Happy Holidays from Roma!

Before heading to Michigan on Friday, we were able to spend a few free days in Rome after Lynne had to attend a meeting there on Tuesday.  We spent two full days just wandering the streets, eating delicious foods, and enjoying the holiday lights in downtown Rome.  It was really nice!  

Happy Holidays to all from Italia!!

With sadness for the loss of our sweet Janet Rose

I am sorry to offer up a sad post on these pre-Christmas days, but I want to share some of the other events going on for us recently.  A couple weeks ago, we lost someone very dear to our hearts.  Someone who saw the world for only the good it had to offer, someone with unending optimism, and someone with a bigger heart than anyone I have ever known.  On December 8 our dear friend Janet Rose O'Connor passed away after a 7 month battle against colon cancer.  She was taken from us all too soon, and I cannot help but think that there is now this huge hole in our lives, a hole that was once filled with her laughter, friendship, and love.

I met Janet in 2000 during my first year at the University of Michigan.  Along with 6 other very special ladies, we became the best of friends.  We lived together at 1140 S. Forest, a place which we lovingly call the Brothel.  Janet, also known amongst the Brothel as Janet Rose, Rosie, or J-Ro, was a central member the group.  She loved doing things all together and did not want to miss out on one moment of fun, laughter, or debauchery, even if it was just a trip to the grocery store.  She made her name amongst our group as the leader of Goodness Day, a true Michigander, a lover of all things pink, and master of the scarf dance.  The friendships that we all formed during our four years of undergraduate life have stayed with us beyond our Ann Arbor days, despite us all moving to places like Chicago, LA, DC, NYC, St. Louis, Wichita, and even Cosenza.   Distance cannot break these bonds. We spend a weekend together every summer in some convenient beach location, laughing and drinking and just being who we have always been since we were 18 years old living in the dorms.  We have attended each others weddings and other major life events, and when life gets hard we drop what we are doing to be together.

Earlier this summer when we learned that Janet was sick, the girls decided to have the annual reunion in Michigan to spend time with Janet.  We enjoyed a great weekend of swimming, bbq-ing, and just plain old Brothel fun.  Since that time, Janet fought her fight with strength, determination, and the eternal optimism that we all love her for.  In early December when we learned that Janet was terminal and her time with us would not be long, the girls all traveled to Michigan again to visit Janet.  I joined them via Skype to look at old photos, do silly Mad-Libs, tell stories, and remind Janet of how much we love her.  It was so hard for me not to be there, but it was also so nice that I was able to see everyone and watch them all take care of our girl.  They were so strong for her, even though I know they were all hurting so much inside.  I also was not able to attend Janet's services when she passed away, but the Brothel was there and I was with them in spirit.  Being far from home in a time like this makes me feel so helpless and so disconnected, but the girls did such a great job of keeping me a part of everything.

At the time when Janet's funeral was starting in Michigan, Tyler and I along with his mom (who arrived for her visit the same night that Janet passed away) put some flower bulbs in the ground.  We planted pink tulips, white lilies, and purple hyacinth at the end of our front walk, and in the spring when the flowers appear we will think of Janet.  We will remember what a great friend she was and we will know that in some way she is still with us.  She will always be with us, in spirit and in everything we do.  Because of Janet, I hope that I will always know how to be a better friend, how to love more deeply, how to see the good in other people, and how to give of myself to others before worrying about my own needs.  That is what Janet did, and it is my responsibility to live my life how she would want me to live it.   I am forever thankful that I had the good fortune of meeting Janet, because my life would not be the same without her.  I miss her so much.

Happy Holidays from Calabria!

This Christmas we'll be traveling to Michigan to spend the holidays with the Gratz family. Lynne and I can't wait to get home, to have some great food, to play in the snow, and most importantly, to play with our nephews and nieces! If you are in Michigan, drop us an email and perhaps we can stop in and visit! Happy Holidays!

Tyler's Mom Visits Italia!

In early December my mom came to Europe to visit Jamie (in Bavaria) and Lynne and I, in Calabria. We she arrived we headed north, to visit Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Lucky for us, the weather cooperated and we traveled in comfort, taking in the sights and sounds of one of the most beautiful areas of Southern Italy.


Mom really enjoyed seeing the orange and lemon groves, the terraced agriculture along the pennisula, and the ramshackle layout of the cliffside villages. I really enjoyed the fact that we were in Amalfi off-season: the restaurants were pleasant, the shopping less-crowded, and the views spectacular.


We chose to stay in Atrani, a picturesque village that just happens to have one of the best seafood restaurants around (sly grin). We also managed to visit Pompeii, where we walked the ancient streets only slightly leery of mighty Vesuvius. Our time in Amalfi was relaxing. Italy is by far better in the off-season, people.

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Leaving Amalfi we traveled inland. The highway looped around stony outcroppings and seemed to move in and out of tunnels every other mile. We eventually came to Matera, a town famous for its ancient cliff dwellings - where early inhabitants lived side by side with thier donkeys and their slaves. And their donkeyslaves.







This Donkeyslave no doubt wishes he weren't.


The landscape in Matera is grey and stark, but fascinating. Unfortunately, mom was feeling none too well, as she contracted some little stomach bug (from Germany, no doubt) and had to suffer through a longer-than-planned canyon walk.



Despite feeling poorly, mom strolled the Sassi (stone valleys) like a champ. We were happy when she was able to rest and relax in our apartment in Cosenza, her home-away-from-home.








Lynne and I want to go back to Matera again. Please come visit and give us an excuse.



We concluded our vacation in lovely Cosenza, where Mom rested, went for long walks, and tried her best not to eat all the great Calabrian food being put in front of her. She also did some mighty-fine shopping. Thanks for visiting, Mom - we loved having you!

Our Italian TV Debut

Recently Lynne and I traveled to Mormanno, to enjoy a festival celebrating the debut of the new wine - a cause worth celebrating, if I might say so myself.

We suspect we were the only two non-Italians in the village. Perhaps confirming our suspicions, the local TV news reporter asked for an interview. A transcript is below:

Lady: Where do you come from?

Tyler: We're Americans, from the United States.

Lady: And you're here to take in this spectacle?

Tyler: Yes, to try all this food, to be with friends, and for fun.

Lady: What Calabrian food do you like the most?

Tyler: The hot peppers, no doubt.

Lady: Mormano, with a little more than 3000 inhabitants, has more than 100 that work in making artisinal foods: Traditional meats, lentil soups, and the most famous, bucconotti (jam-filled cakes). And the menu at Mormanno this night was great.

Lady: What is a typical dish from here?

Woman with cool hat: The schiattelli (homemade pasta), and what else, the baccala (cod), and the (other dish, in dialect)

Lynne: Ahhh the pasta, the pasta is fabulous.

Below is a the longer video, if you want to see more of the festival.

A Cosenza Update

No doubt many of you have enjoyed hearing about Lynne’s adventures in Nepal. I have been feeling a little guilty not offering an update on my life in Cosenza while she is gone. So, without further ado:


And...

In summary, I miss my wife. Here is a lovely photo essay that helps convey my inner thoughts:

This:

And then this:

Followed by:

Resulting in:

Which led to:

And now, I feel like:



Come home soon, hikingfox. I miss you.

Nov 18 – Lukla to Kathmandu

Well the journey from Lukla was not quite as easy as we’d hoped.  Because of the backlog of tourists waiting to fly out of Lukla, the airport was a complete zoo with everyone fighting for their spot on the next flight.  Eventually, it worked out that our group of seven got split up into four separate flights, which weren’t even set to take off until the afternoon.  Cloudy weather and backed up international flights in Kathmandu did not help our cause. In the end, only 3 of us made it out of Lukla (Alberto, Davide, and me).  I think I got on one of the last flights, and my other four colleagues have to stay in Lukla for one more night.  We are told they will fly out first thing tomorrow morning.  I got to the hotel in Kathmandu around 4pm.  The ride from the airport was a harsh introduction to city life after weeks in the mountains… polluted air, crazy traffic, and constant honking horns.  I missed the peace and tranquility of mountain life already.  I found Alberto and Davide at the hotel, and after much-needed showers we went out to find some dinner.  For some reason we were all craving pizza, so on one of our last nights in Nepal that is what we chose to eat (Italians… always craving their own cuisine).  It was delicious.  We then walked the streets a little bit and browsed the shops.  We had a very nice time together.  Tomorrow morning after breakfast we plan to head back to one of the big stupas we visited at the beginning of our trip and do a bit more shopping.  I am looking forward to this because it was one of my favorite sites that we visited before.  I am not sure what will be in store after that.  Then Sunday evening, homeward bound. Can't wait to see my hubs. 

Nov 16-17: Homeward bound

Well after about 4-5 days of work, we agreed that the Tekran was up and running well and we did our best to train the technicians at the Pyramid on how to monitor and operate it (you can see my attempt at this in the photo to the left).  Therefore, yesterday morning we set out from the Pyramid to start the long journey back to Kathmandu.  Because we stayed one extra day to complete our training, we had to come down from the Pyramid in 2 days instead of 3 as planned.  Translation: the descent from the Pyramid was far from easy. 

On day 1 we went all the way from the Pyramid to Namche Bazar – a journey that we did in 3 days (well, I did in 4 days) on the way up.  Granted, at this point we’re adjusted to the altitude and going down is generally faster than going up, but still.  We left the Pyramid somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00am, but really we should have left closer to 7:30am because the entire hike took something like 10 hours, covering about 25 km.  The first part of the day went pretty well and we were all feeling good.  Early on in the hike we passed through the Memorial – a site honoring those who have lost their lives in this area of the Himalayas, particularly Mt. Everest.  It is really a place that makes you stop and reflect, and on the hike up I had been a little too under the weather to really appreciate it.  I am glad I was able to visit it again and contemplate what this place represents.

In the afternoon we had several really hard uphills and downhills to cover between Tengboche and Namche.  This was not only exhausting, but also put a lot of stress on my already somewhat ailing knees.  Additionally, because of our late start we basically did the last 1.5 hours of our hike in the dark with headlamps.  That was ok, but not exactly easy.  Needless to say, when we arrived in Namche we were exhausted, sore, and hungry.  Thankfully our wonderful guide, Ves, had called the lodge ahead of time to order our dinners.  When we got to the lodge we were able to sit down within 10 minutes to yak steak, potatoes, vegetables, and a beer (make that 2 beers).  It tasted so good at that point.  Then we crashed. 

This morning we set out on yet another hard hiking day, covering about 15 km.  In general it might not have been that bad except that we were already suffering from sore muscles and knees, and right from Namche we started on a very long descent.  By lunchtime, I was already hurting quite a bit but after a warm meal I was recharged again.  However, the afternoon brought more long uphills and downhills, and eventually everything was causing me knee pain, not just the downhills.  It was tough.  At one point, my colleague Stefano asked me if I wanted to “throw the sponge”.  I kindly told him that the saying was actually “throw in the towel”, and no I did not want to do that.  I realized at that point that I never do that.  I think it’s the former runner in me… if there is a finish line ahead of me I am going to get there no matter how hard it is or how much it hurts (maybe this is why I have bad knees…).  Also there really was no other option.  We had to get to Lukla by that evening.  So I did what I usually do – I put my head down and toughed it out.  Also, when I look at this sherpa in this photo (who was one of many we saw during the day), I sometimes think "What am I complaining about??" Then near the end of the hike, when I was really hitting a low point, my friend Giulio suggested we stop at the snack stand ahead and get some chocolate to get us through the final stretch.  Apparently he’s gotten to know me a bit in recent weeks.  Chocolate always helps when you’re hurting.

Anyway, needless to say, it was a hard afternoon and I was thankful to finally arrive in Lukla.  Our colleagues who had left the Pyramid 2 days earlier were at the lodge waiting for us because for several days now there have been no flights from Lukla.  It was nice to see some familiar smiling faces.  Eventually I got into my room for the night, at which point I promptly called Tyler and broke into tears.  The stress, exhaustion, and pain of the past two days just finally put me over the edge and I had been holding it all in during the hike.  He was very comforting and supportive, and I really appreciated that.  I eventually composed myself and went down to the dining room to join my friends.  We had a good meal, good conversation, and a beer (make that 2 beers), all of which made me feel a lot better.  I am now in bed, about to crash yet again.  Tomorrow morning we will wake up early and hopefully catch our flight back to Kathmandu.  The weather forecast for tomorrow looks good, so we are hopeful that we will fly out. After that, we spend a couple days in Kathmandu and then Sunday night we catch our flight back to Italy.  I am really looking forward to being home again.

Nov 11 to the present: Back in Action

I haven't been blogging in recent days because our instrument finally arrived on Friday afternoon and since then I have actually been able to do the work I came here to do!  Friday morning we got as ready as we could at the Pyramid so that when our boxes arrived we could get right to work.  Around mid to late afternoon we saw a line of porters come walking into the area near the Pyramid and we knew this was our moment.  Most of you won't understand this, but I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a Tekran in my life.  I also kind of wanted to hug the porter who carried not only our instrument but also our box of spare parts all the way here from Lukla on his back.  I just don't know how they do it.  Anyway, once we got everything unloaded we got straight to work.  Oh, and let it be known that there was also a big shipment of other things for the Pyramid that arrived with the porters that afternoon.  I think there was equal excitement over finding our instrument and figuring out which box had the wine in it.  Anyway, the instrument has been up and running for a few days now and so far so good.  We're planning to stay at the Pyramid at least one extra day (leaving here on the 16th instead of the 15th) to make sure everything is in place and the technicians here know what to do with our "baby" as Gianpietro likes to call it.  So hopefully in the next 48-72 hrs things continue to go well, in which case I will be back in Italy right about this time next week.  I look forward to that... I miss my Tyler!

Days 15-16 (Nov 8-9): A day of writing, then a day of hiking

Tuesday I spent the day in and around the Pyramid.  Mostly I spent time working on an article that I am trying to finish.  It's the last one from my dissertation, and I now have a firm deadline by which to get it finished, so that and a lack of much else to do kicked me into writing mode.  Then in the evening after dinner we all decided to watch a movie together.  We chose the Blues Brothers, but I got naturally outvoted on the language selection.  We watched it dubbed over in Italian with English subtitles.  Let me just say that the Blues Brothers is a movie that just should NOT be dubbed over. Thankfully all the songs were still original version!  Haha.

Then, the group decided that today we would take a hike.  The technicians in our group have already finished most of their work (hooray for hot water and working radiators!), whereas Giulio, Stefano and I are still waiting to get started (insert sad trombone sound).  Therefore today seemed like a good "free day" to take together.  The group decided to head to a famous nearby point called Kalapathar, located at about 5500 meters and with a fantastic view of the mountains.

We set off this morning after breakfast at about 7:30am.  The early part of the hike was pretty standard (except for starting at 5050 meters!) - some uphill, some downhill.  Then we stopped for a tea in a tiny town called Gorakshep (about 5100 meters, see photo to the right).  From there, it was a solid uphill climb to Kalapathar at 5500 meters (you can see a small section of the trail in the photo of Gorakshep).

From Gorakshep to Kalapathar, we had to go really slow (no, this yak did not lead the way for us).  I mean, uphill hiking when you have to gain 400 meters of elevation is tough anyway, but it is REALLY tough when you are at this elevation.  There just isn't that much oxygen to take in!  At one point I thought to myself "Ok, I always though that finishing the Chicago marathon 9 years ago was physically the hardest thing I have ever done, but this hike is really putting in a solid bid for second place!"  That said, the view from Kalapathar was totally worth the struggle.  It was really spectacular.

Here I am, with Mt. Everest behind me!!  That monster is some 8800 meters tall.  I think today the Himalayas literally took my breath away :)

We then descended a little ways to eat our bag lunches provided by the Pyramid staff, and then made our way back to the Pyramid by mid/late afternoon. The return hike was tough - a lot of hard downhill from Kalapathar to Gorakshep, and we were all really tired.  We're back in the lodge now, relaxing in our rooms after warm showers, waiting for dinner.  It was a physically trying day, and perhaps one of the harder hikes I have ever done, but definitely a great experience. The photo on the right is of me with our two trekking guides and a few of my new colleagues.

The latest on our equipment is that is en route and will hopefully arrive on Friday.  We hope it arrives early in the day to give ourselves more time, but it all depends on how fast those porters and sherpas can move.  There is a good possibility that Giulio, Stefano, and I will stay an extra day or two at the Pyramid to get things set up and will meet the rest of our group in either Lukla or Kathmandu to fly home to Italy.  I'm glad we can have a little bit of flexibility in our schedule for stuff like this!

Ok, time for a pre-dinner snooze.  I am so tired!!

Day 14 (Nov 7) - One success per day

Tyler and I have agreed that while living in Italy we can only expect to accomplish one major thing a day.  Therefore if we set off on a bunch of bureaucratic errands, for example, if we are successful at just one of our stops then it has been a good day.  Two success days are few and far between, and three success days... well those just don't happen. Anyway, I think this rule also applies in Nepal, or maybe it just applies anywhere as long as you are with Italians.

Yesterday's success was feeling better.  Today's success was hot water, and therefore a hot shower! I feel like a new person.  I can finally walk around without a hat on for a little while (until it gets cold and then I'll put it back on to keep warm).

Other good news of the day is that there were a bunch of flights between Kathmandu and Lukla today because of good weather.  Hooray!  This is good news for all the stranded tourists, although we do not think our boxes have made it on board any flight yet because there is such a huge back log of people waiting to fly.  Weather is expected to be good again tomorrow though, and in that case hopefully our boxes can fly out because the airlines should be more caught up by then.  If that happens, that will be tomorrow's success of the day.

Today was a sunny day, so after breakfast I took a short walk in the hills around the Pyramid with my colleague Giulio just to get some fresh air.  Naturally I snapped a few photos.  The rest of the day has mostly been spent working on writing.  Oh and I did a little bit of laundry, which involved putting my clothes in a plastic bin with cold water and some shower soap and mushing them around for a while.  Then I hung them out to dry, and by dry I mean freeze.  At least I can have clean socks now (once they thaw).

Cross all your fingers and toes that our instrument flies out soon.  That news would make me exceedingly happy!!

Here you can see the Pyramid on the right, and that little building on the hill to the left is where we hope to put our instrument next year some time when they have more space.  Right now it's too crowded. The other two photos below are just some nice mountain views I got today.

 

Day 13 (Nov 6) - Things starting to look up

I woke up with a nasty headache this morning, which left me feeling really frustrated that I just couldn't seem to get better.  That on top of not being able to watch or listen the Michigan game last night due to slow internet (which believe it or not happens in places other than Calabria), not having taken a shower for a week because we don't have hot water (sorry if that's too much info), and constantly being cold, I kind of felt like I'd hit my limit.  But after some breakfast, a much needed coffee, and some consoling from my colleagues Giulio and Stefano, I started to feel a little better.  I put on a semi-clean shirt (that's right - haven't done laundry in two weeks either), brushed my unwashed hair, and headed up to the Pyramid to get some work done.  Getting out of my room really helped, and making some progress on my article review made me feel like I was actually doing something besides waiting for my instrument.

By lunchtime, I think I looked and felt like a new person and I have felt pretty good for most of the day.  I even ate the same dinner as everyone else tonight (minestrone soup and polenta with a ragu sauce), and was able to eat the whole thing (appetite is back!).  I still have a lingering cough and runny nose, but I can handle that.  In other good news, the radiators were finally back in action by dinner time, meaning that we got to enjoy our meal in temperatures above 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time since our arrival.  I am also told that there was a brief moment of hot water this evening, during which time a few of the guys "in the know" snuck in to shave their beards for the first time in days.  Tomorrow there is promise of hot water for a longer period of time, and I have been promised the first shower.  I suspect it's because (a) I am the only woman, and (b) I have been sick.  Call it sexism if you will, I don't care, I want my shower.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is also better, meaning there is hope for flights from Kathmandu to Lukla.  The problem is the back log of tourists waiting to take those flights with all their luggage, meaning it could be difficult to get our instrument and other boxes on board.  We'll try to pull whatever strings we have, but there is no guarantee of anything at this point.  We are just hoping for the best.  The good thing is that we don't actually have to be in Kathmandu to fly back to Italy until the 20th, so although we're scheduled to leave the Pyramid on the 15th we could actually push that back by a day or two if needed.  Buffer days are built in for a reason.

So keep your fingers crossed for us that we get our instrument soon, we get some hot water for showers, and we get some continued heat in the lodge.  Is it wrong that that's the order of my wish list?  Successful work before a decent shower?  I guess that is what it has come to.

Day 12 (Nov 5) - A day in bed

Well, after arriving at the Pyramid fighting off some kind of bug, and then not really feeling great yesterday and again this morning, I've been instructed to spend the day in bed under the covers. I can't really complain - I am tired and it is cold, so in bed under the covers is not a bad place to be!  Plus I have no instrument to work on, as you know, so I will take a day of rest.  It is Saturday after all!  Now if only I weren't so many hours ahead of the Eastern time zone, I could at least watch some football!!  Unfortunately the Michigan game isn't on until 9:45pm for me :(  Anyways, I got moved to a smaller room this morning which is much smaller and is also in the middle of the hallway instead of the end where I was before, so I think I should be warmer here.  I finally unpacked my things (since we're here for 10 more days) and am feeling like I have more of my own cozy space.  So for now, I am under some warm blankets, drinking a thermos of lemon tea, listening to some Avett Brothers on my iTunes, and attempting to review an article that I agreed to do by the end of the month (which I actually have time to do now while I wait for our stuff to arrive).  Not a bad way to spend a Saturday I suppose, just not how I planned to spend it :) 

For now, I will leave you with some of the other interesting/entertaining photos that I have taken so far during my travels (I recommend clicking on the photos to see them in a larger version).  Enjoy!

Mural on a wall in Kathmandu in which every panel was about washing your hands with soap and water, basically emphasizing good hygiene.

Flowers for sale at a market in Kathmandu for the festival we witnessed at the end of October.

Outside the first stupa we visited in Kathmandu, there were monkeys everywhere!  We were told to watch out for them, because they can be "bastards".

Everest beer - special edition dedicated to a famous sherpa.

As we approached the Lukla airstrip, everyone started taking photos of our landing.  I think I am glad I could not see anything.

 Rubbish Bean? English translations entertain me.

Horse can be found here... but to ride, not to eat.  I just felt I should clarify.

Gianpietro trying to talk to a young Nepalese girl on the trail, asking her how old she was and what grade she was in at school.  This guy will talk to anyone, I swear.

Women doing laundry in Namche Bazar.

Yakkity Yak.  Actually this might be a zopchuk (I'm sure my spelling is completely wrong on that) which is an animal that looks very much like a yak.

This is one of my favorite photos I have taken so far.  This is Alberto, one of the technicians who hiked to the Pyramid with us.  This photo gives a bit of perspective on the mountains we have seen.  Incredible.

Here I am crossing one of the many bridges we encountered during our hikes.  These bridges have a tendency to sway as more people (and pack animals) step on to them!  For Halloween I elected to go as Little Red Riding Hood (read: NOT an Ohio State fan).

mmmmmmm Milk Tea

A sign for one of the primary schools up in the Khumbu Valley (where we are).  School doesn't start before 10am because most of the kids have to walk quite a distance to get there.