(a travel history)
"Many nights he lay there dreaming awake of secret cafes in Mont Martre, where ivory women delved in romantic mysteries with diplomats and soldiers of fortune, while orchestras played Hungarian waltzes and the air was thick and exotic with intrigue and moonlight and adventure."
--F. Scott Fitzgerald (This Side of Paradise)
In the Spring of 1996 I left the comfort and known surroundings of school, family, and friends to take up the study of a foreign language in a foreign land. My destination was the city of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco in the country of Mexico. I had just turned 21 years of age, I spoke almost no Spanish, and I had a one-way ticket and no clear idea of what to expect.See the pics!Moments before the plan touched down in Guadalajara my heart was racing and I remember thinking to myself, "What have I done and gotten myself in to? I want to go home right now!" Fortunately, it was too late for any second thoughts and from then on my only option was to get off that plane and let the full weight of the reality of my chosen situation fall upon me as it would.
My original plan was to stay with a local family for three months while I studied Spanish at the University of Guadalajara. Things did not work out exactly as planned, and it ended up being roughly 11 months, 7 countries, dozens of new friends, and a new appreciation for the diversity of places and people in the world before I finally made it back home.
Living in the home of Pancho and Virginia was ideal--the family was great and the food was out of this world. Virginia makes some mean enchiladas, and the pozole was always a treat! I met a lot of great people there and had a lot of friends that I was reluctant to leave behind when it finally came time to set off. I didn't really want to go, but I knew I couldn't stay forever and adventure was calling.
My brother Ryan came down and joined me and we soon decided to hit the road. We bussed our way across the country through Mexico City to Vera Cruz on the coast. From there we turned southward and headed into Guatemala. We stayed in Quetzaltenango for a month before continuing on into Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. From Panama City we flew back up to Cancun, Mexico. While there we bumped into a Dutch guy that we had met in Guatemala and we joined him on a trip to Cuba. We stayed in Havana for a week before parting ways. Ryan and I flew back to Cancun to begin the final leg of our full-circle jouney that would end where it began, Guadalajara.
After a short stay in Mexico City, and nearly dying of thirst on a volcano in Michoacan, we rolled into Guadalajara and it almost felt like a homecoming. After a few days I made arrangements to rent a room in a house for an indefinite period of time. Ryan decided to continue on by himself and left shortly thereafter for Mazatlan, Baja, and eventually home. I stayed in Guadalajara again for just over 2 months, during which time I had a memorable time going to parties, checking out the local scene, and living in the midst of a most entertaining group of Swansea girls.
I was home for Christmas.
This was my first trip, and I had the time of my life. In more ways than one I have been forever changed by the experience. I did accomplish my goal of learning a new language--but I also made a few friends and fell in love with Mexico and its people, history, and culture.
My first bit of travel experience only whetted my appetite for further exploration. After completing my internship in the state legislature in the spring of 1998 my undergraduate studies were completed and I was again free to move about the world. I had wanted to pick up where I left off in my previous trip so the destination was clearly South America.See the pics!I already spoke the language and was familiar with the culture so it was just a matter of making the arrangements and going. I decided on a route going south to north, figuring it would be more comforting to know that with every kilometer traveled I would be getting closer to home rather than further from it. I began my trip in Santiago, Chile and the plane touched down on a cloudy weekday morning. I was by myself on this trip and, unlike when I showed up in Guadalajara and had my host family to help me get acclimated, it was an odd feeling to show up out of the blue without knowing a soul and try to get your bearings.
Eventually I did, and my journey nortward began soon after. For the next 6 months I was on the move almost constantly going from city to city and sight to sight. The waterfalls of Iqauzu, the beaches of Brazil, a three-day excursion into the Pantanal, and a killer train ride into Bolivia were the highlights of the "southern" portion of my trip.
The "northern" portion, which was the best, began when my Dad came down to join me for a month and a half of travel. We went to the pampas and jungle in Rurrenabaque, Bolivia, visited Lake Titicaca, saw the sights in Cuzco, Peru, and hiked the Inca Trail to the fabled ruins of Macchu Picchu. After a few days in Lima we made our way over the mountains to the hot and dusty city of Pucallpa. We arranged for transport down the Ucayali river on a cargo ship, our destination was the Amazon city of Iquitos.
We arrived after nearly 4 days of river travel which, although uncomfortable and difficult, was possibly the highlight of the entire trip. From Iquitos my Dad flew back to Lima before heading home and I, according to schedule, was on my own to finish out the continent.
By this point I had been traveling for almost 4 months and was not releshing the thought of being on my own for another 2 or three. I missed having my Dad around as a companion but I wanted to keep going and, since I knew that I had to take advantage of this opportunity while it was here, I pressed on. Northern Peru and most of Ecuador did not offer much of excitement. This, coupled with poor eating habits that resulted from a severe case of boredom with local cuisine, lead me to become irritable and frustrated with the way things were proceeding. I did have a great experience on the river Napo when I ran into some kids who invited me to join them on a raft trip. We camped in a local cabin, built a raft out of balsa trees, and floated down the river for two days. The jungle was thick with green right up to the river's edge and the water was right for swimming. It offered a chance for me to getaway from the hassle of travel for a while.
I loved Colombia and despite all of the warnings I was really surprised at how nice it is to travel there. The people are great and I had a great time visiting friends. Venezuela was the last country on my itinerary and by the time I arrived I had my eyes on the prize--see Angel Falls and then get my butt home! I had a nice stay in Merida and thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of the Leon family. Angel Falls and Canaima proved to be spectacular and were a great way to end my trip. I had been traveling for over 6 months and as soon as I got back from the falls I bought a return ticket and was on the plane to Miami the very next day.
My adventure wasn't over. Once in Miami I boarded a Greyhound Bus and spent the next two days riding to Houston. I was happy to see my sister Elisia there to pick me up when I arrived at the station. I spent a few days with her recovering from the culture shock before actually heading home for good.
When I look back at it now I remember a lot of times when I was bored, frustrated, and lonely. However, every single one of the incredible things I did and saw during those 6 months stand out in my mind much stronger than any of the bad times. I did something that many people dream of yet very few would ever seriously consider doing. This trip was a once in a lifetime experience that I will always be able to carry with me and for which I am extremely grateful for having had the opportunity and fortitude to undertake.
6/22/99--Ready to go!This is the first installment in what I hope will be semi-regular cyber updates on my trip to Senegal. I arrived in Boston yesterday morning and made my way via subway to the home of the group leaders. I did some errands and rested up before the other four members of our group arrived from various places around the country. The other participants are all girls, they are all a couple of years younger than me, and they do not have any prior experience with third-world travel. Since I am not accustomed to traveling in a group (especially with people that I don't know nor completely trust) I am still questioning this aspect of the trip.
This morning we all met for "cross-cultural training and team building exercises." It was a long day with some interesting topics discussed, but for the most part I feel that I am just ready to get going. My original feelings of apprehension about leaving have given way to excitement and I just want to be on my way. The only problem I can forsee is my lack of ability in French, but I hope I will pick it up quickly and be able to get around for a while on just the basics.
Access to a computer will be hard to come by once we are in-country but I will try to get another update posted here as soon as I get a chance. Wish me luck!
7/14/99--I'm back! The first three weeks of my trip are over and I am back in Dakar and on my own. Tomorrow I will leave for Sedhiou, the small town where my father served in the Peace Corps. I will stay with the Diedhiou family there for three months or so and study French with the principal of the high school.I am really having a great experience here in Senegal, much better than I had ever expected. We spent the last three weeks travelling around staying with families in different towns and villages across the country and visiting a number or hospitals, schools, and social relief organizations in an effort to learn about the people and culture. The food is actually pretty good and, while the weather is very hot, there is always some shade and it is very manageable.
Probably the biggest surprise is that I have been perfectly healthy for the whole trip (but that is bound to change someday)
I wish everyone well at home and look forward to seeing everyone again. But, until then I am learing a lot and having a great time.
9/28/99--This will be the final instalment in my updates because I`m heading home tonight. The last two months in Sedhiou have been an incredible experience. It wasn`t always easy, and many things required getting used to, but now that it`s all over I am very pleased with all that I have done and learned.See the pics!My French classes went pretty well, and while I have a long way to go I managed to improve more than I had hoped. I count this aspect of my trip as a success.
The best part of it all had to be living with the Diedhious. They were very welcoming and accepting and it is this part of my trip that will stand out as the most memorable. Leaving them and Sedhiou behind was very sad, but all things come to an end and my future is elsewhere. I look forward to getting home and seeing everybody and getting on with the next phase of my life.
See you soon!
Shortly after my return from Africa I was talking with my Dad and mentioned that it would be fun to hike down the Grand Canyon. This is something he had been thinking of for a while too and he told me to start making the necessary arrangements.See the pics!On December 11, 1999 my Dad, my brother, and I were on a 6:00am flight out of Seattle. We landed in Phoenix about 9:30am local time and picked up our rental car. We immediately headed north to Flagstaff, making an interesting stop at Sedona along the way. The air is very dry of course, and in December the temperatures are cool in nothern Arizona so it was a perfect day to spend a couple of hours climbing around on Bell Rock. By the time we pulled into Flagstaff about 4:30pm it was bitterly cold. The town is loaded with budget motels and we had no problem finding a comfortable room.
The next morning we were up early and drove the last 80 miles to the Canyon. It was obvious from the start that December is a great time to visit because there are not nearly as many people and it is easy to find a place to park. We had a couple of hours until the next shuttle bus could take us to the trail head so we spent it taking in the views from the rim and trying to stay out of the way of picture happy Japanese tourists.
Our route would be down the South Kaibab Trail to the Bright Angel Campground, and we were on the trail a little after noon. It was about 40 degrees at the rim, and there were patches of snow on the ground, but the trail was well traveled and easy to follow. Our packs were weighing in at about 40 pounds but going down was not a problem. The trail is about 7 miles to the river, and once you reach the halfway point the dayhikers turn back and the overnighters are the only ones left. We took our time to enjoy the scenery. It was definitely an awesome hike.
The sun set at 5:15pm and we got into camp with enough daylight to set up the tent and get our dinner. The campground is very nice with running water available, as well as flush toilets, sinks, and electrical outlets in the restrooms. Up to 90 campers can stay there in high season, but on this day there were only about 8 or 9, including us. We were tired, and it was quite cold (near freezing) so with nothing else to do we were in bed very early
The next morning was very cold, but it warmed up as the morning wore on and we made a visit to the Phantom Ranch. Those are some pretty cozy digs with a full restaurant, private cabins, toilets, and even showers. It is a lot more than I would have expected to find at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. By mid-day we were back on the trail heading for our second night's camp at Indian Gardens Campground. We followed the Bright Angel Trail for 5 miles of relatively mild hiking. Unlike the open steepness of the South Kaibab which offers sweeping panoramic views into and across the Canyon, the lower part of the Bright Angel is more intimate and allows you to feel closer to the Canyon environment. It follows along the Colorado River some distance before turning to snake it's way through the rock formations.
The elevation of Indian Gardens is about 2000 feet higher than the Canyon floor, and the temperatures are noticibly cooler. The campground is not as nice, but it was nearly empty and there were several deer milling about the place. We were sore from the previous days hiking, and were obviously tired and cold. A heavy wind kicked up while we were eating and since we had nowhere else to hide we went to bed very early.
Day three was the final 4.5 miles back to the canyon rim. Starting out takes you straight toward what appears to be a nearly vertical rock face, and it is hard to imagine where the trail will lead. However, every bend in the trail opens up onto a new path that crisscrosses and winds it's way up the canyon wall. Although it was the shortest section of trail it seemed to be the longest because it was a continuous climb. You can see the rim long before you are actually there so it begins to feel somewhat elusive. The views opened up again as we made the final ascent, but it was also extremely cold and I wasn't in the mood to stop for too long. It felt good to take those final steps out of the hole and to finally get my backpack off and relax. Later, In the gift shop I bought a t-shirt that says "I made it to the bottom and back."