By Christophe Noel

For many people, the Eddie Bauer name evokes images of khaki pants, braided leather belts, and perhaps even a fine selection of throw pillows for the well-appointed suburban home. It is true, Eddie Bauer offers those things and much more, but they can also lay claim to some of the most advanced backcountry apparel and equipment available today. Those items, branded with the First Ascent logo, mean serious business. Designed with direct feedback from world renowned mountaineers like Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker, First Ascent products are ready to take on any backcountry endeavor you throw at them from your local wood to the icy ramparts of Mount Everest.

The Karakoram 20 sleeping bag from First Ascent is one of the finest sleeping bags on the market. Inspired by Eddie Bauer’s mountaineering bags from the 1950’s, the Karakoram’s vertical torso baffles provide a unique structure that moves with the sleeper for maximum warmth and comfort. As is fitting of a premium bag, the materials are top notch with 20-denier Pertex® Endurance Shell fabric wrapped around 850 fill premium European goose down. A full-length draft tube protects the entire length of the zipper from the ingress of cold air, and a neck baffle prevents warm air from exiting the bag at the shoulders. The well defined foot box, and highly sculpted hood maintain their shape even amidst the most restless sleep sessions reducing troublesome cold spots. It’s a masterfully crafted sleeping bag. Weighing in at just a shade over two pounds it is also exceptionally light and packs down to a tight bundle barely larger than a football. For the space challenged traveler, the Karakoram 20 is an excellent option.

In an era of frequent cost and corner cutting, it’s clear First Ascent is uncompromising in their pursuit of excellence. No detail was overlooked in the design or construction of the Karakoram 20. During our testing sessions, the Karakoram performed flawlessly proving it belongs in the rarified air of the world’s best apparel and equipment manufacturers.

http://www.eddiebauer.com/EB/First-Ascent/index.cat?cm_sp=navigation-_-top_nav-_-firstascent

$349

Almost a decade ago, an orange beast escaped from the dunes and rocky tracks of Africa’s Dakar Rally and took up residence in the civilized garages of motorcycle enthusiasts the world over. This race-inspired animal was the KTM 950 Adventure and it became an instant icon. Since then, the adventure bike scene has exploded with almost every manufacturer dipping a toe, or diving headlong, into the mixed-surface market. With the competition edging ever closer to reaching the bar set by the 950 and subsequent 990 Adventure, KTM has uncaged another animal with the newly released 1190 Adventure.

The 1190 Adventure is not just a punched-out 990, it’s an entirely new machine. Riders have long praised the 990 for its rawness and ability to produce adrenaline-pumping horsepower. The 1190 promises the same thrill, but with a level of refinement and precision that seems to be KTM’s new forte. If the 950 is a ferocious animal, think of the 1190 as a beast less likely to bite your hand off.

There are not too many motorcycles in the adventure segment with a superbike engine stuffed under the seat. The 1190 Adventure is built around KTM’s powerful 1195cc, 75-degree V-twin engine that rips out an impressive 151 horsepower. Twist your wrist with too much enthusiasm and you’ll dig a furrow fit for a row of corn. Taming all of that power is a new ride-by-wire ECU with four programed riding modes: Sport, Street, Off-Road and Rain. Traction control further reigns in the power with three settings for Sport, Street and Off-Road. For those wanting to evoke the raw fury of the old Adventure, the traction control can be switched off completely. Suspension settings are tuned on the fly with an optional Electronic Dampening System (EDS). Riders can chose from Solo, Solo with Luggage, Two-up, and Two-up with Luggage. If nothing else, there are plenty of electronic options to keep you occupied.

All of this power and poise is packaged in a bike that stripped of its color and markings could be  almost anything. To some dyed in the wool KTM loyalists, this could be problematic. KTM even succumbed to the beak when designing the front of the 1190 Adventure. It would seem that no bike is admitted into the adventure bike category without a prominent proboscis. At any rate, it’s a striking motorcycle.

These are interesting times in the motorcycle industry. BMW’s newly released R1200GS is now pumping water for the first time in 90 years, and KTM is wiring their bikes with more electronics than Sputnik. Some have argued that KTM’s new flagship adventure bike pushes the brand further towards the tarmac and away from their dirty roots. There is no doubt that in the last few years their orange letters have adorned some impressive road machines from their 1190 RC8 R superbike to their X-bow car. The 1190 Adventure is clearly aimed at the massive number of highway biased riders throwing a leg over adventure bikes, but who’s to say those adventures are less significant than the off-piste romps? Has the beast been too tamed? For those of us in North America, we’ll have to wait until 2014 to find out.

Vehicle Feature: FJ45 Crew Cab Pickup, Chris Collard

Knobbies: Dual-Sport Tires, Overland Journal Staff

Sand Raiders: Egypt in two 1940’s Willys, Sam Watson

The Summer 2013 Issue of Overland Journal will also feature:

Leather Boot Comparison, Christophe Noel

To See the Elephant: North America’s Emigrant Trail, Chris Collard

and much more.

Every spring in the craggy peaks above Silverton, Colorado there can be heard an unmistakable clatter as heavy plows labor to free high altitude mountain passes from the last of winter’s snow. Sunlight dances on racing creek waters as they flow from the melting snowfields to the lush valleys below, and alpine flowers push forth to make the most of their brief growing season. High above, ravens rise on warm air currents, their inky shadows racing across the mountainsides. It is a magical scene, a virtual postcard in motion.

To experience the splendor of the Rocky Mountains of Southern Colorado, one need only drive the short 65 miles around the famous Alpine Loop Scenic Byway. This iconic route begins in Silverton, climbs over Cinnamon Pass to the mountain hamlet of Lake City before circling back and over Engineer Pass. Along the way it passes through historic ghost towns and verdant mountain meadows, while winding amidst towering mountains and crossing countless streams and creeks.

At the entrance to the Alpine Loop sits the mining ruins of Animas City. A once thriving operation employing thousands of ambitious miners, all that remains today are humble cabins, vacant slabs of concrete, and errant piles of rusty industrial era metal. After a short visit to Animas City the road narrows, showing only a brief section of rocky scrabble before rising well above the trees to eventually top out over Cinnamon Pass. Here the air is thin, the views never ending, and the adventure still yet to unfold.

Shortly after descending off Cinnamon Pass, a short diversion to American Basin awaits along with a veritable sea of wild flowers. Said to contain the most dense growth of alpine flowers in all of Colorado, American Basin is a stunning backdrop for an alpine picnic. Handies Peak looms overhead reaching over 14,000 feet into the sky.

As the road reaches eastward, occasionally presenting a mildly technical switchback, the terrain opens up, exposing creeks and alpine lakes—the namesakes of the only small town in the area, Lake City. This charming little town offers a couple of eating options, a chance to refuel, or a nice night’s stay at a cabin or campground.

On the return trip, the gravel road climbs progressively, passing narrow roads leading to destinations like the Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre Peak trailheads. Eventually, the road ascends quickly to acquire the summit of Engineer Pass. Well above the treeline at over 12,000 feet, the adventure begins in earnest atop Engineer with a narrow descent back to Animas City.

Without trying to detract from the unique beauty of the Alpine Loop, Colorado is full of similar driving experiences. It is a land of unimaginable beauty. For the traveler, it is also rich with opportunity. Hot springs, and mountain hikes abound as well as dozens of other mountain adventures. In the small towns of Durango and Ouray, charming restaurants and breweries always welcome weary travelers.

As routes go, the Alpine Loop isn’t as remote as the Canning Stock or as long as the Road of Bones. It doesn’t offer the challenge of the Darien, or the culture of the Wakhan Corridor. It is however, nearly smack dab in the middle of North America and one of the most travel worthy routes any overlander could hope for. It is accessible, flanked on all sides by immeasurable opportunities to explore, and a must-do for any overlander via any means possible. It is a beautiful stretch of a road less traveled.

“Well yes, Ayer fue divertido.” I replied.

How about, “I hope everyone?” She asked.

Again, I was able to easily get that part of the sentence out. She added “disfrutado” (enjoyed) and asked if I knew how to translate the end of the sentence. My teacher, Carol, who is very dear to me, got me thinking about much more than Spanish that day.

The word for “enjoyed” (“disfrutado”) paralyzed me in my translation, it was the one small “if” in an otherwise unintimidating sentence. Growing up I watched people live in fear of the “ifs” of life, the “disfrutados” if you will.  The “Well, I have always wanted to travel to France but I don’t know the language, and what if I get lost in the airport?” or “What if I get there and the hotel I booked is horrible?” I have come to the conclusion that the “ifs” are the adventure of life, the spice.  Would it really be the end of the world if you had to ask someone to help you in the airport or find another hotel? Go for your dreams one step at a time and when you encounter your “disfrutado” you will find your way around it, through it, and most likely come out with a great story—spice!

Don’t let yourself be paralyzed by the “ifs.” Go for it passionately. No dream is too crazy. I firmly believe that you are capable of much more than you think. I’m not saying that it will be easy. More likely than not it will be hard, require determination, courage, and a good sense of humor.

For me this way of thinking is a decision– a decision I constantly remind myself of. Life isn’t so scary. What it boils down to is the simple things in life are the most important. When I am in the midst of an “if” and I am somewhere I don’t enjoy with people I don’t particularly like and I just want to go home, I can sneak away, sit on a swing in an empty playground, and enjoy the simple things like the warm sun, the birds playfully chirping, and the peace and quiet of just being.  A deep breath, a few minutes and I am able to take on whatever “ifs” are headed my way.

Live in the moment. Keep your dreams, but don’t keep them on a shelf to look at every so often, keep them with you close at hand so when an opportunity presents itself your dreams are sitting there waiting in the forefront of your mind, not pushed aside as a scary “if” or a “someday when I am better suited.”

The reality is the longer you stay the way you are the easier it is to stay the way you are and your dreams get dustier and dustier every day that passes up atop that shelf.

Everyone says it, but somehow no one realizes it until it has happened to them; life passes you by in an instant. Many lives are wasted in a holding pattern telling themselves that next year I will have more time and money to take the trip to Europe. Where there’s a will there’s a way. Take things as they come, one thing at a time.  I am not saying don’t be prepared, but that most likely, there will never be a perfect time to do what you want to do; so ultimately you never will be prepared. Take heart in each little step, realizing that it is a step closer to your dream. Believe in yourself. Everyone is extraordinary. The difference is some people don’t believe it.

If you happen to be one of those people who doesn’t believe in yourself, take a tiny step. See what happens. You might just find that one tiny step leads to the next tiny step; and before you know it, you will look back and realize you have found that extraordinary self.

So instead of focusing on what you don’t know, the “disfrutado”, start your sentence with confidence, passion, and the rest will come.  Don’t let the “ifs” scare you out of experiencing life to its fullest…enjoy!

4-Aug-2011 – For immediate release

Are you ready to see the country like never before with an incomparable Land Rover Adventure? From August 29 through September 5, 2011 you can join Land Rover to drive off-road in Moab, Utah; Colorado’s San Juan Mountains and Telluride, Colorado.

You’ll be met at the airport in Grand Junction, Colorado to begin your adventure. It all starts when you get the keys to a Land Rover you’ll drive while following the Colorado River. And this scenic tour is just the opener.

More technical driving follows at the ultimate “slick rock trail” Hell’s Revenge as well as other trails. You will drive Land Rovers over Entrada sandstone, climbing and descending slopes approaching 40 degrees. The challenging trail culminates with a vista framed by the Colorado River, overlooking Arches National Park.

There’s more to the world of Land Rover than scaling rugged terrain. We’ll rest your driving muscles as we make you a special guest of the 2011 Telluride Film Festival. Relax and enjoy the town and sponsors’ gathering for a director’s review at the Sheridan Theatre in downtown Telluride.

Your experience in the country steers toward the city as we introduce you to the newest member of the Range Rover family, the all new 2012 Range Rover Evoque. You will be one of the first to drive this latest offering from Land Rover, before its official fall 2011 debut. Drive your own Range Rover Evoque for the remainder of the weekend as we explore historic mining towns of Colorado.

Land Rover Adventures will provide all meals, 5-Star lodging, vehicles, driving instructors and transportation for the 7-day journey. You are only responsible for your flight into Grand Junction Airport, Colorado and a departure flight from either Telluride or Montrose, Colorado. Everything else is up to us. Start your adventure by reserving your spot today.

Exclusive Offer: $13,000 per couple, $9,000 per single (attendees limited to 12 people; first come first served).

To book now, contact our rep at 828-225-1541 or email sandy@landroverschool.com.

This expansion has truly been a community effort. Gavin Ferguson, long-time subscriber and Expedition Portal member, put his Construction Management degree to good use by framing, dry-walling, plastering and building wooden table and desk tops. Dave Argust of Adventure Trailers is an expert welder, and welded the bases for all our new tables and desks. Stephanie Brady, President and Designer of Overland Journal, ensured that all interior design elements were held to a high standard, as well as sanded, painted and stained the new desks and tables. Chazz Layne, our new graphics designer, enlisted his expertise in network administration by pulling cable for the new network, in addition to configuring the new phone system. Dani (Chazz’s wife) assisted with sanding, along our accountant Andre, and subscribers Rex and Carrie. We had four electric sanders going simultaneously on the day dubbed our “sanding party,” and it sounded like the drone of a hive of bees! I (the Director of Operations) had a hand in just about everything mentioned above. Each of us have definitely been wearing a lot of hats recently. And all of this on top of all our regular day-to-day duties of running a business. We had just enough time between the completion of the Spring 2011 issue and starting the Summer 2011 issue to do all of this, although it made for some very long days and weeks! Quite a journey since the humble beginnings in a guest bedroom in a single iMac (see page 12 of the Summer 2011 issue).

Sure it may look a little different for each of us, but the essence of it remains the same.

For overlanders, we dream of taking our vehicle, be it truck, car, unimog, bike, or skateboard, and traveling to distant locales. Having our vehicle symbolizes independence, the ability to go where we want to go, on our own schedule, and to try whatever we like. It also gives us a feeling of empowerment, to talk to local people not as tourists, but as travelers.

Alas, not all travel is overland travel. For many of us, much of our travel is work travel.

Usually work travel means you fly into a foreign city, get to meet the friendly local immigration officials, compare how efficient the baggage-claim is to other airports, find a car/bus/cab to the city, check into a hotel, and spend a few days in business meetings. Then you reverse the process, and find yourself back at home.

Of course, most of the time the local people you are meeting with will want to treat you to lunch and dinner and show you a few sights, but often you see the sights that they think you should see, not the places they would hang out at if they didn’t have you along; and you eat at the fancy restaurants, not the places where your local hosts would go for a quick lunch or a cheap dinner.

So you end up having the business-class-version of a package tour. And that is what overlanders usually try to avoid. We want to see the real country, not the one that is packaged for international consumption.

So how can we travel with the spirit of a overlander, when we are not overlanding? First of all, don’t be afraid to get a little bit lost, to ask directions, and to try things.

It is easy to rely on a host to take care of us. But if we say “that’s ok, I think I’d like to walk around tonight and try some food on my own” – suddenly the entire experience changes.

Walking into a corner market, trying to order dinner with hand-signals when nothing on the menu looks familiar, and then trying to pay for it and figure out the local currency will often give you a better feel of the local culture and connection to the local people than a night looking at the local famous landmarks.

Leaving early for a meeting, and figuring out how to take a city bus or train (or tri-shaw, or water-taxi) from your hotel to the office, rather than a cab, will suddenly give you a sense of connection to many of the people you are meeting with in the local office. And when the locals hear that you took a bus to work, or went to “that” market for dinner, suddenly they will look at you a little differently, and maybe they will decide to take you somewhere else, somewhere a little more local, for dinner that night.

This is how connections are started, and how we can start to see the real city, not the prepackaged one, even when we don’t have our vehicle along.

Note – Images via creative-commons-licence.

After the article was printed, Fieldsheer sent me an appropriate size of the Adventure to review.  By chance, UPS delivered the package just minutes before I was about to leave for a ride with some friends.  We headed out to a single-track area for motorcycles near town, and within 30 minutes I had washed out my front tire, flew over the handlebars and hit the ground.  But thankfully both rider and jacket were unscathed, albeit a little dustier than before.  And that was just the beginning. I would later have many more uneventful wipeouts in the dirt in which this jacket protected me well.

Over the course of two years, I must have put well over 5,000 miles of dualsport riding on this jacket throughout all 4 seasons.  Only on the very hottest days of desert riding (100+ degrees F) was the Fieldsheer Adventure uncomfortable to wear, even with all vents open.  Most likely a combination of the black color and thick materials.  But this is a good tradeoff to have given that it is a sturdy and durable jacket.  During the spring and fall this jacket was a pleasure to wear as it kept me warm on the chilly mornings and evenings, and breathed well during the warmer days.  During the snowy winter months, I did have to wear a few extra base layers even with the liner zipped in.  The optional neck cover came in very handy for blocking most of the cold air from blowing into the jacket around the neck.

I was very glad to be wearing this jacket on a 3,000-mile trip to Baja, which consisted of interstate highways and lots of technical dirt riding.  I found the overall usability of the Fieldsheer to be great, with plenty of big pockets that are easy to open with gloved hands.  It was a bit bulky and cumbersome to carry around under my arm, but that is by far my biggest complaint about the Adventure.  During the time I was testing this jacket, I know of at least 3 of my friends that purchased a similar Fieldsheer based on my report (and the low price).  I now look forward to giving this jacket a proper washing and using it for many more years to come!

The River of Doubt by Candice Millard

I recently completed the book The River of Doubt by Candice Millard – the story of Teddy Roosevelt’s expedition to descend and map an unknown river in the Amazon in 1914. I had never heard of it, but happened across it when I was browsing the “expedition” section at my local library.

Candice Millard is a former writer and editor for National Geographic, and you can tell when you read this book. She puts a lot of time into researching not only the individuals on the journey, but she also takes the time to give you a good sense of context for the book, so you understand the social and political implications of the events as they unfold.

She also spends a lot of time describing the jungle ecosystem that the team is traveling through, an environment where as she puts it the “men were more often prey than predator”.

The most fascinating thing I found when I read this book is that it is the opposite of the story I expected. Teddy Roosevelt is such a legend that it is almost unthinkable to portray him in anything less than heroic terms. And he is such a huge figure that anyone next to him automatically is in his shadow.

Yet in the book, Millard candidly talks about the personal issues that Roosevelt was facing and how that resulted in an expedition that was a textbook example of “how NOT to plan and execute an expedition”. Three men died on the trip, and it is sheer luck that they didn’t all die. Also interesting is how she portrays Colonel Candido Rondon, the Brazilian co-leader of the expedition, as the true driving force on the trip.

Many of us enjoy reading about epic adventures and famous historical expeditions as a way of learning about the world, and also for inspiration, and to learn best-practices for expedition preparation. Usually the men we read about who lead these expeditions have 20/20 foresight, always make the best decisions, and are prepared for anything they will encounter. This expedition is not like that.

In fact, I think I learned more from this book than many of the expedition-themed books I have read in the past, because it reads like one of those Harvard Business School case studies I had to read in college, you know the ones, they show you how a company was ill-prepared for the situation they found themselves in, and then made a series of bad decisions, which made the situation worse. You are supposed to learn from these case studies and not make the same mistakes in your own business. If you apply the same logic to this book, you can learn a lot about how NOT to plan and lead an expedition.

And throughout the book, you also get a good sense for the people involved. Roosevelt’s resolve and good character is very evident throughout. Some of the other members of the expedition do not come across so favorably.

So to sum up: Was it a riveting page turner? No.

Would I recommend it to anyone thinking of planning and executing an expedition into unknown (to them) territory? Absolutely!

The event had over 1,800 riders this year, and probably a total of over 3,000 people camping in “24 Hour Town.” We started arriving on Wednesday evening to get a good camping spot for Overland HQ. Parked in the camp was the Jeep J8, two Earthroamer LTs, and a few Toyotas & Land Rovers. We used the Zero DS from Zero Motorcycles to get around and see the rest of the campground without creating any noise-pollution. The electric motorcycle drew a lot of attention—mainly because of how quiet it was.

The race started at noon on Saturday with a Le Mans start. Christophe the solo rider took part in the fray, as well as Jim who took the first lap of the team relay. It was great weather for the first few hours of the race, but then a ferocious storm blew in with high winds & plenty of rain, causing many riders to seek refuge in their tents for the night. Travis was out on the trail during the majority of the storm, suffering 3 flat tires and getting completely soaked. The team ended up doing a total of 7 laps (about 119 miles), and Christophe rode 8 laps (136 miles).

We encountered many cool expedition rigs at 24 Hour Town, aside from those parked in the Overland HQ campsite:

Overall it was a great weekend, spent with good friends. Overland Gourmet prepared some delicious meals for us, and we all shared some great stories around the campfire. Even though the rainstorm put a slight damper on the race, we got to witness some beautiful southern Arizona sunrises & sunsets. Until next year!

A huge thanks to Tim Huber and Heidi Van Camp for helping to contribute photos for this post!

On a recent trip to Baja I encountered many delicious dining experiences; two of which stand out. The first was a meal that I prepared, both with something I brought from home and items sources locally in Mexico. I made elk tacos, with an elk that I had hunted, along with ingredients I had purchased in Baja: fresh vegetables, a habanero pepper, corn tortillas and a margarita. At home I had eaten elk many times in different forms, but never as a spicy taco! The next meal that really stood out were fish tacos served to me at the restaurant Alfonsina’s in Bah­a Gonzaga. These are classic “Baja-style” fish tacos which are deep fried and served with Baja sauce along with many other toppings. The cold cerveza made for a perfect side dish. They have a lovely outside patio right on the beach which made for the perfect scenic lunch stop!

For nine years I’ve been using and abusing an excellent Bosch cordless drill, the batteries for which finally died a few months ago. To my chagrin, I discovered that that model drill was one of a very few Bosch made with a battery no longer available. So I put it on my list to buy a new pro-level drill, and until I had the money figured the Sears cordless model someone traded me for construction work a while ago would suffice. It was a nice-looking 18-volt model, and brand new when I got it. Not one of Sears’ professional models, but it should do, no?

No: This morning as I was holding up a panel of sheetrock to secure to the shop ceiling, and driving a drywall screw through the panel and into an ordinary 2 x 6, the gearset on the drill stripped itself of every tooth it possessed. Inconvenient enough that I was balancing sheetrock on my head, and now have to drive 40 miles to town to get a new drill. What if I’d been in the middle of nowhere using it to repair a broken-down vehicle?

It pays to buy good tools.

Update: Mark Weiss sent me a link to voltmanbatteries.com, a battery rebuilding service. I already bought a new 18-volt lithium-ion Bosch set, but now I can have my old Bosch batteries rebuilt so that drill can serve as a backup or loaner.

And yet sometimes, adventures can happen unexpectedly.

I am lucky to live in a beautiful spot, a little house in the Northern Cascade Mountains, on the BC side of the border. It is a rugged area, with a mix of steep mountains, un-named glaciers, winding highways, and scenic trails. We are 20 minutes from the nearest town, gas pump, or grocery store which, having moved from the bustle of New York, feels a little like heaven.

But every once in a while mother nature decides to remind us that life in the mountains, while scenic, can also be unpredictable. Yesterday was a good example for me:

Having driven to Vancouver in the morning for a business meeting, I was driving home when I found out that a mud and rock slide had closed the highway that I normally would follow to make it home.

As the heater in my Defender had decided about 10 minutes earlier to only blow cold air, and with the outside temperature hovering around freezing, the thought of a winding detour through the mountains and valleys had less than the usual appeal.

Pulling over to put on my parka, consult my GPS, and confirm I had snow chains, shovel, air-hose, winch-controller and granola bars in the back of the truck, and grumbling at the inconvenience, I set out to find a “scenic route” home.

But a funny thing happened on the way home. After about 40 minutes of driving through little farms, over ancient steel bridges, railroad tracks, and quarry sites, I realized I was no longer in “commuter” mode. Rather than driving down the highway on auto-pilot, I was actively engaged in the drive, the truck, the road, and the scenery around me. And you know what? I was enjoying myself. And I continued to enjoy myself all the way home.

So the drive home took about 90 minutes longer than usual, and I got less work done in the afternoon than I’d planned, and yet, I found myself a little disappointed when I checked the highways-department website this morning and saw that the road was back open.

I guess adventure really is good for you. Even a little adventure.

More photos can be seen at the Expedition Portal forum

Check out the most recent newsletter.

So, when Mountain Khakis told us about their latest sweepstakes, a 5-day/4-night fly fishing vacation complete with a resort stay at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe, a half day of training and over $3,500 in gear, we had to share it with you.

Registration in the sweepstakes ends on Wednesday, September 1, 2010. Good luck!

http://www.mountainkhakis.com/sweepstakes/enter-sweepstakes/

Here’s some of the cool gear included:

We stayed on two-lane pavement on the way over – Sahuarita Road to Highway 83, south to Sonoita then west on 82 to 80, down through Tombstone. Self-portrait at 65:

. . . and on to the Copper Queen Hotel, historic and stately but seriously overpriced.

. .

We arrived in time to visit some shops, including a look in the window at the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel, which we knew would be closed (only open on weekends). But just a look was thrilling: the entire shop is filled with vintage bicycles and frames.

The next morning we headed south and west, to Montezuma Canyon Road, a dirt route that climbs to the pass at the Coronado National Memorial . . .

. . . which offers spectacular views to the west:

We continued on, through a few shallow water crossings . . .

. . . and out to Sonoita again, and west for lunch in Patagonia. We continued on to I-19 and north, but exited west at Arivaca Road. Rather than stay on pavement again to Highway 286 to head north to home, we cut off on Ryan Ranch Road, another dirt route that skirts the Cerro Colorado and Sierrita Mountains. We stopped at the old ranch house:

. . . came across a Border Patrol surveillance post:

. . . and continued on to home. On the way I found a 20-foot length of heavy choker chain with hooks on both ends that someone had dropped, so I stuffed the whole thing in one side of my Andy Strapz panniers. It made handling much more interesting on the rest of the loose dirt sections – which the Bullet EFI otherwise handled with ease.

Interestingly, both bikes – the 250cc Honda and the 500cc Royal Enfield – got exactly the same 71 mpg for the whole trip.

Jonathan

Why is there so much trash? Great question. Some will say it’s ignorance, some will say laziness, many will say “because they just don’t care” and obviously it’s because the area is so convenient to a sprawling metropolis of over four million people, but I continue to be perplexed and insist that no reason is good enough to explain it. Human behavior, logic, whatever, I just can’t relate. It won’t compute in my head.

Why would someone seek out a place like this. . .

to do this. . .

Again, I can’t comprehend. It doesn’t compute.

The Four Peaks area and the Mazatzal mountains were once home to the Tonto Apache people. Not far north of the peaks lies the site of old Camp Reno, a short-lived military outpost positioned in the region along with others in an effort to daisy-chain the U.S. military efforts along this Arizona portion of Apachería in the late 1800s. There are tales of lost gold mines somewhere around the base of the peaks and accounts of Apaches who continually brought in ample amounts of the metal to obtain goods and supplies. An amethyst mine that is thought to have been originally worked by the Spanish is located on the southernmost of the four peaks and is the only mine in the U.S.A. that produces world-class specimens of this highly valuable gemstone.

The area of the cleanup is a watershed of the Mazatzal mountains, and contains numerous canyons and springs that flow westward to the Verde River. Spectacular buff-colored granite boulders and imposing rock formations dominate the topography and along with classic Sonoran desert flora and fauna create a magical atmosphere that is unique among the world’s landscapes.

The good news is that I see an improvement. When I visited an area along Cottonwood creek that my wife Sharon and I worked on last year, it was in much better shape. Overall, I think there was less trash, and perhaps future efforts and awareness will make a lasting change.

Before-and-after comparison of one of the cleanup sites

Overland Journal sponsored the event with boxes of magazines and raffle prizes that included subscriptions, hats, and decals.

Tim and Danica asked if I would photograph the event this year, which I was more than happy to oblige. The full gallery of images can be seen here: Four Peaks Pickup 2010 photo gallery

Overland Journal’s Director of Advertising, Brian McVickers, with his children, Max and Charlie

L to R: Chris Marzonie (Overland Journal Editorial Director), Tim Huber, Danica Moore (Four Peaks Pickup masterminds) Thank you Heidi for the photo

More links:
Four Peaks Pickup website (more info, photos, and videos)
Tim Huber’s blog, SOAZ “Exploring the Southwest one paycheck at a time” (it’s a good one!)

Nathan on his first lap of three, wearing the Merino wool Overland Journal jersey.

As part of the Overland Journal subscriber survey, we ask about our readers other interests beyond overland adventure travel, and not surprisingly, 74% of our readers are also MTB enthusiasts.  This fits well with our own passion for mountain biking and adventure cycling, and the idea of an Overland Journal sponsored team was born.

Our 5-person team:
Nathan Kroeker
Katrina Loperman
Mike McMaude
Micki Mckay
Steve Reynolds

Solo Rider:
Christophe Noel

The 24 Hours of Pueblo is an endurance event coordinated by Epic Rides, and the nature of the event requires everyone to have some type of camping set-up, which ranged from huge RVs to ground tents.  We were happy with the number of attendees that were either subscribers or had heard of Overland Journal. Tim Huber, a Charter Subscriber said hello.  He was riding for Team Molasses, because, if you are slower than their team, you are. . .

Christophe rode the event solo, and managed six laps.

Katrina, sporting one of the new Jerseys

Even an E-Camper was in attendance. These are cool little trucks

A few nice BMWs

Overall, the team did great, and finished in 18th place for the 5-person mixed category.  Great Job!

Riding a 250-cc Honda NX to Queretaro, Mexico (just north of Mexico City) will really challenge my packing and organizing skills – but I think I’m finally getting there. With an iM2400 Pelican Storm Case bolted to the rear rack, I have room for my Macbook Pro, a Canon G10, and power bricks and charging gear in a waterproof, tough and lockable carrier. The Wolfman medium Expedition Dry Duffle holds all my clothes in a cool Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder and a small Pack-It Cube (these are amazing – I wrote about them in 2008 on a safari in Kenya), plus a toilet kit, extra shoes, very light sleeping bag, and a sweater (it’s not packed full in this picture). I’ll use a dry bag on top of the Storm Case for lashing down soft items like liners or extra gloves. The Wolfman Enduro Tank Bag is perfect for my small travel purse from Overland (of course), my iPhone, and a map (in a clear holder on top). I’m also trying out the new First Gear Monarch jacket for women and their TPG Escape pants – they are fantastic so far, and I plan to really give them a workout. It’s really nice to have gear cut especially for women but tough and serious, too – and not pink! I won’t be leaving for Mexico until after Overland Expo.2010, so I’ll get to really hone the setup in the meantime. – Roseann Hanson

Brooks-Range

Ultimate Overland Bicycle

Availability is limited.

Roseann and I try to eat as much wild game as possible, to minimize buying into America’s current industrialized and inhumane method of raising beef, pork, and other domesticated animals. So I was pleased to draw an elk tag this year, after two years of striking out. However, when I arrived in Springerville/Eagar in central Arizona’s mountains, I found the area I’ve hunted before totally snowed in and inaccessible. On my first try to get as far as possible up the Water Canyon Road toward the Big Lake area, I pulled out a stuck Toyota belonging to some local kids, then on the way down came upon a Ford pickup that had slid off the road and was within inches of tipping off the edge, held by a strap across the road to a tree.

So it wasn’t just my desertified imagination that conditions were iffy. Nevertheless, the Jeep felt secure in four high. It’s way more stable than my FJ40, thanks largely to nearly two feet of extra wheelbase. The BFG Mud-Terrains applied themselves well as Snow-Terrains. I’ve been genuinely impressed at the ability of the Wrangler to handle long freeway drives comfortably, while retaining four-wheel-drive capability unbeaten by anything else available in the U.S.

Although I snowshoed into the higher areas south of Eagar and found a few tracks, it became clear the elk had moved out. I found a lower wintering ground that was mostly clear of snow, and located several herds, almost all cows, matching my tag. Two days later—the last day of my season—I got close enough to one group of 12 to safely single out and kill a smallish one. It was very late in the day, so I had some work ahead. I field dressed the elk, stashed the quarters on a snow bank to cool (hoping the numerous coyotes, ravens, and bald eagles hanging around expectantly would leave them alone), loaded the backstraps (the choicest cuts) into my rucksack, left my Surefire Lumamax shining on low on the carcass as a locator, and walked the mile and a half back to the Jeep to retrieve the $12 plastic toboggan I’d bought for this eventuality. Two trips later, and 9:30 PM, I’d finished dragging everything out. So we have at least a year’s worth of all-natural elk meat in the freezer—I’m very satisfied.

Overland Journal was selected by Pangolin Pictures and the SPEED Channel for their prime-time television series Dangerous Drives, which will be broadcast to 78 million households worldwide.

Overland Journal will be featured in episode 12, which was produced in December 2009, and documents the testing procedures Overland Journal staff use to evaluate vehicles and equipment. “Overland Journal has a reputation of conducting the most exhaustive and abusive equipment testing in the industry, which piqued SPEED Channel’s interest in following along on one of our trips” says Scott Brady. For the testing, Overland Journal’s Publisher, Scott Brady and Senior Photographer, Sinuhe Xavier traveled through 500 miles of Utah backcountry testing American Expedition Vehicle’s (AEV) Brute and new Hemi powered Jeep Unlimited in the worst snow condition recorded in 40 years. The route ascended to over 8,000 feet, where the team encountered 40 inches of snow at the summit, requiring winching and progress at times measured in feet per hour.

In addition to testing the AEV trucks, Scott and his team were evaluating tents from Nemo Equipment, clothing from Arcteryx. Exofficio and Mountain Khaki, Lightforce lighting, BFGoodrich tires, ARB suspension components and rack/awning combination, and recovery equipment from Viking Offroad and Warn. Scott’s vehicle was the popular Overland JK, built by the Jeep Skunkworks team with components from AEV, ARB, Adventure Trailers, Equipt Expedition Outfitters and Mobil1.

When it comes to first-aid, the term “wilderness” means any place more than an hour away from definitive medical care. It’s not that hard to find yourself in a situation like this, especially considering the backcountry and remote travel that we so commonly enjoy. It not only makes sense to be trained for such an event, it’s a responsibility. Would you embark on a challenging 4WD or moto trip on dirt roads in the backcountry without a spare tire/tube, tools, or food and water? Of course, not. So, think about the poor logic of being unprepared when someone gets hurt or becomes unresponsive without warning or explanation and you can’t call 911. What would you do? The decisions you make can mean the difference between life and death, or perhaps the difference between a full recovery and lifelong disability.

Wilderness First-Aid course materials

The classroom at Overland Training is never boring

Kate demonstrates CPR

Thanks to Overland Training and Remote Medical International, I just renewed my certificate for Wilderness First Aid, or WFA (commonly called “woo-fa”) and CPR along with fifteen fellow overlanders. Over a three-day weekend, Janet Peterson and Kate Earle taught our group how to assess a scene and get to work quickly on helping those in need. There is a definitive protocol to follow that literally uses the “ABCs” to help you keep thinking straight, even after the adrenaline kicks in. The course offered through Overland Training includes CPR (with AED instruction) and some vehicle-focused scenarios. The class is super fun, easy to understand, and will educate you on how to be a better-prepared adventurer. So, why fool around? (WFA?) Get trained!

Treating hypothermia

The Overland Training medical kit

Chris Marzonie with the infectiously fun (pun intended) and tremendously talented instructors, Janet Peterson (left) and Kate Earle (right)

Links:

Overland Training

Ibuprofen: Hydrate before you medicate – some very practical info from Janet Peterson

Camels at Altitude – An adventure rescue blog entry from Kate Earle

But who knows: Perhaps disgruntled NGA subscribers will find themselves looking for a replacement magazine, a high-quality publication dedicated to worldwide, environmentally responsible travel and adventure. . .

Jonathan

K.C. O’Connor discusses the new Overland camper with Overland Journal’s Design Director, Stephanie Brady.

The Overland edition has a full compliment of features and upgrades that are tailored to the traveler who will be away from towns and developed campgrounds for extended periods, traveling self-contained with a desire to live comfortably in remote locales. Some of the features include a low-mounted water storage tank, dual Odyssey deep-cycle batteries, solar power, power management, hot water heater and shower system, and a 12VDC refrigerator (as opposed to the traditional 3-way design).

Publisher Scott Brady talks to K.C. about the new features.

L to R: Chris Marzonie, K.C. O’Connor, Scott Brady

Four Wheel Campers offers a full range of pop-up and hard-sided campers for many different trucks. For more information: fourwheelcampers.com (800) 242-1442

Overland Journal has recently been featured in the popular Italian 4WD magazine, Quattro X Quattro.  With permission, they have reprinted our winch comparison article (from the Gear Guide 2009) in their September 2009 issue, translated into Italian.  Their publication covers a wide variety of 4WD topics, and is definitely worth checking out if you know Italian.  Expect to see more of our content there in the future!

http://www.quattroxquattromag.com/

Lately I’ve been posting some reviews on gear that I’ve tested over the summer. This latest report covers the new TiLite offered by Primus, a stove maker that has seen the dawn of this and the last century and will probably be around for the next. Quite different from the classic, original Primus stove, the TiLite is an ultra light, compact model that comes with a titanium pot. It presents the user with a featherweight tool able to transform fuel into fire with impressive control.

 

How hot, how fast? Capable of 13,500 BTU/h, this stove is fast, yet can simmer as soft as a whisper in the dead of night. I tested it with a liter of 65°F water at an altitude of 5,300 feet with an ambient air temperature of 70°F and barely detectable wind. (I had to use a different pot, because the included titanium version is just shy of a full liter.) It actually beat the manufacturer’s claim of a three-minute boil by 30 seconds. Just for kicks, check those figures against the winning stoves in the Winter 2007 issue of Overland Journal.

So, what else can it do? I’ve been using the stove all summer for backpacking and overland trips and it adapts well to both scenarios. If you’re the type of person who likes to travel light on foot, in a small 4WD, or on a motorcycle, this is a stove worth considering. If you’re a person who takes too much stuff on a trip, then it’s definitely worth considering. The folding support arms have serrations effective at keeping not only the included pot, but larger cookware stable on uneven surfaces. Folded out they provide a 5 ¾” diameter surface and when folded up tight they reduce the size of this 3.5 ounce stove to a svelte 3.6” x 2.9”x 1.2”. As such, I’m not restricted to using the titanium pot, but free to use a large pot, whistling kettle, or even a twelve-inch pan.

There’s no need to fuss with matches or a lighter thanks to the piezoelectric ignition, and the sensitive fuel knob makes it a snap to adjust the flame from rocket-boost to a sultry simmer, even with gloves on. Aside from the weight and space savings, the versatility provided by the flame adjustment is one of the main benefits I‘ve experienced. The option to go from a mild simmer for delicate foods (with steady fuel delivery; no sputtering) to a 13,500 BTU/h blast torch for boiling or heating quickly is a great benefit. The TiLite pot and stove each come with their own drawstring pouch and the whole kit can be stowed in the larger of the two; an eight-ounce fuel canister fits in the pot and the stove in its smaller pouch sits on the lid. Either of the pouches double as a pot holder if needed. According to Primus, the TiLite should only burn their proprietary Power Gas propane/isobutane fuel blend, but I’ve used the MSR and Coleman versions with no ill effects. Primus lists a 45-minute burn time for a standard eight-ounce fuel can, though I haven’t verified the claim.

So what are the disadvantages?  The only one I could come up with is the limitation of fuel type when considering global travel and extended trips. In that case, a multi-fuel stove would be a better choice.

 

Once you fire this thing up, you can’t resist rolling the knob and will no doubt need to be honest with yourself about pyromaniacal tendencies. Though you may be tempted to impress your friends with the flame throwing capabilities, be mindful of fuel consumption so you’ll have some left for coffee in the morning.

Some spec’s:

Heat output: 13,500 BTU/h
Burn time (not verified): 45 mins.
Boil time (as tested): 2:30 mins/secs for 1L water
Stove dimensions (folded): 3.6” x 2.9”x 1.2”
Stove weight: 3.5 oz.
Stove burner platform: 5.75” dia.
Pot dimensions: 3.7” h x 4.75” dia.
Pot weight: 4.3 oz.

primuscamping.com 307-332-0901

The Orlieb panniers can only be purchased at:

Aerostitch: and can be ordered at 800-222-1994 or www.aerostich.com

The retail price is $187.00

Here at Overland Journal headquarters, we had the pleasure to visit with them some as they were on their way to southern California, before they head south into the Baja peninsula.  With a custom-built kitchen, Engel fridge, and a myriad of magnets, these two will have an amazing overland experience on their Expedición Mundo Perdido.

http://www.lostworldexpedition.com/

– Posted from my iPhone

Sierra Designs Wicked Light 45 sleeping bag ($230)

When out on a summer adventure such as can be had here in the southwestern U.S., sixteen hours of light per day is more than enough opportunity to wear a guy down. There’s nothing quite like crawling into a comfortable sleeping bag at the end of such a long day, but if the air isn’t cool enough, it can be frustrating—too hot in the bag, too cool lying on top. Even though nights can be balmy or downright warm when first turning in, they usually get cool enough in the wee hours to warrant a blanket or even a zipped bag at higher elevations.

Wicked Light 45 sleeping bag at Glen Canyon Nat’l Rec. Area

Over the summer I slept away more than a month’s worth of nights in the Wicked Light 45 from Sierra Designs and I can easily say this is a perfect mild-season bag for me. I’ve been using it for backpacking as well as overlanding in my Toyota 4WD and the versatility is impressive. I can adapt the bag to the situation and sleep comfortably.

Tuck stitching hides and protects threads

The semi-rectangular design employs snag-proof zippers (yes, plural, there‘s two of them) allowing the foot box to be opened separately for adjustable pass-through ventilation. Both zips ride on the same continuous track, so there’s no limit to how far you can open the bag from either end. Additionally, the bag can be fully unzipped at the lower corner, turning it into a lay-flat blanket; perfect for car-camping and sleeping on a larger mattress like an in-vehicle bed or a rooftop tent. While backpacking, I’ve really come to appreciate the lightweight materials and small pack-size. Weighing only twenty four ounces and packed down to six inches by sixteen inches, it’s a cinch to tote around and can shrink even smaller if you use a compression sack. Sierra Designs smartly did away with the bulky draft tube and full-size hood traditionally found on a mummy bag; things I certainly don’t miss on a 45-degree model, especially considering the snag-proof zipper design is effective keeping minor drafts at bay. If it does get chilly there is a draw cord to snug the collar closer, and along with a beanie or bandana, I sleep just fine. Another clever feature is two removable “Pad Locks“—lightweight, adjustable straps that securely center the bag on my sleeping pad. The shell is made of silky 22-denier polyester with tuck-stitching that helps to protect threads from abrasion and oils. Continuous baffles are insulated with cloud-like 800-fill goose down and allow for further adaptability to the temperature by allowing me to manipulate the insulation if needed. As always, the rating is subject to personal preference, but I find the bag to be true to its 45-degree claim on chilly nights. At the upper end of the spectrum, if the air temperature is over 70 degrees, it’s too warm to use as a bag and I‘ll just leave it unzipped or use like a blanket if needed.

Small pack-size is easy to manage

For those in damp or humid environments, check out the Wicked Hot 45 which is basically the same bag, but with PrimaLoft Eco synthetic fill, made from 50% recycled plastic and just slightly bulkier (not heavier) than this down version, and about fifty bucks less. SierraDesigns.com 800-635-0461

And some Great Plains humor:

– Posted from my iPhone

– Posted from my iPhone

– Posted from my iPhone

Kelty Saunter bag ($80)

Sometimes a messenger bag can be just the ticket when you want to travel with something quick and simple. Unlike a backpack, there is only one strap to contend with and usually one or two simple fasteners to open and close the bag. Taller and thinner than a duffle and easily swung from side to back, a messenger lends grace to a walk down an overcrowded bus or airline aisle, or a quick hop onto two-wheeled transport.

 
Kelty Saunter at an ancient ring fort in Ireland

Kelty has a line of such bags, and earlier this summer I took one along on a two-week hosteling trip through western Ireland. Called the Saunter, the bag blended into the trip marvelously, and along with a sheep’s-wool sweater, I didn’t feel like such an obvious tourist. Well, at least not until I opened my mouth to order a pint. 

While the Saunter wasn’t my only bag for the trip, it served well as a carry-on for the flights and an overnight bag for the hostels. One thousand cubic inches of capacity and two main pockets carried a change of clothes and a sweater, toiletries, and a few other miscellaneous items. Two smaller front pockets (covered with the the flap closed) easily held business cards, pens, and small electronics.

An old cemetery along the Ring of Kerry

The bag material is made of sixty percent recycled polyester fabric with a TPE coating and looks and feels remarkably like cotton canvas. The sewn-on flap straps, small pocket edges, and wear-patches on the bottom corners are all made of vegetable-tanned leather. The retro-metal hardware is solid aluminum and the shoulder strap webbing is recycled polyester. There is also a nifty little tote bag (also recycled polyester) that stuffs into itself and hangs from a small clip inside the Saunter. Easily carried in the palm of my hand when compressed, I unclipped and deployed it often on sorties to local markets for picnic supplies.

Bummin’ around Dublin 

The bag held up well to rough handling on the trip, and all summer for that matter. The appearance of the bag is no worse for the wear after hanging from fenceposts and being tossed about, from Irish pastures to all manner of floors, sidewalks, seats, car trunks, bar stools, and the like. One detail I’m not so crazy about is the use of Velcro for the buckle straps and main flap. No fault of the bag really, I’m just not fond of Velcro. I might reconsider if it could do its job silently, be impervious to grime and water, and not stick to non-Velcro fibers. Despite the TPE coating and tidy, strong stitching, the bag isn’t waterproof. It held up fine to minor splashes and spits of rain, but some seepage occurred when I purposely tested it by pooling water on the threads. After using and abusing it all summer I can report it’s a very sturdy bag and considering the classic appearance, you’d never guess it’s made with recycled plastics; a nice bonus. kelty.com 800-423-2320

– Posted from my iPhone

In addition, we have lowered the price on our small oval decals to $4 or $7 for one or two, respectively.

– Posted from my iPhone

The week previous to my stroll in Dubai I had submitted a lengthly technical article for the next issue of Overland Journal on water treatment systems. It is an article that takes a dozen systems, and measures them against each other using not just opinion, but real performance evaluations in lab tests. This is probably a first for any magazine, and certainly a large undertaking for Overland Journal.

‘I should write a blog entry on the water systems,’ I had told myself on the flight in. So this stroll in Dubai, on my last day in the Middle East, was as much for assuaging my curiosity about the town as searching for inspiration for this blog entry. I had considered the first day of Ramadan, but was short on ideas for how that relates to water treatment systems. A large poster proclaiming ‘Get a trophy life,’ didn’t seem to fit either. The heat was certainly in a more productive vein hanging in the region of 115°F with a humidity high enough to soak my coolmax t-shirt in very short order, but the link just wasn’t there. Yet.

Walking along the water-front after popping in on a luxury hotel’s beach, I came to a break in the shield wall facing the street and found a drinking fountain. Could I call that coincidence given my thirst? Well I could. I could also tag coincidence on the drinking fountain manufacturer: Helton who also makes the water heater I use in my Defender.

But as I moved towards getting a drink from the fountain, I saw a round structure on the incoming line. Normally I would have made a mental note of ‘filter’ and then taken a drink, but given my mission, I took a closer look at the filter first. Inspection removed my desire for a drink, and also gave me the perfect picture for this blog entry. Take a close look at the filter; if you have a filter in your overland vehicle that looks like that, I suggest you renew it with a new unit. Promptly. For more on water treatment systems take a look at the upcoming issue of Overland Journal. Sometimes coincidence works quite nicely.

I woke up this morning and realized that just a few days ago I had bought my first motorcycle, a well cared for 1988 Honda NX650!

About two weeks ago I received a phone call from a friend who knew exactly the type of bike I had been looking for. This was one of those friend of a friend of a friend deals and before the bike was ever formally advertised for sale I was lucky enough to meet the seller in person. He even threw in two nice Arai helmets.

The NX650 was only sold in the United States for two years, 1988 and 1989. Probably the most significant change from ’88 to ’89 was the addition of a rear disc brake to replace the drum but the bike has maintained a consistent design to this day as it is known as the Dominator all around the world except the U.S.

It has a reputation for being simple and dependable in design with an air-cooled, single cylinder, four-stroke, 644cc engine. You just have to love an engine that only uses one spark plug! It should make for a versatile dual sport, perfect for a first bike.

At 22 years old it is completely stock with no modifications that I know of. I plan to keep it this way except for a top box and eventually some panniers, hand guards and perhaps some armor. I would rather spend time riding than modifying so I’ll let my use of the bike determine what modifications are needed if any.

Here’s a little treat. In 1989 there was an event called the Camel Trophy Peru. The Camel Trophy with Honda NX650s instead of Land Rovers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWxDbjj7dFo

Next on the list:

• Lessons (this week)
• Licence (this week)
• Riding Gear (hopefully this week)
• Wondrous Adventures!

Brian

This $10 promotion is only available for addresses within the United States.  Shipping, handling, and tax included.  We are starting out by offering the Summer 2009 issue at this reduced rate, but in the future it will be a selection from our recent issues based on supply.

The Menu:

Starters & Drinks ~ Icy cold Tecate and limes, fresh vegetables and salsa dip

Dinner ~ Tacos made from dried ground beef, on flour tortillas with black beans, squash, cheese, and cabbage

Dessert ~ Seared watermelon

________________________________________________________________________________

Tacos (made with dried ground beef; see Summer 2009 issue for method)

Serves: 4-6 | Time: 30 minutes | Equipment: large cast iron or other type fry pan, and one large saucepan | Recipe adapted for camp by Roseann Hanson

*

Simmer three cups of dried meat in three cups of water, covered, for about 20 minutes (keep testing until meat is tender; you may need to add more water). While the meat is simmering, chop up a two or three cloves garlic, an onion, and several small squash or zucchini (chayote travel well) in small dice and saute in light olive oil until al dente. Add a can of black beans, season with salt and pepper. Season the meat with salt, pepper, maybe a little chipotle powder or curry for bite. Serve on warmed flour (or corn) tortillas with salsa and chopped cabbage, and if you can find it, queso seco, a dry Mexican cheese.

Seared Watermelon

I found this recipe in a magazine ages ago (possible Sunset?) and I’ve made it with varying degrees of success. The key is that the watermelon slices (rind removed) need to be sweet and very dry. Sear over a grill or on well-oiled cast iron – serve with a little honey.

I just put together the handlebar assembly I decided on. It’s based on a Jones H-Bar (the Titec licensed aluminum version; I couldn’t afford the $500 titanium counterpart), with Paul Thumbies and Shimano shifters, and Cane Creek brake levers to activate the CC brakes already in hand. Cork wrapping. Decent but inexpensive Alpha stem, because there’s a slight chance its rise and length won’t be ideal.

The Jones H-Bar is odd-looking, but way more comfortable than your average MTB-style handlebar. The wrist angle is much more natural, and several positions are accessible.

Jones Bikes

Next up: tires (probably Schwalbe Marathons for ultimate durability, which is what this build is all about) to go on the 36-hole Mavic XC717 rim/Shimano XT hub/DT Swiss-spoked wheels already built. Then I’ll mount the ultra-strong Thorn front and rear racks my friend Bruce bought me at the same time Roseann bought the frame.

. . . you now know the identity of our brand-new long-term review vehicle, scheduled to be with us for a year. The summer issue will have a full introduction.

Overland Journal

Amy McVickers attempts a red rock ledge on the Greasy Spoon trail

 
Harry’s Nissan Xterra

A crowd gathers at the raffle

The GPS challenge champs received a Red Rock trophy from Expeditioneers and a DeLorme PN-20 GPS from Overland Journal and DeLorme

 

 

Bighorn vs. Toyota

We started out at our house southwest of Tucson, in the Sierrita Mountains, and headed south around Stevens Mountain, crossed Caballo Loco Road, and then hooked up with San Juan Ranch Road (or Ryan Ranch Road, depending on which map you use), which took us all the way to Arivaca Road through gorgeous ranch country. Brian and Bruce were nice enough to slow wayyyyy down for this newbie, who tends to do everything at one speed – slow and steady. At least I didn’t crash!

We had a break at San Juan Ranch, a beautiful historic but abandoned ranch house, though there is a huge mesquite corral, which still is home to a nice herd of ranch horses. The Marley Cattle Company still runs this region, and they use traditional roundup methods – horses. Our iron horses met up with some of the real deal – it was fun. We were met in Arivaca by Jonathan, on his beautifully restored Triumph Trophy . . . no dirt for him! A great lunch, then back home via Arivaca Road and Highway 286 (boy, I’m still not comfortable on pavement – I much prefer the dirt!). Bruce had his first flat in many miles – mystery puncture for sure, as they never did find what did it.

The three guys got it repaired in short order, especially thanks to Brian’s tools and expertise. A great first ride guys – thank you!

NYT

The NYT story focuses on the C5, a slightly different model than our long-term G5 (see below), but using the same engine.

Not what you expected, huh?

In a world of powerful and fiercely complex KTMs and BMWs, we’re taking a different route with this one. The Royal Enfield, originally British but now manufactured in India, has long been the choice for low-budget but epic explorations on the sub-continent and adjacent Himalayan highlands (like, 16,000-foot highlands). Their new model combines one-cylinder simplicity with the efficiency of fuel injection, to address the environmental regulations in the developed world. We’re going to see how it does in north America. For a bit more, visit David Blasco’s Royal Enfield blog, which is always fascinating even if you’re not (yet) into obscure motorcycles:

Royal Enfield blog

It’s a Montague Paratrooper, a mountain bike that folds to half its normal size in about a minute, and stores where no normal bike will. It drops neatly into most hard-shell roof cases, for example.

Once assembled – fold over the frame and lock the quick-release, then insert the front wheel; done – it feels just like any normal mountain bike. I haven’t been able to induce any untoward flex, and it rides, shifts (via Sram components), brakes, and handles very well. We took it to the Overland Expo, where it served as daily cross-event transportation for me, Lois Pryce, and several other people. Everyone who rode it was impressed. There’ll be a full report in the magazine soon, but for now, if you’ve always wanted to have a bike along on trips but hated the awkwardness of transporting it on a hitch or roof carrier, take a look at the Montague line.

Montague Bicycles

Vehicle-dependent overland travel by Graham Spark, David Palmer, Mike Hingley, Sam Watson
· Workshop (York)
· Saturday 23 May at 9.00

With the growth in interest in vehicle-dependent overland travel, a workshop will take place where desert guides, expedition navigators and medics and experienced overlanders will give talks on how an interested traveller can equip their vehicle and plan their own trip to a variety of locations, whether a run down to the Pyrenees or a drive to Cape Town.

There will be a small selection of trade stands, a display of example overland vehicles and a programme of lectures and demonstrations throughout the day.

Refreshments will be available including a specially commissioned
Overlander real ale for the non-drivers!

Venue: Terrington Hall School, York.
Cost: £5 per vehicle.
Contact: Sam Watson
watsonsam@talk21.com

A few weekends ago I had the pleasure to attend some dual-sport motorcyle training courses taught by Tom Collins and Lois Pryce at the Overland Expo in Prescott Valley, AZ.  I am very new to adventure motorcycling (and even motorcycling in general) having just purchased my very first bike less than a month ago: Suzuki DR200.  It has been the perfect bike for me to learn on, and Lois even enjoyed borrowing it a few times when teaching her classes.

I was very inspired hearing presentations by Tom, Lois and others who shared their experiences of world travel.  It was also wonderful receiving practical advice about real-world situations and being able to practice on the dirt in a closed-course.

We helped Lois to sell some of her books all weekend at the event: Lois on the Loose, and her most recent Red Tape and White Knuckles.  Of course many people were asking her to sign their copies of her book.  I asked her if she had ever signed a motorcycle, to which she answered, “no.”  So I had her sign my bike with a black permanent marker!!

Now I will proudly ride the “Lois edition” DR200 as I head out on my own adventures.    =)

Photos by Bruce Douglas and Chuck Nordstrom

Scott Brown of Jeep summed it up for us:

[Overland Expo] brought us together with a common goal . . . conservation and responsible exploration. What a great thing! I think you could say that history was made last weekend, that this event validates  . . . that this is an industry, a lifestyle, a way of life that is growing, strong, good, and here to stay.”

Dear All,

• These are  challenging times for East Africa and its wildlife.   
• Bushmeat is a source of “free” food for the poor – the attached disturbing article says that Kenya has lost 60% of its wildlife in the last 30 years, and with ever increasing population and poverty, the bushmeat trade escalates also.  
• You will all be aware of the severe implications of the global economic downturn on tourism to Kenya, which in turn impacts the income stream that sustains the country’s wildlife protection bodies.  It is a challenging time, and the blame for the recession rests with the First World.
• The Aberdare Conservation Area (ACA) is Kenya’s principal water tower upon which 1 in 3 Kenyans depend, and it is also a wonderful montane National Park bordered by Forest Reserve, in turn bordered by dense small-scale human habitation, and the ACA holds one of Kenya’s remaining but threatened black rhino and bongo populations.  The threats come from poaching for horn and bushmeat.
• The Rhino Charge takes place on June 1st to raise funds for Rhino Ark Charitable Trust, which has for 20 years been successfully constructing the largest electrified game fence in Africa to protect the Aberdares, in close co-operation withe the Kenya Wildlife Service.

If you are interested and would like to support our fundraiser, please visit the Justgiving websitse which we have set up.  If you are US or UK tax payers, your donations subject to the tax exemptions applicable in those countries.  If you know anybody else who might be interested, please forward this e-mail to them.

www.justgiving.com/rhinochargecar38-2009

April 19, 2009

Zanzibar! Wow, even the name conjures up visions of Arab Sultans, Portuguese sailing ships, the Spice Islands. It is an old city, with early buildings dating back more than a thousand years.

It holds such an important place in history that it is designated a World Heritage Site. The city itself has a bit of a demarcation as “Stone Town” (the old quarter), and the new town.
It is actually fairly easy to see the difference.

As we pulled into port, ships lay at anchor everywhere. Some were fairly new or at least well preserved, others looking like ship wrecks waiting to happen. The ship crew was fairly alert at anchor, as stowaways are actually fairly common in ports such as this. In fact, later this same evening as we prepared to weigh anchor, the ship’s crew swept the ship looking for stowaways.

The tour today pointed out clearly to me what I really already knew: I am not a great fan of the “guided tour” type of trip. I prefer instead to get out on my own and explore, which I did eventually.

After our small group walked through the market, savoring (?) the smells of fish, squid, octopus, rotting vegetables, waste, and other produce, I told the group leader of my plan to walk about on my own. After assuring him of my qualifications with map and compass (neither of which I actually had), I backtracked and walked a few of the ancient alleyways on my own.

In the absence of a larger group presence, I was virtually invisible. Now this was more like it! I picked up a few interesting photos and a few souvenirs for friends as requested. It was a much slower pace, with people unaffected by the presence of a group of camera-toting tourists!

After recovering all of the shore parties, we weighed anchor at sunset and headed back out to sea. Though we only had 70 nm to go to Dar es Salaam, the ship remains in motion at night to discourage piracy and stowaways.

As an aside, the ship still has to run the “gauntlet” along the Somali coast between Dar es Salaam and Egypt before picking up passengers for the Mediterranean itineraries. The Somali coast is where most of the piracy is taking place. We had 2 “security experts” on board for our journey out away from the populated Seychelles Islands. These two guys were very burly, clearly ex-military, and I suspect from a group such as Blackwater. Who knows what firepower they had aboard?

The ship itself will be further prepped for this repositioning. There are high pressure fire hoses directed at the waterline access points, held in place by newly-welded brackets. A pallet of concertina-wire bales sits on one of the upper decks, to be deployed on the stern, where access to the engine room might be a problem. Too, metal grating has been welded over the open-air windows of the engine room, and are all electrified. All portholes and windows are to be blacked-out during the voyage. Most of the staff and crew will be minimized, flown to Egypt, and additional security-dudes are to board. Four small escort boats will accompany the ship. They really are taking this piracy risk very seriously!

Our last day was a bit tedious, as we checked out and left the ship in Dar, transferred to small tour buses, to see a few “sights” around the city. All I can say is, “Gads, I hate these tour bus groups!”

But my discomfort was soon ended as we arrived at the airport after lunch and struggled through the airport check in procedures. For those who haven’t experienced airports in a developing nation it is not for the faint of heart. Slow and tedious, dark and hot interior, seemingly interminable. But, we made it.

Now all I have left is 26 hours of flying during a 36 hour stretch…then I’ll be home.

Cheers!

Ed

April 18, 2009

Last night was pretty rough seas, but surprisingly I seem to have found my “sea-legs.” I was able to travel the halls from dining room to cabin and back without hitting any of the walls! Trust me, it was quite a challenge!

We arrived at Ibo Island, Mozambique, this morning around 7 AM.

Ibo Island is part of the Quirimbas Archipelago in northern Mozambique, with one of the oldest and most interesting towns in this region. In the late 1500’s the area was ruled by both the Portuguese and Muslims. During subsequent centuries it became an important trade center for many exotic spices, trade goods, and slaves.

In 1902 the capital was transferred from Ibo Island to the current location, Pemba. This signaled the beginning of the slow demise of the island.

After clearing customs, we off-loaded into the Zodiacs in groups and headed into “town.” I decided to join the photo team, led by National Geographic photographer, Bob Krist.

The Zodiac ride in was pretty long, about 3 miles, in choppy water. As we neared the beach we had to drop speed to a crawl, as the water was only a foot deep and was soon to become mud flats as the tide went out.

Once ashore, we walked for a couple of hours up and down the decrepit streets and sidewalks. Buildings still stand, obviously old colonial offices and stores but are crumbling or being overgrown by vegetation. It feels almost like a ghost town though some locals still live here. One person said it looked like time had stopped, an apt description.

The kids in the town are inquisitive as they are almost everywhere in the world, the adults less so. Some declined to be photographed, others welcomed us.

I managed quite a few nice photos here, though I can’t post many as I have almost filled my laptop hard drive with photos!

Walking along with Bob and his entourage I was struck by the fact that my own eye for images is pretty good. Bob clearly saw many things that I did not, but in general I did pretty well. Or so I thought until I saw his slide show. Wow, what an eye! He presented most of his images in a sepia tone or monochrome, which enhanced the “old” effect of the town; stunning images. I have a lot to learn…

After lunch we went out on our final dive of this trip. The wind had picked up and was creating quite a bit of chop. We went out about 3 miles, bouncing around like crazy, to the southwest end of Ibo Island accompanied by a local dive guide.

At first the coral and visibility both were very good, but it dropped somewhat as we moved farther west along the coral wall. Our local guide seemed not to have too much group experience, as he took off with the two lead divers and separated from the rest of the group.

Our own divemasters kept the group together until the guide finally stopped and waited for the rest of us to catch up. He was also using underwater signals that apparently are European. None of us knew them, but we did find out later what he was trying to convey.

About 40 minutes into the dive, the visibility dropped to less than 10 feet; think pea soup. We ended the dive shortly thereafter, and headed back to the ship for showers and a great dinner.

Tonight and all the next day we will be at sea as we proceed north up the Mozambique Channel to Zanzibar, almost the end of this trip.

Cheers!
Ed

April 17, 2009

Last night I actually slept pretty well. I’m not sure if it was the fact that I am getting my sea legs or that we were at anchor the whole night (a first). But never look a gift horse in the mouth. I woke refreshed and ready for today’s dive.

At dawn we moved the ship a couple of miles to the north on the leeward side of the island, protected from the winds that have been blowing. Here, too, is a nice reef and a beautiful beach called appropriately, “Perfect Beach.”

After breakfast, the dive teams assembled, though this time they split us up from our usual dive partners. The beach slopes gently into the lagoon, with the reef starting just offshore. The reef then slopes gently out a few hundred yards from shore then drops off in a nice wall down to about 75 feet.

We buzzed up and down in the zodiacs searching for just the right spot to drop in. Once Kelvin, the divemaster, was satisfied, we entered the water and formed up in two groups of four divers and a divemaster.

Almost immediately we could tell the coral in this area was exceedingly healthy and abundant. Lots of reds, greens, blues, yellows, purples, and browns; in fact, almost any color you could imagine.

The fish life was also excellent, with plenty of anemones and their respective clownfish, lots of fry, and a half-dozen lionfish; a beautiful fish with a really nasty poisonous barb in the dorsal fin. You really don’t want to get stung!

We cruised slowly along the wall admiring the incredible beauty of this reef and its many inhabitants.

When our allotted time was up (an hour), we made our way up a small canyon of sorts to shallower water where we finished the dive and returned to the ship.

After rinsing our gear and ourselves, the ship weighed anchor and we left the lagoon, headed west toward Mozambique, our destination for tomorrow.

Once we cleared the island the seas picked up a bit, the ship pitching and rocking quite a bit in the larger than usual swells of open ocean. Lunch was attended by fewer people than normal, the effects of the ship movement no doubt.

Mid-afternoon I attended a talk given by one of our divemasters, Lisa Trotter, the first person to become certified as a diver in the Antarctic. Since then she has logged thousands of dives. The talk dealt with her passion, the Leopard Seal, and her close encounters (some rather scary) with these creatures in Antarctic waters. (more info: see her book, “Below Freezing,” and Google her name).

On to Mozambique!

Ed

April 16, 2009

As I write we are heading slowly to our anchorage in the lagoon of Mayotte, French Comoros. Officially known as the Departmental Collective of Mayotte, it is a French territory, hence the people all have French benefits and membership in the European Union. It is the only island in the Comorian Archipelago that voted to remain a French territory and forgo independence. The other islands in this chain are now independent.

We arrived early in the morning, anchored and began sending almost everyone ashore in the zodiacs for various local activities, excursions, and general sightseeing.

I chose to take the driving tour around the island with friends. It was hot and humid and it rained as we made for shore, adding to the swelter.

The few communities we saw from the van or stopped in were very reminiscent of villages in east Africa, though they were largely Muslim here. Nowhere were our cameras welcome, so I had to make do with a few touristy photos of flowers and fellow tourists doing the “tourist-thing.”  Not exactly my idea of fun, but it is what it is.

A brief walk in the local botanical garden was colorful, but I’m not exactly enthralled with a bunch of plants scattered about (sorry, garden lovers). Don’t get me wrong, the flowers were stunning, but I’m just not that into the botany.

The Ylang-ylang museum and plantation was interesting. It seems this plant oil is the basis for some very exotic and pricey perfumes. And, wouldn’t you know it, it smells pretty good too! I picked up a few “smelly soaps” as gifts for my all-female office staff. That should be pretty safe, don’t you think?

Our resident Seychellois naturalist, Guy (“Ghee”), also demonstrated some of the uses the local plans have for cleansing and medicinal use. One particular pod was used for intestinal ailments. He did say it was rather bitter, as our French-speaking guide soon discovered…

After lunch though was the real treat of the day: a visit to a Lemur reserve on M’Bouzi Island. It is within the large lagoon, and is about 100 acres in size. The lemur population on this island is not completely wild. They are acclimated to humans not only from the tourists who visit, but also the caretakers and feeders. The island is too small to sustain as many lemurs as live there.

After we landed, our group of about 10 –12 people followed the naturalist inland through the jungle undergrowth. While the group listened to a brief talk on the plants, I was just ahead on the trail, looking, taking a photo or two. I heard a low grunt. Or did I? I heard it again, several times. It sounds like a pig. What the…? Are there wild boars on the island? No, it was the lemurs! They actually grunt. Too funny!

After that little surprise, I found more and more of them scurrying along in the branches. When they realized humans had arrived (and likely some tasty bananas), they appeared in droves; literally dozens of them hopping about in the trees.

They would come down to within a few feet with no apparent concern. Clearly these are not wild, but fun to see anyway. We would have loved to see the wild lemurs on Madagascar, but politics being what it is, we had to settle for this experience. Fun as it was, it still wasn’t what we had hoped.

The creatures are amazing to watch, very inquisitive, with the bald face and opposable thumbs of the primates, but yet not quite so. They are more like primates crossed with dogs, and are classified as prosimians. They have nails rather than claws, and their tails are not prehensile like the true monkeys.

After spending an hour or so on the island wandering about, taking more than 120 photos just of the lemurs, and watching these amazing animals scamper about, I left and returned to the ship so others could come ashore (we limited the number of people on the island at any given time).

A nice dinner on board and an early bed for me, while some of the others went ashore at 9 PM to enjoy a local band at a French restaurant.

Kwaheri!

Ed

April 15, 2009

After leaving Madagascar behind we sailed through the night west and southwest toward a mid-ocean reef, Geysir Reef, located about 200 km (125 miles) off the northwest coast of Madagascar at 12˚21’S, 46˚26’E (see if you can find it on Google Earth. I will when I return home). It is a large oval about 5 miles wide and 3 miles long, with exposed rocks just a few feet in height at low tide.  The remnant of a volcanic island and reef that has since submerged, it is rarely frequented.

The name comes from the British ship, the Geysir, which ran aground here in 1678. France, Madagascar, and Comoros all lay claim to the reef.

The reef has a slightly sloping edge that drops to a sandy bottom at about 75-90 feet. A short distance out from there, it drops to an amazing 1500 feet, and then just a few miles further, it drops again to a deep trench at 10,000 feet. Truly an abyss!

It’s getting rather repetitive, I know, but the diving and snorkeling today was awesome!

We were briefed and prepared to see some larger, pelagic sharks today, but no such luck (?). Funny, at certain points in the dive several of us admitted to looked out into the murk and wondering, what’s out there…watching…
After leaving the reef and resuming course for the Comoros, we enjoyed a talk and presentation by National Geographic photographer, Bob Krist. He spoke on “The Story Behind the Photos of National Geographic.”  Wow, what amazing photos he has captured, and the “schmoozing” he has to do sometimes to get into places where others can’t is truly amazing in its own right. It pays to have good contacts.

A short while later we spotted more dolphins, though honestly, I didn’t see them. I was resting in my cabin! Man, this is great. No responsibilities, no deadlines, no pressures.

I wonder if I could make a living like this.

Ed

April 14, 2009

Last night we left the Seychelles behind, turning south down the Mozambique Channel, heading for Madagascar. We sailed through the night awakening in the morning near the northern end of the huge island.

Madagascar is huge. It is the world’s 4th largest island; in fact, it is larger than France. Its long isolation has produced a unique mix of endemic plants and animals. It has a dozen species of Baobab tree; Africa has only one. Of the 10,000 plants native to Madagascar, 90% are found nowhere else.

Human activity on the island has had a devastating effect on both flora and fauna. More than a third of the native vegetation has disappeared in the last 30 years, as people clear land and burn trees to make charcoal.

Some brilliant soul in the Madagascar government recently brought in large numbers of eucalyptus trees from Australia to “correct” the problem.  Now they have large tracts of eucalyptus trees that are poisonous to the wildlife, making a bad situation even worse.

So, as cool as Madagascar is, unfortunately we didn’t go there because the US State Department has issued a travel advisory warning US citizens not to go. And the insurers clearly would be upset if anything happened. So, we took photos as we went by…

But where one door closes, another opens. The changes in the itinerary resulted in some excellent brain-storming between the bridge crew and the Expedition Leader. The result was a most excellent series of new and little seen areas, beaches, and reefs.

In this case, we found a very nice reef some miles offshore and proceeded to offload all of the zodiacs including a very cool modification they made to one: a glass-bottom-zodiac. It was designed for those folks who neither dove nor snorkeled. The people who went out on this always raved about it. A fun side note was when we divers swam under this zodiac and turned over to see all these smiling faces peering down at us. I’ll have to see if there are any good photos from this vantage point.

The reef was great. Essentially untouched by humans, and most certainly not in anyone’s dive guides, it is fairly shallow. As soon as we rolled into the water we could tell it was going to be different.

We saw three Zebra sharks within the first 5 minutes, all of them lying on the sea bottom near coral ledges. One of them stirred and swam somewhat unnervingly toward one of us, before veering off, circled around and came back to its former resting spot.

Now, before you ask about the spots on this shark, and why it’s called “zebra” instead of Leopard, the name Zebra Shark comes from the appearance of the young, which have clearly defined stripes. The stripes fade and spots dominate as it matures. So, yes, it has spots, but, no, it’s not a Leopard Shark. If I recall from the talk earlier today about this, it is related to the Nurse Shark.

Fish were abundant, including many species we hadn’t seen in the Seychelles. The soft coral and anemone colors were more vibrant thanks to clear water and no evidence of the same type of die-off experienced in the Seychelles a few years ago.

It was a very satisfying dive today. Once back aboard we had the afternoon to relax, read, enjoy a talk on the “Wondrous & Strange Land of Madagascar,” sit on deck, watch for marine mammals. We did see a few: mostly Reese (?) dolphins, and some time later a few people spotted Spinner dolphins, too.

Sunset was spectacular as usual. It seems that every sunrise or sunset is amazing out here. I took many photos at first, but now they seem to be a bit mundane, even though each is unique and beautiful in its own right.

Cheers!

Ed

April 13, 2009

Today was our last day in the Seychelles, arriving shortly after breakfast at Farquhar Atoll. This atoll is about 500 miles from our starting port in Mahe, and is the most southerly of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles.

It is a low-lying atoll with a small permanent settlement here, all that remains of a once thriving copra industry, that is fully dependent now on a few tourists and government payments. Our local guide, Guy (“Ghee”), made it quite clear how he feels about the Marxist government using his tax money to subsidize a failed business venture.

I intentionally left my camera on board ship today so as to “concentrate” on just enjoying the experience. It felt strange! I did miss several photo ops, at least two of which I clearly saw in my minds eye as I walked past each scene, both of which were beautifully captured by our National Geographic photographer, Bob Krist. He later showed these at an evening presentation. Shoot! I should have taken the camera! Well, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing I “saw” the same images as he.

After a leisurely walk around the settlement, and a taste of some of the foods prepared by the local women, we returned to the beach to loll about in the cool, clear waters of the lagoon.

Around noon we had a sandwich lunch on the beach, more rest, then the dive team returned to the ship for our afternoon dive. The scouting team noted a fairly brisk current but felt we were capable of handling it ok. We proceeded to go about 2 miles up-current along the reef edge.

As soon as we dropped in it was clear that this was going to be a challenge, despite our experience level. Remaining stationary in one spot was impossible by mere muscle power alone, and clinging onto the reef was out of the question. So, away we went!

I took a few photos as interesting coral or fish “flashed by,” then switched to video mode with my little point & shoot. I wanted to capture the feeling of us being whisked along at a good 2 knots down current.

All of us had difficulties staying close to our dive buddies. At one point we had a bit of a traffic jam as we were all pushed together by the flow. I have some good video, but unfortunately, I won’t be able to upload it. You’ll to just take my word on it!

I expended more air than most trying not only to video the scenes in the brisk current, but also trying to remain with my dive buddy, Natalia. Eventually I got below the air pressure threshold for exiting and had to surface. The rest of the divers came up within a few minutes and we headed back to the ship.

Not the best of dives, but it was interesting!

And as they say, the worst day on vacation is better than the best day at work.

Ed

April 12, 2009

We sailed next to St. Francois Atoll, one of two atolls of the Alphonse Group. As many (most?) atolls, it is uninhabited. The atolls’ land mass is very small, but of you include the fringing reef and lagoon, it includes an area more than 40 sq. km.

The Amirantes Trench lies just offshore, and its depth of more than 3 miles has caught many sailors unaware. Several exposed shipwrecks dot the horizon from where stood on the beach.

I went ashore with the first group so I would have time to explore a bit before heading back for scuba diving. The beaches were pristine, with more shells and crustaceans (crabs!) than I have ever seen. You had to really watch where you stepped so as not to squash some poor crabs into oblivion.

It was fun at watch as some of these creatures fought for shells. One of the group actually saw one crab pull another from his shell so he could have the others’ larger shell. Hmmm…sounds almost human.

I intended to circumnavigate the atoll, but after walking about halfway around, I ran into a couple of large lagoons that had to be crossed to get back to our landing site, and time was ticking away; the distance was farther than we had been told.

With little time to spare I high-tailed it back the same way I had come, and made it to the ship just as they announced “gear-up” time. I found out some time later that the rough sand that had slipped in between my sandals and skin had abraded a few nice patches of skin that would cause considerable stinging as time went on.

Our dives this day were impressive for the sheer number of fish. Lots of fish! Schools everywhere it seemed. Parrotfish of several species, damsels, tangs, fusiliers, wrasses, clownfish, barracudas, moray eels, goatfish, Moorish idols, stingrays in the sand, the list is nearly endless.

Also evident were small to medium sized gorgonians, now reestablishing themselves after the die-off of a few years ago.

Late in the day we returned to the atoll by zodiac to enjoy drinks, casual conversation, and camaraderie on the beach as the sun set.

Hot as heck, but well worth it.

Ed

April 11, 2009

After steaming all night and through the morning, we arrived at our next destination, the Amirante Islands, around noon. This group of islands and atolls belong to the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. They differ significantly from the Inner group in that they are of volcanic origin as opposed to the granitic origin of all the other large islands we have visited so far. The granitic islands are remnants of Gondwanaland as it fractured and its fragments migrated, leaving behind the well-known Madagascar, and India (which eventually plowed into the Asian landmass (but that is another story)

We anchored (actually the ship didn’t anchor, but used autopilot to hold position) between D’Arros Island and St. Joseph Atoll.

D’Arros is on the eastern edge of the Amirante Bank, with ocean depths of 500 meters (1640 feet) just 1.5 km off the eastern reef edge, then dropping quickly to over 1000 meters (3280 feet). The entire Amirante Bank is shallow (that’s why it’s a “bank”) with depths of only 25 to 70 meters (82-230 feet).

First on the agenda, the team leaders, including a local Seychellois, named “Guy” (pronounced “Ghee”), proceeded to the island to contact the caretaker/manager to get permission to land the Zodiacs, as the island is currently privately owned with a very reclusive owner. If the owner is present, no one may land, and if the owner is absent, then it is at the whim of the manager. Guy happens to know the manager, so permission was granted in fairly short order.

Most of the people then proceeded to shore with strict admonitions to keep to the beach and not to wander or explore inland beyond the palm trees at beach’s edge. Like I said, the owner is a recluse.

I, on the other hand, joined the scuba group and headed for the dive site. The ocean was very calm, so ingress and egress were very simple. I paired up with my dive buddy, Jan, and we all rolled into the ocean.

As we descended to 25 feet, Jan came over to signal that something was wrong. It looked like an air leak from the regulator where it attached to the air tank. I turned to get the attention of the divemasters, but Robert was already on it; he had seen it from a distance.

So, the two returned to the zodiac and I paired up with Merijeanne, continuing with our other divemaster, Lisa. After cruising a bit, Jan & Robert returned and we continued on our way.

Unfortunately, the replacement o-ring (or perhaps some other part of the regulator connection) blew again, this time even worse. That was the end of Jan’s dive for the day, as there was no way to tell the underlying problem and it was unwise to risk a catastrophic failure underwater.

Our dive continued uninterrupted after that. Saw some nice gorgonians and other corals trying to make a comeback.

Back to the ship, a hot shower, and dinner with new friends.
Another excellent day…

Cheers!
Ed

April 9, 2009

Today we took a shore excursion to the Valle de Mai on the island of Praslin.

Praslin is the second largest island in the Seychelles with a population of about 6500 people. The Valle de Mai Nature Reserve in a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a mature, well preserved palm forest that includes not only the endemic Coc de Mer palms but five other palms as well.

After landing in the zodiacs we were driven to the Reserve, where we broke into groups for hikes/walks of different length and difficulty.

The palm forest is like no place I have ever seen, very impressive. The Coco de mer produces a seedpod that may weigh up to 22 kg (50 lbs). The tree sends up boles that may be 30 meters (100 feet) high, with leaves up to 4 meters (13 feet) wide and 6 meters (20 feet) long. It is really massive. Just a couple of these palm leaves could thatch a small house!

The forest is very humid and dark. You can’t see the sky at all in most places, the palm trees’ huge leaves spread out across the canopy, effectively shutting out most direct light. Photography in this forest was very challenging to say the least. An assortment of birds excited the birdwatchers in the group (I’m not one of them).  We saw a few brightly colored geckos and white slugs that apparently are found nowhere else.

During the second half of our walk it began to rain; first a light shower then a heavy rain, for about 20-30 minutes. Having no rain gear with me I tried covering my camera with my body and hat, but found the shelter of the massive palm leaves to be completely adequate, little different than an umbrella. I just had to “hop” from palm to palm along the trail. It is quite amazing how little rain falls directly on the forest floor. Instead a great deal of rain is channeled down the deep groove in the palm leaves and stems, dropping it directly at the root of the trunk. A very nice adaptation!

Around noon we headed back to the ship, but the clouds closed in, and a rain squall that we had seen out at sea, had moved in and nailed us as we pushed off from the jetty in the zodiacs. Once away from the jetty, the waves picked up, causing a lot of bouncing and heavy sea spray. As we approached the ship, it was actually on the move so they wouldn’t let us embark! Apparently they were in the process of repositioning to face the ship into the waves, so we had to troll around a bit before being granted permission to dock. By the time we reached the ship we were soaked to the skin,

A quick rinse and a change of clothes and it was time for lunch. The ship weighed anchor moving toward Silhouette Island for the afternoon excursions. While sailing I downloaded my photos from the morning walk followed by a short nap and then prep for scuba diving later in the afternoon.
The cloud cover persisted, but we went out anyway. After all, who cares about clouds and rain if you’re underwater, right?

Besides this was my first attempt at underwater photography. In my pre-trip planning, I obtained an underwater housing to fit my Canon A650 point & shoot, read all the instructions several times to ensure that I didn’t screw things up too bad, and felt confident I could take at least a few respectable images.

The afternoon diving was ok, but due to the cloud cover, the colors were quite muted at best. I had pretty good luck getting photos of our divers, though.

Despite the dim light, which actually worsened halfway through the dive, we saw quite a few “critters,” including some spotted and moray eels, multiple amazingly colored nudibranchs, and many varieties of fish of course. We found a 6 foot (2 meter) nurse shark “sleeping” under a rocky outcropping,

and later in the dive a pair of white tipped reef sharks swimming up nearer the surface but 75+ feet away. They swam off quickly, so I was unable to get a photo of them.

When we surfaced after about an hour, we found the surface conditions had changed considerably. The waves were 2-foot swells, with a fair bit of chop. It made getting out of the water a bit of a challenge, and the zodiac ride back a bit bumpier.

All in all a most excellent day!

Cheers,
Ed

April 10, 2009

Today was a very full day to say the least.

We started the day early with a transfer to the shore of Aride at 0730. The early start was advised due to the significant heat later in the day.

Aride is a privately held island, purchased by Peter Cadbury about 35 years ago as a sanctuary for the birds and wildlife. As such the creatures that live here have little to no fear of humans.

Access to the island and its research station is severely limited. You cannot land on the island directly. Instead, you must rendezvous offshore with a boat dispatched from the island and transfer to their boat for the final landing. This is meant to reduce the chance that a rat or some other predatory or non-native animal would make it ashore and decimate the indigenous populations.

The station is funded through an endowment by Cadbury, and consists of both paid and volunteer staff, who monitor the health of the island bird and reptile populations. The bird population varies with the season, but at its peak more than a million birds inhabit an island that is only about 170 acres in area.

After arrival, we started our hike to the top of the island where a scenic view is an ample reward. Along the way, we saw scores upon scores of birds that seemed all but indifferent to our presence. We could approach to within a few feet before they moved up a limb a few feet, just far enough to be comfortable again.

The guide (a research volunteer) showed us a number of fascinating birds, including one (a Fairy Tern, I believe) that is too lazy to build a nest, so it lays an egg on a branch. The chick hatches and if it’s lucky, attaches itself to the branch with very large claws, remaining in place until it is ready to fly.

The hike was very strenuous; not so much due to the vertical elevation (about 300 feet), but because it was so incredibly hot and humid. I can’t remember having sweat so much with so little cooling effect in all my life! Good thing we didn’t go later in the day.

I returned to the ship ahead of the group to take part in the first dive of the day, a small island, St. Pierre, if I recall correctly; no more than some rocks and a few trees and bushes, which we circumnavigated. The water was a little murky but I did manage a few good photos. A nice spotted eel, and then a huge swarm of fry, that I swam slowly into. Just like in Jacques Cousteau movies, they parted like the Red Sea as I approached. Very cool!

Possibly the best critter spotted today was the sea turtle. He certainly knew we were there, but we didn’t appear to concern him at all. He just kept grazing on whatever it was he was eating.

The coral in all of the Seychelles had a massive die-off in 1998, due to a water temperature elevation, and is struggling to make a come back. Isolated pockets of new coral growth can be seen, but the majority of coral here is dead.

We then up-anchored and moved to Curieuse Island where we dove in the afternoon. Similar to the morning, most coral was dead or damaged but fish we coming back. That apparently attests to some recovery of the coral.

After the last dive we cleaned up then went ashore to join the rest of the guests and crew for a beach BBQ.  Sunset was spectacular!

It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic setting than sitting in the sand with new friends, drinking wine, eating dinner, and watching as the sun dropped below the horizon, just 5 degrees north of the equator.

I could do this again!

Ed

April 8, 2009

Today I awoke at my usual 5 AM. Even though I am pretty seriously jet-lagged, my internal clock woke me at my usual time…imagine that!

I laid in bed for a while, then got up to enjoy a beautiful sunrise as we were passing between small islands on our way to Praslin. The ship and room is air-conditioned, and the outside air was hot and humid. The difference is so significant that even at 6 AM my camera lens fogged up for 10 minutes or so before it dissipated enough to use.

After wandering about exploring the ship I enjoyed a great breakfast before resuming my shipboard wanderings, glassing the islands that we passed, taking photos here and there.

We had our watersports briefing this morning, with intros to the Zodiacs, the inflatable kayaks, and snorkeling protocols. Snorkeling equipment was distributed to all who wanted to participate, then it was off by Zodiac to the sandy shore of Anse Lazio.

We spent just an hour or so on shore then headed back to the ship for lunch.

After lunch it was time for the scuba divers to meet and review the dive rules and plan. The location today was about a mile & a half off our starboard beam (how’s that for salty, nautical talk?), a small rocky pinnacle with a lone tree on top. We easily reached it in two of the zodiacs. We had a total of six divers and 3 divemasters, an excellent ratio!

After a backward roll entry off the sides of the zodiacs we split into two groups and began our exploration around the offshore “pinnacle.” There was not much in the way of a reef, but we did see a white-tipped reef shark resting on the bottom. Unfortunately, the current carried us a little too close and it scooted off.

Other reef fish spotted included unicorn fish, blowfish, lots of sea slugs and cucumbers, and a wide variety of smaller fish of all different sizes and shapes! Not the greatest of dive site, but not a bad reintroduction after not diving for a few years.

Cheers!

Ed

So when it came time to buy an adventure bike for the Overland Expo coming up this month, for Lois Pryce and others to use in the demo courses, I sought the help of friend and Overland Journal contributor Bruce Douglas, who really knows his way around bikes. He suggested looking for what he called a ‘baby TransAlp,’ a Honda NX250. And luck would have it that within a few weeks I found a pretty nice one within a few hours of home.

This bike is a 1989 but it was way ahead of its time. More popular in Europe, it didn’t really catch on here. It’s a liquid-cooled 6-speed, with a nice little fairing, and very comfortable suspension and seat – and light, at only 280 pounds wet. I hadn’t ridden in 30-plus years, but within a day I was taking this little bike all over the 4WD trails around home – even some pretty tough trails. The freedom of motorcycling came back in a rush, and Jonathan is often wondering where I am now . . . 

Executive Editor Jonathan Hanson does a fantastic job in his debut video – no rehearsals! Check it out:

 

The YouTube channel is http://www.youtube.com/OverlandExpo

I have a confession: this trip is not an overland expedition. In fact, it really isn’t much of a true “expedition” to most of us who frequent Expedition Portal or write/subscribe to Overland Journal. It is though, a dream come true trip.

For many years I have kept old brochures in my bedside table, travel “catalogs” for group excursions and adventures from Lindblad Expeditions and others. As a young teen, I heard about these exotic trips to Egypt, Africa, the Galapagos Islands, and the Antarctic from family friends. One day, I thought, I too, would be able to go on trips like that.

Life, though, had different plans. All of the dreams were put on hold for college, training, family, and job. It wasn’t until I was into my forties that I realized the dream of doing medical mission work in Africa, took a number of short safaris in the Serengeti, and began to experience some of the places I had only heard or read about in the past.

But, life stepped in last year again, when a friend just a couple of years older that I, developed an inoperable cancer and died within 6 months, never seeing some of his dreams come to fruition. That was the turning point. I decided I had to have a bit of a new mantra: “Have a blast while you last.”

So when the National Geographic Society announced a joint venture with Lindblad, and a series of new itineraries, I was very excited when the brochure arrived in the mail. Included, was a trip called, “Fabled Islands of the Indian Ocean,” that included not land exploring in the Seychelles and Madagascar, wildlife viewing, a bonafide National Geographic photographer on board as a resource, plus scuba diving. I was in!

So here I am, sitting in my cabin aboard the “National Geographic Explorer” a small ship carrying fewer than 120 passengers, heading for the island of La Digue, the fourth largest populated island in the Seychelles.

It was a long couple of days getting here. In fact, it is rather a blur at the moment. It took 24 flying hours and gobs of layover hours to get here from Tucson; it feels like it’s been nearly a week on the road. After arriving just after sunrise we had a nice hotel for a half day, time to eat, shower, and nap. A tour of the island lasted a couple of hours but felt like all day! The zigs and zags up and over the island center were particularly trying for a jet lagged brain and body.

Finally after what seemed an eternity we boarded the ship. More on that later, perhaps.

My cabin is actually much larger than I expected. I was afraid that it might be a tight squeeze for my two bags (one scuba gear, the other clothes and space for future souvenirs no doubt), but in fact it is very roomy. The bathroom is huge compared to some of the hotels I’ve experienced in the past. It’s very impressive.

So after a blur of a trip to get here I am enjoying the amenities aboard, getting ready for our first excursions starting tomorrow. And hopefully getting some much needed rest tonight.

I will attempt to post a “blog” entry every few days at the Overland Journal website blog. I’ll send out a message once I get that going. Though maybe it should be an if. There’s a lot to do here. We shall see how good I am at blogging.

Cheers!

Ed

Decided to take a trip to the “old town” (I believe it is called Viejo Antigua but can’t remember for sure). The guys were just coming into town after their excursion to the Darien Gap and decided to meet us there for lunch. On the drive there we passed through some nice areas of homes and partially through the downtown with all the skyscrapers. The modern gray skyscrapers across the water were an interesting contrast to the old colorful buildings of Antigua. Wound through many narrow streets until we came to the water. Happens to be one of the locations where the last James Bond film, Quantum of Solace with Daniel Craig, was filmed.  Had lunch at an outdoor cafe across from some beautiful buildings, a statue, and a large yellow church. It was a very colorful city. I could have stayed there for days taking pictures. Spent the afternoon walking around the city, shopping, enjoying each other’s company on our last day together, and having ice cream. 

           

   

Ate at a restaurant called Sienna for dinner. It was across the street from where Quantum of Solace was filmed. By this point it was dark and the city was glowing with colorful lights. The restauranteur ushered us upstairs to a nice private room. We had a wine called, “Darien” in commemoration of our journey and reaching the end of the road. We took turns going around the room and remembering our trip by saying our favorite country and number one favorite memory (mine was Guatemala and the special Panama Canal tour – I didn’t pick this because the Prince of Belgium waved at us, I swear!). The food was exceptional.  Everyone said it was the best meal we’ve had the entire trip (and that’s saying a lot, because we have had some good food). The menu was extensive, but I couldn’t resist, I had to get the “Rollo de Pollo al estilo James Bond” (the James Bond chicken roll filled with asparagus, mushrooms, and bechamal sauce – when in Rome, right?).  

There was some big event going on in the city and in the middle of dinner and then again at dessert (apple pie, spanish pudding, chocolate mouse pie, coffee) we heard fireworks. Went out on the balcony to enjoy the fireworks, which were coming from two locations. It was great. The city, the water, the breeze, soft light, the balcony, crumbling vintage buildings,  the James Bond movie set, and fireworks. No matter how you slice it, you can’t beat that. It was a fitting end to a most amazing adventure.

  

 

  

The following day, we took a trip to the Panama Canal. Special thanks to our in-country contact, Peter, who was able to score us a special access to walk across the locks of the canal and right up to the ships. Fewer than 100 people per year are allowed to do this so we were especially grateful. 

 

While we were waiting at the administrative offices prior to our tour, we noticed some commotion down below (we were on the second floor looked down at the front entrance). There were lots of people in suits, media, security, and then secret service (it was cool to see them talk into their super secret radios on their wrists). Soon everyone got “in place” – the cameras were rolling as the motorcade pulled up. The secret police came around and opened the door, quickly ushering the Prince of Belgium into the building. We were to learn later that the President of Panama was also at the Canal that day. 

  

The Panama canal is amazing. Many, many hands worked to make it possible to take ships from sea level, raise them up enough to allow them to travel over land via a waterway, then lower them back down to sea level on the other end. It is spectacular to see metal giants moved and manipulated by cable, water, tug boats, and train “mules.” 

  

Our tour guide, an older gentleman named Carlos, took us out the visitor center door and through the locked gate that kept the tourists away from the canal. Since the dignitary group was clogging up the closest lock, Carlos took us down to the next lock. (Yep, it was just us and the Prince of Belgium, President of Panama, and the secret service.  On our way down the walkway, Stacey waved to the prince and he waved back. We were giggling like school girls.) We were literally, mere feet from the water in the canal, stepping over the train tracks the mules use to pull the ships through the water. There was a ship in the far channel (big blue one) and another one approaching the second lane (black one). To get between the two channels we had to walk across the lock. When we were still on the first “door” of the lock a bell rang. Not knowing why it was significant, Stacey and I continued to stand there and take pictures. Pretty soon we realized the lock was opening with us on it. Me and Stacey had to quick run and take a big step to reach the other lock “door” which was swinging to the side of the canal we wanted to be on.  

  

Spent about 15-20 minutes between the channels. Received quite a few waves from the workers on the mules and cargo ships. I was most impressed with how quickly the ships are lowered once in the lock. (Check out the word “Maersk Sealand” on the blue ship to get a feel fro how much they lower the water level) and how close the ships are to the edge of the canal. (Fun fact: the black ship in the pictures is holding over 5,000 containers.)

  

  

  

Crossed back to the other side of the channel via the other lock, without incidence. Although I must admit, it is a little more scary walking across that lock when the water has been evacuated from one of the sides. It’s a long way down, but hey, but if the Prince of Belgium can do it, so can we.   

  

  

 

Spent the last few days in route to Panama City. A few highlights: 

 

Stayed in Las Lejas on what will be our last beach camp. Water was extremely warm and had sting rays in it. There was a gorgeous sunset (unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me). Felt like the beaches of Central America were bidding us farewell. 

 

We were told about a German place for dinner down the road from where we were staying. We all piled in the Earthroamer and drove down the road looking for the German place. Came upon a restaurant where it was supposed to be, but it wasn’t a German place. In fact, it looked under construction. We pulled over to ask a pedestrian (who just happened to be the owner) and it turned out it was not a German restaurant but OWNED by Germans. We all had a good laugh about that. Anyway, Scott and I both had very good spaghetti bolognese. 

 

Spent the next day driving and that evening we stayed at a place owned by a couple who were fond of birds and had them in cages all over the campground. They had toucans, macaws, parakeets, etc. I was told the birds in the one cage talked. So I go over to the cage and begin talking to the bird trying to get it to talk back. “Hi birdy. Can you say hi? Hi pretty bird. Hello. Hi, can you talk? Hello. Hello. Hello? Do you talk, stupid bird?” I think I saw the bird roll his eyes as he said (and I kid you not), “Hola, como estas?”  Ahhh, yeah. We’re in a spanish speaking country. The bird speaks spanish. Yeah…who’s looking stupid now. 

 

I thought I’d share some “creative wiring” we’ve seen on our journey. These pictures were taken from Mexico to Panama:

  

      

 

  

 

  

We arrived to “welcome drinks” and a very nice lunch. Soon we had our bathing suits on and had a raging competition going to see who could reach the pool the fastest via the water slide. Billed as the second fastest water slide in the world, you depart from the lodges bar (not kidding) to drop 100 feet via a concrete half pipe to the kidney shaped pool below. Originally, we thought, “the second fastest water slide in the world, yeah right.” But they weren’t kidding. We howled with laughter as one after another we plummeted down the water slide at record breaking speeds, crashing into the water below with enough force to displace gallons of water from the pool (the grass around the pool is very green). Charlie was the winner of our little competition with a lightening fast 3.5 second descent.     

  

We spent the next few days exploring the area. We rode horses and in vehicles, hiked, white water rafted and talked conservation with Loejie, a biologist and the lodges owner, who is working on Tapir reintroduction. We experienced the rich diversity of the Costa Rican jungle, from massive chicken trees and spiny ferns to cutter ants, poison dart frogs, huge red-faced iguanas and jesus christ lizards (the have special air pockets on their feet which allow them to walk on water). 

  

The owners and staff of Rafiki were very pleasant and helpful. They provided exceptional service and great food. If you ever find yourself on the pacific cost of Costa Rica, and in need of a place to stay (you can camp there too) I highly recommend it. It is a first class destination. 

 

 

On our way out the next day, we came across a cute little animal on the side of the road. Kinda looked like a slender raccoon. When we came around another corner the animals were everywhere. Probably about 2 dozen of them. We pulled over to get pictures. They ran right up to the truck. James and Stacey threw nuts out the window and were absolutely mobbed by them. Found out later the animals are called Coati’s. 

You have to have a little fun while your on expedition. After all, an adventurer can’t spend ALL their time exploring. Every once in a while you just need to get out of the truck. That’s what we did today with a little help from a canopy tour company. 

 

The guides suited us up with hard hats, gloves, and a harness. A quick lesson about slowing down and where not to put your hands and we were off. The tour was through the jungle canopy, so we began by climbing up, up, up a huge tree to the first line (I did question my sanity a little bit about 3/4 of the way up). Once we were comfortable zipping down the lines through the trees about a million feet from the ground, the guides decided it was time to mix things up. On the fifth zip line, the guide flipped each of us over so we were hanging by our waist in the harness and pushed us off the platform. The trees were a blur as we flew over the top of them face down (I wasn’t the only one who alternated between screams and laughter). On the tenth line (a particularly long one, that has you barely clearing the bottom of a large tree limb) the guides bounced the line after they sent each of us off and we bounced wildly up and down as we slide down the line. On the last tree stand there was a whole bunch of monkeys and monkey babies in the tree by the line. We also saw a large iguana. All too soon our tour was complete, and we came screaming into the station. 

  

  

Hmmm, after further thought…we were flying OVER the land, so maybe it was overlanding. Regardless it was a grand adventure. 

 

Arrived at the Costa Rican boarder. When we pulled up to the boarder, James and Stacey, who were in the lead vehicle position got swarmed by the “boarder fixers.” They were like a plague of locusts, completely enveloping their truck. We assured the fixers repeatedly we were capable of getting ourselves across the boarder, but they just wouldn’t let up. Finally, James, our New Yorker, turned on his New York attitude and the fixers got the hint real quick. Got ourselves and the vehicles out of Nicaragua and imported in to Coast Rica. It was all very smooth. 

 

Stopped at the “Jumbo Market” in Liberia for food. True to our experience with pervious grocery stores, this one had an affinity for music. A band was playing in the entrance to the grocery store. We just had to laugh. 

Arrived at Playa Tamarindo, on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. We were going to camp in the parking lot of a place called Lola’s (Lola is a big old pig) but there were tons of people there. It was clearly the happening spot. While us girls hit the local clothing and jewelry vendors, the boys found us a great place to camp down the road right on the beach. 

Spent the next day combing the beach for shells, relaxing, doing laundry, swimming in the pacific ocean, and eating at the charming little place next door. The waves were great and attracted many surfers to the area. The water temperature was warm. Air temp was about 88 degrees. The beach was sandy and beautiful. 

  

After dinner next door, I sat in one of the hammocks on the beach. My senses were tantalized – swinging in the hammock, the ocean surf roaring before me, the stars were brilliant and bright, only obstructed by the palm trees swaying in the slight breeze above me, and Jane Monhet playing softly in the background. It was a lovely way to end a most amazing day. 

 

 

Arrived at beach around 5pm. We wanted to drive out on the beach and camp, but there was a full-moon tide so the water was about 10 feet higher than normal on the beach, leaving little room for us. We drove down the road trying to find beach access to no avail. Finally, we stumbled upon a large lot with a grande palm ramada with a nice tile floor mere feet from the beach. Asked both neighbors and no one said they’d seen the owner in a long time. We debated, but finally decided to camp there. The owner did end up coming by the next day and was happy to have us there.

 

Spent the next day relaxing, exploring, working on the trucks, and braving the powerful pacific ocean before we concluded with an exceptional group dinner of curry BBQ’d chicken, rice, and stir-fry vegetables in a coconut ginger sauce.  

 

 

We received special permission to drive an overland route to the other side of the volcano with the park guides. It was a great route that reminded us a little of the jungle in Guatemala. On the way back, the guides pulled out hard hats for us all to wear and had us get out and walk down a path to the bat cave (I’m not kidding). It was completely dark at this point (about 7 pm). We came to a big tree and we had to use the stones and tree roots to climb down to the opening of a cave. It is estimated that 20,000 bats live in this cave. We began to descend into the cave and would instinctively duck as the bats would fly by us on their way out of the dark, moist cave. The further we got in the cave, the more bats there were. In one chamber where we stopped they were just everywhere. Without our lights it was so dark, you couldn’t see them, but you could hear a high-pitched screeching noise. If we turned off all the lights and just stood there, you could feel the air from their wings as they swoosh by your head. When we took a picture using our flash, all of a sudden you would hear a loud swooshing away, like they were heading toward you, but the flash or noise of the camera made them turn away. It was crazy how many there were when we illuminated the cave – like hundreds all flying around us.

 

After we had our fill of bats, a lava tunnel where the ancient people conducted ritual sacrifices, and a look over the edge of the volcano into the depths to see the glowing lava, we made dinner and camped in the parking lot of the volcano – that is after we signed a release saying something to the effect that we wouldn’t hold the park liable if, say the volcano erupted in the night and we all died (I know, doesn’t make sense to me either), but we were willing to sign anything to add one more “life does not suck moment” to our repertoire. 

 

 

Could see several smoking volcanos off in the distance. One of the volcanos had a smoke port in the side of the mountain. 

 

Landscape is very arid and dry. Temperature keep creeping up and up, until it was at 100 degrees, by far the hottest we’ve experienced thus far on our trip. 

 

Came into Leon. Typical nicer town, with colorful buildings and narrow cobblestone streets. About 7 pm Scott and I walked into town. There is a university in Leon, so there were a lot of kids out and about, riding bikes, hanging out, playing hand-ball, goofing off at the square. Found a little restaurant on the square that was totally open to the outside. Sat in one of the tables overlooking the square and had dinner. After dinner, we walked to the ice cream shop. Got a cookie sundae and sat at the tables overlooking the street. Watched the people go by and contemplated how our lives are vastly different from theirs, but also very much the same. 

      

 

 

Found the buildings we needed and began the process of exporting ourselves and vehicle from Honduras and entering Nicaragua. I think the whole thing took about 2 hours. Not bad. In the meantime, we talked with the locals, took pictures of them taking pictures of our vehicles, fed a dog some left over chicken. One of the locals saw my camera and wanted to see pictures of our travels, so I scrolled through the pics on the camera. Right when we were driving through the boarder zone two huge white geese waddled by. How random is that?

    

 

 

The road construction zone became a free for all. People driving like crazy all over the place. At one point, the road was down to one lane. Normally, the flag guys would communicate and allow one side to go through at a time. NORMALLY… In this case, our one lane of traffic met the oncoming lane of traffic on the one lane of available road. Thankfully our lane of traffic had two semis in front, so the oncoming traffic relented and drove off the road to wait until we all passed. 

 

Went to a grocery story for supplies for dinner. Loud dance music with a DJ at the front of the grocery store. Inside the music was blasting. So much so, that unless you were directly facing each other you couldn’t hear each other talking. 

 

Took an overland route to Valle de Angeles. Really pretty mountain route. Trees, like in prescott, but interspersed with fields of crops. 

 

We passed two motorcyclists on the dirt road we were one. The first one did the jaw-open, neck breaker stare as he passed us, then actually stopped in the road behind us to watch us go by. The second motorcyclist drove by us, but didn’t see that the first guy has stopped horizontal across the road. He totally t-boned him and they both fell over. Thankfully neither was hurt. 

 

Camp spot was very nice. Looked and smelled like Prescott, so I kinda felt at home. Got in about 5pm. Had appetizers, then me, Stacey, and Tam made what everyone agreed was the best meal we’ve had in about a week. We had pasta with meat sauce, garlic bread, and a beautiful salad. It was beyond good.  

 

  

 

After we walked around the ruins, Scott and I took a tuc-tuc into town. Worked okay on the dirt or paved road, but was REALLY bumpy on the cobblestone. The guy dropped us off at a coffee shop at the center of town. We were all excited to get fu-fu coffee (mocha, flavors, whip-cream – a daily ritual at home, but harder to come by in a third-world country), but the power in the town was off (seriously, the whole town), so no coffee for us. Oh well, the tuc-tuc ride was fun anyway.  

 

                              

 

 

 

 

Had lunch outdoors by the marina. While at lunch, we removed tick from Charlie’s arm, a souvenir from the time we spent in the jungle.

  

While the boys sat outside by the marina to work, Me, Stacey, and Tammy walked to town. When we drove through on the way to Brunos, there seemed to be a lot of little vendors on the side of the road, but once we actually were there walking around, there really was nothing of much interest. Lots of food vendors, knock off or seconds clothing items (Hollister, A&F, Adidas, etc), produce, even bras. At one of the shops, I was taking pictures of the produce, tea, candles, etc and one of the teenagers working in the shop started goofing-off for the camera. I snapped a few shots of him, then he wanted to take a picture of him and a girl he clearly had a crush on. It was cute. Showed the pictures to him and his family. They got a real kick out of it. 

  

 

Me, Stacey, and Tam took a taxi (toyota corolla) to Flores Island to shop while the boys were getting the trucks all cleaned up from the mud from the jungle (not an easy task, I assure you). The island had colorful buildings and narrow streets. We made our way up and down and in and out of the shops enjoying finding treasures. 

         

 

The guys came to pick us up and we drove to Chaltunha (means “white stones in crystal water”) across the water from Isla Flores. Chaltunha was great. The owner, Neil, a Belizian, was very hospitable and personable. His place has six bungalows, and a camping area, and bathroom and shower facilities among the flowering orange trees (the scent of orange blossoms was intoxicating). Neil has a deck/dining area that overlooks Isla Flores and the water. Neil’s place is stunningly beautiful, I think made even better because how great he was at taking care of us. 

We were scheduled to have dinner at 8pm, so to fill our time until then, Neil offered to take us on a boat ride around the peninsula. Everyone piled in the back of his truck and he drove us down to the water. We boarded Neil’s ponga and set off. The sun was just beginning to set, so all the colors on the island were just positively glowing. The boat ride was really peaceful and relaxing. At one point, Neil said, “Everyone move forward” and we had to move toward the front of the boat to balance the weight so we could get through an especially shallow portion of the water. While doing this we surprised two men who had come down to bathe. Awkward! We watched the sun set while on the water, then headed back. 

Dinner was served out on the deck overlooking the now lit-up city. It was stunning. After the delicious dinner, we were served lemon meringue for dessert. I don’t like lemon but this pie was scrumptious and still warm from the oven.