Seat of Our Pants

Volcano Eruption in Indonesia!

Just over a year ago we were sitting on the summit of Gunung Sinabung – a docile, extinct volcano in northern Sumatra. It took us three hours to climb from base to summit – not the hardest volcano we’ve climbed, but well worth the work.

Shrouded in mist we celebrated summiting with a photo session and lunch.

Lunch was followed by a short tour of the summit’s two craters. Though we’d opted out, many of the westerners who’d been there had written their names in rock on the crater floor. I’m usually up for a challenge, but I guess it just didn’t feel right. I don’t know – something about being near a volcano crater is a bit unnerving. Being next to it, yes fine, but in the crater? Not my thing.

I write this post because we just received word that Gunung Sinabung, the (theoretically docile and extinct) volcano is now erupting. Local residents are being evacuated, though it’s still too early to tell what is going on.

Photo: Jakarta post: Antara/Irsan Mulyadi

For now, our hearts go out to the people affected by the eruption. May life return to normal as soon as possible.

Guns ‘n Ammo

Growing up in Europe, we had all these ideas about America. You know the usual stereotypes: burgers, cowboy hats, endless opportunities and extreme violence fed by a complete lack of gun regulation. This last bit about the violence was no doubt fed by the hours and hours we’d spent watching cop shows such as Kojak, Hill Street Blues and Hunter.

Living in Europe, I never really questioned these misconceptions – not out of ignorance (or arrogance), but rather because I never got around to doing it. Now, living here, I often find myself chuckling at how we used to see this country, and at how people back home still probably see it.

So, back to the guns. Here’s how it’s dealt with here: guns are around, so you might as well enjoy them.

Hence, we took Mom in law to the trap range the other day. We blasted away at clay pigeons and had an outrageous amount of fun.

Guns at their best. Truly.

A Sure Sign

If buying two Iphones isn’t a sign of us being back in the 21^st century, I don’t know what is. The other day, Jaime flew up to San Francisco for a bit of business and came back with not one, but two of these bad boys. Needless to say we’ve had our noses pointed into our phones for a couple of days, and I’m just barely beginning to feel that the app feeding frenzy is over. Are 30 apps enough? Am I missing that one vital app that could really change our lives?

Having problems like these is another sign that we’re no longer on the road. This will not remain the case for much longer though – in a couple of days we’ll be making a move again. This time, we’ll exchange sunny Southern California for Mariposa: an old gold mining town nested in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

So, stay tuned for some mountain adventures: hikes, climbs and possibly a Mariposa beer review.

Trouble in Ladakh

It’s been almost a year since we visited Ladakh. Now, news out of Leh is that flash floods have killed hundreds of people in the region. Both locals and foreigners remain unaccounted for, and the whole area is cut off from the rest of the world.

Normally it never rains in Ladakh. As the above picture shows, the architecture and layout of the towns are simply not made to deal with precipitation. The massive rainfalls devastated the mud-brick houses, washing many of them away.

We can’t help but think and worry about the people we met there, the friends we made and the places we visited. It’s such a remote and beautiful corner of the world, and its vanishing lifestyle is so fragile and precious that a disaster like this is very likely to send the whole place reeling.

Get well soon, Ladakh. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

A Personal Connection to the Smithsonian

My Dad's old race plane

SOOPICs: Two for One!

The World Cup from Over Here

I’ve had the privilege of watching the World Cup from a number of different locations. The most memorable one was in a backpacker hostel in Broome, Australia. The place was packed with people from all over the world, and a whole bunch of us decided that it would be a good idea to hole up for a month and watch as many games as we could stomach. Eight years later, I’m still in touch with several of those guys. That’s the power of idle sports watching for ya.

Curious cop catches a bit of the action in NYC

For this cup, we’ve found ourselves touring across the US, staying with friends and squeezing in a game here and there. We were at a sports bar on Manhattan when the home team played England to a draw. We watched Germany cut Australia to shreds together with a Hoboken, NJ family. With sadness, we watched Mexico get outgunned by Argentina at a Mexican restaurant in San Diego’s Old Town.

How does watching the cup in America stack up against other places? Well, the average sports fan in the US is generally more interested and knowledgeable than I would have guessed. Sometimes, you get the odd cheer for something that’s not traditionally cheerable (an offside by the opposing team, or a nice throw by the goaltender), but that’s just charming. People are interested in the game, they like to criticize tactics and applaud great efforts.

This is a contrast to many other places – in some locations Football has been the one true source of entertainment for generations – like the other day at the Mexican cantina. People were so fired up that they roared with nervous excitement every time their team took ball possession. It’d be tempting to chalk that up to their passionate Latin heritage, but no. I’ve seen similar behavior in Sweden and Germany.

Looking forward to 2014

As for the rest of the cup, well, my team didn’t even make it, and Jaime’s has been eliminated for a week now. Still, the World Cup is just fantastic entertainment. We can’t wait to see the last games. It will be four long years before it comes along again.

Bacon Puts his Hoof Down!

Since no one else is stepping up to the plate, Bacon asked if he could put a post together for the betterment of this blog. Unfortunately, his paws are not fit to type on a keyboard, so I’ve volunteered to help the little oinker out.

First of all, Bacon thinks we’re doing a lousy job at blogging these days. I concur. We’ve been busy. Busy celebrating our re-entry to the US, busy overcoming the hangovers from celebrating our re-entry into the US, dealing with immigration paperwork, smogging the car, watching True Blood on HBO, picking up work, doing laundry, joining a gym, chewing gum, making DMV appointments and so on. You know – all that stuff people have to do after a thirteen month trip around the world.

At this point, Bacon says “I want posts, not excuses!”. He also snarls like only a 5 ounce cloth pig with no mouth can snarl. I guess we have to bow to his wishes. To tell the truth, we’ve missed our blogging habits a lot – not only the practice of daily writing, but also the interaction with you guys, our readers.

Expect the blog posts to resume at regular intervals from now on. We have lots of stuff to tell you about, and we have a lot of fun adventures to look forward to in the near future.

Jersey Shore: Living Up To The Hype

The ladies are burned to a bronzed crisp. The men’s hairdos are greased into stiff perfection. The sun is shining and tanned skin is as abundant as bad taste.

This is the Jersey Shore, a surreal strip of boardwalk that has been featured in a number of popular reality television shows recently. We were in the area and decided to stop by for an afternoon to see what the hype was about.

The boardwalk itself surprised me. It has a classic old fashioned vibe. Pastel colors abound, as do fun games and the usual bad souvenir shops. The beachfront has calm water (it’s the Atlantic ocean, after all) and white sand. It’s paradise – in theory.

The reality is this: the Jersey Shore isn’t about the waves or the sand (you have to pay to access the beach anyway). It’s all about the people watching. Yes, you could make the argument that all boardwalks are about people watching and I’d have to agree with you. But this one takes the cake. It’s, well, it’s just plain ridiculous.

Most striking, in my opinion, are the extreme measures the kids (most of the people strolling the boardwalk were high school age) took their bodies to. The boys were heaving around overworked upper bodies on little chicken legs. The ladies looked like they had just rolled out of a tanning bed because, you know, you have to tan before you go to the beach to tan.

The food was terrible, as Martin describes here, but the people were unlike any we’ve ever seen. And coming from two people that just spent 14 months traveling the world, that’s saying something. If you’re in the New York area and have a half day to kill, head on over to the Shore. Pack a lunch, plenty of sunscreen and at least $7 to get to the beach. Otherwise you might have to spend your day in the shade of the carnival games, vying for one of these fabulous prizes.

The Sunny Center of the Free World

The Forum Romanum, Trafalgar Square and the National Mall in Washington, DC. These are all big stacks of monuments, gathered together to impress visitors to each capital. The white marble monuments speak of warlike efforts, of heroism in the face of danger and of the self-glorification of the ruling people.

What makes the Mall stand out from the others is the fact that it is still a work in progress. New monuments, such as the World War II memorial, are still being added. It is also an active place of mourning and devotion – we found the Vietnam war memorial especially gripping: a place where people leave flags and flowers for their fallen loved ones.

Other than that, it is a pleasant, sunny expanse – the perfect place for a stroll with an ice cream in hand. If this fails to entertain you, you can always go check out the Lincoln Memorial. Isn’t Lincoln’s head just strangely Frankensteinish?

Soopic: Bacon Gets Bieber Fever

  Shakira was Bacon’s obsession. We used to catch him dancing wildly to her songs, singing along in his little soprano. Maybe it was her goat-like voice that did it for him? Something familiar and barnyard about it? Either way, she was his gal.

That is, until we returned to the States a few weeks ago. Bieber fever hit our little pig and hit hard.

Justin Beiber: a voice for all the world’s little creatures.

P.S. Sorry JB. I don’t mean to knock you that hard, but some things about my reentry into American culture are wierding me out and you are definitely one of them.

The Amazing Graduate

My sister hated to go to school. She could come up with a million and one excuses why she shouldn’t go. Her throat tickled. She hadn’t slept well. Her stomach hurt. There were bumps in her socks (that was one of her favorites).

Just over a week ago, in New York’s Madison Square Garden, she was awarded her diploma as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. My school-hating little sister, driven by her passion and determination has become a doctor.

Kheli – I am so proud of you. The world’s animals should count themselves fortunate to have you on their side.

P.S. Way to show up your older sister. Geez.

Not What We Thought We’d Have to Fear

I think food is half the journey. I love trying new things, experiencing new flavors and making mental notes on how I’ll enrich my cooking once I come home. There’s also that element of fear involved: will my stomach be able to handle this stuff? Are deep-fried bamboo worms really safe to eat?

Coming back, we supposed that the stomach adventure was over. Food safety standards and pasteurized products would keep us safe from Delhi belly and the Rangoon two-step. Imagine our surprise when we realized that we had a hard time digesting American restaurant food. All those processed items like fluffy white bread, sausages, cheese and god knows what they do to meat over here – almost ended up making us sick.

Thankfully, our friends have been treating us to home-cooked food, made with love and good produce. Meanwhile, I’m not sure if I want to eat a cream cheese bagel or have a Starbucks latte ever again. Funny how things work out sometimes.

Cheers to CKO Kickboxing!

One thing we’ve been missing throughout most of our trip is regular work-outs. The muscle groups used in long-term backpacking are surprisingly few: mostly a bit of shoulder work (for carrying those 80 lb backpacks) and some stamina-enhancing rushes between connecting buses. Throw in the odd 8 oz arm curl (aka beer drinking) and you pretty much get the picture.

So the other day, our friends at CKO Kickboxing in Whippany, NJ, treated us to a good old-fashioned kickboxing session. Kickboxing as an exercise form is completely new for me but not to my wife (she’s the Muscles in this relationship). The verdict? This is a great way to work out. The first 10 minutes are awful, I felt like I was about to throw my lungs up through my nostrils. After that, endorphins kicked in and I slowly began to feel better. A tough 45 minutes later and I couldn’t help but feel rejuvenated and happy.

This was a great way to start working out again. I wouldn’t mind if the soreness in my upper body was a little less intense, but then again I only have myself to blame.