Tag: hike

Mirador Cuentos – Torres del Paine, Chile – Without the W or the O Part 5

One of the things that they do not show you in the pictures of Torres del Paine is the weather. Well, they do show you the weather, but only one those days when it is perfect. The sun is shining. There is a slight breeze. People might even be walking around wearing shorts. This is the ideal, and I get why they show these pictures. This is the best way to sell a vacation to this part of the world. The reality of the situation is that Torres del Paine is on the tip of South America where the weather is unpredictable and though those beautiful days do exist, there are just as many rainy, cold, and windy days, even in the middle of the summer, so the hikes do not always go as planned.

We had this problem with one of the hikes that we had planned to go on to, Mirador Cuernos. This is a very popular hike with the tour groups. It starts off at a cafateria just a little down the road from the Hotel Pehoe, and after a leisurley twenty minute stroll it takes people to a big waterfall that many people stop at to take pictures and watch large portions of water dive over a cliff. But if you take this hike another three kilometers away, the crowds start to die down, and you are rewarded with some of the more impressive views of the mountains in the area. This is the reason to come out and take this hike.

The hike basically follows the lake that feeds into the waterfall that most of the people stop at. It is on a well-groomed path that is wide and basically flat. There are a couple of rises on it, but it is nothing to strenuous and most people should be able to complete the hike without any problem. In fact, I saw many people on the hike that did not even bother to bring water or any additional equipment with them, and treated the hike as a lovely Sunday stroll. But do not be deceived; that could be the worst thing that you do if you take this hike.

Like I said earlier, the weather in Torres del Paine is unpredictable. A beautiful sunny day that you see in most of the pictures of the area can turn on you really quick, and you might find yourself out in the middle of nowhere as a storm blows in over the mountains. And let me tell you that when I storm blows in, it is not at all a pleasant experience. The winds out there can be extreme. We experienced one such day where we struggled to walk and after certain gusts, even continue to stand. Even though, the path is flat and wide, the weather can add a new diificulty to the hike. There are even times when they will shut down the path if the winds are too strong which happened to us the first time we attempted to make this hike.

Still, we did not let this deter us, and we came back another day when the weather was perfect. It wasn’t shorts weather, but it was just crisp enough to make for the perfect conditions to make a hike. We packed layers just in case the weather changed on us, and we brought a small lunch to enjoy at the beach we came across on the shore of the lake. And when we finally made it to the viewpoint, it was worth the wait. The views were stunning, and the sun shining on the peaks made for the perfect conditions to take pictures. It was a great hike to take that gets you close to the same places on the W loop and it only takes a couple hours to do, easily worth the time for those that are not doing the bigger loops.

Thank you for following me on this exploration of places to go in Torres del Paine besides the W and O loops, and I hope it gives you some ideas for your trip out to this area.

Lago Grey – Torres del Paine, Chile – Without the W or the O – Part 4

While doing the loops in Torres del Paine, there are opportunities the visit the vast fields of glacial ice that are there. It gives the hikers the opportunity to take kayaks and row up to the glaciers, or to even put on crampons and walk on the ice. But for those of us who have not gotten the tickets needed to get on the W or O loops, there is another way to get out to the glaciers and experience what they have to offer, the Lago Grey ferry.

The Lago Grey ferry is a boat that leaves from the Hotel Lago Grey three times a day to take about 100 guests out to the three faces of the Grey Glacier and to return them safely back to the park. The whole experience takes about three hours from check-in to return back to your car, and it is a great way to see the glaciers while visiting Torres del Paine.

Check in takes place at Hotel Lago Grey, but this is not actually where people hop on to the boat. You receive your ticket there, and then are asked to drive your car five minutes down the road to another parking lot for a cafeteria that you will have to walk past to get to the boat. It is not a simple walk either to get to the boat. It takes anywhere from thirty to forty-five minutes, and winds its way through a forest, and over a bridge even before you are able to see the boat that will take you out to the glacier.

This is where the hike really begins. There is a long stretch of pebble-filled beach that you will have to cross. It is not easy to walk over and it is not handicap accessible in any capacity. The weather does not help to make this part of the hike any better. You are exposed to the elements when making the trek, and we were battered by wind and biting rain, so it is important to bring rain resistant gear and layers for this voyage to stay dry. Also understand that the weather changes in an instant in this part of the world. It was really cold while making the trek, but then it was sunny and beautiful when we were out by the glaciers.

Also understand that the ferry company will cancel the trip if the weather gets too bad. Torres del Paine is notorious about the wind that can come whipping down the mountain, and if it gets too windy, it is no longer safe to take even the large ferry the twelve kilometers out to the glaciers. At first I did not believe that the wind could be that strong, but we experienced it on other days, and I would not want to be out there on the boat if the wind was as strong as we felt it on a certain day.

But on those nice days, the ferry will get you really close to the glacier, and then it is a wonderful way to see it. The ticket does come with a drink coupon that will get you either a pisco sour or a calafate sour. If you have never tried either of these drinks, this is a good opportunity to try one though they are not the best versions of these drinks I have ever had. I would recommend trying them somewhere else where they make each drink special, and they are not mass produced for quick consumption.

The boat also has two viewing decks from which to look at the glaciers. There is one on the front of the boat, and another on the top. Kids are not allowed to be on the one on the front of the boat, but they can still see the glaciers well from the top deck. You are once again exposed to the elements while on these decks, and all of the people crowd on to them to get pictures, but I was surprised at how well they held all of these people. I never felt like it was too crowded and we were able to find our places on the decks to take amazing pictures of the glacier, and enjoy the scenery. We were also there on a beautiful day so it was not too cold on the decks, but I can see this changing if the weather is not as great.

You might not get as close to the glacier this way as you would if you hiked right up to it, or paddled there in a kayak, but then again you do not need to exert yourself as much to enjoy them still the same. The hike out to the boat and back is a little bit of a workout, but most people should be able to make it without too much difficulty, and there is not a time crunch when leaving the boat and they gave you plenty of time to get out to the boat. So if you want to see some glaciers while out in Torres del Paine, and you are not on either of the loops, this is a great way to do it.

A Transylvania Fall

I did have a couple of expectations when I traveled to Romania during the month of October. The idea of a creepy landscape with rolling fog and old world charm had to be around every corner, and it would be like walking into some gothic horror story. My expectations might have been a little too big, but what I encountered instead was even more exciting and exceeded the expectations that I did have.

Transylvania does have an old world charm to it, but not in the creepy gothic vibe that I was expecting. It is more of the walking through the country side on a crisp autumn day that allows you to feel the nostalgia of days past, and an excitement for the days to come. I was able to feel the joy of the season again which does not come with the places I have lived recently such as Jordan or Thailand. It used to be my favorite season, and I enjoyed being able to experience it again.

Transylvania is also a mountainous part of Romania that give spectacular views of the fall colors. There are many beautiful drives between the bigger cities in the mountains that take you through these mountains. At many times it is like driving through a tunnel made of large deciduous trees shedding their leaves on the road. There were also many spots along the roads that made for great pictures of the faraway landscape. A perfect picture was always around the corner.

There are two major cities that people visit in Transylvania and each of them offer their own specific type of charm. Brasov is a mountain community that feels like an older European city with a long and expansive walking part of the town. It has more of a medieval feel to it because of the old wall that protects this part of the city, and the old towers and churches that you can explore there. The restaurants and shops definitely cater to a tourist crowd, but it feels as if that crowd would come from a different part of Romania, and you do not see as many out of country tourists hanging out there.

Sibiu is the other major city in Transylvania, and it has a completely different vibe. There is still a huge walking part of the city that most of the tourists spend time in, but the platas, or squares are much bigger, and attract the usual crowds that can be seen in most Western European cities. There are numerous restaurants with tables spilling out into the square, and behind them hold various shops that tourists can be seen entering and leaving. Overall, it feels more like a typical European city rather than the mountainous Brasov, but both are great places to stay and enjoy the chilly atmosphere that this spot of the world offers in autumn.

Each place is a great place to settle down and then from there take day trips to the various places that are worth visiting in the region. There are historic churches and castles waiting to be explored, and beyond that there are so many paths through the woods that take you to the most unexpected places. Some of them are more populated than others, and you never know when you will run into a pop up shopping area.

There are many other things out there to explore that just add to the beauty of the region. Even the quiet solitude of a graveyard seems like it should belong on the typical tourist itinerary. It may feel a little gothic to even consider doing it, but somehow it belongs on this trip. It just adds to part of the atmosphere of the experience, and it is also interesting to read the history that some of these places hold in its grip.

I am glad that I have gotten to experience Romania in the fall, more specifically Transylvania. I was a little surprised to see that there were not more people out there enjoying the same experience that we were because it seemed like the perfect time to be out there. The fall colors were amazing, and I don’t believe that we hit the height of those colors. I could only imagine what it would have been like if we were out there then. The weather was perfect for most of the trip, and it just heightened the atmosphere of what the location is best known for. Maybe because of the smaller crowds, it made for a more memorable trip, but I could not imagine another time to come out to this beautiful part of the world. I hope that someday you can find the time to understand the joy that I found by coming out to Romain and seeing what it has to offer in the fall.

Mountain Breeze – Jordan

With all of the movies and television shows coming out to Jordan to film, I can see how people would think that the country is nothing more than a vast dessert landscape. It surprises people when they find out that there is a little bit of diversity to the country, and one of the places that holds this feeling is just an hour drive north of Amman, a tiny resort called Mountain Breeze.

The resort feels more like something that could be found in the mountains of Colorado or Oregon rather than the dry desert landscape of Jordan. There are ten cabins that are comfortably situated on the hillside overlooking the valley below. They each have a big patio, comfortable beds, and nice bathroom. Most of the time, it only takes opening the windows of the cabin, and turning on the ceiling fan to keep them cool, but for on those hot summer days, each unit comes with air conditioning. They are also far enough away from each other to isolate the noise that can be created from other visitors to the resort.

Despite the restaurant, a poolside bar, and a full restaurant on the grounds of the resort, there are many other activities to while away any vacation day. There is a large playground for kids with many swings and things to climb on. They have a paintball arena, and a place to show your ability at archery. You could always choose to relax next to the pool, or dip into the water if things get a little too warm. Mountain Breeze even boasts having a conference room that could easily be converted into a ballroom for your business or marriage needs. Considering that there are only ten cabins on the grounds, none of these places feel very busy, even though for 30JD people can come up from Amman and use the facilities during the day.

If you feel a little adventurous, you can take the quick stroll down to the 500 year old tree where they built a treehouse. The hike itself is not long, taking about only ten to fifteen minutes to get down to the tree. The walk is all downhill, so it does take a little longer to get back, but the end of the voyage is the pool, so a dip in the cool water can always be used as an incentive. The treehouse itself is a nice place for a reprieve. When we went, we were down there by ourselves, and there were plenty of places where we could have picnicked or just sat under the tree to read a book.

Mountain Breeze plays up the American feel of being out in the mountains by adding things like a animal petting park that includes chickens, roosters, and ponies. They even have fire pits out in front of each of the cabins where they will light a fire for you and supply you with a bag of marshmallows. I was a little disappointed that they did not also include graham crackers and chocolate so I could enjoy the whole s’mores experience, but it was still fun to roast marshmallows around a campfire.

The place also boasts a bunch of cats that roam all over the grounds as well. They are wild cats, but like all cats in Jordan, they are also friendly. Of course, you will have to keep a close eye on your food because they will take any opportunity to sneak a bite if you happen to look away, but they also supply great moments while staying at the resort. One night while sitting in the bar, a mother cat kept bringing her baby kittens over to us to show them off. We thought she might be trying to pass them off to us, but when we came over to pet them, she got defensive. It made for a very entertaining evening.

Mountain Breeze is one of those hidden gems that I am surprised took me so long to find while living out here. It is the perfect getaway if you are living in the country because it is dramatically different enough from any other place in the country that it makes you feel like you are no longer in the country. It is also a great place to visit if you are traveling around the country. It is placed nicely in-between a lot of the more exciting places in Jordan that it would make the perfect home base if you found yourself in the region. I loved my time at Mountain Breeze and I hope to make it back out there again before I leave the country.

Mount Falcon Park – Morrison, Colorado

It has been a while since I have gotten to walk around the mountains of Colorado. It is not like I had forgotten about the, but I could say I had taken them for granted. All of the time I spent stuck in a foreign country during the pandemic, unable to return home, I had thought about them. When I was able to make it back to Colorado and enjoy them again, my priority went over to visiting with family and friends I had not seen for a long time, and visiting the mountains had taken a back seat. So when my sister suggested that we go on a hike one morning to a place in the mountains, and not far from her home, I was once again acquainted with the majesty that is the Rocky Mountains.

The trailhead she took me to was for Mount Falcon which is perched close enough to the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater that there were many spots along the way where I was able to look over the Front Range. In fact to get to the trailhead, we had to drive through rural areas, dotted with numerous houses, barns, and fields of grazing horses. Still, it was far enough away that when we arrived and started hiking the trail, we put any semblance of society behind us. I was once agin out in the middle of nature, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the sounds of the forests outside of Denver.

There are two trailheads for the Mount Falcon trail. There is the east path and the west path. The east path is a more arduous hike as it takes people up the mountain; whereas, the west path is relatively flat and the easier choice. They both lead to the same spot, so it really depends on the hiker as to how much of a challenge they are up for. I elected to take the easier path, so we drove to the west trailhead.

The places where the paths take you are the real reason for finding these trailheads. John Brisben Walker owned much of the mountain in the early part of the twentieth century. He had two locations that any traveler can get to if they come out here. The first one is his homestead, a large sprawling estate where he used to live with his family and servants. Only the ruins to this building remain as it was struck by lightning in 1918 and burned to the ground. Because John Brisben Walker had endured the tragic death of his wife two years earlier, he abandoned the homestead and left the ruins for us to enjoy over a century later.

The other site is not as interesting to look at, but it has a more interesting story behind it. There is a stone wall that would have been the foundation to a majestic building out in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. On top of it, there is one marble brick that hints at the material that would have been used to eventually make this building. John Brisben Walker wanted to make a palace for the presidents of the United States that would have called the White House of the West. He was able to put in that one marble brick, and the rest of the project was abandoned. Though it is not as exciting as the ruins, it was still an interesting place to visit.

It was fun to be able to venture off into the mountains of Colorado again, even if it was just in the foothills. I hope it opens the floodgates for me to explore more of these mountains in the future, and not to take so long between visits. I was raised by going into these mountains, and I need to return to those moments of my youth to remember how much is offered by the Rocky Mountains.

Wadi Shab – Tiwi, Oman

The term, wadi, is thrown around a lot in the Middle East, and it does not take long to figure out that it just means canyon. There are thousands of wadis all over the Middle East, and if you find the better ones, you will discover an amazing hike that will take you to some really cool places. One of the better ones, called Wadi Shab, is located outside of the small town of Tiwi in Oman.

It is located right off of the highway, and there are plenty of signs that will point you the right direction. The hike is absolutely beautiful, and there are dramatic views of mountains on either side of the path, but this is not the reason to make it out this way.

A river helped to carve out this valley, and as you hike through the canyon, it is always on either side of you. Sometimes it is nothing more than a stream; whereas at other points along the way, you will find that you can jump off cliff faces into deep pools, or just go out wading into the cool water that is so refreshing on a hot, desert day.

At the very end of the canyon, you do have to take off your hiking boots, and dip in the water if you wish to make it the whole way. There is a cave at the end that boasts about an underground waterfall, and this is the final destination of many of the people who make it out this way. It is an amazing sight, but it is also fun to swim in the water, and let the tiny fish pick off the dead skin from your legs. If you do make it out this far, I would recommend that you bring with you some water shoes because there are a lot of rocks that you will walk on, and bring a snack as well because it takes a good hour to make it out to this pond. You will also probably spend an hour or two at the pond itself, so the whole day will take about four hours total.

I also recommend getting there early in the day. It is a couple hours drive from Muscat, but less than an hour from Sur, and it is a great day trip if you find yourself in the later town. You also can’t just start hiking on the trail. You have to take a short, and I do mean short, boat ride from the welcoming center to the start of the hike. It does cost one Omani Rial per person, and they do stop running the boat around five or six at night. That means if you do not make it back in time, you could be stuck in the wadi during the night. Some people do come out to camp here, but you would want to plan for that and not be surprised about that choice when you find yourself on the wrong side of the river at the wrong time.

It is a great place out of many to visit while in Oman, and should be added to everybody’s itinerary. It is a great way to spend a day out in the desert, and the sights and adventures had along the way will not be quickly forgotten.

My First Attempt – Siam Summer

A view of the big Buddha from the distance. He is looking out to the east in this picture.

There is a big hill right out of our hotel room, and sitting on top of that hill is a really big Buddha. It has been my intention to climb up that mountain and visit this site, and I got up early this morning to make the attempt before it got to hot and humid outside.

The view from the top of the hill that took us out of the neighborhood that we had to walk up to get to the trailhead to the top of the mountain

It does require a little bit of effort to make it up that hill even though at first it does not seem like it would be that difficult, but things started to get steep within the first kilometer.

The path was still paved here, but it was only a short time later where it turned into a muddy dirt path.

As soon as we made it out of the housing district and left behind all forms of civilization, the road got even more steep and started to fall apart. The recent rains had turned the path into a slippery mud which made the trek even more dangerous.

I actually caught a picture of one of the many bugs that swarmed around us on the hike. It is in the upper left corner of the picture.

We made it about a mile away from the Buddha before things got a little too difficult and we had to turn around and head back down the hill. If we had plugged on, could we have made it to the top? Yes, it was difficult, but it was not impossible. What would have been the consequences if we had done that? Well, one of us has issues with their ankle and having to hike up the hill using mainly our toes due to the steepness was not doing them any good. If we had continued, there was a good possibility that it was have strained the ankles and caused one of us to spend the rest of our vacation on a couch with our foot up in the air. So is there any shame that we turned back, and chalked it up to one of our failed attempts? Not at all. We learned a lot from the experience, and were still able to see some pretty spectacular views from the height that we had made it to. Too often, people push themselves into something that they should not, and it causes them harm, preventing them from enjoying other experiences in life. There are some that even push so hard that it causes injury and death to those around them. Sometimes it is just better to recognize our limitations and live within them.

A discarded teak wood spirit house left on the side of the road right before the turn off to the mud path up to the big Buddha

It does not mean that you can’t go back again on another day to make the attempt again. This is probably what I will end up doing tomorrow. I really want to see the Buddha on top of that hill, and I know I can make it. But I want to make sure that I am not putting anybody else at risk or leaving them some place where they would be uncomfortable until my return.

Apparently, this is the place where all old spirit house are sent for them to die

So tomorrow, I will get up to try attempt number two, and hopefully I can bring you some amazing picture from the view from the top. Please tune into tomorrow to see if my attempt this time around is successful.