Wake-up calls on RAGBRAI come early, as most of us rise with the sun and are eager to hit the road to beat the mid-day heat. Why they do this monstrous ride during the hottest week of the entire year is beyond me. Nevertheless, we enjoy and revel in it. After taking down the tent … More Saddle Sores, Sunburn & Other Pleasantries
Low-landers, such as myself, are not made for thin air. Literally. The Peruvians who call the highlands their home have evolved to be able to live in such an unforgiving environment. They “have as much as 25 percent more blood that is more viscous and richer in red cells, a heart that is proportionately larger, and … More Salkantay Hike Day 1.3: The Fall
It’s a known fact that every flight has a crying baby, at least one mouthy complainer and a small flock of anxious worriers. They have to, I’m pretty sure it’s obligatory. Nevertheless, I’m always a bit peeved to find them on board, and there is something about me that draws the aforementioned to my general … More Breathless
How does one climb a mountain? Slowly. Painfully slow – glacial, even, at least in my case. I hail from the low and flat lands of Chicagoland suburbia, and have only had brief affairs with mountains (though with an extensive variety: Rockies, Appalachian, Magaliesburg, etc.). I quite enjoy the ample amounts of oxygen found down here … More The Beginning / El Principio
Last time we talked I was feeling a little down and out, and still feeling the pangs of life in a new place. Since then, with a lot of driving, and a lot of u-turns (which don’t happen to be quite as legal here as they are in Texas) we have found our grocery store, … More Center Stage
The Wild Rose 