Lavender Trails in Provence

 Russell and I were in Provence, in the French Riviera and one of items on our to-do list was to visit the lavender fields that the region was so famous for. Luckily for us we visited when the lavender fields were in full bloom. We rented a stick-shift car from the rental agency by the train station in Nice and got a map from the Nice tourist agency which was next door and decided to visit the lavender fields in the Valensole plateau via the Gorges du Verdon which was about a few hours drive from Nice.

Gorges du Verdon is considered to be one of most beautiful canyons in Europe. It was formed by the Verdon River, which is named after its startling turquoise-green color, one of the canyon's most distinguishing characteristics. After a few detours and stops for directions we were well on our way and made it out of Nice and into the foothills of the French Alps following the Route Napoleon. We stopped for a late brunch at one of the little mountain side cafes and had the best fluffiest omelet in the world. After our lovely little meal we then arrived at Castellane. Tucked down in the throat of the steep Grand Canyon du Verdon, the town is invisible from a distance as you approach, except for a tall rock jutting straight up out of the valley, with a stone chapel perched on top. 

 The view of the Verdon river was absolutely beautiful, the banks were lush and the water was a beautiful turquoise. Stone bridges spanned the river in Castellane adding to it's beauty. From here our next destination was Lac de Sainte-Croix in the heart of the Gorges. As we made our way we lowered the windows in the car and we could immediately smell the fragrance of wild lavender in the mountains, the smell was intoxicating and ethereal.




 As we wound our way up and through the Alps each turn was even more gorgeous and breath taking. We finally got a view of the beautiful lake. The lake was surrounded by mountains and the water itself was a beautiful turquoise reflecting the mountains and the blue sky in it. We were excited to make our way there, and couldn't believe how much more beautiful it was when we finally got to it. The water was warm, still, calm and clear and the whole experience was one of a kind. After a few hours we decided to make our way to our final destination, the lavender fields. On our way to the Valensole plateau we crossed over the gorges and saw people swimming, boating and cliff diving into the river.

We could finally see the plateau in the distance and you could see fields of purple from miles away. The smell of lavender was even stronger as we got closer. We just pulled off on the side of the road and walked into a lavender fields with rows and rows of lavender in bloom. The whole sensory experience was quite overwhelming. Russell and I were able to experience a whole region of the plateau in bloom, beautiful to look at, beautiful to smell and were amazed again at how beautiful God's creation is and how blessed we are to experience it.

Close encounters with Cenotes - Mexico

If you’re ever in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico you will see signs for cenotes or sinkholes as you drive along the highway from Cancun to Tulum. For tourists the most famous of these cenotes is the one at Chichen Itza. The one here is colossal, like a giant well and several feet deep before you can even see the water. Even standing next to it makes one nervous just because of its massive size, and the idea of accidentally falling into one of these can make you shudder. This particular cenote was a cenote where the Maya made sacrificial offerings to their Gods, the victims were thrown head first into the cenote, hitting the water below with immense force, and the belief of the time was that those sacrificed were not believed to die, but live on with the gods forever. Standing by the edge I could imagine the poor helpless souls being thrown in and never making it out. The cenote was scary – just based on its natural features and the history associated with it.

Standing by the Grand Cenote in Chichen  Itza

I had decided to get scuba certified while in Mexico and signed up with a local dive shop near the Tulum area. I showed up at my first class and was wondering where the swimming pool was when my instructor took me across the street and there we were by a cenote!! This was where I was going to learn to dive!!! Fear raced over my whole body, it wasn’t as colossal or daunting as the cenote as Chichen Itza, it was a lot smaller and had about twelve to fifteen feet of water but it was scary never the less. I had thought it was going to be a swimming pool that I could walk into but it was a huge well that I had to jump into with my scuba gear and tank strapped on. I stood on the edge, it was only about a four foot jump into the cenote and there was one place where the rock was flat so that you could stand and dive into the water. I hesitated and hesitated and hesitated and hesitated…the dive instructor was trying to coax me to jump in but I still continued to hesitate. I finally jumped into the cenote, and started panicking once I hit the cold water. Yes the water was cold, in most cases cenotes are surface connections to subterranean water bodies and the temperature rarely varies and stay around 25 degrees (77F). I did have a wet suit on but the water was still cold and it took a few minutes for me to get used to it and to start breathing normally. 

The water however was crystal clear and still as there were no water currents or wind to stir the water. It was like being in a cold, deep, beautiful, day lit, swimming pool. I finished my water skills lessons but the whole experience was quite scary for me as my mask had a constant leak and I had to empty the water from the mask repeatedly when it got to my eyes. I was in a continued state of panic for the entire time in the cenote, we swam around the bottom of the cenote and around the main area and when we finally ascended I thought we were done. I had survived!! Woo hoo!! I had jumped into a cenote, descended to its very floor and then had emerged triumphant!! You will realize why I was euphoric, I am a poor swimmer and hence have a fear of deep water and to do something like this felt like such a great accomplishment. 

When we got out I took my tank off and walked to the shade and my legs were shaking and so was my entire body, I think during the entire experience I had been in a constant state of fright. My instructor said take a break, then we’ll strap our gear on and go for our first checkout dive in the cenote. I thought what!! NO!! I am not going to do this all over again…my mind and my body said NO, they couldn’t take any more of the adrenaline that was pumping through my system and after a while I said, NO, I did not want to learn to scuba dive anymore and dropped out of the class. But in retrospect I wonder if I had tried to learn in a swimming pool how different the outcome would have been, but how many people would have had their first scuba lesson in a cenote!

The water is crystal clear

Bits of the cenote are lit so you know where you're going

You would think that my experiences with cenotes would keep me away from them, but No! Ha ha! This time I decided to go snorkeling in an underground cenote. Looking back I wonder if I was/am crazy. But I am so glad I did, this was a completely different experience. To get to the cenote you took these stairs through a hole in the limestone and at the bottom of these grand stairs you entered this absolutely huge cavern. The difference with this cenote was that you could gradually walk into the water and acclimatize yourself to the cold water and the darkness. The cave was lit with lights that provided the needed illumination and didn’t overwhelm you with unnatural brightness. To snorkel in this cave you had to go with a guide so that you didn’t accidentally get lost in the vast underground cave system. There were only three people on this trip including me and as I was on my own I tried to stay as close to the guide as possible.

This is actually underwater. Stalactites and Stalagmites in the cenote

The water was still, absolutely clear and you see every crack and crevice in the rocks below, it was simply stunning and it actually felt like you were floating in outer space as the water was so clear and calm. It was ethereal! In places the water was almost to the roof of the cavern and you couldn’t raise your head but there was room for the snorkel and room enough to breathe comfortably. Once we were in the narrower caverns where the water ran through you could see that there were guide ropes to follow in case you got separated from the guide or your group. This experience was truly worth it, it was so different from snorkeling in the ocean and I was glad I did it as at the end when I left Mexico I left with a pleasant memory of a cenote.

More rock formations underwater

Stairway to Angel's landing, Zion National Park

Zion National Park is like everything you imagined a place named Zion would be - majestic, empowering, peaceful, grand and in vivid Technicolor. From the moment you enter the park you are filled with amazement looking at the rugged grandeur all around you. Zion Canyon is unlike the Grand Canyon, even though both have been carved by rivers, in Zion the geology consists of Navajo Sandstone and the red hues and stark landscape are unlike anything you see at the Grand Canyon. I had been to Zion and had tried to ascend the peak known as Angel’s landing more than once. It was only on my third try that I was successful. The trail to Angel’s landing is quite strenuous but doable by a healthy person except for the last half mile which is treacherous and littered with sharp drop offs and narrow paths. For part of this half mile climb to the summit there are chains attached to grip to as you climb the steep & narrow terrain. Most guide books and even the National Park Service says to avoid this trail if you have a fear of heights.

On top of Angel's Landing

At the end of Walter's Wiggles

The first part of the hike to Angel’s landing is pretty easy, the trail gradually gains elevation until you reach the area known as Walter’s Wiggles which is a series of 21 steep switch backs which were designed and laid at the turn of the 19^th century by Zion’s first park director. Once you complete the switchbacks you reach the area known as Scout Lookout, this is last stop before you make the last and final push to the summit of Angel’s landing. Most people turn around at this point as the remainder of the climb is quite scary and the idea of just hanging onto  chains to keep you from plummeting over a thousand feet put leads in most people’s feet. The first time I went to Zion, I was one of those lead footed people who turned back at Scout Lookout, the very steepness of the summit and the difficulty of the terrain added by the fact you were holding on the chain with just your bare hands made me turn around and head back the way I came. 

I went back to Zion almost a decade later and was determined to ascend to the peak this time. I made my way through Walter’s Wiggles which was a lot of work especially in the September heat and stood proudly at Scout Lookout looking at the summit of Angel’s landing. Did I mention I was doing this hike completely on my own??!! I started making my way up the chain, the chain was actually quite thick and covered in rust in some places, I held on for dear life and precariously made my way to the next point where there was enough room to take a break. I sat down and looked around and I could see the summit of Angel’s landing about five hundred or so feet above. This next bit was the scariest, it was like a little cliff bridge of sorts with a steep drop off on either sides, and then the remainder of the climb was still scary compared to what I had just completed. I sat there and pondered, yes I pondered, I thought what if I crossed the bridge area but then was too scared to get back, what would I do, since I was on my own there wouldn’t be anyone there to help me to descend or talk me through some of the precarious blind turns around the cliff’s edge if needed. 

I decided the wise thing for me to do at that point was to turn back. So about five hundred or so feet from the summit I turned and made my way back down. I did have to stay close to other people in case I needed any help as the descent down the chains was just as scary or even scarier than the way coming up.On the way down you’re forced to look below and you can see how far you can fall in case you miss your footing or your grip on the chain and so it's even more scarier!! I had failed to ascend Angel’s landing on my second try.

View of the Virgin River

In April of the following year I was determined to try again but this time I had a six-foot tall muscular secret weapon with me and his name was Russell!! We made our way up the trail again, trudged through Walter’s Wiggles, and made it without incident to Scout Lookout. We then slowly started climbing the chains towards the summit. We reached the point where I had turned around the last time I was there and again this time I tried to chicken out and offered to wait which Russell made it across the natural cliff bridge to the summit and back. Russell was very patient and offered to sit there with me while I gained the courage to make it across. I sat there and finally decided that since this was my third time I really had to give it everything I had so I started making it across the bridge one foot at a time and holding on tightly to the chains as I made my way across. We made our way slowly but steadily and with each shaky step we finally reached the top. I just plopped down as my legs felt that they couldn’t move anymore and I was too scared to stand as I was worried that the wind might blow me over. But overall I was elated that I had made it to the top!! Three tries in twelve years and I had finally made it!!

Trail

I kind of crawled and crept across the summit to get a better view of where I had come from. The view was simply beautiful, you could see the valley below and the beautiful mountains all around.

We waited until I recovered enough to brave the journey back down. As before the descent was scarier than the ascent, at some places it was like a scene from the movie Cliffhanger where I was climbing holding on to the chain and Russell then holding the chain with his arms around me in case I lost my foot or hand hold he would be there to catch me. Though we were going very slowly I did feel secure being wrapped in his arms…yes, it does sound a tad romantic but romance was the last thing on my mind at that time. We made it back to Scout Lookout and the one thing that was on my mind as we both lay down on the ground emotionally and physically exhausted from our descent was how wonderful and majestic Zion was and how lucky we were to experience all this majesty in our lives.

View of Angel's Landing

View From Angel's Landing

Hiking The Wave

From the bureau of land management's website "Before highways and railways, before pioneers, even before Columbus.....the land we know as the United States was truly a vast wilderness. To protect these last remaining areas, in 1984 Congress created the Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. Coyote Buttes' outstanding scenery, desert wildlife, colorful history, and opportunities for primitive recreation will remain free from the influence of man and are protected in this condition for future generations. Its 112,500 acres beckon adventurers who yearn for solitude, scenic splendor, and the chance to explore one of the most beautiful geologic formations in the world."

 

I had heard about "The Wave",it's ruggedness, it's isolation and it's beauty on a solo hiking trip to Utah over thanksgiving of 2010. When I came back home I applied for a hiking permit to the wave for April of the following year with the BLM. I had to provide two weekends that I would like the pass for, keep my fingers crossed and hope that I might win one of the passes for two in their lottery drawing. I won the pass on January 1st of 2011 and I thought to myself what a brilliant start to 2011. I had won two of the twenty slots available daily, but most importantly I had won two of the ten that were available online.

Russell and I read extensively about the area as it's quite isolated, unpaved, with no visible pointers or markers even to the road that takes you to the trail head. Hiking in Coyote Buttes where the wave is located meant walking in sand and on sandstone, here the terrain is rarely level and there is no trail.A few weeks before we were to set out we received our permits and a trail map which was a picture map of the different landmarks we needed to use to find our way to the wave. This map contained pictures of the mesas and plateaus and mountains we had to use to find our way to the Wave and back.

Finally the day of our trip arrived, and we drove our SUV over an unpaved, unmarked gulley to our designated trailhead. We were prepared for the desert sun and carried enough water and high energy snacks and set off towards the horizon with the map as our guide. The day started pleasant enough, we hiked through dried washes, and sandstone hills and plateaus. We were prepared for the sun but what we weren't prepared for was the wind and the subsequent sand storms. The geology of "The Wave" is created by wind erosion, and the wind can be quite strong , and when the wind picked up our arms, legs and neck were getting sand blasted by the loose sand. We actually had to sit down cross legged with our heads lowered to protect ourselves from the sand until the wind subsided. We made our way over the terrain and finally made it to a giant sand dune.According to our map once we climbed the sand dune we were at the entry to the wave. The whole scene looked and felt like an Indiana Jones movie, you have expected "Indy" to come rolling down the sand dune at any moment.
 

The ascent up the sand dune was fun as the sand was soft and it was a fun climb. We finally entered the area of "The Wave". It was actually quite small but immensely beautiful. The beautiful red hues...it's various undulating wave like forms..I can't do it enough justice with words. It was absolutely breathtaking, stark and beautiful at the same time, and to top it all Russell and I were the only people there. We explored the area, sat in secluded corners and listed to nothing but the wind..it was so peaceful. It was finally time to head back as we wanted to return to the trail head before sunset. The desert sun was hot, we got turned around a couple of times but Popeye (Russell ate a lot of spinach as a child hence his muscles ;-) ) somehow found the way back to the SUV with Olive Oyl in tow!

Swimming in bio-luminescent Mosquito Bay

A visit to Peurto Rico isn't complete without a visit to one of it's many bio-luminescent bays. The one we chose to visit was in the island of Vieques off the Peurto Rican mainland. Mosquito Bay in Vieques is considered the best example of a bioluminescent bay in the United States and is listed as a national natural landmark.We got to Vieques by taking one of the daily ferries from the mainland.

Swimming in Mosquito Bay

The biobay tour company that we shortlisted was one that allowed you to swim in the bay as the others allow you to kayak only in it.I've heard that since our trip,you can't swim in the bay anymore.We met outside the tour company's office at dark and then were taken down to the shore of the bay in a beat up van with kayaks piled on top of it and tied to it.

It was a bumpy ride in the van and at several points we thought the kayaks would fly off the top off the van but we managed to make it one piece to the bay. We wore our life-vests, grabbed our oars and Russell and I got into our kayak and started off to the middle of the bay. As we got deeper in the water and away from the ambient light on the shore you could see that once the water was disturbed with our oars we left a shiny luminescent trail behind, like blue glowing diamonds in the water. This was the bio-luminescence. The luminescence in the bay is caused by a micro-organism, the dinoflagellate which glows whenever the water is disturbed, leaving a trail of neon blue.It was absolutely beautiful. The Spanish believed that the bioluminescence they encountered there while first exploring the area, was the work of the devil ('El Diablo') and tried to block ocean water from entering the bay by dropping huge boulders in the channel. The Spanish only succeeded in preserving and increasing the luminescence in the now isolated bay.

Once we got to the middle of the bay we got out of the kayak and swam in the water, the bay was shallow and the water was warm. But as the water ran over our arms and bodies it looked like we were covered in shiny blue diamonds. It was simply ethereal and it felt like we were on the sets of Avatar! We splashed each other and it looked like we were throwing blue weightless shiny diamonds at one another. It seemed like Aladdin would show up any moment in his flying carpet and join us in our diamond pool!! It was a truly magical night.

After about fifteen minutes or so we reluctantly got back into our kayaks and paddled ashore. What an amazing experience...a once in a lifetime magical trip!

More bio-luminescence at BioBay

Escaping From the Android

Every day we're tied to our devices which in my case are a Google Android phone, a Kindle and several laptops. There is so much chatter in this new social networking era and you find yourself inexplicably drawn into it with every waking moment. I somehow believe that I can't survive without my smart phone and feel completely lost without it - until I reach that part of the universe where my cell phone just can't get a signal and I'm completely cut off from the world.

Then you realize what life once was and what you're missing. No chatter, just you and your thoughts and Absolute bliss!! These are the best trips where you really feel like you've escaped and nothing connects you back to reality. Yes, I need more of these trips..a real break..no devices to tether me back...a true escape from my android.

Why do I do it?

Why do I do it? It's a very good question. I often ask myself..am I crazy? What pushes me to jump off the edge of a cliff with a rope tied to my waist? What makes me go swim in the ocean in the dark looking for bio-luminescence? What makes me decide to scuba dive when I can barely keep myself afloat? As I am writing this I realize that I don't know the answer, I just love doing it. I think I may be a closet adrenaline junkie not like the crazy ones out there who base jump but the kind that hang glides and descends mountain cliffs with ropes. My life I have realized is a journey...a single one...and I have feel that I owe it to myself to make it as momentous as possible!

Canyoneering in Egypt Trail 2 in Escalante, UT

On a recent business trip to Las Vegas we decided to escape from the mundane humdrum of our wired lives with a side trip to Escalante, UT. I had read on a few blogs about the beauty and ruggedness of this region and decided along with Russell that we needed to explore this area. We chose a local Escalante based canyoneering company called Excursions of Escalante to take us through one of the slot canyons the area was so famous for. We wore clothes that covered our arms and long trousers that would withstand scraping and crawling around narrow canyons. After a rugged and brutal drive in our SUV along the hole-in-the-rock-road and passing several free range cattle in the area we reached our designated trailhead The Egypt trailhead. We were going to explore and canyon through Egypt Canyon 2. Our even keeled guide Jim walked us through the safety basics and we got into our gear which consisted of a helmet, a climbing harness and a pair of leather gloves. As we walked down to the area where the canyon was located, the sheer magnitude of the area gave both Russell and me cold feet and very heavy legs. Battling and trying to overcome our combined insecurities we walked over to where we were going to descend into our canyon.

I was the first one over the edge, I don't know how I picked the short straw but maybe because I had done this before and was still the scaredy-cat between the both of us. My feet trembled, my heart raced, I forgot to breathe and my feet stuck to where I was and I refused to believe the rope and harness would keep me from tumbling head first into the canyon seventy feet below. The still, smooth voice of Jim our guide kept trying to tell me everything was OK but I refused to believe! Then after what seemed like an eternity I gingerly moved one foot a few inches and then the other a few inches and started making my way down. Well, what do you know! The harness and rope were holding me up and I was in control of my descent. After some cold and sweaty moments I made my way to the floor of the canyon, in one piece and without any scrapes or bruises. I took my rope off and said "Off rope" to Jim so he could haul the rope back up and Russell could now make his way down. I stood with adrenaline racing but with a sense of pride and accomplishment as I watched Russell make it over the edge.

Russell was cool, calm and composed or so I thought until he reached the bottom of the canyon and he said that his heart was racing and he had felt fear as well as he stepped off the edge. I was glad to hear that I wasn't the only one :-). Next it was Jim our guide who was descending, we watched in amazement as he descended. He was as dextrous as a mountain goat on an afternoon stroll.

We started making our way through the canyon and we came to our first slot which looked like a narrow impassable descent. Jim made his way thought it like a bendy noodle and then said it was our turn. I didn't think I would fit in it considering my Indian endowments to certain parts of my body and felt that I would get wedged in there. But just listening to Jim on how to let myself through the slot and control my descent helped me get down through a narrow slit in the rock. I was amazed. I felt like I was some sort of a parkour traceuse. I thought, "Well Russell is bigger than me, he's definitely going to get stuck" but he too just slid right through.

The canyon was beautiful, the colors were vivid and with the sun and the clouds in the sky every portion of the canyon displayed different hues. We climbed, slid, crawled and side stepped our way through the bottom of the canyon all the while exhilarated by each new challenge around every turn. Along the way Jim taught us different canyoneering techniques one of which was the body bridge. This is where you have your arms on one wall and your feet on the other wall and you're facing down and you use your arms and legs to move across the canyon floor laterally.

We reached the part of the canyon which was flooded with about knee deep water and at this point there was no way around it but to get wet. The water was cool and refreshing on our legs but the downside was that now we had wet shoes and socks and my water proof boots were flooded. We had to stop at one point and empty the water from my shoes as it felt like I was walking in and with a bucket of water with each step. We reached another part of the canyon where there was water again and our guide said we could try our body bridging technique here and made his way across the water using a body bridge. I stood there after him and tried to extend myself across the canyon, I didn't think my skinny arms were up to the task and had a vision of myself face planting in the water. I decided I was just going to get wet again as it would protect my face and walked through the water. Big, strong Russell behind me had no such trepidations and body bridged his way over the water with ease. I must remember to eat more spinach, he certainly looks like he ate a lot of it as a child.

What a day, we loved the entire experience, the canyons got narrower in places, wider in others but all in all it was a day of fun and a break from the known into the unknown. We exited the canyon as happy scratch-free people. We would both do this again...definitely!