uvCt24QWizJUlBTSwo45A0oh1qBEhg/s1600/P1171713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpd7yNY4ynZ5-Y3GB2GtUGRrE6I27lwMqHreEgqH0ef0ts6EDFEZ61eZQqDu0dgsZ8a2oiMxKkMifZzzwzq4u1mnHKtTWJe0WkVmxUDxvh2w0B1uvCt24QWizJUlBTSwo45A0oh1qBEhg/s640/P1171713.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(It's hard to see but how many faces can you count? They are carved into almost every piece of this<br />
temple you can see)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WsyK8PYw8FGRoNJkCBDT41Ytohii9TXm3bdRB-CSRAbowakbuLUscIFApDoM1dTDIiwA9B4ENofp9cAuzqPCjvSc1ZQeBWGSVGWuGijMS4-g8IsFZv3vaD3WaKn-_3xMrRsyg8gR760/s1600/P1181906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WsyK8PYw8FGRoNJkCBDT41Ytohii9TXm3bdRB-CSRAbowakbuLUscIFApDoM1dTDIiwA9B4ENofp9cAuzqPCjvSc1ZQeBWGSVGWuGijMS4-g8IsFZv3vaD3WaKn-_3xMrRsyg8gR760/s320/P1181906.JPG" width="320" /></a>Then we spent another afternoon walking through more temples. This time we did not hire a guide and we just ventured out on our own to see as much as we could of the temples we had not seen yet. Hundreds of elephants either carved into the walls or as standalone sculptures, bats hiding in the dark recesses of darkness provided by certain high vaulted areas, monks wandering around in their orange robes, way less tourists in the late afternoon and away from the larger temples - we had a blast. There were still several portions of temples we had to rush through due to a lack of time, but overall we saw most of what the area had to offer. We even stopped off at a nearby, though sort of out of the way, museum dedicated to the mine fields of Cambodia. It is an interesting stop and one dedicated by a man who laid several of these mines himself during the time of the Khmer Rouge, who then committed his life to disarming them and digging them up. Worth the stop, though short and sweet. Sweet meaning good, not nice or fun. It's a serious topic for sure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhIx5Y_MJ4dIkcpgQeiZF5CFH_J004iAyAAUrMH9nsBx1omBLu9jLTAYKFoIQuTfZ2oIPeqDBMx0smejnmsh9-Gk3GLfy09P37-MsKU-X1zGoaLfMIvjhzEqnxGKRp3iJp9zbdIFXCWk/s1600/P1182147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhIx5Y_MJ4dIkcpgQeiZF5CFH_J004iAyAAUrMH9nsBx1omBLu9jLTAYKFoIQuTfZ2oIPeqDBMx0smejnmsh9-Gk3GLfy09P37-MsKU-X1zGoaLfMIvjhzEqnxGKRp3iJp9zbdIFXCWk/s320/P1182147.JPG" width="320" /></a>As our time in Siem Reap neared an end, we decided to follow up on one last suggestion from some friends and what we had read. Being at Angkor Wat for sunrise. Woah. Outside of the thousand other people who also decided being there at sunrise was a grand idea, this really was worth the getting up ridiculously early to make it happen. I had not yet managed to get a run in while in Cambodia, having been nursing a nagging injury and giving it some time off while we traveled, so I woke up a little bit earlier to run to the temple. Sarah took a tuk tuk and met me there, where we then played the waiting game. For the first little bit I felt we had wasted our time due to the overwhelmingly large number of people mixed with the locals trying to sell us breakfast or coffee. Not exactly the peaceful sunrise I had expected. But then the colors in the sky started changing and it was all gravy. Certainly a sunrise to remember. And then we were able to explore some more of the grounds we had not seen during our first day walking through Angkor Wat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidn-WgNdFZwBsv6U_8UROKIQUkGcm2y-kYaZFNChCkD43kAB5xP9L7ME5t_X2Yj_DfhLLPNja71fmEqDSBnyDj1iSgegohhOTKFVsmOEMwLi57v9cinaD6Tn9tF0K2oMhLBpub4JEGkLE/s1600/P1192288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidn-WgNdFZwBsv6U_8UROKIQUkGcm2y-kYaZFNChCkD43kAB5xP9L7ME5t_X2Yj_DfhLLPNja71fmEqDSBnyDj1iSgegohhOTKFVsmOEMwLi57v9cinaD6Tn9tF0K2oMhLBpub4JEGkLE/s320/P1192288.JPG" width="320" /></a>This brought our time to Siem Reap to an end and we headed to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia and big city life. After an all-night bus ride, we visited the presidential palace and the silver pagoda (along with everything else on the palace grounds). We were quite tired and rugged from our bus experience, but the palace is certainly worth visiting as there is quite a lot to see in such a small area. We ate more food (of course), spent an afternoon exploring the city, and got ourselves situated in a hotel Sarah booked for us right on the river - super sweet. We then looked to tomorrow and booked a tour to go see The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the killing fields. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWT5FghBYnxwP60nGnsbNf8Kiuy1ah_lJvZPOdeteHlfWG3zPG4Rw4ZR781_M3NTPDQ63ho5LpxCAJkPCWjWkd5PyZsGjKbAL87NHV_7qCKVXHtR2x_DZXD6EO1m_vDLohvFQqOD18P4/s1600/P1202366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWT5FghBYnxwP60nGnsbNf8Kiuy1ah_lJvZPOdeteHlfWG3zPG4Rw4ZR781_M3NTPDQ63ho5LpxCAJkPCWjWkd5PyZsGjKbAL87NHV_7qCKVXHtR2x_DZXD6EO1m_vDLohvFQqOD18P4/s320/P1202366.JPG" width="240" /></a>Now this does not sound like fun, and it is not. But it is a big part of the recent Cambodia history and while some people seem to ask why we went, I think places like this are important to visit. There is a danger in those of us who did not experience such horrific events to dismiss or avoid thinking about such tragedies. I have heard people say things like, "Surely that many people did not die in that genocide," or other such statements. Well I will tell you it is difficult to pretend an evil of this magnitude did not take place when you stand exactly where it did. When you walk the hall of a high school converted into a prison by power hungry rulers with a huge conspiracy problem and see where people were tortured to death, there is no room for dismissal. When you read a sign that explains why a particular tree is called the killing tree and the description mentions the pieces of brain from children that were found there, the heart cannot process how another human is capable of such atrocities. But capable we all are of such things and we must be reminded how easy it is for such things to take place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboXzIoVAWDgHat6kBCEA90GoQmm30IpX1q3rk0IO2SaNJDvq2nBwtLmzgjTWiTCoO8CSXJHzV-dCcMhlXEESDUYsznPGSwMgivcMoCSxe3T-DhPFxTggmZdb0J2Tk5uDEkEE25LbwiDc/s1600/P1202334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboXzIoVAWDgHat6kBCEA90GoQmm30IpX1q3rk0IO2SaNJDvq2nBwtLmzgjTWiTCoO8CSXJHzV-dCcMhlXEESDUYsznPGSwMgivcMoCSxe3T-DhPFxTggmZdb0J2Tk5uDEkEE25LbwiDc/s320/P1202334.JPG" width="320" /></a>So yes, we visited these places and we read the accounts of those hundreds of thousands of people who were wiped off the face of the planet because of the whims of a madman who never owned up to what he did. I will not mention his name, for he is not important. Those who were killed are the important ones and places like the killing fields remind us there is a time when people just like them need protecting. Did it define our trip to Cambodia and ruin our stay there? No. It helped us learn about a portion of their history where the darkness was able to reign for a short time. It certainly was not fun to read the placards posted on the walls of the prison or on the graves where the bodies of over 400 people were all found, but it was important for us to experience these things. Let us all experience such so that we can see it coming and defy it with all of our being.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qX63lfm7KSfWe5f4EC8xENbrkQ0qH4L5BPhVhadwUdpzF9SfwJCzTGiJLME8mdjgp2PV7aPSnYs8VO10vvXD10f2_RgVJEWAlvd4Mg4r4jrfe0qkBHFLUjv_L8P8B9mkcK47hG-_mDA/s1600/P1222566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qX63lfm7KSfWe5f4EC8xENbrkQ0qH4L5BPhVhadwUdpzF9SfwJCzTGiJLME8mdjgp2PV7aPSnYs8VO10vvXD10f2_RgVJEWAlvd4Mg4r4jrfe0qkBHFLUjv_L8P8B9mkcK47hG-_mDA/s320/P1222566.JPG" width="240" /></a>The rest of our time spent in Phnom Penh was the usual: eating, visiting temples in and around the city, shopping at the various stores (my favorite was Daughters of Cambodia), trying some Cambodia beers, and watching locals as we walked down their streets. The one unusual thing we did was renting a motorbike. We decided to experience the Cambodian culture the way they and the Vietnamese get around. We rented (a scooter might be the right word) motorbike for cheaper than we could get around in tuk tuks and we headed out into the countryside to see more of the country we were traveling through. For anyone who has ever seen how the locals drive these machines, this was somewhat of a daunting decision to make - at least for while we were in the city. But we jumped on one, had plenty of adventures, and somehow made it out alive. Some stories are reserved only for the closest of friends, especially when they involve motorbikes in Cambodia. But if you're adventurous and have any experience riding one, we highly recommend it as a way to get around. We wished we had rented one earlier to save money and have more fun. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jBmhCdRDi0NSpQUwM15UWiFz42nu8WBKJqijOiXZsNFSeG2wzc3WsI9JAE3NH2BFvJIoi9IxjbOM9lyCitECpEbcnXwXRLa3U7VowPwT-cXR9ucmAVDKc9-usbz5gEqETJDNnbGJrQ4/s1600/P1222553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jBmhCdRDi0NSpQUwM15UWiFz42nu8WBKJqijOiXZsNFSeG2wzc3WsI9JAE3NH2BFvJIoi9IxjbOM9lyCitECpEbcnXwXRLa3U7VowPwT-cXR9ucmAVDKc9-usbz5gEqETJDNnbGJrQ4/s320/P1222553.JPG" width="320" /></a>We very much enjoyed our Vietnam/Cambodia times. Wonderful countries you should go visit. The food and the people are amazing in both countries, offering so many places to go and wonderful things to do. Both countries are super affordable to visit, though the prices for visiting the temples around Siem Reap have raised recently to reflect how significantly amazing the experience truly is. We recommend everything we did during our stay in both countries, though as I mentioned in our last post on Vietnam, sometimes people do not have as much time as we did during our stay. Below will be a suggestion of how much we enjoyed various places in Vietnam should you have to choose when making your own visit, and should you care what we think.<br />
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Our next post will be on the recent trip we took back to Antarctica. This trip was very different and all through a cruise boat Sarah worked on as a doc. Way more animals than our previous time spent at the South Pole, which was really amazing and I cannot wait to share about our times there.<br />
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;">A list of top things to see/do in Vietnam:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">1. Food - we loved all of the food we ate, with the exception of a few poorly made Ban Mi sandwiches, but I think that is because we had two that we so delicious. I recommend you search what foods to try in each city. It was more fun to try and eat dishes a particular area or city that was known for making it - such as egg coffee in Hanoi for example.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">2. Halong Bay - I had looked forward to it and it one of the most beautiful places we visited. It was a bummer that there was a little bit of trash floating around but we also saw boats of people picking it up - nice. I could have spent more time here!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">3. Hanoi - Originally I did not think I would enjoy having as much time as we had built into our schedule to be in Hanoi. When we left Vietnam I wanted to go back to Hanoi. There is so much to do and see! From food and drinks to temples and museums to countless streets to shop on, Hanoi was very enjoyable for us. We highly recommend spending some time here. We walked a lot! But we love to walk, and it was a great way to see the city.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">4. Hoi An - We very much enjoyed our time in Hoi An. Unfortunately we could not visit one of the highlights for this time, the Cham Islands, because of weather. But we were thrilled with some food that is specifically Hoi An (seriously one of my favorite food spots in our Vietnam travels), had some dresses and a suit made here, and bought more than a few of the hand made lanterns (the prices are super good). We liked Hoi An and you should go to there. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">5. Mekong Delta - The delta was an interesting trip. We got to spend a lot of time on the water and visit some fun places. Coconuts! This one I will talk more about in our second blog post on Vietnam, but it's a fun way to spend a day.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">6. Ho Chi Minh City/ Saigon - Again, we enjoyed the time we spent in this big city quite a bit. Breweries, food, rooftops, more food, and mostly just walking through the city to get a feel for Vietnamese city-life. Quite the adventure.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">7. Hoa Lu/Tam Coc Day Tour - We enjoyed this tour but it took a long time to get there. And while very beautiful the guides who rowed us up the river were a little bit pushy about tips. Though it did not sour the experience it sure made it weird. It is a nice area but if you were pressed with time I would visit Halong Bay or something higher on this list. Still worth seeing and experiencing if you have the time to see more of Vietnam.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">8. Cu Chi Tunnels - This is lower on my list only because it was difficult to tell if we were actually traversing any of the tunnels that were used during the Vietnam War. I would hazard a guess - no. But it is the same area and if you are into history this is a must see place. I will write more about this in our next post.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">9. Sa Pa - So I actually wrote a lot about Sa Pa in this post and though we did like it I rank it lower on our list because our weather was so damp and dismal. I do believe if we had had a clear day this very well could have been a highlight of our trip. We did enjoy it and it is worth seeing but it does take quite a bit of time to get there. You should probably go to Sa Pa, however, if time is short I would not feel too bad at having left it off your list.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">10. Cao Dai Great Holy See Temple - This is last on my list for a few reasons. It is on my list because through all of my religious studies in college and in seminary, this temple is quite unique. I will write more about it in the next blog post, but what an interesting place! I wish we could have spent more time there with someone who could have explained what was happening during the portion of a service we witnessed. Watching any religious ceremony in another language is difficult, though still fascinating.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 16px;">Some of the most memorable things we did, which I hope I will include in these posts, are things we stumbled upon or one of us discovered while researching what to do in certain areas online. Go read up on these places by people who have been there and find some off the beaten path places to explore. And make sure you won't end up missing something right near where you are traveling!!</span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-35941619412805971372018-02-01T18:54:00.000-08:002018-02-10T13:12:35.327-08:00Vietnam: The First Half of our Vietnam Trip<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpYA-WYJdmlSxBaE94CXK_4XBmwZ-581HT41_tpjpjE3_1YRmgiXxbq6p1jcr2RiQvbQfDcmPcNzVrI_HNKp_DxO_U0XcfmGuGLc6pYsV6CxvCTbmhbrLpx47K5KFPlKsG64GaqfPXNA/s1600/P1040035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpYA-WYJdmlSxBaE94CXK_4XBmwZ-581HT41_tpjpjE3_1YRmgiXxbq6p1jcr2RiQvbQfDcmPcNzVrI_HNKp_DxO_U0XcfmGuGLc6pYsV6CxvCTbmhbrLpx47K5KFPlKsG64GaqfPXNA/s320/P1040035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Most of our trips revolve around trying to eat as<br />
much of the local food as we can. Vietnam was<br />
no exception and did not disappoint. Here we<br />
are eating in an alleyway where some women had<br />
set up shop - delicious)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As mentioned in our last post, Sarah and I have been looking forward to visiting Vietnam and Cambodia for quite some time now. After a trip to Thailand we decided we wanted to see much more of Southeast Asia.<br />
<br />
We booked our trip through a website, that in turn set us up with a company called <a href="http://getawayhalongsapa.com/" target="_blank">Getaway Halong Sapa</a>, a Vietnamese travel agency. They planned out a North to South Vietnam experience with all sorts of fun adventures. This was our first time using an agency to plan our trip for us and it was quite nice. There was plenty of time for us to go off on our own to seek out various interests, while most of the more sought after locations were all planned out for us. Airport transfers, hotels, tours, and all other details of this kind were meticulously planned out and ready for us to just show up. When we had questions or our schedule needed to change due to weather, a person from Getaway was always super helpful. I cannot recommend them highly enough should you find yourself planning your own trip to Vietnam and you want some help.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHVEWOGJsaPlbyE7X1UpFd0jjd4TACYVfiYo3XPNkerh086qbUeKy9JpllkoEPYcBg2nvudjcGIf8JTUHSBDsavqWtJCRH-emfaH5Jwi0TzA5W61-XjhLYdYN_gGFSjSxB5mjVdMm3D4/s1600/P1040052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHVEWOGJsaPlbyE7X1UpFd0jjd4TACYVfiYo3XPNkerh086qbUeKy9JpllkoEPYcBg2nvudjcGIf8JTUHSBDsavqWtJCRH-emfaH5Jwi0TzA5W61-XjhLYdYN_gGFSjSxB5mjVdMm3D4/s320/P1040052.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Taken at the Hoa Lo Prison while looking at a<br />
sculpture representing the many prisoners who<br />
were held in this place over the years for<br />
one reason or another)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Arriving in Hanoi at nighttime was kind of fun. After an interesting ride watching the traffic patterns of mostly mopeds and vespas zip around in a seemingly "anywhere I want to go" sort of flow, we very much enjoyed being able to lie down flat and put our feet up after the long flight over - seriously, on both sides of our trip that first night in a bed is fantastic and something we look forward to eagerly.<br />
<br />
The next morning we woke up and went to enjoy a free day in Hanoi.<br />
<br />
The capital of Vietnam is home to around eight million people or so, it is a city busting from the seams with mopeds, the smell of food everywhere, and people selling anything you might be looking for in almost every direction. First on our agenda was learning how to cross the street, which is actually much easier than it seems upon first glance. The trick to it is really just walking out into traffic, within reason of course. One must simply give the traffic enough time to merge and meld around you. After doing this for a few days, Sarah being much better at it than I was, I realized watching her one day what that mental itch was I had been feeling. Seeing her walk brazenly out into traffic and watching as the traffic flowed around her effortlessly, I had been reminded, though it took me some time to figure out of what, of the underwater scenes when a predatory shark or dolphin attacks a school of fish all grouped together. The shark enters the ball of fish and the fish seamlessly morph around the bigger intruder. Walking through a busy street in Hanoi looks just like this! The mopeds just flow around you as you walk out. Sarah made it look easy!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbTC2zC7x6U9pKAStpjAT9ixF13vl0LnHmL6uKmMiiFs1-kmemZchCuekLymfC-B-2droK7VMdZZj_kMAVqqW8rsLJut06rXaqXE3cooAIeUD-cq3sDKUt1ushU5Yw5h_9BaavIBzJv4/s1600/P1040058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbTC2zC7x6U9pKAStpjAT9ixF13vl0LnHmL6uKmMiiFs1-kmemZchCuekLymfC-B-2droK7VMdZZj_kMAVqqW8rsLJut06rXaqXE3cooAIeUD-cq3sDKUt1ushU5Yw5h_9BaavIBzJv4/s320/P1040058.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(One of the dishes we wanted to eat in Hanoi was<br />
<div>
Bun Cha. <a href="https://www.eater.com/2016/9/25/13036768/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-hanoi-vietman" target="_blank">I had read that when </a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.eater.com/2016/9/25/13036768/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-hanoi-vietman" target="_blank">Pres Obama visited the country he had eaten</a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.eater.com/2016/9/25/13036768/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-hanoi-vietman" target="_blank"> this dish with none other than</a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.eater.com/2016/9/25/13036768/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-hanoi-vietman" target="_blank"> Anthony Bourdain</a>. The rec was</div>
<div>
really good and we enjoyed the food)</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All that to say, we made it across the street successfully to arrive at the first of many temples we would visit during our trip - <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/hanoi/attractions/ngoc-son-temple/a/poi-sig/398071/357880" target="_blank">Ngoc Son Temple</a>. Walking across a nice bridge that leads to this Buddhist temple on an island in a lake in downtown Hanoi is quite interesting. The smell of incense fills the air as all of the other senses are overloaded in trying to take in the visual spectacle that we found most temples in Vietnam to be. Ornate in architectural design and with bright colors covering every wall, roof, ceiling and in many cases floors, the temples are interesting to walk through. They are so entirely different from the Judeo-Christian buildings that are scattered throughout our entire country, that I found myself thinking and feeling many unexpected things. It is easy to become enamored by the mysterious symbols and statues strewn about the temple, at times in what seems like overly numerous representations of something clearly important but distinctly odd to my western mind. With this temple as with many more we would visit, the number of tourists or other people visiting most certainly detracted from a person's ability to enjoy the sort of atmosphere that should exist at such a place, but I guess that goes with the territory.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13Zv7AtghgAg8yhKM_NXcZI2nTmOatOSl6JfeILRvJuv1JdtuQ-lYFc-E6fJJtNdqENGyNGbOzQB-ipLFtpIQ6G1oZlsHHZM7HAQCK3T86JS_UKnVPvN2ivF1Z3ojU1UIS4zdfs4uwjw/s1600/P1040099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13Zv7AtghgAg8yhKM_NXcZI2nTmOatOSl6JfeILRvJuv1JdtuQ-lYFc-E6fJJtNdqENGyNGbOzQB-ipLFtpIQ6G1oZlsHHZM7HAQCK3T86JS_UKnVPvN2ivF1Z3ojU1UIS4zdfs4uwjw/s320/P1040099.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(While visiting the ancient capital of Vietnam,<br />
Sarah stops for a picture with a water buffalo)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our first day was amazing. We visited a quilt store Sarah had read about (she loves quilts and made one for the first time while we were at the South Pole), went by one of the many old propaganda stores (they sell copies of communist propaganda from the past, most of which are very interesting to look at), had our first local beer and cider, ate our first dish of real Vietnamese food on the street (pictured above with Sarah, this food was delicious), we went to one of the big markets in town (Sarah DID some shopping), stopped by at St. Joseph's Catholic church (where we stopped to listen to some people singing hymns in Vietnamese - amazing experience), visited a rooftop for another drink while overlooking the church and the square in front of it, and then made our way over to Hoa Lo Prison. We got our walk on!<br />
<br />
I pause at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%E1%BB%8Fa_L%C3%B2_Prison" target="_blank">Hoa Lo Prison</a> because this was the first of a few places we visited on our trip that were connected to the Vietnam war in some way. This prison was used by the French to hold political prisoners and then afterward by the North Vietnamese to hold American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. I thought it was quite the unique experience to visit sites like this as an American who learned about these events through a much different lens than the Vietnamese, especially in the North. A very thought provoking visit, our time here started off a series of questions and a challenge to clear the historical cobwebs of what we were taught back in school. Mostly we were just trying to remember our history lessons.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-B_sZbAsjlffAruJk_n5BjnIBOXlr0s-ICGJ-kr9GRFyWo9rg7cOPYPzQnMmWsFv5khRvo-X1sa4En_i8PRQMPwLiZGC4klSvlxsnabsyGmCA29hmoSS_seAbLU5DkjQuHzkAElGw6xc/s1600/P1050170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-B_sZbAsjlffAruJk_n5BjnIBOXlr0s-ICGJ-kr9GRFyWo9rg7cOPYPzQnMmWsFv5khRvo-X1sa4En_i8PRQMPwLiZGC4klSvlxsnabsyGmCA29hmoSS_seAbLU5DkjQuHzkAElGw6xc/s320/P1050170.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(From Tam Coc, this was taken during our<br />
peaceful boat ride up a river to see these<br />
wonderful mountains)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We finished our day by checking one of the Vietnamese foods we wanted to try off our list. Bun Cha was the meal and I had read about online, as the picture above suggests, about a time when President Obama and Anthony Bourdain had eaten this very dish at a particular spot. So we sought out the spot, were seated within about five seconds, ordered the bun cha with some drinks, and sat back to enjoy looking around the restaurant. Small and with plenty of photos now hanging on the wall to commemorate the afore mentioned visit by famous guests, we very much enjoyed ourselves while we were there. The food came out speedily, was super delicious, and the bill for the two of us (if memory serves) was only around two dollars each! They certainly have not raised their prices since the their infamous visit and <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293924-d8088661-Reviews-Bun_Cha_Huong_Lien-Hanoi.html" target="_blank">Bun Cha Huong Lien</a> was well worth the trip. Wish I could have some more right now.<br />
<br />
For the most part I think we started off Vietnam in a pretty decent way. There was surely some shopping and maybe even a water puppet show that first day I neglected to mention, but there is no lack of things to see or do in Hanoi. The second day of our trip put us into full tour mode as we were beginning the first of many little excursions planned by Getaway Halong Sapa.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIN56pyJp7xvSjOw4rpMT7j7Mt7eDsZB1LdVRae4HJJFYApxQsUlk7sc_KgwhgUhGgmxW-TD6HgbhlsIQ8aSiT_F0unE-lKL6g00mAfNW1aPR98_JU0qXqk0xSCB7ZW_C_fMMjiAUzT8/s1600/P1050241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIN56pyJp7xvSjOw4rpMT7j7Mt7eDsZB1LdVRae4HJJFYApxQsUlk7sc_KgwhgUhGgmxW-TD6HgbhlsIQ8aSiT_F0unE-lKL6g00mAfNW1aPR98_JU0qXqk0xSCB7ZW_C_fMMjiAUzT8/s320/P1050241.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Also in Tam Coc, taken during our bike ride)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first of these took us up to Hao Lu (the original capital of Vietnam) and Tam Coc (a beautiful area with some great natural landscapes to see). Our time a Hao Lu was nice as we wandered through a few ancient structures left over from the time when the capital of the country had been there. We had a guide, Chi, who told us much about the history of Hao Lu and the people who ruled there. The picture of Sarah riding the water buffalo was taken on the grounds at Hao Lu. <br />
<br />
Once we were done at Hoa Lu we jumped back in our tour van and drove for a little while until we arrived in Tam Coc. Here we started our time by getting into a small boat and heading up river. As soon as our boat made it about 100 meters up the river, we almost immediately felt as if we were in the middle of nowhere. If not for the other few boats going up and down the river the scene would have been complete. The picture above of Sarah in her hat gives an idea of what this was like but fails to capture the overall mystery this place seemed to posses. To complete the slightly odd but interesting aspect of this area, the people rowing our boats mostly did so with their feet! I had never seen this done before but they had pretty much perfected the technique. When our boat ride was over we jumped on some of the most ridiculously rickety bikes I've ever been on to go out and explore the countryside. Like being in the boat, this gave us another way to see an extremely breathtaking part of this world. While it was too muddy to take some of the roads we were hoping to explore, the few we did wound their way through rural countryside of Northern Vietnam and they were fascinating (see the picture of Sarah riding).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoMSw8odnH48ZHpS4xDVWR6cAiAnL3Bj5eTHptCuMo-7gb8LowopGnU4-9fJU-Koh0Py9XHXj9LzzoPKP8Xq8nU8q8OBJY9A1T44FhIlN5AxVQ_GvobNrJwaRgjHa332LBr9pZ-W_f4I/s1600/P1060321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoMSw8odnH48ZHpS4xDVWR6cAiAnL3Bj5eTHptCuMo-7gb8LowopGnU4-9fJU-Koh0Py9XHXj9LzzoPKP8Xq8nU8q8OBJY9A1T44FhIlN5AxVQ_GvobNrJwaRgjHa332LBr9pZ-W_f4I/s640/P1060321.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Halong Bay)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once our time in the Tam Coc countryside was over, we headed back to Hanoi and went out to our first night market (I think almost every town we stayed in had their own version). Sarah could have stayed for days shopping these stalls. I tire quickly of shopping but as long as we stop periodically for some food or a cold drink I can usually muster up some strength.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kM_N98c2llewoxmMZEGhVKq6E7olebH-iBi0EddVlRr_1G_9XSx7NyigHXb4-LLzq5ecDPwXq7TLFXhU5YJudJeyZaHNfvWtcBR04NbanQTmXo4Rslu8y6em2bd3yE__8O3VSWQ4uQs/s1600/P1060309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kM_N98c2llewoxmMZEGhVKq6E7olebH-iBi0EddVlRr_1G_9XSx7NyigHXb4-LLzq5ecDPwXq7TLFXhU5YJudJeyZaHNfvWtcBR04NbanQTmXo4Rslu8y6em2bd3yE__8O3VSWQ4uQs/s320/P1060309.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Sarah and I in Surprise Cave in Halong Bay)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day we were off to Halong Bay, which our guide told us means "descending dragon" - pretty dang cool. Before our trip I was most excited about seeing Halong Bay because as I looked at pictures of the places we would be visiting, and the images from this bay resonated with what I love most about traveling. Seeing a place for the first time that is so significantly different from what I am used to seeing, that experiencing this new location forces a person to consider themselves seriously in relation to a greater world. The world is bigger than the quaint lake my family lived off of when we grew up in a small town in Ohio, though somehow taking in the mysterious mist ridden islands of Halong Bay (oh and there are just under 2,000 islands in this bay) somehow allows memories of a place like my childhood lake to be that much sweeter. For the big movie watchers, anyone who has seen the movie <u><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731562/" target="_blank">Kong: Skull Island</a></u> will recognize Halong Bay as it was the home for one of the most infamously giant gorillas of all-time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzAK_Mvrec7dvve5Jyc6rS5Usxt8uqr0KT-FJtw5tm9YP2C9WG_H2evw_y5vWPVxLDb3EOsnKZwAIj4OzX8zLutpZ0cNJlXnN0etJov_dqA-dKveTIAufEgcN0YSfCX4YN7qDR1PyVkY/s1600/P1060383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzAK_Mvrec7dvve5Jyc6rS5Usxt8uqr0KT-FJtw5tm9YP2C9WG_H2evw_y5vWPVxLDb3EOsnKZwAIj4OzX8zLutpZ0cNJlXnN0etJov_dqA-dKveTIAufEgcN0YSfCX4YN7qDR1PyVkY/s320/P1060383.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Tough to get good pics of us while kayaking)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While we were in Halong Bay we stayed the night on a boat, which was pretty much the only way to see the bay except for maybe by helicopter. Relaxing, taking in all of the unbelievable views, gliding through Kong's lair, and eating delicious Vietnamese food on the boat was way too much fun. We even started off our second day on the boat with a morning of Tai Chi, which was really neat and invigorating. Mostly just watching the sunset and the sunrise were the outright winners of our time on the bay.<br />
<br />
There were two stops, one at Hang Sung Sot or <a href="http://www.halongbay.info/attraction/surprise-cave.html" target="_blank">Surprise Cave</a>, and the other at Dao Ti Top Island. Between the two, the cave was something quite special. It was enormous (picture of the two of us above) and we were enthralled by the size of a cave as it seemed to be almost the size of the island it was on. It was truly huge! Our short visit to to Ti Top Island was fun because we could look out over some of the islands, but overall the cave and our time on the boat was the real deal for this part of our trip. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbkigo0KGc95aGkynDxrrzh2ADxGexaTSmcPLAbpp60R2-WCCFjzs5bx_gPY7CN_JRqTSIODfgnEudfgN0tv41diFT69A6d2n3Dx67US85Dpwb1h5HeciInDCwFpzw-lAcOdm2vUyfaQ/s1600/P1070423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbkigo0KGc95aGkynDxrrzh2ADxGexaTSmcPLAbpp60R2-WCCFjzs5bx_gPY7CN_JRqTSIODfgnEudfgN0tv41diFT69A6d2n3Dx67US85Dpwb1h5HeciInDCwFpzw-lAcOdm2vUyfaQ/s320/P1070423.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(One of the many shopping streets in Hanoi)</td></tr>
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Our trip to Halong Bay ended with a wonderful morning of kayaking around a few quiet islands. It was a perfect way to end our time in a place of such memorizing beauty. None of our pictures really quite captured it. Then it was back to Hanoi for a night of some time on beer street, and some more shopping the markets before we headed off to our next excursion.<br />
<br />
Next on our stops, and I'm trying to be more concise in my descriptions because I know this is getting long, was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa_Pa" target="_blank">Sa Pa</a>. Sa Pa is a smaller town with a lot of truly beautiful countryside around it - the classic rice fields tiered on flowing hills of green and flowers. When we were there we could not see as many of these fantastic vistas as we were hoping due to some massive amounts of fog/mist/clouds, but we could still picture it in our mind's eye and see just enough of the countryside to know what we were missing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39oQFIFs5aidvTYjM45z9K7wJINtrjPDf1RM8Q5LJl22U6g9HR8PdiWJMhhRv2T1OX6N-TyyFIiSPBhsl2SBA0-5wL03BYiXVI-V_wYjKdUt-d3JKNkvkoOwoT-zPhkyrWXJq4VZcWfc/s1600/P1080658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39oQFIFs5aidvTYjM45z9K7wJINtrjPDf1RM8Q5LJl22U6g9HR8PdiWJMhhRv2T1OX6N-TyyFIiSPBhsl2SBA0-5wL03BYiXVI-V_wYjKdUt-d3JKNkvkoOwoT-zPhkyrWXJq4VZcWfc/s320/P1080658.JPG" width="320" /></a>And sometimes the fog would life just enough for us to see portions of the wonderful views. The best portion of our time in Sa Pa was spent hiking down to one of the villages outside of the town, guided by a few of the ladies who lived there. We were hiking to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai. This hike began on the edge of the roads leading out of Sa Pa, winding on dirt roads up and down hills. We slowly worked our way further from town until we descended into some of the tiered rice fields (like the ones behind us in the picture), and then our hike to the village became much more interesting. Mud, tricky footing, a little bit of precipitation, laughing as the ladies made jokes for us and helped us along, and overall trying not to fall as we kept glancing around at everything surrounding us.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5Sa5ftXXJJSxws-h96EvUI5Nc3XjmbCXMtj-zhlM5PUvyVmZsrgE6kpFIM6poJ26NBM6FsiCew1ixHf6kida52OXrJjvse9aUVyETHCf-uXlLmommEAaPr2B8iBr_iz9s4d24iwSu0I/s1600/P1080684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5Sa5ftXXJJSxws-h96EvUI5Nc3XjmbCXMtj-zhlM5PUvyVmZsrgE6kpFIM6poJ26NBM6FsiCew1ixHf6kida52OXrJjvse9aUVyETHCf-uXlLmommEAaPr2B8iBr_iz9s4d24iwSu0I/s320/P1080684.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(No I do not have brown boots, but look at that<br />
background! What a special place)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am pretty sure Sarah enjoyed the hike down into the village as much as I did. At one point, while we were negotiating a small crossing of some rice fields, my foot slid a little bit off the path as my weight carried with it the ground I had stepped on. In just the brief moment before I could counter with my other foot I had sank into just over my boot in deep, thick chocolate milk like mud. It was still sinking when I countered and lifted it back onto the path (the picture shows the kind of consistency and mud we are talking here). Slipping into the mud, ducking under thick and opposing branches, jumping over a small creek, and negotiating all of this trek was what made it more enjoyable. Finally some proper Vietnam countryside experiences.<br />
<br />
While we were hiking this amazingly proper Vietnamese countryside path, which all of the women with us were navigating way better than us, I thought a few times back to books I have read or movies I have watched depicting the Vietnam War. As Americans visiting this country only a mere fifty years after such a terrible conflict, the concept of the war and its effects were always close to the surface. I know that most of the Americans who experienced the Vietnam I was now gleefully hiking through did not have the same joyful time I did, and neither did the people who were trying to repel their presence. A sadness would seep into the joy I was experiencing while looking around at such beautiful landscapes, knowing full well that similar sites such as these had been terribly laden with traps, ambushes, and massacres. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwfMWqKk4cGgiOfROIJrvfL0qfpc38MTYIKE3IUNIn32zthHAv5fMsGUpbjmXH2GHlCqdVBXrLs4-fNBft_maU0X-6zhaCba4eQK07qDi7xK6S4HpVZJ_C7HagRhIwoUMGaU6EaJF0wU/s1600/P1080713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwfMWqKk4cGgiOfROIJrvfL0qfpc38MTYIKE3IUNIn32zthHAv5fMsGUpbjmXH2GHlCqdVBXrLs4-fNBft_maU0X-6zhaCba4eQK07qDi7xK6S4HpVZJ_C7HagRhIwoUMGaU6EaJF0wU/s640/P1080713.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px;">(Sarah poses for a picture with all of women from the hike down into the village, with the village in the background. Such a fun group of women - and very helpful during our hike)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ywCztYJ5o-vrpwTd59ecBBzUVWodGKmyP-J-jM2s3woNwtaQ2VBhWJC_XCY9LJpwETviRzt1UK5QAdbKWHRakzGEVbH_B6HHOOQU4k0G-f_7mz4mBaDuGGZkBE9KjNkbcIjUxelhjoE/s1600/P1080707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ywCztYJ5o-vrpwTd59ecBBzUVWodGKmyP-J-jM2s3woNwtaQ2VBhWJC_XCY9LJpwETviRzt1UK5QAdbKWHRakzGEVbH_B6HHOOQU4k0G-f_7mz4mBaDuGGZkBE9KjNkbcIjUxelhjoE/s320/P1080707.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(When we hiked down to the village this was one<br />
of the many beautiful views we saw)</td></tr>
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And yet, just look at the faces of the women who helped us down to their village. While there is a regrettably horrific past in the recent Vietnamese/American history, after knowing what country we were from people all over the country would still welcome us openly and kindly. Not once did we ever experience a cold shoulder or witness any negative interactions, though quite frankly I was expecting at least some. We had one guide in particular, who I will talk about more in a future post, who talked more openly about the war and the current feelings of Vietnamese people about America, but even he said much forgiveness has flown through the hearts of Vietnam people. It was really quite amazing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-PKm7-mjRwYco2RoZx01eOlE-FG9dsy2OcW6sCQ_8e1LFCGnCDN5nfLDY9xclKbiLk_H4Adz5fk0TynhWOj4POdwNO7DIUJ7o6CYvsd3pLNW0LLiu4qHuUma5b1Nh1nJfBP2XCqyqt4/s1600/P1090744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-PKm7-mjRwYco2RoZx01eOlE-FG9dsy2OcW6sCQ_8e1LFCGnCDN5nfLDY9xclKbiLk_H4Adz5fk0TynhWOj4POdwNO7DIUJ7o6CYvsd3pLNW0LLiu4qHuUma5b1Nh1nJfBP2XCqyqt4/s320/P1090744.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Back up in Sa Pa after our trek<br />
down to the village, I paused for a<br />
pic at the church)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At any rate, we hiked through their village and stopped off at a few places along the way to see particular sites - some to get warm and have a drink and others to buy some small souvenirs. It was fun to see what one of the small countryside villages away from most of the more modern conveniences looked like. This was a good way to see a slower-paced side of Vietnam, especially compared to the bustling streets of Hanoi.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite parts of this tour out to Sa Pa was having some time just walking through the countryside. It was refreshing, even in some damp weather, to get away from the cities we had been visiting and walk down dirty trails through fields and rolling hills. There was a distinct quietness that rested over us and allowed us to enjoy the small conversations with our guides.<br />
<br />
"What is your name?" "Where are you from?" "How old are you?" "How many brothers and sisters do you have?"<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcga0ybFp_AAC9LbrFxw8sTiEC7GqNMQe-h29mNQ9DBYrMm1dVGz3vYkKMXFfI8Hilim0XECHvCA-Zbf0NaOXkdV9IEOb0nP4SQxkdV3m-c6oQdGBLUfSyzjYPt-Cnk3-g3-6qUMtZwB8/s1600/P1090751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcga0ybFp_AAC9LbrFxw8sTiEC7GqNMQe-h29mNQ9DBYrMm1dVGz3vYkKMXFfI8Hilim0XECHvCA-Zbf0NaOXkdV9IEOb0nP4SQxkdV3m-c6oQdGBLUfSyzjYPt-Cnk3-g3-6qUMtZwB8/s320/P1090751.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Sarah posing with her egg coffee)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These were some of the questions we would be asked, and in return ask the women walking with us down to the village. They always seemed to ask these questions with a giggle or a smile, amused at our responses and perhaps at the chance to converse in English some. Of course when we arrived in the village we were given the opportunity to present the women with a tip or to buy some bags/clothing/etc that were all made by them specifically, a point of emphasis for them to share. So, as Sarah pointed out later, I overpaid for a small bag and a few other small items. I did not barter them down because I felt like it was a nice way to tip them for their help and time. After all, it was quite nice to have their company and assistance in the more difficult parts of the trail, not to mention their smiles!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9pp6dd0gU8Rp7h9z4lpTHE1Wa76djBk8Bdq9RRhSIyfE39rFN6jxbiu6vF_3e5apLqWBGSux6Wqplu3P6qtmRsTngMwjzC-LdE5cl_l4oAj15l9kvttDLWyfOdrsW9AA-6LmV-KVhjE/s1600/P1080518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9pp6dd0gU8Rp7h9z4lpTHE1Wa76djBk8Bdq9RRhSIyfE39rFN6jxbiu6vF_3e5apLqWBGSux6Wqplu3P6qtmRsTngMwjzC-LdE5cl_l4oAj15l9kvttDLWyfOdrsW9AA-6LmV-KVhjE/s320/P1080518.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">(Another site in Sa Pa) </td></tr>
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Once we finished up with our hike, we headed back up to Sa Pa to get warm and ready for our bus back to Hanoi. We had just enough time to explore some and headed down to see a church I had seen on our way in and out of town - The Notre Dame Cathedral. Unfortunately at the time it was closed, so we looked around a little bit and then did the next best thing. We headed back up the road and had our first egg coffee in Vietnam. Yep, it is pretty much what it sounds like, though slightly more than just coffee with an egg in it too. And wait for it... It was delicious. Well, I liked it more than Sarah but I think she liked it too. We made sure to have one once back in Hanoi (as that is where you are "supposed" to have one) just to be mainstream, but they really are tasty drinks.<br />
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Ok. First post on Vietnam done. There will most likely be at least one more post just on Vietnam and then a separate one on Cambodia. Sorry for length, but then again, maybe I am not sorry for sharing so much about our fun trip to Vietnam. We really did love it. On each of our posts I am going to share this short section below for those who might be trying to plan their own trips, or just for those who want to cruise through the web and look up fun things. Thanks for reading about our journeys.<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;">A list of top things to see/do in Vietnam:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
1. Food - we loved all of the food we ate, with the exception of a few poorly made Ban Mi sandwiches, but I think that is because we had two that we so delicious. I recommend you search what foods to try in each city. It was more fun to try and eat dishes a particular area or city that was known for making it - such as egg coffee in Hanoi for example.<br />
<br />
2. Halong Bay - I had looked forward to it and it one of the most beautiful places we visited. It was a bummer that there was a little bit of trash floating around but we also saw boats of people picking it up - nice. I could have spent more time here!<br />
<br />
3. Hanoi - Originally I did not think I would enjoy having as much time as we had built into our schedule to be in Hanoi. When we left Vietnam I wanted to go back to Hanoi. There is so much to do and see! From food and drinks to temples and museums to countless streets to shop on, Hanoi was very enjoyable for us. We highly recommend spending some time here. We walked a lot! But we love to walk, and it was a great way to see the city.<br />
<br />
4. Hoi An - We very much enjoyed our time in Hoi An. Unfortunately we could not visit one of the highlights for this time, the Cham Islands, because of weather. But we were thrilled with some food that is specifically Hoi An (seriously one of my favorite food spots in our Vietnam travels), had some dresses and a suit made here, and bought more than a few of the hand made lanterns (the prices are super good). We liked Hoi An and you should go to there. <br />
<br />
5. Mekong Delta - The delta was an interesting trip. We got to spend a lot of time on the water and visit some fun places. Coconuts! This one I will talk more about in our second blog post on Vietnam, but it's a fun way to spend a day.<br />
<br />
6. Ho Chi Minh City/ Saigon - Again, we enjoyed the time we spent in this big city quite a bit. Breweries, food, rooftops, more food, and mostly just walking through the city to get a feel for Vietnamese city-life. Quite the adventure.<br />
<br />
7. Hoa Lu/Tam Coc Day Tour - We enjoyed this tour but it took a long time to get there. And while very beautiful the guides who rowed us up the river were a little bit pushy about tips. Though it did not sour the experience it sure made it weird. It is a nice area but if you were pressed with time I would visit Halong Bay or something higher on this list. Still worth seeing and experiencing if you have the time to see more of Vietnam.<br />
<br />
8. Cu Chi Tunnels - This is lower on my list only because it was difficult to tell if we were actually traversing any of the tunnels that were used during the Vietnam War. I would hazard a guess - no. But it is the same area and if you are into history this is a must see place. I will write more about this in our next post.<br />
<br />
9. Sa Pa - So I actually wrote a lot about Sa Pa in this post and though we did like it I rank it lower on our list because our weather was so damp and dismal. I do believe if we had had a clear day this very well could have been a highlight of our trip. We did enjoy it and it is worth seeing but it does take quite a bit of time to get there. You should probably go to Sa Pa, however, if time is short I would not feel too bad at having left it off your list.<br />
<br />
10. Cao Dai Great Holy See Temple - This is last on my list for a few reasons. It is on my list because through all of my religious studies in college and in seminary, this temple is quite unique. I will write more about it in the next blog post, but what an interesting place! I wish we could have spent more time there with someone who could have explained what was happening during the portion of a service we witnessed. Watching any religious ceremony in another language is difficult, though still fascinating.<br />
<br />
Some of the most memorable things we did, which I hope I will include in these posts, are things we stumbled upon or one of us discovered while researching what to do in certain areas online. Go read up on these places by people who have been there and find some off the beaten path places to explore. And make sure you won't end up missing something right near where you are traveling!!Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-66202571058661676842017-12-12T21:55:00.000-08:002017-12-12T21:55:41.735-08:00Leaving the South Pole via New Zealand and an Asheville Thanksgiving<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrk36Ui6mX3ozG6PBrkUjORbxSPVDbKUMXpTEk8ZM3GJOmH_hG2YIlZfgTdNF_uDX6CYay_H8__c-peFyTNExgcaYJsK4ruq2Tb3yhq_jRt8opc9rCojYYnBuqDwVVlaeKUPIIq868bQ/s1600/PB076724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrk36Ui6mX3ozG6PBrkUjORbxSPVDbKUMXpTEk8ZM3GJOmH_hG2YIlZfgTdNF_uDX6CYay_H8__c-peFyTNExgcaYJsK4ruq2Tb3yhq_jRt8opc9rCojYYnBuqDwVVlaeKUPIIq868bQ/s320/PB076724.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(As we waited for our plane to prepare for our plane, which<br />you can see in the background)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A little more about our Antarctic departure.<br />
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I did not think I would come to a point where leaving the South Pole would feel like leaving home - well a home away from home. But the time spent walking to work during our long winter, certain community events, spending more time with my wife on a daily basis than we ever have before, and other various factors made living at the end of the world quite appealing. <br />
<br />
When November finally came around, so did the time for us to leave the South Pole. This was an odd time for me. When Sarah first went to Antarctica I was unable to join her as I could not procure a job. The second time she left for the frozen continent and I was again incapable of finding a way for myself, and the place I had spent so much time reading about began to leave a bitter taste in my heart. She would come back, clearly changed and moved by her time in Antarctica, leaving a gap of sorts between us. This was a place that separated us. And yet it was a place she always longed to return to and was always sad to leave, which was difficult for me to say the least.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkTed2s4tC_IO1doFxDsJv6XFH-7nwoMeJo72YrMk1F0ebobp0XSAMXgqV-KLQPI8AH7UEbVgJxW3GiPtEbpFE8WV4H7jhYg0j6qnTz7VkwH3xZnsL9VHQ3u9klNyMAbmAx702EklNm0/s1600/PB076703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkTed2s4tC_IO1doFxDsJv6XFH-7nwoMeJo72YrMk1F0ebobp0XSAMXgqV-KLQPI8AH7UEbVgJxW3GiPtEbpFE8WV4H7jhYg0j6qnTz7VkwH3xZnsL9VHQ3u9klNyMAbmAx702EklNm0/s320/PB076703.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(She might having a hard time keeping her eyes open during<br />her last visit to the geographic South Pole, but she was very<br />excited to visit one more time. One last visit!)</td></tr>
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So when we tried for a third attempt at an Antarctic adventure together, I was a little more than jaded and doubtful. Until the moment I climbed down out of a plane at the South Pole, I honestly thought any number of the countless different obstacles that could keep me from making my way would suddenly spring up out of nowhere. "Ha ha, nice try Brett. You got organs removed and did your best but you're not going to the South Pole you punk!" Stepping onto the glacial ice just outside of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station was a surreal moment for me - not so much an achievement as a thing finally achieved. <br />
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While Antarctica had become a small divisive force in our marriage up to the point of us both arriving at the Pole to winter-over, it did not take long for it to become one of the most unifying forces of our ten years being married. Sharing ten months together on the Antarctic plateau gave plenty of opportunity to live and grow as a married couple. Mostly, though, it was being able to spend so much time together that was so nice. The lack of normal distractions allowed us to more aptly experience and enjoy our time at the South Pole together. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PLXzwTBJvZ9Qn1F-Y6CodKe0piPKh7j1BkzOGUGwCH51_6LgUoV4_1NzrVxoriuKlcW9jZbzma5hdjYMHct-MUtxWaNPfFa5QlwYWitVW1HPVKWDSbDqkefRRydQf2W_1MrecqEOXXk/s1600/PB076802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PLXzwTBJvZ9Qn1F-Y6CodKe0piPKh7j1BkzOGUGwCH51_6LgUoV4_1NzrVxoriuKlcW9jZbzma5hdjYMHct-MUtxWaNPfFa5QlwYWitVW1HPVKWDSbDqkefRRydQf2W_1MrecqEOXXk/s320/PB076802.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I will leave these jokers unnamed for the weak sake of<br />anonymity - this shot was taken on our layover in<br />McMurdo on a short walk over to the Kiwi station Scott<br />Base nearby. They guys...)</td></tr>
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The planes started coming and our time at the Pole was coming to an end. We packed, shipped back some of our belongings, devoured the few pieces of fresh food that came in on the planes that transitioned through the Pole, said our goodbyes to everyone on station, and took as many last minute photos as we could - we literally drug one of our friends out to the ceremonial pole only minutes before our plane was supposed to leave. During this time of preparing to leave, a feeling of sorrow and sadness began to creep into my heart. As excited as I was to depart, I discovered what Sarah always tried to explain to me when she arrived back had begun making it's way into me as well. <br />
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So I found myself feeling unexpectedly nostalgic the day we stood waiting for the LC-130 to land on an ice runway to take us home. While I felt the pull of family and friends we had not seen in so long, I also felt a feeling of loss seeded deep in my gut. Though I was ready for some tasty food and copious amounts of sunshine, I knew I would soon find myself missing the oddities that make living at the South Pole memorable. <br />
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And yet it was time to leave. We looked ahead to some time in New Zealand and some much needed family time. One wonderful part about leaving, that did not happen on the way down, was Sarah and I were fortunate enough to fly together. This made our departure, transitional time at McMurdo station, and our flights much more enjoyable. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NvZaHf84PUtyIt8lj7WeE_0GF-qEr75YAK7co17GGjZfdf91RviF2v2Yfp55eDbtyecbLJZiacHLN_v7z7swp79nu3wQMD9r7hYpXb7cOm7aM9qroiaHS3q-EHSoXZx4IHiKSsN7vGw/s1600/PB117042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NvZaHf84PUtyIt8lj7WeE_0GF-qEr75YAK7co17GGjZfdf91RviF2v2Yfp55eDbtyecbLJZiacHLN_v7z7swp79nu3wQMD9r7hYpXb7cOm7aM9qroiaHS3q-EHSoXZx4IHiKSsN7vGw/s320/PB117042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Should have got a shot together in the sulfur version of the<br />pools as they are a little cooler looking but this is the one<br />where we got a team Baddorf photo)</td></tr>
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New Zealand!! I shared some in our last post about the time we were able to spend in New Zealand on the way back home. I wanted to add a few more photos of our time there - so much good food, amazing wines, relaxing moments together when we could just enjoy the New Zealand landscapes, and overall a time of rejuvenation. Last time I shared about our hike through Arthur's Pass, so this time I thought I might post a little bit about our time at Hanmer Springs and the New Zealand Air Force museum.<br />
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While driving around this go around in New Zealand, we tried to visit as many places as we could we had missed during our year of living there. One of these such places was Hanmer Springs. This little town was not on the way to anywhere we went to on our previous adventures, and we had definitely missed out for having never been there. <br />
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A cute little town, this haven of hot springs offers a way to enjoy the water from the springs in the form of a park. This enabled us to experience water from the springs in various pools of different temperatures and forms. Some of the pools were in their natural sulfuric state, while others had been chlorinated for a more clean way to soak in the healing waters. There were plenty of fun little shops in the town and a good sized hill nearby that offered lots of nice hikes. I ran a few of them and we hiked one of them together. We really enjoyed this out of the way nook of peace and tranquility. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6Cbhpf0jDmDKsE-hnYb_TSymDK4L5_2qSZ0GFP7K0Wc1fyQADBAfyg_55OAVUbH5NcbQl0QT6hAsWXIesWLA9AtIyfpY2UoglJmjqwz4xg8PPgMLHL4f3KP404Zl97mJxeWOF0vK9ks/s1600/PB147324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6Cbhpf0jDmDKsE-hnYb_TSymDK4L5_2qSZ0GFP7K0Wc1fyQADBAfyg_55OAVUbH5NcbQl0QT6hAsWXIesWLA9AtIyfpY2UoglJmjqwz4xg8PPgMLHL4f3KP404Zl97mJxeWOF0vK9ks/s320/PB147324.JPG" width="320" /></a>One of the last places we visited before leaving to fly home was the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj1t7eui4bYAhUa24MKHV1oChMQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.airforcemuseum.co.nz%2F&usg=AOvVaw26MQLyNjiixurhj6xN0C9P" target="_blank">Air Force museum</a>. We have a definite love of airplanes and always enjoy getting to spend time around them. This museum is a must for anyone who enjoys airplanes and/or museums. The Kiwis have always played a role in major wars, and learning of their dogfighting skills that came from flying in a country full of wild winds and cropdusting mountainous terrain was intriguing. We took a free behind-the-scenes tour of planes that were not quite yet ready for the main museum yet, learning even more about the process of how the planes are acquired and made ready for visitors. We both enjoyed our time at this museum and could have easily spent a few more hours enjoying ourselves learning about the history of planes in New Zealand. What a nice visit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjUd2lvO3bh1-BDE1tpyEIBkL8MX42e_OQFB5cOtk2h4rKhiagyLRN71yNEJlXm_3KifJ3eNA0OeOiIhjQXaOD8nFXrvHtBgbn_WLLOYjd5lJuBB_GSppEMEFCDrALXlYoOfL2-YpTXM/s1600/PB117023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjUd2lvO3bh1-BDE1tpyEIBkL8MX42e_OQFB5cOtk2h4rKhiagyLRN71yNEJlXm_3KifJ3eNA0OeOiIhjQXaOD8nFXrvHtBgbn_WLLOYjd5lJuBB_GSppEMEFCDrALXlYoOfL2-YpTXM/s320/PB117023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Seals!! Sarah poses with a seal who is also posing. A couple<br />of posers. Man we could look at these guys for hours)</td></tr>
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One last New Zealand note - the seals! While we were hoping to swim with the seals, it was not quite the right time of year to jump in the water with the dogs of the sea. Even so, we spent some time in Kaikoura and made sure to visit an area where seals come ashore to sunbathe. It is not the same thing as swimming with them, but watching seals, or any marine wildlife in it's natural habitat, is one of our favorite pastimes. We always have to resist the urge to attempt taking one of them home as a pet. I am quite certain we might just come away with a few fingers less if we tried to act on these impulses, but we still think about it quite seriously. <br />
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Thanksgiving!! This year we spent our Thanksgiving with the Williamson side of the family in a cabin not far outside of Asheville, North Carolina. What a way to enter back into our lives here in the United States! We enjoyed several beautiful hikes through the mountains, visited numerous waterfalls, caught up with our family, and played countless games late into the night. Some of the highlights from this week are Mount Mitchel (the highest peak east of the Mississippi), visiting Biltmore, and of course hanging out with Bubba - Gordon and Miriam's boxer. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2ZtzWfwg0XkIwzeezEZpU6vleCCF_4RUv6vtoJ4uZfWNxqQGhNkPuRVDPCty5P7wn0560X-a9JDh1zhxrlbaO6mt8H58AwGuZxMjIZuTBQs8S5IXgVph_Jga8sK5sm3kxQqcOYgF3TA/s1600/PB237507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2ZtzWfwg0XkIwzeezEZpU6vleCCF_4RUv6vtoJ4uZfWNxqQGhNkPuRVDPCty5P7wn0560X-a9JDh1zhxrlbaO6mt8H58AwGuZxMjIZuTBQs8S5IXgVph_Jga8sK5sm3kxQqcOYgF3TA/s320/PB237507.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(At the top of Mount Mitchel enjoying the view. What a<br />great day for a hike. Our previous hike at the mountain<br />offered only clouds for scenery)</td></tr>
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Mount Mitchell boasts hours of hiking on trails that are magnificently maintained. The summit offers a stellar panoramic view as far as the eye can see. Other mountains, small towns, countless trees in every direction - the mountain truly offers a commanding view of the area. We did two hikes that started on Mount Mitchell and enjoyed both of them immensely. If you ever find yourself anywhere near this mountain, go and hike as much of it as you can!<br />
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Biltmore was almost as unbelievable as the view from Mount Mitchel but in a very different way. While the mountain offered a fantastic view of God's creation, the Biltmore house showed what human ingenuity (which I believe is placed in us by the Creator) can achieve with resources and creativity. It was easy to be impressed by the vision of George Vanderbilt while walking through the house he built for his family. A monumentally sized house, every aspect of life there was built around the concepts of art, beauty, history, and maximizing the aesthetic value of a home. Extravagant yes, but also magnificent. Apparently in all of the excitement of looking around at everything I neglected to take a single picture. Oh well. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggP7pNjTwI_ViATfpm2NpfDLEd9K2jwZ_oDKlc6UD7oTs8PvlsE7HivxIOysKt0PQ-9gtysSuN7-sgFIlOpchJXiCWlIVJanTZnZ8qNnB3_5om43stcq3NO2-3uOs7lLgM525PZjFkof0/s1600/PB237513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggP7pNjTwI_ViATfpm2NpfDLEd9K2jwZ_oDKlc6UD7oTs8PvlsE7HivxIOysKt0PQ-9gtysSuN7-sgFIlOpchJXiCWlIVJanTZnZ8qNnB3_5om43stcq3NO2-3uOs7lLgM525PZjFkof0/s320/PB237513.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Bubba - well I'll just share this one last photo. This is a pic of us hanging out and snuggling. It probably says about all a picture needs to say about the nature of our relationship, and Bubba's personality. He's a big time lover dog. And as it turns out he's an avid hiker who likes climbing mountain trails maybe even more than I do. What a guy. <br />
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Well thanks for dealing with my missing Antarctica so much I posted again about it, and a brief walk through of our journey back to the United States. Now it's time to celebrate Christmas Memphis style. By the way, Merry Christmas!!<br />
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<br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-38569197530866016332017-11-28T20:53:00.000-08:002017-11-28T20:53:47.143-08:00Antarctic Rearview and Vietnam in Sight<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsgT1ZclUUtn2S9tTLELMee1qcudyF8qw6YyYXQ8cjYgMpgAqx0q0JAfW4UfwZwBpIlPjsNnFe9WqCPx-b29SkHEffS3MqyG8HEUDFAbxrInytzp2Aw4K6xojBgSdjL1EjCMJ-45UEBc/s1600/PB076685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsgT1ZclUUtn2S9tTLELMee1qcudyF8qw6YyYXQ8cjYgMpgAqx0q0JAfW4UfwZwBpIlPjsNnFe9WqCPx-b29SkHEffS3MqyG8HEUDFAbxrInytzp2Aw4K6xojBgSdjL1EjCMJ-45UEBc/s640/PB076685.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(One last photo shoot at the Pole the day we left. The plane had literally landed and people were waiting to get on - so we ran to the Ceremonial Pole and took some photos. Thanks Andrew!!)</td></tr>
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November ended our time at the South Pole. Sarah and I were fortunate enough to fly out together, unlike our travel down which was done separately. It was quite nice to experience the last part of our Antarctic journey together - the flights on the LC-130 and C-17, the short stay in McMurdo, and then coming off the plane together in New Zealand at the same time.<br />
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Something has to be said about the first steps we took as we arrived back to the world. After having spent ten months in a place where the wind is always a frigid bite at the skin and the temperature was constantly cold enough to easily kill us, the first few steps onto the tarmac in New Zealand were beyond description. I will certainly always remember the warm embrace of the breeze as it caressed all of my exposed skin. Instead of recoiling from the weather and climate, as was now my custom, I embraced the kind welcome of Christchurch. It was the perfect temperature for walking around with a short sleeved shirt on all day long. I just think I might remember this experience for the rest of my life. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmtMsnD3n4UaLnD7scXJN8oo1MgU5SUjj2oeOLY6hh0a7Mjge-ct3h9wmt3k97MELUY7Cb336gzjOHdwuRc0Ymck-HNPh5MPVcYPscrxwetDopbfjpuA4g9CbITzU6belihy6lazB7yU/s1600/PB076692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmtMsnD3n4UaLnD7scXJN8oo1MgU5SUjj2oeOLY6hh0a7Mjge-ct3h9wmt3k97MELUY7Cb336gzjOHdwuRc0Ymck-HNPh5MPVcYPscrxwetDopbfjpuA4g9CbITzU6belihy6lazB7yU/s320/PB076692.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah was having trouble letting go - literally<br /> of the Pole. We enjoyed our time at the South Pole<br /> and were were a little bit sad to be leaving, maybe to<br />never see it again. Who knows?!)</td></tr>
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Sarah and I had planned to make our way to Australia and dive the Great Barrier Reef during our short stop off before heading back to family for Thanksgiving; however, due to being a few days late off the ice and our schedule being as tight as it was, we did not have time to follow through on these plans. Instead we spent our time driving around our beloved New Zealand. There was delicious food (oh the food was so good after eating frozen food for so long!), spectacular wines (again the wine was stellar after such a small and less than perfect selection at the Pole), waterfalls and good hikes, and just driving through the beautiful countryside of New Zealand. <br />
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The main highlight of the trip was a hike we did in Arthur's Pass. Without all of our hiking gear we were not able to do a hike that would take us a few days, so we instead did a decent hike in a spectacular area. Arthur's Pass is a part of the country that always stood out to us during our last stay in New Zealand. Though on our previous trip we only drove through the area in a rush to somewhere else, this time we made some time to stop and hike. After reading about a bunch of hikes that all said they were 6-9 hour strenuous alpine jaunts, we settled on doing a 3-4 hour hike called Mt. Aicken. This is a fantastic hike that heads almost entirely vertically up the side of the mountain. Of all our New Zealand hikes it was the most abruptly steep for the entirety of the venture. Wonderful vistas overlooking the pass and mountains, a great sandwich kept for a nice stay at the top for an outdoor lunch, and a challenging hike that proved to give us a good workout. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEf-8YIshJn6ADbXarPl8neYueSmgtdp2DoH_wu9ATr9lYWIubtushQu_bd6oOVRkABrSS6RbvjbhT3M_EkIlcdP_SseSd-6Ye2F1Zj160dS_YS2f6ws5PFNy8kaTevavorMRTns1ygw/s1600/PB137289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEf-8YIshJn6ADbXarPl8neYueSmgtdp2DoH_wu9ATr9lYWIubtushQu_bd6oOVRkABrSS6RbvjbhT3M_EkIlcdP_SseSd-6Ye2F1Zj160dS_YS2f6ws5PFNy8kaTevavorMRTns1ygw/s320/PB137289.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Once at the top we celebrated our climb. What nice weather<br />and the views were stunning. Definitely worth the climb!)</td></tr>
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Our time in New Zealand was short but sweet. It was nice seeing a good portion of the country we both learned to love a few years back. We enjoyed our short stay and turned our eyes towards home.<br />
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We are now back in Memphis and our Antarctic adventure is over. We spent a refreshing time with Sarah's family in the mountains outside of Asheville, NC for Thanksgiving. Being back is nice and there are plenty of people we still need to see and catch up with as soon as possible. Seeing our families and spending time with friends has been revitalizing. And yet this rest is just that - a short break before our next venture, as has become our custom for now. <br />
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While it will not be as long as the ten month stint in Antarctica, we are very excited about a trip we booked to visit Vietnam. After one of Sarah's trips to Antarctica, we visited Thailand and had an amazing time seeing as much of the country as we could. While we were there we decided we wanted to visit more countries in the general area. So this January we will be going on a trip we booked to see as much of Vietnam and Cambodia as possible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtThestyqzv8zhamkrEelVV6v-G5zEtUckcWoQtiWwJbw9Vpm7x0qugN223DRRDn1nZVVnxe-XyFFPXtDNGCRTUe_ySs1Tr7zBO-v2ahSHulrY7KdUJtjP5a0AFhmLSDm3XNzExW6lpgs/s1600/halong_bay222-960x330.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="960" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtThestyqzv8zhamkrEelVV6v-G5zEtUckcWoQtiWwJbw9Vpm7x0qugN223DRRDn1nZVVnxe-XyFFPXtDNGCRTUe_ySs1Tr7zBO-v2ahSHulrY7KdUJtjP5a0AFhmLSDm3XNzExW6lpgs/s640/halong_bay222-960x330.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Halong Bay - picture taken from the Getaway Halong Sapa website. Very thrilled to see this place!)</td></tr>
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Usually we do our own booking of events and planning as we work through a country, but we were wanting to try out a particular website we had been watching for some time for another trip - and so we used it to buy a trip to see Vietnam. This put us in contact with an in-country traveling agency called <a href="http://getawayhalongsapa.com/" target="_blank">Getaway Halong Sapa </a>. As we have been preparing for our trip so far, it has been nice to have the help of Getaway Halong Sapa. They have sent a full itinerary of the trip and we are both now more excited about our visit than we were when we purchased it. The details of our daily schedule have increased our anticipation and desire to see the country. One of the greatest helps they have been so far has been with our visas, which they sent to us today! No worries, no fuss and all taken care of for us. I count this as quite a benefit. <br />
<br />
In reviewing our agenda it has also been comforting to know we will be seeing and doing some things I think we would definitely have missed if not for the expert help of a group that knows which parts of their country need to be visited. We had certainly found some of the sights we will visit through our research of where to go and what to do, but we had missed some sights that now are some of the ones we are most excited to visit. And it will be nice to have all of our accommodations planned out for us! We cannot wait to go to Vietnam and experience the trip Getaway Halong Sapa has planned out for us!! <br />
<br />
As this trip takes place, we will take copious notes on what is amazing, and will of course be excited to share some photos and stories about how this adventure goes. Till then - Memphis!! We plan to enjoy our time here and to not be distracted by our future ventures. Family, friends, birthdays, Christmas, and seeing all of our favorite Memphis places is just some of what we are excited about.<br />
<br />
Hopefully all of you had a rest filled Thanksgiving. We would love to hear about the trips any of you might have been on that we should go and experience. Enjoy life and creation! Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0Memphis, TN, USA35.1495343 -90.048980134.7339688 -90.6944271 35.5650998 -89.40353309999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-44617278720167130382017-10-24T13:29:00.000-07:002017-10-24T13:30:58.296-07:00South Pole Running and a Weird Decision<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>Most of this post was sent to Memphis Runners Track Club for their monthly newsletter. The beginning is an addition:</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCTRaF6Isq_wpH5LMNQUbi2zdYG3oOiiwrVTDkQemhiPQVB3UUWk7zCC3eciDXJaODGX-HigX87kSKp1FNIT1XO6bakfbZ3h5y8t4SBPLGq2hRBSW_WYW-wDPxf2AG_UwImYcCBTHqn0/s1600/P8055805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCTRaF6Isq_wpH5LMNQUbi2zdYG3oOiiwrVTDkQemhiPQVB3UUWk7zCC3eciDXJaODGX-HigX87kSKp1FNIT1XO6bakfbZ3h5y8t4SBPLGq2hRBSW_WYW-wDPxf2AG_UwImYcCBTHqn0/s400/P8055805.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is a fun tradition I think I have mentioned on the blog before. The South Pole was originally discovered and achieved (meaning they made it there) by two groups of men in the early 1900's. This meant that these men hiked/sledded/pulled/climbed the nearly 850 miles via their own power and some animal power (one team more than the other). </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At any rate, to encourage exercise while we are here during the winter at the South Pole, there is a "Back to McMurdo" challenge. A person keeps track of the mileage they have done on the treadmill/outside/on the rowing machine/on the bike/etc. There is a conversion chart for those who are not running or walking, so one can easily determine how many miles to add to the chart. The chart is a long banner hung in the workout room where anyone participating writes their name and their miles marked next to their name. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This brings me to the horrible decision I made. In mid-August I made it to McMurdo. I felt a little bit of satisfaction and then I thought, the guys who did this originally came from McMurdo to the South Pole and then turned around to go back. Crap. I already knew what I was going to do and I was not happy about it. Did I have enough time to make it back to the South Pole, thus completing the entire journey? Only one way to find out.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJygeegj-1EpNXo-R0GPLuw2ogQ12lCP36-8FIs0ONnxg2Qqu-JrMhfDGTqv7MnwQVdn43X4vnXFAX4ahnk7-PZQUZWye4XAkBHzhECUC2MtxHGKXA86xMGJUQOuYWsQyI5ppIXu3yjo/s1600/P8055824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJygeegj-1EpNXo-R0GPLuw2ogQ12lCP36-8FIs0ONnxg2Qqu-JrMhfDGTqv7MnwQVdn43X4vnXFAX4ahnk7-PZQUZWye4XAkBHzhECUC2MtxHGKXA86xMGJUQOuYWsQyI5ppIXu3yjo/s320/P8055824.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thus began the last two months of two-a-days, and often three-a-days, just to make sure I could get enough mileage in to finish this silly goal. This past Saturday, with a tired body, I finally achieved enough miles to make it back to the South Pole. All my miles were done through running and rowing. The rowing gave my body enough rest to continue a ridiculous amounts of miles at times - there were times when I was hitting 22 to 26 miles a day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My secondary goal to this whole fiasco was to finish in time to get back to my normal routine before leaving the South Pole. It was a journey of almost 1700 miles. There were a lot of workouts when I definitely considered how entirely stupid the quest truly was. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I guess at the end of the day the only rational thought I had was that if I needed to actually attempt to make my way back to McMurdo on foot I would be ready. This is unlikely as the planes are pretty good at getting here but you never know. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>(Below is what I shared with Memphis Runners - I believe they shared it in their August newsletter. This was mostly about my attempt to run a marathon on the treadmill)</em></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>
</em></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;">The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station sits upon two miles of
glacial ice at the bottom of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is one of the most remote places on this planet, over 800 miles from
the next closest station.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A group of people gather in this unusual location to help
support science being done by the United States Antarctic Program. The United
States has had a presence at the South Pole since 1956.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than a few support staff are needed for
the scientists to complete their work and a small community forms. During the
summer the population can soar to over 150 people, a teeming metropolis
compared to the less than fifty who hunker down the long winter months. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is odd being one of forty-six people at the South Pole.
Antarctica is not necessarily a place I saw myself ever visiting. Before we got
married Sarah had at one point mentioned she wanted to go to Antarctica one
day, but that is the sort of thing people say. Little did I know my wife is not
most people.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidP56f6MUl_uqXpsw0vKM4E99hWfoEGqnwERUXpAE7T5-29rFYo4HcCHrHI8tSpfFbQ6jGcYLXOYDBJ6kWz6pv-_Sa-jTnYrpU-7esQRpBpNPb7esJirAy73q5ZGnMr6hMPSGN52cObwg/s1600/P9105931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidP56f6MUl_uqXpsw0vKM4E99hWfoEGqnwERUXpAE7T5-29rFYo4HcCHrHI8tSpfFbQ6jGcYLXOYDBJ6kWz6pv-_Sa-jTnYrpU-7esQRpBpNPb7esJirAy73q5ZGnMr6hMPSGN52cObwg/s400/P9105931.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So I find myself living on a glacier and spending the entire
ten-month Austral winter at the South Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Traveling and running is always difficult. Routine is broken. New
places, while intriguing, sometimes offer odd dangers – getting lost, running
into the wrong neighborhood, not knowing local laws. I’ve certainly found
myself attempting to figure out the whole running deal while traveling for the
past few<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>years, and yet Antarctica has
offered some fresh challenges for me. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In route to the Pole I was waylaid for three weeks at
McMurdo, a station on the coast that all planes fly through on their way to
ninety degrees South. At this point it was the end of summer and the weather
was really not too bad. I was able to get in a number of runs outside, enjoying
some of the last sunshine I would run in for quite some time. I ran around
Observation Hill and trails that lead past Robert Falcon Scott’s hut from when
he and his team sought to earn the prize of the South Pole. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not until I left McMurdo and headed to
the Pole that I encountered the most obvious and main two obstacles I would
experience while in Antarctica - the extreme cold and being at altitude. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The South Pole sits at 9,306 feet. The real issue is barometric
pressure changes on a daily basis. Today we feel as though we are at 10,817
feet, though for the past two months we have spent most days over 11,000 feet.
When combined with the dry air we breathe in here, Antarctica is technically a
desert, the acclimation time for running took me quite some time. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then there is the cold. I grew up in Ohio before moving to
Memphis my senior year of high school. I have run in cold temperatures while
training for track during the winter months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though this part of me became quite accustomed to Memphis winters, I had
experienced bone chilling temperatures. Well, I thought I had. Arriving at the
South Pole was a little bit of a rude awakening. I managed to get two runs in
before the sun disappeared. Both were short and terrible. There is an almost
constant wind ripping across the Antarctic plateau that our station sits on,
and it is not forgiving. Negative fifty degrees with a strong wind is not
pleasant. It was fine running with the wind but at some point one has to turn
around. I have never felt wind cut through multiple layers of clothing (more
than I had ever worn to run in my life) so easily. I froze. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With the sun promising to disappear for four to five months
and temperatures dropping I had only one valid option before me. It is an
option I have avoided at all costs in the past. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The treadmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The treadmill has always been a tool I have loathed. Boring. Mundane.
Unchanging. Pick the negative word and I have most likely associated it with
the treadmill at some point in time. Yet there was this damned machine and it
was my only option if I wanted to run. So a few months ago I hopped on the
treadmill and began a strange journey. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There were some immediate problems that arose. I had
eliminated the problem of the extremely cold temperatures, but the altitude and
dry climate still persisted in offering their resistance. The treadmill itself
was everything I had expected of it. I made the decision early on to watch
television shows or movies while running to keep my mind distracted, and maybe
to keep my sanity intact. While keeping my mind occupied was not a replacement
for running the trails at Shelby Farms, it did help stave off the sheer boredom
of running in place for thirty minutes to an hour. The one aspect of treadmill
running that has bothered me the most has been my inability to run the paces,
according to the machine, I am accustomed to running. Until only recently, I
have been at least one minute slower per mile and there is not much I have been
able to do except for attempt to push a little harder to lower pace. Is it the
altitude? The dry air? My hate for treadmills? A combination of everything? Or
just some mental block to running on a machine? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It has been months since my decision to take advantage of
the treadmill. I have been slowly making my way through our extensive
television series library. And, contrary to my expectations, I am beginning to
like the treadmill. It could be like learning to enjoy the company of an
unwelcome running partner simply because he is your only current option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after he keeps showing up, run after run,
as a faithful running buddy, a person can learn to like him. Running itself has
always been this way with me. I ran hundreds of miles before I learned to love
running. Even then the relationship was dicey at best, though usually running has
been a joy. Learning to be content with my current running circumstances has
not been easy, but the treadmill is becoming a close friend. The development of
my new affinity for the treadmill, though welcome and surprising, has also
opened the door to me making an absurd decision.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am going to run a marathon on the treadmill. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgczfPTPPFAAvyg8EM4Ttpk0yLBOhnUhJe857ZFOsHoHIZzUSfsQ33jtNhE8bZi0J5wNfMIRTx1t3cxms3E4A5lzdmEXWTTtRS1hva1E0VCiUG-ICdBrQPyNqX2qC-_DxqU_B9YxLFJs4/s1600/PA226443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgczfPTPPFAAvyg8EM4Ttpk0yLBOhnUhJe857ZFOsHoHIZzUSfsQ33jtNhE8bZi0J5wNfMIRTx1t3cxms3E4A5lzdmEXWTTtRS1hva1E0VCiUG-ICdBrQPyNqX2qC-_DxqU_B9YxLFJs4/s400/PA226443.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Planes started arriving at the Pole! Just going through but soon they will<br />
be taking some of us with them. Yay)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here is the issue. As any serious runner travels, she looks
to the opportunities afforded to her in the running world. I have done the same
with my time here in Antarctica. There are a few different chances to run a
marathon on continent. Unfortunately none of them overlap the time during which
I will be here. This was sad news to process. How perfect would it be to get in
a marathon while on the continent? How many people have run one on all seven
continents? With two continents under my belt it was sour grapes to see this
opportunity slipping through my fingers. But did it have to be this way? I
stared at the treadmill and considered. Could I even bring myself to make such
a decision? The answer is apparently <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yes</i>!</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As many of you might be thinking already, there are concerns
with this marathon attempt. Does it really count if it is on a treadmill and
not out in the elements? Surely anyone could run a marathon in a hotel in China
and count the entire continent of Asia. I have my concerns on this issue, and
yet should I allow these concerns to keep me from achieving what I might never
have another chance to do in my lifetime? I made the decision to go ahead and
begin my training, which meant also pushing all doubts and naysayers to the
side – including myself. It is what it is and there is nothing to be done about
it. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So here I stand, with a goal I would deem absurd if anyone
else mentioned it to me. This week I completed my longest run on a treadmill to
date. Twenty miles came and went, along with multiple episodes of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wire.</i> Thanks to a homemade running
gel (made of honey, water, salt, and molasses – I cannot just head down to the
local running store) and being way more conscious about taking in plenty of
water I felt much better than I thought I would. Previously anything above
twelve miles has been quite a struggle. I have been mentally working past some
of my previous issues with the pace on the treadmill, though I am still not
working out at paces I am used to running the full marathon distance at in the
past.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In two weeks I will be attempting to run the full marathon. I
am still debating on my pace goals. At this point I am fairly confident I will
be able to finish this distance. My body has been responding decently to the
twenty miler this week and I’m getting excited about seeing what will happen
when I try to tack on another six miles. I never could have imagined running
any of the distances I have completed on the treadmill, let alone a full
marathon. I would say it is ridiculous but at this point it is just beginning
to feel normal to me. It is as though the part of my brain that hated
treadmills has been slightly worn away, as if a grinder has been slowly wearing
it down. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Running in Antarctica has been a challenge. I never would
have thought the treadmill would be a friend in a time of need. I do look
forward to the return of the sun and weather that will not sear my lungs,
leaving me with a bloody cough for weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even more so, I cannot wait until I fly through New Zealand and have the
chance to go for a run in a much more accommodating climate. And yet I have
this peculiar feeling that when I leave I might just miss my new
companion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will always be grateful to
the machine I once despised, but between the two I will always choose a nice
trail outside. Perhaps the South Pole can be my exception. </span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For now the treadmill is a glorious machine enabling me to
run, even while wintering-over in a place where the normal ambient temperature
outside is around negative eighty degrees Fahrenheit – this does not include
wind chill. The treadmill is my safe haven. Like many other tools in running
the treadmill, however reluctantly I say even now, does have its place. Ok
treadmill, let’s do this.</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-88965742057951300712017-09-29T14:20:00.001-07:002017-09-29T14:20:19.755-07:00South Pole: Changing of the Flags, Sunrise Dinner, and Life<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZa87J4qtvSk0hT0fuvgMBPjKWBZQmdOMBFD4eKYx_ZQ3jfg3kgiL8IIYy8_eDgpdMUe5w3eY8JOAOO13mUD34EpX2W8ROlLDvB6yMutw_s0mshdXJrYhaLny6o1B4bkaijkgnTh_TVI/s1600/P9216014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZa87J4qtvSk0hT0fuvgMBPjKWBZQmdOMBFD4eKYx_ZQ3jfg3kgiL8IIYy8_eDgpdMUe5w3eY8JOAOO13mUD34EpX2W8ROlLDvB6yMutw_s0mshdXJrYhaLny6o1B4bkaijkgnTh_TVI/s640/P9216014.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah and I take a moment after the flag changing ceremony to pose for a picture at the ceremonial South Pole)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The winter has been long, and though we have truly enjoyed our experience at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station, living in such conditions can be arduous. There are so many wonderful things to experience, like the auroras and night sky (which I talk about extensively in previous posts), but at the same time, Antarctica is simply not the kind of place that welcomes humans with open arms. We constantly joke that Antarctica is motivated by some sort of malevolent force to wipe out all human life, as if she is a living entity. It certainly feels like this at times. This energy that is innately a part of this ice covered continent, seems to bend its entire will at working against our existence here. </div>
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A quick example. We have giant doors (vehicle sized) attached to the LO Arch, where I work on the daily. These doors have been closed during most of the winter due to the inclement weather we can experience. We do, however, have to open these doors when we need to bring in materials from the outside storage berms, or for other various purposes. This past week, we spent the better part of a few days shoveling out the snow that sneakily seeps in through cracks of the doors. It wisps in, as the unstoppable force it is, and creates giant pillars of bulky snow on the inside of our doors. We cleared this entire area out and, rightly so, we were quite proud of ourselves (see last post about shoveling). The doors were swung open, smiles all around, and then the rest was cleared with a machine from the outside. </div>
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And then... Antarctica struck. "She took back her space," one of my co-workers mentioned. The winds picked up and the temperatures dropped down close to negative 100 F. This meant we now needed to close our doors because those temperatures could negatively effect some of the work spaces in our arches. Guess what? We could not close our doors due to the extra snow. So after a few hours of work to clear the area, we were finally able to close the doors we had worked so hard to open. Only a few hours later I walked back past these very same doors. The dreaded snow pillars were already reforming, a visible monument to Antarctica's relentless pursuit to remain untamed. I can hardly wait to work on opening those doors again - well, yes I can wait. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Our station manager says a few words before we took down the flags that had flown the long winter night)</td></tr>
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One unique thing that happened in the past two weeks was the changing of the flags. The ceremonial pole is home to the flags of twelve different nations. These nations were all a part of the original Antarctic Treaty signed in 1959, and this is honored by their country being constantly represented by the flying of their flag at the ceremonial pole. Countries included: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Russia, England, and the United States. These countries all had some sort of investment, or interest, in Antarctica at the time of the treaty, and the treaty ensures certain protections for the continent as a whole <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System" target="_blank">(since then more countries have joined the treaty - click anywhere to read more about the treaty)</a>. </div>
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The changing of the flags was a fun event for us. We took the new flags out and each person was assigned to a particular flag. Our station manager made some comments on the significance of the flags and the countries represented, and then each person attempted the difficult task of removing and replacing the flags. It was challenging due to performing this task in the extreme cold. Our warmer and more protective mittens make such a task somewhat problematic, and I know the only way I could negotiate the metal clasps was to take those off. This makes for attempted quick work, fumbling with numb fingers, and I know I heard a little bit of frustration being expressed as those around me worked diligently to put up their new flag. In the end, we did manage to successfully hang all of the new flags that will soar for the rest of this year and most of 2018. As I did not have a designated flag, Sarah was nice enough to share hers with me. She was changing out the New Zealand flag, which has special significance to us. We lived there for a year, thus the title of this blog, and we absolutely love the country.</div>
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After the changing of the flags it was time to get inside and warm up our hands! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Working together to change out Sarah's flag)</td></tr>
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Sunrise Dinner!</div>
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Our chefs really outdid themselves on this one. The theme was food trucks. They set up stations all around the room and even decorated in various ways. Viktor was serving drinks, Hunter was making Cubans, Sugar Bear was serving up some sushi, and Zak was making Indian food. We sampled it all and found that each person had truly made some delicious food. I think we ate pretty heavily off of the sushi bar, but we made sure to leave room for something special from the other chefs as well. It was definitely the best food we have had in a while!! Good job guys.</div>
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Each year there is a box o' goods that are shipped down for us all to open around Mid-Winter. Some of those things filtered out into the crew around this time, but some of it got sidetracked for various reasons until now. A table of various goodies (books, knickknacks, dried fruit, etc) was put out for anyone to take. One of the guys noticed there were some LED badminton birdies. He went and set up the gym for what would later be badminton in the dark with our new light up birdies. This was...crazy...fun...somewhat dangerous...but mostly fun. There is a picture below that shows some of what it was like to play in the dark. Sometimes the birdie would turn off after being hit, making it impossible to return (other side cheers in victory, once it is the birdie is discovered on the other side of the net as no one could tell where it went). The real deal was making sure to watch your teammates, especially once the game included over half of the people on station, so as to not hit or be hit in the face by a racket. Lots of fun. </div>
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Overall a great night. Sarah and I finished it off by playing a game with some of our friends (also pictured below). Moments like Sunrise Dinner are a highlight for certain. They not only mark a moment in the winter as being a time passed on our way toward redeployment, but they also tend to lift the spirits of everyone on station (for the most part) as well. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sugar Bear rocking out the sushi rolls - they really were delicious!)</td></tr>
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One other memorable event was paired up with Sunrise Dinner. Traditionally each year the flags that are taken down are then raffled off to members who are wintering over at the South Pole. This includes the twelve flags already mentioned above, and then also two more American flags (flown in other locations on station) and the NSF (National Science Foundation) flag. It can be a big deal as you win a flag that has flown at the South Pole, and some people find that to be exciting. We certainly were thrilled about the idea of having one of the flags. Certain flags tend to be more desired than others, though it depends on the individual for obvious reasons. The American flags, Norwegian flag, and the English flag are usually the top choices. The Americans generally all like the idea of taking home one of American flags. There is historical significance for the Norwegian and English flag as the explorers, Amundsen and Scott, were Norwegian and English.<br />
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Unfortunately, even though we technically had twice the chance to win over a single person, we did not win a flag. It was disappointing but it was also fun to watch the enthusiasm of those who did win a flag. The Norwegian flag, pictured below, was claimed by our station manager. He is planning a trip to Norway when he leaves the ice and part of his journey will take him to see the boat the Fram, which was the boat Amundsen and his crew used to reach Antarctica on their way to the South Pole (it was also used in many other voyages in the Arctic). He asked if we would all sign the flag so he can present it to someone while he is in Norway. What a fun way to celebrate a little bit of the history about the South Pole as we prepared to eat some tasty food. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The Norwegian flag ready to be signed by the station crew. Pictures of the Fram are hanging on the wall above the flag)</td></tr>
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That is about it for our South Pole update for now. We have a few more events planned for the rest of the season, but for the most part we are through with the major events like Sunrise Dinner. As of today, September 30th, I have only thirty-six days left on the ice (it can always change). Sarah has roughly thirty-nine days left. It is so crazy that we are this close to being done with our time at the South Pole. </div>
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Well, I guess I better get back to shoveling snow. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The Materials Team poses for a picture. Steve was quite proud of his dress. Kim actually made it for him. He was the only one at Sunrise Dinner in a sundress. Go figure)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Daniel Michalik - badminton in the dark)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Daniel Michalik - ending our Sunrise Dinner night with a game)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(And yes, the sun is up completely now - really fun watching it come up. Soon it will be so bright we need to wear sunglasses again while working outside. Today is pretty close - not pictured here)</td></tr>
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Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station-85.1000005 3.9999997625272954e-07-90 -41.308593600000023 -59.577965999999989 41.308594399999976tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-24681672546563564642017-09-19T14:59:00.001-07:002017-09-19T15:20:00.644-07:00Antarctica =s Lots O' Shoveling<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The past few weeks at the South Pole have been filled with birthdays, departments lining up those last few jobs that need to be finished before summer, and people solidifying plans for when they leave the continent. We have all be waiting to get our official off ice date, which really only means a date when a person will leave dependent on weather and such, and as we get those dates we can finally confirm plans for after we leave. It can be a little difficult to plan such traveling around a date that can fluctuate a decent amount, but we are doing our best.</div>
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Sarah and I finally made a few of our purchases in regards to the quick stop off we are going to make in Australia for some diving. The plan is to dive the Great Barrier Reef and do some sightseeing before we shoot on back for Thanksgiving. We both love to dive and are very much looking forward to diving this particular part of the world. Mostly it will just be nice to get back in the water. By the time we leave it will have been mover ten months since we have been submersed in any water, let alone the ocean. Surprisingly we do not have a pool here at the South Pole (said sarcastically).</div>
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This week we finally got to see our team winter-over photo. Matt Smith and Hunter Davidson worked on making it what you see above. It is a few photos combined - the night sky on the right and the sun starting to come up on the left. We have missed being able to look up into the Milky Way, which did look almost as pictured here to the naked eye. Good work on the photo guys. </div>
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Our materials team has been driving out to the storage berms in search of goods for various other departments. On the last trip we had to go pretty far out so we made a little detour to the "end of the world." We took some photos at this same location as the sun was beginning to set about six months ago, and so it was fun to take some now as the sun is beginning to rise. The colors the new rising sun has been pouring out over our white landscape have been quite nice to watch. Lots of purples, reds, oranges, and pinks. Pretty soon we will see the actual sun itself - that will be nice! </div>
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And oh the shoveling. The shoveling... As you can see in the picture where I'm about to crush Steve's head with a giant piece of snow/ice, the wind blows snow in through the cracks in the doors to our arch. When this picture was taken we had already managed to get about six to eight feet move from above where we are standing. This week we needed to shovel this all out of the way so we can then open the doors and drag the snow out with a machine. Needless to say I'm a little sore from all of the shoveling, but we got it done and our doors are open. It's nice to have some natural light pouring in through our open doors. </div>
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The final picture was taken at the end of the world also. Someone had fun taking blocks of ice and building a cairn type structure, which is actually really cool to find way out in the middle of nowhere. It is almost as if it is one last final warning to turn back before the vastness of the land before you. </div>
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The first picture is a Scott tent that one of the guys here set up so we could take some nice photos. It was pretty neat to see what a tent like that would be like set up in the snow. I think I prefer our station to the tent life as it did not seem quite as cozy. </div>
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Only a short time left before we leave. We will have our Sunrise dinner this weekend, a fun event and major marker of our time nearing an end. Pictures and stories will follow. </div>
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Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-37338207256413732012017-09-05T15:34:00.003-07:002017-09-05T15:38:29.600-07:00The Endless Night is Over: The South Pole and Some Sun<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Almost every day, I walk to work outside. It is a fairly short walk, and while there have been one or two days I was not happy about being outdoors, for the most part I am attributing this to being a big part of what has been getting me through the Winter. Even on the worst days, there has been something refreshingly nice about a little clean air and an abruptly brisk wake up. It is hard to feel asleep after a nice morning Antarctic embrace. </div>
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The best part about walking outside has always been the nighttime displays of astronomical delights such as auroras, the bright Milky Way, the moon (with some of its random displays as well such as moon-pillars), the Southern Cross, and other such wonderful sights. I have borrowed plenty of pictures from our shared drive and posted them on this blog in previous posts. They were all random and we never really knew when they would happen. There are the weather reports and even sometimes helpful alerts to let everyone know there was a massive aurora storm happening, but by the time a person can get suited up and out the door they were occasionally gone as quickly as they came. This is why a person just needs to get outside randomly as you just never know what might be happening out there.<br />
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As wonderful as it was to witness all of these phenomenon of the Antarctic night sky, nothing quite prepared me for my walk to work last week. I walked out of the back door from our berthing rooms as normal. I had one eye shut to help acclimate my eyes to the darkness more quickly. I was then arrested on the top of the stairs, as I began look around and see that upon the horizon was the faintest hint of sunlight! The sun had begun taking back a little bit of the Antarctic night. I felt excited - this meant we were one more step closer to going home! I felt a slight feeling of awe - how many people have seen the first rays of the sun as it starts to slowly creep back up over the South Pole after a long winter's night? I felt a feeling of... disappointment - as I looked around and took in the faint sunlight, I also looked up and noticed there was something missing. The Milky Way was gone!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0D-IF3RGfFq1Dn038YkglQzv-eGdLHWzR6VNoSByxMTy1qgsYpgcCE2gavpCCw8IuBv5hgpbZEaQ8gNAJlIM50bVFy_-8z_qK-LmxbYMJUktFM2TlnK1xQLBxvrNb0YuBMsSdgUrCwQ0/s1600/P9045877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0D-IF3RGfFq1Dn038YkglQzv-eGdLHWzR6VNoSByxMTy1qgsYpgcCE2gavpCCw8IuBv5hgpbZEaQ8gNAJlIM50bVFy_-8z_qK-LmxbYMJUktFM2TlnK1xQLBxvrNb0YuBMsSdgUrCwQ0/s640/P9045877.JPG" width="640" /></a>I have been waiting for the sun to come back. We all have been waiting for this momentous occasion. Without the sun the weather will not be accommodating enough for frequent fights in and out of the South Pole. This drastic change in our South Pole experience is vital to fresh food, to departing, and to life. And yet there was a part of me that was inexplicably sad when I realized I could not gaze deep into the core of our galaxy's center any longer. I had grown so accustomed to taking quick looks up into the Milky Way on my walks to work, that now I felt a loss I did not anticipate. I looked desperately for my favorite constellation, the Southern Cross, and it was thankfully still there. But for how long? I knew this change meant the auroras would be less and less visible as the sunlight forged its way across the sky, and I was pretty sure I could deal with their loss. Yet there I stood, and mixed with all of my other emotions was an unforeseen sorrow.</div>
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Don't get me wrong. I am filled with a high sense of expectation and energy upon having seen the sun. It has revitalized a part of me that is ready to see family and friends, to travel, to eat fresh food, and to do all of the other things I have been missing while we have been at the South Pole. It may be the case, however, that we never return to this place. Looking back, it is likely that I have spent my last Antarctic night staring into the crystal clear Milky Way and contemplating the greatness of the Creator. I want to cherish these memories and hold on to them while they are fresh and bold in my mind. While the sun brings change and much needed revitalization, I am going to hold on just a little longer to the memory of the long Winter. </div>
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Having said all of that, I am immensely enjoying the sunlight and all it brings with it. Our station took down all of our window coverings this past weekend. One more fun sign to point to the nearing of the end of our time here. Though our windows have a heavy tint on them and we could mostly see only our own reflections for the first few days, there have been moments where we can see the glowing reds of the sun peering over the horizon.<br />
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We are all still alive. The sun has started the long sunrise back over the most southern place on this planet. Life is, I dare say it, good. I will say my goodbyes to the Milky Way and auroras soon enough. Perhaps I need to find the right time or thoughts. They have left regardless. I guess I just want to wait a little bit longer.</div>
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<br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0Antarctica-85.1000005 3.9999997625272954e-07-90 -41.308593600000023 -59.577965999999989 41.308594399999976tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-6616319289160756982017-08-22T15:27:00.000-07:002017-08-22T18:01:16.523-07:00No Solar Eclipse at the South Pole<div class="db" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(One thing we, as a materials department, do is to volunteer every few<br />
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It is with a sad note that I offer to you all that there was no solar eclipse at the South Pole. One reason for this is the obvious absence of the sun. While it is certainly good to report we have caught a few glimpses of the sun peeking over the distant horizon when there are no clouds obstructing our view, it has been a bummer to have missed out on a full solar eclipse passing over the United States. From the pictures I have managed to see on social media, it seems there are plenty of people who enjoyed it in our absence. </div>
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Speaking of the United States, watching the news as it filters in to the South Pole has been somewhat discouraging. The only thing I want to offer on this subject is prayer. Being away from the country at this time leaves me feeling a little more than impotent in my ability to take part or help out in any way. Today I saw a post on social media from one of my former seminary professors, Dr. Lloyd Allen. As a Church History professor it is appropriate for him to share a prayer by Thomas Merton from 1962. This is the prayer I offer up now from the South Pole for the United States and the rest of the world, in the hopes of peace and reconciliation. </div>
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"Lord of History Whose designs are inscrutable. . . . Mercifully hear this prayer . . . from . . . a world in which You are forgotten. . . . Your presence ignored. Because we do not know You, we have no peace. . . . Help us to be masters of the weapons that threaten to master us. . . . Resolve our inner contradictions that now grow beyond belief and beyond bearing. . . . Teach us to be long-suffering in anguish and insecurity. Teach us to wait and trust. Grant light, grant strength and patience to all who work for peace." <br />
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Moving back to life at the South Pole, somehow it is already August! One aspect of living at the South Pole that gets a good amount of attention is the time a person has left before the first plane comes to get us and we head home. As the months whittle away and people get more excited about the idea of leaving, the days are counted with increasing care. We have started receiving our tentative dates for leaving the ice. This is an exciting time for planning and looking forward to some much needed change. It might not seem as though we are too close to possible November departure dates, but when you have people who have been here since last October (we did not get here till January) the idea of another seventy days truly is something to celebrate. </div>
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Are we excited? Let me say it this way. If a plane came today and we could leave I think I would be game for jumping on it. Having said that, Sarah and I enjoy our time here as well. I am not cringing while I think of the remaining seventy plus days to come, though I am beginning to look forward to certain aspects of departing as well. </div>
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For instance: <strong>Good food</strong>. Our food here is decent most of the time, but almost all of it has been frozen for years. It will certainly be nice to enjoy some deliciously fresh food. I cannot stress how excited I am about a change in our food. The other day a group of us sat and talked for about an hour about good food we miss/are looking forward to eating when we leave. I could see the food forming before me, and then evaporate as a cruel trick. <strong>Family</strong>. It's a long time to be away and we have some new family members coming our way soon too! New babies! We are both missing friends and family quite a bit, and we are certainly looking forward to catching up with them. <strong>Traveling</strong>. While being here is amazing it's the longest we have been in any one place for a while. We have some fun plans for when we leave. There are plenty of other things either or both of us miss, but this covers the main things. </div>
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I will most likely do a separate post about this at some point, when I feel more like talking about it, but one thing that happened recently was a self-imposed marathon on a treadmill. Due to certain time restraints before and after our time at the South Pole (and considering wanting to run one shortly after leaving), I made the decision to run 26.2 miles on the treadmill. In my efforts to run a marathon on every continent, I would obviously prefer to run this outside but the adverse Antarctic conditions made it clear I am here at the wrong time to complete this feat. There is a marathon run at most of our U.S. bases during the summer; however, not knowing if I would ever make my way back for such an occasion I made the hard decision to embrace the terribly boring treadmill. And that is how my marathon went - terribly. Oh well, for now I'm taking it as a win. I ran a marathon at over 11,000 feet at the South Pole. It was rough but the thing is done. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(We are both still unicycling. Sarah is still way better than me. And<br />
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riding in circles. Note Peter's shirt - the Hope shirt!)</div>
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On a much more celebratory note, Sarah and I have been learning more about wine! One of the guys, Viktor, on station is a level one sommelier and he likes to share his passion and knowledge on the subject. Not only does Viktor teach a class each week with another guy, Clint, for anyone who wants to come, but he has been giving Sarah and I more in depth sessions once a week too. It has been a fun subject to study and our appreciation for the fruit of the vine has been increasing through gaining more knowledge. Now when we do our tastings (with our VERY limited wine selection here on station), we have a better idea of what to look for when sniffing and tasting. It really does make the whole experience more enjoyable. I can already see a few trips being planned around some French vineyards!</div>
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And there was a pool tournament. Sarah and I both signed up to play in the tournament for the joy of being around the community. I cannot stress enough how our decision to play was based in no way on any skill either of us possess to play billiards. Neither of us are downright terrible. I do not mean to imply a complete lack of skill. However, when compared to people who actually play pool often enough to hone their felt tabled talents, our abilities are certainly wanting. This does not mean we did not have fun. We both did better than either of us thought we might do, and we both had a few moments when we know we should have done a little better. Once we had been knocked out, and even between games, we spent the rest of our time watching (mostly Sarah) and heckling (mostly Brett) the players. Thanks to Josh for putting on the tournament, even though he won it and made us all look like we had never played the game before. </div>
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One last update for today's post. There is always one moment for which almost every South Pole person who winters over waits. That moment is when the temperature finally drops below -100 degrees F! This happened briefly, and perhaps appropriately, during our mid-winter celebrations a few months ago. But do to the nature of our events planned for that night, we did not really have much opportunity to go outside and experience this ridiculously cold temperature. This time we were ready! And not only was it super cold, but when we went outside we discovered an extremely bright aurora display dancing across the sky! There are moments that define the South Pole experience, and heading outside at -100 degrees to be greeted by the brightest aurora of the season was uniquely special. There are not too many places in the world where a person can be exposed to a cold of this nature, and though I am not sure I would have sought it out, I count myself fortunate to have experienced it. </div>
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Seventy-four days! We can do this. </div>
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Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-83074097395339082022017-08-07T18:34:00.001-07:002017-08-07T19:02:22.659-07:00Antarctic Christmas in July: How the South Pole Do<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Christmas in JULY. Why? Because it's cold you twit and it's fun to celebrate Christmas whenever you can to enjoy it more (sorry, pathetic attempt to take a quote from Alan Rickman and use it for Christmas joy of movie viewers everywhere. We are all less off for him having passed away. This is from him playing the Sheriff George of Nottingham in <em>Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves</em>). Ya that was bad, but Christmas in July was not. Most people like Christmas and when it is frigidly cold outside it feels like it is time for Christmas. So Kim, my supervisor down here for the materials department and a lady who loves Christmas, planned an entire event for us to celebrate. As you can see from the picture, this of course included as much decorating as possible. In a good way, if that is possible, the galley looked as though our Christmas decoration boxes projectile vomited their contents onto the walls, ceilings, and floors. It was beautiful and I can say with pride my hands were a big part of making sure it was as classy as described. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQg5xoqcJpRonpk5HcTcL5_KL3GKLsbdBYj8gZF4U9PicC_B1V9newnC4E_san9lr_Q020ycfShwFLfrRoyG37iS4gUOTOdWe10MabwoS-9gmtRyusXgNKMXk7Ly4n5nozQJI8eYcv2fo/s1600/IMG_4785+%25282%2529+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQg5xoqcJpRonpk5HcTcL5_KL3GKLsbdBYj8gZF4U9PicC_B1V9newnC4E_san9lr_Q020ycfShwFLfrRoyG37iS4gUOTOdWe10MabwoS-9gmtRyusXgNKMXk7Ly4n5nozQJI8eYcv2fo/s400/IMG_4785+%25282%2529+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a>Well you know how Christmas goes, especially when it is celebrated at the wrong time of the year - amazing!! Once our decorating was done, we started off our celebrations by decorating tons of cookies that Kim, Sarah and Catherine shaped and cooked up for us all. Sugar Bear, one of our beloved cooks (and yes we call him Sugar Bear), had prepared all the dough to make this cookie experience possible. Thanks Sugar Bear and cookie makers! As you will see from the pictures below, these lovely folks made so many cookies that our cookie decorating party was really quite fun. People brought their creative skills to life in the form of sugar cookie art. You might think I am just making this up or being polite, but when you look down to some of the cookies these people brought to life you will see what I am talking about. Michelangelo? Maybe not, but certainly art. Penguins with backpacks. Polar bears eating penguins. A distant relative of the octopus I made in an attempt to make Steve uncomfortable (he's not a fan of the octopus as he appropriately fears their brain capacity and ability to track one down far from the ocean). I should have added more photos of the cookies but you'll get the idea.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6U0A5JRltgeS7XJyNgLhBnGQrTLJdMVesm_moXR88dE2VPhRzRFIXXOkn_9RHzNVAULJ5RMOlnGzSrPcgVw1Tp1xqpNrNMtn5CqQltj2HM2EFdwVDlxajPjbRo_NvI06wPk-zeJg8pI/s1600/P7215766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6U0A5JRltgeS7XJyNgLhBnGQrTLJdMVesm_moXR88dE2VPhRzRFIXXOkn_9RHzNVAULJ5RMOlnGzSrPcgVw1Tp1xqpNrNMtn5CqQltj2HM2EFdwVDlxajPjbRo_NvI06wPk-zeJg8pI/s400/P7215766.JPG" width="400" /></a>With cookies done and eager to taste what Kim was preparing for our Christmas day feast, some of us gathered in the galley to watch Christmas movies. Choices ranged from <em>A Christmas Story </em>to <em>A Nightmare Before Christmas </em>to <em>Elf </em>to various other titles that were watched that day. People were celebrating through the kind disposition Christmas beverages offer in times like these, and mostly there was just holiday relaxation. Dinner was served and was scrumptiously wonderful. It is odd how a few movies, a little bit of music, the right food, and some lights can make a place feel so much like Christmas right smack in the middle of July. Having celebrated Christmas in July twice now, once before in New Zealand, I am a fan. Why only have Christmas once a year when one can easily have it twice? </div>
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What else goes along with Christmas in July - gift exchange (as seen in pictures)! We all worked hard on scrounging up the most desirable of gifts and wrapped them for a good ole' fashioned White Elephant style gift swap. Gifts ranged from calendars to bottles of wine to handcrafted replicas of this years pole marker (smaller in scale of course). There was excitement as people opened gifts. There was despair as others then came and ruthlessly stole their prized gift. There was amusement and laughter as others watched people lose their newest joy in life. And then there was a type of revenge, not directed at the person who had stolen their gift because that is impossible according to the rules, as those deprived of their gifts went searching to steal from some other person admiring the gift they had just opened. It was as any white elephant gift exchange should be.</div>
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And then there was our Ham Radio class. Dr. James Casey (pictured all the way to the left in the group photo) was generous enough to offer a station wide class on Ham radio. To operate these amateur radios one needs one or all of three license available, all giving slightly different privileges on the Ham. There is the Technician, the General, and the Extra. I put off my studies a little bit and only had time to really go over the Technician well enough to pass, but Sarah was able to wrangle in the Technician and the General! So one more thing that happened while we were at the South Pole that one time - we earned our amateur radio licenses. Not a bad deal at all. And special thanks to James for putting on the class and for putting up with all of our ridiculous shenanigans in those class sessions. </div>
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That is all for this post. We have had a lot of other things happen but now is not the right time to talk about any of them. For instance, we took our group winter photo and yet it will not be ready to view for some undisclosed amount of time. I also ran a marathon (on the treadmill) this past weekend. However, not only do I not feel like talking about it yet, but I will most likely write a post about it at a later time. There have also been studies of wine, which again I will most likely post about all on its own in the future. </div>
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For now please feel free to scroll down through the few extra photos I've added. The aurora shot is by Hunter Davis (yes you have seen a few of his photos now) and sadly is not mine. He really knows what he's doing with his camera. <a href="http://www.hunterdavis.photography/" target="_blank">Click here to check out more of his photos</a>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(This wooden reindeer explodes when touched - so be careful and no touching!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(It was a cookie making extravaganza)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(That's my two eyed creation. Inspired by an extreme hatred of Steve, based on his hatred for the octopus, this little guy ventured all the way from the depths of the ocean to the South Pole in search of justice. Unfortunately he was eaten and Steve is still safe and sound)</td></tr>
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<br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-65860913835460880532017-07-10T16:29:00.001-07:002017-09-07T15:14:35.738-07:00Antarctica: South Poleympics Post Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We finished up our Poleympic Games this weekend and the competition lived up to the rigorous training the athletes put their bodies through each year just for this event (which is mostly little to none). <br />
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Our final events were: Team Sled Pull, Supreme Commander (a video game), Settlers of Catan (a board game), Three on Three Volleyball, Rubik's Cube Speed Challenge, Best Photo from the entire competition, and the Closing Ceremonies. The first photo (has been changed for various reasons so just imagine) I have shared in this post encapsulates everything the Poleympic Games are about - tenacity, creativity, a willingness to do anything to win, a bending of the rules and nature's design, complete willingness to sacrifice the body for the team, wardrobe changes for specific events, and finally peace, hope, and love. I think you'll see all that if you ruminate on this picture long enough.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah roles for Catan. Notice you can see the number four)</td></tr>
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Before volleyball, however, there was Settlers of Catan. This is a board game Sarah and I first encountered in New Zealand. Some friends brought the game over to our home and described it. "You collect sheep, ore, brick, and wheat. You then use those resources to trade with one another or the bank to build settlements." I had questions. Can you attack other settlements? No. Can you destroy other settlements or take over their roads? No. How am I to annihilate my opponents? You don't do that.<br />
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Well, in this game there is usually a good amount of cooperation. Great, why would I want to play this stupid game was my exact though. I might have even said that last sentence out loud as we could never get these friend to come over again. Whoops! As it turns out I was doing that whole judge the book by its cover thing. Not only is the game fun but we have played it a ton since first being introduced to it. We own our own copy. We played it in Memphis with our friends and we were delighted to discover there is a community here at the Pole that loves to play Catan as well. Catan is actually played enough that the Commissioner of the Games, Peter, added the game as an event. We had nine competitors and thus our set up was three preliminary games from which the winners would all go to the final game. </div>
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Sarah and I started in the same preliminary game, which means only one of us could advance to the sought after finals and a medal in this event. We knew this going in and both played to put ourselves in the best position to win the game. Sarah beat me to it and won a spot in the finals. She then went on to win the whole dang deal, earning a gold medal and making the family quite proud (we would have been proud with any result but we do love gold). Some say this victory was so swiftly achieved due to the abnormal amount of fours that were being rolled that game. Sarah happened to benefit from fours and I did watch as four players in a row all rolled fours at one point during the game. Well no matter what the circumstances, Sarah won this particular game. Another night it might have gone completely differently.<br />
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Supreme Commander. This is a game I know nothing about but I have watched as the guys all gather in large conference room to play on their laptops. I am told it's fun. Maybe one day I will try. This game was worked into the Poleympics and there were teams of two set up to pit their skills against one another. As I do not know anything else about this particular game that is about all I can say. I know each game took about two hours of game play and the guys were really into it. </div>
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The next photo was taken by Hunter Davidson, one of the best photographers of the night sky I have been privileged to meet. We have a few folks down here who can really work their cameras and do some magical stuff, but so far Hunter has really been putting in the work to produce some amazing shots. This one was taken during our individual sled pull. I'm out there at the ceremonial pole where you can see a strange amount of light bursting forth from seemingly nothing. Those are toy light sabers (mentioned in last post as I took a shot of them from my angle) all stuck into the ground (and one in my hand) lighting the way for the finish for the sled pullers. They really produced a lot of light! But just look at Hunter's photo. The Milky Way is streaming down through the night sky as a faint aurora is dancing above us, all the meanwhile there are thousands of stars shinning down. When I try my best to take a picture like this it comes out almost entirely black. I might capture a little bit of the aurora but it is grainy and sad. <a href="http://www.hunterdavis.photography/" target="_blank">Definitely check out some of Hunter's photos</a> on his website. He's really got some good stuff on there and more is being added as he takes more wonderful pics of auroras down here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Volleyball - the name of the game was to set Gavin)</td></tr>
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The next morning, bright and early for a day off, was the team sled pull at nine o' clock. It was fun to look around and see how everyone had their own innovative ways of setting up a team to pull their sled across the ice and drifts. Some clearly had function in mind while others were going for more of a fun approach. While the individual sled pull was one of our events with the least amount of contenders, the team sled pull was maybe the event the most people participated in during the games. With four people on each team I believe we had at least twenty-four people (out of forty-six on station) and maybe more.</div>
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On a really cold and windy morning around about six teams gathered at the geographic South Pole in preparation for one of the most grueling events in the 2017 Poleympics. Only the individual sled pullers from the week before really had any notion of what to expect. And what was to be expected? Pain, anabolic threshold met in about thirty seconds but then the event holds you on the anaerobic side making you wish you were dead, lack of oxygen and coughing fits, the bodies overall rejection of the event, and extreme cold. It was NOT fun. It was challenging and I am glad that I participated, that is for certain, but it has now been twenty-four hours since the event and my raspy cough has me thinking it was not the best of ideas. Our team was made of an electrician (Peter, our commissioner), a doctor (yes Sarah), and two materials guys (Steve and me). We were pulling Sarah and we had one goal - beat the Michigan team. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Our silver medal team - good job guys. Silver is good) </td></tr>
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And everything started off well enough. Then we hit the wall, a tangible force of physical exhaustion punched our team right in the face. Peter said what we were all thinking (except Sarah as she was in the sled getting pulled - you had to pull one person), "Guys, I can't go any further." Steve almost reflexively started saying things like, "Let's just keep moving" and "We can do this," as he just kept pulling us all forward through sheer will power. I looked over my shoulder and saw most other teams were experiencing the same dilemma we were. I looked forward and the mental game became a lot more difficult. Just past the mounds of snow drifts and hard formed ice that I could almost feel wereleering at me with a look of "I dare you," there was the Michigan team. We had been gaining, or so I thought. They seemed to be having no moment of crisis as they just continued on their damned steady pace. We recovered. We kept in motion (thanks Steve). We gained. But it was too late. It would have to be the silver medal for us. It was hard earned but all I could think about was getting back to warmth and sitting down on the floor to breathe as much air as possible. We had lost but we had also done well, I guess. <a href="http://eileens77.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">You can read Eileen's post and see what she thinks about it. She was not impressed</a>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Viktor makes a set to Gavin and he prepares to bump it up for one of us to <br />
spike. Note Viktor is wearing one of the shirts we brought down for every-<br />
one. Amundsen's mustache!)</td></tr>
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Oh, then came the heart wrenching volleyball. It was fun but just like team sled pull it did not go as we had hoped it might. The way the brackets ended up getting shaped, we had some tough games just to reach the finals. </div>
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Our first set of games went well but certainly were taxing to our team. The team we played is really good and yet during this competition we were just more in the zone than they were. Sometimes the ball bounces off your arm wrong and getting back on target is tough. We made it through our first set of three games only having to play two games, which was nice because we needed the rest. It was a solid first game and we came through it feeling good as we looked forward to our next match. We knew our first two games would be the most difficult by far, which is a little strange in a tournament, but that's how the brackets fell out. Either of the first two teams had the potential of knocking us out. We had to keep our game on track and not leave much to chance. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Some net play vs Tyler. These were some intense games)</td></tr>
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We took our rest in between matches and we discussed what we thought we needed to change, which at that point was really not much. We had played extremely well together during our first set and all we had to do was keep it up. As we prepared for the next set of games we did so as though it was the gold medal match. If we won this set we would go on to the finals and if we lost we would be playing for bronze. The stakes were pretty high for our second game but when you only have six teams this is the kind of thing that happens.</div>
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We warmed up and started our first game. Everything went according to plan and we made it through our first of three games just as we wanted it done. A decisive win, good communication, and all was well. The second game started in kind and we had a little bit of a lead going. Then the invisible monkey, or whatever it is in volleyball terminology, jumped on our backs. Now it is quite obvious that our morning of sled pulling and our first set of games had taken its toll, but at the time we were not perceiving the real enemy. We started missing some easy shots, especially serves. Our lead dwindled and we lost the second game. No big deal. Time to regroup and get things done in game three. This was not to be our day. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I like to think I'm just tired here but maybe I am a little disappointed too.<br />
Photo credit to Daniel Michalik)</td></tr>
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As game three began all of the weariness we had been feeling in game two seeped its slippery way into our minds as well. The all to present reality of watching the other team snatch away the momentum of the game was frustrating. A few more missed hits and a few more serves into the net, we found ourselves staring what we had hoped to be an unlikely elimination right in the face. It might seem silly to talk so intensely about some ridiculously fun Poleympic games everyone was just participating in for the joy of playing. And yet there I was quite frustrated at the turn of events. Our team was frustrated. There was a gold medal on the line and I found myself really wanting our team to take it home. We made a small comeback on a few decent serves and then I watched in shock as a ball I thought was going out hit the dang line. At least I could look at the last moment of the game and know exactly who was to blame - damn. Oh well, it is just a game right? We had played well but not at our best. I had a little melt down when a spectator interfered in a minor way. I hate it when I lose my cool during sports. It has happened infrequently over the years and it always galls me. A low growl rumbles inside of me. Let it go man.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Andrew soars! Taken by Viktor Barricklow)</td></tr>
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Sarah's team did well in the tournament and had tons of fun. They were on the other side of the bracket and while our games reeked of an over seriousness, her matches had the normal fun loving nature of our weekly volleyball games. There was some great volleyball being played, and as anyone can see from the pictures I've posted, these players bring everything they've got into the games. This shot of Andrew Nadolski flying in a graceful formation as he hits the ball over the net is a prime example of the sort of games we were enjoying this past Sunday. There were a few great shots of him captured during gameplay that actually made their way into the photo competition to win a medal! It was a fun day and though Sarah's team did not make it into the medal rounds, they represented well and had a lot of good play. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Volleyball medal ceremony. Photo by Robert Schwartz)</td></tr>
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Our team ended up going on to win the bronze medal matches. The team we lost to soared on through easily for the gold. Overall we had tons of fun and though our team was not happy with the results of our performances, there were definite moments of play we can all be proud of for sure. Hopefully one result of this tournament will be some more three on three volleyball. It was too fun not to play some more. The winning team was Robert Schwartz, Tyler Butler, and Josh Neff. A good team I look forward to playing fifty more times. Predictions? Naw. We will just have to wait and see how it goes. </div>
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With volleyball done we only had Rubik's Cube contest, a sheer test of mental speed, our photo competition voting, and the closing ceremonies. </div>
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In order to decide who's mind was the greatest, three contestants stood upon the gold medal stand (one at a time) in the gym and were heckled while they attempted to complete the Rubik's Cube puzzle as quickly as possible. James Casey won the day with a completion time of just barely over a minute. It was fun to watch and definitely fun to encourage them as they moved their hands at lightning speed. With only three active participants the competition was over quickly and as they all finished the task at hand each one of them medaled. I've never been able to solve the Rubik's Cube's dastardly design, and so I am always impressed to see others do it. I've known a few people who simply memorized the pattern to completing it. This is impressive enough I guess, though I think our guys just know how to do it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah claims her gold medal for Settlers of Catan. Way to go!)</td></tr>
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The photos that took the day in our games have all been posted already. Though they were entered in groups of three, it was clearly the individual shots I have shared that won the hearts of those voting in the gym as the closing ceremonies were in preparation. You can choose the ones you would have voted for had you been a winter-over at the South Pole during the Poleympics games this year. </div>
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Our closing ceremonies were festive. They included a playing of the National Anthem on the electric guitar by Ryan Clifford, the handing out of medals to all participants who managed to earn a medal during the games, photos of said winners, and many shenanigans as is natural for our station. It was a great two weekends of events and was a unique way to reign in the Fourth of July South Pole style. Monday was ushered in sore and tired.... next big event on station to look forward to is Christmas in July. We have only celebrated this once before while living in New Zealand. More on that in a future post, but I am sure it will be a memorable event as well. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I had to share this last photo of Sarah and Dave in a moment of confusion. Sarah set the ball back to Dave and Dave was running forward towards the net for a forward set. This resulted in a Dave moment of trying get the ball and his body saying, "No." It was some funny. Not sure why the quality is so low - lo siento)</td></tr>
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<br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-13744081480172553592017-07-04T21:11:00.001-07:002017-07-04T21:11:28.122-07:00Antarctica : South Pole : Poleympics <div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ze555JExPGNDnAIIWjeMkRZFL9Ui0veGHTbIUjfQdmq99mjZzhB6T_uqkkuThzOefBDKX2oONj9IGSDxBNi7F3ZeuWRT5-35BiGudTyXyKBIQkBSMVgCjY7O9ZfEAAm2bZMpgDiBElc/s1600/The+Comish%252C+Struttin%2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ze555JExPGNDnAIIWjeMkRZFL9Ui0veGHTbIUjfQdmq99mjZzhB6T_uqkkuThzOefBDKX2oONj9IGSDxBNi7F3ZeuWRT5-35BiGudTyXyKBIQkBSMVgCjY7O9ZfEAAm2bZMpgDiBElc/s400/The+Comish%252C+Struttin%2527.JPG" width="400" /></a>This past weekend, as we celebrated the Fourth of July, the South Pole had opening ceremonies for the first annual (or possibly fifty-first annual depending on who you talk to) Poleympic Games. Peter, our station electrician and local man of intrigue, told the station a few months ago he would be hosting these games and has set up a wide range of events for the entire community to compete in by department and state. For example, Sarah and I are competing for the Medical and Materials departments and the state of Tennessee. As you can see in the picture, Peter created a torch (or one of the fanciest lights you will ever see in your entire life, bested maybe only by the fragile leg lamp displayed in the movie <em>A Christmas Story </em>- quite a fitting prize for an electrician to make wouldn't you say?<em>) </em>as the overall prize for the department with the most points. He has also had medals made for individuals who win each event. </div>
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What events? Glad you asked. The weekend kicked off with the Beer Can Sprint. We have a tower on station encapsulating a stair case to connect the station proper (where we live and eat) with the underground part of our station (the area with our power plant, storage arches for food, fuel, vehicles, etc). Underground is maybe not the best description as it is mostly an area under arches that have been covered by ice and snow. Anyway, this beer can, as it is called because it resemble a giant metallic beer can, houses a ninety-two stair climb. As a person who works down in the arches this is a climb I make at least twice a day. Even after all this time I am slightly winded by the slow process of walking up each day. Two main factors: the beer can is not heated and the South Pole is at an elevation of almost 10,000 feet. As I have describe before, the feel of this elevation changes vastly depending on the barometric pressure, allowing our bodies to perceive a greater or lesser elevation depending on the day.<br />
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The Beer Can Sprint. An individual time trial straight up the ninety-two steps in a pursuit to defeat all other challengers in full ECW gear. This means all contestants had to wear their cold weather gear issued in Christchurch, New Zealand. Heavy boots, big coats, and Carhartt pants. As a long distance runner I am fully aware of a few personal shortcomings. One, I have never possessed what some people refer to as speed. Two, any speed I may have been able to muster once upon a time has mostly been driven out of my legs by the sheer amount of long distance miles I have accumulated over the years (I also cannot jump anymore). Three, my inner-self cannot tell the difference and always thinks I can win a race out of sheer will power. So, yes, I signed up for this particular race and did my very best to bring home the gold. And, yes, I was soundly defeated and placed fifth, I think, out of the ten or so guys who competed in the beer can sprint. The winning time, by Gavin Chensue, was around about 20.8 seconds, besting me by around just over two seconds. It was a fun event and the guys who competed in it seemed to enjoy themselves. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3qmDWzXCOt3zPTOUZ5zaeiPl7CwntCBdYWZnen_f7SV4CZi-KOeEPmTYTU4gSQDU6nlClvzydtmsPqpGzUE9FGeKt_tH9PmqT0OVEMAMpTD5OV0ILd2diK5aun1TasKP3ePKUuzYpdE/s1600/Follow+the+Light+Brett+B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3qmDWzXCOt3zPTOUZ5zaeiPl7CwntCBdYWZnen_f7SV4CZi-KOeEPmTYTU4gSQDU6nlClvzydtmsPqpGzUE9FGeKt_tH9PmqT0OVEMAMpTD5OV0ILd2diK5aun1TasKP3ePKUuzYpdE/s400/Follow+the+Light+Brett+B.JPG" width="400" /></a>Our next event was the Individual Sled Pull. Though I may have been deluded enough into thinking I had a chance in the beer can sprint, I was wise enough to know this was an event I should simply watch. Instead of agreeing to drag a sled carrying forty-five pounds from the geographic pole to the ceremonial pole (a distance of around 150 meters give or take - it's dark and hard to tell these days), I agreed to time the event. We only had four brave folks compete in this event. It is outside. It's cold. You have to drag weight. Two people mysteriously forgot they had signed up. I agreed to help time the event and determine a winner, which still meant going outside but got me out of having to drag anything around. Just prior to heading out into the cold Peter whipped out some light up toy light sabers (see picture - I stuck them in the snow around the ceremonial pole so the sled pullers would see where to go) for us to use outside. Yes, I was super excited to have them with me. This event was a grueling man crusher. Our four guys finished and the top three could not move for a while. When we finally made our way inside our top two guys just laid on the floor for about ten minutes before they were willing to go anywhere else. Coughing, with mostly likely slightly burned lungs from the frigid air, and moaning, I was glad I had left this event to others. I have signed up for the team sled pull but that will not take place until next weekend. Hopefully it is not quite as bad. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-wSn_x_zSKyUHtG-9vJjo6NDriaHEjjZbn9qfcXF519DVMuYy4InZWGuP9dnEM1TTGvrptCKBi_wbfzcHw25Fe8bfaY3RGmBXGAdRaNWNTlg-WBxbFzyBuo4VwzYyjjOYyrlA8wM__g/s1600/Striding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-wSn_x_zSKyUHtG-9vJjo6NDriaHEjjZbn9qfcXF519DVMuYy4InZWGuP9dnEM1TTGvrptCKBi_wbfzcHw25Fe8bfaY3RGmBXGAdRaNWNTlg-WBxbFzyBuo4VwzYyjjOYyrlA8wM__g/s400/Striding.JPG" width="400" /></a>The next day at noon we had an event in which I was much more comfortable competing. The Poleympics 10k. I have been doing some running since arriving in preparation to try and run a marathon while I am here. This 10k actually fell quite nicely during a time when I needed to try and get a workout in anyway. It is difficult to make myself do too much on these treadmills. The pace is off on the machines making it quite difficult to keep my running self-esteem as I feel I'm running way too slow all the time. Factor in the altitude and the dry climate, and I just feel like crap most of the time while running. The race was fun though. It is a quite different when you are not gaining or losing ground on your competition. The best you can do is set your pace as fast as you think you can handle it and just run. I started by setting my pace at just under seven minutes per mile. Back home I can run this pace all day long and when in the kind of shape I am in now can put in ten to twenty miles feeling quite well. Here this pace is the best I can do just short of dry heaving, being too cotton mouthed to run, and feeling like junk. I slowed the pace down a little for mile four and five and then sped back up for mile six when I was sure I could keep going. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAp9R8Vo2S1zhjMoqZ4AUDUy3pybfJPthoO9FbQ91rfOmRfcl3Bs4_-yOqwKVamuVFQFnb53oaDRIfCjCjTy7Jci12H_g9fMaCrUk8gLcaA5dyXrqSPciUovjFkW84DCB30RRO29GYUFE/s1600/All+Smiles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAp9R8Vo2S1zhjMoqZ4AUDUy3pybfJPthoO9FbQ91rfOmRfcl3Bs4_-yOqwKVamuVFQFnb53oaDRIfCjCjTy7Jci12H_g9fMaCrUk8gLcaA5dyXrqSPciUovjFkW84DCB30RRO29GYUFE/s400/All+Smiles.JPG" width="400" /></a>The best part of the run for me was watching a VHS version of the movie <em>Prefontaine </em>as we ran. Not only a great movie about one of America's best distance runners, but a nicely motivating flick to watch while running. I did manage to take home a gold medal in this particular Poleympics event. We only had six runners total and each person really put in some good effort. We were at about 11,000 feet for the day and the six miles were not forgiving. With only three treadmills we divided ourselves into two heats. Sarah ran in heat two and completed her first 10k of running the whole way since college! Her feet betrayed her slightly and she ended up with some really nasty blisters. She ran through them and finished anyway. Way to go Sarah! And then there was the guy who ran a 10k in firefighter gear and on air. Yes, he did. He went through five bottles of air and sweat a ton in all of his gear but he did finish the run. Why? Who knows. Why do we run without the gear? I guess we all have our reasons. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqs-IZvOEgMKSRXXBcL2w9wUR-Oh-P9buQ0M04YJh3RxA95xbmzCR-eMtJjUBcQcy2c7WM332MgEqH06srTfybLZ_9X9nHE07wbn4xbvu1xwQJurkZZFBR1thdm3GYiINVFabKI-A-1c/s1600/Martin+vs+Peter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqs-IZvOEgMKSRXXBcL2w9wUR-Oh-P9buQ0M04YJh3RxA95xbmzCR-eMtJjUBcQcy2c7WM332MgEqH06srTfybLZ_9X9nHE07wbn4xbvu1xwQJurkZZFBR1thdm3GYiINVFabKI-A-1c/s400/Martin+vs+Peter.JPG" width="400" /></a>Then we played ping pong. Having rolled the die for the worst spot in the tournament, one of only two non-bi spots, I played Hunter in the first set. No excuses. I am not the ping pong player I should be and I paid the price. I have not put in the hard work to hone the skills I know I have for this particular miniature versions of a real sport. We did not even need to go to our third game as Hunter beat me in the first two games. Head down, I Charlie Browned it right out of the gym in utter disgrace. The one saving point of this whole deal is that later on in the night Hunter, the guy who so soundly dispatched of me, beat the number one seed for the tournament, or the guy everyone is afraid to play. I am now hoping Hunter wins the tournament. It is easier to lose to the best than to some guy who just got beat by another guy later down the road. This is how I'm seeing it anyway. The picture is of Martin and Peter playing the game directly after mine. Martin did not have what it took on this particular day either. When the tournament is over I will write an update. </div>
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Those are the only Poleympic events completed/half completed so far. There has been some eight ball games played but no results yet. It was a really fun way to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend down here. We also had some delicious BBQ the cooks whipped up for us and it was super tasty. Oh and you might be wondering about my new haircut. Yes, I currently have a mohawk. Our Materials team decided we would show some real team spirit in preparation for the games and the 4th (well most of our team), and we shaved our hair into some sweet mohawks. Just look at the awesome team pic. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggO0XGXlGD6hyRhozTO0h6lC9oFsQPGP1zd2r9zYyPDz7h-ylGtFoYlVQH36onZMvky86DKiLN5C-WNU8VawZVxCqMPDuZ8zpS-hoIiL1mvYUc34LWf64GSM6fPSNMxNyoZxo6xcgmfN0/s1600/Runner+Ready.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggO0XGXlGD6hyRhozTO0h6lC9oFsQPGP1zd2r9zYyPDz7h-ylGtFoYlVQH36onZMvky86DKiLN5C-WNU8VawZVxCqMPDuZ8zpS-hoIiL1mvYUc34LWf64GSM6fPSNMxNyoZxo6xcgmfN0/s640/Runner+Ready.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Prepared to climb the beer can)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcO5iHQyKRdpaQR9DJ85VvYG0_sfnR3yoxefNHytygG1mqDNZU4AIVIEdOuBygbnC7FOiG7Uu5QAbMZnCjWtJRekvwoPJ_wuth1LOiaAXamOF5TUmQlhlPkPFZD1NRDXBpUMmm1LYHc0/s1600/The+Flash%252C+taken+by+Gavin+Chensue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcO5iHQyKRdpaQR9DJ85VvYG0_sfnR3yoxefNHytygG1mqDNZU4AIVIEdOuBygbnC7FOiG7Uu5QAbMZnCjWtJRekvwoPJ_wuth1LOiaAXamOF5TUmQlhlPkPFZD1NRDXBpUMmm1LYHc0/s640/The+Flash%252C+taken+by+Gavin+Chensue.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(And I'm a flash)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0As83uPCM1k4Mb_tlocCKQrpPhXmvHJlBIQb2g0sjWEva2XPGOcyuoALNBVypMv9Lzoe_RzYrLAKNGS6LXxfFu65-37hy_thGFJqbxL-hYewCFuPJWeVKFtVJ9TEgSzeP1FfEMgXQc8/s1600/Sweating.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0As83uPCM1k4Mb_tlocCKQrpPhXmvHJlBIQb2g0sjWEva2XPGOcyuoALNBVypMv9Lzoe_RzYrLAKNGS6LXxfFu65-37hy_thGFJqbxL-hYewCFuPJWeVKFtVJ9TEgSzeP1FfEMgXQc8/s640/Sweating.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(working it and watching Pre show me how to run)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPse-KfOuekvt6tuJIVNMp3yjzwnNFl_fWlCFy1dxk03S7QWvxRDzdq9ruXLiRdnWW4wyP007KAOSwL2IdUQFU4iVWgOLqF6WtQpM-5KMNXYGordrDp3_UD5b5r1JJwiqIQalz20wc_s/s1600/And+a+fireman.....JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPse-KfOuekvt6tuJIVNMp3yjzwnNFl_fWlCFy1dxk03S7QWvxRDzdq9ruXLiRdnWW4wyP007KAOSwL2IdUQFU4iVWgOLqF6WtQpM-5KMNXYGordrDp3_UD5b5r1JJwiqIQalz20wc_s/s640/And+a+fireman.....JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah trucking on through)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb9aYJ2xhSWSmoI2ClmGN-9Ijbtb8HB_RzmdJxYFiKDv-0ID_F0_u3EMgXxnceVkrjeMPLB1vJz5FfmgHM2P3ONsr8GxzBC6U3FdHbCyiVjtPLYL9-XQVZrhUtGxOInU2W2QK77V4GMg/s1600/Striding+and+Sunglasses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb9aYJ2xhSWSmoI2ClmGN-9Ijbtb8HB_RzmdJxYFiKDv-0ID_F0_u3EMgXxnceVkrjeMPLB1vJz5FfmgHM2P3ONsr8GxzBC6U3FdHbCyiVjtPLYL9-XQVZrhUtGxOInU2W2QK77V4GMg/s640/Striding+and+Sunglasses.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah and Daniel rolling on)</td></tr>
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<br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-13020817303164957792017-06-27T15:59:00.000-07:002017-06-27T15:59:08.632-07:00South Pole Update: Anarctic Winter
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuxujnsWOTCNilAEj8GaRhv9jN_u-lDSUk0GBxZYMZJC1SnEOGtsd-Vlh2hR74QE9BwoA6MgXJMYTFhlA-VRsLKeUFh8iL-m1CRP7c0CvPegJ0-0aIslazMi7S23wIEOjWS5xYGkn5n4/s1600/_DSC1687_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="1600" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuxujnsWOTCNilAEj8GaRhv9jN_u-lDSUk0GBxZYMZJC1SnEOGtsd-Vlh2hR74QE9BwoA6MgXJMYTFhlA-VRsLKeUFh8iL-m1CRP7c0CvPegJ0-0aIslazMi7S23wIEOjWS5xYGkn5n4/s640/_DSC1687_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Our mid-winter team photo. Good group and prior to facial hair subtractions. Go Winter-Over Team 2017)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well it is a bitterly cold negative eighty-seven degrees
outside right now. The wind chill is not helping at all and whips around at a
brisk negative 130. It has been a bit frigid down here now and again, but at
this moment all I can think about is how cold my face is when I’m out in the
elements. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">How much can one mustache protect a man’s face? </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The answer is more than I would have wagered prior to
shaving it off immediately after our facial hair contest last weekend. Yes, it
is gone and this week has been a long acquaintance with a stranger in the
mirror. This is not the case for Sarah. She responded as she usually does after
months of glorious facial effort is suddenly stripped from my face, “Oh there
you are!” We have a tense agreement when it comes facial hair growth and have
come up with a pretty decent time-share. I try to stay clean shaven for about
the same amount of time in the course of a year during which time I sport a
beard or a mustache. For now I walk around as man who has lost something, a
loss that cannot be put into words.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Enough of that talk. This blog, contrary to the last post,
is not only about facial hair. Though I am certain to leap at any opportunity to
make it a bigger part of what I write about, for now we must move on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Work. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sarah has still been keeping us all alive. Though I hear
nothing in the way of the details, Sarah is above reproach when it comes to
patient privacy, and it seems everyone is doing well, only requiring very
little help from our medical staff. Our safety reports do let us know when
there have been injuries, anonymously of course, so that the rest of us know to
take more care around whatever caused the previous incident. To this extent I
know Sarah does see the occasional patient, but beyond that I base my medical
assessment of the station off of what I see in the hallways. All forty-six
people are still alive – go Sarah!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the materials department we have still been doing lots of
inventory. Currently we have been working in the garage arch. This area is
inside of the arch but the arch is unheated and covered by snow and ice. The
usual temperature of the arches is around sixty degrees below zero. Due to this
our inventory is done in about one hour bursts. Go get as much inventory done
as possible and then head back to our office to thaw out and warm up. This
obviously inhibits the process and prolongs how long it takes us to finish
tasks in the cold. Today, however, a victory! We finished the garage arch
inventory and will be moving on to a new project tomorrow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Comment on instant ramen noodles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“So you see what had happened was” (reference to a
Christopher Guest movie, my best guest being Waiting For Guffman though I am
not sure), there has been a lack of this delicious snack of instantaneous joy
on the weekends when leftovers is the only option. Some of our crew have been somewhat
aggravated by this and one of these peoples left an angry message on our dry
erase board in the galley. Something along the lines of, “There better be more
ramen, or else.” Ha! As the winter’s grip on us becomes more firm and refuses
to let go, people tend to find themselves being irritated by things that
otherwise would not bother them at all. I think the ramen incident is a perfect
example of this phenomenon. It’s just ramen folks. I can say this because I myself
have felt a strange a deep-seated feeling of inexplicable burning confusion
when I look for the ramen and find instead an empty shelf. As it turns out
there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the lack of this tasty and overly
high-in-sodium food. One of the major projects this winter was cleaning out the
grease ducts in the galley. During this time we had “high class” microwave
meals and on the whole the station found these meals to be quite distasteful.
By now you’ve guessed it haven’t you? The ramen was being eaten by the bulk
during this particular project and now we have much less than usual at this
point in the winter. Thus our galley staff has started bringing up less in an
effort to stretch it throughout the rest of our time. I think we will make it
through the ramen incident, but only time will tell how our psyches will deal
with the lack of this wonderful noodle option. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pastime update.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the games we play on station with friends is called
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcassonne_(board_game)" target="_blank">Carcassonne</a>. I believe I have mentioned it before and have likened it to Risk
mixed with Settlers of Catan. We have been having fun playing it on most
Sundays while we have been here, sitting down to see who will take home the big
victory this week. The board changes drastically with each gameplay and,
depending on how people choose to play, so does the strategy. This is part of
what makes the game so fun. Players can be ruthless with a few different
tactics, or they can nicely ignore one another as they build their kingdoms,
even working together. Naturally, we are often accused of working together
(sometimes we are but never as overtly as assumed) and some natural alliances
can tend to form up during the game. Usually our Carcassonne crowd is Robert,
Martin, Sarah, and myself (toss in a Zak or Daniel sometimes too). It is a fun
way we have found to get some good ole’ face-to-face interaction and spend a
Sunday afternoon down here at the Pole. It would be nice if a few of you
learned how to play so we can play it when we get back home! Oh and in case you
were wondering, as I know you are, I won this past weekend. I would not mention
the outcome otherwise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Church</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sundays has been plugging along. It has been a strange deal
to try and facilitate a church service without much of the normal things a
person comes to expect from most churches. There is no sacred space that has
been set aside or in any way even halfway shared. By this I mean there is no
chapel, or as I have seen in some places like this, a multi-purpose room with
religious paraphernalia in the closet that can be pulled out for religious purposes.
There is a really nice chapel in McMurdo, the US station we flew threw down on
the coast, and I find myself missing the natural help a designated holy space
lends to the preparation and experience one can derive from a Sunday service.
With no worship team and only five people almost anyone in the world would
suggest leaving out this element of the service. I, however, have come too hardily
from the Brett Spiegelman-school-of, “Well, we are going to do it anyway.” So
we watch short video clips downloaded from the all wonderful internet and spend
a few awkward moments together listening to songs I hope will speak to the
group who gathers with us on Sundays. To this end I try to have fun and choose
songs from all sorts of traditions. We have listened to spirituals, old hymns,
new praise songs, secular songs, and everything in between. At the very least I
enjoy the songs. No one even pretends to sing along, though I will hum along
with them or sing lowly to myself. I do miss corporate worship as I suspect one
or two other people do as well. We have been reading through Acts and diligently
working through a chapter per week, discussing briefly the chapter after I
attempt to say a short word or two about the weekend’s chapter. It might be a
shadow of what one would find almost anywhere else in the world, but I believe
it serves a few spiritual purposes for those of us who gather. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVzP5HmGaS4BUQ59IMZL47GExgv0vG8d8QjGgjs1vLAC_FnU_dhEuRHXmigFGJJstqMLhR9YiFLTWCEEy41HIwkEM8clBWqs0IpzJEXOQ485DrvfU9bt_5Ro614eglVooLygkGyd0vmY/s1600/ff+brett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVzP5HmGaS4BUQ59IMZL47GExgv0vG8d8QjGgjs1vLAC_FnU_dhEuRHXmigFGJJstqMLhR9YiFLTWCEEy41HIwkEM8clBWqs0IpzJEXOQ485DrvfU9bt_5Ro614eglVooLygkGyd0vmY/s400/ff+brett.jpg" width="373" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(We have been working on a calendar most of you will never want to<br />
see. Here is a blog post friendly pic I took during the process)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And a fire alarm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A little tired this morning as I finish this post. A fire
alarm went off this morning at one o’ clock in the morning. A fan in one of our
electrical rooms was having some issues and was overheating, as I understand it
(something along those lines – nothing serious). There was, however, as is
common with overheating electrical items, some smoke. So for the first time all
of our ERT teams mustered for an alarm that was going off for a legitimate
reason. I say this as just yesterday, though it is thankfully not common, we
had a false alarm earlier in the afternoon as a sensor went bad for some
reason. For the first time since fire training school in Colorado I stood preparing
to enter a room with the smell of smoke trailing out into the hallway. It is a
weird feeling standing in firefighter gear, which I clearly have no right to be
wearing, as people are trying to figure out what is going on in a remote
station where fires are simply unacceptable. Let me clarify. I am confident we
could figure out most situations that would occur down here when it comes to a
fire as we have just enough training to do so. We are, however, not
firefighters and there is a huge difference! It just seems this distinction
should be made anytime I bring up the ERT2 team, or fire team. In most cases
our fire suppression systems would take care of any major issue before we even
arrive on scene, so we have that going for us. The training is fun and if there
were open flames anywhere we would most likely be able to put them out,
especially in the main station area, but we are not the real deal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ok. Enough for now from the South Pole. I am going to try
and add a video here at the end. A friend of mine sent me a message asking a
question from his daughter. “Can a match be lit outside in such cold
temperatures?” Great question. The video shows the answer. Sorry it’s dark as,
well, it is really dark right now. But this question got me thinking. I have
received a lot of questions like this and would love to answer any of them any
of you might have. Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail and I’ll do my best to
find the answer for you. I’ll try to start posting a short answer, like this
video, on the blog so other folks can see too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-ID7uJT1For2RpQ2b4wNUH_TEFjk0ALbpX3td9wwLry47GYQdrS6UWA8PLptM7MOgSmMgguRB8GC_BlTVk5yeoVyK5T4_szCYY6VWjFkxsyg9PBy2RUK_DM38GjkOleHQt3i5fAQWWU/s1600/For+Kate+-+Match+at+the+South+Pole.MOV" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-ID7uJT1For2RpQ2b4wNUH_TEFjk0ALbpX3td9wwLry47GYQdrS6UWA8PLptM7MOgSmMgguRB8GC_BlTVk5yeoVyK5T4_szCYY6VWjFkxsyg9PBy2RUK_DM38GjkOleHQt3i5fAQWWU/s640/For+Kate+-+Match+at+the+South+Pole.MOV" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-512429897087839182017-06-19T21:39:00.000-07:002017-06-20T12:41:17.441-07:00Antarctica: Mid-Winter Celebrations at the South Pole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGbBHZYBN_tvhBlXtZrSCY9urBK3wlVx2b93SBUOq4Gn3tSpGZZZLwgeEa021JmX9qiQuiyNfa61s4tu4pQYnDCp7wB42Fo8j19GfYcKUfNIcDsl0XGSbwarYvYr7B3QlfpwLDd4Cylw/s1600/IMG_4241_TheShining.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGbBHZYBN_tvhBlXtZrSCY9urBK3wlVx2b93SBUOq4Gn3tSpGZZZLwgeEa021JmX9qiQuiyNfa61s4tu4pQYnDCp7wB42Fo8j19GfYcKUfNIcDsl0XGSbwarYvYr7B3QlfpwLDd4Cylw/s400/IMG_4241_TheShining.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Gathered in the gym to watch the movie)</td></tr>
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Mid-winter is here! <br />
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<br />
One of the wonderful traditions at the South Pole is the celebration of mid-winter. Like the explorers of old who found ways to commemorate their mid-winter as a way to stave off cabin fever, while at the same time exuberantly finding a way to note a halfway point, Amundsen-Scott Station has a history of finding interesting ways to ensure our mid-winter does not pass unnoticed. <br />
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One of the first ways we brought in the mid-winter this year was by sticking to the tradition of gathering to watch the movie <em>The Shining.</em> It might at first seem an odd choice to watch a movie about a character who is driven insane by the isolation of spending an entire winter at a hotel cut off from civilization by distance and snow - sounds somewhat familiar. There is a distinct difference in our circumstances versus the family in the movie in that the family has to deal with the hotels other<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Not a bad set up)</td></tr>
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guests, or spirits of people who had either met or delivered untimely deaths in the hotel. Though I have heard some people make claims to the South Pole having at least one of our own wandering spirits, every account is at the worst mischievous and to my knowledge there are no claims of malicious intervention as in <em>The Shining.</em> </div>
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It is a funny thing to lean into the possible issues and struggles an isolated group of people may or may not end up dealing with through a winter at the South Pole. My gut instinct is usually to avoid talking about or referencing in any way the possible side effects of the long winter, but I was talking to a friend here who had a different perspective. In his experience with military he said they were taught to use humor as a way to disarm possibly situations that could prove to be quite debilitating both mentally and physically. I've thought about that comment a few times as that is the general rule of thumb here at the South Pole. We watch horror movies in moments when a person might be doubting their decision to stay for the entire winter. We laugh and make jokes about how particular people might lose their minds at any moment and go on killing sprees. And generally I would have to say it does seem to be a good way to deal with issues head on, leaving little or no room to brood internally and let things fester. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Working on my creepy Jack Nicholson face?)</td></tr>
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So we watched Jack Nicholson slowly lose his mind and become a demented monster of isolated paranormal influences. Sarah had never seen the movie before and was in for a good many surprises. I had thought I had watched this particular flick, though I quickly realized this was only because I had seen so many of the famous scenes before. I had never sat down and watched the movie all the way through. What a good movie! Kubrick delivers masterful scenes mixed with an overly eerie combination of music and piercingly horrific noises that really make <em>The Shining</em> a psychologically horrific film. Even some of the shots and how the actors are portrayed on screen in relation to their surroundings give the viewer particular feelings that I feel the director must have agonized over in trying to bring his intentions to life. Well done Mr. Kubrick, and a huge nod of appreciation to whoever first thought this would be a good movie to watch during mid-winter. It really does work. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The champions all together. Based on the descriptions you should be able<br />
to pick out each person based on their category)</td></tr>
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Another mid-winter event I had been looking forward to for quite some time was the Mid-Winter Beard and Mustache Competition. Though a few of us would like to think we invented this sort of sport and it was the inaugural facial hair competition during a South Pole winter, we also acknowledge wherever men have existed with facial hair there has always been a need to have it officially judged and weighed. I am sure it was probably around the forty-fifth South Pole facial hair contest. I for one have always noticed the feeling of supremacy or inadequacy when passing a fellow bearded or mustached man. Some of my most cherished compliments have been offered in respect to a particular facial adornment of hairy manliness. My favorite? While attending a traditional Indian wedding, which means plenty of men with nice thick beards, a man stopped to talk to me. He himself had a beard of noteworthy significance and it went well with his traditional Indian garb. This bearded man looked me in the eyes and he said, "You have a fantastic beard. I wish my beard was as thick." Flabbergasted. Taken aback. Over the moon! I assured him I thought his beard was quite nice and then like a ten year old boy I turned to Sarah and said, "Did you hear that?" </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Judges working hard to tally up scores)</td></tr>
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It is obvious I love facial hair. I love to grow it on my own face, to the chagrin of my wife, and I quite enjoy observing it on the faces of those around me. So it made perfect sense to host a facial hair competition. And let me tell you, we have some men down here who can grow some mean facial hair. We compiled some excellent judges, Sarah made some spectacularly appropriate prizes (cozies with mustaches on them - we also added some drinks to the mix to fill the cozies), and we gathered all the men who wanted to put their facial hair to the test. It was an event I will not soon forget. The men were encouraged to be creative, though I am not sure they needed such suggestion, and they used every tool at their disposal to earn points with the judges. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(We lined up all the beards for the judges to get one last look)</td></tr>
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Posturing. Bribing. Swagger. In depth stories of how or why their face grows a beard or a mustache. Grooming. Jokes. Liquid courage. Costumes. And more. </div>
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The judges worked within two main categories - the beard and the mustache. Within those categories they had other factors they used to score each facial sculpture. From maturity to grooming to how it personally moved them, each contestant was stringently judged as unbiased as possible according to ten different standards. When the judging was done our officiates would huddle together to ensure their decisions were good and just. While there was of course difference of opinion, facial hair brings out a lot of heated debate, the honorable judges finally deliberated to find certain beards and mustaches as more worthy than others. They delivered their findings. There was intense celebrating and overjoyed shouting and simultaneous weeping and gnashing of teeth. Mostly celebrating as we have a good crew. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(In case you didn't click on the last one, everyone needed to see the winners a little more close-up)</td></tr>
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This photo of the facial hair competition winners displays just a little bit of what we encountered this past Sunday. There will be more photos to follow at the bottom of this post, but for now just scroll back up and look at them each one more time. Just imagine these bearded and mustached men in action. It was something to behold.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Was the Beast excited? You decide)</td></tr>
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Stephen Ashton won the overall prize in the beard category. Labeled as The Beast, this specification was meant to capture the South Pole's overall fiercest beard. The beard that all other beards bow down to and strive to consider when thinking of their own futures. This beard knows its purpose and could live in a forest by itself. Steve's beard is certainly all of those things and then a little bit more, depending on who you ask. Of all the categories this was the most debated and even caused a rift amongst the judges. In the end though, Steve's beard, which I will call Raygar because I like it and I'm writing this post, trounced the competition and took home the big prize.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The Loki with a prop - ice cream)</td></tr>
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Josh Neff stunned the South Pole this past Sunday morning when he sauntered into the galley having shaved his beard into a carefully crafted work of art. As a man of his own he soundly encapsulated the second category in the beard competition known as The Loki. Known for being especially crafty, Loki was the trickster among the Norse gods. Just look at Josh's face and tell me this was not the perfect name for a person who is going to make his face into a hairy work of art. Give the man a little bit of pomade and he will make you a masterpiece. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The Dinovo shuffle)</td></tr>
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John Dinovo not only shocked the judges with his distinguished beard of excellence, but in the midst of competition he inspired an entirely new category. In an abundance of beards his snow white and silvery beard shone a magnificent light and would not be denied. The judges used their almost unlimited power that had been bestowed upon them for this event and they created an entirely unsanctioned new slot - The Most Fatherly. While John acted the tall and sexy Santa Clause during his performance (look below for a pic of Sarah sitting on his lap), the judges saw beyond this trite act and into the soul of his beard. There they saw something that demanded recognition, something beyond both words and understanding. In their infinite wisdom the judges felt more than saw this staggering truth. In short, they saw the father figure. And so the birth of a facial hair star was born. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The celebration one does for the Basement Dweller)</td></tr>
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Andrew Nadolski took home the last prize in the beard category. It is not a prize always sought after and in most circumstances is completely misunderstood. This is the honorable mention category and for this contest was aptly named The Basement Dweller. Andrew's facial hair simply took the cake, so to speak, and much is expected of his beard in the future. This category is the opposite of the beast and yet at the same time it does demand some respect of its own, after all it is a beard, technically speaking. There is often conflict and struggle depicted in this facial expression of attempted grandeur. One can see the potential for true valor and yet mourn at the unrealized beauty of what could be. As the tragic hero, this beard wanders the earth with every expectation of saving the world from some unforeseen evil, only to become the very evil it was created to oppose. Oddly enough Andrew shaved his beard into a goatee later in the day for another event, or perhaps because he could not bear the weight of his victory. His goatee, by all standards, was amazing. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3o4WEEpcPecA1HT2eILVwR4N8Hqdth_d6B53IUrvjERoN1-1RimRlsRzwkAFOPjMbmUELsB7p74qdYNzXR7qjFg6PAvfDRuT98NRZmDM3esZsMnfI0t7PoVTRl8BX9L5Cu-9CXNhZFo/s1600/DSC00636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3o4WEEpcPecA1HT2eILVwR4N8Hqdth_d6B53IUrvjERoN1-1RimRlsRzwkAFOPjMbmUELsB7p74qdYNzXR7qjFg6PAvfDRuT98NRZmDM3esZsMnfI0t7PoVTRl8BX9L5Cu-9CXNhZFo/s400/DSC00636.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The Mustache - classic rep and classic celebration)</td></tr>
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Peter Bammes was the overall champion in the mustache category. Yes, I know what you're thinking, "Brett, you lost. You suck." And you are correct but look at Peter! He soundly took home the category called simply The Mustache. Not only does he have a magnificent beard that was in contention for The Beast, but his mustache somehow overshadows the glory of his beard and is its very own thing. This is difficult to achieve for certain but Peter's mustache has achieved that and much more. Every other mustache on station looks to his for approval and offers slight bow of its whiskers, knowing that if we lived in medieval times it would owe fealty to Peter's mustache and plenty of taxes. People have wondered if Peter's gregarious personality exudes from him or his stache. As a person who recognizes firsthand the effects facial hair can have on a person, I myself must pause to reflect on this question myself. It is entirely possible Peter might be an introverted person who likes to keep to himself, that is, until he grew a mustache of epic proportions that Burt Reynolds, Sam Elliot, and Tom Selleck would all be proud to know, wear, or just converse with on occasion. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyvAEIe74G4A83LoPMgDpWAmAi23wxMQ3iPUNTDD0kU64A4WW4Qo5h7mk-PrNwxbDPRS9Esl_Eu5yMhyiqSTwjL6mXD6H0zY6rNiqgJry-c3SNjLd_xwfPcFQ-dNN12BSI6fboL4rk_w/s1600/IMG_4318_MidWinter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyvAEIe74G4A83LoPMgDpWAmAi23wxMQ3iPUNTDD0kU64A4WW4Qo5h7mk-PrNwxbDPRS9Esl_Eu5yMhyiqSTwjL6mXD6H0zY6rNiqgJry-c3SNjLd_xwfPcFQ-dNN12BSI6fboL4rk_w/s320/IMG_4318_MidWinter.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I didn't have a good shot of the walrus as I was taking shots <br />
so here is my mustache from later that night - no longer a <br />
walrus but twirled a little bit. Photo by Gavin Chensue)</td></tr>
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There can only be one Mustache. Our second category was entitled the Duke. This category was meant to honor a man who could not be the king, but who still rightly deserves a place amongst the royal court of facial hair. Humbly I admit, head bowed and flushed cheeks, the judges honored me this day and I took home the Duke. I had been growing my mustache since arriving at the South Pole. A few of our ERT 2 team guys had discussed growing staches at our fire training many months ago, and we thought it best each person had to grow their mustache from scratch once at the pole. None of this "I had an excellent beard and then shaved it into a stache" nonsense. And so the rough journey of working from the ground up began back in February and this past Sunday I can thankfully say my facial growing skills did not disappoint me. I had the ever classic walrus mustache, allowing my mustache free reign over my lips and even at times the inside of my mouth (though I discouraged my stache from going there). I promptly shaved my mustache as soon as the evening was over. It was hard enough dealing with the stache's influence in my life. Imagine what an award winning mustache would be like!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Probable Cause - that a boy)</td></tr>
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Our final and last award for the day went to the mustache best described, as my co-worker coined it, Probable Cause. You can probably glean from the name everything that needs to be said, but Adam West was able to woo the judges beyond their own expectations. While his mustache has recently come into its own, there have been mutterings on station about this category of the competition being Adam's from the get go. Like the Basement Dweller in the beard category, this mustache simply leaves people feeling a little uncomfortable. Mothers turn their children away and grown men will at times grow angry around it for no apparent reason. There is, however, always the chance this stache will transition into something great. Like the wild caterpillar every mustache, no matter how probable, has the chance for miraculous transformation. The one amazing thing that can be said for every face of a man with a probable stache - they are still persevering. Fight the good fight Adam. Congrats. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Even the ladies were wearing facial hair. How can you judge otherwise?)</td></tr>
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We really did have some truly fantastic competitors in this years South Pole Facial Hair Competition. James Casey has an animal growing on his face and it was a blessing having the presence of such stout beard with us. Mike Rice's mustache is older than most, if not all, the other competitors and has seen things most of us probably hope to avoid. Martin Wolf has grown his first ever beard into something to be proud of for certain. James McMichael, or JP, crafted his mustache into a Magnum PI lookalike and it was a thing to behold. Gavin Reynold's rustic wandering-man-in-the-wilderness-beard captured a few imaginations and transported us to Minnesota forests. Jason Spann's photo of the beard he wishes he was allowed to grow but cannot because of ERT brought a few tears to the eye. Emotions ran deep. </div>
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Many thanks go out to all our contestants and judges. What a fun way to celebrate mid-winter. And as always, when there is any discussion of facial hair on our station, this blog makes a nod to Wayne White's all-powerful mustache. It is the inspiration for a shirt, it has experienced more in its life than this man can contemplate, and it is my hope I will never have to follow it from danger to safety - but I will if necessary. (More pics from the contest below)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCqwDqznUaKaTZ3XbTqSUbfVtHxBwkhOS6qD7gh4h_p-XCYY-snGr8Z-yQp1_oe_SLgeTv63gqyBuYXs696-HU5xOtZcW1yfFPIq3dx9GV0cPOpTsIpFlD_y2cgPh6fap8SiDPD5rmHU/s1600/IMG_4254_MidWinter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCqwDqznUaKaTZ3XbTqSUbfVtHxBwkhOS6qD7gh4h_p-XCYY-snGr8Z-yQp1_oe_SLgeTv63gqyBuYXs696-HU5xOtZcW1yfFPIq3dx9GV0cPOpTsIpFlD_y2cgPh6fap8SiDPD5rmHU/s320/IMG_4254_MidWinter.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Dinner. We always set up a table with the people who have<br />
passed away at the Pole. Four to date. Photo by Gavin C)</td></tr>
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The staple of mid-winter celebrations, above even the facial hair contest, is of course the dinner. Our cooks take their gloves off (well they actually are wearing them) and go all out to prepare a fabulous meal. They work all day while we mostly take it easy. Volunteers chip in to make sure the galley gets decorated, the cooking dishes get washed, and all of the other odds and ends that need to happen for our galley to transition into a fancy dinning establishment can take place. It is definitely a highlight of the year and somehow the cooks take our frozen food, with a little bit of greens from the greenhouse, and cook up a culinary storm. This years menu was a greenhouse salad, steak (so good), grilled asparagus, swirly mashed potatoes, and delicious bread. Our dessert was a chocolate lava cake with homemade vanilla ice cream (so so good). And all of this came after a cocktail hour with scrumptious appetizers. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2IivpNaMYwln4Nz3WDCJREpo6r-HlWoWZI-QtnInHPQqMaq3cmPziazoRc7xCHKVsh5UjFVnugqYk6w9CbNuVvSVO3QIc_z5iOzMtlJGCpHbNBIktIX3uklv1WK29emW2T8Id8nOh2Bk/s1600/IMG_4285_MidWinter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2IivpNaMYwln4Nz3WDCJREpo6r-HlWoWZI-QtnInHPQqMaq3cmPziazoRc7xCHKVsh5UjFVnugqYk6w9CbNuVvSVO3QIc_z5iOzMtlJGCpHbNBIktIX3uklv1WK29emW2T8Id8nOh2Bk/s320/IMG_4285_MidWinter.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Appetizers from dinner - so good)</td></tr>
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Only so much can be said of dinner as I was too preoccupied eating to notice much else. Sarah and I both had fun attempting to eat as much of the wonderful food as possible, while enjoying the nice atmosphere of the galley turned fancy. Another aspect of our night was a Murder Mystery that began as we sat down to eat. Josh, the guy who won The Loki, spent hours upon hours creating a murder mystery game for any who were interested to play. We were able to create our own characters, which added a lot of personal touch to the fun, and Josh then crafted an entire evening of suspense and whodunit to our mid-winter night. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(My costume for Houston Mangrove)</td></tr>
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I was a failing movie star, due to refusing to shave my mustache, with a sordid past named Houston Mangrove. When I met Melanie (played by Sarah) I left my past behind and straightened out. Sarah's character was a retired doctor, too fed up with the ickys and germs, turned mostly medical drama actor playing roles in both television and movies. The story demanded each of us having been to the South Pole before in 2007, now returning for a reunion and the possibility of buying the South Pole station. Sarah had been here before as the doctor, of course, and I had been here to film the prequel to the movie Cowboys and Aliens - makes total sense if you think about it. Every other character had different motives for wanting to purchase the South Pole from Josh, the mysterious benefactor, and naturally the plot of the evening involved intrigue, murder, deception, aliens, fortune tellers, sneaking, lying, forced truth telling, and all other sorts of murder mystery type deals. We had fun. Sarah was killed, as her former medical training was helping to discover a killer, and I was disqualified as I witnessed the murder but in the darkness could not make out who it was I grappled with and such. Eventually we learned the truth - Andrew, or the man who won the Basement Dweller, was a religious cult leader and he was on a killing spree. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The mustache that did not have to compete. Wayne gives a<br />
short speech before dinner. Photo courtesy of Gavin C)</td></tr>
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Our mid-winter celebration was quite memorable. To top it all off we had two other significant things happen. The first occurred during our final preparation for the meal while we were all eating appetizers. Someone noticed the temperature was dropping outside and for the first time since we have been at the South Pole we hit -100 degrees Fahrenheit! A landmark we were all hoping would happen while we are here and one that usually occurs earlier than mid-winter. After a lot of hoorays and hollering, a few people went outside to feel what -100 feels like. Our group decided we would put off trying to join the 300 club until later (more on that later if you do not know what it is) as we were preoccupied. Then as we were finishing up the murder mystery we glanced up at the aurora cameras to notice they were showing tons of auroras all over the sky. Sarah and I geared up in our ECW and went outside to enjoy the show. We just lied down on the ground to watch. Sarah was able to snap a few decent shots of the southern lights dancing all across the sky and over the station, and we were both excited the auroras visited to make the end to our mid-winter evening even better. </div>
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We went off to bed and enjoyed sleeping in on our extra day off.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtirfJ0X3fHWY72MQRmNv0uNyTkSMevLVIJr5Uwz9fEL2-QwM9kzskNd7DhnWxQe3odUNXrnJiq9fL0eAhUc9lrKdxqHw00v0M6Lo3PaTb7wzpXEy2g_Qq10ZlW9F6ll9bQ84dPzg-bNQ/s1600/IMG_4388_MidWinterPoker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtirfJ0X3fHWY72MQRmNv0uNyTkSMevLVIJr5Uwz9fEL2-QwM9kzskNd7DhnWxQe3odUNXrnJiq9fL0eAhUc9lrKdxqHw00v0M6Lo3PaTb7wzpXEy2g_Qq10ZlW9F6ll9bQ84dPzg-bNQ/s400/IMG_4388_MidWinterPoker.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Hide your intentions, bet your caravan)</td></tr>
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Our mid-winter Monday, or extra day off, was spent lazing around the station. We went into the galley around 11am to grab some food and settled down with left-over crab and artichoke dip from the appetizers the night before (did I mention how good the food was yet?). Sarah went off to do some quilting while I watched a show, did some reading, and stretched my legs out a little bit. We then met up with some friends at 3pm to play a game called Carcassonne, a game that is a mix between Settlers of Cataan and Risk. It's a fun game and, though we have not played in a few weeks, we have been in the habit of playing this game every Sunday afternoon with a small crew of folks. Sarah was the victor this time around, go wife, and we finished up just in time for poker. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah looking for the win, Viktor wearing his Hope shirt)</td></tr>
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JP, honorable mention from the facial hair contest, has hosted a poker game every two day weekend. It is an ongoing contest that combines the points scored from each game to a total tally for the winter. JP cooks up some appetizers, like mozzarella sticks, and we all sit down to see who will come out on top this time around. It's a fun way to kill a few hours while hobnobbing with some of the folks down here. Sarah actually won the last game, though this time around she went out a little bit earlier. I made it into the final six only to lose to a man with some wild luck. Oh to the well. JP had our machinist on station make up some really cool card holders for each of us playing. What a cool gift. </div>
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All in all we had a great mid-winter weekend. There were plenty of activities and super good food. I think we will remember this one for a while. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(And Happy Bday to Aunt Cynthia!!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(JP sports the Magnum PI)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(James talks about his beard to the judges)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(One of the judges decides to take advantage of the Santa Clause looking John. But then forgets what she wants for Christmas. Hey, it even happened to Ralphie)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3SthzJ5gx15yD0j4VnzX_LgOKVK4PSpjvss2IWMQi6m52iIG1SBAEmb6MNbnY43zJwqBq0waeJCFwLRmB_3GoH3XciiRGqfxrX3uEvG0fp84cnQp2Hb3rsbmQv1kghIEiseQgFKY270/s1600/P6185232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3SthzJ5gx15yD0j4VnzX_LgOKVK4PSpjvss2IWMQi6m52iIG1SBAEmb6MNbnY43zJwqBq0waeJCFwLRmB_3GoH3XciiRGqfxrX3uEvG0fp84cnQp2Hb3rsbmQv1kghIEiseQgFKY270/s400/P6185232.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Our Murder Mystery Costumes. Oh no, Sarah is dead!)</td></tr>
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(And Jason explains why his amazing beard, that he is not currently allowed to grow, should still win)</div>
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Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-65223675834132463452017-06-12T19:53:00.002-07:002017-06-12T19:54:34.696-07:00Running at the South Pole During Winter<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KRt9FihxVzhgrrszIaYGZ1jhZgqAOGXKaVb9jLBpwT4MrmYp50Na1_JgXrI-kheFDDIxmEHJk13OaVzZzNtejVxXKPgy58pem7f6YfxUQgDPxiKSoY3iM8DXXoShbCSBpolKxycm7wY/s1600/ball6-0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="1600" height="585" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KRt9FihxVzhgrrszIaYGZ1jhZgqAOGXKaVb9jLBpwT4MrmYp50Na1_JgXrI-kheFDDIxmEHJk13OaVzZzNtejVxXKPgy58pem7f6YfxUQgDPxiKSoY3iM8DXXoShbCSBpolKxycm7wY/s640/ball6-0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo courtesy of Hunter Davis. I can't run outside but that doesn't mean<br />
it isn't pretty. Can't see this with the naked eye as we cannot detect it. <br />
But we can see some pretty nice greens sometimes)</td></tr>
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I've been a runner now since seventh grade, putting me at around twenty-five years in the business. I did not actually really enjoy running, not truly, until the summer after my senior year of high school though. That puts me at the end of my teenage years as a person who chooses to run because I love it. <br />
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I have discovered, sometimes multiples times a day, since the moment I started running this is an activity most people do not understand. "You run for fun?" How many times have I heard that? "But running is what other sports do for punishment. Why would you voluntarily run?" And I understand. I completely get it. If you do the math from above, I ran for around six years before I fell in love with the...activity...pastime...obsession...way to stay healthy...no, the day I fell for running it became something more to me. <br />
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I found I loved running during a grueling summer of training for my first year of college. I was preparing to run cross-country and track against some of the best collegiate athletes in the world and I was terrified about not being ready. To do enough mileage for our weekly workouts everyone on our team was running twice a day except for on Saturday and Sunday. So I found myself on an abandoned street at 4:15 am on a dark and humid morning on the streets of Memphis. Something inside of me considered the decisions I had made, the courses I had taken to end up at that exact moment. How can I explain the part of me that suddenly realized running was so much more for me than a way to get attention? What words can I use to show how it had transcended being a mere tool to help me deal with the financial burden of paying for college through a scholarship? A part of me shifted and like a young man seeing his good friend as a beautiful woman for the first time, I realized I was in love.<br />
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Nineteen years. Such a relationship is not without its ups and downs, its squabbles and moments of doubt. Within a few months of my initial pledges of devotion to running I went through a severe IT band injury and spent almost a year apart from my new love. Miraculously, after a surgery and a lot of rehab, we made our way back to each other, but nothing would ever be the same. It would take me time to realize this was not necessarily a bad thing. We spent so much time together during those college years that when I went to graduate school I spent some time away from running. I could not stay away for long. <br />
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Then came the post-collegiate running. Running only because you want to do so. With a renewed relationship running took on a wholly new life and there have been some truly great years. This is where my running story connects to Antarctica. I have not run many marathons but have enjoyed the experiences of training for them - not always the day of running the race, depending on multiple marathon factors. I think anyone who has run a single marathon knows exactly what I am talking about on this one. Training for three marathons with my brother and few friends brought wonderful long runs and forged lasting relationships. When I was living in New Zealand running was again a wonderful common ground that brought my good friend Ben into my life. He convinced me to run a mountain marathon and, though I sustained an injury I'm still nursing, I was amazed by the experience of running over ridgelines in some truly amazing mountains.<br />
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I have read about some runners who attempt to complete a marathon on each continent. I was never much intrigued by this feat myself but after completing one on two different continents I find myself oddly motivated. Not too many people find themselves with the chance to complete a marathon on the six major continents, and even less find the opportunity to visit the seventh, let alone run a marathon there. And, believe it or not, there are a number of marathons that take place down here. Most are done around the stations and are put on by people who love to run, or for the sake of runners on the station. There is also at least one put one for the whole purpose of flying to Antarctica to compete in a marathon. Depending on the route you take, getting to the starting line of one of these marathons is quite difficult and can be extremely expensive. None of these marathons will be happening while I am here. Why? It is too cold. The ones that do happen are in the summer and our time here does not overlap. <br />
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So do I give up on the chance? Or do I like some bumbling idiot decide there is still a way to get this done? We have three treadmills, yes I cringe just writing this, and I made the decision to train for and run a marathon on these machines of stationary monotony. This is one of the weirdest decisions I have made in the world of running and there have been many moments so far to make me doubt the sanity of such a choice. I know almost any runner who has run a marathon in Antarctica will question the validity of this quest on the grounds that it is simply not the same as running out on the unforgiving ice and snow in extremely cold temperatures. And a big part of me agrees. I will, however, not allow a small matter like timing to rob me of this goal. I could argue that the many shortcomings of running long distances on a treadmill come with their own obstacles, which in my opinion truly make running more difficult. Having done a few runs outside before the weather became too difficult, I can say it was actually quite enjoyable. At the time I was not ready for 26.2 miles. For now I will forget such objections could exist and will simply plod forward on the treadmill towards the finish line and hope it does not drive me to insanity. <br />
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At this point the longest run I have successfully completed is sixteen miles. Yesterday I hopped on the stationary running machine and hoped for eighteen miles. Four episodes of <em>The West Wing</em> Season two later, I was struggling to keep my body going and I was running short on my time goal. During my run I had to back off my pace and thus was only nearing sixteen when I needed to finish up and head to a meeting. I was not too disappointed as I had still beaten my longest run on the treadmill by a full mile and I had just gotten another good long run in the bank. Today's run will be a nice short recovery run. <br />
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Will I make it to a full marathon distance? I hope. My legs have been hesitantly accepting the new routine and if I can keep putting in enough time on my strengthening exercises and stretching they should continue to be fine. The hardest part for me has been dealing with the acclimation to altitude in combination with the treadmill. I have still not become accustomed to running the pace on the treadmill I usually run back home on the roads. The mental aspect to continuing to run in an unchanging environment, even with the help of television shows, has been trying to say the least. And yet, very slowly, progress has been made. I've decided pace might just have to suffer. <br />
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It is my hope I will leave here having added one more continent to my marathon belt, even if folks will add an asterisk to it. It is really something I am doing for me anyway. As I run the dark winter months away down here at the South Pole I hope the rest of you are not taking your wonderful outdoor and ever changing runs for granted. Enjoy them! Get on the trails for me. Go for a few runs in the rain. Run with some friends. For goodness sake, just enjoy it. Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-40050919317749797462017-06-04T22:16:00.001-07:002017-06-04T22:16:23.861-07:00South Pole Happenings: Lebowski in Antarctica<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The only character I could even attempt dressing up as was<br />
of course the Mysterious Stranger. Even with my mustache<br />
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and its fabulous growth, I still felt like a child when Sam </div>
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Eliot displayed his magnificent facial hair sculpture)</div>
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South Pole Update.</div>
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Sarah and I celebrated our tenth anniversary and it was a memorable way to do so down here at the Pole. Some amazing friends set up a scavenger hunt with hints and prizes, which was really fun and even included needing to use Voltron (our electric fork lift) to take a crate down from the high storage area. The galley crew made a super delicious chocolate cake, probably the best I've had since I've been here and I think that is without the bias of knowing it was made in honor of our anniversary. We went out to dinner, at the galley of course, and ate some scrumptious mahi and wonderful fresh kale salad (thank you hydroponic greenhouse). And of course after going out for dinner we followed it up by going to watch a movie. JP has been hosting new movie night and we watched the movie <em>Sing</em>. We laughed pretty hard and went to bed having enjoyed a wonderful anniversary. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Eric dressed as the Dude. Not bad, not bad. He was<br />
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The South Pole is a place of continuous activity. One super fun way to spend your time is by hosting or going to parties or gatherings of different types. This blog has already described Yuri's night, St. Patrick's Day, and a few other such fun events. As most sane people love the movie <em>The Big Lebowski</em>, it was not a stretch to consider hosting an event surrounded by this movie - mostly watching it, but a movie like this demands further respect as well.</div>
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We rolled out the necessary ingredients for making white Russians - <strong>huge thanks to the galley for providing us with milk and cream as that made all the difference in the world</strong> - and everything else one might need for watching such a glorious movie. Popcorn was popped. Some bowling implements were brought out for use and for display, though the displays were used too. People did what they could to scrounge together outfits fashioned after various characters. We moved all the couches into the gym and we prepared everything to watch the movie in style.</div>
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But something was missing. Something of substantial import. The rug! Sarah came through on this one as it is one of the only things she knows for certain about <em>The Big Lebowski</em>. There is a rug and it really ties the room together. We have a tiny rug in our room and per her suggestion we took it down the gym. The enormity of the size of the room compared to the rug made it even better.</div>
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That rug really tied the whole room together, did it not? Rug pictured with the Mysterious Stranger and the Dude above. </div>
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So we successfully enjoyed a fun night at the South Pole and we watched a good film. </div>
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Work has been good. In the materials department we keep moving things around and doing more inventory. I really like our group as we often volunteer to help with random jobs around station, which is both fun and a big part of what I am used to doing in previous jobs. It is nice to continue is the same vein. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sarah went dressed as the female nihilist from the movie.<br />
The highlight of her outfit was of course the missing toe!<br />
No toes were harmed in the making of this costume but it<br />
sure does look like it doesn't it?)</td></tr>
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Just today we helped the galley staff take their trash out, which is not quite as easy as it is back home. Their trash needs to be lowered from the station by a crane down to the ice below, and this can only be done when it is warmer than negative seventy-five degrees F outside - otherwise bad news for the machinery. They lower it down and we help take it to the proper bins on a giant waste sled and then our wastie guy moves it all to a waste berm until summer when it is flown off the continent. This past Saturday we jumped in the kitchen for an hour or so to help Zak, our chef, make some pizzas for dinner. We have cooked pizzas for dinner a few times for the station as a department, a task we find to be really fun. </div>
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Food push. Two tasks we do every week is food pull and food push. The first is when we gather all of the foods the galley orders and the second is when we negotiate getting said food up to the station. I'll probably have an entire post about this at some point and add some fun pictures of the process. We were fortunate today as the temperature was just warm enough for us to use the freight elevator as opposed to having the entire station create a daisy chain to pass the food up one item at a time up ninety-two steps. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Filling out our daily JSA - Job Safety<br />
Assessment Form. A daily task for me I didn't<br />
know Kim was taking a pic of it. Mustache<br />
in deep thought) </td></tr>
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Sarah is still keeping people alive and healthy. One of her weekly tasks is leading training sessions for the ERT 3 team - the medical response team. Of all the teams it sounds like their training is the most fun. Catherine and Sarah come up with various skills that need to be either practiced or learned by their team should an emergency ever occur. This past week their "victim" was supposed to be spurting blood. Instead of agreeing to saying, "I'm spurting blood from my arm," they negotiated and ended up using syringes to shoot water out to represent the blood. A fun way to not only catch an unsuspecting ERT person off guard in an exercise, but just plain good ingenuity on taking a routine exercise and making it memorable. I bet most of them will remember what to do now should the real situation ever occur! </div>
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I wanted to mention a particular website in this post. It is put together by Bill Spindler, a man who has been to Antarctica a number of times. He describes the program in detail on his site and keeps immaculate records of winter-over details. The link I'm leaving here is a compilation of sites he has put together from people this year, and in the past, who blog about their experiences here. It is fun to read their posts and see their perspective on things. Take a gander and look through it. Make sure to wander through Bill's site as he has some really interesting information it. <a href="http://www.southpolestation.com/links.html" target="_blank">Click here!</a></div>
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That is all for now folks. I am sure we will have some posts in the next few weeks as there are some big events scheduled around Mid-Winter. Sarah and I have been here almost half of our time so far. Oh and I will need to talk about this further too, but one of our guys is showing new episodes of <em>Mystery Science Theater 3000</em>. I had never seen an episode before coming down and after two of them I am becoming quite taken by it as it is hilarious. </div>
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Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-2917577166771420382017-06-01T18:46:00.001-07:002017-06-01T18:46:50.730-07:0010 Year Anniversary at the South Pole<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKMr0cm1iF1xwvbegjLxbbq8eUdyMEN8BHHMoQ2-4BOK4Y8o7_bVWeeEw2Ak7FfSi6Q_knxIK3BiAMzSHCR2rbckBgwD2B4gJ3Ya5oTaJlUIBStA84i1Y4w5bUmO4NhbIn7VMQZgK3HA/s1600/1929129_5267270654_105_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKMr0cm1iF1xwvbegjLxbbq8eUdyMEN8BHHMoQ2-4BOK4Y8o7_bVWeeEw2Ak7FfSi6Q_knxIK3BiAMzSHCR2rbckBgwD2B4gJ3Ya5oTaJlUIBStA84i1Y4w5bUmO4NhbIn7VMQZgK3HA/s400/1929129_5267270654_105_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(A long way back. A day to remember. June 2, 2007)</td></tr>
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Today Sarah and I celebrate ten years since that wonderful day back in 2007 when we married at Germantown Methodist Church. I am not sure either of us knew the adventures we would go on at the time - well maybe I had no idea. It is entirely possible Sarah has had all of this planned out ahead of time. She is crafty like that. Please apologize an entire post where I gush over my wonderful wife.<br />
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Sarah. She is indeed crafty. <br />
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She is also one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. It does get old when your best friend and constant companion is always more than a few steps ahead of you, but let's not get caught up on that little fact. She is our focus and she is impressive. <br />
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I knew she was special when I first saw her. <br />
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I was a freshman in college when I became aware of her as a person. My mother called me in my dorm room, remember those days when no one had cell phones really, and she said, "This girl just broke your girlfriend's school record." Mothers certainly have a way of getting a son's attention. After some meandering about how I dated the girl who previously held the school record but she was never officially a girlfriend, I said, "What's her name?" <br />
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Surely this is a strange way to hear about your future wife for the first time, but that was still years off. <br />
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I saw Sarah at the TSAA State cross-country meet. I had driven to the Nashville area to see my younger brother Bryan and my previous team run. Naturally I cheered on the girls Houston High School team while I was at the meet. Sarah went running by and I probably shouted some generic cheer like, "Go Houston! Ya!" And then I thought something along the lines of, "Wow, she can run. She's cute too." </div>
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Cute. Cute was the right word at the time. She was a freshman in high school and I was in college. </div>
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The next time I remember seeing Sarah was at a running camp we put on for a while. It was a fun way to use the gifts of running to give back to others. We did our best to provide an atmosphere where local runners could come and learn how to become better runners, with the ultimate goal of giving some tips on how to get a collegiate scholarship from running. Sarah did not attend the camp as a regular but would show up randomly for certain days. During one of our sessions where we asked the runners a bunch of questions about running and other such related topics. Sarah was present and left an indelible mark on me. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(One from the honeymoon in St. Lucia)</td></tr>
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She runs fast, she's cute, and she's obviously smart. What would you do? </div>
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I told my younger brother he should ask her out. Seriously. He did not ask her out. </div>
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After another year or so I saw Sarah again, most likely in similar circumstances as before. Since Bryan had ignored my earlier brotherly advice I told him he should really ask her out this time. Thank goodness he never did! That would just be weird. </div>
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Both of us continued our separate lives for a few more years. Running stayed a major part of each of our separate lives and it was again the common factor that drew us together again. This time I was in seminary and she was preparing to enter her junior year of college. As runners sometimes do, we both signed up to run the Firecracker 5k for St. Jude. When the race was over I was walking around with my younger brother and his friend Ricky. Sarah was walking in the opposite direction and everyone started talking. I still did not really know her too well but came away thinking similar thoughts to every other time I had seen her. There is something special about this girl.<br />
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Not long after, thanks to the continuation of our running camp and a collegiate Bible study I was helping lead through Hope Church (long story but both factors I used to ask her out), Sarah and I went on our first official date. Our story as a couple was beginning and the girl who had always impressed me became more and more amazing as I learned more about her. <br />
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There were trips to go visit her in Lexington, VA where she attended Washington and Lee University. There were trips where she would come down to visit me in Atlanta, GA where I was attending seminary at Mercer University. We were busy falling in love with one another. Those were some good days. I am still convinced these must have been among my most impressive moments to have caught and held the attention of Sarah.<br />
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And then at Jordan's Point park, on November 7th 2005, she agreed to marry me. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Now look at our silly selves. We were made for each other)</td></tr>
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The rest has been the greatest adventure of my life. My love and admiration of her as a person has only grown exponentially as I watched her work her way through medical school and an emergency medicine residency program. We have both worked hard to stay in love through such a trying process. Sarah has had to delve deeper than me, reaching into inner reserves of strength, kindness, and love that most of us just don't ever need to tap. </div>
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She is still impressing me. When we talk about our dreams hers include the South Pole, getting back into Nepal to volunteer at camps for climbers, pushing her talents to take her wherever we might want to go, visiting more of the Arctic, and seeing as much of this world as we can together. </div>
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I could go on and on. Suffice it to say, Sarah is the woman of my dreams and I am blessed to live my life with her. She challenges me, keeps me honest, and takes me places I never imagined were possible to go. I am in love with her and am looking forward to the next ten years. </div>
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Running introduced us and I've been running after her ever since. <br />
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PS - We just finished an anniversary scavenger hunt Catherine, Josh, and the Materials department put together for us. Fun clues, prizes, and such a fun time scurrying around the entire station to find prizes! What a fun lunch time adventure! Thanks!! Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-62650221539577968632017-05-23T18:25:00.000-07:002017-06-06T19:44:53.014-07:00Easter at the South Pole: Well and a Bit More Too<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50MDvz6OTpvaGrLy0g8MqQIFi1J7Xg_UgldIBhUdWglaQ9TipGNwE8L9AMB8_vXOHnAWdkPa3ekaeIzmmCHKq9WIoDVAQeVF0O_7XqjiD-OgUv4xUL2Dx-Iry4SEnuI4wkywbsEEGjZQ/s1600/P4153285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50MDvz6OTpvaGrLy0g8MqQIFi1J7Xg_UgldIBhUdWglaQ9TipGNwE8L9AMB8_vXOHnAWdkPa3ekaeIzmmCHKq9WIoDVAQeVF0O_7XqjiD-OgUv4xUL2Dx-Iry4SEnuI4wkywbsEEGjZQ/s1600/P4153285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50MDvz6OTpvaGrLy0g8MqQIFi1J7Xg_UgldIBhUdWglaQ9TipGNwE8L9AMB8_vXOHnAWdkPa3ekaeIzmmCHKq9WIoDVAQeVF0O_7XqjiD-OgUv4xUL2Dx-Iry4SEnuI4wkywbsEEGjZQ/s640/P4153285.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There
have been a few major events down here at the South Pole since we last posted. With
the internet not working too quickly it has been a challenge to try and get
anything uploaded; however, with a little bit of persistence and lots of waiting we
might have a few photos and stories finally ready.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">(<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this first picture you can see Catherine and Sarah posing with their super duper space rover)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yuri’s
night. This is a fun party hosted by a station regular. When I say regular, I
mean this is Robert’s thirteenth winter at the South Pole. Wow! Robert loves
space. He has in fact been teaching us astronomy every Tuesday night, and it is
only natural for him to want to commemorate the first human being who made it
into space. In 1961 </span><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/sts1/gagarin_anniversary.html"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: inherit;">Yuri
Gagarin</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> made it out of Earth’s orbit and over fifty years later we are
still celebrating that moment here at the South Pole with Yuri’s night.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(Yes, I'm a polar bear - more coming on that. Some wonderful person made this costume and left it at the South Pole!)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMtTPLXdA2BFg1jdFtWB78jOENWiqe-2YuEUCv4eyUJhsnOP57YTR564ol5Ulcmn9P7CaFK3_Ji6BOhU8lYm8nvu5Fx54rqanWoSidHRMbtylzS7XNQFTlNuLrGZpwJM9hoKPeUmwpAk/s1600/P1040230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMtTPLXdA2BFg1jdFtWB78jOENWiqe-2YuEUCv4eyUJhsnOP57YTR564ol5Ulcmn9P7CaFK3_Ji6BOhU8lYm8nvu5Fx54rqanWoSidHRMbtylzS7XNQFTlNuLrGZpwJM9hoKPeUmwpAk/s640/P1040230.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">One
is encouraged to dress up for this event in a space themed outfit. This normally involves a
lot of aluminum foil, super creative costumes, at times planning years in
advance, and then some dance music once everyone has congregated. As you most
obviously deducted already from the picture, Sarah and Catherine came dressed
as Space-women and I am an unfortunate polar bear taken captive from another
planet – obviously a planet where polar bears are the dominate species
where they walk upright, speak English (oddly enough), and as of this year have
engaged in a bitter war against all Space-women after the uncouth kidnapping of
Berangle the IV. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">(Our Yuri's Night space group lines up for a photo. There were all sorts of wonderful costumes and overall the spirit of the night was clearly upheld in style)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">As shocking as this all might sound to hear of Space-women
abducting a noble polar bear, they made up for this atrocious fact by bringing
their space rover with them to Yuri’s night. Not only does it explore new
planets but it also offers a mini-bar with ice and drinks, even for kidnapped
polar bears. So that’s kind of nice though it does not quite balance out their earlier actions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">(I've place an up close pic of these eggs because of the Guam egg I painted for Sarah. Who says while you are stuck at the South Pole you cannot have some palm trees and the ocean?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not long after Yuri’s night we celebrated Easter. As a
Christian I was pretty excited to be somewhere like the South Pole for Easter.
It is actually one time of the year I am excited to be most anywhere, but for
some reason the idea of experiencing the joy of the resurrection down here put
a slightly different spin on it for me. Perhaps there is a powerfully symbolic act
in focusing on redemptive hope and life as the world around us here becomes
darker as true winter takes hold. It makes me think of the verse in John 3
where he says that light has come into the world but people loved the darkness
instead of the light. The light will not be overcome. Living in perpetual darkness, and knowing the sun is
months from returning, lends to many thoughts on how wonderful Easter truly can be for us.
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(This is a pic of all the eggs that were painted by our station. Can you pick out Sarah's three? Hint: One of them depicts el mundo in Antarctic style - answers at the bottom)</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hope is always there. God loves us so much that everything
was given to show this love. There is nothing God cannot fix. There is a light that cannot be extinguished
no matter how dark things seem. So much more!</span></div>
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(This is Sarah's picture of the moon pillar, as described elsewhere in the post. Unfortunately the pictures are ahead of the text - we will all just have to deal with it as it is the best I can do under these internet circumstances. She really got a good shot of this!)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One
of our guys went above and beyond all the call of duty in organizing fun events for
fellow co-workers at the station by organizing an elaborate Easter Egg Hunt.
Yes he hid eggs all around station and even outside. Do not worry, we
hardboiled them and decorated them for good measure first. This good man then
created thoughtful hints for us to follow and labeled various eggs worth more
points depending on location or the decoration of the egg. Sarah and I teamed
up and managed to get second overall, being overtaken in the last hour or so by
a superb team of South Pole gentlemen. The prizes? Three baskets of delightful
goods from the store and even some stuff one cannot get on station. Our second place
basket had a bottle of wine, candy, stickers, a sweet NPX (that’s our airport ICAO
code which is super cool), and other various goodies. For an event that was
free to join the prizes were simply extraordinary. I managed to get a little
bit of what could be called frostnip (although I’m calling it wind burn) on my
nose while I was outside wandering around looking for the high point eggs. No
worries as I am all better now, mostly!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(I rave a little bit about this phenomenon I am describing as the moon cross instead of a simple moon pillar, as you'll read later. This picture was taken my Martin Wolf who has been dazzling the station with his ability to capture auroras and the night sky with his camera. He has graciously agreed for me to post this photo and in the future some of his aurora pics. Please click on his Flickr link to see more of his shots - <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135762220@N06/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: inherit;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/135762220@N06/</span></a>)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well we have been getting some work done down here too. In
materials we have been doing inventory, some more inventory, and when we need a
break we do more inventory. Yay! It is not always fun counting for endless
portions of time but we have a great team and we find ways to make it
enjoyable. When I am feeling especially inventoried out I use the big guns – I tell
myself inventory is the key to survival down here. If the counts for the parts
to the power plant, or the amount of food we have (which would be really hard
to get so far off it’s super detrimental of course), we could find ourselves in
an interesting predicament. So I count with more fervor and sharpen my mind
against the demons of laziness. Yes Sarah’s job is clearly of a higher import
than mine, but that does not mean I cannot tell myself what I need to hear to
get the job done right. That last line was said in a sardonic tone and a smile
on my face, at least it was in my mind as I typed it out. </span></div>
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(This picture of an aurora over Cryo and the LO Arch was taken on our camera with the use of a friend's tripod we are borrowing. I've been having a hard time capturing great shots in the night and I'm working on it. This is probably one of my best as it shows the aurora decently and some stars too. I'll try better!)</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Church services on Sundays have been going well. There are
five of us who gather together and we are reading through the book of Acts. We
use a lot of videos for worship or even for our lessons if they fit so feel
free to comment and offer suggestions if you have any or know of any online. We
do not have much internet to download things like this but I’ve managed to get
a few that have helped out. It has been fun to use worship songs from Hope
Church as they have offered a lot of support to us for this winter over. Not
only did they give us shirts for everyone on station but they have also been
praying for us while we are here too. Please feel free to think of us often and
if you do pray lift up the entire station. As we get further and further
into the cold dark months of winter people tend to find more and more faults
with one another. We cannot leave and spend all of our time around only
forty-six other people. Keep that in mind as we look for patience, kindness,
and understanding down here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(The booze barn explosion! Just look at all of the lost cola. Well if it helps you sleep better at night most of the soda we have on station is well past expiration, and even when it is not it tastes funny at altitude)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of fun religious stuff, one as day I was walking
out to do some inventory of a milvan out by our cargo office with our amazing
materials team the moon decided to put on an amazing display. Well technically
the ice crystals in the air, as it has been explained to me, decided to put
their mysterious effect on the moon beams to create what is known as a moon pillar.
We had seen one of those about a month before, as seen in the great pic Sarah
took, but this moon pillar was a moon cross! So beautiful and to my knowledge
no one was able to take a picture that quite captured just how spectacular it
really looked (that comment includes the picture of Martin’s in this post - great pic but still lacking). Naturally I reveled in this moon cross and had my own personal spiritual
moment, contemplating the possible meanings of a cross of light hanging in our
winter sky. It was a sight to behold. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(We were helping clean up the booze barn explosion and Sarah posed for this picture with the ruined can of diet coke. We thought the two diet coke drinkers on station were going to need to strictly ration themselves to make it through the season after this catastrophe, and yet destiny was kind as there was plenty already in one of the inside storerooms so no need to worry)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It has been interesting learning more about the science done
here at the Pole, and even astronomy as mentioned earlier in the post. The more I learn the more magnified the Creator is by
it all. I know most of what I am learning is even evidence some people use to
discount God, but I have never found science and belief in God to be in
conflict. For one of our recent astronomy classes we went outside to learn
firsthand. It is amazing to note the differences that exist between the northern and
southern hemisphere, and then even more so the strange oddities of being at one
of the two poles. Gazing out at the clear strip of the Milky Way stretching all
the way across the sky, pondering the significance I see in the Southern Cross,
and trying to drink in everything else Robert was saying about the sky above
us, I was struck by intimacy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(On one of our dark walks from the Clean Air Sector I took this pic of my materials team as they were leaving ARO. It's a little bit shoddy but I like it nonetheless. This was when the sun still offered a slice of light when there were no clouds on the horizon. All gone now!)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQ5qDnGs9XoWa63L78pJ9tQdUAkvzOaVJZ5r8aeiBMSQ1lJsgQZXtw1BuE8omJ96hjTQl1MXQPuolcZ-llyZPe9VNaCQUKBFk_D2qKmzx4qrtKLuec7LJUI03oWl4iJxkdqCoRTkuIic/s1600/P5103817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQ5qDnGs9XoWa63L78pJ9tQdUAkvzOaVJZ5r8aeiBMSQ1lJsgQZXtw1BuE8omJ96hjTQl1MXQPuolcZ-llyZPe9VNaCQUKBFk_D2qKmzx4qrtKLuec7LJUI03oWl4iJxkdqCoRTkuIic/s640/P5103817.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Standing beside Sarah at the South Pole under the vastness
of the southern night sky I was not filled with a vacant feeling of the infinite
universe. Instead I was filled with a gracious love and overwhelming
thankfulness. The sky was not quietly whispering of my Creator’s love for me
but was magnificently shouting of its sound hold on me and those around me. I
reached out and put my awkwardly bulky gloved hand on Sarah’s arm, thankful we
were sharing this together and for her heart. We just gazed at the beauty of
darkness penetrated by light that has traveled thousands of light years to
shimmer above us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Black holes, red
giants, white dwarfs, nebulas, galaxies, and all of the other stellar sights to
behold. Wow!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we ran inside to warm
up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(Look at her tongue sticking out of her mouth! Concentration is a must when riding the unicycle for certain. This was one of her runs where she made it all the way down the gym, and she started without the help of the wall. She is really getting good)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An update on Sarah’s unicycling – yes I’ve quit at this
point not because of the difficulty really, though it is quite that, but in the
hopes to stay healthy with no injuries to parts of my body I would rather keep
quite well. Sarah on the other hand has been excelling and her one wheeled
skills have been rapidly improving. I watched her ride the entire length of the
gym with a big smile on her face. She did use the padded wall on the opposite
side to come to an abrupt halt, but she successfully is very on her way to
joining the circus when we get back. Too bad the Ringling Bros. and Barnum
& Bailey Circus will no longer be around to recruit her. Sometimes you have
to put down your stethoscope and seek after your precariously balanced dreams –
at least she would get some elephant time if it ever worked out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(Steve and I pause to look at parts from an electric milvan. Hmm, what parts are these? No idea. Well since posting Mr. Steve has requested for his glorious photo to be taken down as he is shy of internet activity - most of you saw it already anyway as I told him our policy is to give us ten days on any photo)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2SChuRH5XGq4eH_86d7pmBeBIWqHiQSsa66Xi3-j90kKkj1ShJW-DdxO0HRE_7_X-1-wOMJlAR1iLkY0QHfIKx5qPK79GgYaI2GybeXaI7TFvLVG2yklDnqD1FAuGcWYLcL7zX2qbNQ/s1600/P5114287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2SChuRH5XGq4eH_86d7pmBeBIWqHiQSsa66Xi3-j90kKkj1ShJW-DdxO0HRE_7_X-1-wOMJlAR1iLkY0QHfIKx5qPK79GgYaI2GybeXaI7TFvLVG2yklDnqD1FAuGcWYLcL7zX2qbNQ/s640/P5114287.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Outside of those updates, our time here has been going very
well. I’ve been enjoying that my job takes me outside quite a bit and have been
taking in the beauty of the Antarctic night. Sarah has been enjoying being the
doc and to my knowledge has not had many patients. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are the random
incidents that do occur now and then, such as the booze barn heater going off
one night. For some reason the alarms did not alert the crew here and you can
see from the picture the result of what happens to soda when exposed to the
temperatures here. We have also had various other events: a poker tournament one weekend,
a spa weekend (one of our guys is a licensed masseuse!), and there is a tiny
little lamb that gets hidden around station as a scavenger hunt for prizes
every so often. Life at the Pole is a little different but it is definitely
life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(Counting the ever important, though numerous, power plant inventory. I have every ounce of my mustache focused on counting. It's coming in quite nice don't you think?)</span><br />
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ask about specific things or topics you would like to hear about.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(During our Spa Day Sarah stops to get a manicure from one of our co-workers - thanks Hunter!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Were you correct about which eggs Sarah painted? Here they are!</span></div>
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Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7104985675178900319.post-34529771987192892252017-04-07T19:38:00.000-07:002017-04-27T15:58:17.331-07:00The One Antarctic Sunset Per Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJujtLd-bBVjt41IyuY2Y0zJ2kBR-UqGvZuQtaYe_aUvaNpNlBz5mWSjKcCjNIhaSpDznRRA8700x78HrAMOaGVJwS5-cGiVcLf_uelVw0Pv8LjBObAbWLppD_rjvrhszwaAM66fm4i8/s1600/IMG_0789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJujtLd-bBVjt41IyuY2Y0zJ2kBR-UqGvZuQtaYe_aUvaNpNlBz5mWSjKcCjNIhaSpDznRRA8700x78HrAMOaGVJwS5-cGiVcLf_uelVw0Pv8LjBObAbWLppD_rjvrhszwaAM66fm4i8/s640/IMG_0789.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The sun has been setting now for a few weeks. I suppose when you only get one sunset a year it has to be a show - and it has been! The colors, reflections off of the ice and snow, and the prolonged nature of the sunset has been quite a treat. This first picture was shared with our group and while it is not named I believe it was taken by Martin Wolf, though I cannot be sure. </div>
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I will have some more pictures of the amazing sunset, do not worry, but over the past few weeks I had the opportunity to tour our ice tunnels beneath the base. These are used to bring in water and take out waste, among other reasons as well (like giving a secret path to aliens and underground bases the entire world apparently believes we are hiding down here somewhere).</div>
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I had been wanting to take a walk through these tunnels ever since Sarah told me about them. Not only does the concept and idea of them harken one's mind back to the <a href="http://www.starwars.com/databank/hoth" target="_blank">planet Hoth</a>, but they offer a unique experience not duplicated too many places in the world. Walking with thirty to sixty feet of glacial ice above your head is a strange experience, especially in a rather narrow corridor. It's pretty dang awesome. </div>
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The day I was able to walk through the tunnels we had been working outside. So when we moved into the tunnels, which are a pretty constant -60 degrees below F and absent of all wind, it actually felt warm for a good portion of the tour. It truly is like walking into another world and offers some quite unusual stimulants. There is so much more to say about the tunnels but the pictures do a pretty good job of showing what it is like - sort of. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKaWH39zdmDow0MIqf0kVR4TR3t3zhPE-QFiNYX3DPersBz7APQS6NvOJqcKshcN0ITCRwyNfW1Yp8vmx_Oesxx0V_9Kb-5w5uY8_fKq7e4xhKytBTBI3gVOtnMip_Vwj_1YYUHO0h0k/s1600/P3260026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKaWH39zdmDow0MIqf0kVR4TR3t3zhPE-QFiNYX3DPersBz7APQS6NvOJqcKshcN0ITCRwyNfW1Yp8vmx_Oesxx0V_9Kb-5w5uY8_fKq7e4xhKytBTBI3gVOtnMip_Vwj_1YYUHO0h0k/s640/P3260026.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Also in the past week or so, the dark sector held an open house. One of the great parts about being at the station here at the South Pole is everyone's desire to share and learn about the science research. My co-worker, Eileen, did a talk about some research she did on ice fish while at one of our other two research bases Palmer station. The dark sector is a portion of land about a half mile walk from base where, you guess it, they try to keep it dark. Their telescopes and instruments are quite sensitive to the light and now that the sun is almost completely gone it truly does become a dark sector. It was fun doing the tour and this picture, taken by Grant on Daniel's camera, was a special privilege to get so close to this fantastic telescope. <a href="http://www.southpolestation.com/links.html" target="_blank">I would explain more but an easier way to learn about it would be to click on this link and read some of the blogs by the guys doing the research. Both James Casey and Robert Schwartz both do research in the dark sector.</a> </div>
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Just admiring the unbelievable coloration in the sky down here. With the gradual sunset the change in colors has been pretty special. These few days of pink and blue were just amazing. </div>
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Our power plant, the part of the station that keeps us all warm and alive, lets off a good deal of exhaust that makes for some wild pictures when looking out over the vastness of the Antarctic. Especially in the Winter when hardly any of our outlying buildings are putting off any kind of heat it is fascinating to watch the exhaust rising from the power plant climb and then descend back down to the ice as it blows away from us, creating almost a road of billowing smoke. </div>
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We ran out onto the deck to take a few quick shots with the sun. Yes, we were freezing without our hats and protective jackets but the door is just within reach. Calm down Mom. I promise it was mostly safe just shy of getting locked out. </div>
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I've been kind of on a sunset picture taking spree. I think it's apparent why from looking at some of these shots. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh39NdhxNbMzROK8KM3dLCLnYyI265Vw3W9SAHJIchmITTsQQKFbheYC23rHrah8SrXD3NR3JhyhAzyOdh19l_FPz1DK6XTNTkbUS-G05S85EzopDLgrLvBzAzMHE5-xwQrP8lsVFTAY/s1600/IMG_9671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh39NdhxNbMzROK8KM3dLCLnYyI265Vw3W9SAHJIchmITTsQQKFbheYC23rHrah8SrXD3NR3JhyhAzyOdh19l_FPz1DK6XTNTkbUS-G05S85EzopDLgrLvBzAzMHE5-xwQrP8lsVFTAY/s640/IMG_9671.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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But lets not forget about the moon! As the sun fades the moon, one or two stars, and even a few planets have begun to come into view. We have seen Jupiter and Saturn with the naked eye for crying out loud! I do like this shot of the moon and some relatively intense snow drifts.</div>
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Another shot of the power plant and the persistently fading sun. It was almost as though it did not quite want to let go of its hold over the South Pole. </div>
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I really like this picture because it was taken at what we call the end of the world. After the outdoor storage berms and the few other odds and ends kept outside, one finds an immense plateau of ice that runs as far as the eye can see. With no frame of reference to size or distance it is quite mesmerizing to stand before such stark beauty and vastness. If it were not so intensely cold outside I do believe I would wander out to this spot and just sit for long portions of time. As it is though, I took about ten pictures and then stopped to stare for ten seconds before hopping back in the warm LMC waiting nearby.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzK8DQrcN-Uv7SH7N3noxrDtY5KLqm14-e_L3YK7FHOT8xkgvR64AUOwlzbUx7nUXO8_1kof68gdmaAtft8TuJmksBK0ZoQLkV7Z4oJasfNpxVfzCDzymkQAZVN38aJN6cVN-IzkH6uWo/s1600/P4052985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzK8DQrcN-Uv7SH7N3noxrDtY5KLqm14-e_L3YK7FHOT8xkgvR64AUOwlzbUx7nUXO8_1kof68gdmaAtft8TuJmksBK0ZoQLkV7Z4oJasfNpxVfzCDzymkQAZVN38aJN6cVN-IzkH6uWo/s640/P4052985.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At attempt to capture the fun ice mask face that develops on the outside of my face covering and hat. Matt Smith took this pic of me during our walk back from some ERT training at the dark sector this past week. When I went to take off my gear my buff was frozen to my mustache and my hat had frozen to my eye lashes - easy does it taking those both off! Thanks to Bevin, Jamie, Genevieve, and Giselle for the warm Arctic Extreme buff as it has done a superb job keeping me warm. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHA4YFWTYuDvm3IiXt849eB2glQAyr56JbLts3hML5_lletxVRUWYGTgBrh78ESIMzIMQlqHzkNEiWfSCBP0pBQJfp6AZpuKPt76NtOpWzrM0ra7WL1V8SKfNYnu_9r2YV1pMZLNjV9bg/s1600/Abandoned+Vans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHA4YFWTYuDvm3IiXt849eB2glQAyr56JbLts3hML5_lletxVRUWYGTgBrh78ESIMzIMQlqHzkNEiWfSCBP0pBQJfp6AZpuKPt76NtOpWzrM0ra7WL1V8SKfNYnu_9r2YV1pMZLNjV9bg/s640/Abandoned+Vans.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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As the light fades and the drift snow accumulates more on the summer vehicles an eerie sort of appearance begins to take over the outlying camp. Vehicles and buildings begin to look as though they have not been used in years, giving way to thoughts of abandonment and a spooky ambience. Such as looking at derelict home where people used to live, gazing over these areas that were teeming with people when we arrived in January just seems a little odd. </div>
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And yet at the same time there is a beauty to this scene as well. A beauty proclaimed by the human spirit to persist in a climate where even some of the best machines built cannot run or operate most of the year round. These shots also speak of a claim that has been made. A claim of determination and resilience. A beautiful claim indeed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1Vgo-RTg5_uKicjXL21Bn6s4ujfyug1cRBHjPwBMe516rlTfrV2GIQsMVmhuufoW4I7ni6uzk_xq4NBXFASnyuvmcoUI-w8VDyxhl9YIe1_shWiEasoZugnl19FoRbIx2BxB5Tf7FJg/s1600/Heroes+on+a+Berm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1Vgo-RTg5_uKicjXL21Bn6s4ujfyug1cRBHjPwBMe516rlTfrV2GIQsMVmhuufoW4I7ni6uzk_xq4NBXFASnyuvmcoUI-w8VDyxhl9YIe1_shWiEasoZugnl19FoRbIx2BxB5Tf7FJg/s640/Heroes+on+a+Berm.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just because it is getting close to negative 100 degrees F does not mean we will be staying inside. Here is a shot from last week of some of our hearty crew getting some materials from off one of the cold storage berms. Though we will try to limit these trips as it truly does get much colder, there will be times when we simply find we need something stored out in the cold. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEirLI3vP66lJBnL26T9aOGPzGlkLrcx4qtpdrOpWI7G6ozS6fiu1Tl-Rto_Ejb7jSjXw5ForayeaMBEdI3dRlM6oB39VyZrF4K-iGCZYOoY1XQPNWZtC-8wb5GF3HJe4IoHTc_K9aKQE/s1600/Lingering+Light.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEirLI3vP66lJBnL26T9aOGPzGlkLrcx4qtpdrOpWI7G6ozS6fiu1Tl-Rto_Ejb7jSjXw5ForayeaMBEdI3dRlM6oB39VyZrF4K-iGCZYOoY1XQPNWZtC-8wb5GF3HJe4IoHTc_K9aKQE/s640/Lingering+Light.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just a few more examples of the varying colors we have been experiencing. Once it gets much colder we will be making these trips out to the berms on foot and using sleds to pull back in what we need as it will be too cold for the vehicles. Challenge accepted... I think. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ceW8i0Jnn5mywGBfEPt-n5QwHUsaz_n0QsoRMPqWPWLHaYMT5qBXKllxfrz9XqMK3-jnmUqXCoRYDEwzCaXCfLmsbBq1zmG38o42oEAcSWgZfc2r9DmQSHBxXwJkxRp22jH3X-rCPIU/s1600/P4052977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ceW8i0Jnn5mywGBfEPt-n5QwHUsaz_n0QsoRMPqWPWLHaYMT5qBXKllxfrz9XqMK3-jnmUqXCoRYDEwzCaXCfLmsbBq1zmG38o42oEAcSWgZfc2r9DmQSHBxXwJkxRp22jH3X-rCPIU/s640/P4052977.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It kind of looks like we are walking no where but there is a destination in mind. The drifting snow has been making walking a little more fun recently. Soon it will be headlamps and sticking to the flag lines when we walk outside to keep from getting lost. </div>
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Ok so a little bit of an explanation on this one. In a previous post I am sure I've mentioned NASA is conducting a few voluntary experiments on the members of our wintering crew. Due to the extreme isolation it stands to reckon NASA might be able to learn a little bit about from how we react to our environment here in respect to people they will be sending into space for long periods of time. Some of us were watching a TV show about Mars and in this show they interview<a href="http://www.scottkelly.com/" target="_blank"> Astronaut Scott Kelly</a> (pictured below with Mikhail Kornienko). Scott Kelly spent a year on the international space station and the rest of his life is part of a study to see what long term effects there might be from someone spending such a long time in space.<br />
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Imagine our surprise when we saw video footage of Scott Kelly in space wearing the same watch we have to wear for our NASA study! We were more than a little excited and it was not long before one of our group noticed the slight resemblance of two of our group to this photo which had been posted a few places on base in reference to the study. Naturally one of our guys, thanks Robert, has his own space suit for a space party we have each winter and he was kind enough to let us borrow it. A quick photo or two, a little bit of photo shopping (we only have the one suit!), and you have the result you see before you. Despite Scott Kelly being in no way related to our study at all, I've tweeted and facebooked Scott Kelly in the hopes of a laugh from him but no response yet. The photo is our attempt to honor these men and what they have done. </div>
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Just a little sun hiding behind part of the base. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKOUQWbkkkgh7uZPzM7bZgof3G9umdD-J3ucBJeC9jcH0rROk59dvqN0kKtp0-qVxdyVTo5V0evhX54ynHdyiCi7AePDJZjkmPp31PsAS-s2emccaBoj9KF-2acYuHwRbOzg-sIuLos0/s1600/sunset+dinner-016_26-03-17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKOUQWbkkkgh7uZPzM7bZgof3G9umdD-J3ucBJeC9jcH0rROk59dvqN0kKtp0-qVxdyVTo5V0evhX54ynHdyiCi7AePDJZjkmPp31PsAS-s2emccaBoj9KF-2acYuHwRbOzg-sIuLos0/s640/sunset+dinner-016_26-03-17.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Not the best picture of either of us but what can you do? As the sun begins to disappear we have a Sunset Dinner. It's a fun reason to celebrate, the cooks all prepare a special feast, and we put together a slue of fun events around this one dinner. What a fun night. </div>
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I told you it was good food! Bison steak, duck, pumkin, kale... oh my!!</div>
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And dessert. Seriously. Delicious. </div>
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Our station manager giving a toast as we sat down for dinner. </div>
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We really have enjoyed our stay at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station so far. Hopefully the pictures show just a little bit of the beauty that exists down here. It is a strange place to live. It is tempting to forget just how dangerous it can be minus the life saving resources we have protecting us from Antarctica. And yet knowing where we are leaves a significance that goes beyond any of those dangers and leaves one feeling as though you are a part of something truly special. I am sure some of us, including myself at moments, miss this and it can become quite difficult. If we can keep our focus, however, I believe we can see beyond and into the contribution this base is making towards humanity and science. </div>
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Soon - pictures of total darkness - Southern lights - other fun events to keep morale and sanity. Stay tuned!</div>
<span id="goog_1640092487"></span><span id="goog_1640092488"></span><br />Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320564601230228851noreply@blogger.com0