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Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!! February 2008: Byron has finished school and joined the Navy. He is going to train as an Air Crewman. I got all sorts of new goodies for my kayaking, a dry-suit, new booties etc. I hope to go on a 100 mile paddle down the Salmon River this summer. Lots of huge rapids. I got lasik so now I can do all my kayaking and hiking glasses/contacts free. I hope to be out of this area by the end of summer. I doubt I could survive another dreary rainy winter. Hope is home so I am free to go. No longer needed to help with Dean. I just built myself a new computer this week. Super fast. It is so beautiful to look at. The inside that is. Lots of cool copper pipes and fins for cooling the motherboard. Must go. ciao!
April 2008: I've also been doing tons of kayaking. Jason and I run all the local class 2 and 3 white water. June 2008: Moved in with Bob. Obviously staying in this horrid place for a while longer.
July 2008: Went to Byron's graduation.
Photos of the ceremony here. When I flew home, Hope and I went for a backpacking trip. We were supposed to go from the Elwah valley across Appleton Pass, around the Seven Lakes basin, past Bogachiel Peak, down to Hoh lake, across the Hoh River to Mount Olympus. Well, on the first night we suffered sleet and rain and extreme cold. Two idiots had stolen the camp site we had booked and it was too late to hike somewhere else. I had only packed the summer tarp shelter since it was mid summer. Stupid me. It is never mid summer in the mountains. We were cold and wet in the morning. Thank God for water proof sleeping bags. We hiked down the pass to the Upper Solduc and then up the other side toward Heart Lake. When the sun came out were dried all our stuff and continued. The sun disappeared again and it was raining by the time we set up camp at Hoh Lake. That night there was a terrible storm in the mountains. Our tent was slamming down on us with each gust. I decided that if we lost the tent, we would have to hike out in the dark so we did not die of exposure. The tent held, but our camp site became a stream bed from all the water. As soon as it started to get light, we broke camp with all our sodden gear, and hiked the 10 miles or so to a trail head. We go a ride down to the Hot Springs were I called for Mom to come collect us. We will have to try getting to the mountain next year.
Here are the few photos I managed to take between downpours.
December 2008: Byron is doing well in the Navy, he is in Pensacola and will be home for two weeks over the holidays. I spent a fortune on 4 season equipment when I got home from that trip I wrote about so I wont suffer next time I go back country hiking.
May: Well, I haven't updated since last December so here's the quickie catch up: Jason is home and free, charges dropped. Hope got 24 months but should be home soon. Dean is being home-schooled because he was so far behind in math and the school doesn't care that the kids are about three grades below international standards. Poor Spritzl died of old age, Smudge got run over. Gungi is doing very well and has made Grand Champion at some shows. I'm still working at the maximum security prison. I went to Peru on vacation, did the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu. Photos available
here. #1: Well I must tell you there are internet cafes EVERYWHERE. this one is 50 cents for an hour. It took me almost that long to figure out the keyboard. the streets here are narrow and made of stone paving. most streets the traffic runs one way thank god or I´d be dead. They have skype phones too. I will try calling on one. There are so many Israeli´s here. The trip was long, tiring, and I still have a bad headache. I had yogurt, fresh made fruit juice( made right in front of me from papaya, bananas, apples, and some strange green oranges9 AND ALPACA JERKY FOR BREAKFAST. the twenty oz juice was 50cents and the alpaca jerky about 4 inch square by quarter inch was 33 cents. they just salt it HEAVILY and dry the whole damn animal. then they just cut you a piece. the houses are made of mud bricks. the internet cafes are adult only so they keep the kids off the internet down here. I HAVE ABOUT GIVEN UP WITH CAPITALS SINCE i KEEP MESSING UP THE BOARD AND PRINTING STRANGE STUFF. Rich my number should be 01151 19 580 3644 I must go sleep, no sleep and little food for 2 days has left me feeling fluey. I will spend the rest of the day sleeping. tomorrow is my white water rafting trip. level 3 MINIMUM. sooooooo cool I NEVER BEEN BIGGER THAN A LEVEL 3. tOMORROW IS 3´S THRU 5´S, Stupid foreign keyboard. I´ll come back in here tomorrow after my trip. keep well, love to everyone. H #2: well it is dark outside, I am at my hostel. We have internet right here. It is a little slow compared to the cafe's but at least is exists. I am going to try tape the town by night, the lights are so pretty and the churches all lit up. IT IS NOT A SMALL WONDER WE COULD NOT FIND A GOOD MAP OF cUSCO. half the streets are so steep they have steps so cars have to go the long way. I wish they had standard key boards. I feel like an idiot when I see my typing but I am too tired to bother to fix it. THE ALPACA jerky was good. very salty but good. Tonight when I woke up I went to the nearest tiny hole in the wall store and got a liter of milk, 3 bananas, almond m&ms, and a bag of chips for 8 soles which is $2.75, that was supper. TOMORROW LuNCH IS INCLUDED IN MY RAFTING TRIP SO i WILL SPEND 5 soles on breakfast and ten on dinner. Then all my meals are included during the 4 day hike. In addition to the keyboard working differently, the letters are all faded so I have to guess where stuff is. It is quite amazing how all these mud houses look so funky and falling down but when you get a glimpse inside some, they are beautiful. Lovely wooden furniture and bright colored mats, throws, wall hangings. I WISH i HAD MONEY TO SPEND ON GOODIES BUT i BARELY HAVE MONEY TO EAT SO NEXT TIME MAYBE. There is a magnificent nature preserve here, supposedly the biggest unspoiled, unlogged biosphere. 8 days costs over $1500 so it will have to wait. The variety of wildlife is unbelievable something like 22000 species of things.. Also I have to see Lake Titicaca so I will have to save harder so I can come back with more time and money. Well this is painful. I will check for replies in the morning. I am rafting all day so call after 6pm EST if you call. Love H #4:It is 7:30 am and I am checking mail before I set off on my rafting trip. Wish me luck, these are HUGE rapids. It is pissing down rain. So much for the weather channel telling me there had been NO rain in this week over the last ten years. HA! I sure hope it stops by tomorrow since I have no rain gear and it is colder than a witches tit here at night. At least my bed was warm. It reminded me of my weekend at Hogsback. Soft mattress that you sink into, enough blankets to flatten you with the weight, probably made of lama wool, and a comforter. I was toasty warm after I thawed out. Tried not to need the toilet in the night. God I wish I was single, childless, and British, then I too could be spending a year in South America seeing EVERYTHING thanks to my dole check. If you camp and stay in cheap hostels and live on local food from the markets you could survive here on a pittance. Not a small wonder crooks hide out down here. The Irish girl here is into here sixth month. She originally went to Argentina, liked it so much she stayed and has seen Patagonia and the salt lakes region and everything else. After here she is off to Ecuador and the Galapagos. She will have circled the continent since she went North after Argentina then turned back and went around clockwise. After South America she is flying to New Zealand. She may need to try find some work there since it will be much more expensive than here. Otherwise she'll just stay a short time. Lucky wench. Well, it looks like the rain has stopped. I will wander---Oh my god, there is a dog on the roof outside the window, maybe that is outside his window since these houses all run together. HE MUST CRAP UP THERE.. Too many dogs here, they are everywhere. Poor things., all skinny with droopy undersides from all the puppies. Later all, I am off to find breakfast for under a dollar. Then off to risk my life. If I drown, remember I died happy. I{ll write as soon as I get back. Cant take the camera in case we capsize which I believe happens at least three times each trip. Will have a wet suit to try stay warmish. Love to all, give the boys a hug Mom. Ciao, H PS. notice things are improving with the foreign keyboard. #5: Safely home. I wish I had taken the camera but I didn{t want to get it wet. Turns out I could have safely left it on the bus. I am hoping that I get similar Peruvian farming countryside on tomorrows bus ride to the trail head. I just cant describe the miles of walls and houses made of mud bricks. I will have to show you. In the city and villages the animals are a little thin but not badly so. They are tethered to sidewalks and medians. The owners walk out into the countryside and cut bags of grass to bring back. closer to the edge of town they herd the animals (trailing their tethers) along the railroad tracks and out into the country to graze. Each group of animals, that I presume belong to one family, would have a couple of donkeys, about 4 cows, a bull, a few sheep, and a couple of pigs. ALL TRAVELLING IN A GROUP FOLLOWED BY THE HERDER AND HIS DOGS IN A MOST WELL BEHAVED FASHION. OUT IN THE COUNTRY THE ANIMALS ARE FAT. HERE THEY ARE EITHER IN WALLED FIELDS (MAINLY THE PIGS) OR GRAZING THE FIELDS THAT HAVE BEEN HARVESTED. RIGHT NOW THEY ARE HARVESTING CORN AND THEY BUILD A SQUARE OF CORN STALKS PILED INTO WALLS AROUND THE DRYING COBS. sOMEHOW THIS STOPS THE COWS FROM BASHING THROUGH AND GOBBLING THE CORN COBS. EVEN WHEN THEY ARE LOOSE IN THE FIELDS THEY GRAZED WHERE THE CORN WAS CUT AND NOT WHERE IT WAS NOT. HOW ON GODS EARTH DO THEY GET THESE ANIMALS TO COMPLY. OBVIOUSLY NONE ARE RELATED TO MY OLD PONY TRUMPET MAJOR. HE WOULD BE DEAD FROM BLOAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COBS. soME OF THE FIRLDS RUN ALL THE WAY UP THE STEEP MOUNTAIN SIDES. ALL THE HARVESTING IS DONE BY HAND. DONKEYS AND LLAMAS CARRY THE STUFF DOWN FROM THE HILLS. iT IS QUITE WILD SEEING HORSES DRAPED WITH COLORFUL BLANKETS WANDERING AROUND. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY BOTHER WUTH THE BLANKETS WHICH MUST SURELY FALL OFF ON A REGULAR BASIS. OF COURSE NO SHORTAGE OF DOGS EVERYWHERE. ANYWAY AFTER A LONG DRIVE WE GOT TO THE RAFTING SPOT, SPENT 2.5 HOURS FREEZING OUR ASSES OFF DOWN THE COLDEST RIVER IN THE WORLD. I RAFTED THE UPPER REACHES OF THE AMAZON. WATER I TOUCHED WILL FLOW 5000KM TO THE SEE. I HAVE TONS OF PICTURES OF THE RAFTING WHICH I WILL SEND WHEN I GET HOME. AFTER RAFTING WE HAD LUNCH. OH YES, WE WERE ALL WET AND FREEZING AND THE BUS WAS PARKED IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE WITH NO WHERE TO CHANGE. WE WERE ALL SO DESPERATE TO GET DRY CLOTHES ON THAT WE ALL STRIPPED OFF IN AN OPEN BUS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. A PASSING TRUCK WITH FARM WORKERS PELTED US WITH CORN COBS AS THEY YELLED IN GLEE. THEN WE HAD TO PEE SITTING IN A SMALL DEPRESSION RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUTTS VISIBLE TO ALL WHO PASSED. NATURALLY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE, WE WERE SOON SURROUNDED BY HUNGRY DOGS. I PROMPTLY GAVE ALL MY LUNCH AWAY TO THE POOR DOGS. ONE WAS SOO CUTE I WISH I COULD HAVE BROUGHT HIM HOME. HE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS A CROSS BETWEEN A PEKINGESE AND MAYBE A SMALL TERRIER. FLUFFY WHITE WITH LIGHT BROWN SPLODGES AND SOOO VERY FRIENDLY. aFTER THE LATE LUNCH THE LONG DRIVE BACK TO TOWN. AT SEVEN I WENT FOR MY INKA TRAIL ORIENTATION. I AM TIRED AND HAVE TO BE UP AT FOUR TO CATCH THE BUS. CIAO FOR TODAY. I WONT BE ABLE TO WRITE AGAIN UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT I WILL BE OUT STUDYING 400 SPECIES OF ORCHIDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN BLOOM AMONG OTHER STUFF LIKE RUINS. BUY TILL THEN, H #6: Hello all, I survived the Inka Trail. For those who didn't get the beginning stuff and the rafting trip - tough. Anyway, I have 4 hours of video and about 80 photos so I will be making some clops to send around. I carried my own pack for the entire 49km including Dead Woman's Pass. I was the OÑLY one in my group who carried a pack of any sort on day two over the pass. It was BRUTAL. and I only had 10 kgs and my rather heavy digicam. Words just can't describe how wonderful and awe inspiring it was. In fact I don't know where to begin. THE MOUNTAINS ARE TRULY HUGE !!!!!. I do believe I climbed more steps in 4 days than I have in my whole life prior to today. The Inka ruins are incredible, I just can't imagine the people of today having the work ethic to complete such daunting structures on such incredibly steep terrain. Our guide was telling us how the Inka families only had 2 kids because they had such good birth control medications. Well, let me tell you they didn't need birth control. Those cliff side terraces took care of all the stupid, slow, clumsy, and unwanted. Of every 20 kids I'm sure only two made it to adulthood unless they were tethered. On day one our guide said it would be an easyish 13 km. relatively flat. HA!!! At the end of the day we were asking where the flat bits were. He smiled and said. Well, this is Inka flat. Day two proved him right. Compared to the two killer passes on day two the average mountains on day one were Inka flat. We had very hot days and very cold nights. I doubt I have EVER worked as hard as I worked these last 4 days. We went through so many different types of terrain and micro climates. When I go over the footage I will make notes so I can explain the trip in detail. Right now I am exhausted and have to get up early to catch my plane to Lima. Today, after exploring Machu Pichu, which I must say is the most awe inspiring sight EVER, I was moved to tears by my guides passion for his people and the place. He was so right, by the time he was done teaching us his culture for 4 days, our arrival at Machu Pichu was truly a pilgrimage. We followed the footsteps of the thousands before us and we could feel the spirit of the place. Peru is a wonderful country, so much beauty. The people are so friendly and there is so much to see and do that a month wouldn't do the country justice. Also the exchange rate is terrific and stuff ,away from tourist shops, cheap. I have already decided that I have to come back and spend a lot more time. One week just is not enough. After Machu Picchu, I climbed that mountain that is behind Machu pichu in all the photos. Well, I can honestly say that I was scared SHITLESS. Why on Gods earth they Built up there I do not know. Steps on the VERY EDGE of SHEAR cliffs that are as steep as ladders against a wall. each step as wide as a midgets foot but twice as deep. I didn't dare walk down, my feet are too big and I am too clumsy. I would have landed up free falling 1000 m. I scooted down step by step on my butt. And I didn't care who was laughing at me. Any one point the steps go down toward the edge starting about 5 feet from the edge, down about 10 feet, and ending at a 2 foot ledge where it then turned and ran parallel to the cliff. Well, I could look down and going back was impossible since you slid down a rock face to get to the steps. I tried looking through the camera in case that would make it better but is didn't and I started to cry. I just couldn't look down, each time I did I felt like I would pitch forward and plummet to death. I sat on the top step, closed my eyes and started down like a small child step by step on my butt, gripping the stones. 2 Brazilian boys, late teens, came up to me and asked if I was OK, I said no, I{m scared to death because I feel dizzy so they asked if they could fetch my friends. When I said I was traveling alone, they said they would help me get down. I suppose it was merely moral support but having a body between me and the empty space made all the difference. I don{t think I have EVER been more afraid in my whole life. The Inka sites on cliffs have a habit of having steps that go down and end on a dead drop off. Maybe they had ladders there in their time going on down. Imagine fleeing down those steps, nasty little surprise of you don't stop in time. Well, more once I get home with photos etc. GO TO PERU. And use SAStravel Peru. They were incredible. We had 3 gourmet meals daily out on the trail in the middle of no where. Ciao till I get home, H Update: Missed the correct ferry and so my bus. Hitch hiked from Seattle to Port Angeles where Mom picked me up. Back at work Yuck, yuck, yuck!!!!!!!!! July 19: I have been doing some kayaking. Jason and I dinged up the kayaks running some rapids so I bought an inflatable kayak that is rated for big whitewater. Yesterday Dean and I ran the Calawah river in the pouring rain. We had a blast with rapid after rapid but we froze our butts off. Took six hours and we were soaking wet the whole time. Of course we were not wearing wet suits. Learned a nice hypothermia lesson. We only got the boat wrapped once and flipped once. The water out here is a tad cold even if it is summer. The day was about 65 degrees and the water colder. After a few hours it felt like we would never get to the take out. Hot baths were a hit when we got home. Can't wait for my next weekend. Aug. 29: Kayaked the Hoh, a little, and spent a couple of days in Seattle on my last weekend. Otherwise nothing new and exciting. The Peru photos are working now
2008
2007
Here are the letters I sent home while there.