Interntional Connections

The obvious benefits of traveling are seeing new things, experiencing different cultures, learning about the world and learning about yourself. The less obvious benefit is meeting other travelers.

I have met a lot of good friends throughout my overseas experiences and have been fortunate enough to have visited some of them in their home towns and countries, hosted them in my own home and met up with them in other places around the world. This trip has been no exception in getting to know fellow travelers and this area has made it incredibly easy to do so.

Patagonia covers 475,000 square kilometers. It is vast and mostly uninhabited. The two 16 hour and 6 hour bus rides Laura and I have taken were mostly on the dirt highway, Ruta Nacional 40. Still being paved, it is the main thruway stretching nearly the entire length of Argentina. It is 5,000km long and is called the world´s loneliest road. From what I have experienced, this description is definitely appropriate. The few towns in Patagonia are main tourist hubs and their existences are likely due to being gateways to Argentina´s national parks.

Because there are so few towns and only one main highway, Laura and I have found ourselves playing leap frog or traveling in a herd with other nomads. Tourists in towns are either going north or south and the people going in your direction you are likely to see again, repeatedly. It´s hard to ignore someone you feel like you´re stalking or someone who is seemingly stalking you, so Laura and I have introduced ourselves and made friends with many people. I met Grace from San Jose, CA and will have met up with her two or three times throughout Argentina and Chile before flying home. Jennifer from Holland was on my flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. She stayed at the same hostel Laura and I stayed at and has pretty much been in the same towns as us at the same time ever since. We played leap frog with Erin and Mike from North Carolina on our 5 day trek through Torres del Paine NP. Laura and I even met a guy named Zach from Winters, CA (next to my college town, Davis) who grew up with one of my friends/co-workers. Laura has stalked a Spanish family or vice-versa that was in line in front of her at the bank on her layover in Buenos Aires. We´ve seen them at almost every town we´ve been in and even saw them while we were backpacking Torres del Paine.

Although we haven´t introduced ourselves to all we´ve recognized, it´s somewhat comforting to continually see the same people in different places. Something as simple as an exchange of smiles and waves from familiar faces makes it feel like they are our family and friends away from home. This experience has been an amazing way to end the decade. Cheers to a new year and decade filled with many more travels and international friends!

Happy New Year!

Missing in Patagonia

Items that I have lost in Patagonia in order of date missing:

1) Delta Airlines Pen
notes - lost somewhere on day 1 or day 2 of The W in Torres del Paine, Chile
- replaced with souvenir pen from El Chalten

2) REI hiking sock
notes - lost in area of Refugio Los Cuernos on third day of The W in Torres del Paine, Chile
- have always wondered how one could lose a sock in random places
- carrying around its partner for reasons unknown

3) VS bra
notes - lost in Puerto Natales, Chile between Hospedaje Nancy and Yagun House hostels
- later recovered from the depths of my pack in El Chalten, Argentina

4) Smith Method sunglasses
notes - cannot remember specifically where these were forgotten/left behind but suspect them to be in the locality of El Calafate, Argentina. Have subsequently been eyeing sunglasses of passing strangers in El Calafate in hopes of spotting them.

5) Laura
notes - separated while visiting Perito Moreno Glacier, Parque Nacional de Los Glaciares, Argentina
- reunited 2.5 hours later in gift shop

El Fin del Mundo (DUN!!! Dun!! dun!)

No, I´m not talking about the year 2012, its associated crappy Hollywood film, that REM song, or any other apocolyptic-related media or event. I´m talking about Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. It is the southernmost city in the world, on an island at the tip of South America that forms Cape Horn, port to the Beagle Channel, last call until Antarctica, and my home for the past week.

I have admired its beauty with every breath and blink of my eyes; each time feels like I am seeing it for the first time and I struggle to take it all in. I stare open-mouthed at the snowcapped peaks of the Martial range, the stillness of the Beagle Channel, its boats that sail in and out of port to unknown destinations, and the Chilean mountains across the channel that beckon to be explored. Even the sky feels fresh and new. I take pictures furiously in hopes my camera will capture just a small part of the scenery´s resulting emotions, but I know it is useless.

Its history also leaves me speechless. It is the last hospitable place on earth to be inhabited by humans. The Yamana survived as naked nomads for over 7,000 years. They didn´t wear any sort of protection against the elements because the wet climate would only soak their clothing preventing warmth. (FYI the summer temperatures here top out at about 60 degrees Fahrenheit.) Families moved every 3-4 days, leaving after exhausting the area of food (sea lions, mussels, fish and sea birds) taking only their canoe, tools and fire. Camp was left standing for the next family or for their return.

Laura and I have definitely taken advantage of our natural surroundings. We motored on the Beagle Channel viewing native sealife (penguins, cormorants and sea lions), rented a car and explored Estancia Harberton (It is a historic ranch that was a safehaven for the Yamana. There´s only one left. Her death will be the extinction of an entire culture.), and hiked through Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego where I finally saw a red fox (after spending a season in the Sierra Nevadas searching for them).

It has been a sensory overloading experience and I will be sad to leave it behind. Fortunately, Laura and I will be traveling next to an equally beautiful land in the Torres del Paine, Chile, where we plan to do a 4-day backpacking trek called The W. Because I´d like to visit Antarctica someday (filling a last minute space aboard a ship to this icy land crossed my mind at least half a dozen times per day), I must come back to Ushuaia!

Photos Are Up!

Plus tip 6.

6) Always bring toilet paper with you and deposit TP in receptacle rather than flushing. No explanation necessary.

Argentina: Tips for the future traveler.

1) On Food*
I hope you like pizza and pasta. Italian food abounds and it is the main influence on food, at least in Buenos Aires. Although this food is quite tasty, if you´re used to having variety, you might want to prepare your palate for homogeneity. (*Being vegetarian, I may have a slightly biased opinion as I am restricted to eating non-meat dishes. Bread, pizza and pasta gets really old really quick.)

2) On Language
I have had a very difficult time communicating here, more so than in past traveling experiences where english was not the primary language spoken. English is not widely spoken here...at all. And I´m ok with that because I am in a spanish-speaking country. Before traveling to Argentina, brush up on your spanish or succumb to the fact that you will essentially be deaf and mute in communicating with locals.

3) On Hostels
This tip is for traveling worldwide but good to note if you´ve either never stayed in a hostel or it´s been awhile. Having your own room or sharing one with a sibling, friend or significant other is completely different from sharing sleeping space with strangers. Don´t expect a perfect night´s sleep, but be courteous and use common sense when in a dorm room. For example, don´t slam the door or hold extended conversations while others are sleeping, use a headlamp or flashlight after hours instead of turning on the light, keep your personal belongings confined to your own space and if everyone in your room but you wants the air conditioner on, put on more clothes or get an extra blanket because the world does not revolve around you. (Yes, that was half tip and half rant.)

4) On Weather
Bring sunscreen and use it, even if you don´t think you´ll need it. There is a stark difference between the north and south of Argentina even though both are in the southern hemisphere and share seasons. In the spring, you´ll need to pack clothes for both summer and winter. And if your hair does not take well to humidity, don´t forget the gel.

5) On Money
Hoard your change like you would quarters freshman year in the dorms! This includes coins and small bills. Buses only accept coins. Subways tickets can be purchased from a human being using bills, but you´ll have a much easier time getting around if you give the exact amount necessary. Breaking large bills is almost impossible. Even though the ATMs only spit out AR$100 bills, you will inevitably wander the town or city for half a day trying to find somewhere that will allow you to make a small purchase with a large bill. Also, count your change. Taxi drivers and waiters have a habit of tipping themselves.

A Cooling Trend

My first two days in Buenos Aires were a temperature shock to my body. The morning Megan and I left Sacramento, it was snowing. When we arrived in BA, it felt like summer on the east coast. The city was hot and humid. My hostel room, although very nice, was also really stuffy in the evenings, making it a little difficult to sleep. Walking around the city under the afternoon sun made us quite sleepy, although I'm sure the traveling, the lack of sleep and the 5 hour time difference had a bit to do with it. The hot weather was almost draining and made me quite lazy and less than enthusiastic about siteseeing. Thankfully, the heat broke.

On our first day of true spring weather, Megan and I took a train 30 minutes outside of the city to Tigre. Tigre is a small town in the delta of Rio de la Plata. Its boat rides along the channels to see colonial mansions and stilt houses are the main attraction. The main attraction for me was to just get out of the city. The relaxing ride along the chocolate colored waters under shade of unfamiliar trees made me feel like I was on a jungle cruise. It was extremely refreshing.

Megan left for home last night. I've met a few people in my hostel who I had dinner with last night and with whom I will be going to yet another futbol match. This one, however, is not to be missed. It is in La Bombanera, Boca's home stadium, and is a finals match.

I attempted to catch a ferry to Colonia de Sacramento in Uruaguay today. While at the ferry terminal, I decided against it. Too pricey. Should have booked the ticket online. Instead, I had a very pleasant walk trying to get back to my hostel. I had no money for bus or subway and wasn't exactly sure where I was anyway, so I let my feet guide me. Porteno's (the nickname for people who live in Buenos Aires) were out and about watching their children's futbol matches, shopping at the weekend markets, riding their bikes and just enjoying life. It was the first time I felt relaxed in the city. It's growing on me. And my spanish is improving. For the first time on this trip, I'm comfortable outside of my comfort zone. :) Off to do more exploring!

For once, Lonely Planet was right, futbol, and food.

Lonely Planet is my traveling bible. I have yet to find a guide book that is as organized with the information a budget traveler like myself needs. However, Lonely Planet has often lead me astray. This was definitely not the case on the day of our arrival to Buenos Aires. On our 'adventure' to see a futbol match, we did two things LP specifically told us not to do when taking a taxi; 1) give the driver a large bill when paying the fare and 2) not emphasizing or being clear of the destination to avoid being taken on the scenic route. 

 Our first taxi ride was to La Boca, a neighborhood famous for its colorful buildings and its futbol team. An AR$20 drive to La Boca from the Mircrocentre turned into AR$30 when Megan gave the driver a AR$100 bill and he gave her AR$70 back. She didn't figure this out until much later. In her defense, all either of us had were AR$100 bills because that's what the ATM spat out at us. It was our understanding the team in La Boca would be playing at home. After walking around for 20 minutes trying to figure out where at the stadium tickets were sold, we were told La Boca was not playing that evening. We were sure they were and it took several more chats with people to find out they were in fact playing, but it was away. We were given the neighborhood of the away game and hopped into the next taxi to go to La Recoleta. 

 I don't speak much spanish and the spanish I do speak isn't very good. When I told the taxi driver we wanted to go to the stadium in Recoleta, he obviously thought I said cemetary because that's where he took us. When we pulled up to the cemetary, I stressed FUTBOL stadium. He said, "Ohh!" and dropped us 3 blocks away from the cemetary and pointed towards an imaginary stadium. We walked in that direction and several other directions hoping we would see a large stadium-like building to guide us but never came across one. We stopped in a restaurant to ask for directions and after making a spectacle of ourselves trying to communicate our destination, we were finally headed in the right direction. Well, for the most part... We found the right bus, but went the wrong direction. Luckily, the waitress at the restaurant wrote on paper the stadium name we wanted to go to and the neighborhood it was in. When we showed the paper to the bus driver, he told us to get off and take the bus going the opposite direction. Disaster averted once again. We rode the correct bus for quite some time. I was getting antsy at how long we had been on the bus and did my best to ask the woman behind me in spanish what stop we needed to get off for the neighborhood of the stadium. She was very eager to help but did so in words I could not understand. Megan managed to get her to tell us how many more stops we needed to get off of the bus. When our stop came, the woman rushed us off and pointed in the direction we should go. We took a few steps in that direction, but something felt wrong. We were walking down a neighborhood street and all I could see in front of us were houses. No stadium. I turned back to where the bus had dropped us off and asked a policeman where the futbol stadium was. He pointed in the direction our bus had driven towards and sure enough, not more than 5 blocks down was the stadium...and our bus driving towards it. Of course, I immediately realized my mistake. I had asked the woman where the neighborhood of the stadium was, not the stadium itself. Doh! 

 We had two hours to kill before the futbol match began with nothing to do and nowhere to go. The stadium was in an area with no shops, just one tiny corner market and a local's restaurant, if you could call it that. The place consisted of a very large grill with various asado (meat) on it and 8 tables, half of them occupied by policia (Futbol matches get very rowdy, so the police are EVERYWHERE with dogs, barricades, and riot gear in case it gets too out of hand). It was already a very warm day, but walking into a small brick and corrugated metal building with a grill occuping one wall made it feel more like a sauna than an eatery. I asked for a Coca Cola and Megan asked for a cerveza. With no menu of any sort, neither of us wanted to attempt to order anything to eat. We sat at a corner table and kept to ourselves. We were obviously out of place and definitely felt that way. Two women next to us were enjoying tapas which seemed to be bread and marinated eggplant. It looked good. Megan and I asked what they were eating, "Que?" *while pointing.* She said something neither of us understood and we shook our heads in agreement, "Ohh. Yes." I'm sure she knew we were oblivious to her words because she then offered us each a piece of the eggplant on bread. Delicious! It was Megan's first taste of eggplant and she also liked it a lot. After looking around the room to see what everyone else was eating, I eventually got up the nerve to order the eggplant (by means of pointing and for me and Megan to share), fritas (fries for myself), empanada con pollo (chicken empanada for Megan) y una cerveza (another beer for Megan). That's mostly what we were served. I guess I pronounced empanada con pollo wrong because a thin cut of breaded steak with a lemon slice came out. I passed it on to Megan (who said it was really good) and enjoyed the eggplant and fries. 

 The futbol match was an amazing experience. For anyone who might follow Argentinian futbol, it was La Boca vs Huracan. As to be expected, people here are incredibly passionate about futbol, especially La Boca fans. They brought their own flags and banners to decorate their side of the stadium and a band that played non-stop from 20 minutes before the match began until the very end. Being a fan is a sport itself. You must be able to jump up and down and chant and sing throughout the entire match and call the refs and players all kinds of names. Unfortunately the match ended 0-0 so we never got to see the crowd's reaction to a goal. We ended the day with a proper meal in a restaurant that had pictures on the menu and a Tango song and dance show. It was quite an eventful day with many memorable learning experiences.

First Class, Baby!

The flight to Buenos Aires from Atlanta was absolute luxury. I had worries with the buddy pass Megan scored for me because I was not looking forward to flying standby. A small hiccup sent us out of SF instead of Sacramento, but once in Atlanta, it was smooth sailing (er, um, flying). First class is all it's cracked up to be; champagne while boarding (actually, champagne any time you want!), three course meals with wine pairings, enough leg room for Yao Ming and my personal favorite, seats that recline nearly 180 degrees. I got the best sleep I've ever gotten on a plane before. I would never pay full price for first class, a $2,000 ticket one-way, but I will never feel the same about coach again!

Departure

I hate packing, unpacking and living out of a bag. They may be my three least favorite things in the world. Unfortunately I love to travel. I spent roughly six hours last night figuring out what to bring. That's one hour of packing per week away and that's after writing a list. In the end if I questioned whether or not to bring an item, it got thrown in. I went to bed just after midnight and awoke 2 hours later. There's only been one other time in my life where I've gotten so little sleep; freshman year of college to write a history paper. Needless to say, I cherish my sleep and a 2:15am wakeup call is number four on my list of least favorite things to do. Besides the unusual falling snow in the Sac valley, the cone Megan ran over on the drive to SFO and the poor woman at ATL who unknowingly was mooning everyone at the airport because the back of her dress was caught by her backpack, travel to Buenos Aires has been uneventful. I do however have an hour left on my layover and an eight hour flight ahead of me. Fingers crossed for the remainder of the 24hrs of travel. I will end with three things I pondered on my first flight. Keep in mind my lack of sleep. 1) Who decides what music is played while boarding a plane? (Brandi Carlile was playing when I entered the cabin. I was pleasantly surprised and instantly put in a chipper mood until 2) Why do I always have to use the bathroom or think I have to use the bathroom at the most inopportune times (ie when the plane is delayed on the tarmac just before taking off)? 3) What ever happened to the TV show Mama's Family?

Out of Hibernation

I leave in just over a week for a trip I had no intention of taking up until 4 weeks ago. And by no intention I mean I did not plan it nor have I had many thoughts of going where I am going. At least, not in the immediate or near future...because I am always game for traveling, but there are certain places I planned to see before others. Anyway, I am awakening from my slumber. Explanation and new post soon!

Until then, here are three slideshows of what have mostly consumed my last 6 months:

1) Surveying birds, small mammals and habitat in CDFG Region 2 of the Sierra Nevadas. May-September 2009.


2) A three day trek to summit the tallest peak in the continental US., Mt. Whitney (14,505ft). August 7-12, 2009. Elevation gain: 6,450ft. Total miles hiked: 21. Training for this began in January, 2009.


3) Setting up and checking motion-sensored and infrared cameras, hair snares and bait stations looking for mesocarnivores of the Sierra Nevadas. September-December 2009.

The Best Job in the World

On January 13, a friend in Texas left a comment on my Facebook wall that said, "You can thank me later for finding you the best job in the world." With the comment, she posted a link to a Yahoo news article. I read the article and was impressed. It was about a job opportunity as an island caretaker of the Great Barrier Reef. Such a job exists?

That same morning, a friend in San Diego texted me with a similar message; she had heard of a job that I would not only love, but one for which I would be perfectly qualified. I tried unsuccessfully several times to view islandreefjob.com to read more details, but the page would not load. I was suspicious that it might be a hoax. After all, the article claimed key responsibilities included cleaning the pool, feeding the fish and getting the mail. Who wouldn't be skeptical? I made a mental note to come back to it in the near future and filed the note in my short-term memory, ready to forget.

The next morning, I received an email from a friend at home. The subject line read, "I thought of you!" When I opened it, the email was the same message I had heard twice the day before. Is it possible to be spammed by friends? "Ok." I thought, "You have my attention now." Three friends in three different locations had heard about the same job and thought of me. I figured if it were a hoax, it had garnered an unusual amount of media attention.

I visited the job's website. This time the page loaded, but it was slow. I read through the job description, responsibilities, information about applying, etc. It seemed the job was legit. There were even applications already submitted. In order to apply, one must upload a 60 second or less video introducing themselves, stating their qualifications and demonstrating their knowledge of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. I had a look at some of the videos. I realized it was a one in a million chance, but the job was made for me and I would never get it unless I applied. Besides, I couldn't let my friends down...

Over the past month, I have worked on my video. I filmed scenes in the Seattle area while visiting friends, on a train to Canada, in my alma mater's library and in my bedroom. Each scene was meant to reflect a small part of me; my introduction at Snoqualmie Falls to show my love of the outdoors, skiing off of a jump to demonstrate my athleticism and adventurousness, on board a train for my love of travel, at the UC Davis library for my educational background and in my bedroom to show the simple side of me. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, there was a lot I had to cut. But thanks to the amazing editing abilities of a friend, the video turned out far better than I had hoped.

What I did not mention or emphasize in my video I hope to do here. I started this blog soon after deciding I would apply for the job. Although this blog is new, my entries are all writings I did in the past to keep friends and family updated along my travels. They were sent as emails and posted as blogs on Myspace. They often included photos or links to photos and videos I uploaded as I traveled. I have always kept a journal while abroad and am very trigger happy when it comes to snapping photos and videos of where I am. It is important to me to document my travels, but my photos and updates were always meant to encourage my friends and family to explore and discover the fascinating and beautiful world around them.

If it is not already clear from my video or if you have not already read it in my profile, I am passionate about a lot of things including travel (of course), music, the environment and nature. I have been PADI Advanced Scuba certified for 9 years and have been mesmerized by the ocean and its inhabitants for as long as I can remember. I hike, backpack, ski and mountain bike and dabble in rock climbing. I play guitar and am rarely sitting in silence because I am often listening to music. I was very active in grassroots organizing for environmental issues in college and am no stranger to public speaking. In fact, one of my current job tasks is to lead school group tours teaching children the life cycles of native anadromous fishes and their freshwater habitat, the local American River. (You try keeping an eight year old's attention while speaking to them for an hour and a half!) Other current job tasks keep me well-rounded and include writing articles and reports on the control of invasive plant species and assisting with investigations of pesticide-related fish and wildlife losses. I have also worked in the field on seasonal projects such as assessing habitat for Western Pond Turtles. Work-related photos can be found here.

I feel I am extremely qualified for the position of island caretaker for the Great Barrier Reef and hope after discovering the virtual me, you will agree.