Adventure Sports
June 14, 2011 § 3 Comments
We took advantage of the low prices in South America to try a bunch of adventure sports. Most cost under a third of their US-equivalent prices (yet still offer over half the safety!). Here’s what we’ve done so far:
Paragliding
San Gil, Colombia
My most commonly recurring dream is having the ability to fly — or to sort of hover using a mysterious seated position — over the trees and houses of my neighborhood. When I wake up I’m deeply disappointed that my magic power is gone. Paragliding is the answer.
You sit in a comfortable harness along with the instructor, the wind fills the sail behind you, and then you canter off the side of a hill and lift-off. It’s so gentle that I didn’t even realize we were off the ground at first. Once aloft it’s quite peaceful and not scary at all.
The People You Meet.
February 22, 2011 § 2 Comments
1) Where are you from? 2) What is your trip like?
These are almost universally the first two pieces of information traded when meeting other travelers. Since it’s just Joe and me most days, we enjoy the chance to meet people with whom we can share a drink or a conversation. Some random encounters have been with other Stanford people, identified by the gear. Once we chatted with a girl all day, only to find out at dinner she worked for the same company as me. We frequently meet others on similarly long trips, especially in places like Bolivia where people wouldn’t go for a short holiday visit. We’ve noticed some interesting trends in the kinds of people, though the categories highlighted below are by no means exhaustive. « Read the rest of this entry »
Kasey: 5, Joe: 0
February 12, 2011 § 3 Comments
The quest started in San MartÃn de los Andes, Argentina. We were in the northernmost part of Argentine Patagonia, in the lakes district. Joe decided he wanted to fish. Ideally, we hoped to find a local fisherman to take us out on his boat for a few hours and loan his equipment, for which we would pay, of course.
Kasey, our fisherman, and his trusty canine assistant
82 Liters 