tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49613524891045307872024-03-13T04:26:09.940-07:00The Run AroundJMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-8161576472085470092010-04-18T11:33:00.000-07:002010-04-18T11:33:05.792-07:00The Amazing Race So it's been almost a month and a half since we here at The Run Around have put any fresh content online. Sorry...we've been busy. You know...developing our business strategy, marketing, interviewing prospective employees, the norm. Also, we didn't realize anybody actually read this stuff but after numerous requests for updates we've finally gone back and started to compile some of the back logged happenings of the past couple months. Here's the first one...hope you like it.<br />
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Six weeks ago I had the pleasure of working as a volunteer staffer on Racing the Planet's Atacama Crossing. The Atacama Crossing is a 6 day, 250 kilometer, self-supported race across the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The competitors (about 140 of them) run the equivalent of 6 marathons in 5 days; climbing dunes, crossing rivers, and navigating various other hazards all while carrying backpacks weighing between 15 and 25 pounds. The Atacama Crossing is part of the 4 Deserts series which also includes the Gobi March, the Sahara, and Antarctica - The Last Desert. I ran the Gobi March in 2009 and it was such an amazing experience that I signed up to be a volunteer in Atacama before the Gobi race was even over. <br />
Just a week before the race was to start a massive earthquake hit Chile. Tragically, hundreds of lives were lost and millions of dollars worth of damage occured. While the Atacama region was not affected, with the somber circumstances and the lack of information regarding the state of Santiago's airport (where most competitors and staff were scheduled to fly into) the status of the race was uncertain. After speaking to their friends and colleagues in Chile the race organizers decided that it was best for everyone if the race went on as planned. Thus, it was up to the competitors and staff members to figure out how to get themselves to the desert despite the chaos that was the Chilean travel system at the time. Through sheer tenacity and determination nearly all of the competitors and staff members made it in time. Luckily for me I was always planning on arriving overland and thus my travel plans weren't really affected. Although, at the last minute I abandoned my planned bus trip from Salta (Argentina) in order to ride over the Andes and through the desert in a pickup truck from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) with one of the competitors. While not quite as direct or as comfortable as the bus trip probably would have been I'm glad I took the pickup truck option as the scenery was spectacular and I got to talk race stuff the whole 10 hours (something I never get sick of talking about). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8otHP8Gz_I/AAAAAAAAAFU/4eK-2WeSMiU/s1600/P1020093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8otHP8Gz_I/AAAAAAAAAFU/4eK-2WeSMiU/s400/P1020093.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Andes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ouDblNBmI/AAAAAAAAAFk/znlFGTiN6KE/s1600/P1020099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ouDblNBmI/AAAAAAAAAFk/znlFGTiN6KE/s400/P1020099.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tom and I in the salt flats on the Argentine side</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8otuXGxygI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Tp4WEzVwhbw/s1600/P1020098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8otuXGxygI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Tp4WEzVwhbw/s400/P1020098.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our ride</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s6Lv0fFEI/AAAAAAAAALk/HdzFeO0z3hY/s1600/P1020105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s6Lv0fFEI/AAAAAAAAALk/HdzFeO0z3hY/s400/P1020105.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Chilean border was closed for lunch...we waited outside </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> After a hot, dusty 10 hour ride through the desert including 4 separate border/customs checks we finally arrived in San Pedro de Atacama. Once checked into my hotel and showered I headed out for a few beers with some of the volunteers. Halfway through my second beer the building began to shake and the ground below my seat starting rolling like waves in the ocean. Now, I've drank my fair share of strong beers in my day but none that made the ground shake after drinking just 1 (although if such a beer ever does hit the market it´s "Goodbye Heineken, Hello Rumblebrew"). The rolling lasted for about 15 to 20 seconds and about 3 or 4 seconds in I realized I was experiencing my first earthquake. The sensation was so cool that I didn't even think about getting under the table or heading to a doorway. Smart...I know. After it was over 2 of the volunteers I was sitting with, both from the San Francisco area, agreed that it was probably about a 5.5. When we got back to the hotel and checked it on the National Geological Survey's website we found out it was a 6.4 and occured about 40 miles from San Pedro. Nobody got hurt so I say it was pretty cool...not everyone agreed. <br />
Over the next couple days the competitors and other staff members trickled in, some with extraordinary travel tales. Thursday night my good friend and 2009 Gobi March champion Eric Lahaie arrived and we caught up over dinner and then over a nice run on Friday morning. Friday was spent checking out the town, getting to know the volunteers, and catching up with friends from Hong Kong and the Gobi. Saturday was volunteer staff training...all day! It was actually way less painful than I had mentally prepared for but I was still shocked by some of the questions people came up with. I guess some people just have a knack for taking something totally straightforward and asking completely unrelated questions and making inane comments. But c'est la vie. By reciting a few mental "serenity nows" I was able to keep the blood pressure at normal levels and make it through the training. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ovE9VDyDI/AAAAAAAAAFs/C1XOohX1jY4/s1600/P1020106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ovE9VDyDI/AAAAAAAAAFs/C1XOohX1jY4/s400/P1020106.JPG" width="372" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sam - leading volunteer training</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ov_mjWu1I/AAAAAAAAAF0/B2BLlSIoor4/s1600/P1020108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ov_mjWu1I/AAAAAAAAAF0/B2BLlSIoor4/s400/P1020108.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After 45 minutes of training I was on the same page as this guy...sorry Sam</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> Sunday was competitor check-in, which includes a review of their previously submitted medical forms and mandatory equipment checks. I was assigned to the equipment check station which is way harder work than it sounds. 4 hours hunched over sifting through blister kits, Cliff Bars, hydration systems (should we really have to check for those? I mean - it's the desert they're probably at least bringing a water bottle. And if not, we've got insurance. Right?), sunscreen, lip balm, dehydrated meals, etc.; talking to nervous competitors who aren't the least bit happy about having to dump out the entire contents of their packs which they just spent the last hour packing; all in desert heat without a bathroom break. Enforcing certain specifics of the rules regarding mandatory equipment is no fun, (and definitely got me off on the wrong foot with a few competitors - as if I could change the rules?) but needs to be done - some for safety reasons and others for fairness. After the final gear check was complete everyone grabbed their boxed lunches and boarded their vehicles (competitors - buses, staff - pickup trucks) to head out into the desert. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ow3V6Q4ZI/AAAAAAAAAF8/GxSL9Dy42kM/s1600/P1020118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ow3V6Q4ZI/AAAAAAAAAF8/GxSL9Dy42kM/s400/P1020118.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">George keeping order during competitor check-in</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8oxcnKhbcI/AAAAAAAAAGE/O_yciyi3sFU/s1600/P1020117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8oxcnKhbcI/AAAAAAAAAGE/O_yciyi3sFU/s400/P1020117.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cristobal and George taking a yogurt break</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8oyKOJELDI/AAAAAAAAAGM/otRuS_1qgL8/s1600/P1020120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8oyKOJELDI/AAAAAAAAAGM/otRuS_1qgL8/s400/P1020120.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">George was wiped after a long day of checking in competitors and eating yogurt...you and me both buddy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Once we arrived at the first campsite and everyone was settled into their tents there's really not a whole lot to do other than sit around by the fire and wait for it to get dark so you can go to bed. The feeling around the campsite was the exact same as the first night in the Gobi - the air is full of anticipation and is teeming with anxiety. Everybody just wants to get the damn race started. Once morning rolled around most of the competitors were up early eating breakfast, drinking coffee, packing their packs, stretching, taping feet, tying, re-tying and tying their shoes again. After a briefing from the medical director and a course briefing from one of the organizers the race finally started at 8:16 AM. Most of the people at the front of the start were veterans and went out really fast. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s8XGdEJAI/AAAAAAAAALs/S3PEwhjkUdw/s1600/P1020121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s8XGdEJAI/AAAAAAAAALs/S3PEwhjkUdw/s400/P1020121.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A little traditional Chilean music before the start </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8soIw4nnkI/AAAAAAAAAJE/5fIPQKbpogQ/s1600/P1020122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8soIw4nnkI/AAAAAAAAAJE/5fIPQKbpogQ/s400/P1020122.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lahaie getting rid of any excess weight prior to the start </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8spH80GDVI/AAAAAAAAAJM/copcXkBYugk/s1600/P1020124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8spH80GDVI/AAAAAAAAAJM/copcXkBYugk/s400/P1020124.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Apparently it worked...there he is out front </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> The first couple days went by relatively normally - blisters, dehydration, injuries, etc. To tell you the truth I actually don't remember too many race details. It's amazing how busy the volunteers are during the entire race. As a competitor in the Gobi I had no idea how much time and effort is put in by the volunteers. It's an amazing experience and it was great to be able to see the race from a different perspective but unfortunately I missed out on a lot of the details so don't have too much to recount. Of the details I do remember: South African professional ultra runner Ryan Sandes came in first, American and 2009 Gobi Champion Eric Lahaie second, and American Sean Abbott third. 78 year old Welshman Laurie Brophy made it through 150 kilometers but sadly had to drop out 10k into the final day. I had the pleasure of walking roughly 25 kilometers with Laurie over days 3 and 4 and can say he made an extremely valiant effort and really gave it everything he had. While heartbroken to hear that he had dropped out I was actually a bit relieved as the conditions were so harsh it probably wasn't all that safe for him to be out there for upwards of 20 hours. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Having completed the Gobi I was able to fully appreciate what all of the competitors were going through and I think that's what made it such a great experience for me. I worked the overnight checkpoint on day 5 and was amazed by the cheery and upbeat demeanor of competitors arriving at 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning after having been out on the course for 18 hours. Out of desire to see each and everyone of the competitors pass through my checkpoint for the final time I opted not to sleep at all and it is evident below. Throughout the week there were numerous incidents and performances by competitors that really were amazing, and while the effort put forth by all of the competitors was truly admirable far and away the most inspiring moment of the week (and possibly my life) was watching Italian Paolo Giannerini, who suffers from MS, cross the final finish line on the main plaza in the middle of San Pedro. In full tears, to a huge ovation, Paolo walked across the finish line and I don't think there was a dry eye in the entire plaza (thankfully I was wearing my super-reflective hipster shades). It was the perfect way to end an amazing race!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sqLv9pEoI/AAAAAAAAAJU/iq6HojwxvuE/s1600/P1020137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sqLv9pEoI/AAAAAAAAAJU/iq6HojwxvuE/s400/P1020137.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Team "Old Guys Rule" crossing the finish line - Day 2. Depsite being Canadian all 3 are really great guys and good friends of mine from the Gobi. I had no idea they were running and was very pleasantly surprised when I saw them the day before the race. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sq6j_mFKI/AAAAAAAAAJc/G9hcrVYZ5kg/s1600/P1020139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sq6j_mFKI/AAAAAAAAAJc/G9hcrVYZ5kg/s400/P1020139.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Americans Eric Lahaie and Sean Abbott approaching the final hill on day 3 with Chilean Rodrigo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sreAw0DAI/AAAAAAAAAJk/OwgQ7dHwvtg/s1600/P1020140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sreAw0DAI/AAAAAAAAAJk/OwgQ7dHwvtg/s400/P1020140.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> These guys were 2, 3, and 4 all week</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ssCtFgbLI/AAAAAAAAAJs/I-0TgT4lJtM/s1600/P1020141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ssCtFgbLI/AAAAAAAAAJs/I-0TgT4lJtM/s400/P1020141.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> This hill was a doozie. I know...I did it twice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ss3Eh0UeI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/MHTm6nnccQQ/s1600/P1020142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8ss3Eh0UeI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/MHTm6nnccQQ/s400/P1020142.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Almost there...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8stzQ1eldI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/jLa-sZ7cxQg/s1600/P1020143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8stzQ1eldI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/jLa-sZ7cxQg/s400/P1020143.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Nice work guys!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sufG8wdPI/AAAAAAAAAKE/394fBuumtuE/s1600/P1020147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sufG8wdPI/AAAAAAAAAKE/394fBuumtuE/s400/P1020147.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Middle of nowhere...day 3</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8svLeLurlI/AAAAAAAAAKM/k9AZOeqB0E8/s1600/P1020156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8svLeLurlI/AAAAAAAAAKM/k9AZOeqB0E8/s400/P1020156.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Cristobal, Carlos, Me, Laurie, Sam - Checkpoint 1 Day - 4. Running water and working toilet....amazing!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8swHhFQgaI/AAAAAAAAAKU/Od29Idnp09E/s1600/P1020161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8swHhFQgaI/AAAAAAAAAKU/Od29Idnp09E/s400/P1020161.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Valle de La Luna (Valley of the Moon) - Day 5</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8swxVnu3HI/AAAAAAAAAKc/lxZw_nWY_sE/s1600/P1020172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8swxVnu3HI/AAAAAAAAAKc/lxZw_nWY_sE/s400/P1020172.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> George appeared in the middle of the desert on day 5 and spent the whole day and night with us. Sallie was happy to see him!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sx61Q0IGI/AAAAAAAAAKk/eEz1jqvw9ls/s1600/P1020177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8sx61Q0IGI/AAAAAAAAAKk/eEz1jqvw9ls/s400/P1020177.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> This is what you look like after 20 hours of sleeplessness after a week of sleeping in the desert and waking up at 5 AM everyday</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8syb0ZmFZI/AAAAAAAAAKs/xHsOEaNwUYk/s1600/P1020179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8syb0ZmFZI/AAAAAAAAAKs/xHsOEaNwUYk/s400/P1020179.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The moon over it's valley </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8szF68jEZI/AAAAAAAAAK0/9F45JQBzfqM/s1600/P1020180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8szF68jEZI/AAAAAAAAAK0/9F45JQBzfqM/s400/P1020180.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Andrea, Alina, Me - Volunteers getting some rest before the start of the final stage </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8szqgAA7FI/AAAAAAAAAK8/IQ8Yq3l8JFE/s1600/P1020182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8szqgAA7FI/AAAAAAAAAK8/IQ8Yq3l8JFE/s400/P1020182.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Delirious from lack of sleep I don't think any of the 3 of us even closed our eyes during our 5 minute "nap" at the start line</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s0OE3oZfI/AAAAAAAAALE/Vo5jtV42Kx8/s1600/P1020186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s0OE3oZfI/AAAAAAAAALE/Vo5jtV42Kx8/s400/P1020186.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Old Guys crossing the final finish line together </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> After the race was over and everybody had taken a few much needed showers and a gotten a couple hours rest everyone headed to one of the competitor hotels for a great banquet and party. After spending a week out in the desert together sleeping in tents, not showering, roasting in the sun all day, its a real blast to get to sit down and have a beer in the airconditioning with everyone. We got to watch a slideshow of pictures taken during the race, eat real food, and drink cold everything. It was great and the afterparty carried on pretty late into the night. After everything was over one of the other volunteers and I stayed around for a couple extra days to sort out our respective travel plans and got to experience a little of what San Pedro had to offer: a little desert running, mountain biking, and sandboarding. All in all it was a great experience and I'm looking forward to taking part in future races as both a competitor and a volunteer. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who is at all interested. It really is awesome! Hope to have some more updates soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- JMC</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s0vB7aYqI/AAAAAAAAALM/n3NGOxINEQ4/s1600/P1020205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s0vB7aYqI/AAAAAAAAALM/n3NGOxINEQ4/s400/P1020205.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Alina - apparently very proud of herself</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s1YXsYRaI/AAAAAAAAALU/0GwphDKBKMA/s1600/P1020212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S8s1YXsYRaI/AAAAAAAAALU/0GwphDKBKMA/s400/P1020212.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Me - just generally being badass</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>JMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-8495572157537644062010-03-05T07:37:00.000-08:002010-03-05T07:37:50.158-08:00Help Earthquake Victims in Chile!Hey Everyone -<br />
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On Sunday I'll be heading out into the Atacama Desert in Chile for 7 days to work as a volunteer on Racing the Planet's Atacama Crossing, a multi-day 250k race through the desert. We are raising funds for Habitat for Humanity to go towards earthquake relief in Chile. If you'd like to donate please go to <a href="http://www.racingtheplanet.com/store/support-earthquake-victims-in-chile-through-habitat-for-humanity.html">Help Chilean Earthquake Victims</a>. You can also follow the race at <a href="http://www.racingtheplanet.com/">Racing The Planet</a>. <br />
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Thanks very much,<br />
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JMCJMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-87057429347441250692010-02-28T08:07:00.000-08:002010-02-28T08:12:15.866-08:00Que Onda? Que onda (what's up?) you ask? Onda Azul is que onda! Literally translated as "Blue Wave", Onda Azul is part working farm, part Israeli hippie commune, located on a quaint riverside piece of property less than a quarter of a mile from the mountains in Lago Puelo (about 30 minutes south of El Bolson).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qG1Y57lfI/AAAAAAAAAD8/fpvSWPTi4TQ/s1600-h/P1000287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qG1Y57lfI/AAAAAAAAAD8/fpvSWPTi4TQ/s320/P1000287.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Onda Azul </div><br />
Being neither a hippie, nor Israeli, I never would have come across this place had I not gone to Bariloche and encountered 2 girls from Los Angeles (one of whom happened to be a bit of crunchy hippie with a thing for Israeli guys). After going for a hike in Bariloche they informed me of their plans to head down to Lago Puelo and invited me to join them. When I asked if they thought there would be an open bed for me the hippie replied, "There's always room on the farm, brah!". My response, "Llama lo?" (Hebrew for "why not?"). So the next day we hopped on the bus and were on our way.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qFeTtNI9I/AAAAAAAAAD0/rOFaaVMYNCY/s1600-h/P1000291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qFeTtNI9I/AAAAAAAAAD0/rOFaaVMYNCY/s320/P1000291.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">L.A. Hippie </div><br />
Before arriving in Lago Puelo the bus made one stop in El Bolson where every single passenger disembarked, except for the 3 of us. Okaaay. Half an hour later we were dropped off at a lonely, dusty bus stop. I went into the only business around (a small travel agency) and asked the guy if he'd ever heard of "Onda Azul". He said he had, told me it was about a kilometer away, and offered to call us a cab.<br />
So, we waited for the cab, and when it came near <strike>the license plate said "Shalom" and it had dice in the mirror</strike> we noticed that it had more writing in Hebrew than Spanish. We pulled up to the farm about seven or eight and <strike>I yelled to the cabbie, "Yo Itzhak, smell ya later!"</strike> were all immediately reminded of summer camp.<br />
After our rooming options were explained we decided to take the 3 remaining beds in a 6 person cabin. Once our stuff was secured in our room I took off my shoes (you know, to try and blend in) and went for a walk to find out what this place was all about. I quickly learned that it was essentially where young Israeli hippies (age 21 - 24) who have just finished their service in the army come to sit around, listen to reggae, play bongos and guitars (or "jam"), toss the bee (as in Fris), speak Hebrew, partake in other stuff that hippies all over the world seem to enjoy, and then eat tons of Israeli food (which by the way is delicious. I recommend the shakshooka - a sauteed tomato dish with eggs on top, eaten with bread). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qHs0WfzhI/AAAAAAAAAEE/fT1GfyGI1aA/s1600-h/P1000255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qHs0WfzhI/AAAAAAAAAEE/fT1GfyGI1aA/s320/P1000255.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hippie jam session </div><br />
Run by 3 Israeli brothers who all reminded me of an odd mix of Mose (Dwight Schrute's German speaking Amish cousin) and Duane Allman, "The Farm" (as we got to calling it) felt like a strange combination between Schrute Farms and the Manson Family commune. Nonetheless, the staff and guests were all really cool and welcoming. Aside from 3 Austrians who happened to be there, we were the only non-Israelis (and one of the brothers told me that I was the first guest they'd ever had from New York). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qMPeA9m4I/AAAAAAAAAEs/3ERNxLgJ9B4/s1600-h/P1000258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qMPeA9m4I/AAAAAAAAAEs/3ERNxLgJ9B4/s320/P1000258.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Davida - the Onda Azul kitten</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qM-eX4uWI/AAAAAAAAAE0/sq1HdQ9hqBc/s1600-h/P1000241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qM-eX4uWI/AAAAAAAAAE0/sq1HdQ9hqBc/s320/P1000241.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Davida taking a nap</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qNvj-rILI/AAAAAAAAAE8/i9emtiQwwyw/s1600-h/P1000279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qNvj-rILI/AAAAAAAAAE8/i9emtiQwwyw/s320/P1000279.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 week old puppies in the internet room on The Farm</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qOnmM5qgI/AAAAAAAAAFE/ao8ESzaVtT0/s1600-h/P1000286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qOnmM5qgI/AAAAAAAAAFE/ao8ESzaVtT0/s320/P1000286.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me- wading in the river </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qPljxUn0I/AAAAAAAAAFM/IMH9g3EItfc/s1600-h/P1000281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qPljxUn0I/AAAAAAAAAFM/IMH9g3EItfc/s320/P1000281.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ghandi, the Onda Azul German shepherd, trying to coerce this young Israeli girl to go swimming with him </div><br />
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We had a good time, relaxed, checked out La Feria in El Bolson, got acquainted with the animals and just hung out for a while. After 3 days of chilling we finally decided it was time to leave and got our bus tickets out of there. One recommendation I would give would be to book your travel plans to leave before you actually arrive, as it is very easy to get sucked into the timeless vortex that is The Farm. If you don't book ahead, you could very well end up spending weeks or even months there without noticing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qIv8XjSJI/AAAAAAAAAEM/GbxxA6O8zeA/s1600-h/P1000250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qIv8XjSJI/AAAAAAAAAEM/GbxxA6O8zeA/s320/P1000250.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hippie jewelry for sale at La Feria in El Bolson</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qJdhmjytI/AAAAAAAAAEU/3nbvNgnZm50/s1600-h/P1000245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qJdhmjytI/AAAAAAAAAEU/3nbvNgnZm50/s320/P1000245.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hippie fly tying (El Bolson)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qKIcIZfWI/AAAAAAAAAEc/lP--31YPi9E/s1600-h/P1000253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qKIcIZfWI/AAAAAAAAAEc/lP--31YPi9E/s320/P1000253.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">La Suprema - waffle w/ dulce de leche, strawberry preserves, cream & powdered sugar (El Bolson)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qK6sdNl-I/AAAAAAAAAEk/xAQkwRkJSrs/s1600-h/P1000251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4qK6sdNl-I/AAAAAAAAAEk/xAQkwRkJSrs/s320/P1000251.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Industrial caulk gun used for pumping dulce de leche </div><br />
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Reggae. Jam sessions. Frisbee. Puppies! Kittens! A German shepherd named Ghandi??!! From what I gather this place is the ultimate stoner's paradise. But what would I know? I've never touched the stuff.....<br />
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- ShalomJMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-69792373325099785752010-02-27T12:24:00.000-08:002010-02-27T12:24:05.555-08:00Patagonia - Perito Moreno GlacierLast week I had the pleasure of doing an ice trek on the Perito Moreno Glacier just outside El Calafate, Argentina. The experience and scenery were truly amazing and the weather couldn't have been better. The natural beauty of this enormous block of ice is such that words could never do it justice so I'll just let the pics do the talking. No sarcastic quips or witty remarks are going to make it anymore enjoyable for you to read (or me to write). So, without further adieu, here are a few of the better shots from the day:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l15AL-iHI/AAAAAAAAAB8/aJWET1oQBVA/s1600-h/P1000312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l15AL-iHI/AAAAAAAAAB8/aJWET1oQBVA/s400/P1000312.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Glacier in the background (Llamas in the foreground)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l23DLtqVI/AAAAAAAAACM/AN5uffcTnKQ/s1600-h/P1000320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l23DLtqVI/AAAAAAAAACM/AN5uffcTnKQ/s400/P1000320.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Serenity now!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l418sFk-I/AAAAAAAAACk/2IYjBv6s2a4/s1600-h/P1000354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l418sFk-I/AAAAAAAAACk/2IYjBv6s2a4/s400/P1000354.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Crampons on. About to head out onto the glacier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l5geuTqtI/AAAAAAAAACs/ReXsco5-j7k/s1600-h/P1000360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l5geuTqtI/AAAAAAAAACs/ReXsco5-j7k/s400/P1000360.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">River on the glacier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l6YukvX3I/AAAAAAAAAC0/HKc1K9mmj2E/s1600-h/P1000365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l6YukvX3I/AAAAAAAAAC0/HKc1K9mmj2E/s400/P1000365.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Trekkin'</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l7MvY_J1I/AAAAAAAAADE/NvEPtxUkdGc/s1600-h/P1000370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l7MvY_J1I/AAAAAAAAADE/NvEPtxUkdGc/s400/P1000370.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lunchtime</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l7nQULBaI/AAAAAAAAADM/zIDMOYtLgXI/s1600-h/P1000372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l7nQULBaI/AAAAAAAAADM/zIDMOYtLgXI/s400/P1000372.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nice headband hippie</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l9CI8rnxI/AAAAAAAAADc/uNpewclI4eQ/s1600-h/P1000393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l9CI8rnxI/AAAAAAAAADc/uNpewclI4eQ/s400/P1000393.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Trekking back - single file</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l9axxOI-I/AAAAAAAAADk/uc9fFKVD44g/s1600-h/P1000401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l9axxOI-I/AAAAAAAAADk/uc9fFKVD44g/s400/P1000401.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Boat back to the other side</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l9x5ctr6I/AAAAAAAAADs/kOtUX-T7dys/s1600-h/P1000402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4l9x5ctr6I/AAAAAAAAADs/kOtUX-T7dys/s400/P1000402.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Complimentary scotch - nice</div>JMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-25655126728061368332010-02-26T14:00:00.000-08:002010-02-26T14:00:56.014-08:00The Last Supper...La Cabrera<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4g-bH6cMUI/AAAAAAAAABU/n-GGcx6rF4Q/s1600-h/P1020001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4g-bH6cMUI/AAAAAAAAABU/n-GGcx6rF4Q/s400/P1020001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
After an unplanned 7 day detour through Patagonia I found myself purchasing a ticket for a flight back to Buenos Aires for two final nights before heading to Mendoza and then on to Chile. After buying the ticket I realized that this was probably going to be my last chance to do the one thing that I regretted not doing the other 4 times I had been in BA - eating dinner at La Cabrera. So I immediately went to their website and booked a table for Thursday night.<br />
You don't need a guidebook (or to be an avid reader of this blog) to find the not so hidden secret that is La Cabrera. It's probably the most well known (and highly touristy) steak restaurant in all of Buenos Aires. But it deserves the hype! I guess it's comparable to Peter Luger's in NY, but really think it's on a different level (as there are no competitors on its level. i.e. The Palm, Striphouse, Wolfgang's, etc).<br />
My Wednesday afternoon flight took off from Calafaté airport on time at 1:45 but after 20 minutes the pilot realized he could only bank to the right and made an announcement that we'd have to return to the airport (See? that's what I was talking about in my last post. Don't hesitate to let us know if there's some pertinent info. Otherwise, keep it to yourself. Dale Capitan). We weren't sure if the flight would end up going that night or not until the morning. But, I had faith. The stars had aligned and I was going to eat at La Cabrera, damn it! Finally after a 9 hour delay, the flight took off and I arrived in BA around 1 AM. <br />
Anyways, back to La Cabrera. Reservations were for 8:30 and the restaurant was only about a 5 minute walk from our hostel so after a quick drink on the hostel terrace my dining partner and I made our way out at around 8:20. Approaching the corner of Thames and JA Cabrera we found a disorganized mass of tourists and locals alike (some with reservations, some without) trying to figure out what was going on and who was in charge. Once we became part of this mass, the anxiety in the air was very apparent. There isn't really a line and everybody is on edge hoping that either their reservation has been confirmed and acknowledged or that they might slip through on the waiting list. The fact that reservations are taken under first names only doesn't add any sense of order or comfort to the situation and since my parents didn't have the foresight to give me a slightly more original name for such circumstances I quickly learned that I was not the only "John" with a reservation for 2 at 8:30 (don't worry little D'Brickeshaw Carter, this is something you'll never have to deal with once you're in the world). Luckily my Spanish charm and New York elbows got us to the front of the line where I learned that our reservation was, in fact, confirmed but was at La Cabrera Norte (across the street, about 50 yards away). So we made our way there and found a much quieter, more controlled, less anxious crowd waiting to be let in for the first seating.<br />
I gave my name and we were promplty seated in the half empty room and presented with menus and a wine list. After a quick scan of the meat section I decided on the ojo de bife (rib-eye) and my dining partner chose the lomito (tenderloin/filet). We also agreed to share a caprese salad to start and order a few sides and a bottle of wine. While taking our order our waiter, a sweet old man in a seemingly authentic gaucho's cap, informed us that ordering sides would not be necessary as an array of dishes were included with our steaks. He also let me in on the fact that my rib eye would probably be big enough to sink a cruise ship. I told him to bring it on. The wine, water, and caprese arrived. While delicious, the capreses isn't really even worth mentioning here (not sure why just I did).<br />
Then came the steaks. Mine, the size of a leather briefcase, and Sarah's, 4 big cuts of filet mignon, each one of which could have been a meal on its own. They were served on long wooden boards, accompanied by 6 small dishes of various sides and sauces. Our waiter quickly started re-arranging all of the sides and sauces and informed us that he had to make room for the platter of guarniciones calientes (hot sides) that were on their way. Sure enough, a minute later, a round platter with 6 small dishes containing mashed potatoes, squash puré, warm chick pea salad, confit onions, etc. arrived on our table. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4hAxIEonKI/AAAAAAAAABc/tKZ-OTaSQoM/s1600-h/P1020009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4hAxIEonKI/AAAAAAAAABc/tKZ-OTaSQoM/s400/P1020009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Guarniciones Calientes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4hBmycNWjI/AAAAAAAAABk/8s7M2jmhDLU/s1600-h/P1020006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4hBmycNWjI/AAAAAAAAABk/8s7M2jmhDLU/s400/P1020006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ojo de Bife</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> The meal progressed. We ate, drank, and were merry. Happy to be at "the other La Cabrera" which was definitely less crowded and less hectic than the original, and less than a stone's throw away. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4hCXKgV14I/AAAAAAAAABs/XIQjk5V8L90/s1600-h/P1020007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4hCXKgV14I/AAAAAAAAABs/XIQjk5V8L90/s400/P1020007.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Listo"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> I usually try to avoid the most hyped, extremely touristy/popular places. Moral of this story: sometimes the people are right. We should listen to them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4hDMeJaB8I/AAAAAAAAAB0/iedrsPPoHZo/s1600-h/P1020008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kt="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S4hDMeJaB8I/AAAAAAAAAB0/iedrsPPoHZo/s400/P1020008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The steak looked so delicious that even this self-proclaimed "crunchy hippie" broke her vegan vow and ordered a filet.</div><br />
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Happy eating!<br />
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- TresJMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-39663234298212137852010-02-10T12:38:00.000-08:002010-02-10T12:38:54.033-08:00Argentina's Buses....The Only Way to FlyAt first I was a little apprehensive about sitting on a bus for 18 hours from Buenos Aires to Iguazu Falls, but all you hear from anybody travelling down here is how great the buses are so I signed up for a supercama seat and gave it a shot. As my bus experience is minimal I took the proper precautions and made sure I had all the essentials: plenty of water, gum, hand sanitizer, books, iPods fully charged, toilet paper, and enough food to sustain a band of separatist guerillas for a month. Shortly after boarding I realized that everything they say is true. On my seat I found a nicely wrapped blanket and pillow and in front of it Bose headphones hanging on my personal TV screen. All seemed good and I ate one of my sandwiches, then laid back in my 180 degree fully reclining seat and started watching the first movie "As Good As It Gets" (fitting, and in English).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S3MRJm70C-I/AAAAAAAAABM/lJ6SS7GWAB4/s1600-h/P1000982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S3MRJm70C-I/AAAAAAAAABM/lJ6SS7GWAB4/s400/P1000982.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Twenty minutes later with a belly full of sandwiches and apples I smelled what turned out to be a delicous dinner of beef, vegetables, and rice complete with wine, chapagne, and coffee. Nothing like a good steak to wash down a few sandwiches. I conked out for a bit and woke up in complete comfort. It was only then that I realized how much better this was than flying. Sure this bus ride was 18 hours and the flight would've been a mere 2, but the bus cost less than a third of the cost of a flight. Aside from the money saved what was even more satisfying to me was all of the annoyances of flying that I avoided by taking the bus. Below is a short list of reasons why bus > plane:<br />
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1) No arriving 2 hours early and sitting in the terminal so you can pay $4.50 for a bottle of water and $3.50 for 5 pieces of Trident.<br />
2) It's ok to pack more than 1 day's worth of shampoo in your carry-on, hell, they even let you bring your scissors.<br />
3) No sketchy security guard with a foot fetish telling you it's required that he x-ray your Havianas just so he can watch you walk barefoot across the gross floor.<br />
4) Keep your iPod on, use your laptop, make calls, do whatever you like with whatever electronic devices you want, the entire trip. Come to think of it, how reassuring is it that my compulsion to break my high score in Brickbreaker apparently has the potential to bring down a state of the art airliner? You'd think the good people at Boeing could figure how to take care of that small detail.<br />
5) No safety video (but no lifejacket either. So, you win some you lose some).<br />
6) And the best aspect of a bus ride in my mind is that the busdriver doesn't feel the need to update you on his every move. He just puts the pedal down, shuts up, and drives. No "This is Captain Travolta speaking. We'd like to thank you for choosing to fly with Hubbard Airlines - your first choice Aeronautical Spiritual Engineering. Tonight we'll reach a cruising altitude of about 30,000 feet. In about an hour if you look out over our right wing (and have x-ray vision) you'll be able to make out the faces on Mt. Rushmore. Later, as we cross over Mackinaw Island you should be able to make out my lake house." Look buddy, I don't fill you in on everything that's going on in my world "Well Captain, first I was thinking that I'd listen to every Radiohead album in chronological order. Then maybe, hit shuffle? What do you think?" and later "This is John in 31A again. Now I'm thinking about eating this entire family sized bag of extra spicy jalapeño Doritos. I know I might pay for it later but I'm really bored." Do me a favor, unless you're about to put us down in a river (kudos to Sully on that one) leave the microphone on the hook and let me watch the movie. Nobody cares how high we we're going or that we're crossing over Nova Scotia. We just want to know when we're gonna get there and how many free drinks we get. <br />
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Now that I've got one longhaul bus ride under my belt I look forward to many more to come. Tomorrow is 18 hours down south to Bariloche and I can't wait.<br />
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- Happy TrailsJMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-65651007098627494842010-02-08T05:09:00.000-08:002010-02-08T05:09:16.705-08:00And.....we're backSorry, we'd gone radio silent for a while here at The Run Around but now we're back up and running, literally. What I'd neglected to mention in my prison tale was the fact that my running shoes were stolen from outside my hostel room that very morning, and while I'm all for the barefoot revolution, sometimes when running in unfamiliar places in foreign countries you just plain need shoes...at least while looking for a good route. So, without shoes for a week my runs were limited and consisted of just a few short jogs along the beach in Brazil. Great scenery, but not much too write about. Now I'm back in Buenos Aires working on a top secret project for a few days before hopefully heading down to Bariloche to do some running/trekking in the hills. <br />
Upon returning to BA the first order of business was to find a place where I could pick up a watch, camera, running shoes, and some havianas to replace my prison sandals. Not knowing the word for 'mall' in Spanish I had to ask around for a bit and explain to a few people what I was looking for, but when I finally got my point across I was delighted to not only learn that the mall was just a few blocks away but also to find out what the word was. Having spent a good amount of time in Spain I'm fully accustomed to, appreciative of, and often amused by the Spanish's habit of adopting variations of English words to depict deifferent things. For example: campground = el camping; parking lot = el parking. And mall? You guess it - el shopping. Thanks Spain (and Argentina) for making things so easy for us gringos. Following this logic you'd think bar would be 'el drinking', but they've made that one even easier...it's just 'bar'. <br />
While I've got pictures to share and things to write about, right now the aforementioned project is commanding most of my attention. But stay tuned as there's lots of great fresh content to come.<br />
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- CiaoJMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-867395985895130572010-01-31T04:19:00.000-08:002010-01-31T04:19:51.617-08:00Total ImmersionLooking to improve your Spanish? Think your verb conjugation could use some fine tuning? Try spending a night in an Argentine prison (let me preface this by saying that I´m nowhere near creative enough to make something like this up). Last night after having a great barbecue with good friends and good wine a big group of us decided to take in the night life at Puerto Iguazu´s club Cubra Libre. Below follows a list of what to/not do:<br />
Upon exiting the free shuttle from the hostel the thumping base of the reggaeton beats consume the surrounding area. Grab your ticket and wait in line to enter. Once inside proceed straight to the bar to collect your complimentary rum and coke. Hit the dance floor in the main room for a bit and sweat it out with the locals. Then around 2 or 3 make sure you´re in the front of the queue of people heading into the airconditioned back room. In there you´ll hear a broader mix of house, techno, and trance. Dance, drink, do as you please. Once you´ve had enough revelry for the night abandon your partying hostel mates on the dance floor and head out to grab a quick taxi back to your room. But keep your wits about you...space out for a second and you might stumble across the wrong corner where 3 Argentinian policemen happen to be shaking down a few local vagabonds and your night is in for a dramatic turn. If you´re lucky you´ll spot them and pull a quick u-turn before they even know you´re there.....or so you think. Next thing you know you you´re the most important student in AP Spanish at a really, really shitty public school. Once the smell of piss and shit has brought you fully into reality and your cell mate informs you that you are, indeed, in an Argentine prison and will definitely be spending the night, and possibly the weekend, start working through those verb tenses in your head otherwise you´re in for a long night. First order of businesss: become good friends with Antonio and Gonzalo, the two guys you´ll share your 10 foot by 10 foot cell with for the next 13 hours. Step two: in your broken Spanish belligerently plead with the guards to take your watch, camera, and/or 700 pesos if they´ll please just let you go back to your hostel and go to bed. Why not....you haven´t done anything illegal anyways, have you? Step 3: give up on all your other futile efforts and just try to get comfortable, you´re in this for the long haul. Spend the next 10 hours or so really practicing your Spanish with your cell mates (to this day this was definitely the most important and useful day of Spanish speaking I´ve ever experienced in my 28 years). <br />
Finally, after about 13 hours you´ll be lucky enough to get a visit from the "doctor". He doesn´t bother to actually enter your cell but instead just asks your name, age, any pertinent health info, and requsts that you remove your shirt and pull up your shorts to show any tattoos and/or scars. Being that he is the first semi-sympathetic figure you´ve seen in the last half day make sure you impress upon him the importance of the fact that you have a bus to Brazil at 1 this afternoon (it´s really at 8 but you´re already in jail, lying probably isn´t going to make this situation any worse) and would be really disappointed if you missed your trip. <br />
After hearing conflicting stories about your possible release being in anywhere from a few hours to Monday afternoon rejoice when you hear the words "Yon Carrterr" coming from the head guard´s mouth. Proceed with 2 other young guys who had the pleasure of spending the night at Forte Iguazu to 2 or 3 processing rooms. Stand quietly with your arms at your side and your head while waiting for them to do whatever the hell they´re doing. Don´t react when the new guard (likely still drunk from the night before) replaces one of the other guards and for no reason punches the guy 2 people away from you first in the balls and then in the face for trying to re-lace his Converse sneakers. After an hour of standing quietly at attention for an hour or so get released - sans camera, belt, watch, and the 700 pesos you came in with, and wearing a different pair of sandals than the ones in which you entered. For some asinine reason make a huge deal about getting your belt (which was a gift from an old friend) back. If you´re lucky they´ll happen to find it in the draw under the TV. Just your luck though, your money, camera, watch and hostel key are nowhere to be found. <br />
Quietly ask the seemingly nicest of all the policemen if there´s any possible way you can be provided with 1.50 pesos for the bus ride back to your hostel and get told by the ball puncher (in English) to "get the fuck out of the estation anow". Walk out dejected, in your prison sandals, and wait half an hour for the bus. When it gets there plead with the driver for a free ride. Get denied. Ask how far you hostel is from the station. 6 kilometers, huh? Aren´t you a runner? Isn´t this what you do? Don´t you claim to be passionate about this sport? Unbutton your shirt, kick off your prison sandals, and make like Forrest Gump. Enjoy one of the most amazing, important, introspective, and weird runs of your life. Upon arrival at the hostel proceed directly to your room to grab some money to buy eggs for breakfast. When the guy at the counter refuses to give you change for your 100 peso bill tell him you just ran home barefoot from jail and threaten his life if he doesn´t let you have some goddamned scrambled eggs. Win the argument. Eat said eggs. Go borrow change from friends and pay the guy back (thanks for understanding, amigo). <br />
Maybe it wasn´t what you´d planned on for your last night in Iguazu Falls but hey, you wanted to work on your Spanish, right? <br />
Fuck, I think I have some glass in my toe.<br />
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Talk to you guys in Brazil...JMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-63196502583124341892010-01-30T08:49:00.000-08:002010-01-30T08:49:00.646-08:00It's Official - The Run Around is going to Brazil!!!After an 18 hour bus ride over Wednesday night into Thursday instead of just relaxing by the pool with a beer and a good book I did the responsible thing and spent my first few hours getting myself organized. The first item of business was thoroughly washing everything in my toiletry bag (and the bag itself) because my shampoo bottled exploded while in the luggage compartment of the bus. Once that situation was taken care of I took it upon myself to go through the process of booking travel and accomodation in Brazil. First stop is Florianopolis then probably a couple of places I don´t know how to pronounce and most certainly can´t spell. While Brazil was never in consideration as a stop on this journey I´ve met too many extraordinarly nice Brazilians who´ve told me so much about their country that I decided I had to give it a shot. While I probably won´t make it to the pristine beaches of the north, the beaches on Ihla De Santa Catarina, of which Flori is the main city, are apparently very impressive. The twelve hour bus ride starts tomorrow evening. Stay tuned for further updates. I had intended on putting up a few pics of Iguazu Falls today but am having technical difficulties with the computer. While picture could never even begin to do the Falls justice any post about them without pictures would be insane. <br />
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See you in Brazil...JMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-83341652632351293452010-01-29T15:44:00.000-08:002010-01-29T15:44:55.137-08:00Heart On My Arm - Great New Running ProductRunning a marathon, half-marathon, a 5K or doing a walkathon for charity? Looking for an extra source of motivation during your training and during the race? Check out these new wristbands: <a href="http://www.heartonmyarm.com/">Heart On My Arm</a>. As an avid runner who´s been heavily involved in charitable work for years, Ryan Bennett, a good friend of mine, developed a product that provides anybody running/walking/cycling for a cause with something to give them that extra boost of motivation while also providing functionality. The Heart On My Arm wristbands are made from sweatwicking material and have a 3.5 X 2.5 inch window perfect for displaying a photo of the person you´re honoring by running, or a motivational image or quote that will help you accomplish your goals. Aside from added motivation the wristbands also provide functionality in the form of a small zipper pocket perfect for storing keys, money, or an MP3 player. I really could´ve used one of these around mile 42 of the 50 mile day of the Gobi March in 2009, and now I never leave for a run without one. In addition to producing a great product the Heart On My Arm company also donates 5% of its profits to non-profits. This aspect is very important to Ryan who aside from being an avid marathoner, the sole proprietor of Heart On My Arm, and working a full time corporate job, also runs his own non-profit organization that provides scholarships to graduating special education high school students: <a href="http://www.fabforlife.org/">FAB For Life Foundation</a>. Get one before the first batch is sold out!JMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-60141614273286872272010-01-27T08:33:00.000-08:002010-01-27T08:47:06.744-08:00Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil...errr....Roses.<i>Disclaimer: The below does not actually refer to goings on at midnight, more like 8 to 11.</i><br />
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<i> </i>If you ever find yourself staying in the Palermo section of Buenos Aires (or any part of BA for that matter) consider yourself lucky. But if you´re a runner looking to get out and stretch your legs consider yourself extra lucky.<br />
After a long day of taking in the sights of Microcentro, windowshopping in upscale Recoleta, or just chilling out at the cafés along Puerto Madero put on your running shoes and head for the Rosedal (Rose Garden) in Palermo. With a beautiful pond, kioscos where you can buy water and other drinks, and lots of open space to sit, stretch, do sit-ups, or whatever, the Rosedal is the place to be for runners on weeknights. To get there take El Subte (the subway) line D to Plaza Italia. Exit the subway and head northeast on Avenida Sarmiento. The Jardín Zoológico (the zoo) will be on you´re right (you´ll smell it). When you reach Avenida del Libertador head northwest across the massive intersection. Once you´ve crossed the intersection the park will be on your right. As stop signs, headlights, and picking up after your dog are apparently optional in BA, getting to the park can be a bit dicey (comparable to running the gauntlet on a Japanese gameshow) so stay alert and keep your eyes open. Once you get there you´ll realize the trip was worth your while.<br />
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</div>Upon entering the park you´re likely to hear bagpipes - that´s your cue to jump in and start running (counter clockwise). While running the loop you´ll pass plush grass fields, the serene pond in the middle, and the beautiful footbridge (pictured) that leads to the actual rose garden. But the real scenery is the hundreds of porteños out for their nightly exercise. Keeping your eyes open here won´t be a problem - your head is likely to be on a proverbial swivel! While the loop is only about a mile long it´s easy to do 7 or 8 laps while checking out the gorgeous porteños (girls and guys alike - we here at The Run Around are equal opportunity chauvinists). You´ll also see numerous running teams out training for various races, marathons, and triathlons (be careful - these groups run against traffic and don´t stop for gringos that stray into their path).<br />
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</div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S2BkLO5IruI/AAAAAAAAAAk/g4sWTTj6NSQ/s1600-h/P1000871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S2BkLO5IruI/AAAAAAAAAAk/g4sWTTj6NSQ/s200/P1000871.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S2BkoDHqUEI/AAAAAAAAAAs/DmeCAw4A77E/s1600-h/P1000953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qioES3KU-F8/S2BkoDHqUEI/AAAAAAAAAAs/DmeCAw4A77E/s200/P1000953.JPG" width="200" /></a>After your workout leave the park the way you came in (this time on the opposite side of Avenida Sarmiento) and stop to stretch while watching the skateboarders "shred" the half pipe at the small skate park. Once cooled down and stretched take the money you brought to buy a post-run water and spend it on beer (let´s maximize the benefit of our exchange rate, people). Head to Plaza Serrano (see pic right) in all your sweatiness to have a drink at one of the many outdoor bars packed with people (to get there, pass by the Plaza Italia subway stop and continue southwest on Avenida Jorge Luis Borges for about 10 blocks and you´ll come across the plaza). After a few beers you might actually stop sweating. Once loose and ready for dinner head back to your hotel/hostel to shower (or don´t) and make your way to Caracas Bar on the corner of Jorge Luis Borges and Guatemala. The "Ensalada Caracas" is a great post run meal consisting of mixed greens, sundried tomatoes, higos (a sweet South American fruit), grated cheese, sliced almonds (none for me, soy alérgico), and loads of jamón crudo (similar to prosciutto). It´s how the say in Argentina - freakin´ delicious. The salad with a beer and bottle of water will run you about 40 pesos (10 bucks).<br />
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</div>Now that you´re fed and lubricated go back to Plaza Serrano to drink outdoors until the wee hours, or to the Las Canitas area, or make your way downtown with your Brazilian hostel mates to club Bahrein and drink overpriced cans of beer while dancing to crappy music with a bunch of sweaty, wasted, 19 year old Aussies and Brits on their "gap year" (don´t do this). <br />
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</div>If you do end up going to club Bahrein until 7 in the morning it´s doubtful that the hostel breakfast (i.e. staled untoasted bread, and a coffee-esque liquid) is gonna cut it in the morning. For something more substantial try Tonno on the corner of Thames and Charcas and get the "Desayuno Americano" - scrambled eggs, bacon, toast with cheese spread, orange juice, and a cortado (coffee with milk). Add a water and the damage will be 22 pesos. Go back to bed...JMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961352489104530787.post-58412092618923365472010-01-26T14:30:00.001-08:002010-01-26T15:00:58.467-08:00So...I have a blog...Ugh...I always swore I wouldn´t become one of "those people". By that I mean the thousands of people who´ve gone on one or two extended vacations armed with a Lonely Planet guidebook and decided that they were now an authority on international travel and started up blogs to "give travel advice" (no offense to the people I know that do this - you guys are alright. Keep up the good work. Some people would never be able to find that hostel with the "friendly and vibrant staff", or the "out of the way authentic, non-touristy trattoria nestled quaintly on one of ¨name your city"´s hidden corners" without your blog). But as this interweb seems to be the best place to keep in touch with friends and family, here I am, entering the blogosphere. (By the way if you´re lucky enough to locate the aforementioned trattoria be sure to ask Donna Maria for a small cup of the homeade pistachio gelato to go with your cappuccino - it´s not on the menu but they always have it!). As a pretty passionate runner who only got into the sport a couple of years ago I like nothing better than finding a new path, trail, or course to explore. And after only a few days in Argentina I´ve already been exposed to a few that I wanted to document and share with whoever may read this crap. So I don´t really have any idea or plan for how this blog is going to evolve, or even if I´ll actually keep up with it, but if I do my guess is it will end up being: part journal, part running log, part "running travel advice", part "regular travel advice" (aka Lonely Planet regurgitation/paraphrasing), and if you´re lucky maybe even some restaurant reviews (there really aren´t enough of those on the internet). I hope to take may camera along on some of the better runs and share a little info and some pics. Maybe some of you will find it interesting.<br /><br />Good running & good reading.<br /><br />- JMCJMCIIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10538304624412701946noreply@blogger.com2