Yukon Wildlife Preserve

Finally, a video collage of footage from my visit at this Wildlife Preserve near Whitehorse, YK. While travelling on business I added a free day to explore the Alaska Highway and visit here. Definitely, will have to spend some serious time exploring up there.

Ice cave and thin ice were all part of the fun

This is another route Jan climbed yesterday. Featuring her exploration of the ice cave near its top.



And this one is a thin, mixed ice climb with overhang. Gotta try it all :)

Jan rocks on ice

MountainFest took place for the 16th time this weekend in Keene Valley, NY, th High Peaks Region in the Adirondack's.
It was our first time at the Festival; we went for a day of ice climbing.

Here's Jan on her very first climb - connecting seamlessly to the one and only other time ice climb in Bolivia in November 2010.
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Red Book Entry: December 21, 2010

I don't know at this point just how many  photos I have taken of Inga, but what I do know is that it is only a fraction of the time that you do not see her true beauty. Travel suits Inga very well. Her curiosity about the world, her openess of spirit towards the people she meets, and her ever-expanding sense of adventure make her the most amazing travel companion.

[and Inga is beautiful too!]

So here is what is has been like for the last two and a half months of travelling: have an idea; figure it out; smile a lot (actually, have a permanent smile in your heart); follow your passions; have an experience and delight in it for days (and days and ... always).

[Live the moments]

[R E P E A T ]

This part of the journey is yet another type of experience. Neither Inga nor I have been on a boat trip of this nature. We have a cabin with a window and a bathroom. Although it is a cabin for four, we only have one cabin mate, Claudia from Switzerland. She is considerate and friendly and makes for a fine cabin mate. Inga and I brought wine and we plan on sharing it with Claudia tonight. Tomorrow night might not be the night for wine, given the wave predictions. Hopefully it will be a non-issue for Inga and I, and for everyone on the boat, for that matter.

All is well at the moment. I am sitting comfortably in the pub having a cappuccino and listening to the various conversations and the various languages being spoken. What is the common factor amongst all of us who choose to take this voyage? Is there one?

Red Book Entry: December 21, 2010

Aboard Evangelista, en route to Puerto Montt. And the adventure continues. Today the sailing is supposed to be relatively calm which is great as I get my sea legs (which I know will not be developed like my trekking legs!) Tomorrow, on the other hand, we will be passing through the Golfo de Peinas where we will be in the open Pacific Ocean, hence the name "De Peinas". For 12 hours, we could experience the ocean with two metre waves. The crew will be giving us some advice ahead of time on what we can do to cope best.

[Happy longest day of the year!
The beauty of being far south : )]

The journey, which is for three days, will take us to an island of 150 inhabitants, including the seven remaining members of an indigineous tribe. Navimag [the ship company] stops there twice a week with their provisions. It is national parkland and, weather permitting, we can disembark and trek along a path for an hour. Here's hoping.

There was a meeting this morning detailing each day, as well as safety onboard. I will be heading off for a talk on glaciars. There will be several such talks over the next couple of days.

Red Book Entry: December 2, 2010

Santiago airport. 3:20 am. Flew from Cusco to Lima to Santiago (with a stop in Antafogastas). Next up: Punta Arenas. I have never hung out in an airport overnight. Unlike in Canada, the Santiago airport does not shut down. After an extremely painful landing here, due to a nasty, nasty head cold, I am having an "individual" pequeñita bottle of Vina La Rosa (La Palma) from the Cachapoal Valley in Chile, of course.

Already the Chilean Spanish is challenging me -- Peruvians and Bolivians are so much easier to understand for me. In any event, it's all great practice for my language acquisition.

So what happens at the Santiago airport in the middle of the night? Tonight is not a typical night: we are entering Christmas season at the airport. Inga and I watched a huge tree being decorated with white lights. Aside from this "special event", the more "regular" activities are taking place: sweeping and dusting and washing and structural maintenance. As for me, I have just finished my wine ... and am contemplating (oh, now have) ordered another "individual" bottle and a cheese plate to share with Inga. Indulging seems to be the thing to do at this time of the night while waiting for a morning flight.