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EPIC - the movie

2011-06-23T22:56:00.000-04:00

Villarica Volcano Climb - Lake District Chile

2010-06-01T22:36:00.016-04:00

The Lake District of central Chile is one of the most beautiful regions in the country. The most popular tourist towns are Pucon and Villarica. The lakes and termas (thermal pools) offer boating, fishing & swimming. The rivers offer amazing white water rafting, kayaking, and "hydrospeed" (see post previous post). You also find zip-lining (called canopy in Chile), horseback riding, trekking, etc.
The Villarica Volcano climb was amazing. This is an active volcano that you can climb (and ski in the winter). Not technical, but definitely difficult. If you are slightly out of shape, you may struggle a bit on this climb, especially if the weather is less than optimal. The guides will tell you you need a "basic level of fitness" for this climb. What they don't tell you is that only about 60% of the recreational climbers make it to the summit, which is at 2847 m, 9340 feet. Our group started out at the base of mountain at around 8 am and we summited around 2 pm. If the ski lift is running you can save yourself a couple of hours by taking it from the base. The lift wasn't running the day I was there. Even though it would have felt like cheating, I would have taken it to better my chances and save myself a few blisters.

Here's a little video of the crater...too windy to hear what anybody is saying
I asked Ricardo (our guide) how it is possible that he has a large gut when he climbs the volcano 2-3 times a week. He said: "Dos cosas...Pan y cerveza"

This is how you get down the glacier

Photos are in reverse order

Looks a bit like the moon up there.
So that's why my heel was hurting for the last 6 hours...
Geared up for the descent.

Villarica Lake from the top of the Volcano

Getting ready for the fun part: sliding down the glacier on your backside. Ice axe is your brake.

Staring into the crater..every few minutes lava flies through the air.

Celebrating our basic level of fitness

Another volcanic peak in the background. This region reminds me of the Pacific Northwest in the U.S.

At the top.

At the bottom of the glacier...time to put on the crampons and bust out the ice axes

Looking out over Lake Villarica. You can see the lava flows from the last eruption

About mid-way to the crater...almost to the glacier

Our fearless guides.

Starting the trek: Me, Jake, my niece Alysa and her friend Kaitlin.

Gearing up for the climb with my friend Jake. The tour company said making it to the top requires a 'basic level of fitness.' I can honestly say that physically it was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. The gigantic blister I developed on my left heel didn't help. Later they told us that less than half of the climbers make to the top (they tell that after you pay).

Villarica Volcano...doesn't look so menacing from here
Elevation 9341 feet, Last major eruption was in 1971. It is an active volcano, as you can see from the smoke rising up.

Easter Island - August 2009

2009-08-26T20:31:00.010-04:00

Easter Island is a pretty fascinating place - it's basically in the middle of nowhere - about 2100 miles west of Chile in the middle of the pacific. This is the kind of place you should visit as part of a tour of Chile, or perhaps Tahiti. Lots of people spend a couple of days here on their way to or from Tahiti. Bottom line, it's not worth your money to do an exclusive Easter Island vacation, unless you are an archeologist or something. This island is not very developed, there are no large hotels or resorts here (yet). The locals are nice Polynesians and the feeling is laid back. There is some tension between the native Polynesian people and the Chileans who migrate there as well as the Chilean government. This is similar to the tension that exists with certain Hawaiians against the US.

I recommend spending no more than 3-4 days here. In that time you can see everything there is to see. All of the lodging here is small, bed & breakfast, family run stuff. Nothing fancy. There is really only one decent beach for swimming/snorkeling. I didn't have the chance to scuba dive there - but I've heard it's pretty good. Our itinerary was something like this:
Day One: rent a car - drive around the island, see all the Moais (stone head carving), checked out Anakena beach. Ate some fish. Took lots of pictures of the Moais
Day Two: Horseback riding excursion. Saw several caves along the coast. Nice scenic ride.
Day Three: Rented ATVs. Absolute blast. Where else can you ride ATVs over sacred archeological sites. In the afternoon we checked out the largest of the volcanic craters.

Tearing the landscape on 4 wheelers...cool

Hailey and Mya in front of the crater

Una cabalgata

the Moais

Riding cross the land, kicking up sand, sheriff's posse on our tail cause we're in demand

Archaeological sites, kids, and farm animals

Poser

Why so SERIOUS?

These 5 Moais represent our family...I'm the fat one with the cool hat.

Patagonia - Tierra del FUEGO

2009-03-30T22:55:00.012-04:00

In March we took a trip to Patagonia, at the southern tip of Chile. It's an amazing region with lots of mountains, lakes, glaciers, and wildlife. We flew to Punta Arenas, which is the southernmost city in the world. From there we rented a car and drove to Puerto Natales and then on to Torres de Paine national park. Great trip.

On the boat on Lago Grey...Glacier in background

Lago Grey beach...swimming not recommended

Mya

Tiffany took this in Puerto Natales...really nice shot.

Tiffany on Lago Grey

The glacier at Lago Grey

Torres del Paine National Park

View of the Torres from our cabin on the Rio Serrano

View of the Torres from inside the park

Rooftop pool at our hotel in Puerto Natales

Navidad en Argentina

2008-12-26T16:51:00.029-03:00

Just got back from a family trip (I call it a 'trip' instead of a 'vacation,' because 'vacation' implies relaxation) to Argentina over the Christmas holiday. In spite of the inevitable inconveniences and outbreaks of insanity that come with international travel with 3 small children, we had a good time. You may have seen those picture perfect families with the really well-behaved kids and the really patient parents during your travels...that is not our family. But somehow we made it work and nobody was seriously injured.

IGUAZU FALLS

The first leg of our trip was to Iguazu Falls. If you don't know anything about Iguazu Falls, it is located where the Argentine, Brazilian, and Paraguayan borders meet. There are 2 major rivers that come together there and it creates some spectacular waterfalls.

The coolest part was taking a powerboat up the river right up to the base of the biggest waterfall, la 'garganta del diablo' (devil's throat). Everybody gets soaked, which is good, because it is jungle, crotch-pot cookin' hot there!!

COLONIA, URUGUAY

The second leg was a day trip we took from Buenos Aires to Colonia. Colonia is a little Spanish/Portuguese colonial town that is directly across the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires. To get there you take a high speed ferry boat (cool). The town itself is rather sleepy, with lots of antiques stores, tourist shops, and old architecture. Cool if it's just you and your spouse enjoying a nice meal and shopping for antiques, not so cool if you have three kids in two. We went with our friends the Gibsons (2 kids). All told, Colonia was just OK for me, but at least I can cross Uruguay off of my countries to visit list.

BUENOS AIRES

Buenos Aires is great city. I'd been a few times before, but this was the first for Tiffany and the kids so we did a city tour. We took in the full flavor of the capital, including a little neighborhood called La Boca, which is really a lower class neighborhood made famous by it's colorful houses, tango clubs, and artists.

Gringos en la Boca

Here I am showing off my mad tango skills...

As you can see, I have some serious moves...

this Argentine girl was blown away.

Tiffany got so insanely jealous...

that she started to tango with this rico suave tango maestro

ZOO LUJAN

Have you ever had the desire to sneak up behind a 400 lb sleeping tiger and pat him on the belly? How about putting your little children into a cage full of lions? No? Then the Lujan Zoo in Argentina is just not for you.

I heard about this place from a co-worker. Only in South America (or perhaps Africa) could a place like this exist as a legitimate business. They actually let you physically interact with wild beasts...under the supervision of teenagers who probably make about 3 dollars an hour and receive about 3 hours of formal training. The place is AWESOME!! I won't lie, sidling up to the big cats scared me...(visions of Siegfried...or was it Roy?).

"He's gonna kill you"

Elephant rides...

2 chicks holding chicks

nice monkey...please don't poop on me

nice tiger...see that white stuff on his leg?

They sprinkle milk on his paws so he 'perks up' for the photo op

Not so perky here...

Mya playing with the lion cubs

Is he dead?

Me and Jake riding camel back

Feliz Navidad

2008-12-18T00:08:00.004-03:00

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to family and friends. We will be traveling in Argentina next week. Looking forward to spending time at Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires, and Uruguay. Should have lots to blog about...

At this time of year, we especially miss our loved ones in the U.S.A.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/photos/index.html?propertyID=1152

Ciudad de Mexico

2008-11-25T23:18:00.012-03:00

Last week I had a business trip to Mexico City. Even though I've traveled all around Latin America and I'd been there before, that place still scares me. 25 million people live in the distrito federal...the place is jungle. One day I was taking a cab back to my hotel from a meeting. We came to a street that was blocked off by the police and the taxi driver says to me: "Well, the street is blocked, you'll have to walk from here." To which I reply: "Are you kidding? I don't even know where I am!!" He assured me my hotel was only a few blocks away...

Having grown up in Southern California, I LOVE Mexican food. With all due respect to my Chilean friends...your food is bland and boring. I ate at some awesome restaurants in Mexico. But the best meals by far are the ones you eat off the street...fast food, mexican style

This is the little taco stand on the corner near my hotel...

5 tacos al carbon for a little over 2 bucks

This is the gigantic rotating mound of meats. I have no idea what they call this in Spanish, but it is basically meat on a stick. It has bacon, beef, chicken, and who knows what other animals on there. How did they get all that meat on that stick? I don't want to know. I just want to savor the flavor

This guy is an artist. He shaves that meat off there and puts it on a fresh corn tortilla with some cilantro, onion and bit of pineapple. Top that with salsa...MONEY!!

Futbol Chileno

2008-10-18T14:16:00.007-03:00

Wednesday night we went to a world cup qualifying game between Chile and Argentina. A little soccer history here: the Chilean team had NEVER beaten the Argentine team in any soccer match of any consequence...until now.

History was made. Chile won 1-0...and WE were there.

This defeat was so humiliating for Argentina (a world-renowned soccer powerhouse) that their coach resigned a day later. It was nice to see the Chileans (who have a profound inferiority complex) win something for a change.

Me and the Tiffer Nihat and I (in our official Chilean soccer jerseys)

Victor and Monica

The statium holds 80,000 people...

but don't expect cushy seats, cup holders, or good food

They have some very creative chants and sayings for the opposing team

Most involve some type of 'groseria' (cuss word) coupled with 'tu madre'

The winning and only goal of the night...Tiffany got it on video!
The roar of the crowd when they scored was amazing

Good times

Final Ski of the Season

2008-10-09T23:02:00.010-04:00

My ski season came to a premature end, due to a broken hand suffered playing basketball.

Maybe I am getting too old for contact sports...

Anyway, I decided to post a few photos and videos from this past winter. Mostly because I wanted to learn how to embed videos from youtube into my blog. Blogger gives you a 100 mb max for videos, which is somewhat restrictive. So I opened a youtube account to see how this works.

My ski buddies were Nihat (my Turkish coworker and fellow expat amigo) and Tano, Nihat's quasi-cousin and all around fun dude to hang around with. I'm not even sure what his real name is, but his nickname is Tano.

goofing around...amatuer Warren Miller.

Why am I skiing with 2 sets of poles?

So Tano can take pictures...dude takes a lot of pictures

Lunch time: burgers, fries and empanadas. Disneyland prices.

Nihat and I

This place is called Tres Puntas, because you can see three peaks from there. Right behind me (almost spitting distance) is El Plomo, 18,000 feet. If you look closely you can see the glacier on the front side. I am planning to hike it this summer...should make for a good blog entry.

A Better Way (to waste your weekend)

2008-08-24T22:02:00.031-04:00

The great thing about living overseas is that weekends are for fun. It seems when we lived in the U.S., we wasted far too much quality weekend time working on home projects, mowing lawns, or taking trips to Costco. Living here in a rented house, we really don't have a lot of domestic responsibilities, we have maids and gardeners for that sort of thing. This give us more time to explore the surrounding areas, or just hang out at one of the many shopping malls.

Pomaire

Pomaire is a little tourist trap town about 100 kms from Santiago. The town speciality is clay pottery, but you can find all sorts of arts & crafts-type stuff: hand made sweaters, paintings, dolls, etc. Of course, Tiffany loves the place. I don't get too excited about the products being peddled, but I do like some of the traditional chilean food you can buy there, like gigantic empanadas.

We witnessed this on the drive out to Pomaire. It defies all the laws of physics, as well as basic common sense. This little van is about a third of the size of your average Honda Odyssey. I like to call it a 'skinny van.' This particular van appeared to have the contents of an entire village stacked on top of it. Absolute classic.

Bienvenido a Pomiare...

I smell some gringo dollars

All major credit cards accepted

The sign says 'don't touch the bells'

Mmmmm...a delicious plate full of pig shoulder...looks sooo good.

Jake and I in our favorite pose: me holding him.

These ladies make the delicious wood-fire baked empanadas. The lady in the back was snobbing the photo op...probably mumbling something about Yankee imperialism.

A chilean Huaso (cowboy) serenades Mya

Juxtaposition of Jumpy Town

Just to demonstrate that Chile is not all rustic pueblos and poor villagers, I'm throwing in some video taken at InflaMania, one of those inflatable playland-type places at our local mall. Our kids go crazy for the place. Chileans are very proud of their shopping malls. They are pretty much like any high-end mall in the US, except everything is twice as expensive.

Foot in Mouth: Had to include this little gem. Jake fell asleep while doing time. He was sentenced to a 3 minute "time out" for bad behavior, during which he apparently slumped over and fell asleep on the sofa.

Enjoying the Andes

2008-08-17T22:58:00.009-04:00

One of the few things I enjoy about my morning commute to work in Santiago is seeing the snow blowing off of the top of 'Cerro Plomo,' an 18,000-foot Andes mountain peak visible (on a clear day) to the east of the city. I went to college in Utah, which has some pretty spectacular mountains, but nothing compared to the Andes.

Two weekends ago, after a fresh snow, we drove up the mountain (clarification: not to the top of el Plomo) to take the kids sledding. The scenery was amazing, and the sledding wasn't too bad either (no major injuries reported).

They are not kidding...the drive up can be a bit 'peligroso' and requires intestinal fortitude.

The hills were alive....with the sounds of kids whining.

Jake digs it

Our friends the Alomias

"I want to do it again"

Skiing in the Andes - July 2008

2008-07-27T16:32:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we took our first ski trip as a family to Valle Nevado, a ski resort about 45 miles from Santiago (45 miles up one of the windiest, steepest roads you've ever seen). Tiffany took a snowboarding class, Hailey and Mya took a ski class, while Jake just played in the snow (with a little adult supervision). After a hearty lunch of peanut butter sandwiches (brought from home), Tiffany took a turn watching the kids and I went out for a ski. The conditions were great and the skiing was awesome. At the end of the day we were treated to one of the most amazing sunsets I've ever witnessed.

Check out pictures above and videos below...

Pucon - Villarica March 2008

2008-07-26T13:00:00.003-04:00

In Chile there is a summer tradition where everybody vacations in the South. Southern Chile is a beautiful region with lots of lakes, volcanoes (some still active), and rivers. If you journey far enough south into Patagonia, you find the kind of beauty you'd expect to find near the southern pole...glaciers, etc.

In our first trip South last March, we journeyed as far as Pucon. Pucon is about 800 kilometers south of Santiago. It reminded me a lot of Jackson Hole, Wyoming in terms of geography, as well as the variety of outdoor activities you can do. One of the coolest things to do is climb Villarica Volcano, which you can do on a guided tour, complete with crampons and ice axes. As this was more of a family trip, that hike will have to wait until next time.

This was the view from our hotel 'Hosteria La Colina.' Great little hotel owned & operated by an American couple. We had our own little private bungalow with a deck overlooking lake Villarica. The food (especially the American-style breakfast) and the service were great, and they had a cool old-fashioned, wood-fired hot tub. It looked like a giant wood barrel. Anyway, I highly recommend the place: http://www.hosteriadelacolina.com/
or this one if you prefer to stay in Pucon
http://www.monteverdepucon.cl/

Hanging out at a local pizza joint in the town of Pucon.

Horseback riding in the hills of above Pucon. Hailey and Mya loved it, Jake got a little bored after 3+ hours.

Jake is 100% daddy's boy...a real man's man. Notice that I am the one holding him in almost every photo...my faithful sidekick.

THERMAL POOLS

This place is cool. They call them the 'Termas Geometricas' (geometric thermal pools). Basically its a series of pools heated by natural spring water piped down a canyon from above. Each pool offers varying degrees of heat, some scorching, some lukewarm. At the top of the canyon there is an ICE COLD waterfall. The only ones to brave the waterfall were the gringos...that's us and our gringo friends the Walkers.
Getting to this place was part of the adventure. It's about 50 miles or so from Pucon, but the last 10 miles are up a windy dirt road with one lane, rickety wooden bridges. It's the kind of road you would only attempt in a 4x4 (which fortunately we have)...unless you are Chilean. It that case you see all kinds of vehicles making the attempt and most seemed to make it there.

Tiffany and I taking in the icy refreshment

My buddy Nathan Walker and I getting the full icy waterfall experience

The Davis Family soaks it up in the warm mineral waters...probably some kid urine in there too!

Hydrospeed

Hydrospeed is sport that would never be done commercially in the US, for liability reasons. It is basically whitewater rafting on a hard plastic, sled-like apparatus. Our guide was a chilean dude who spoke very little English. He basically leads the way, shouting instructions to help you avoid the rocks. My group consisted of me and 4 Israeli dudes. They spoke no Spanish and limited English, so I served as the relay man for the guide's instructions. On the very first rapid we encountered, I hit my left thigh on a rock...hard. It hurt at the time, but the cold water and the adrenaline made me forget the pain. Not until the next day did I realize how nasty it was. Even though I limped for a week, it was worth it.

all geared up...wetsuit (smelled like 40 day old urine), flippers, chest protector, helmet, and lots of bravado.

Take a BIG breath...

...close your eyes and hope you don't smash your face on a rock

Live to fight another day.

Machu Picchu - Dec 2007

2008-07-26T02:31:00.002-04:00

Last December we took a family trip to Peru to Cusco and Machu Picchu. I have always wanted to go there, but I never imagined going there with 3 small children in tow. We were a little apprehensive about taking the kids for safety reasons and because of the high altitude, but we didn't have any problems.

It was truly an awesome experience. Peru is a beautiful country with great people. Although there are lots of gringos around Machu Picchu / Aguas Calientes, there are very few children, especially small children. The locals went crazy over our blonde, blue-eyed kids. Everybody was rubbing their heads and saying things like: "Ay, que lindos ninos!" In the Lima airport we were sitting eating in a food court when some Peruvian dude came over and asked me if he could take a picture of my family. I said yes, and he proceeded to take a picture of each of my kids with his camera phone. Then, just for good measure, he also took one of Tiffany. He wasn't interested in MY photo... Hopefully our faces don't end up on some strange, perverse website.

Machu Picchu itself was the highlight for everybody. I've been to other ancient Maya/Aztec ruins in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala, but nothing compares to the Incan Ruins at MP. It is amazing how they constructed that city in such an isolated place. After taking the whole family to the ruins on day one, we overnighted in Aguas Calientes. The next day I went back to the ruins solo and climbed up to the top of Wayna Picchu, which is the mountain you always see in the background of any MP landscape. It was a rigorous but rewarding hike. I proved to myself once again that I am not as out of shape as I think I am. I got to the top in about 25 minutes, wearing only my Crocs (thanks mom & dad for the Crocs - they rock).

The girls posing with some Peruvian girls...culture contrast. Those are lambs the Peruvian girls are holding

the city of Cusco

Me carrying 'the Jake'...like his personal sherpa

Mancation - San Diego - August 2007

2008-07-25T00:57:00.000-04:00

suck in those guts dudes!!

Before we left for Chile in August 2007, I hooked up with my two older brothers for what we liked to call a 'mancation.' This is esentially a getaway sans wives and children where all you do are manly activities, such as golf, baseball games, and shoe shopping. We have had similar mancations in the past (hiking the Narrows in Zions National Park, hanging out in Seattle/Mariners game, and attending the Front Sight firearms 'resort' in Nevada, a.k.a. Guncamp), but this one was special as I was leaving for Chile within a few weeks. Steve (middle bro) and I (youngest bro) flew from Boise to San Diego to meet up with Doug (eldest bro), who lives is SoCal.

The itinerary was more or less like this:

Thursday: Attend Padres/Dbacks game at Petco Park, crash at the downtown Marriott

Friday : Pacific Beach for surfing lessons. Having grown up in SoCal, my bros and I have been around the ocean and have all surfed and/or bodyboarded to one degree or another. But I thought the longboard lessons would be cool. We were all doing pretty well until Steve and Doug got tangled up (not sure who 'dropped in' on who) but Doug got the worst of it and ended up with a pretty nice gash on his lip. This explains his hitler-like upper lip in the photo #1. Anyway, the injury was minor and we still had time to squeeze in some In-n-Out Burger (best burgers on the planet) and some jet-skiing in Mission Bay.

It was fun dudes: my our 'Bro-mance' never die!