The Life of Lauren

Photos from Turkey and Bulgaria

2011-08-25T18:36:00.001-07:00

2011-08-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Unveiling Istanbul's last day...

2011-08-21T14:00:00.001-07:00

Today we unveiled another layer of the beautiful city of Istanbul...the modern side of the city. I used to think that Turkey's main highlights were historical monuments like the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque but I was wrong. In fact, this incredibly diverse and beautiful city has over 20 million people! It is rich with culture, art and music. Today, we woke up and headed to Galata Bridge and started the morning off exploring the New Mosque, which was intimate and exquisite. We then ventured over the bridge and stopped by the Fish Market for fresh fish sandwiches. This is a must! They were delicious!!!

After our bellies were full, we followed our instincts and headed uphill through what looked like Haight Ashbury meets Chinatown meets Buenos Aires. From unique boutiques to tourist hubs, the area was rich with diversity and young energy...And, appropriately timed, we witnessed a protest where a journalist had been arrested for writing something negative about the prime minister. We then stopped by the art exhibition hall called SALT which is a free exhibition hall for students and artists alike. I wish we had something like this in LA. We climbed up the stones streets till we reached the Galata Tower and then to the Modern Istanbul museum and to dinner just in time for sun down. Dinner was interesting because it is Ramadan and the restaurant was prepping the breaking of the fast "iftar" so we had to eat and dash so there was enough space in the restaurant for those breaking fast. We then escorted Cameron to the train station for his journey back to Bulgaria.

We are wrapping up the night packing our souvenirs in our bags and we head back to California tomorrow morning.

Thanks for following our adventures (www.amazoneyes.blogspot.com). Pictures will be posted later this week.

Much love,

Lauren

Ballooning and Backgammon Blog

2011-08-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

We just returned to the Nomad hostel after a full day of exploring Cappadocia, a small desert like mountain town with iconic fairy chimneys. It was created by the aftermath of Erciyes Dagi which erupted many millennia ago, leaving lava and pumis to carve out colorful twists and valleys. We started the morning attempting to take a hot air balloon ride but due to high winds, it was canceled. However, that didn't stop us from taking our first full day tour of the trip where we explored Neshmir, the underground city of Derinkuyu and the Ihara Valley. We learned how nearly a half million Thracians lived throughout the 36 open underground cities (but there are at least 100 more cities) during the 6th and 7th centuries when Persian and Arabic armies set off to vanquish the Christians. When the message got to Cappadocia, Byzantine Christians would escape into the secret tunnels which later became the underground cities.

We then hiked through the beautiful Ihara Valley, learning how 8-10,000 people lived there for centuries, building churches in the caves and living in the majestic valley.

We are now witnessing Elica and Cameron partake in an ancient Turkish tradition...Backgammon!

Back to Istanbul tonight!

Blue Mosque Clouds

2011-08-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

Blue Mosque

2011-08-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

XFactor in Bulgaria!!

2011-08-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

XFactor USA premieres in the US in September on FOX but it's already a sensation here in Bulgaria!!

Bye Bye Bulgaria, blog update...

2011-08-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

After 3 beautiful days by the Black Sea, we say our goodbyes to Bulgaria. We soaked in our Vitamin D, bathed in salt water and devoured dyuners (essentially Bulgaria burritos with chicken, french fries, tomatoes, cucumbers, pita bread and garlic sauce, yummy!). In Bulgaria, don't be surprised if food is weighed. In fact, that is how most things are priced! Our daily menu routine tends to be ice coffee and fruit in the mornings (and if we are lucky, fresh yogurt), a 'shopska' salad for lunch (think Greek salad) and either a dyuner for dinner...or... on a special occasion...a traditional hamburger (yes, a hamburger with bacon and a fried egg).

Huelo, Cameron and I have tried to make a habit of running around 5 miles in the mornings, but in some cases it becomes an afternoon activity, like yesterday when we ran through downtown Varna through their version of Central Park. To our surprise, there was a honey market with local farmers selling a range of bee made products. Honey comb, pollen, honey...the works. Further up the road, there was a line up of old soviet motorcycles and incredible public art.

We are doing our best to relax and some days it involves laying on the beach with a book and swimming in the sea and other days it may involve a visit to a mosque or two and perhaps a ruin or an old fortress. It is difficult to relax as I feel that something always needs to get done. The girls are encouraging me to slow down and our code word has become "molasses" to remind us to slow down our pace. Wherever we may be, we are so blessed to be on this trip together and I cherish every moment.

I am writing during our a 9 hour bus ride, fully equipped with wifi (only from the Turkey border) and Bulgarian versions of The Incredibles, Ice Age, Pink Panther, and Ironman. The best thing about animation is that you can understand it in any language and in some cases even create your own soundtrack.

There is a crotchety old Bulgarian man behind Marina and I who gets upset every time we try to put back our seats and pulls my pigtails and speaks sternly in Bulgarian. We just smile and say "English?" Good thing we have our translator, Cameron, the Peace Corps volunteer, to keep us safe :) Speaking of Cameron.. he was made a television sensation on the local news station NOVA who did a special on him. We were so proud to see how much the village loved what he is doing with them. From helping produce the annual strawberry festival to creating a strategic plan to help develop tourism, his work is making a difference in Osikovo. Many of our group conversations have been around how to develop the tourism industry in Osikovo and what were the effects of communism on the village? What do people want to see? What would be necessary for tourists to visit? What history would they like to know? Thoughts, answers and opinions on such questions are welcome.

Our next stop is Istanbul and then onto Cappadoccia where I hope to ride in a hot air balloon for my first time ever while overlooking the rock chimney towers. It will be contingent on being able to wake up before sunrise and the cost but I will keep you posted...

Sending you love, prayers and energy from Eastern Europe. May you have light in everything in your lives and I am looking for to catching up when we return to California. Be back soon. :)

Lauren

Zrdavey!

2011-08-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

Zrdavey (Hello) from Bulgaria!

We arrived in Osiko (Cameron, my friend in the Peace Corps' rural village) on Friday and it has been pretty interesting to see his world over here. Osikovo has a population of 350 people and everyone is friendly and very proud of their village. They are particularly proud of the new paved road that went in a few months back, allowing people to travel easily between the city and the village. The pace of the village is very slow compared to the hustle and bustle in LA. For example, we went to the official lunch with the mayor yesterday and it took nearly 3 hours. It also seems that although people sit down for meals that food is really more like an accessory to conversation rather than the focus of lunchtime --conversing over chewing. People here are also very generous. For example, you will be walking down the street and someone will graciously offer you yogurt or milk even if you didn't ask for it.

Cameron is working alongside the mayor to develop the village and has become a bit of a celebrity here. We trail behind him like a lost pose, not understanding the language or the culture but it's okay because everyone is so kind and eager to share their village with us. The mayor even said, "We love Cameron so we love America."

We head out of Osikovo tomorrow evening toward the Black Sea to the city of Varna. I have never been to the Black Sea but I hear it is beautiful and that the water is warm. Afterwards, we head back to Turkey to Cappadoccia which is known for its chimneylike rock formations. It is said they even have an underground city you can explore.

I have made a couple realizations while traveling here. First is that although this may be what people consider "2nd world" and most of our locations are rural, it's amazing how modern everything is. People have cell phones, computers and internet and even yesterday at the village's annual festival, they had a complete sound system. It is definitely not what I imagined the typical "Peace Corps" experience to be like but it has been fascinating seeing the modern and rural world mix. The second is that traveling in the "ancient world" makes makes me very aware of the distinction between mythology and history. Stories that I had once thought were merely myths are based on places I am now visiting. Myths were heightened stories of reality and it reminds me how we are recording our history today. Will people look back and watch our movies and assume that is how we lived? Or are our movies like their myths?

Happy musing,

Lauren

Tonight in Turkey

2011-08-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

My phone flashes "10% battery" as I frantically type with my thumbs from the top bunk of a dormitory at our hostel. (Don't worry mom, my phone is in airplane mode). Marina and Elica are nestled in their sleeping bags as we rest up for the adventure ahead. Our beds are on the fifth floor and surrounded by floor to ceiling windows, allowing us to see the dinner parties that scatter Istanbul's skyline. I glance to the left and see the rooftop of Hagia Sophia, that before was a mystical building that lived on the pages of my Jansen's Art History book in Art History AP but tomorrow will open it's doors and the dream will become real. Seeing the interior of this Byzantine masterpiece has been a goal of mine for nearly 10 years and tomorrow, I'll get to see it. Off to sleep for much needed rest...

Lauren

Last leg

2010-11-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

Final departure from Las Vegas. Lauren was awarded a flamingo lamp for
being such a great guide in Zion. Las Flamingas love her!

Back to the States in One Piece!

2010-11-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Virtual Cheering!

2010-11-01T17:32:00.001-07:00

Craig, my brother in law and Lauren's uncle is doing the NYC Marathon,
half way around the world!! Corre Craig Corre! Wish him luck!

Unexpected Art Surprise?!?

2010-11-01T17:30:00.001-07:00

The Art Surprise? Well, it's one piece of art from well known Spanish
artists and a collection of Egyptian mummies....hmmm?

Inspired by the Greats!

2010-11-01T17:27:00.001-07:00

Sometimes placemats make the best canvas. Inspired by Dali, we drew on our placemats at lunch. Here is a drawing of Tina by Lauren while waiting for Tapas :) Did you know that Dali would carry around a glass cup in his pocket everywhere he went so that he would see like the impressionists?

A portrait of Tina, by Lauren Picasso

2010-10-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes placemats make the best canvas. Inspired by Dali we drew on
our placemats at lunch. Here is a drawing of Tina by Lauren while
waiting for Tapas :) Did you know that Dali would carry around a glass
cup in his pocket everywhere he went so that he would see like the
impressionists?

A Day of Dily-Daling

2010-10-30T13:11:00.001-07:00

Hello Dali!!!!

2010-10-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Dali!!!

Just finished exploring the Dali Museum in Figueres in Northern Spain.

There are no words...so Spectacular will have to do!

Off to Cadaques to see his studio and where he hung out with Picasso,
Matisse and the gang. Rumor has it that Picasso stayed in our hotel.
Hopefully our noses will be in the same place when we wake up in the
morning....

L & T

Tina and Lauren in back in black :)

2010-10-29T11:20:00.001-07:00

Travel Day to Spain!

2010-10-29T11:00:00.001-07:00

We love Ryan Air! For less than 100 Euro, you can travel from the
desert of Morocco to the coast of Northern Spain!!

Drawing of the carpet salesmen

2010-10-29T10:59:00.001-07:00

Here is a drawing of the man who sold us a magic carpet in Morocco.
Okay, it wasn't magical but the experience definitely was!

Arabic Lesson!

2010-10-29T10:56:00.001-07:00

Spanish Lesson

2010-10-29T10:55:00.001-07:00

Hello Blog World!! After a couple days in Africa and limited access to
email here are some entries that have been missed....

Here is a drawing of Lucas, the little boy on the train teaches me new
words in Spanish...

Back in Northern Spain

2010-10-29T10:54:00.001-07:00

While we loved the colors, excitement, smells and food of Morocco, we
have to admit that we are relieved to be back in Spain. Lauren's
fluent spanish, a recognizable alphabet and fashions we could consider
wearing to work make this feel like home. I was always more than a bit
uneasy and when Lauren went out by herself on the last night, even our
host was nervous. She returned having bumped into one of her Backroads
buddies.

Got up at 4:30 a.m. scramble through the alleys to the taxi, took a
cheap (25 euro) plane to Madrid, another to Gironda, then train to
Figueres - the apex of the Dali Triangle. The Theatro Dali is two
minutes away!! So tomorrow we go there and then, hopefully, out to the
tip of a peninsula on La Costa Brava to see his studio. When the
fishermen painted their boats, he encouraged them to clean their
brushes on his front door. Do not try this at home!

Off to get tapas and my first glass of Spanish wine. A person can only
drink so much mint tea.

Tagine!!!!!

2010-10-26T15:52:00.001-07:00

Cooking with Ali

2010-10-25T13:10:00.001-07:00

Tonight we are staying with chef and jazz extraordinare, Ali Iaazane
in the Medina. We have the honor of staying at his Riad, located in
the center near the famous Djemma El Fna. We met him through a carpet
salesmen down the street and have been having a wonderful time. He
shared his inside knowledge with us by introducing us to an authentic
16th century Hamam down the street and cooking. No tourist Hamam for
us! He is a musician for the British Council and the Master Drummers
of Africa. So cool! We are now sitting down to a home cooked meal of
Tagine in the courtyard of his Riad. If you are planning a trip to
Morocco, be sure to put Riad Iaazane on your list. (www.riaddariaazane.com
)

Morning from Morocco

2010-10-25T02:53:00.000-07:00

Morning from Morocco,

Its been a wonderful trip so far! Full of sights, smells and something extraordinary around every corner. Barcelona was beautiful, cycling across northern Spain was remarkable, Madrid was full of museums and now Morocco is unlike anywhere Ive ever been.

On a city planning level, the streets turn and bend and there is no use of the grid system. The city is walled and have a designated "color," in this case it's red. Furthermore, I have never been to an Islamic country. I had no idea that the religion in fact influenced the city planning and architecture. For example, the mosque must be the highest point in the city and that the fascade of your riad must be plain and not make others jealous. You can do what you like to the interior but you must not project your wealth or things on the outside of your home. The Islam religion is full of lessons and teachings I had no idea about and I now have a deeper understanding for this area of the world and I want to learn more. I also wish I had learned some Arabic before I ventured here but right now, my limited vocabulary of Salam (peace) and Shucran (thank you) will have to do.

Yesterday we went to the school, museum, mosque, medina and market. I notice that after the intense bike riding in Spain, I am desperately lacking sleep. The two hour time change in Morocco is definitely a savor :) Something that is definitely helping is sharing with people that I a tour guide because from their everyone seems to call me their colleague.....and giving me "discounts". I also acquired a nickname, "Lauren, The Bahia" we will see if that sticks...

Here is a little recap of yesterday according to my mom's blog. She summarized it beautifully, I was sleeping when she wrote this......

Travelbug Lauren

Just returned to our hotel after an exhausting day in Marrakesh. We got up at 3:00 am to take a flight from Madrid and arrived in Morocco a bit peckish and discovered that Lauren made a hotel reservation at a "riad" ( one of the private homes converted into a sort of B and B)in a town that was 120 km away. She was mortified, so to add salt to the wounded ego, we were compelled to jump in a rattle trap, smoke stained, dented cab with an "I-only-speak-Arabic" sinister looking driver ( I use the term "driver" generously- evidently they ran out of paint for traffic lanes many years ago and we have seen only 3 stop signals in a city of 750,000 motorists). He dropped us off in a maze of alleys, donkey carts and kaftans in the Medina (the old, old, old walled section unchanged since 1127 - not some sort of cute OLDE TOWNE but a dark but colorful, narrow, covered rabbit warren of blacksmiths, leather workers, woodcarvers, silversmiths, ceramic vendors and the ubiquitous hawking rug, spices, dried fruits and nut sellers. Everyone has a 5' wide by 8' deep stall filled with their particular raw material, tools, inventory and a little stool or bench and are busily working, working, gossiping, working. The sounds, smoke, smells are overwhelming. The wall-to-wall/stall-to-stall crowd is forced ahead by unexpected and impatient motorcyclists. Clarke would LOVE it!!!

Found a place to stay and then, pretty atypically, we hired a guide who took us by the hand, introduced us to his many "friends" and spent a good part of the day hitting on Lauren. We saw many famous extraordinary sights but the best part was going behind closed doors, up hidden staircases and down narrow alleys. If there is a Moroccan Mafia, we are convinced that Shafik is a major player. He confronted the snake charmers about their unprofessionalism(we'd asked him to inquire about the animal rights rumor that some of the owners sew the cobras' lips together), he poured mint tea from a height of 18" like a pro and got us a great deal on tomorrow night's riad-a room in a private home owned by an excentric Berber adventurer and his British wife. At many points today, I turned to Lauren with a look that said "this is the part where the mother and daughter get kidnapped and randsomed" but somehow Allah was watching over us.

We heard the call to prayer very time That I thought we would never be seen again. Of course, we bought a rug, but we also exercised some good judgement when it came to trying "herbs" at the Bedouin herbalists and declining to have our teeth pulled in the Djemaa el Fna.

Tomorrow we're off to arrange a trip to the Atlas Mountains with Touregs as our protectors or, not any less ambitious, go back to the Medina to get those slippers we've promised everyone.

Inshallah,

Tina

p.s. Sorry the blog isn't being fed as regularly as when we were in Italy. This adventure is MUCH more unplanned and internet access is HIGHLY irregular.

Suffice it to say that since it IS travel2art.blogspot.com, we spent all day yesterday in Madrid at Sorolla's home/ studio/museum and at The Prado. Art on the walls was nothing like BEING a part of it today. Pictures when we return fir those interested.

Our first hours in Africa

2010-10-25T02:08:00.001-07:00

>> From my mom:

>> Here's the first sculpture we've seen in Africa and Lauren with HER
>> own personal powerful, magical talisman. However, for the next few
>> days we're going deep into the heart of the center of Medieval
>> Islam and possibly out to the dessert and land of the Touregs. More
>> to come....haven't had loads of time by a computer or at the
>> phone....too busy getting lost.....
>>

Getting ready for Morocco

2010-10-22T13:27:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Madrid,

We just arrived after a wonderful, entertaining and memorable day in
Barcelona. We visited Gaudi's Casa Batllo this morning and were blown
away by it's beauty. (Clarke, you would love it and it's astonishing
woodwork! Remember Hundertwasser?)

We are now here in a youth hostel in Madrid and are set to visit the
Prado tomorrow!

Here we are being silly in the lobby getting ready to head to Marakesh
on Sunday.

Con carino,

Lorena y su mama

Letter to a Spanish Village

2010-10-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Beautiful Spainish Village,

How are you today? Your sienna walls guard us as we pass through your
history. Up and down cobblestone lined streets we soak you in. Your
neighbor, the magnificent Pyrennes mountains, loom before us but we
know that they are wise. We climb 22 km of her side that is lined in
bone chilling winds and flourishing greens. It is the best yet. On
top, nestled in her hair of autum colors Backroads leaders gather to
drink red wine before descending down her veil of ice. Shivering hands
can't move until they finally hold a hot coffee at your twin village
next door. Hot mold wine, salad, gazpacho and other Spanish cuisine
fill us up before heading to warm beds at your cousin village,
Campadron. Winding bike paths, strong ascents and a glowing sun
welcome us, after 91 hard earned kilometers, it was great meeting your
family.

Thank you,

Lauren

PS. Thank you for sending the horses over to take us to dinner, it's a
wonderful treat!!

First day of riding

2010-10-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Bitter cold wind
Climbing through thin air
Breathing deeply to move an inch
Here we go

Following in the footsteps of the Tour
The best rode here
And se so we
Here we go

Missed turns
Aching muscles
A group of inspiration
Here we go

Climbing into icy
Chilling fingers
No toes
Here we go

The world larges solar oven
Random but neat
Painful breeze against the skin
Here we go

Hot coffee and pastries
Welcoming smiles
Half way there
Here we go

Up and up
Up again
Chilly descent
Here we go

Arriving home
Warm hearts
And full hugs
Here we are.

Happy Pills for Happy Days!

2010-10-16T20:25:00.001-07:00

Happy Pills

2010-10-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

Someone else's home for the night

2010-10-15T17:20:00.001-07:00

The flight across the world

2010-10-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

Turning the Pages of another adventure!

2010-10-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Hello from Up Up Up in the Sky,

Many apologies to those of you who may have been reading my blog and
not been seeing posts for sometime. I have not be disciplined to post
while Ive been in Los Angeles but rest assured I am now on my way to
Spain and there will be more content.

My journal is blank and waiting for pages to be filled! I realized
that on this trip, what I want to work on was the concept of how we
capture memories. Is it through old ticket stubs, tape recordings,
photos or do we simply rely on our memory?

Before facebook, live journal and blogging, I was a diligent journaler
and scrapbooker. I loved how the collected thoughts and scraps of the
day and bring them together to form a journal page. I had dozens of
books that held my deepest secrets and my most outlandish adventures
and then it all just stopped and was skimmed down to 140 characters or
less. Through the work I did doing The Artists Way with my friend
Melissa, the practice of writing every morning retrained my mind to
write on a regular basis and now I want to explore more.

So, I am committing to a creative journal entry a day on my trip. I
will then take a photo and post it to my blog (Internet connection
permitting, of course)

Don't expect to read each page for the "what I did today" feel as I
may choose to creatively put the book somewhere where the text may be
too small to read but what I wanted to share is that I am committing
to documenting my pages and sharing them with you.

Stay tuned as the pages of this adventure turn....at:

www.amazoneyes.blogspot.com

When my mom comes out to join me on the 21st we will also be posting at:

Travel2art.blogspot.com

Happy travels,

Lauren

Catalina island

2010-10-02T11:34:00.001-07:00

Diving out at Catalina!

Browning, mt

2010-08-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

a portrait of "Norman" - the baracuda off our stern

2010-07-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Diving the Rhon Dive

2010-07-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

2010-07-22T14:31:00.005-07:00

2010-07-22T14:31:00.003-07:00

2010-07-22T14:31:00.001-07:00

My travel companion

2010-07-18T08:47:00.001-07:00

Off to the Virgin Islands with my new travel buddy!

Buh Bye Sloane, I'll be back!

2010-07-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Vanouver Comes to La

2010-07-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful surprise! We got a surprise visit by Dad and Darlene
here in LA!

Sustainable Sirens at EcoStiletto in LA

2010-07-18T08:45:00.002-07:00

Seeing an old friend :)

2010-07-18T08:45:00.001-07:00

Working the ESPYs in LA has it's perks!

Greening the Celebrity Golf Tournament

2010-07-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Stopping by the Celebrity Golf Tournament for a little greening!

Happy birthday to Clarke!

2010-07-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my amazing Brother!!

Back in LA to say Happy Birthday!!!

2010-07-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

Back in LA to say Happy Birthday to Ryan!

Happy 4th at Universal Studios!

2010-07-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

A perfect picnic!

2010-07-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

San Francisco

2010-07-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the best place to travel is back home. Between trips, I
stopped by San Francisco for a picnic in the park with my family. The
beautiful scenery complemented the food perfectly!

Cliffs of red!

2010-07-18T08:37:00.002-07:00

Amazing Co Leaders

2010-07-18T08:37:00.001-07:00

One of the best things about this job is the people you meet. These
are my two amazing co-leaders, Mark and Valorie. The three of us
played dress up in the gift shop!

Bryce National Park

2010-07-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Bryce is by far one of my favorite parks on this trip. One of my
guests said it reminded them of Mars. I couldn't agree more :)

Cooking on the Rim

2010-07-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Every night on trip, we make it a point to create a magical culinary
experience. One night we welcomed our guests with homemade (or rather
camp-made) pineapple upside down cake and coffee!

Grand Canyon

2010-07-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

First off, let me apologize for not keeping up to my promise of
posting a post a day. I have not been able to rely on the presence of
Internet and gave up, but as per a request of a friend in Europe, here
are some pics from the latest adventures. Right now I am in Puerto
Rico typing vigorously with my thumbs before boarding a flight to the
British Virgin Islands! So excited!

This pic is from leading trips in the desert and it's beautiful Canyons!

Adventure Starts Today Together

2010-06-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

This morning, I woke up at 6:30am to get on the road. My lack of sleep over the past couple days is finally hiting me as I stumble out of bed, down the stairs and to the airport. I was blessed because my friend Melissa took me to the airport. (Thanks hun!)

I follow the signs for the Black Diamond Expert Traveler (because that's what I am) right? In my half asleep stooper, I forget that I am wearing hiking boots which do not result in Black Diamond traveling ease. Luckily I managed to take them off in line so my slumber went unnoticed.

Once through security, I head down the terminal to get a jump start to my morning and just as a I was about to order my typical Chai Latte, I remember that I am doing the 30-Day Vegan Challenge and I catch myself short, scan the menu, only to find that they had very few items that look up my alley and needless to say were without dairy. Not to mention, their alternative of course was soy which I am semi-allergic too. I walked away with a mango juice in my hand.

I waited in the gate which watching the latest about the Gulf. Families of the 11 killed men are talking with Obama today about how families should be more compensated for lost loved ones and that special attention should be given to health and safety, while in the same breath they supported continued offshore drilling in the Gulf. As I was befutteled by the comments, the report continued to say that it was the worst environmental disaster in my generation's lifetime. I looked down at my hand and felt the plastic in my hand. In that moment, I began to contemplate the environmental impact of travel but also the impact of "one makes a difference."

With the oil continuing to spill and the continuous environmental disasters all over the world, one makes a difference, but truly infrastruture (and habits) makes a difference. Take the example of my plastic mango juice in my hand. I was a traveler and although I had my reuseable waterbottle on hand, the coffee shop denied refilling it for health purposes and I had chosen to not consume animal products as an environmental stand so no go on the latte, yet there I was, still holding this plastic bottle, feeling guilty about the gulf and, yet, completely passionate and optimistic that I could do something to make a difference. My mind continued to race, "What are the other areas of environmental impact in an airport that I wasn't seeing?" Areas like the plastic cutlery, the sugar filled snacks at the news booth, the lights used, the overpowering AC and the list continues. The thoughts eventually get so heavy that I dose off until my flight.

After 2 stops between LA and SLC, I finally make it to the SLC Leaderhouse and was greeted by a familiar face. A fellow leader who I had the pleasure of traveling with in Thailand. I put down my bags and we talked on the doorstep about our lives, time that had passed and everything in between. The contrast between the anxiety around environmental disasters and the authencity and gem of connection I had with my friend outdoors reminds me that it is true the one makes a difference, and one of the biggest ways is the difference we make to one another.

Summer 2010 has arrived!

2010-06-03T10:55:00.001-07:00

It has arrived! Summer 2010 that is! As I look at my calendar I see the planned adventures that lie ahead and I can only begin to imagine the spontaneous adventures that lie in the unscheduled hours of the day.

I believe that one of the most environmental things you can do this summer is to go on a walk with someone. Share the outdoors and breath of life. We can do a lot of our environmental work behind desks but what use is it unless we are going out and enjoying what we protect and work so hard to conserve. That is the precise reason that I reserve time during the year to lead with Backroads - The World's #1 Active Travel Company. We take our guests to the peaks of Glaciers and to the depths of Valleys, sharing what we know and hopefully inspiring the passion for the outdoors and traveling.
This summer, I am traveling to the desert of Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon to the heights of the Grand Tetons. I start next week and am heading to Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion National Park where I will be working there until the end of June. I can't wait for the adventures to ensue! I am working with some of my favorite co-leaders and am eager to get back in the field!

In July, I stop off in LA for a breather, then to New York and cap off the month by joining with some dear friends in the Virgin Islands, where we will be scuba diving and taking in the island breeze. I will then be stopping by SF for a Habitat Bike Challenge reunion because in August, I am off to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park, a place I have always wanted to see.

Getting my Open Water Certification in Los Angeles to prepare for the Islands!

Now for those of you who are thinking, what about Reel Green Media? In fact, Reel Green Media is still alive and kicking. In fact, in addition to Sustainable Sirens soaring, the company is going INTERNATIONAL this summer. We are covering stories and making productions eco-friendly left and right :) Books are being pitched, films are being produced and we continue to provide resources for productions who wish to incorporate eco-friendly production methods into production. Let's just say that "The 4-Hr Workweek" changed my life!

This year, I was inspired by a project that a dear friend took on called "Shoot The Poodle" (www.shootthepoodle.tumblr.com). For over 100 days now he has been taking a photo a day and posting them. I know that it has not always been easy to make the time to post a photo a day, but he has done it and it has provided many of us the opportunity to glimpse into his life even when we are hundreds of miles away. This summer, I am going to do my best to do a post a day. Whether it's a poem, a picture, a word or a story, it is my goal to stay connected with you and not to disappear. There will be days when I will be out of service or not have connection in which case I will have to double up on days, but I am going to do my best :)

Stay tuned here, on Huffington Post and on Serene Ambition!

Vancouver Olympics 2010

2010-02-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

On February 10th, 2010, my mom and I headed to Vancouver, British Columbia for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. To keep you up to date about the latest and greatest from our travel adventures at the Games you can check in with us at: www.travelgames.wordpress.com to see pictures, videos and commentary. Please feel free to comment and leave us messages too! You can also follow us on Twitter at: TravelGamesNow

Off to Thailand

2007-11-01T01:30:00.000-07:00

In less than 24 hours, I am off to the exotic world of Thailand...I do not know if I will have time to upload during my travels, but if I do you will find it all here on Travel Bug!

YOSEMITE: My new office

2007-07-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

When I was 12 years old, my mother took me on a unique walkabout. Together she and I cycled across the Loire Valley in France with a group called Backroads. I had heard about the adventures that Backroads provided through my mother's endless stories of Bali and Tuscany but I didn't know how incredible an experience could be. Now nearly 10 years later, after that initial trip to France, I am tour guide with Backroads. I lead guests on memorable vacations that take them out of the stagnant tour buses and out onto the open road. From biking trips in France, to walking trips in Italy, Backroads provides a wide range of unforgettable adventure. As a first year leader, I will be leading domestically in Yosemite and although I was disappointed at first, one week among the silver granite reminded me that this is truly an incredible job. On the job, I wake up at six and prepare breakfast for my guests and then take them on less popular hikes that reveal the true hidden gems of Yosemite. Below are pictures from my latest trip and I hope you enjoy. Look for more updates throughout the summer.

These photos were taken by fellow leader, Adam Vaught

Backroads Training in Canmore, AB

2007-06-17T23:23:00.000-07:00

On May 28th, I traveled to Canmore, Alberta to begin my training as a new Backroads Leader.

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Our first day of training was a blast. We started off by driving to Bamff, Alberta. In Bamff, we started the day with a 16 mile bike ride. It was beautiful! Since I hadn't ridden in awhile it was difficult aclimatizing. Then we arrived at our destination for a delicious gourmet lunch. I can't believe I get paid for this. We returned home for workshops all afternoon.

During our "MOCK TRIP" our group of trainees went out to Jasper via Bamff. On the mock trip, we learned how to cook, racked bikes, fix bikes, walk on glaciers and more. The most extraordinary part of the trip happened on Friday afternoon. The group was "FAMing" which means familiarizing themselves with an area and I went to go pick up medicine for my cankor sores with my mentor, Ken. When we came back to the campsite we saw a female elk who was acting particularly strange. We were standing just twenty feet away from this majestic animal. She was breching her head and walking like a drunken sailor. I was fascinated by her peculiar behavior and turned to Ken and told him that I thought she was pregnant. Sure enough, she was. She sat down and preceeded to give birth to a baby elk calf. She strained with each push. Between contractions she would often get up to continue eating to get nutrients for the birth. Finally, thirty minutes later, a little elk was born. It looked like a wet seal at first but the mother gently cleaned it. Immediately the baby elk attempted to walk. It was adorable. Getting up and falling. Getting up and falling. It failed and then failed again, until mama elk supported its bum and it took it first step.

BUDAPESET and EASTERN EUROPE

2006-12-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

FAMILY PORTRAITS IN EASTERN EUROPE....

Sculpture of Mozart

Sculpture in Terezian Concentration Camp, Prague
"Work will make you free." Terezian Concentration Camp, Prague
Love is everywhere. Even in the walls of torture and grief.
Welcome to Austria

Summer 2006

2006-08-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

As the first day of school approaches, I remember being in elementary school and the echo of the teacher asking "What did you do on your summer vacation?" In our best cursive, we would write descriptive words that attempted to capture the summer's excitement onto one piece of newsprint paper. I found it nearly impossible to do so, but some how I was able to vaguely recreate the summer for the teacher. Now, as a college student, I have graduated from triple lined newsprint to high speed internet and digital photography as my tools to recreate my summer for you.

In May, school books were closed and the last of my exams were turned in. My friends packed there bags and traveled to exotic lands, whereas I packed my bags and moved across town into my new apartment. It is the first time since I was 13 that I have my own room so the excitement is quite overwhelming. During our move, a dear friend of mine, Amy, came to visit me from England. I was so happy to have to her here and to show her my home. We ran in the Bay to Breakers, visited Stinson Beach, saw outstanding movies and explored San Francisco. Amy come back and visit soon! You are always welcome!

Brianna and I at the Bay to Breakers

Soon after our move, Marina and I jumped on our bicycles and headed to Los Angeles on the AIDS/Life Cycle 5 ride. We rode over hills, through valleys, and along the ocean for 585 miles before we reached the great city of Los Angeles. The AIDS/LifeCycle raised over 8 million dollars to end the AIDS epidemic. For all of you cyclists out there, please join us next year to continue to fight AIDS. I am hoping to be a trip leader next year and will help you get in shape for a ride that will change your life. I have done over a dozen charity rides and the AIDS/LifeCycle is by far the most professional and most safe ride I have ever been on.

After the ride, I headed directly to spend a month in Yosemite, training as an EMT. We had simulated rescues and clinical shifts in Fresno. We learned how to splint arms, deliver babies, treat hypothermia, perform CPR, and many other necessary skills for Emergency Medical Response.

Acting as a patient with a broken femur. OUCH!!

Pulling Jason out of the water.

Rescuing Alex from the Merced River.

Being a hero didn't end at EMT School. The annual Girl Weekend took place at the infamous Pismo Beach house, as 14 super women of all ages learned to fly by running and jumping off of the sand doons. Thanks to the Radmacher Girls, we had a splendid time! I would love to share more, but it's all top-secret.

With my newly discovered super powers, I thought it would be fitting to try a marathon this year. I will be running in the October 22nd, Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. Cheer me on!

This blog stuff, is kind of fun :-)

Ecuador 2004

2004-06-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

20 June 2004: Arrival, smooth sailing
I arrived late last night, after a bit of a storm upon arrival, but was graciously picked up by the Posada del Maple pick up service. The arrival here went very smoothly. The Ecuadorian people are some of the most magical people I have ever met and I have only been here one day. They are patient and loving and their city is so comfortable. Today I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow traveler from the Netherlands over a breakfast of tiny pancakes, eggs and leche and we explored Old Town and New Town today. I had my tape recorder with me today so I have been recording chants, city buzz and sermons and can’t wait to record the sounds of the jungle. Tomorrow I am scheduled for my orientation in the morning and then it is bye bye civilization, hello Rainforest. Everything has been easy to find and great. It is pretty hot here, surprisingly......I am off to the Amazon on Tuesday for my true adventure. Everything has been great so far.

27 June 2004: I Jane!
It has taken me forever to find internet in the jungle! I am living in the most primitive place I have ever been and in the most poverty stricken area I have visited. The reserve is surprising nicer than I expected. There is running water (cold, but running) and amazing food. We mainly eat a lot of carbs (Yuca and Plantans are a favorite). FYI, Plantains are what they make dog food out off....) There is a resident tarantula in the bathroom that we have named Gaston. He doesn’t bother you if you don’t bother him....I play football (soccer) with the kids down the street (Pacho, Alex, Eric) and I am going to start teaching at the local school next week. The kids absolutely break my heart! On the way here on the bus (Tena is an hour away from where I stay) I was sitting next to a 4 brothers and sisters. The oldest one was 11 and she was talking care of everyone. The little 2 year old boy had a huge infection on his forehead and all I wanted to do was care for them. I was very impressed to see that this 11 year old had taken on the role of the mother and was caring for them all.

I started my adventure in Quito and stayed there for about 2 days before entering the jungle. While I was there I traveled with a girl from the Netherlands and later I met a group of 4 from Quebec. The five of us traveled to the Mitad del Mundo which is the exact center of the world. It is one of the only places where you can stand on BOTH hemispheres! If you go to the bathroom on one half of the equator then the water drains counterclockwise and if you go to the other side it flushes the opposite direction. On Monday, I left the capital city of Quito and met up with 3 other volunteers, Dan (Canada), Nathan (England) and Nick (Utah) and we ventured to the bus station. We then took a 6 hour bus ride to Amazon. It was the most beautiful trips ever. We went through the Andes Mountains and passed several waterfalls. The jungle is thick and rich. We passed several communities that were solely one building for 5 families...all with at least 8 kids. We transferred buses in the only sign of civilization which is a little town called Tena (where I am now)...on the way the roads broke but that just added to the adventure...
I am staying at Amazon biological reserve, which consists of a dining hall, an office, organic garden, botanical garden, a few cabanas and a pig named Chanco (pig in Spanish). There is a hammock porch that is my haven. I love it!!! I have been on site for nearly 4 days now and already I have tilled a field, met with a Shaman and climbed a 30 meter tower!!! Yesterday, I visited with the Shaman Gabriel’s family. I love them. His wife made a medicine for my roommates bug bites. It consisted of 8 different types of leafs and boiling water. It looked like it was very painful!! I am 1 out of the 3 girls here and 11 others guys. Julia is my roommate and our room consists of two bed and mosquito nets. The other night there was a scorpion, a tarantula and two beetles in our room. The 30 meter tower is El Torre and it is like climbing on the side of an antenna. You have a harness and two rusty carabinas and once you are at the top you feel like you are on top of the world. Another beautiful place I like to go is down to the Rio Napo. It is absolutely breathtaking. To get there you have to travel through the trees and muddy path and then the path opens up into a beautiful beach. The clouds glisten against the sky and the water rolls passed you at the most perfect temperature!!!! There mud and sand on the beach have the most geometric and intricate patterns, but you have to be careful when you are getting out of the water or else you will sink...it’s like quick sand!! Ahhh!!! There is also a huge log in the center of the beach that you can sit on and either read or look out into the abyss. On Tuesday night, I went for a walk down to the neighboring community and the sky was crystal clear. I turned off my flashlight and since I had my tape recorder so I was able to record the noises of the animals. I looked up and I had never seen this sky before as it is the first time I have been to this hemisphere. You can see Scorpio and the Southern Cross and parts of the Milky Way!!! My Spanish is improving at light speed and I have become the translator for most of the volunteers! Today I am going to go on an adventure down river about 3 hours with a couple of locals and will swim on logs and go rafting. I am learning so much about the Ecuadorian culture and just an entirely new way of life. There are no stresses that I have to deal with, the only requirement for the day is that I am at breakfast at 630 and in my rainboots at 7 and ready to volunteer. We do everything from gardening, feeding the pig and chickens, tracking in the jungle, analysis of seed data, and teaching. I love it here and I think this is the exact place and trip I needed!

Hopefully, I’ll be able to make it back into town next week...

3 July 2004: Splish, Splash
I have only but a few minutes to update you on a week of adventures....I don’t know if I can do them justice, so just to give a brief idea, I shall attempt bullet points....

Monday: Bosque....a personal tour through the rainforest discovering the medicinal use of various plants
Tuesday: Taught my first English class. It went extremely well and I adore the children
Wednesday: Taught again....but classes were canceled so I took a trip to Mishaulli and visited a butterfly reserve. Over lunch a monkey came over and stole the food right off my plate... Little punk!!
Thursday: After a day of reforestation in the CCPA, I went down and met with a shaman. We did the traditional cleansing and spiritual service...........this experience could be an entire book!!
Friday: Worked in the organic garden, played football with the local children and realized again that we are all in this together...this great thing we call life!!!!
Saturday: Rafting down the Napo River....I got to be the guide down a majority of the rapids and it was a blast!!!!
Off to dinner... sorry for the brief overview....more later......

6 July 2004: Pictures
Hey Everyone!! I finally made it into Tena to send you some pictures of the wonderful adventures here. This morning I taught English and the local school and it was absolutely a hoot and a half. The kids crack me up and are so much fun to be around. A lot of them are the same kids that come out to play soccer in the afternoons but they are a whole different story in the class room. I have attached pictures from the school and from the reserve tower for you to enjoy. Next week I am going to Banos to ride on top of a train to Rio Bamba. Afterwards I will be traveling to Laga Agria which is one of the most oil contaminated regions and working with the local communities and teaching skills and helping them clean up. My computer here is very very slow!!!! I wrote a huge entry and then the silly thing froze on me. Believe it or not I am gaining patience with computers!!!

9 July 2004: School, Rain and Trees....
Hey Everyone! Sorry about the website change, but I hope you found me easily on this great wide world of the internet. I am in Tena today, because school was closed on account of the amount of rain. It poured buckets last night!!! It was like the whole sky opened up and rush is came on down!!! Crazy! I am having an absolutely amazing time here working with the kids and learning more about the local communities. Next week I will be traveling to Lago Agrio which is one of the most oil contaminated cities in all of Ecuador and I will get hands on experience working with communities who are faced with the aftermath of the oil companies who come through!!! I can hardly wait. Hopefully I will also have the opportunity to travel to Dia de Augusto which is a local community that is trying to set up an ecotourism industry and we will be working with the high schoolers to set it up. Tonight for dinner we are having a collection of maggots, cocoa beans and banana leaves so let’s hope I don’t get *tourista*!!! A lot of the volunteers are leaving next week so there will only be 5 of us left on the reserve until a new shipment comes but I think we can handle it!! I have been going on a lot of bosques recently which include hiking for about8 hours into the heart of the jungle with the jungle guards Milton, Gato and William in the rain. It’s a hoot! I must admit I have found a new love for my rubber boots!!!

15 July 2004: Top 10 and Bottom Statement
Top Ten Reasons Why Ecuador is Different than the USA:
10. Buses look like the interiors of New York cabs...fridge and all!!
9. Bug Bites are abundant and mosquitoes have daily buffets on my body.
8. I look forward to cold showers
7. My friends are 2 tarantulas in the bathroom (Gustav and Gaston), a pig named Chanchito, and 50 chickens
6. Coca bananas and chocolate mix of condensed milk, hot chocolate, sugar and butter is heavenly, yet still my pants are baggy
5. Little Bar, run by the owners wife, is the closest you can get to a night life.
4. Your midnight snack of spiders, cockroaches and mosquitoes that sneak into your mouth are your only source of protein.
Honestly, every meal is rice, rice, carbs, carbs, rice, fried dough....with the exception of maggot night!!
3. Rubber boats are your fancy shoes
2. You spend all your time with the same eleven people.
1. It’s Ecuador not the US, that’s the way it is! I love ECUADOR!!!

My update for you begins last Saturday. After a very muddy bosque with jungle guards Gato, Milton and Willan, I returned to the Amazon station for my daily meal of carbs and my nap. At about 3:30, Margarita (a 17 year old high school student that works for the station) invited me to her house for the evening. As we drove further from civilization, the clouds separate and community rules the sky. Our first encounter is with the afternoon soccer game. IT is fantastic! Families line the side lines and laugh, smile and cheer together. I sat with Margarita´s family, who all live in the same community. Margarita´s sombreso (nephew) entertained us endlessly with his great laugh and gigantic cheeks!! GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!! Our team wins 3 to 1!!! After the fame we journey to the volleyball court for a little game. As we were playing, I reached up for the ball and caught my toe against the concrete. Sangre (blood) was everywhere. Unfortunately I did not have my first aid kit but the never stopped me. My mom once told me she made a splint out of bike pumps so I figured a toe injury was no big deal. The top part of my toe has been ripped off and I was left to look around. What would these people have when they don’t even have shoes. It is interesting watching the community respond to this minor accident. Many of them did not know what to do and did not know where to start. I promptly asked someone for some scissors. None. That’s okay, God gave me teeth and Claire’s Beauty boutique pierced my ears. I then took the corner of my shirt and started the cut with my earring and tore a nicely sized piece and wrapped it around my toe and secured it with the duct tape I always have wrapped around my water bottle!! (duct-tape is imperative for travel) The rest of the afternoon I spent lifting girls and dipping them, whilst teaching them basic swing dancing steps that translate nicely to salsa. We returned to Margarita’s house to get ready for the evening’s events which consist of a dance and a children’s performance. Margarita’s sister, Irene, led me to a bucket of water and simply instructed me to wash. Scrub, Scrub, and freezing water later, I am clean (and so is my toe). Once everyone is ready, we travel down the street to where her sister lives and then a bit further to where her brother lives. Once the family is gathered we continue to the community center (a shelter area that we had played volleyball under earlier that day). The same group of people that were gathered and playing soccer earlier were now supporting the local school children’s production. The sense of community amazes me here!!! I look back on my life in Petaluma and see how that sense of community was pursued. Families joined together at Montessori, Marin School, recitals....to support one another.

The question lingers, "What is a community?" Celebration. Unity. Love. Gathering. Laughing. A common task. A statement. People. Golden Bears. Plants. Can it be redefined? For those of you who read this, what does it mean to YOU??

To further this interest, I have been looking deeper into the pursuit to educate the locals about the impact of oil companies in their lives. There is a pipeline that runs directly in front of the reserve where I am staying. Around me is 2,000 hectares of trees and bosque that supplies oxygen and ozone worldwide and down the road around children laughing and playing in there school yard. If this pipe were to break it would destroy this wonderful treasure. When the line was put in the oil company promised to give the community internet access. Months later, there is a pipeline, increased risk, but nothing for the community. Luckily, it is pretty safe where I am staying but the foundation is run by wonderful people who are dedicated to the safety of others. However, up north in Lago Agrio and other poverty stricken areas, oil companies are destroying plants, communities and lives. Two volunteers went to visit the site before I arrived and they shared their pictures and stories with me. Photos of oil running into streams where families bathe and gather their water from. Oil is then burned, and the flames create a distinct inferno that reaches the sky. Oil prices are around $2.00/gallon for families that earn less then one gallon costs. This all might seem very heavy for a journal entry but as I learn more about what is truly happening behind our "civil" lives I feel I must speak out. Upon my return, I hope you join me to share my trip and learn about what I have done and what you can do to put a stop to all of this. It isn’t going to change overnight, but the more people who are aware the better. So please, read, read, read, read and stay informed.

28 July 2004: Toxitour
Hello, Hello from the Amazon!! It has been nearly 2 weeks since I have been able to find a functioning computer to send you an update on my latest adventures. It would take a book longer than Conrad´s “Heart of Darkness” to share with you two weeks events...

Last week, I have the pleasure to travel to 24 de Mayo, a community near Coca, for three days with Angel (a worker at the Center of Conservation of Amazonian Plants). I left the reserve at 5:30 in the morning to travel to Tena, left Tena at 8:00 and arrived in 24 de Mayo around lunch time. Our mission while we were there was to tend to the community’s nursery reforestation project. In order to promote reforestation, members of the reserve take plants and plans to local communities and try to educate the communities about the importance of reforestation and the environment. Unfortunately, a large population of these poverty stricken communities cannot grasp the concept of reforestation and the urgency to protect the rainforest. To give you an idea of this community, picture one road that is the town. Gravel and dust fly about each time a car passes. There are 8-20 children per family. Our night accommodations are a cement floor with the cockroaches and frogs. Children run around with clothing pierced with holes of time. Everyone is barefoot. There is a new oil establishment placed in 10 km down the road. They are bound for contamination.

This experience was absolutely amazing! To update you further on all my events I shall continue. On Sunday morning, the group of twelve volunteers but bundled up in life jackets for our adventure down river. Picture the rounded rocks beneath your feet as the sun rises through the most lush clouds you have ever seen. The sun’s rays trickle through the drops of space to replicate a Constable sky. We are going to an animal protection and rescue center down the river about an hour. At the center, we are greeted by a group of volunteers, like ourselves, from Germany who have been volunteering for about 2 weeks. Their responsibilities include feeding, washing and caring for the animals that have been rescued from all around the area. Some of the animals we see on our tour include: Scarlet Macaw, blue headced parrot, boa constrictor, capybara, african dish, pechie (wild pig), weasel cats, great windeg trumpet birds, water tutle, ocelot, large spider monkies that can lift up to 63 kg, anteaters, tapirs, and arieras. We enter the gift shop as the tour ends and as people buy Huorani blowguns and spears, I am drawn to the poem on the wall:

PACHAMAMA: “There’s a monkey in the jungle so scared of the unknown cause greedy selfish people took away his home; Pachamama is under pressure. Pachamama maybe will die. Who are we to kill here Pachamama should stay alive and the monkey in the jungle tries to stay alive but greedy selfish people want the monkey’s life; we are all just small fish in a darkening blue sea, change we could, if we would ignite the fire of unity.”

Honestly, who are we to kill Pachamama? She gave us life in her paradise! With this poem in my head we walk back down to the canoe. On the way, a monkey finds Camilla´s afro of lush thick hair to be the perfect place to nestle into. How sweet! He paws his way through the thicket and is biting softly until she is finally successful in pulling him off and onto the ground.

The twelve of us board the dug out canoe and we continue down river. About 10 minutes later the guide drops us has off on and island to enjoy our lunch. We jump into the water. Free spirits, bounding for freedom in the water. Dive after dive, we splash around in the water. After spending so much time with nature you soon notice that you are being to shift into the things around you. I am shape shifted into the water.

For lunch, we enjoy wonderful beans and rice of banana leaves. We have forks but the majority of people do not want to use them and take the ol’ primitive eating with the hands routine.

”I’ve been to Greece and the Isle of Nice”; the song continues in my head as I lie in the warm sand, “I’ve been to Paradise, and it’s in Ecuador!” The sun rays glisten off the Aztec sands that are laid with gold as the volunteers walk around the barren island of rocks, peace and freedom.

Paradise folds into a pocket in my memory as we board the canoe back to the Amazon reserve. Have to ever been on the border of the rain? We are standing knee deep in the Amazonian waters as we can see the rain moving towards us. Our adventure just got a little more exciting. In order to get around the island, the men are instructed to get out of the boat and push us through the stone lock beneath the boat, but to no avail the women must join in. We all slug through the Amazonian waters, pushing the canoe to clear waters. Once clear, we gracefully step back into the canoe. The waters race by the boat at tremendous speeds as we putt passed at 3 meters a minute while the rain pours at a much quicker velocity. Eventually, we make it.

The rest of the day was filled with a quick run at 4 o’clock, our weekly meeting and a trip to the Tamboran (our local little bar) for one of the volunteers birthday (Andy’s) last night. The highlight for the evening, however, was the practical joke played on Dan by Nathan and Andy when they so stealthily stole the bed planks from underneath his bed so that when his return he would fall through.

The time has gone by so quickly here and I dread my final day, but am in anxious anticipation to share everything I have learned with you. I work daily with people who are so passionate about the problems with the oil issue and I have so much to teach you. After volunteering here, I will then be traveling to Lago Agrio on August 3rd, to see the most oil contaminated regions in all of Ecuador. As a matter of fact the majority of Ecuador’s oil exports go through Lago Agrio. In Joe Kane’s “Savages,” he describes the oil town compared to the city near the community I visited as “five times more filthy. Five times more desperate.”

5 August 2004: Bye bye Jungle...Brrr...
I just finished my last day at the reserve and I am missing the forest already!!! My last few days in the forest were exceptional!! On Friday, I work up to go with 2 other volunteers and the volunteer coordinator the local community of Colonial Bolivar to pick up mulch and rice for the chickens and organic garden. It was probably up there with being the best day of work. We played in the warm shells of rice and plunged into wood shavings. Coming back we were on the verge of missing the bus back to the reserve, but luckily we didn’t. We piled our 20 bags on top of the bus and climbed aboard, with them, of course. The four of us sat comfortably on the warm bags of rice and were having a great time when suddenly it began to rain! Moving through the water that harmlessly fell on the soil became lethal against our faces. IT felt like little pebbles were hitting my face! OUCH! We wheelbarrowed everything to the organic garden and chicken pens. Then we went searching for the capybaras through the bosque. However, we did not find any....Instead of work in the afternoon Alejo (the owner of the reserve) gave a moving speech about the oil crisis and the history of the station. Did you know that on average a person in Spain will produce 74 tons of CO2!!!!! CRAZY!!!!! We got in a pretty heated debate about it afterwards!

At 6:30, after a refreshing run down the street of the South America´s gem, the volunteers had a final barbeque. There were 3 chickens, and 12 pounds of beef (not fair for us vegetarians).....We headed over to the Tamboran and had a splendid night of laughing and dancing. Pedro, his friend and I dressed in the traditional Quechua wear and danced around the fire to the traditional music. I wore beaded attire and tried my best to not laugh considering I had red paint all over my face and arms. If the red tattoo on my face wasn’t enough, we did whituk tatoos on our arms. Qhituc is a natural die that stains the skin for about 5 days. I got the Pachamama symbol of the sun on my arm. On Saturday, I went on one of the best bosques I have ever been on. I went with Don Gabriel and he taught me about practically every plant we passed. ¨This one cures Tb, this one cures internal cancers, this one helps a woman’s period, this is for child birth...¨It was fantastic!!!! But now that I am out of the jungle for a couple of days, I best tell you where I have been. I was planning on going to Lago Agrio, but the volunteer in charge changed the date so I could no longer go. Instead I have been spending the last couple of days exploring the Northern region of the Quilotoa Loop. The Quilotoa Loop is at an altitude of about 3500m, unfortunately, we suffered a bit of altitude sickness. However, we did come across a professional climber from Switzerland who gave us coca leaves that you fold and put between your cheek and teeth and it helps you acclimatize very quickly! Miracle! We visited the beautiful volcanic crater lake, Laguna Quilotoa. It was absolutely breathtaking!!!!! We descended 400 m down to the bottom in about 40 minutes, but due to the altitude adjustment it took about an hour and a half to climb back up!! The moisture is sucked out of your face and you get dizzy all the time! Small steps and s turns up the steep hill made us make it to the top with the exception of a road block of sheep and llamas we came across. The sunset was incredible as we were bundled in hats, scarves and sweaters!! The sun goes over the last bit of tree starved land and left a golden kiss on the clouds as it disappeared for the night. Yesterday, we woke up boiling from the 10 layers of blankets that protect you from the cold chill. The mission for the day was to hike to the next village along the rim of the crater lake....quite a feat! It usually takes people about 6 hours to complete the walk to Chungchilan but it only took us 4!!

13 September 2004: Home at last!!
I returned home from a two month adventure in Ecuador in South America, 3 weeks ago. After two weeks of Berkeley classes and English being spoken around me, the adjustment into our culture is getting easier. They say that to come back to your own culture from a transformative culture takes ten times longer than it did to adjust to theirs. I would agree! When I came home, I held a dinner for friends and family to learn about the oil development down there and the action I have been taking to slow it down and eventually stop it. Since 1970, over 300 ethnic groups have been eliminated from Ecuador due to oil mining, meanwhile 18 million gallons of oil has spilled into the heart of the beautiful gem we call the Amazon Rainforest!! It's scary!!!

"Saving the Rainforest," is a term we often throw about freely as a empty dream. But, the drive and devotion I saw down in the Amazon, gives me hope that this dream will come true. We are all simply human and we dream and we each have the power for our dreams to come true. A new spirit of active engagement is rising in the world. It has been fascinating learning how programs intersect with this emerging phenomenon, and practical ways we can move our world toward an equitable and sustainable future.

Thank you GVN, you changed my life!!!