Half Time Hobos...Stories from our Travels

Merry Christmas from Thailand!

2011-12-25T08:07:00.000-06:00

What do you get when you put together sunshine, sand, family and good food? A fabulous holiday in Thailand with the Haskes! Instead of doing our normal camping/hiking Christmas we decided to meet up with Jim's sister, brother and family in Koh Lanta. It has been so nice being together for the holidays. We've had a lot of laughs and fun times together - all between naps, of course! We have just a few more days in here (how sad!) and then we fly to Bali to meet some dear friends. It is going to be sad to leave Jim's family, but great to see some special friends. And plus, it's Bali:)

We made arrangements with Santa to visit us before we left Jakarta. It's a good thing he is so flexible! Amelia was so thrilled to find a pair of sandals in her stocking that we could have stopped there and saved everything else for a rainy day:) She asked us to put them on so she could run around the house. She continued to do victory laps each time she opened something new. It was funny watching her reactions - much different from last year.

New sandals and new jammies!

What more does a girl need?

Amelia loved her shopping cart so much that she pushed it around the house from the moment she opened it to the moment we left...only taking breaks for food, sleep and diaper changes!

Enjoying a Christmas book from Grandpa Steve and Grandma Nancy

Grandma Mary Ann sent a peek-a-boo book and without prompting Amelia joined in. It was the cutest thing! The blanket she is sitting on was sent from her Aunt Renee in Iowa. She made it herself and sent it just in time for Amelia to enjoy! Thanks for that!

As always, Amelia's development continues to astound us! Just this week she has added some new fancy words to her vocabulary: down (with sign), flower, bubble, rice, cracker. She is building quite the vocabulary and now tells us night-night when she wants to go to sleep with her nay-nay (paci and blanket) which is something I never thought would happen. Friends had talked about their son asking to go to bed and I thought, "yeah that will never happen," but it did. Whew...keeping a consistent bed time routine pays off:) She is on her second skinned knee from running on pavement faster than her body can coordinate and if she had her way would live on mango smoothies. (Every time she hears the resort blender go she says, "Yum, yum!") Needless to say, we are enjoying every minute of our time off with her. Hopefully you can see her in action very soon either on skype or videos we will surely post.

Missing all of you and wishing you the best for the coming new year.

Lots of Love from,

Liz, Jim and Amelia

Bring on the ball pit

2011-11-22T07:14:00.000-06:00

Belated Birthday Blog

2011-11-18T17:36:00.006-06:00

So the best intentions are, well...intentions. I thought that this year would be different now that my Master's studies are finished, but the blog continues to be quiet. Just a video here and photo there. So many events have passed and I have written countless posts in my head, but they haven't actually made it to this space! What can I say? Life is busy!

So, to catch up on what we have been up to, we will start with the first and most important: Amelia's birthday was on October 5th. Since I know several of you have been waiting for photos. We kept Amelia's celebration small and simple. We had her baby group over for an afternoon play date. Lots of yummy snacks, a cowboy cake (no connection to actual cowboys, just a name given by Jim's dad and friend) and a stuffed animal pit made for a fun time.

Photos are taking forever to upload so for now I will just post an album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/AmeliaSFirstBirthday

Watch Amelia Grow

2011-10-22T00:32:00.000-05:00

52 weeks of growth captured! This was Jim's idea and I am so glad we did it. It is so incredible to see the growth from week to week.

If you have better suggestions for a song, please post them in the comments section below...

Ahh chooo!

2011-10-21T23:42:00.000-05:00

Amelia and Daddy pretend to sneeze...ahh choo!

Happy Oktoberfest!

2011-09-30T22:56:00.000-05:00

Amelia discovered the delights of a cold block of ice and a little polka music during Oktoberfest 2011. Cheers!

2011-09-03T22:01:00.003-05:00

We had five blissful days last week in Bali as the rest of Indonesia celebrated Idul Fitri, the closing of Ramadan. We checked out a new area, Sanur, and will definitely go back. We had such a lovely time swimming, eating and strolling about. Jim even got in a dive! We have plans to go back in December and will hopefully meet up with our friends from DCS, the Longs.

Amelia is so friendly and loves to interact with new faces. She makes a silly giggle to catch someones attention and then goes through her routine of tricks. It is really funny to watch. By the end of our time at Hotel Sanur Beach, the wait staff knew her name and several other guests had to greet her daily. It is funny to witness just how much people love babies.

We seem to be in a continuous hunch these days as Amelia cruises around with her quickly fading goose step. She is now moving much faster and instead of high kicks is developing quite a quick pace. She wants to climb up everything - including tall shelves and the base of our table. She is over crawling up the stairs and would much rather hold your hands and walk up them. She has even shocked us with a few moments of free standing, but we think walking is a little ways off. We'll see as she is always full of surprises!

Birthday season is officially open as we celebrated with the first of the Bintaro Baby Boom: Zia. She is a month and a day older than Amelia so now we have to shift our focus to think about how we are going to ring in this year. I have plans to put together all the weekly photos and post a slide show. We have never missed a week, but unfortunately our memory card had an error and three photos are unviewable. (We also lost photos from our crab feast on our new porch with Richmond friends.) We decided that we are just going to reenact the photos we missed so that the series is complete. It has been a fun project, but we both agree that 52 is where we stop:)

Mirror Smooches

2011-09-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

Amelia is such a funny little girl. She had such a great time amusing herself in our hotel room in Bali that she decided to give herself a kiss!

Getting ready for Halloween

2011-09-03T21:36:00.000-05:00

Halloween may be a month away, but that doesn't stop us from playing dress up with her costume bits. Watch out, she might just put a spell on you!

Spaghetti Aftermath

2011-08-09T07:57:00.000-05:00

A marvelous mess after a dinner of spaghetti. It was even in her belly button!

Snapshots of Summer 2011

2011-08-06T19:23:00.000-05:00

There were just too many great photos to share so I put them together as a movie. We had such a lovely holiday with all of you and can't wait to see you again next year. As I put this together, I realized just how little we had the camera out in Iowa. I really wish that I would have taken more photos of Amelia with her midwest clan! Mental note for next year:)

Amelia meets Matea

2011-08-04T16:02:00.000-05:00

The High Stepper

2011-08-04T16:01:00.000-05:00

The Ups and Downs of International Travel...

2011-08-01T16:40:00.003-05:00

We finally made it back to Jakarta after quite an interesting few days of travel. Since I know many of you were curious how Amelia would do, here is a recap of our journey...

We were checked in by the rudest airline employee in Richmond, who charged us $400 for two "extra" bags that we were actually entitled two, but assured us that, "The computer is NEVER wrong." Boo!
We arrived in Chicago and spoke with a customer service agent who assured us that we should not have been charged. After contacting the agent in Richmond, who refused to issue a refund, they manually did it for us. Yeah!

Our flight to Hong Kong was delayed for four hours. Which meant that we would miss our connection to Jakarta. Boo!

We were supposed to get a bassinet seat, but boarded to find we were in the last row. Boo!

After talking to the flight attendant we were given an extra seat, which is way better than a bassinet. Yeah!

Leaving later meant that our 14 hour leg started much closer to Amelia's bed time and we all got a fair amount of sleep. Yeah!
We arrived in Hong Kong feeling rested and ready for our next leg, but it wasn't for another ten hours. Boo! But, United put us up in a hotel for the night. Yeah!

We arrived at the airport bright and early to receive our new tickets since we had to be re-booked, but the counter was closed. Boo!

Once we were finally checked in we found out that the bassinet seat was booked so they gave us an extra seat. Yeah!

We all had a nap just in to make it home for an impromptu baby group reunion. Double Yeah!

Once the jet leg (yes, I have been awake since 2am and despite my best deep breathing have not been able to fall back asleep!) has subsided. I will post some photos from our summer. We were not online a whole lot so I have some great photos that have not been shared!

Peek-a-boo!

2011-06-06T17:40:00.000-05:00

A Weekend in Yogjakarta

2011-06-02T07:34:00.001-05:00

Last month we spent an enjoyable long weekend in Yogjakarta, a city on the island of Java. Yogja is about an hour flight from Jakarta, which was perfect for a weekend getaway. We had been wanting to go to Borobudur, a Buddhist temple, for some time and finally had the chance.

Most people go to Borobudur for sunrise because apparently the view is stunning. We opted to go once we had a "full" nights rest. (I think our days of sunrise adventures are on hold until Amelia is a bit older.) From our hotel it took about an hour to get to the temple and on the way we were able to see some of the aftermath from the recent eruption of Mt. Merapi.

Although there were plenty other temples to visit, we decided to save them for next time and instead took advantage of the lovely pool at our hotel.

Click on the photo below to open the web album...

Standing Tall

2011-06-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

A Few Recent Favorites...

2011-05-25T08:02:00.004-05:00

Jim has most of our photos on his computer and he is in the midst of marking, marking and more marking so I will share a few recent favorites that I have snapped with my iPhone. It has been a while since there has been a proper Amelia update and now that my course work is finished, I have no excuse!

So what's new and exciting in our parenting adventure? Well, we are having a wonderful time with eating. I cannot say enough good things about Baby Led Weaning. I am so glad that we went this route. Amelia really does know how much she needs and when to stop. It is really remarkable how well she is eating and willing to try anything, especially since she is in control. She hasn't really refused anything, but definitely shows preferences. It has also been easier to feed on the road because she eats what we do. I don't have to cart along a bunch of jars, etc. Once the marking slows down I will hijack Jim's computer and do an "Adventures in Eating" photo blitz.

Amelia has been sitting up on her own for quite some time. She is starting to shift a bit on her belly, but crawling appears to be a ways off. Who knows though, every week brings something new and exciting. She now plays peek-a-boo and gives open mouth kisses randomly. She is the happiest little monkey and squeals with delight when I come through the door after school. I cannot wait to have all summer at home with her and Jim. The infant life jacket has been ordered and the kayaks are calling! She is going to love life on the bay. We fly home on June 10th and will make our Cedar Rapids debut on July 7th. Hopefully we can connect with lots of you!

And now for the photos...

I didn't even have to pose this one!

Amelia testing out the backpack before our trip to Yogjakarta.

Can you say, "Royal Wedding?"

Enjoying bits of apple in the Yogjakarta airport

Speechless for Once...

2011-05-18T01:43:00.005-05:00

Finito, basta, hlas, finis...my last paper is D-O-N-E! Everything is turned in and I received my Master's in Literacy Education from the University of Missouri last weekend. Wahooo!!! Because we were going away, I thought it was going to be an unmarked occasion...boy, was I wrong!

Jim managed to organize a surprise ceremony and celebration with our neighbors and friends. He had everyone doing something and they all managed to keep everything a secret! I had no idea!

I was tricked into a play date and then a walk, which ended up at our community club house. I saw a banner from afar and even said, "Hey, there's a party. Let's go see if they have cake." We walked through the gates and I was stunned to see everyone sitting in formation, ready for my commencement to begin. Of course I immediately burst in to tears as Jim said, "Liz this is for you...Happy graduation." Next thing I knew I was suited up with a cap and a gown that I couldn't figure out how to put my hands through - how I managed to get a Master's remains to be explained!

Jim had organized every detail in a way that totally blew me away. It was so touching to see how much he cared about making something he knew was so important to me a big deal. I guess that is why he is my best friend, husband, father to our child, and the man I share this blog with! It seemed that there was one surprise after another - even a card shower from loved ones at home. (Thank you family and friends for being there in spirit!) A special thank you also to Tessa for helping to set-up and decorating and to my sister-in-law, Margaret, who created Super Liz posters!

Here is a video our neighbor shot (thanks John!) and passed on to us. You can tell I had no idea because I am pretty much wearing sleep wear...I was tired after a staff vs. students soccer match.

http://www.youtube.com/user/holmesjw

And the winners are...

2011-04-30T07:27:00.002-05:00

As you know, we held a contest last week asking for your creative captions. After spending hours sifting through all the entries we have selected our winners. Remember, if your name is chosen you are entitled to the following:

An all expense paid trip to Jakarta, Indonesia which will include a stay in our private guest room with queen bed and your very own adjacent bath. All meals are included, and prepared to your liking by our very own, local Indonesian chef. Your prize also includes airport pick-up and drop off, all beverages, wireless Internet, satellite TV and pool. You may claim your prize up until the month prior to us leaving which may be in approximately 3 - 10 years. Airfare not included.

If your caption was not chosen we do appreciate your participation. We will be holding another creative caption contest where the winner or winners will be entitled to a free crab lunch OR dinner at our home in Mathews, Virginia. Drinks and sides included.

Drum roll please...

Just another day at the bouncing baby farm. – Molly Herr Gartlan

No more margaritas for now. – Steve Sandstrom

Hey where is my cabana boy with my cocktail? – Joni Kerr

Hey Mom, do you realize that when we go outside of this nice air-conditioned store into the heat that my balloon will expand proportionally! – Barry Leslie

What are you looking at? Do I have something on my face? – “T” - Not sure who this is, but a valid ID will need to be presented in order to gain entry into our home.

Dinner Time!

2011-04-27T17:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter...

2011-04-26T07:20:00.005-05:00

Scarf Fun

2011-04-17T00:43:00.000-05:00

Jumping with John

2011-04-17T00:42:00.001-05:00

One Piece Band

2011-04-17T00:42:00.000-05:00

We want your caption suggestions!

2011-04-16T08:50:00.004-05:00

This week we are asking our plethora of followers to let us know their caption ideas for 1 or more of the following images. If we use yours, we will award you with an all expense paid trip to Jakarta, Indonesia. Your trip will include a stay in our private guest room which includes a queen bed and your very own adjacent bath. All meals are free, and prepared to your liking by our very own, local Indonesian chef. Your prize also includes airport pick-up and drop off, all beverages, wireless Internet, satellite TV and pool. Offer expires in 3 - 10 years. Airfare not included.

Amelia and Bear

2011-04-06T17:44:00.000-05:00

Amelia Renee is 6 months today!

2011-04-05T07:44:00.004-05:00

Believe it or not, our little bundle of joy is half a year! I can't believe just how quickly six months have flown by! It is crazy to think back to the day she was born and the wave of emotions we experienced: excitement, anxiety, fear, and the purest form of joy and love as we first laid eyes on her. We have a LOT of photos to post from recent weeks - we know we are behind in sharing. Thank you to everyone who faithfully follows Amelia's growth...and what the rest of us are up to, too!

Hitting the sixth month mark means that lots of new and exciting things are on the horizon. We officially have reintroduced solids. (We flirted with them before, but after seeing uncomfortable rice cereal made Amelia, we held off.) This time we are taking a different approach: baby led weaning. Instead of smashing and spoon feeding, we are letting Amelia learn to eat through play. We give her safe pieces so she can learn to pinch, grab and coordinate her movements to get different foods, in their regular form, into her mouth.

The first time I must admit we were both a bit nervous when a huge hunk of banana broke off in her mouth, but magically she spit it out. This is all part of the learning process. So far she has tried banana, carrots and avocado. She took to avocado the best out of the three...which is no surprise considering how nice the texture and mild taste are! (We have a few videos from these feeds that we will post very soon.)

We were introduced to this feeding approach by our friends Tessa and Eric who have been doing it with their daughter for a month now. She feeds her self and eats lots of yummy fruits and veggies by gumming them down. If you want to know more, you can visit http://www.babyledweaning.com/.

No Description Needed...

2011-04-02T08:15:00.000-05:00

Can we really tick Borneo off the list?

2011-04-02T07:26:00.006-05:00

Jackson, Amelia, Nikki, Tucker, and Russell in Kota Kinabalu

Last week we headed to sunny Kota Kinabalu on the island of Borneo in Malaysia...and the only thing we have to show for the entire weeks trip is a stamp in our passport! It was more like a hotel vacation and I am not embarrassed to admit that we did not see one cultural thing the entire trip - well unless you count the gamelan playing in the hotel lobby! It was just the vacation we needed, full of quality relaxing time as a family and catching up with old friends...in a lush setting!

The plan was to meet up with Nikki, Russell and their two boys Jackson and Tucker. We taught together in Damascus and since being exited in 2008 they have moved to Beijing. We had a wonderful week together. Nikki got in her baby snuggles and we all enjoyed a few lazy days by the pool, some good food and lots of laughs. It was great seeing them and we hope to do it again very soon!

We came back to Jakarta feeling refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the year. Graduation is on the horizon. My master's paper is written and ready to be proofed one last time. Only about five more weeks to go and then I will take the biggest sigh of relief ever! The end of the year will be here before we know it and we will be making the rounds for the Amelia meet and greet!

Daddy with Amelia in Kota Kinabalu

24 weeks old

Helping mommy pack up my diapers - yes we use cloth even when we travel

"Wake up daddy! It's time to go swimming."

Jolly Jumping at 23 weeks.wmv

2011-03-17T08:21:00.000-05:00

Amelia and Zia have an afternoon bounce together!

Flirting with Solids

2011-03-17T02:01:00.000-05:00

Amelia encounters rice cereal (which was really more like milk soup with a few soft bits) for the first time. If you don't want to watch the whole experience, skip to the end when it turns into a cup feed!

Swimming in Bali

2011-03-04T19:15:00.000-06:00

4 month old Amelia takes a dip with mommy in Bali.

I'm Back...

2011-03-02T06:29:00.006-06:00

So after three VERY crazy weeks, I am finally catching my breath. I am in my final semester of my graduate program and was a bit overwhelmed by the workload the last few weeks. The good news is that the major section of my final graduation requirement (action research paper) is complete and the feedback is positive. I have a few minor revisions to do before we head to Borneo in a few weeks.

Believe it or not, Amelia is going to be five months this Saturday...yes, you read that correctly FIVE MONTHS! Wow...what a learning journey we have been on. Our latest discovery has been through the book, The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. A friend suggested this after both of our sweet little angels started to have more frequent night wakings. (Whew...this was another reason I have been so disconnected!) We have been using the techniques suggested and have already seen amazing results in Amelia's ability to go to sleep without help and to fall back asleep when she wakes up at night. And...all without crying! We'll keep you posted on this one.

Amelia continues to be full of smiles and giggles. She is such an outdoors girl...I guess nature is just in her genes:) Today I took her on the community trampoline and bounced with her - sitting down together. She is still a little small for jumping just yet! But, we do have a jolly jumper for her that needs a stand. Once this is up and running you can surely expect some entertaining videos.

The photos this week are going to be the first in our recent fashion show. Anyone who visited with us this summer saw my extreme organization - everything sorted by size, stage, use. When we came back to Jakarta, I put everything in Amelia's dresser not realizing how different each brand is sized. Now that she is growing so quickly, I have discovered that so many things fit her and if we don't put them on soon we are going to miss the window. I am so thankful that we didn't buy any more clothes than we did because she can barely wear what she has. Enjoy the many looks of Amelia.

Our little Monkey with her monkey. Thank you Auntie Margaret for the cute little onesie.

Amelia in the sun suit mommy knew she just could not live without!

Reading with mommy in her Ween onesie -

Daddy is trying to indoctrinate her early!

Sitting up tall in her Bumbo

We're all feeling a little pain one way or another

2011-02-19T05:50:00.008-06:00

Amelia continues to entertain and surprise. Over the last 2 weeks we have watched her begin grabbing her toes, rolling over from her stomach to her back, and today, if not a fluke, from her back to her stomach. A number of monumental firsts that are exciting to see, but we also had our first cold this week as well. Unfortunately Amelia had a cough and was congested but now she seems to be over the worst.

Liz is busy with being a teacher, a mom, a student, oh... and a wife. It will be a huge weight off her shoulders when she earns her Masters this spring. A tough road lies ahead, but if anyone can do it it's Liz. I recently aggravated my back playing basketball and have been seeing a chiropractor. Typically I avoid health care offices at all costs but this was too much. I am on the mend, but it has been more difficult these last few days getting down to play with Amelia.

Below are some recent photos, a few of which were from a short trip to Bali. Amelia has become more accustomed to the water which makes us even more excited about getting home to the Bay this summer. Liz and I have stayed strong with only using cloth diapers. Thus far Amelia's buns have only had one disposable on them and that was when she was brought into our room at the hospital after she was born. Most would think it is such a chore to wash them, but even on vacation, and only having a bathtub to use, it wasn't that big of an inconvenience. If only more people would get on board.

Morning Giggles in Bali

2011-02-04T02:23:00.000-06:00

Amelia 16 weeks

2011-02-03T23:39:00.000-06:00

Airplane!

2011-02-03T23:38:00.000-06:00

Sweet Sixteen...

2011-02-03T22:53:00.007-06:00

Amelia's sixteenth week brought lots of smiles...but that is not any different than any other week! We made another attempt at swimming, only to realize that she has already grown out of her bikini top! We were able to get one good shot...good thing it was only $1 at a summer yard sale. Amelia and her pals joined a music class at school. Having her come to campus makes Friday that much sweeter! Jim continues to get smiles from his song creations. Soon he will have enough hits to cut an album...watch for it on iTunes.

This big stuffed toy inspired another one of daddy's hits...Big Banana

Highlights from Week 15

2011-01-25T06:26:00.000-06:00

Here is the highlight reel from week 15...Amelia can now reach, grab, hold her head steady and screech with delight. Enjoy seeing a snap shot of her development!

If you are viewing this from facebook - click "View Original Post" to link to the video clip.

Belated Blog...

2011-01-19T03:15:00.005-06:00

Last week I mourned the end of my maternity leave and returned to work. I have been sick about leaving Amelia for over a month and the day arrived, ending my fantasy of being a stay-at-home mom. It has taken a real mind shift to move from being so focused on Amelia and her needs to my students. Learning to have adult conversations that do not involve feeding or diaper changes has also required a mental shift. I am adjusting and have accepted that this is the way life is. Luckily I have an understanding with my administrators so that I leave early each day to get home to feed. It is amazing how much more efficient I have become, whereas in the past I would often stay until 5:00pm and still not feel be prepared. I often wonder what I was doing with my time!

Last weekend celebrate me surviving my first week as a working mom, we took Amelia to the zoo. We enjoyed the park like atmosphere and were entertained by the animals, especially the monkeys.

Making friends at the zoo while we waited out the rain...Amelia is very verbal and loves to chatter to new faces. It was so cute the way she cooed and squealed to this little girl, who was very unsure of what to make of this little bouley baby.

Entering the primate center at the zoo

Australia Part 1

2011-01-13T06:13:00.006-06:00

Here are a few photos from our holiday trip to Australia. We stayed around Sydney, visiting Manly beach, the Blue Mountains and another beach town, Wollongong. We had a great time enjoying the outdoors with Amelia. She was a great little traveler!

Amelia's first plane ride - a red eye from Jakarta to Sydney Snuggling with Daddy

Manly Beach
Family shot at the Sydney Opera HouseBundled up with Daddy at Manly Beach on a windy day...
don't you love that there are bikinis in the background and we were freezing! Coming from Jakarta, it was chilly.Camping for ChristmasOur merry little family on Christmas morning after a wonderful sleep...
Amelia took to camping and had no problems sleeping in the tent. Instead of reindeer, we were visited by kangaroos on Christmas morning. It was perfect! There were four kangaroos. This is a shot of a female with a joey in her pouch.

Peace, Joy and LOVE!

First Plane Ride

2010-12-18T20:15:00.003-06:00

Today Amelia and family will fly to Australia for a few weeks. Our destination is Sydney and we have lots to explore and do. We are going to divide our time between camping and various forms of lodging. Hopefully Amelia will be able to handle the great outdoors with ease. Packing is obviously a bit different with our new addition. We also celebrated our first round of Christmas yesterday. Hopefully Santa will find Amelia down under. Happy Holidays to you all and we will be in touch.

Talking Up a Storm

2010-12-16T06:42:00.000-06:00

9 week old Amelia has a lot to say!

Giraffe Tickle

2010-12-16T06:41:00.000-06:00

Enjoy watching 9 week old Amelia talk about being tickled by toy giraffe.

Merry Moments

2010-12-13T18:20:00.005-06:00

Thankfully, Santa was able to find us here in Indonesia. He made a special trip to meet all of the girls and boys in our neighborhood last Saturday. He arrived in a horse drawn carriage - I guess it was just too hot for the reindeer. Santa was so thoughtful; he passed gifts to the babies first. Which was great because I know that many of us new parents would have stressed and wondered whether our happy little ones were going to make it until their turn. Amelia happily sat on Santa's lap, got her gift and then fell asleep in my arms...couldn't have asked for anything more perfect!

Because we will be in Australia on Christmas day, we will have an early celebration this coming Saturday. We will then do something on the day and enjoy a present from grandma - thanks, Mary Ann!

Amelia meets Santa
Mom and Amelia

New Dads - Brian/Anthony, Jim/Amelia, Eric/Zia, Hugo/Zack

We love our festive little baby!

Amelia is such a great little girl...

she didn't even mind her antlers!

Daddy and Amelia

A few favorites from recent weeks...

2010-12-13T18:09:00.004-06:00

Who Doesn't Love a Wedding?

2010-12-08T20:51:00.000-06:00

Blushing brides in elaborate gowns, halls filled with flowers, music and dancing...these are things we typically associate with a wedding. But, weddings in Indonesia are a whole different experience. We were fortunate enough to have a window into Javanese culture during a reception for our nanny's daughter last Sunday in her kampong (or village) here in Jakarta.

Maybe it was the loud music, the hot spicy air or just my general confusion as to what to do, but our arrival was quite interesting. An eager lady paced up to me with both hands out and a huge smile. I quickly put up my hand and motioned no; I was not ready to hand my daughter over to a stranger. Instead we made our way to a reception line of parents. As we moved along I noticed that everyone was shaking with both hands. It was then that I realized the woman had not been asking to hold Ameila, but instead wanted to welcome us! Luckily this was our only cultural mismatch!

After we met Sulasmi, our nanny, she ushered us to the food line. We wanted to wait, but then realized it would be rude so we both dished up bits of rice, chicken, and some spicy beans before taking a seat. I took a few bites and decided that the spices might be too much for Amelia and passed my bowl to Jim, who out of respect finished them both...what a good man! We sat and enjoyed the event. The music was quite nice and we liked watching people. It was funny to us that everyone arrived, shook hands, got food, sat in rows and then left. It was so different from what we know as a reception. But it was a nice time all the same.

The best part for me was seeing the wedding costumes. The bride had an elaborate head piece on and the mother of the bride wore flowers on her head scarf. Everyone really looked lovely. Even the fathers had batik sarongs with swords tucked in back. Apparently the wedding couple wears white for the ceremony, red for the day time reception, and gold for the night party. Below are some photos so you can enjoy the sights for yourself.

Afterwards, Sulasmi took us to see her house, which was very spacious for Indonesian standards. She showed us that her sister lived next door. We got to meet many of her relatives. She told me yesterday that everyone commented on how they thought we looked like movie stars - which is just too funny! Jim's height also made for a lot of conversations about the "bouleys."

Unfortunately, we tried to get a photo with the wedding party, but the man who took the photo didn't hold down the button. We did not want him to loose face, so instead we are hoping to get a copy from the photographer. He snapped lots of photos of us because we were the only non-Indonesians in attendance.

The Wedding Party: parents of the bride, happy couple, parents of the groom

Sulasmi, or Mimi, our nanny and her husband

rows of well wishers

walkway in the kampong (or village)

And the Fun Continues...

2010-12-07T19:29:00.008-06:00

Time is passing at such a fast rate; each week feels like a blur. It is crazy to think that in about ten days we will start our Christmas holiday. We are so excited for our adventure down under! During the past week, Amelia has started to "talk" more. She likes to exercise her vocal cords and will often respond to your questions with noise. It has really made for a lot of laughs!

I have mentioned before that there was a baby boom this year - four in total and one more on the way! We got all of the Bintaro (the neighborhood we live in) babies together this past week for lunch and some play time. The MamaPaparazzi was in full force!

The Bintaro Babies

Amelia, Zack, Anthony and Zia

Daddy joined the fun once he got home from school.

Isn't this crazy? How's this for a cultural difference!

This play mat belongs to Amelia's friend Zia.

It was purchased at a local store here in Indonesia.

Tessa has gotten very good at "multi-tasking" since Zia's birth!

Turtle Kiss

2010-11-30T07:13:00.000-06:00

Need a laugh? This little clip will certainly put a smile on your face!

Back Online

2010-11-30T06:53:00.003-06:00

After nearly two weeks of no web access, we finally had enough of our free, but very unreliable, school provided home connection and got high speed service. This is a huge relief to me as I am trying to do course work during Amelia's nap times and it is not possible when I can't get online. As many of you know, the window of productivity is often short so you need to be able to make the most of it. So in the spirit of productivity, the blog is filled with new posts to make up for my time without access. Here are a few more photos from the last few weeks that were just too cute not to share:

Amelia in her footie pjs from the Lambs...Thank you Brian and Laura!

Looking cute in my new sun suit! (Thank you Jenn, Dave and Owie! We miss you!)

Getting ready for my bath. Daddy likes to make me "walk."

Tummy Time

Our Little Flower

I made this headband for Halloween,

but had to wait to get a photo because it was just too much for one day.

Reading with Daddy

2010-11-30T04:03:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T19:40:00.005-06:00

Belated Thanksgiving wishes to all of you! We took part in a wonderful potluck lunch with our neighborhood community here in Jakarta. It is always a treat to have delights of home - turkey, mash potatoes, and pumpkin pie...mmmm! We hope that all of you enjoyed good food and time with your families. We have a lot to be thankful for this year...as you already know. We are also thankful for all of our wonderful friends and family. We look forward to this summer when you can meet Amelia and we can enjoy your company again.

Christmas is right around the corner and this year we decided to put up the tree extra early so that we could actually enjoy it before we jet off for the holiday. Unfortunately the cats have mistaken it for a new playground and have been terrorizing Jim by unhooking branches and climbing up and perching near the top. I, of course, find it amusing, but Jim does not appreciate it one bit!

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas in the Haske home!

Our little Thanksgiving centerpiece

Louise, Marcey and Stu - three new teachers and wonderful neighbors!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The 7 week shot - growing, growing, growing!

Monkey See Monkey Do

2010-11-29T19:16:00.000-06:00

Watch our little monkey make faces at mommy. You can't see me, but I am sticking out my tongue and Amelia is doing it back. She is quite pleased with herself:)

Smiles and Coos

2010-11-21T17:53:00.005-06:00

Amelia now smiles and shares the sweetest little coos. She has a dimple on her left side and when she gets really excited she squishes up her smooshy little face. It is so wonderful to see her personality emerging. It is also nice for Jim to be greeted with a smile and happy little noises after a busy day at school. (I will try to capture the cuteness on video, but it seems that every time I turn on the flipcam, I put her off.)

Amelia has started to mimic our facial expressions, mainly sticking out her tongue. This is very entertaining, but has now made it more difficult to determine whether she is hungry or just playing with you. All the same, being with her has just become that much better.
Six weeks, really? Where does the time go? We thought we would throw in a photo to show you that even our sweet little Amelia cries. Here is take one.

Ahh...a much happier take two.

Don't you just love how she looks in her night gown...thank you aunt Jenny!

Amelia loves this little rooster toy.

Amelia was feeling festive when we went to the JIS Holiday Bazaar this past weekend.

Or more like, mommy couldn't resist these little antlers and put them on the unsuspecting baby. She slept through the whole shopping experience, which was a good thing because there were so many people we hadn't seen in a while it would have been a bit overwhelming.

So what is new with mom and dad? Well, Jim has rejoined his recreational basketball on Sundays and I went to a pamper party last week. I had the most enjoyable back/neck/shoulders massage. It was only my second time to venture out...crazy that I have only been away from Amelia for roughly two hours in six weeks. This week our nanny will come twice so that they can start getting to know each other. This is hard for me...sigh... But, we leave for Australia soon and once we return I have to go back to work...bigger sigh! Before we go, I need to venture out for more than an hour. I have no doubts that the nanny we are employing is fantastic and knows more about babies and childcare than I do, but it is just hard to break myself away from our sweet little baby. I am sure many of you can relate!

A Week Without the Web...

2010-11-20T01:04:00.003-06:00

We have been without reliable web access at home this week, which has been really frustrating for me since it is my connection to the rest of the world and I have course work to complete. (Yes, I am still chipping away at my Master's degree in Literacy. My classes finish the 8th of December and then this Spring I will take my FINAL two courses and graduate!) Needless to say I did not get a blog post done. I will do extra after this weekend, especially since we are decorating the tree. It's early, yes, but we go on holiday in less than a month so we need time to enjoy it!

Amelia is now six weeks old, so this photo is a week late. It was Jim's idea to take a weekly picture so that we could track her growth. It is amazing to compare this week to her first! She has changed so much in such a short time. It is also funny to see which weeks she is just too tired to make it until the photo shoot, which is just before bath time. More coming soon!

Amelia loves her mobile!

2010-11-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

Ameila is changing quickly! She is so much more alert, on the verge of smiling, and often makes the cutest little coo noises. I bought her this mobile after watching her play mate, Zia, happily gaze at one the other day. Amelia loves it so much that if you try to take her away from it at the wrong moment, she cries.

A New Kind of Normal...

2010-11-11T01:41:00.009-06:00

Yesterday I visited school for the first time since I started my maternity leave. The kids were so excited to meet Amelia. They even sang us a very clever song they wrote in music class. It was really very touching. Amelia happily slept through the whole event in her carrier, which is probably a good thing because it would have been a little overwhelming to see a crowd of energetic six year olds oohhhing and ahhhhing at her. She woke just in time to socialize in the staff room during lunch.

It was nice to see friends and familiar faces. Several people asked how it was going and my response was, "Becoming a mother is the best thing that has ever happened to me." It's true. I ahve always though my sister (sorry, Jenny) was crazy for having four kids...especially in this economy. But now that Amelia is in our lives, I can totally undersatnd where she was coming from. Becoming a mother makes you a better person and fills you with an indescribable love. This love is not just for your child, but also for your partner. I have seen Jim in a new way and it suits him! I cannot imagine our life without Amelia. I know it existed - this blog is proof of that! But, life is much sweeter now that she is here. So, we have a new sense of normal that is Amelia Renee.

We love the Peapod! We take it up to the pool so that Amelia has a place to nap that is protected from mosquitoes! (Thank you Barb and Kathy)

Daddy soothing Amelia after a bath.

Notice how she is holding on to his finger.

Amelia with her jungle friends

We can't believe it's already been a month!

VID00008

2010-11-03T22:04:00.000-05:00

4 week old Amelia Renee held and shook her first toy today! Just watch out for your head!

Lots of Firsts!

2010-11-03T21:47:00.002-05:00

Amelia is four weeks old! During the past week she really started to wake up more and notice the world around her. She attended her first birthday party, although she happily slept through the whole thing in a friend's arms. Of course, I couldn't go more than five steps away...typical new mother!

She also celebrated her first Halloween, but this was a bit of a bust because we got home from the party and she was pretty much ready for bed. We did manage to go to two houses before we called it a night. She dressed as a flower. She wore a floral print onesie and a headband of petals that I sewed from the fabric of an old cushion cover. (Eco-Baby in the making!) I still need to get a proper photo of her wearing it, but it just wasn't possible on the night because fussiness set in - rightly so after such a busy day! We also carved a pumpkin while she sat in her bouncer. It was the first time we did this since our first year of dating!

Amelia's passport was processed. Yes, our little jet setter needs a passport. She has to have one to be in the country and will need it for her life of world travel. Her first big trip will be this December to Australia. She will spend the holiday "down under" with koalas, kangaroos, hiking and a bit of camping. We are going to test the waters with that one! She will also be Bali Bound this February.

Cozy Baby!

2010-11-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

4 week old Amelia with her faithful companions!

2010-11-03T21:34:00.005-05:00

I meant to post this last week when I did the other updates, but I missed it. Jim came up with the idea to do a weekly photo, so here is week number 3. If you look closely at her hand it kind of looks like she is Hanging Loose!

Amelia's first play date

2010-10-26T23:36:00.000-05:00

I will get better with shooting videos - I promise!

Amelia's First Play Date

2010-10-26T23:35:00.000-05:00

Amelia and Zia together, but totally unaware of each other!

Amelia - Two Weeks Old

2010-10-26T21:11:00.001-05:00

Amelia alert and bright eyed!

Amelia's First Dip in the Pool - Two and a half weeks old

2010-10-26T21:06:00.001-05:00

Amelia's first swim...more like dip! We probably spent more time taking photos than we actually did in the water. We just couldn't resist after we put her sunglasses and sun hat on! Too cute for words, really!

Amelia's First Swim...

2010-10-26T20:56:00.004-05:00

Thank you to my first grade class last year for this cute little swimming suit, which was part of an incredible gift basket put together by the parents. I have been dying to put it on her!

I love the size difference!

Look how cool I am in my shades! (Thank you Jen, BK, and Anthony!)

Don't you just want to kiss my chubby cheeks?!?

Blowouts and Burps

2010-10-19T07:29:00.003-05:00

Amelia is now 2 weeks old and everyday is a new discovery. She is becoming more alert and showing more and more personality by the day. We have been doing our best to break free of the house and do the things we enjoy. Amelia has gone for power walks in her stroller (yes, I am a huge power walker who swings his arms, wears sweatbands and can power walk 1 mile in under 6 minutes), has been thrown in Liz's sling and taken out to lunch, and tomorrow we hope to get her in the pool. I have to say that we are adapting well to parenthood. Today Liz took the brunt of a diaper blowout on her pants, and then moments later a sufficient quantity of milk was burped up onto her shirt. We laughed, cleaned everyone up, and still went out to lunch at a nice restaurant.

Welcome Amelia Renee Haske!

2010-10-08T09:01:00.003-05:00

As nearly all of you know at this point our daughter was born this past Tuesday (October 5) at 9:10 pm in Jakarta, Indonesia. Amelia and Liz are doing extremely well. We are back at our home and Amelia is adjusting to her new environment with relative ease. Every moment is absolutely amazing and we cannot take our eyes off of her. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy.

From Bump to Basketball!

2010-09-16T04:25:00.001-05:00

Here we are at 36 weeks...quite a change from my little bump this summer!

We had a check-up yesterday and everything is right on the mark.

There are more photos of Baby Haske's room and some of my nesting projects - like making reusable wipes - at this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/HaskeBaby?authkey=Gv1sRgCM3x5djS-46QqQE#

Enjoy!

Isn't Technology Amazing???

2010-09-07T03:58:00.003-05:00

So, I have debated on whether or not to share this one because some things should still be sacred...which is why we are keeping the name to ourselves. But I figure that by the time she is born she will look different anyway. What you are looking at is a scan of baby Haske's face at 30 weeks. Pretty amazing, huh? The blurry bit on her forehead is most likely her hand. I can't remember if she was wiping her face this time, because we have seen her do that on several occasions.

I am now 35 weeks and to answer the most frequently asked question, "I feel great!" I must say that pregnancy suits me! Being tall certainly helps because I have so much room for her to grow. And she is growing! The most recent measurements were in the 90+ percentile, which shouldn't surprise anyone. I haven't had the issue of "foot in the ribs" or difficulty breathing, although that might be still to come. I am still sleeping quite well and am able to get out to walk when it is not pouring down rain.

Can you tell from all of the !s that I am excited???

Updated Belly Photos

2010-09-06T03:38:00.003-05:00

This weekend we were once again showered with love and friendship. Below are a few photos from a group shower that was held for FIVE of us who are expecting in our neighborhood. (There are only 18 families!) You will notice that there are only four mommies-to-be present; the fifth was already in labor at the hospital!

Jenny (December 20ish), Jen (October 14), Liz (October 6), Jess (November 30ish)

As you can see, I was very proud to be the winner of the blindfolded baby dressing contest!

Our Jakarta Home: Before and After Shots

2010-05-28T22:06:00.002-05:00

Our first year is nearly over, which means we will be regaining our hobo status next weekend when we fly home and fill our days with kayaking, reading and general lounging around! We will throw in trips to Nags Head and Iowa as well as a few weekend visits with friends. It will be a much deserved rest after the busy year we have had! I, however, won't be on full rest mode because I am still chipping away at my master's degree. Between taking two classes online, I am certain I will still be able to find plenty of time to unwind.

To help you appreciate the transition we have made into life in Jakarta, I have snapped some photos of our house and put together a before/after album.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/BintaroHomeBeforeAndAfter?authkey=Gv1sRgCOGMgKK-2P_MDg#

Enjoy!

No Longer an "It"

2010-04-26T03:11:00.013-05:00

We switched doctors after realizing that the lady we had been seeing wasn't going to be able to deliver at the hospital we want to use. Instead she was an hour and a half away - and that is in "good traffic." Really, the traffic in Jakarta never really falls into that category! So of course we had to have another scan (how terrible, right!) when we met with our new doctor and this time we were able to confirm the sex of Baby Haske...it's a GIRL! The doctor did a very through check and everything looks healthy.

She is starting to do amazing things like kick, which later on I am sure won't seem as amazing, but for now is pretty magical! Jim was able to feel the movement today, which was really exciting for him.

So, to answer the most popular question, "How are you feeling?" I feel fantastic! Even during the first trimester, I rarely felt sick and never vomited. I learned when I needed a snack so that my blood sugar didn't drop and I didn't have to experience too much nausea. I was tired beyond anything I have ever experienced, but that passed in a few weeks. I also learned that if I drug myself out the door and got my heart rate up I felt a lot better. I am nearly five months now and so the worst should be behind me, well at least until the uncomfortable stage at the end.

I am in full "nesting" mode, trying to get as much done as possible before we leave for summer holidays. The room was painted a beautiful calming green at the beginning of the year and will stay that way. We picked up a crib from a family who was selling it and sheets are being stitched as you read this. I am consumed with researching cloth diapers, strollers and other necessary things online. As Jim said, having a baby opens up a whole new market he never thought about before. Lots of things are available locally, but you just don't have the selection or the quality control. So anyone that is up for a little baby shopping this summer, give us a call!

Hobos and a Half...

2010-04-24T07:39:00.003-05:00

By now most of you have either given up on our blog, because we have been so hopeless about updating it, or you already know our news. But, for those that don't...we are expecting our first baby in October. The babe is due on 10.10.10, which falls during our 10th years of teaching. (With all of those tens you would hope that is a good sign for ten fingers and toes!)

We had our four month check up today and the baby is healthy and the development looks good. Unfortunately we had a view of the back and weren't able to see the face. We did get to watch the little thing touch it's head and kick around a bit. Each visit proves to be magical and leaves us wanting more. Below is a glimpse of what we saw today.

More to come soon...we promise!

Better Late than Never...New Zealand

2010-02-16T02:09:00.002-06:00

So it's been over a month since we returned from New Zealand and most have you have probably given up on an update by now! But considering that we are spending less than half of our time as hobos this year, we hope you'll understand.

Spending Christmas in New Zealand was simply amazing. The pictures from our trip speak more than any update could. We got to do what we love: camp, hike and enjoy nature. What more can you really ask for? Take a look for yourself and maybe if you are lucky we will post a few stories from our adventure here very soon!
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/NewZealand?authkey=Gv1sRgCPOIhJuEqoCNVg#

Crashes, strikes, screams and volcanoes - all in one form or another

2009-12-17T19:17:00.010-06:00

Recently, we along with our friends Brian and Jen, decided to make a weekend getaway to Bandung about 100 miles east of Jakarta. We had heard good reviews about the train that runs to Bandung and decided to travel by rail. The four hour train ride was a refreshing experience on what Java has to offer considering that most of our experiences are limited to the chaos of Jakarta. For me, as a geography teacher, it was exciting to see the transition the city made as we left the CBD and made our way through the various urban zones until finally reaching the surrounding rice terraces.

Bandung was established by the Dutch and at one time was called the 'Paris of Java'. Although charming with its Art Deco buildings and green space it was clear the city had lost this label. Bandung, however, is 750 meters above sea level so the cooler climate was welcomed and appreciated.

We were only going to be away for a little more than 24 hours so we wanted to make the best of our time. So what was first on our agenda (well the girls' agenda at least)? Shopping! Bandung is known for its factory outlets and that's what a lot of people come for. Wasn't top on my list of things to do and by the second hour I was ready to throw a tantrum. Reciprocation is important in a relationship and after going into 4 or so outlets Brian and I stumbled across a bowling alley and went bowling along with Liz and Jen. He won the first match and I the second with a 189 I believe. 244 is my high score but I do not consider myself a bowler. The Big Lebowski just happened to make an impression.

Bowling was followed by a trip to the movies to see Paranormal Activity. Yes, we were having quite the cultural getaway. Why did we leave Jakarta again? I am not a big fan of fright films but I was actually entertained by this film. Seeing almost any film in the theater enhances the overall picture but it was fun to hear everyone's reactions to the film as it progressed. I was also impressed by the fact that the makers of the film were able to produce the picture for just over $10,000. Pretty inspiring if you ask me. After agreeing not to scare one another that night we headed back to our hotel to get some needed sleep.

The next day we got up and with the aid of a driver headed to Tangkuban Prahu, a volcano that collapsed from a build up of ash. Volcanoes always fascinate me and it was an interesting site to take in despite that fact that the surrounding parking area was a major tourist trap. After inhaling sulfur for a bit we made our way down a slippery trail to Kawah Domas, another volcanic area that is on the side of Tangkuban Prahu. We watched people wading in the sulfur geysers, spreading mud on their bodies, and some were even boiling eggs. While scrambling over rocks we could hear thunder approaching and decided it was time to head for the car just to play it safe. About a quarter of a mile on the trail the skies opened up and lightning began striking 3 - 4 miles away. I had to shake my head at the families (both western and local) heading toward Kawah Domas with no rain gear, flip flops on and little children. Not the safest or wisest decision in my opinion. After having to take shelter twice along the trail we made it back to the van but were all in need of a change of clothes.

Our final stop before getting back on the train was to be a visit to the Museum Konperensi. A colleague told me it was a must see. Basically it was where the Asia-Africa conference of 1955 was held. This conference was attended by such figures as Sukarno, Ho Chi Minh, Nasser and other Third World leaders of that time. Unfortunately we made it there 15 minutes after closing so I had to get my history fix by peering through the windows of the auditorium.

Despite being a short visit it was a needed refresher. We'll definitely have to make it back so we can get to the museum and some of the surrounding tea plantations. Next stop is New Zealand which we are embarking to tomorrow. Look out for an update from there. We'll be talking our camping gear with us and plan to hit the trails as hard as we did when down in South America. Happy Holidays to any and all that might be reading this.

Rice terraces as seen from our train

Wood worker stripping bark that creates natural design

Kawah Ratu

Kawah Domas

Bubbling geyser

Jen and Liz near geyser

Sulfur vents

Waders, bathers and egg boilers

Liz and Jim at Kawah Domas

Ahh...Bali

2009-11-14T02:35:00.018-06:00

All smiles after our first diving trip in four years

Ask anyone who has been to Indonesia, and they say "Ahhhh...Bali." So, as our first school holiday approached we decided the best place to start exploring the country would be in the famed location of "Ahhhh...Bali." Why wait any longer to see what all the hype was about?

With only a week to explore, we decided to spend most of our time in the northwest corner of the island in a village called Pemuteran. Pemuteran is a quiet little place with black sand beaches and abundant coral reefs. We stayed at the bungalows our dive center offered and couldn't have been happier. We spent four wonderful days diving and snorkeling. The diversity we experienced was incredible. The different varieties of coral alone were unbelievable, not to mention the life swimming around it! We watched sea turtles with remoras on their backs, pygmy sea horses hiding in fan coral, and puffer fish parades. It was simply stunning. At night we played games and had laughs while we enjoyed the sound of the crashing waves. It was paradise after a hectic few months of settling in.

To round off our Bali week, we finished up in Ubud. Interestingly enough Julia Roberts had been in town the day prior to our arrival shooting for her upcoming movie Eat, Pray, Love based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert. We hoped to get cast as extras, but there were no crews in sight. We went to lunch followed with a fright at the Sacred Monkey Forest. We had been warned by our friends that the monkey forest was pretty intense, but we didn't fully understand this until we saw it for ourselves. We watched aggressive monkeys attack each other, jump on onlookers’ backs, and snag food out of visitors’ hands. The entire time Jen and I pretty much clung to each other while Jim and Brian took photos and laughed. When I watched a large man with three monkeys on his back fling from side to side, I knew it was time to go. We returned to our Balinese induced state of calm after a little window shopping, which is endless in Ubud.

With only two days in Ubud, we didn't get a complete view of everything to experience, but we did join a cooking class, which gave us an interesting window into Balinese culture. We went on a tour of the local market to learn about the common spices and ingredients used in Balinese cuisine. After that we returned for what was more of a demonstration with tasting than a cooking course. This was the first time Jim and I had ever done anything like this and we really enjoyed the experience. After the cooking class, Jen and I spent the afternoon at the spa. We had massages, body scrubs and then hair conditioning crème bathes. It was four fantastic hours of pampering. A must while in Bali!

A week in Bali was certainly not enough, but it did help us understand why people refer to it as, "Ahhhh...Bali." The people have a calm and warmth you don't experience in other places in Indonesia. The food is incredible and every where you look you are surrounded by beauty. It really is paradise...and we are going again in February!

Our vacay crew...Jen, Brian, Liz and Jim

My jump shot is really improving! Must be the yoga:)

Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest...enter at your own risk!

This fiesty little monkey was ready take on Jim because he had his hands in his pocket and the monkey thought he was hiding food.

Ubud Market

Jim pulled out his bandanna for his turn to marinate the meat...as always he got the group laughing!

Making pork skewers...yum!

Rice paddy in Ubud

More photos can be found at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/OurFirstTripToBali?authkey=Gv1sRgCNGgq-HbsLDUPw#

Introducing Lola and Minke

2009-11-14T02:00:00.007-06:00

We are proud to introduce the newest additions to the Haske family...Lola and Minke. They were found about fifteen minutes from our house while I was out for a walk. I could hear their little kitten cries over my i-pod. How could I even think about walking away? After working with a security guard to get their brother, who has been placed in a home, out of a nearby canal I toted them home in an old plastic pail. Jim was a little more than surprised when I returned from my walk with a bucketful of kittens who I convincingly explained needed to come inside. After trying to socialize them so they would be ready for a home, Jim started to warm up to the idea of having another pet. And so here we are with two little kitties who are as cute as can be. Lola is mostly black, but has bronze colored stripes and a dusted face. Minke is a bouncer, he pounces around and when he finally tires out comes for a cuddle. Lola was definitely weened too early and when she is really sleepy, tries to milk Minke's tummy. It is quite funny to see! They both have curled tails, which is very common in Indonesia. Although we can never replace Zoey and Estevez, who back in Syria living with a new owner, they do bring a sense of home into our big house here in Indonesia.

Lola

Minke
Their brother who has been placed in a home.

(Behind us is our wonderful cook, Iboh.)

Jakarta Round Bali Bound

2009-10-16T09:16:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow the bubble bursts as we head to Bali for a week with our friend's Brian and Jen. It's definitely well deserved after 3 months on the hamster wheel. We have only heard good things about this island paradise that is an hour's flight away. Diving, hiking, and kicking back are all on the agenda.

Today another earthquake was felt. A 6.4 just west of us. I was sitting pool side with friends when I began to feel my chair shaking. At first I thought it was my buddy's kid rocking my chair but then I realized he was in the pool. My next thought was that it was his dog having its way with my chair but the dog is a she and she's the size of a loaf of rye bread. Another teacher then came in moments later and asked if we felt the quake. I don't know what it will take for me to relize that I just experienced an earthquake, but in a way, I don't really need to find out. This is the second I have felt and I didn't pick up on it until it was finally pointed out to me.

Here are a few pictures to show what we have been up to. I almost had a great photo of a doll faced monkey on a motorbike but was too slow to get out the camera. Liz saved three kittens the other day and I said she can keep them if I can get the Jakarta Monkey Moto-combo. I am still awaiting an answer.

The Ladies of Oktoberfest. Yes, we even had horses at our party.

Only $10 an hour for 3.

Mid rescue

The Abandoned

Brian and Jim - Hole in 1 ball
Liz, Jen and Brian on the back streets of Jakarta in search of furniture

Trying to not get hit. Notice the expression on Liz's face

The next few pictures are some from South America that we were unable

to get off our camera until our adapter arrived in our shipment

Jim buying a new crown in Ecuador
Please help with this one if you are a KISS fan. We were killing a day in Lima, Peru waiting for a flight, and knew KISS was in town. We walked by a hotel and a mob of fans was standing outside the car park. We took interest and started hanging out. Then this guy walks out and everyone goes nuts yelling 'Eddie, Eddie!' but who is Eddie? As far as I know there is no Eddie in KISS and never was. Please clarify if you are part of the KISS Army. We stuck it out for an hour but never did see Gene Simmons.

Liz with a diehard Peruvian KISS fan

The KISS Army

And yes, it is true, we did in fact go down to South America for

three months to go on tour with the Village People

I Feel the Earth...Move...Under My Feet

2009-09-07T07:59:00.013-05:00

Minimum Wage Monkey in Jakarta

(notice that the poor thing has a doll face over its head like a mask.)

Last week we experienced our first earthquake: a 7.0. I happened to be in a meeting when the room started to shake and sway. It was crazy because the night before I dreamed that there was a tsunami warning and despite my best efforts I could not run away; my legs just wouldn't move. The next day when the earthquake hit and a tsunami warning went out, I must admit I was a little shocked. But thankfully there were no big waves and I wrote my dream off as a coincidence.

We have been trying to get outside of our bubble and see a little more of real Jakarta. But at the same time we know we need to get our feet planted and this requires extra hours in the classroom and numerous shopping trips to set up our home. (We of course have also made a few other detours to places like golf courses, spas, outlet malls, and fabric markets to keep us sane.) So needless to say, at this point we really haven't seen much of the country itself. But hey, we've only been here a little over a month and settling in takes time! And because of that, it really hadn't hit me that we were living in a third world country until we went for a walk outside our gated community. We were meandering along and I turned to Jim and said, "Wow, this is really third world." I think his response was somewhere along the lines of a polite "Duh." I guess it is really easy to lose perspective when you live in an beautiful house and work at a world class school where you want for nothing. Below are a few photos from our walk that brought me back to reality. Unfortunately the sun was going down so the lighting in the photos is not the best.

Fruit stand just outside of our gated community.

Creative use of space? A garden right under the power lines

Hungry Goats

Indonesia really needs a recycling program, because at the moment they burn their trash.

As always...if these photos are not enough for you, there are a few more at this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/AroundTown?authkey=Gv1sRgCMy1_a_VjtixSw#

First Week Highlights and Delights...

2009-08-17T04:36:00.008-05:00

We started school last Monday and by Friday it seemed like a whizzing whirlwind swept the week away. Anyone reading this who has ever spent time teaching can certainly relate to how quickly the days pass when you start a new year. There never seems to be enough time to get things done, which pretty much continues until the last day of school. Ahh, one of the many joys of our profession:)

Despite how busy we may feel at the moment, we are both extremely happy and excited to be here. Our students seem great and so many more things are in place than have been at our previous schools. For the first time in over three years, I will not have to reinvent the wheel...this astounds me! Our school does such a great job of making life easy so that we really can focus on why we are here: helping students learn. (Example: There are banks and post offices on every campus!

We had a three day weekend thanks to a national holiday, which was a nice way to recover and from our first week with students and take time to indulge in some of the perks of living in Indonesia. At this stage, we haven't done a whole lot of exploring because we are still setting up our home. Although I was able to visit an area called Kemang, where furniture and interesting home decor is sold. There were so many beautiful pieces to see and I only went into a few shops. It appears that Indonesia will be a shopping paradise.

One of the highlights or maybe delights of our weekend was going to the Sunday Brunch at the Mulia hotel with a few other teachers who we have connected with. It was such a wonderfully decadent morning that we have pretty much agreed to do it again next week. It is so unbelievably affordable to have five star brunches here.

Another delight that cannot be left out was going to the spa...On Friday I had an hour Javanese massage with essential oils and then a conditioning cream bath on my hair. It was so good that three of us decided to go back Saturday morning for facials! I think a visit to the spa will definitely be a regular part of my weekly schedule. (While the girls were at the spa, the guys were out golfing. I guess this is the male version of relaxation.)

Needless to say, life is good. Jim is back to playing basketball twice a week and I start my first yoga class tomorrow. Our transition appears to have been pretty seamless. We have met some really nice friends and are starting to discover what Jakarta has to offer. It is a very exciting time and we appreciate that you take the time to share in our adventure by reading our blog.

We haven't been taking many pictures lately, but here are a few from our brunch.

We don't look too full, right?

A brunch isn't a brunch without a choclate fountain!

Away We Go...

2009-08-01T21:53:00.004-05:00

After an amazing summer our "life of leisure" came to a screeching halt as we packed our bags and closed up our new house in preparation for our next move: Jakarta, Indonesia. Everything went without a hitch, or at least we hope it did, and we set off to join the ranks of the working once again. It was difficult not to reflect on our past year as we looked forward to what was ahead. In just the short span of an academic year we experienced: a sudden school closure, deportation from Syria, the loss from leaving pets behind, the beauty of the first snow, holidays with family, game nights with friends, life changing journeys through South America, cramped hands from signing the paperwork for our first home, and most importantly treasured time with family and dear friends. It truly was an amazing year.

And now after four connections and many hours of flying we have arrived in our new home. The school provided orientation has been absolutely fantastic. From the minute they greeted us at the airport to our final social gathering, everything has been seamlessly planned and organized. They put so much effort into making our transition here as easy as possible it never seems to amaze me. Simple things like having paperwork to open a bank account filled out so that all you have to do is sign or the simple fact that they offer a transportation service available 24/7 until we receive our resident permits and can buy a car. They really take care of you here!

We are feeling a little like we are living a dream life. Our beautiful four bedroom home comes with a live-in staff. (The school pre-assigns help for those that want it; we of course pay for their very affordable, but invaluable services.) Iboh and Sukito are an absolutely lovely married couple that has been working with expats over twenty years. They were with their last family for eight years, so we know they are good. Iboh really knows her way around the kitchen and Sukisto can iron like no one I have ever seen. I was not sure how I would like having someone do everything for us, but I have to say that it is so great to start the day with breakfast on the table and after a busy day at school it is so nice to have dinner taken care of so that I can have time to myself to exercise or swim. It really makes life more enjoyable. Although I love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, I will gladly wait for to the weekends or summer time.

Our school facilities are like nothing we have ever seen. There are three campuses, two elementary and one secondary. Jim and I work adjacent campuses that look more like parks than school grounds. The buildings were designed so that there are no right angles, ensuring that every classroom opens up to green space. It is really something to see. We haven’t taken any pictures yet, but will be sure to in the coming weeks so that you can get a better sense of where we spend our days.

So far everything has been phenomenal. We really like the other new staff members and are excited to see a little more of Jakarta. There is so much more to say, but by now I have surely maxed out your reading limit so it will have to wait for our next entry.

Our new home

Click the link to see inside...

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/BintaroHome?authkey=Gv1sRgCPP_l5SI29qUyAE#

Hardly Hobos...

2009-05-27T06:37:00.007-05:00

Believe it or not, these two hobos are taking the plunge into home ownership! Within a week of arriving in Richmond, we have found a house and made an offer. Our offer was accepted and both the home inspection and survey were completed. Yesterday we signed early possession papers and will be moving next Wednesday, June 5th. Thankfully for us, the owner (who also happens to be our realtor, weird we know!) understands our time crunch and is willing to let us get in early. Our closing date will around the first of July.

Our "Rivah" Cottage in New Point, Virginia

The beach at the end of our road

We have also decided that it is no longer ideal to borrow or rent a car during our summer visits home, especially now that we will have kayaks...so we also bought a vehicle! Crazy, we know! We found a used Hyundai Santa Fe, which is perfect for our needs. In the near future I will post a photo, but for now you will just have to be satisfied with house pictures. Here they are:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/324SandbankRoad?authkey=Gv1sRgCMmH1-X70YKe_QE#

We have spare beds ready to welcome guests!

Anyone interested?

Hobos Heading Home

2009-05-14T14:56:00.008-05:00

With a week left to go before heading back to the US, Liz and I decided to leave Baños and make our way north to Quito with a stop or two along the way. Apparently one of the ´must-dos´in Ecuador is the Quilotoa Loop. Surprisingly, however, we asked a Danish girl in Baños (who had been living in Quito for 3 months) about the Loop and she and her friend seemed to have no clue what we were talking about. Had I asked them about a specific discoteque I believe they could have given us all the details in regards to cover charges, drink specials, etc. Just one more tourist on a different trip than us.

So the gist of the Loop is that you leave Latacunga early in the afternoon and approximately 2 buses run in each direction. There are a couple of small towns along the way with basic accommodation and it is suggested that you spend about 3 days making your way around the circuit. No bus does the entire loop in one shot, but it would take roughly 6 hours to do so if that were possible. A dirt road takes you through an incredible valley with a number of canyons and mountain views along the way. The road is about a bus and a half wide so it is always an interesting and nerve wracking situation when you come head on with another bus. If you are ever to do this trip, and heights are an issue for you, then I would highly recommend that you sit on the side of the bus opposite the valley. There are times when the tires of the bus are inches from the road´s edge which then becomes a straight drop to the valley floor. I was quite surprised not to see the occasional heap of twisted metal a few hundred feet below us, but then again, there is probably not much left at that point.

After four hours of some very impressive driving we got off at the final stop in Chugchilian and found a hostal we had heard good things about. Since there was basically no where to eat in this very small town our hostal included breakfast and dinner in their $8 per person rate. After talking to some other travelers about things to do we decided to catch the 5 am bus the next day to head to the town of Quilotoa and see the crater lake which it is famous for. Unfortunately all the buses run at unreasonably early hours.

The next morning we caught the bus along with a guy named Renee (Dutch) who was also staying at our hostal. After getting off the bus we made our way over to the rim of the lake and took a long look down. One of us said, ´Well, should we walk down?´Liz and I were hesitant since we had already seen a similar lake and our plan was to hike back to Chugchilian which would take six hours or so. Despite admittedly not being in that great of shape, and at an altitude of 3,800 meters, Renee was all for going down to the bottom. Liz and I kind of decided, ´Why not, we don´t want to deny the guy the chance to be awed by nature and snap a few photos.´Long story short, we made our way down, and then very slowly made our way back up. By this point we were all a little tired and had already ate all the food we had for the rest of our upcoming hike. I should mention that the night before when Liz and I searched Chugchilian for some food to take there was absolutely nothing except a ton of bananas. We decided to make a go of it anyway by using the map that had been passed on to us by the couple who hiked the trail the previous day. We had been warned of wrong turns, crazy dogs, and missing trail markers. After only half a mile of walking we were already lost and even more tired and hungry. Unfortunately we have found the trails in Ecuador to be poorly marked. So after a brief discussion we decided the best thing to do would be to turn around and get some food. In hindsight this was a very smart thing to do.

Quilotoa Crater Lake

Renee and Liz making their way down

After eating we headed out to the main road to see if we could flag down a car or catch the day´s only bus that would be passing by around 2:00. After being offered a ride for $20 the bus came and we got on. Buses will stop for just about anyone in order to make an extra buck regardless of how much room is available. In our case, no room was available in terms of western standards, but we were allowed on regardless. Not only was the amount of room enough to keep a sane person from getting on this thing, but the smell was extremely intense to say the least. Liz and Renee squeezed on and then it was my turn. The only spot unfortunately at this time was one that allowed me to hover above a woman sitting on the ground breast feeding her child along with a woman next to me who had a couple of baby chicks in her bag. So I now have to say that I am astounded by the number of women breast feeding in public that I see on a daily basis. I am not trying to be immature at all here. I just can´t get over how old some of these women look from working outdoors there entire lives and how old and big some of these children are. Some must easily be two or three years old. They are huge and it is happening wherever you go.

That night Liz and I decided that we had had enough of the Loop and it´s poor marked trails and we should try to move on to something a bit better. After some thought we decided to head northwest to another little place called Mindo. Mindo has some of Ecuador´s last remaining cloud forest and some outdoor activities as well. We figured this would be a much better place to pass some time rather than heading to Quito right away. So after another early morning bus (3 am this time), a change in Latacunga, and a failed bus catching attempt in Quito which led to us paying for a cab, we arrived in Mindo around noon.

We have been using the Lonely Planet along our trip to help us get from point A to point B, as well as to find places to sleep and eat. Going by what the LP had written about the hostal we chose in Mindo we thought we were in for a great budget option, but unfortunately we ended up with a complete dud. Why we didn´t just walk out I do not know. This place was easily the worst place we stayed in on our entire trip. Musty, dirty, a room that didn´t lock from the inside, a hole in the wall to the outside for vermin to come and go, damp, etc. etc. We already paid our ten dollars but decided to switch as soon as we woke up the next morning, if we could even ever fall asleep. Liz heard scratching noises above her bed at times during the night.

Over the last 6 years Liz and I have been very dedicated to the LP, but have now decided to support another guide book that meets our needs. LP has some great maps but we have also found alot of their information to be inaccurate and out of date. Apparently alot of the writers don´t even visit the places that are mentioned. We do realize that tourists do make contributions and that collaboration does take place, but there are also better options for travel guides out there. Also, once a hostal gets mentioned in the LP you can be sure that the price of that place is going to go up too.

Mindo was a cool and fun experience in the end. We had fun hiking around the surrounding areas, went swimming at a waterfall, visited a really cool butterfly sanctuary, and simply relaxed and had the occasional ice cream. One thing that humored us were the number of stray dogs around Mindo and how they would follow you around for extended periods of time. I guess they hoped to be adopted or at the very least to get some food off of you. One day we actually had three follow us in the span of only an hour or so.

The cute but not to helpful cartoon map of Mindo

Two of our companions

Once we had had enough of Mindo we decided to head to the capital and spend our last 2 and a half days in South America seeing what Quito has to offer. We have heard mixed reviews about Quito so we were not in any rush to get there. Mostly what we had heard was about crime. Everyone knew someone who had been mugged if they themselves had not. Liz and I, however, were not too concerned despite the negative reports. I hope I am not about to jinx us, but we have been lucky over the last six to seven years of serious travel and we feel we are fairly aware of our surroundings. Most of the people we have heard about we assume were out late at night and using poor judgment.

When you have money to burn, why not splurge for the finest linens and towels Quito´s hostals have to offer.

This towel seriously came with the room

So after two days of cruising around Quito, and four hours left before we head to the airport, I can only cross my fingers and hope that we don´t become unfortunate victims of street crime. Luckily Liz still has her can of mace which has only been used once, and that was on me after a late night trip to the bathroom - I am only kidding. All in all though this has been an absolutely amazing trip and we have been very fortunate that nothing has gone wrong over the last 3 months. I am quite surprised when I look back on our travels through South America because in a way it could not have gone off more perfectly.

As for the next two months before we head to Jakarta, Indonesia... well, the plan is to buy a home on the Virginia coast so we have a place of our own during the summer months. We plan to get that in order as soon as we return to VA on the 18th. Other than that, a few road trips to see some friends, maybe camp some more, and hopefully be in our own place come the end of June. I am sure we will see some of you, and if not, our doors will always be open in Indonesia and VA. Keep following our travels here and be sure to keep in touch.

As always, click on the following links if you would like to see more photos:

Quilotoa Loop
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/QuilotoaLoopEcuador?authkey=Gv1sRgCOPg1pDQp-DDggE

Mindo
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/MindoEcuador?authkey=Gv1sRgCPqrnbGT0rnj6wE

Quito
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/QuitoEcuador?authkey=Gv1sRgCKzCnomnqJ3QUA

A Little Bit of Everything in Baños...

2009-05-06T16:17:00.011-05:00

What do you possibly do after eight amazing days in the Galapagos? You relax of course! Which is why we headed south to the beautiful colonial town of Cuenca. After walking through cobblestone streets, taking in a few museums, reading a few books and spending plenty of quality time lounging we decided we were ready for more adventure.

One example of Cuenca´s beauty

The number one adventure destination in Ecuador is Baños. Travelers come to this hot spot for rafting, kayaking, biking, bridge jumping, horseback riding, etc. I had been looking forward to our visit to Baños for some time as I had decided that I would finally try rafting. (If you haven´t noticed already, I have been doing a lot of edge building this trip!)

Despite being very nervous, we booked a half day trip on a class III/IV river - perfect for beginners. We headed out the next day and because of the small size of our group our guide advised us to take the smaller boat so we could feel rapids better. On top of that Jim and I got put in the front, which only added to my level of nervousness. After getting suited up and having a safety demonstration, we got on the water and almost immediately hit rapids. I was a bit scared and so naturally what did I do? I grabbed on to Jim´s leg, of course! I only did this once because it was pointed out to me that I could have tipped the boat from not paddling. After I realized I was going to be fine, I really got into it. It was such a rush hitting rapids, having a huge gush of water hit you in the face and then paddling as hard as you could to make it through. By the end I was so thankful that I was in the front because you had the best ride and the best view. Rafting was definitely not as frightening as I thought it would be. I will definitely do it again, but want a little more experience before I hit a class V.

I don´t look so convinced here.

We stayed at a lovely little hostel, Timara, that had the most likable pets: three parrots and a dog named Gringa. On the bulletin board in the shared kitchen other travelers recommended taking Gringa for a walk in the mountains. We had already planned on going for a hike, so we decided why not take Gringa along. As soon as Jim asked the owner and started to move toward her leash, Gringa was elated in the doggie sense. She started jumping around and barely let us get her out the gate. It pretty much turned into Gringa walking Jim until we got to the mountain where we could let her off her leash. She was in doggie heaven, running up the hills, rolling in the dirt, sitting in a spring, etc. Despite being all over the place at times, Gringa always came right back to our side, showing that she knew her place. We went up to a look out point and made our way back down. Unfortunately the quality of the trail was not the best so we wouldn´t rate this as our top hiking experience, although we did enjoy watching Gringa. After that Gringa pretty much became our shadow, begging and whining to be taken on another walk.

Jim with Gringa

We spent another day biking down the road of waterfalls. It was a beautiful day and we especially enjoyed stopping at the Pailon del Diablo. We both had a great time being near the waterfall and getting absolutely soaked! After about four hours of biking and sight seeing, we decided to try to get ride back. I put out my thumb, because this is what the bike rental man recommended doing, and waited. Several trucks passed and no one would stop. Could it have been my helmet hair? Luckily after about ten minutes a bus came by, with bikes on the roof, and let us get on. I was amazed that the bus attendant was able to swing the bike up to the roof one handed while standing on the side ladder!

Jim on the Ruta Cascadas (Road of Waterfalls)

Getting soaked by Pailon del Diablo

Pailon del Diablo

We decided to spend a morning horse back riding up to a viewpoint to see the Tungurahua Volcano. We rented two horses and a guide and made our way out of town. Once we got around the side of the mountain that had been destroyed by the eruption in 2006 we were lucky enough to get a clear view of the top, which is usually covered by clouds. Unfortunately we did not get to snap a photo in time because as we were admiring the scene, Jim´s horse was admiring my leg! I had noticed that he was a bit close, but it wasn´t until he bit my leg that I realized just how close he was. I was so stunned that as I screamed and grabbed my drool covered leg, I missed the shot as the clouds moved and covered our view. For me after that I was much more concerned about keeping my distance from the feisty horse than I was about what we were seeing. I wasn´t too excited about the idea of getting bit again. Who knows, maybe the first bite was just a warning! Luckily I made it back without any other wounds, but I do have a nice bruise as a momento of our time with Pinto the Vampire Horse.

He looks harmless...but looks are deceiving!

And finally, a trip to Baños is not complete without renting a dune buggy, which is exactly what we did our last day. For only $10usd an hour you can cruise around the surrounding areas in a little dune buggy. We had such a laugh, especially when Jim crammed in the driver side. We felt that after seeing Baños by raft, feet, bike, and horse it was only fitting that we round things up in a buggy.

Notice the size difference...

Enjoy more photos at the following links...

To see more photos from Cuenca, click here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/Cuenca?authkey=Gv1sRgCIOKpKKq3IyV7wE#

More rafting photos can be found at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/RaftingInBanos?authkey=Gv1sRgCIqWm5_H_4LRKA#

Other photos from our time in Baños:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/BanosEcuador?authkey=Gv1sRgCM6EgcKfnKfBMA#

The Galapagos Islands - Better than a day at the zoo

2009-04-27T15:00:00.012-05:00

So we have just returned from an eight day cruise around the Galapagos Islands and all I have to say is WOW!!! This is a must visit for everyone, and I would recommend going ASAP because it isn´t going to get any cheaper and who knows when a cap will be put on how many people can visit annually. This place is awesome!

Rather than giving a day to day overview I´ll just give some of the highlights and lowlights. We arrived on Baltra Island via plane and when we stepped onto the tarmac you quickly realized you were on an Equatorial Pacific Island. It was hot! Our boat would be home to sixteen tourists over the next few days. Those joining us made up a variety of travelers. We had a family from Canada, couples from various parts of the world, and some singles as well. Some had already been on the boat for a few days, some would only be on for five, and one other couple would be joining us for the full eight.

Over those eight days we would be making our way to different islands each day. For those that like to examine maps they included: Baltra, Islas Plaza, Santa Fe, Espanola, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Rabida, Bartholomew, and North Seymour. Every island provided a new experience. Each was unique in regards to fluara, fauna and geology.

We would begin our days at either 5:45 or 7:00 am in an effort to beat the heat. We were served three fantastic meals a day by our chef who kept us incredibly well fed. After a morning excursion and breakfast back on the boat we would then go snorkeling or travel to another not so distant island. In the afternoon we might go snorkeling once again as well as have another land or water excursion. There was plentyof time in between activities to have a nap, chat, read, or do whatever you so pleased.

We had a guide for the first five days who was quite nice, but unfortunately very inexperienced. We were in fact his first tour group. This bothered a number of people, ourselves included. When you are paying a couple thousand dollars to go on such a tour you would think that an experienced guide would be provided. On the fifth day, however, most left our boat as their tours came to an end, and our guide moved on as well.

We received a new guide, and although he was incredibly knowledgable (he could do bird calls, name constellations, and spot animals hundreds of yards away) he too had faults. This particular guide was very strong minded and self absorbed. He was friendly as well, but it was easy to end up on his bad side if you were late for an excursion, walked off the path or made some other kind of mistake. At one point he saw it fit to humiliate a grown man in front of our group to the near point of tears. I know what you are thinking, and no I was not that grown man.

Another group of travelers also came aboard at this time. Everyone we met was unique in their own way and had something interesting to share. Our favorites, however, were a couple whose names were Phong (Vietnamese/Australian) and Jaana (German). Both have a really good sense of humor which led to me and Liz laughing more than we have in a long time.

All in all it was an incredible trip. We learned a great deal of information and it is simply amazing how close you can get to the animals. A few highlights for us were when a large group of bottlenose dolphins came swimming along and proceeded to swim in the wake of our boat. Snorkeling with penguins, sea lions, a hammerhead shark, a white tip reef shark, large rays, sea turtles and numerous other forms of marine life was spectacular. Watching blue-footed boobies and frigate birds make mating calls and even seeing two sea turtles mating was incredible as well. We were also awe struck by the geology of BartholomewIsland. You could see first hand how lava created these islands. I could go on and on about the beauty of this archipelago and the excitement it creates in you, but the best thing to do is go an see for yourself.

We are down to a little over two weeks and our now back in the highlands away from the humidity in Cuenca, Ecuador. Look for more updates but at the same time we look forward to seeing most of you in the near future.

As always, if you would like to see more photos then please go to the following two links. Sorry they are all not combined but we saved them at two different times.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/GalapagosIslands?authkey=Gv1sRgCIDg4a-12v7ikwE

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/GalapagosIslands02?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrJ97-mj6mB9QE

Bottlenose dolphins. Three of many that played in the

wake of our boat as we headed to Santa Fe Island.
Sea lion at Santa Fe Island

Santa Fe Island
Blue-footed booby on Espanola Island

Christmas iguana on Espanola Island

Blow hole on Espanola Island
Albatross on Espanola Island
Post Office Bay on Floreana Island. You can put a postcard in this mailbox and hopefully one day someone who lives near by will take it home, put a stamp on it, or deliver it personally.

Giant land tortoise in Santa Cruz highlands

Galapagos penguins on Rabida Island
Liz doing her best at a jump shot from the summit of Bartholomew Island

View from the summit of Bartholomew Island

Lava cones on Bartholomew Island

Pinnacle Rock on Bartholomew Island

Blue-footed booby with eggs on North Seymour Island

Frigate bird puffing out its chest on North Seymour IslandOur boat the Yolitta II in Barrington Bay off Santa Fe Island

Ecuador...Already?!?!

2009-04-17T16:12:00.009-05:00

It is difficult to believe that we are already in Ecuador! This is the last country stop on our South America trip and the fact that two months have flown by does not cease to shock us! Seriously, where has the time gone?

We have spent the last few days in Otavalo, a small town north of Quito. Otavalo is famous for the Saturday market. The locals sell handicrafts to bus loads of tourists who come in from Quito for the day. Thankfully we were able to enjoy a smaller version of the market without all the tourists since our visit occurred midweek. The only things we bought were ¨Panama¨ hats, which actually originated in Ecuador and not Panama.

We also did some hiking around Otavalo. One day we walked through the country side to get to the Condor Park to see birds of prey. We also hiked around Lake Cuicocha, which is a beautiful volcanic crater lake. It was a nice and enjoyable walk, although a little hot. I was entertained to hear a guy say, ¨That was too much...very difficult.¨ I was thinking, ¨Really...it was only four hours.¨ I guess after trekking in Patagonia I have a little different take on ¨difficult.¨

While in Otavalo we also go haircuts. Jim, thankfully, decided that it was time for a trim. He had an entertaining experience with a barber named Pepa who insisted that he try some of the local spirits made from sugar cane. Even after three glasses, Pepa was still able to give him a proper cut, but I can´t help wonder what sort of a chop job he did on any customers who came in after we left. Speaking of chop jobs, that was pretty much what happened to me when I went in for a trim. How I got talked in to letting a woman, who used a razor to shape my eyebrows, layer my hair...I don´t know! I left with what probably best resembled a mullet and was definitely not smiling. I went to a different salon the next day and had her cut off the bottom layer so I am back to a short bob. Oh well, it´s only hair!

Our days in Otavalo have been relaxed and enjoyable...which is just what we needed. Below is the link for more photos. You might enjoy seeing how the locals dress. They have really maintained their traditions despite the number of tourists that pass through every weekend.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/InAndAroundOtavalo1?authkey=Gv1sRgCJber5j2s9nyfw#

Jim sporting his new hat at the market. Condor Park

Farmers we passed on the way to Condor Park

Weaving demonstration

Can you see how much Pepa cut off?

Hiking at Cuicocha Lake

We are going to the Galapagos this weekend. You can expect an update on that trip in about a week and a half.

Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley

2009-04-11T15:25:00.014-05:00

Despite waking up at 4:30am to catch the bus to Machu Picchu, we were still greeted with a line of sleepy, anxious travelers. We arrived at Peru´s number one tourist destination as the sun was coming up only to see mist, fog and a growing number of people frantic to get inside and get the best photos. We found it somewhat humorous that after days of trekking we finally arrived and could not see anything! This didn´t bother us too much because the weather added a certain element of mystery to the morning.

Luckily, we told our guide to meet us later so that we could check things out on our own before our tour. We hung out with some llamas and did a fair bit of people watching. One thing that humored us was how desperate people were to climb Huayna Picchu, despite the fact that it was so foggy you could not actually see anything. Jim saw one guy sprint past in order to be one of the 500 people allowed up the mountain that overlooks Machu Picchu. We passed on that mountain climb.

Thankfully by the time Guido arrived, the fog had lifted and the mist was moving. We spent roughly two hours touring the site and digesting the knowledge Guido had to share. He explained the history of the Incas at Machu Picchu and showed us the most important areas of the ruins. We were really thankful for Guido´s excellent tour because we felt like we learned so much more than we would have from a guidebook and a map. Machu Picchu is truly an incredible place that should not be missed!

We had some good laughs that morning, but the best was as we were leaving. Jim noticed some young American females standing near the entrance point. He turned to Simon and said, ¨Did you get a good picture of Oprah by the sundial?¨ Simon responded with ¨Yeah, she´s lost a lot of weight.¨ Jim said, ¨It was tough for me to get a good photo because there were so many people around her.¨ Then the ring leader of the group said, ¨You guys...quick...get over here!¨ After some hushed whispers, squeals and a few jumps from the group I had to rush up the stairs because I could not contain my laughter. It was so incredibly funny! I can only imagine how long they walked around in search of Oprah. I hope they weren´t too disappointed when they didn´t find her!

After spending most of the day at Machu Picchu, we returned to Aguas Calientes to catch the train to Ollantaytambo. We spent two days enjoying the ruins and small village that has large walls and doorways built by the Quechuans. (Quechuans were the common people during the Incans rein.)

After Ollantaytambo we caught the local bus to Pisac to see more ruins and a market. In the late afternoon, we headed up the mountain to visit the massive complex of ruins that wraps around and around. We toured through farming terraces, mudbrick buildings and ceremonial baths. After several hours, we noticed that the sun was setting and had to quickly make our way down the mountain before night set in. Our timing was just right because we stepped off the path and into the glow of the streetlight just as the last shred of light disappeared. I can´t imagine trying to climb down stairs built by the Quechuans in the dark...that rates right up there with scree!

Unfortunately at this point our memory card was full and both batteries were dead. (We left most of our things, including our charger, back in Cusco while we were trekking.) We missed out on taking photos of the locals in Piscac celebrating Good Friday. The streets were decorated with massive murals made from a multitude of flowers, saw dust, and dirt. After a church service, a glass paned casket with a figure of Jesus inside was paraded throughout the streets followed by a processional of people carrying candles. It was beautiful.

Be sure to check out our other photos at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/MachuPicchuAndTheSacredValley?authkey=Gv1sRgCOfO_4rm5Z3GHw#

At Machu Picchu

At the ruins in Ollantaytambo

Local Girl in Ollantaytambo

Some of the Many Ruins Near Pisac

Marching to Machu Picchu

2009-04-11T14:50:00.010-05:00

Most people during their childhood or teens see a photo of Machu Picchu and they say to themselves, “Where is that? I want to go there some day.” I had the opportunity to visit Machu Picchu with my close friend Andy back in 2003, but it is one of those places everyone should visit at some point in their lives. As Liz and I planned our South America trip we decided this was one place to stop by so she could check it off of her list.

There are a number of ways to get to Machu Picchu but we decided that we wanted to complete another trek there. Prior to arriving in Cusco we did some research at South American Explorers in Lima for an alternative Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu. A lot of people make it their goal to hike “The Inca Trail” but the reality of it is that it is crowded and there are just as good of alternative treks out there. Only 500 people are allowed to hike the so called Inca Trail which makes it more like Disney World in my opinion than a natural outdoor experience. After researching various hikes and companies we decided on a reputable one with good reviews and two treks we were interested in. Turns out that neither of the two treks we liked fit our schedule so we had to basically pick the one that did. The trek we chose is called Salkantay and it begins in Mollepata and ends in Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. The trek itself lasts 5 days and we had heard good things of this one as well.

This would be a slightly different experience than what we had done before. In this case you pay to have a guide, cook, and porters to set up tents and secure your backpack on horses that go along. Although we have enjoyed our previous challenges we figured it would be nice to be catered to this go round.

The plan was for a company van to pick us up at 5:30 AM so we could drive to the trailhead. I was in and out of it that night and at one point woke up at 4:50 just before Liz’s alarm was to go off at 5. I drifted off again only to wake up and think to myself “I haven’t been asleep for 10 minutes.” I shot up, looked at Liz’s watch and saw that it was 5:23. Luckily most of our things were packed so we hopped out of bed, threw the rest of our belongins in our bags and raced out to the street just as the van was pulling up. Some people might not have cared about being late but we did not want to make a bad first impression.

Nevado Salkantay

We made our way about 5 hours up a valley, stopping at some Inca ruins along the way to have breakfast, and then began our trek. Our guides name was Guido and we were lucky to only have one other trekker in our group. Simon is from Sunderland, England in the north and he was a great guy to have along for some added comic relief. Some groups unfortunately have 13 or so people which leads to alot of waiting around for the slower hikers. Guido was a Peruvian from the south who had studied anthropology and was very knowledgable of history, flaura and fauna along the entire journey. Our cooks name was Rolly and he was a local Quechuan who cooked our great meals. Three members of Rolly’s family helped with horses and food as well.

The trekking itself was challenging at times but the days themselves were fairly short. We would have periodic breaks and lunch was a large meal that took an hour at least. We would get up at about 6:30 with coffee or tea brought right to our tents. We would then have breakfast and begin hiking around 8:00. Our days would end anywhere between 4 and 6.

Piece of cake

The new challenge for us this time was altitude. Not that I ever thought so in the past, but I surely realize now that I am not cut out to be a mountaineer due to the lack of air at these elevations. We began our hike around 3,900 meters and you could definitely see and feel yourself moving more slowly. On day 2 we hiked to a pass at 4,600 meters. We were all moving a bit slower, gasping for air at rests, and we could all feel slight headaches too. The locals, and some tourists as well, will chew cocoa leaves in an effort to reduce hunger and thirst. It also helps with symptoms of altitude sickness. This is not actual cocaine they are chewing but the leaf which can be processed into cocaine along with a number of other substances.

Unfortunately on day 2 Liz was plagued with stomach issues as we made our way to the pass. Parts of this section reminded me of Patagonia as we heard and witnessed more small avalanches. We then began a long descent into rain forest which was a wild transition to see and feel. We were hit by strong rain at one point which made the trails more interesting.

One of us having a great day and the other...

Offerings to the gods

Guido, Simon and Liz

On day 3 I had the stomach bug which made things unenjoyable for me. Luckily Guido gave me some of the same meds he gave Liz the day before which cleared up our symptoms within an hour or so. We were still making our way down through the valley and forest at this point. On this particular day other groups had caught up with us and the trail was quite crowded. It was quite humorous to observe these other trekkers. Some looked unprepared, bored and unhappy. Some had on designer jeans, one guy had on no shirt even though mosquitos were horrible at times, and one guy stopped and photographed every flower he came across making for a fun slideshow for his future houseguests. That evening we went to the local hot springs and soaked our bones.

View back up to the 4,600 meter pass

Near our campground

The final full day of trekking required us to hike up to another pass where some Incan ruins were located. The weather was hot and humid and the land was tough on our legs. At the top, however, we got out first glimpse of Machu Picchu off in the distance. We then hiked down the mountain and to a train depot where we would catch a ride to Aguas Calientes which is at the base of Machu Picchu. We could only hope that the weather would be as good for day 5 and Machu Picchu as it had been the last few days.

Machu Picchu inbetween us off in the distance

As always if these photos are not enough then please click on the link below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/SalkantayTrek?authkey=Gv1sRgCI64uvK-6dGbhgE

Quaint and Charming Cusco

2009-04-03T11:38:00.015-05:00

I must admit that I have a little crush on Cusco. It is the quaintest and most charming city we have visited in South America. The city has a unique feel to it with carved wooden balconies, Spanish style roofs, cobblestone alleyways, Peruvian women in colorful clothing, excellent local and international food...need I say more? It is definitely a place to add to your list. Not to mention that Cusco is the jumping off point for visiting Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.

Cuso is surrounded by several Incan ruins. The four major ones being: Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. All of which can be visited in one day. We took a local bus, which cost about 50 cents each, and was much easier to figure out than our chaotic experience in Lima. The bus dropped us off at the farthest ruin and then we visited each one, making our way back to town. It was a gorgeously sunny day and for me seeing the countryside full of mud brick homes and farms was just as interesting as the ruins themselves.

During our time here we have enjoyed some fantastic Mexican food. We have been frequenting a restaurant that has a menu of the day that costs 13 soles, or about $4usd. This means that you have about ten choices for either a soup or salad, main dish and a drink. You can´t beat that, especially when the burrito is full of guacamole, beans and chicken and beef. We have also enjoyed this same deal, but with Peruvian food. I had the spicy stuffed pepper and Jim tried a beef and rice dish, both were excellent. Today we are going to a place that claims they have the best avocados in town.

Tomorrow we head out on a five day trek: Salkantay. Unlike our other treks, we are using a tour this time. This trek will be a bit more on the posh side with a porter, cook and guide. It will be weird to not carry a backpack or cook or own food. It is possible to do treks independently, but with the high altitude and our lack of Quechuan language skills it is highly recommended. During the five days we will experience mountains, jungles, hot springs, Incan ruins and then finally arrive at Machu Picchu. You will be happy to read that the mountains have switchbacks and the trails are packed dirt, which is a relief after our last experience! And for those of you wondering, my bites are healing nicely.

More photos can be found at the following two links:

http://picasaweb.google.es/lizhaske/CuzcoPeru?authkey=Gv1sRgCI3_m5iJqYj3Bg#

and

http://picasaweb.google.es/lizhaske/CuzcoPeru02?authkey=Gv1sRgCL6hsem-oL2RYw#

Cathedral at the Plaza de Armas

Tambomachay Ruins

Llamas on the way to Sacsayhuaman Ruins

An Uncooperative Alpaca

Mud brick home outside of Cusco

Hot Town, Summer in the City...

2009-04-02T18:34:00.007-05:00

After roughly a month of camping and treking in Argentina it was time to make our way north to Santiago, Chile and eventually to Lima, Peru for the second chapter of our journey. We were disappointed to leave that part of our trip behind, but the good thing about traveling so extensively is that there is always something new around every corner. In order to get to Santiago we took an overnight bus from Bariloche, Argentina to Osorno, Chile and then on to Santiago after a brief layover. The total length of the bus ride was 20 hours with the highlight easily being the 80s dance video compilation that was shown. If my Spanish were better I would have been tempted to ask the bus driver where he got this tape because I need one for those dull nights. I was dancing in my seat to videos from Footloose, Flashdance, Dirty Dancing, Cocktail, and Saturday Night Fever (1977). Unfortunately the bus ended up being more of a sleepover than a dance party minus the pillow fights and scary stories.

After getting into Santiago around 8 am and finding a hostel that would meet our needs we hit the town. Two things we noticed right away upon arrival was that it was much hotter in Santiago than what we had been experiencing previously, and the city was a ghost town since it was Sunday. We cruised our neighborhood regardless and made the best of things. We went to the fish market, the plaza, slept, read and ate. We also went by the local art school to see what was going on in the park nearby. It definitely didn´t look as though much studying was taking place. Guess they got it all in on Friday and Saturday night. This place, however, looked more like a school for jugglers. There must have been about 15 - 20 people juggling along with other street performers doing their thing. Unfortunately no pictures were taken. The next day we did some more of the same this time taking in the Japanese garden, some churros from a street vendor, and some neighborhood street dancing. Buenos Aires was more of my kind of a city than Santiago. I found Santiago´s air to be polluted, a number of areas smelled like urine, and unnecessary grafitti was sprayed on public and private buildings. If driving a car with high carbon emissions, using the bathroom in the street, and tagging random buildings is your thing then Santiago is your place.

After two full days in Santiago we caught a flight to Lima where it was even warmer. We have been trying to save a dollar here and there whenever we can so our plan was to use the public bus service rather than a taxi to get to our hostel. We hit the main road and stood with all the locals in the blazing sun waiting for our ¨collectivo¨. Now just to let you know these microbuses tend to be overflowing with people. One will pull up, a guy will hop off with a sign yelling the bus´s destination and people will hop on or off. Our collectivo pulled up, Liz walked over to hop on, and there was no possible way she, nor I, were ever getting on this thing. Too many people, not enough seats, and too big of backpacks. We laughed as our bus rolled off, looked at one another and hailed a cab instead.

We decided to stay in the upscale neighborhood of Miraflores for the night at an affordable hostel. Miraflores is a beach community which offers some green spaces and places to surf and sun. I actually had the opportunity to spend 8 hours at a bowling alley there back in 2003 as my buddy Andy and I killed time during a layover. My arm still hurts from bowling that much and I was sad to see that our local hangout had now closed. So it looked like bowling was out of the question for the day and instead we would have to explore the area on foot. We walked the streets at a snails pace trying not to sweat while snapping the occasional picture. Dinner and some reading was how we spent the evening. This trip as you can tell has been filled with late nights of dancing in clubs and enjoying what night life there is. After a quality rest we caught flight to Cusco in the morning on a plane that made me have second thoughts about flying. Hopefully we will get their ¨good¨ plane on the way back to Lima.

As always, if the following photos are not enough then please go to http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/SantiagoAndLima?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ7Z4ZOC-Zq7YA

Santiago, Chile

Our only souvenir purchase so far. We hope it makes it till May.
Santiago, Chile

Everyone has to have their go to churro vendor.

Santiago, Chile

Wishing they could be with all the street dogs.

Santiago, Chile

Empty and surprisingly good looking collectivo.

Lima, Peru

One of my favorite bowling alleys which is now closed.

Lima, Peru

Pale and pastey in Lima, Peru.

Breakers and surfers in Lima, Peru.

Bed Bugs and Bruises in Bariloche

2009-03-27T15:28:00.037-05:00

After camping for most of our trip, we decided to splurge and treat ourselves to a double room with a private bathroom in Bariloche. (In the past we have stayed in hostel dorm rooms; which typically means a simple room with bunks for six to eight people.) We checked-in and handed over our laundry before setting out to explore the city. Bariloche is in Argentina´s lake district and falls inside Nahuel Huapi National Park. It probably goes without saying that it is a very scenic and beautiful place, surrounded by many lakes.

Although our hostel had been highly recommended by a local travel agent and had fantastic reviews online, our experience was nothing to rave about. When we picked up our laundry, that we had requested not to be machine dried, but instead line dried, everything was still wet in the plastic bag. I guess something was lost in translation, even though Jim wrote the instructions in Spanish on the bag. So at 10:30pm we hung our wash up and crossed our fingers that it would be dry in the morning for our trek. Thankfully by morning, everything was dry enough for us to continue with our plans. But, something we had not planned on was me waking up covered with bed bug bites! Both of my arms had over twenty bites each. My feet, hands, neck, and leg were also feasted upon. Like with many other things in the past: lice, parasites, multiple viruses...Jim was untouched, while I was left with red welts that itched so much that I had difficulty sleeping for the next few days.

After reporting the problem to the hotel staff and packing up our mostly dry clothes, we set out for our third trek of the trip. The first day we hiked to Refugio Frey. The hike was a lot different from what we had done in the past. The paths were not as well maintained as the other parks we have visited. We passed several dry streams and a forest that had been scarred by a fire. We did enjoy the beautiful lakes and walking through bamboo paths. The camping area at Frey was beautiful, with a lake and stone refugio. After our camp was set up, I was quite happy to put my feet in the water after four hours of hiking in the hot sun.

The second day was a nightmare! It started out as just a challenge as we climbed up boulder after boulder making our way up a mountain with no switchbacks. We were met with a lake nesteled between two mountain peaks, which was incredible. This would have been fine, but then the path continued taking us down a steep mountain that was covered with scree. Friends had described this as a ¨controlled slide,¨ but I would relabel it as an uncontrollable slide! This descent took what seemed like forever because I was so terrified of falling and getting hurt. (I have issues with heights.) I slid and landed on my bottom at least fifteen times, but luckily never got hurt. Jim had one close call when he stepped on a lose rock and slid around, hitting his shin. After making it to the valley and regaining my composure, we were met with another climb straight up and another descent with no switch backs. I totally lost it. Jim practically had to talk me down step by step because I was so panicked. He tried to reassure me that I would feel good after we got down, but I still do not feel good about the experience. I feel like it was something very traumatic that I survived and only because I had no other choice. I had to come down, there was no other option. I will never climb over two mountains that do not have suitable paths in one day again! (In the photo you can see the path that we hiked down to on the first mountain of torture!)

The final day of trekking was very pleasant. We connected with another American, Doug from Atlanta, and had an enjoyable seven hour hike to Colonia Suiza where we camped and had dinner together. It was nice to meet a new friend, especially someone with such an interesting background. Doug went to West Point and after several tours in the Army as a helicopter pilot, is now training cadets at a military college in Georgia. We are meeting him for dinner tonight and plan to keep in touch when we go our seperate ways tomorrow. We are catching a bus to Santiago and then a few days later will fly to Peru.

As always, follow the link if these photos are not enough for you!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/Bariloche?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf-z7Wzq4vEeQ#

Sunrise at Frey

Nearly down the first mountain.

I appreciate the 8th guideline!

Argentinian ice cream makes it all worth it!

Note: I have changed the settings for making comments. You no longer have to be a member of blogger.com to comment on our postings. I know that some of you had trouble with this, but it should be sorted now. If you have other issues, email me.

El Chalten - More Backcountry Beauty

2009-03-21T13:00:00.006-05:00

After successfully completing the ¨W¨ in Torres del Paine Liz and I were thirsty for another trekking adventure. We had heard great accounts from other travelers of hikes around El Chalten, Argentina and decided to make our way north. Liz and I arrived in El Chalten after a short 3 hour bus ride from El Calafate. The weather upon arrival was windy and wet but we were hopìng that things might improve while we picked up some last minute supplies. Argentineans love their siesta so we had to find a grocery store and a place to get more gas for our stove before everyone in town (which was few) closed their eyes for a few hours. Luckily for us we found what we needed but unfortunately the weather was only getting worse. We stored what we didn´t need at a hostel we would be coming back to in 3 days. While doing so we chatted with some old friends we ran into once again, were told we were crazy for setting out in the current weather, and decided ¨oh well¨ and took off. What were we down here for anyway, to sit around like alot of other travelers checking Facebook all day?

So after rigging some trashbags over our backpacks we stepped out into the rain and wind to see how much mother nature had in her. The hikes ahead of us would be much shorter compared to the W so our first leg was estimated at 3 hours. This time was spent maniacally laughing at the horizontal rain that was being blown into us , seeing other trekkers come out of the woods sopping wet who were obvioulsy not prepared, and stumbling across a couple who were completely drenched, standing in the middle of the path, and being a bit overly affectionate under the circumstances. Liz ended up having to tap them on the shoulder to ask them to move as they had no idea we were standing right there.

Once we finally made it to our campground the wind and rain died down and our neighbors, who were in their tent the whole day due to the weather, came out to say hello. Sean and Sarah were down in Argentina for a few weeks from Northern California and we ended up learning alot about one another over the next couple days as we explored the rest of the park. Sarah is a massage therapist and wedding planner and Sean has a farm which they both look after with goats, chickens, hops and more. We were lucky to have befriended them and really enjoyed their company while camping. After a brief getting to know you Liz and I crawled into our tent to get warm and moments later the rain began and it rained, and rained, and rained that night. So much so that we ate dinner in our tent and decided not to drink any water so we wouldn´t have to leave to go to the bathroom.

The next day turned out to be perfect, allowing us to hike up to the main attraction of the area, Monte Fitz Roy, and snap some photos. The wind and rain, however, hit us again that night. While in our sleeping bags we could hear the wind building as it raced down the valley through the trees and then finally rushing over our tent. Day 3 was another beauty which allowed us to hike to another campground in just shorts and T´s in an effort to get as close as possible to Cerro Torre. We were lucky to not have any rain that night, but heard warnings that a storm would be coming through the next afternoon. We decided we would make our way out in the morning after breakfast and hopefully beat any bad weather.

As we headed back into town after our third night of camping and fifth day of not showering it was funny to pass the day hikers coming out into the park. Alot of them smelled fresh from a morning´s shower and a dash of cologne or perfume. On our second day I was humored at the base of Fitz Roy when I watched a woman with a guide apply lip gloss and check her hair. It was also on the bus to El Chalten that I realized I/we are on a different trip than some others when I watched a guy my age pull out a videogame system and begin playing at 8 am while I cracked open Three Cups of Tea. I have had the chance to read three books so far on this trip and this was by far one of the best I have ever read. If you haven´t heard Greg Mortenson´s story than get this book ASAP.

Despite some rain, however, the trek was a success. We saw more great natural beauty, got some more exercise, and made some more good friends. We are really enjoying our time in the outdoors and can´t get enough of it. I wish more people would realize how easy it is to sleep outdoors with the bare minimum as opposed to having massive houses filled with items we believe we must have to make our lives complete.

Below are a few pictures from this leg of our trip but please also take a look at http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/TrekkingInElChalten?authkey=Gv1sRgCPOjhe__iLSxEA

Monte Fitz Roy

Leaving our campground and Fitz Roy

First view of Cerro Torre

Cerro Torre

I am baffled by the people I see smoking and hiking

Glaciers Never Get Old...

2009-03-21T12:32:00.007-05:00

Despite seeing glaciers in Ushuaia and Torres del Paine we decided to stop in El Calafate to visit Los Glaciers National Park and to do a boat cruise on Lake Argentina.

The first day we went in a rented van with friends we had met trekking on the W, Tanya and Marc Simon from the Netherlands and Susan and Dwayne from the US. We arrived early in the morning, along with the rain and wind, in hopes of beating the tour buses. As soon as we got out of the van, we could hear what sounded like a mixture between fireworks and thunder as pieces calved from Perito Moreno. Unfortunatley our timing seemed to be a bit off, which provided us with a source of comedy. Every time the glacier calved we seemed to be looking the wrong way! In the end, we were lucky enough to see a few pieces fall, which was incredible. We recovered from the rain and wind with the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted and a picnic in our van.

The highlight of our El Calafate trip was definitely the boat cruise on Lake Argentina. We visited Upsala, Spegazzini and a third smaller glacier. All three of these glaciers were incredible, but what was even more majestic were the huge icebergs floating in the lake. We were even lucky enough to see one roll, which was nothing short of amazing. In this photo you can see just how massive the icebergs were by comparing it to the size of the catamaran on the left.

The photos from this experience are well worth viewing : http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/GlacierTourOnLakeArgentina02?authkey=Gv1sRgCN-i6ZKj0IipKA#

Liz´s Thoughts on the Trek...

2009-03-13T16:03:00.004-05:00

Jim did a great job of summing up our trekking journey in Torres del Paine, but I need to comment on my own experience. Overall, it was an incredible five days. I learned so much in such a short time about myself and what I can and cannot handle physically. (For example, I need to drink more water and not sit down when we have rest breaks.) This trek was definitely the most challenging physical experience I have ever had. As most of you know, Jim is a machine. Anything he attempts physically, he conquers with ease. Watching someone do this, especially when it seems that they are never tired or in need of a rest, can be very difficult. We were always climbing up or stepping down; we probably never walked for more than five minutes on flat ground. The path was not just a dirt covered surface. There were times where we were climbing over odd shaped rocks, walking in water, mud, stepping on loose gravel while trying to wind down narrow paths, etc. Get the picture? It was really difficult for me! Especially since I am not the most physically fit, as most of you know, but by the end my confidence level, endurance and sense of accomplishment had reached new heights. Nature somehow seemed that much more beautiful because I had worked so hard to see it. It is exciting to see my physical strength and confidence growing and also wonderful for us to learn new ways to support each another.

More from Ushuaia...

2009-03-11T09:40:00.002-05:00

Just after we finished our last post we saw a Bolivian Carnival parade. It was an unexpected and very unique experience, which resulted in some very colorful photos!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/MoreFromUshuaia?authkey=Gv1sRgCPuCwem03afsSA#

Torres del Paine - Feel the Pain and the Beauty

2009-03-11T08:24:00.015-05:00

Prior to our trip Liz and I did some research and put together a rough itinerary of places we would like to visit. Torres del Paine National Park in Chile was a must see according to guide books and other travelers´ accounts. The question was, how did we want to see the park. The option of going for a day visit was a possibility, but most travelers experience the beauty of the park by hiking what is called the ¨W¨. The W is typically done in 5 days and trekkers can either camp along the way in marked campgrounds (some free and some at a minor cost), or stay in refugios which offer showers, dorm rooms, food, etc. Although we have gone on day hikes before, neither of us had ever done a 5 day trek but we decided we were up for the challenge. We want to do as much camping as possible while on our trip because it adds a sense of adventure but at the same time cuts down on cost. So before flying down to South America we picked up a tent, sleeping bags, and other essentials to help us survive the Patagonia extremes.

After a 15 hour bus ride from Ushuaia, Argentina we arrived in Puerto Natales, Chile, which would act as our jumping off point. We spent a full day at a hostel in Puerto Natales learning more about the W and what to take in order to be prepared. Everyone we talked to said that it is possible to experience four seasons in one day so be ready for everything. We cruised the town looking for the best deals on dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, dehydrated foods, and other foodstuffs that would keep us nourished during our journey. The next morning we caught a bus for two and a half hours out to the park, then got on a catamaran, and after that began to walk, and walk, and walk.

Rather than giving a day by day account I would like to try to sum up our experience in a few sentences and let the pictures do the rest. Overall the experience was amazing. Everyday our hikes took us through a new setting. It was as though parts of Montana, Colorado, and New Mexico were all wrapped together in this park. Every turn brought something new. We walked up to massive glaciers, under and around monstrous mountains, past cascading waterfalls, traversed rivers, and skipped over bountiful streams. We were almost always in view of one of the many lakes that encompasses the park and the greatest thing was that the natural water was clean enough for us to drink. I can´t tell you how wonderful it was to stop at a stream, fill my bottle, and take a sip of clean, fresh glacial water. It really made me think how sad it is that so much of our earth´s water is unpotable. I believe that all of us should have access to clean water, and of course free WiFi. As we hiked we could hear glaciers shifting and even saw mini avalanches taking place as snow and ice came barreling down mountains. I am concerned that although this is a natural occurrence it is at the same time not a good sign of our earth´s current status. It seemed as though it was happening all too frequently while we were there.

All in total we hiked over 55 miles while carrying packs that had starting weights of 22 and 36 pounds. To be exact in regards to distance, Liz hiked 58 and I hiked 60. Liz didn´t have to get a stretcher or anything for the last two, it was just that I decided to hike up to a lookout and she stayed behind. The one factor I have to point out in all of this too is that we were not simply hiking on flat land. There were a few flat sections but primarily it was up, down, and back up again. We were lucky, however, to have fantastic weather every day we were there which is pretty unheard of. It occasionally rained a bit at night, but each day the sun was shining and the weather was warm. At times the winds were strong enough to push you around the trail but that just made for more of an adventure. There were sections and hours that were tough along the way, especially the day we hiked 17 miles in 10 hours. In the end, however, it was all worth it. We came away with some fantastic memories, made some great friends along the way, and I am happy to say that Liz and I have a new hobby.

If the photos below are not enough for you then please take a look at the following link for more:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/TorresDelPaine?authkey=Gv1sRgCLmZv_eo_o6HhwE

Monte Almirante Nieto

Rio Ascencio

Cerro Paine Grande

Glaciar del Frances

Sunset at Campamento Los Cuernos

Glacier Grey

Glacier Grey

Lago Nordenskjold

Valle del Frances

Torres del Paine

Ushuaia - The End of the World...

2009-03-01T14:59:00.027-06:00

The flight into Ushuaia was incredible. As the plane cork screwed toward the landing strip the wing lowered to unveil the most beautiful scene of snow peaked mountains, crystal clear water and and an incredibly blue sky. We were immediately taken by the beauty of Ushuaia.

We set up camp just north of the city at La Pista del Andino. The friendly staff greeted us and motioned for us to pick a site and set up. (Thank goodness for nonverbal communication! My Spanish is horrible, although Jim´s is improving daily.) We unloaded our things and made a home for the next few days. I think we both felt that our adventure was finally beginning once the tent was up and our sleeping bags were unrolled. Jim started a fire and we cooked steaks and squash for dinner. (Argentina is known for wonderful beef.) By the time it was ready, the temperature had dropped and we could see our breath as we ate. This didn´t bother us; we were just happy to be outside and enjoying camping life.

On our second day, after a very rough sleep for me, we headed to Tierra del Fuego National Park. We did a three hour hike along the Beagle Channel, which was fantastic. Jim set the pace and I followed. It was an excellent day as the weather was sunny and mild. We enjoyed lunch along one of the beaches and watched birds fishing from an island in the middle of the channel.

On our third day we went to see a penguin colony. There are many tours offered here, but only one allows you to actually walk with the penguins. We signed up for this one. After an hour and a half bus ride, we boarded a small boat and motored to the penguin island. The beach was a sea of wiggling black and white creatures. It was so enjoyable to watch the penguins waddle, swim, squak and shake. Be sure to check out the photos on our Picassa album, although they did not accurately capture how wonderful the experience was.

Today, day four, was glacier day! We left our camp and hiked up a mountain to see Glacier Martial. It was a long way up, but well worth the effort. Once we got to the top, the wind started to gust and snow began to pelt down. I told Jim that I wanted to touch the glacier before we went down. I felt that I had come all that way and did not just want to get a picture and then turn around. He studied the path, which was wet and uneven, and then guided me over slippery and unsteady rocks. We were both able to make the pass without a problem. After putting two hands on the edge of the glacier I said,¨Ok, I'm good!¨ We made our way back down just in time because the wind really picked up and the snow continued. (In this photo you can see what looks like a waterfall; this is where we touched the glacier. If you use the link below you can see this same peak in photos from the base of our journey up.)

Here are a few more photos from our time here...enjoy!

More photos are at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/UshuaiaArgentina?authkey=Gv1sRgCMOQktnLjZj3hQE#

The view of Ushuaia from our camping area.

Our view as we hiked along the Beagle Channel.

Penguin Island

Buenos Aires...Not for Vegetarians

2009-02-25T15:13:00.013-06:00

Liz and I left Cedar Rapids, IA and a fresh inch of snow to arrive to, well, rain and grey skies in Buenos Aires. This was short lived, however, because the last three full days we have had in this incredible city have been sunny and warm (low 90s). Liz and I both agree that Buenos Aires is one of the best cities we have ever visited (7.5 out of 10 marks on our global city ranking scale) with something for everyone to enjoy. Well, almost everyone. Everywhere you go it seems as though meat is being served and nothing else. Grilled steaks, sausages, chicken, etc. A true carnivore’s paradise. This, as far as I can tell, is the local cuisine here in Buenos Aires. That and Italian food surprisingly.

You can get a sense of what we have been doing here through our pictures. Primarily we have been walking, walking, walking and taking refuge in the shade every time we have to use the aid of our map. We have found numerous green spaces, a very posh waterfront, colorful and grand architecture and a thriving social scene. You also really have to get off the beaten path to find poverty. Not that it isn't here, but it definitely is not in your face.

So you may ask, what has been the hardest part of your trip so far? The language barrier? Sleeping in a dorm room with younger travelers who like to stay out until 4 am? Actually it has been acquiring change for the buses. No one is willing to break a bill for you and give you some change for the bus and the bus only takes coins. By the time you find the change that is necessary you were probably better off walking to your destination in the first place. That reminds me, our bus is about to arrive and we still need to find another peso. We'll talk to you next from the southern edge of the world - Ushuaia.

If the following pictures are not enough for you then please go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/BuenosAires?authkey=uxbzsFSolO0#

Tango band in San Telmo during Sunday flea market

Liz checking out the La Boca atmosphere

La Boca house art

Drummers in La Boca

Colorful shop in La Boca

Proud of their neighborhood and their futbol

Buenos Aires

Jim in a Palermo rose garden

Cementerio de la Recoleta