Our first full weekend in Hangzhou (Sept 9 to 11) gave us a chance to see some sights in and around the city. On Saturday, we braved a steady rain to visit Hupao Spring, a place where the water is supposedly so good the locals will hike up the hill and fill jugs full of the stuff to take home. We saw one old man walking up with about a dozen 2-liter bottles hanging from a pole he carried on his shoulders. We stopped in a tea house for a cup of the local specialty, Dragon Well green tea, and heard some live traditional Chinese music while we sipped. After the performance, our little blond celebrity (see: Andrew is a Superstar) enchanted one of the musicians who let Andrew hammer on the big iron bells. Andrew sang Twinkle twinkle little star for her and she accompanied him on a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, something akin to a cello, I suppose.
Sunday, with nice weather, we went on a short hike through some hills to Good Luck park and Yellow Dragon Cave. Good Luck park on Sunday morning is an absolutely mad house. Five or six people were practicing their swordsmanship, waving real swords around as throngs of people walked by and 3 or 4 bands were playing and singing traditional Chinese music. The nearby Yellow Dragon cave was mostly a dud, but we did catch part of performance of traditional Chinese opera. Can't say I'm a fan.
Next stop was Hangzhou's famous West Lake, where Andrew and I strolled along the manicured pathways and dealt with the usual Andrew-paparazzi. Amy, in the meantime, enjoyed a $5 one-hour massage. This is a great place - they train blind people to do massage, where hopefully they make a decent living. Next was my turn for a massage!
The BoldTech office here had a day-long outing on Monday, and Amy and Andrew joined me. We took a 2-hour bus ride (after a 1-hour taxi ride) to the village of Anji, in an area of bamboo-covered mountains. Quite beautiful, although the views were a bit obscured by the every-present fog and pouring rain. The big attraction here is movie sets. A couple of recent big-name Chinese movies were filmed here, and the sets are still in place. Andrew made friends with the kids of a few other BoldTech'ers on the trip - Yaya and Chen Ju Qi, a girl and boy about Andrew's age. Most people who speak English adopt western names, and Chen Ju Qi used "Charlie".
We also joined some other ex-pat friends of ours for dinner on 2 nights. Axel and Kip live in our apartment complex. Axel is a German who works for a company he calls a "haberdashery" and his wife Kip is originally from Malasia. Both speak great English, and Kip also speaks good Mandarin, which is handy.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Five and half days of rain
For five and a half days, it's been raining or drizzling in Hangzhou, with only a few short breaks. I think it's the longest I've ever gone without seeing the sun, and there's no doubt it takes a psychological toll. Now it's Sunday morning and I can actually see blue (not gray) sky, and the sun is shining bright. Ah, the things we take for granted in Colorado.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
It's' the small differences
One of the things that makes traveling so intriguing is discovering all the differences between cultures. For instance...
Small appliances
All the appliances here are small. The fridge is about half the size of a standard American model. The washing machine is tiny, and it has a weight sensor, too. Throw in a single wet towel and nothing else, and it won't start. Did I already mention that we don't have dishwasher?
Laundry service
Due to the small appliances (see above), if you go more than a few days without doing laundry, it's gonna take a while - and a whole lot of tiny loads - to get it done. We decided to try a nearby laundry service, so we dropped off a bunch of clothes and linens. We got it back and all our shirts were pressed, folded and sealed in celophane, complete with cardboard stays for the collared shirts - just like a new dress shirt you buy at a department store. Same for Andrew's shirts, even. Each piece of underwear had a laundry tag sewed into it. The total for all that craziness was about $40 - a helluva lot more than I want to pay for laudry.
No diapers
What do you do with your toddlers if they're not toilet trained and you live in a country with no diapers? Simple! Put them in pants with an open crotch, and they can go whenever and wherever they want! Apparently it's socially acceptable - and not at all unusual - for small kids to just do their thing right on the sidewalk.
Traffic rules
Don't get me wront - I hate legal size paper. It doesn't fit anywhere. But today I wanted to print a quick reference sheet that was specifically designed to fit perfectly on legal size paper and fold into a nice little booklet. Forget it. They never heard of legal paper here.
Drainage
Most Chinese are unfamiliar with the modern home bathroom, or are only recently becoming acquainted with it. So it's not surprising, perhaps, that they haven't mastered the finer points of bathtub/shower drainage. For instance, you want the water to drain into the tub, not into the silicone-filled trough around the tub, which in turn drains onto the floor, which should then make a bee-line for the floor drain -- but only if the floor drain is at the low point of the bathroom floor, which it's not. Of course the result is a perma-puddle on the bathroom floor.
Fat pork
Lean meat might be all the rage in the good 'ol US of A, but not here. A favorite local dish is a hot chunk of pork, a cube about 1.5 inches on each side, which is 95% fat with a thin sliver of lean meat on one side and a thinner sliver of skin on the other, served in a little cup of melted pork fat. In fact, some of my colleagues who lived in the US said they sought out a specialty Asian market to satisfy their craving for fat pork. Artery-clogging goodness!
Small appliances
All the appliances here are small. The fridge is about half the size of a standard American model. The washing machine is tiny, and it has a weight sensor, too. Throw in a single wet towel and nothing else, and it won't start. Did I already mention that we don't have dishwasher?
Laundry service
Due to the small appliances (see above), if you go more than a few days without doing laundry, it's gonna take a while - and a whole lot of tiny loads - to get it done. We decided to try a nearby laundry service, so we dropped off a bunch of clothes and linens. We got it back and all our shirts were pressed, folded and sealed in celophane, complete with cardboard stays for the collared shirts - just like a new dress shirt you buy at a department store. Same for Andrew's shirts, even. Each piece of underwear had a laundry tag sewed into it. The total for all that craziness was about $40 - a helluva lot more than I want to pay for laudry.
No diapers
What do you do with your toddlers if they're not toilet trained and you live in a country with no diapers? Simple! Put them in pants with an open crotch, and they can go whenever and wherever they want! Apparently it's socially acceptable - and not at all unusual - for small kids to just do their thing right on the sidewalk.
Traffic rules
- Might makes right. The biggest vehicle wins.
- If you wanna cross the street or make a left turn, you'd better have big cajones.
- The bus isn't full until it's physically impossible to cram another human body on board
Don't get me wront - I hate legal size paper. It doesn't fit anywhere. But today I wanted to print a quick reference sheet that was specifically designed to fit perfectly on legal size paper and fold into a nice little booklet. Forget it. They never heard of legal paper here.
Drainage
Most Chinese are unfamiliar with the modern home bathroom, or are only recently becoming acquainted with it. So it's not surprising, perhaps, that they haven't mastered the finer points of bathtub/shower drainage. For instance, you want the water to drain into the tub, not into the silicone-filled trough around the tub, which in turn drains onto the floor, which should then make a bee-line for the floor drain -- but only if the floor drain is at the low point of the bathroom floor, which it's not. Of course the result is a perma-puddle on the bathroom floor.
Fat pork
Lean meat might be all the rage in the good 'ol US of A, but not here. A favorite local dish is a hot chunk of pork, a cube about 1.5 inches on each side, which is 95% fat with a thin sliver of lean meat on one side and a thinner sliver of skin on the other, served in a little cup of melted pork fat. In fact, some of my colleagues who lived in the US said they sought out a specialty Asian market to satisfy their craving for fat pork. Artery-clogging goodness!
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Andrew is a Super Star
I know every one reading this thinks Andrew is cute - but the Chinese people go nuts over him. Brad says it's almost like they don't believe that white adults come from white babies, but mostly it's just because they don't see very many white babies. People are always touching him and having their picture taken with him and talking to him. At first he really ate it up, but it's gotten to the point where most of the time he wont even look at anybody who isn't speaking English.
The most extreme occasion was one day when Andrew was playing in the fountain in our apartment complex and a couple of people were near by. Pretty soon passers by stopped to watch and then people who had been on their balconies came down with their cameras and started taking pictures of him and calling their friends on the phone to tell them about this crazy white kid playing in the fountain. One of Brad's co-workers saw the whole thing from a nearby restaurant. I really didn't think much of it since I'd seen several Chinese kids playing in the fountain. Soon a lady told me that Chinese children would never run around in the fountain with their clothes on when the weather is like this. I suppose when I think about it all the kids I had seen before were naked and 80 degree weather was a dramatic drop from the first couple of days we were here.
The most extreme occasion was one day when Andrew was playing in the fountain in our apartment complex and a couple of people were near by. Pretty soon passers by stopped to watch and then people who had been on their balconies came down with their cameras and started taking pictures of him and calling their friends on the phone to tell them about this crazy white kid playing in the fountain. One of Brad's co-workers saw the whole thing from a nearby restaurant. I really didn't think much of it since I'd seen several Chinese kids playing in the fountain. Soon a lady told me that Chinese children would never run around in the fountain with their clothes on when the weather is like this. I suppose when I think about it all the kids I had seen before were naked and 80 degree weather was a dramatic drop from the first couple of days we were here.
Move over, Louvre!
Among the world's premier museums, world-class destinations such as the Louvre, the Met, MOMA, The British Museum, may come to mind. But there's a grand new challenger for the title of World's Best Museum, and it's right here in Hangzhou.
That's right, folks: the China Finance and Taxation Museum. You've been waiting for this your whole life. Call your travel agent today! Spare no expense! Bring the whole family for the dream vacation of a lifetime!
That's right, folks: the China Finance and Taxation Museum. You've been waiting for this your whole life. Call your travel agent today! Spare no expense! Bring the whole family for the dream vacation of a lifetime!
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
No Speeling
They range from amusing to inexplicable. All over China, you'll find billboards, street signs, shop fronts, clothing and product labels, all with jumbled English. Here's one from a bottle of Dynasty (it sure is nasty) red wine:
When Andrew saw this sign he asked, "what does that sign say?" (as he does for every sign he sees). So we told him "no speeling", to which he replied, "What happens if you speel?". Good question, Andrew...good question.
Constantly drinking this wine is good to your healthOr this stern notice at the exercise area in the courtyard outside our apartment:
Pood, prinks, and rigid objects are not allowedAnd my favorite so far is this one, found on a short bridge over a pond in our aparment complex.
When Andrew saw this sign he asked, "what does that sign say?" (as he does for every sign he sees). So we told him "no speeling", to which he replied, "What happens if you speel?". Good question, Andrew...good question.
Update: my friend's wife, Olivia McCorkell, translated the Chinese characters. According to her, it says "No hurdling over".
Lunch - Fear Factor style
If you've ever seen the TV show Fear Factor, you've seen people eat some scary stuff. Eating in China can be an adventure, too. I went to lunch with a large group of colleagues today and we ate family style. Some of the dishes I sampled:
- Spicy frog stew (in a broth packed with red chiles)
- Pumpkin coated with a sauce of brined duck egg yolk
- Spicy stew of unknown beef organs (my friends weren't sure, but they think the organs are from the cow's neck)
- Chicken feet pickled in rice wine
Monday, September 04, 2006
"Early in the morning, we all drink beer"
Those are the lyrics of a new song Andrew invented while eating dinner last night, sung to the tune of "Itsy Bitsy Spider". Maybe he'll be a rock star some day.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Journey to Hangzhou
We arrived in Hangzhou around 6 pm Saturday, via Shanghai and Vancouver. We left the house at 5:20 am on Friday to meet my mom - who very generously volunteered to keep our dog and drive us to the airport. (Thanks, mom!) We had 3 big bags to check, each one of which just barely squeeked by under the 50 pound weight limit.
Thanks to an overzealous gate attendant in Denver, we almost missed the flight completely. You see, we got multiple-entry visas into China, with a maximum 60-day single stay. The gate attendant (let's call him Mr. Stickler) said we couldn't board the plane since our return flight on December 15 was more than 60 days away. With 30 minutes til departure, Stickler told us to go to the United customer service desk, where we were they told us they couldn't help - we had to pick up the phone to talk to someone else. The folks at the friendly skies of United said they couldn't help either, since we booked our itenerary with Air Canada (United operates this leg of the flight). So Amy and I split forces; I went back to the gate to work on Stickler while Amy tried to reschedule our return flight. At about the same time I convinced Stickler to let us on, Amy finally found someone who was willing to reschedule our return flight. With 10 minutes to spare, we boarded our plane to Vancouver.
Shanghai to Hangzhou
It's a 2-hour van ride from the Shanghai airport. Our driver, Shen Ming, didn't speak any English -- as expected, since few people here do. The section of Shanghai we saw was a sprawling jumble of enormous apartment buildings, interspersed with small plots of agricultural land, all obscured by a thick haze - mostly clouds, I think, but part smog too - that reduces the sun to a dull glow. In fact, when Andrew saw the sun through the fog, he said "look, it's the moon!"
I'm surprised by how modernized the country is here - even in the rural areas between the cities. Our aparment is across the Qiantang river from the city center in a booming new commercial district - akin to Denver's tech center, maybe. And I mean booming. There are probably a dozen high rises - both residential and office space - going up within a mile of our apartment, with crews working even at 7 am on Sunday and 6 am on Monday.
Our apartment is nice, and surprisingly roomy - 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Each room has an air conditioner with a remote control. Good thing, too; it was 36 Centigrade here today (that 's 97 Farenheit) with wicked humidity. We've got about every modern convenience, except a dishwasher. With so many options for cheap food nearby, we'll probably eat out a lot, though. We had our first meal here with Peter Liu, a co-worker who kindly helped us get oriented, at a nice restaurant. The bill for four of us was 138 Yuan, about $17, and that's probably 3 times what we'd pay at the typical local joint.
Here are views of our apartment.
Thanks to an overzealous gate attendant in Denver, we almost missed the flight completely. You see, we got multiple-entry visas into China, with a maximum 60-day single stay. The gate attendant (let's call him Mr. Stickler) said we couldn't board the plane since our return flight on December 15 was more than 60 days away. With 30 minutes til departure, Stickler told us to go to the United customer service desk, where we were they told us they couldn't help - we had to pick up the phone to talk to someone else. The folks at the friendly skies of United said they couldn't help either, since we booked our itenerary with Air Canada (United operates this leg of the flight). So Amy and I split forces; I went back to the gate to work on Stickler while Amy tried to reschedule our return flight. At about the same time I convinced Stickler to let us on, Amy finally found someone who was willing to reschedule our return flight. With 10 minutes to spare, we boarded our plane to Vancouver.
Shanghai to Hangzhou
It's a 2-hour van ride from the Shanghai airport. Our driver, Shen Ming, didn't speak any English -- as expected, since few people here do. The section of Shanghai we saw was a sprawling jumble of enormous apartment buildings, interspersed with small plots of agricultural land, all obscured by a thick haze - mostly clouds, I think, but part smog too - that reduces the sun to a dull glow. In fact, when Andrew saw the sun through the fog, he said "look, it's the moon!"
I'm surprised by how modernized the country is here - even in the rural areas between the cities. Our aparment is across the Qiantang river from the city center in a booming new commercial district - akin to Denver's tech center, maybe. And I mean booming. There are probably a dozen high rises - both residential and office space - going up within a mile of our apartment, with crews working even at 7 am on Sunday and 6 am on Monday.
Our apartment is nice, and surprisingly roomy - 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Each room has an air conditioner with a remote control. Good thing, too; it was 36 Centigrade here today (that 's 97 Farenheit) with wicked humidity. We've got about every modern convenience, except a dishwasher. With so many options for cheap food nearby, we'll probably eat out a lot, though. We had our first meal here with Peter Liu, a co-worker who kindly helped us get oriented, at a nice restaurant. The bill for four of us was 138 Yuan, about $17, and that's probably 3 times what we'd pay at the typical local joint.
Here are views of our apartment.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Asado
Quiz: What do you get when mix a bunch of retiree fly fishermen, some good-ol-boy ranchers, a handful of head bangers (one wearing a Slayer T-shirt), spouses, a gaggle of kids, lots of beer, and one very recently butchered goat strapped to a metal cross with baling wire?
Answer: my dad's annual New Castle Asado
(that's spanish for BBQ, more or less)
Dean (my dad) spent several weeks in Argentina a few years ago on -- what else -- a fly fishing trip, and he was inspired by their barbeque technique. Since then, he's held his own version
of it every summer in New Castle, on Colorado's western slope.
In the asado, the centerpiece (victim) is a whole kid goat, butchered, skinned, and strapped to a metal cross. The whole apparatus is placed between a wood fire and a wall of sheet metal to hold in the heat, and roasted for several hours. In case you're having trouble picturing such a thing, here's a photo.
The day started at 7:40 am, when my dad, his friend Doc and I drove a few miles up Elk Creek to Mike Dodo's ranch, where we procured one goat for a hundred bucks. A single .22 bullet through the brain quickly dispatched the goat, and Dean and Doc proceded to butcher it. It was the first time this city slicker has personally witnessed this ritual on anything larger than a fish. It's a worthwhile experience every meat eater should have, though.
So how does Dean end up with such a bizarre mix of guests? This is where his worlds collide: friends from church, long-time fly fishing buddies, former co-workers, a few fraternity brothers, and New Castle locals: ranchers, transplanted securities traders, ex-pilots, river guides, and head bangers (the New Castle Renegades, as they're affectionately known).
This diverse crowd had a great time, though. Good party, Dean!
Answer: my dad's annual New Castle Asado
(that's spanish for BBQ, more or less)
Dean (my dad) spent several weeks in Argentina a few years ago on -- what else -- a fly fishing trip, and he was inspired by their barbeque technique. Since then, he's held his own version
of it every summer in New Castle, on Colorado's western slope.
In the asado, the centerpiece (victim) is a whole kid goat, butchered, skinned, and strapped to a metal cross. The whole apparatus is placed between a wood fire and a wall of sheet metal to hold in the heat, and roasted for several hours. In case you're having trouble picturing such a thing, here's a photo.
The day started at 7:40 am, when my dad, his friend Doc and I drove a few miles up Elk Creek to Mike Dodo's ranch, where we procured one goat for a hundred bucks. A single .22 bullet through the brain quickly dispatched the goat, and Dean and Doc proceded to butcher it. It was the first time this city slicker has personally witnessed this ritual on anything larger than a fish. It's a worthwhile experience every meat eater should have, though.
So how does Dean end up with such a bizarre mix of guests? This is where his worlds collide: friends from church, long-time fly fishing buddies, former co-workers, a few fraternity brothers, and New Castle locals: ranchers, transplanted securities traders, ex-pilots, river guides, and head bangers (the New Castle Renegades, as they're affectionately known).
This diverse crowd had a great time, though. Good party, Dean!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
The adoption
Many of you know that Amy and I are adopting a girl from China, which is one of the reasons we're so excited about our opportunity to live in China for 3 months and learn a bit about the culture of our future daughter's homeland. We're now expecting the adoption to be finalized sometime around March 2007. Amy, Andrew and I will all fly to China and spend a few weeks there before we bring Andrew's little sister home.
We're adopting through an agency called Chinese Children Adoption International, which fortunately for us is just a short drive from home. They're the largest, and one of the first agencies to arrange adoptions from China, and they now arrange over 1000 adoptions per year. It's a great organization, and if you're considering adoption, I highly recommend them. We decided to adopt because we want 2 children, and we hope to provide a permanent home to a child who otherwise would grow up in an orphanage. Foster homes, and especially adoption, are very rare within China itself, so thousands of abandoned children end up in orphanages across China.
What's the adoption process like? In a nutshell, we start by finishing tons of paperwork, which the agency translates and sends to China. We also jump through a bunch of hoops for the US and Colorado state governments to prove we're acceptable parents. A social worker had to visit our house on 3 occasions and interview us, and we're also required by the state to complete 24 hours of training on parenting. Our "log in date", the date when our paperwork was accepted in China, is January 27, 2006. At some point, the Chinese government will match us with a child, and then it will be 6-8 weeks until we go to China to meet our new daughter. As long as Amy and I both go to China, she will be a US citizen when we return home.
At this point, it's a just a waiting game.
We're adopting through an agency called Chinese Children Adoption International, which fortunately for us is just a short drive from home. They're the largest, and one of the first agencies to arrange adoptions from China, and they now arrange over 1000 adoptions per year. It's a great organization, and if you're considering adoption, I highly recommend them. We decided to adopt because we want 2 children, and we hope to provide a permanent home to a child who otherwise would grow up in an orphanage. Foster homes, and especially adoption, are very rare within China itself, so thousands of abandoned children end up in orphanages across China.
What's the adoption process like? In a nutshell, we start by finishing tons of paperwork, which the agency translates and sends to China. We also jump through a bunch of hoops for the US and Colorado state governments to prove we're acceptable parents. A social worker had to visit our house on 3 occasions and interview us, and we're also required by the state to complete 24 hours of training on parenting. Our "log in date", the date when our paperwork was accepted in China, is January 27, 2006. At some point, the Chinese government will match us with a child, and then it will be 6-8 weeks until we go to China to meet our new daughter. As long as Amy and I both go to China, she will be a US citizen when we return home.
At this point, it's a just a waiting game.
Getting ready for China
The whole family is getting ready for our upcoming 3-month stay in China. (Click here to read more.) We expected to fly out around August 30. We'll be living (and I'll be working) in Hangzhou (here is a map), which is a few hours from Shanghai by train. Hangzhou is a city of about 6 million people and it's a popular tourist destination for the Chinese. By all accounts, it's a beautiful city. Our apartment will be within easy walking distance to the BoldTech office where I'll be working.
China has a week-long holiday, National Day, on October 1-7. It sounds like an extended version of Thanksgiving; most businesses are closed, people typically travel home to see their families, and hotels and transport are hard to come by. Unlike the Chinese new year celebration, however, there doesn't seem to be any interesting cultural events happening during National Day. Maybe this will be a good time to leave the country? We're thinking about Thailand, Bhutan, or Mongolia. Since our multiple-entry visas stipulate that we can stay in the country for a maximum of 30 days (possibly 60, there's still some confusion over this), we're going to need to leave China and come back sometime during our trip, anyway.
For now, I'm working with the client in Boulder, on the Pearl Street mall. Pretty cool place to work.
China has a week-long holiday, National Day, on October 1-7. It sounds like an extended version of Thanksgiving; most businesses are closed, people typically travel home to see their families, and hotels and transport are hard to come by. Unlike the Chinese new year celebration, however, there doesn't seem to be any interesting cultural events happening during National Day. Maybe this will be a good time to leave the country? We're thinking about Thailand, Bhutan, or Mongolia. Since our multiple-entry visas stipulate that we can stay in the country for a maximum of 30 days (possibly 60, there's still some confusion over this), we're going to need to leave China and come back sometime during our trip, anyway.
For now, I'm working with the client in Boulder, on the Pearl Street mall. Pretty cool place to work.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Employed again - in China
A month ago, I got laid off, when StorePerform moved all their software development to India. On Friday, I accepted a job at BoldTech Systems, where I worked for over 4 years prior to StorePerform. I'll be a tech lead for a team of software developers at BoldTech's office in Hangzhou, China. Amy, Andrew and I will all spend about 3 months in China! We're excited for the chance to experience the sights and the culture.
We'll be leaving some time around the first of September. Stay tuned for updates.
We'll be leaving some time around the first of September. Stay tuned for updates.
Pacific Peak revisited
Last week, Amy and I took Andrew hiking near Pacific Peak (13,950 feet), but didn't summit (see this post for the whole story). On Thursday, we sent Andrew to Grandma's house so we could have a chance at making the summit - sans Andrew. This time we approached from McCullough gulch, the next valley to the south. It doesn't have as many lakes, but it has a spectacular waterfall and is a beautiful hike.
Pacific peak has a decent-sized lake just below it's summit. The lake lies at an incredible 13,500 feet, and it has a large snow field which sinks into the lake's edge even in late July.
On the hike up, we spotted a family of ptarmigan - mom and about 5 chicks - browsing on the alpine vegetation. On our return hike, we passed by an interesting scene: a melting snow field, with a trickle of a stream running underneath it, had formed a tunnel, and flowers were growing underneath the snow tunnel.
Here is a photo from the summit, showing the lake, and 14,000+ foot Quandry peak in the background. It's great to live in Colorado!
Pacific peak has a decent-sized lake just below it's summit. The lake lies at an incredible 13,500 feet, and it has a large snow field which sinks into the lake's edge even in late July.
On the hike up, we spotted a family of ptarmigan - mom and about 5 chicks - browsing on the alpine vegetation. On our return hike, we passed by an interesting scene: a melting snow field, with a trickle of a stream running underneath it, had formed a tunnel, and flowers were growing underneath the snow tunnel.
Here is a photo from the summit, showing the lake, and 14,000+ foot Quandry peak in the background. It's great to live in Colorado!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
High altitude power nap
Yesterday the whole family escaped the 101 degree heat in Denver to hike near Breckenridge. We hiked up Spruce Creek toward Pacific peak, past five alpine lakes (Mayflower lake and Mohawk are the 2 named lakes), and the impressive Mohawk falls. After some recent rains, the wildflowers were in in bloom, and the clear weather made it a perfect day. This is a great hike - I highly recommend it.
A few years ago, Amy and I would have summited the pyramid-shaped Pacific peak, which requires a steep scramble up a thousand feet of scree and snow, past another unbelievably high lake which lies just below the summit at about 13,500 feet. But now, we've got baggage: 30-plus pounds of kid (Andrew) and another 13 or so for the backpack he rides in. At 3 years old now, he's a good hiker, and on this trip, he walked about 2.5 miles on his own 2 feet. The rest of the time he hitched a ride on daddy's back.
We encountered a few dozen people on the lower sections of the trail, but we had lake #5 (12,440 feet) all to ourselves. A great place for a power nap!
A few years ago, Amy and I would have summited the pyramid-shaped Pacific peak, which requires a steep scramble up a thousand feet of scree and snow, past another unbelievably high lake which lies just below the summit at about 13,500 feet. But now, we've got baggage: 30-plus pounds of kid (Andrew) and another 13 or so for the backpack he rides in. At 3 years old now, he's a good hiker, and on this trip, he walked about 2.5 miles on his own 2 feet. The rest of the time he hitched a ride on daddy's back.
We encountered a few dozen people on the lower sections of the trail, but we had lake #5 (12,440 feet) all to ourselves. A great place for a power nap!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
The Whale Ship Essex
I recently read In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick. This is the true story of the disastrous 1819-1821 whaling voyage (can you imagine being stuck on a stinking ship for more than a year?) from Nantucket which inspired Melville's story of the Pequod in Moby Dick. The 230-ton ship was rammed and sunk by a bull sperm whale estimated to be 80 tons.
The crew escaped in 3 small boats, and 8 days later, in the middle of the night, the captain's boat was attacked by an orca (killer whale), which batted the boat around with it's head and tail, took a bite out of it, and then split the boat's stern. They were able to save the boat, but had one hell of a scary night. So if you think you're having a bad day, think again...
It's a great read and I highly recommend it. I don't want to spoil the suspense, but suffice it to say it's not a happy ending for most of the crew.
The crew escaped in 3 small boats, and 8 days later, in the middle of the night, the captain's boat was attacked by an orca (killer whale), which batted the boat around with it's head and tail, took a bite out of it, and then split the boat's stern. They were able to save the boat, but had one hell of a scary night. So if you think you're having a bad day, think again...
It's a great read and I highly recommend it. I don't want to spoil the suspense, but suffice it to say it's not a happy ending for most of the crew.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Andrew's first amusement park
Amy and I took 3-year old Andrew to his first amusement park yesterday - Lakeside amusement park in Denver. Going to Lakeside is like stepping back in time to 1968, which is about the last time they installed any new rides at this place. It's so out of date now, it's almost hip almost hip again. Almost, but not quite.
We paid $4 entrance for the three of us, and then bought ride tickets at 50 cents a piece. Andrew loved the ferris wheel, which he rode with mom and dad, and also liked the various kiddie rides whick are all some minor variation of plastic or fiberglass vehicles going in a circle: planes, bugs, spaceships, etc. He rode the kiddie roller coaster by himself also. He was a bit scared for the first few trips around, then started smiling, but then looked a little overwhelmed as it kept going for another 4 or 5 cycles.
We paid $4 entrance for the three of us, and then bought ride tickets at 50 cents a piece. Andrew loved the ferris wheel, which he rode with mom and dad, and also liked the various kiddie rides whick are all some minor variation of plastic or fiberglass vehicles going in a circle: planes, bugs, spaceships, etc. He rode the kiddie roller coaster by himself also. He was a bit scared for the first few trips around, then started smiling, but then looked a little overwhelmed as it kept going for another 4 or 5 cycles.
Swimming lessons
We first took Andrew to swimming lessons when he was 6 months old. At that time, the main objective was to get him comfortable with being in the water. We held him, got him to kick his feet a little, and even quickly dunked his head under the water. He hated being dunked, and the water was a bit chilly so he didn't last very long.
Yesterday, we took him to his first "real" swimming lessons. This time, mom and dad were not in the water with him - just the instructors and about ten kids ages 3-5. He practiced floating on his back (with some help), blowing bubbles, and kicking his feet while laying on a floating pad.
Yesterday, we took him to his first "real" swimming lessons. This time, mom and dad were not in the water with him - just the instructors and about ten kids ages 3-5. He practiced floating on his back (with some help), blowing bubbles, and kicking his feet while laying on a floating pad.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
East Elk Creek: great hike, nasty bike ride
We brought the mountain bikes to New Castle and Amy and I wanted some nice singletrack to ride while grandma watched Andrew, so we picked up a copy of “your guide Western Garfield County outdoor activities”. We found a trail that sounded perfect, was listed as a biking trail, and just a few miles from the condo: East Elk creek. We rode about 50 yards before we hit an impassible section, and walked the bikes another 50 yards. This scenario repeated itself for almost a mile, as we lugged the bikes past fallen trees, seriously steep sections covered with loose rock, and ridiculously steep, exposed talus fields that plunged into the roaring creek below. The trail was completely eroded away in sections and just plain nasty in others. We finally ditched the bikes behind a tree and hiked from that point on – in our biking shoes. Our suffering was well rewarded, though, with one of the most beautiful canyons I’ve ever seen. East Elk creek cascades down the canyon in a series of waterfalls, and the canyon walls rise up steeply about a thousand feet. It’s the same geology, and almost as impressive as nearby Glenwood canyon, but it has a strong advantage – it doesn’t have 4 lanes of interstate highway ripping it in half. In some sections, the creek carves out narrow gorges with sheer cliffs over a hundred feet tall on either side. A fire scorched the valley 4 or 5 years ago, but the skeletal trees bestow a stark beauty on the landscape. Besides all the scenery, the trail is lined with raspberry bushes with plenty of ripe berries easy to pick.
We’ll have to go back to do a longer hike here. Andrew is back in town with Grandma, and we promised to be back for lunch.
This afternoon after a big buffet lunch, we loaded Andrew into the bike trailer and rode up the paved trail in Glenwood canyon for a 28-mile round trip next to the highway. It was good exercise, but an entirely different, and somewhat disappointing experience after the secluded scenery of East Elk this morning.
Rain on the crystal river yesterday sent tons of dirt into the Roaring Fork, and ultimately the Colorado river. My dad had a half-day guide trip scheduled for the morning, but the cloudy water cancelled it. The river is clearing up quickly, so as long as we don’t get any more downpours, we’re on track for some fly fishing tomorrow.
We’ll have to go back to do a longer hike here. Andrew is back in town with Grandma, and we promised to be back for lunch.
This afternoon after a big buffet lunch, we loaded Andrew into the bike trailer and rode up the paved trail in Glenwood canyon for a 28-mile round trip next to the highway. It was good exercise, but an entirely different, and somewhat disappointing experience after the secluded scenery of East Elk this morning.
Rain on the crystal river yesterday sent tons of dirt into the Roaring Fork, and ultimately the Colorado river. My dad had a half-day guide trip scheduled for the morning, but the cloudy water cancelled it. The river is clearing up quickly, so as long as we don’t get any more downpours, we’re on track for some fly fishing tomorrow.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Tourist Traps
You know you’re on vacation when you eat bacon 3 meals a day. I had bacon & eggs this morning, a bacon guacamole burger for lunch, and more elk steak (wrapped in bacon) for dinner.
The whole fam-damily spent a good chunk of the day at the Glenwood Caverns & Adventure park. We did the cave tour and sped down the hill on the alpine slide, which was a blast. Three-year-old Andrew loved the slide; when he and Amy got to the bottom, he shouted out “again!”. I guess you gotta do these cheesy tourist traps once you have kids; it’s unavoidable.
On the drive up here, we stopped and rode the Georgetown Loop railroad, which is a reconstruction of a 19th century rail line that has to loop over itself in order to make it up the steep canyon from the mining towns of Georgetown to Silver Plume. Another tourist trap, but a fun time.
The whole fam-damily spent a good chunk of the day at the Glenwood Caverns & Adventure park. We did the cave tour and sped down the hill on the alpine slide, which was a blast. Three-year-old Andrew loved the slide; when he and Amy got to the bottom, he shouted out “again!”. I guess you gotta do these cheesy tourist traps once you have kids; it’s unavoidable.
On the drive up here, we stopped and rode the Georgetown Loop railroad, which is a reconstruction of a 19th century rail line that has to loop over itself in order to make it up the steep canyon from the mining towns of Georgetown to Silver Plume. Another tourist trap, but a fun time.
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