voyages

Princesse de l'Orénoque

nobody@vox.com(EntreCielesMers) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:29:12 -0800

Quels sont tes rêves princesse de l'Orénoque ?
Nous ne le sauront sans doute jamais ...
Son regard plongé dans le lointain m'a capté ...elle était là au milieu d'autres enfants et de mères regroupés sur une pirogue avant que de rejoindre leur communauté ....aux abords du fleuve Orénoque.
What are your dreams Princess of the Orinoco? We will probably never know ....
Her gaze lost caught me ...she was there in the middle of others children and their mothers joined on a pirogue before to return to their community .... around the Orinoco River."

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La plage des sept commandos

nobody@vox.com(Sergio) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:16:54 -0800

Ainsi nommée pour fait de guerre cette plage proche d'El Nido est désormais très reposante et respire une atmosphère de paix en pleine nature vierge. Cette plage est large banc de sable flanqué contre des falaises abruptes et infranchissable qui la protège d'un présence humaine excessive.

PC105173

PC105175

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Climbing & Culture in Alaska: The Final Days

nobody@vox.com(Haliku) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:55:44 -0800

Day 12 Tuesday May 26^th: We woke up early to strike camp. We were tired after our sojourn to the top of North America but there was a calm energy amongst the group. We knew that the summit was only half the trip. Until we were safe in Talkeetna we could not afford to let our guard down. After a hasty dehydrated meal for breakfast we packed up camp. This took considerable time since there was plenty to pack, we were tired and still at 17,200 feet. We had packed for five days at high camp and only ended up spending two. The NPS rangers were very happy to take our food which lightened our load. Without Colin we all packed a little extra. Carrying a full pack at 17k is as tiring as it sounds.

Our goal for the day was either the 9800 or 7800 camp. With the weather forecast to change the next day and how tired we were getting to either camp was a reach. Many of the groups were already heading down by the time we left high camp. We had no problems until the end of the ridge where climbers were waiting their turn for the fixed ropes.

High Camp

Real estate with a view

Leaving HC

Gabe, Dan and Haliku ready to go

Ridge Down

The hardest section of the whole route

Going down a 55 degree slope with a loaded pack at 16k is just not fun. It required a lot of patience with the number of climbers slowly descending. Many were also going up to high camp. I did not envy them. Once off the ropes we were enveloped in clouds rising from below. The visibility and temperatures both dropped as did a light snow for the remainder of our route to 14 camp.

We cached a lot of food and gear before we went higher. Now everything needed to go with us—food, gear, garbage, etc.—that came up with six climbers on two separate trips. With the forecasted lousy weather it was easy to quickly give away 40 pounds of food. One might get the impression we brought too much along but keep in mind it was our 12^th day of what we planned to be a 21 day trip (plus four days of emergency food). Subtract Colin’s appetite from the equation and we had a lot of extra calories. Many of the climbers who took food had carried to high camp the day before and cached a lot of their own. When on Denali extra food means your trip doesn’t have to end early due to hunger. If you wanted to travel light and weren’t a picky eaters you could factor in the food give-aways at 14 camp as part of the meal plan. It is a common sight to see a climber pulling a sled around camp loaded with food in an attempt to lighten their load. I would not recommend this approach.

After a few hours of packing we left 14 camp one last time with loaded packs, two full sleds and a stuffed drag bag. Thankfully Windy Corner did not live up to its name this time so we quickly traveled on to 11 camp. The crevasses, more pronounced now that when we came this way a week earlier, caused us no problems.

Once at 11 camp it was obvious we were not going any lower today as we were all very tired. With well practiced precision we quickly set up camp while Gabe got food and water ready. Another cache was dug up and its contents were added to the pile. At least we each had a sled to repack the mountain of stuff.

Day 13 Wednesday May 27^th: The alarm went off early and as is often a habit in such environments I hit the snooze to avoid starting the day for a few more minutes. Thirty minutes later the other alarm sounded. As the motivation to start the day built I realized it was snowing. Not fluffy Christmas card picture type of snow but a heavy snow, wind driven. I stuck my head out the back vestibule; it was the snowstorm the weather folks had predicted. To make matters worse the visibility was very limited, at best 20 feet.

Motivation was even harder now that we had weather to deal with if we wanted to get to basecamp any time soon. 11 camp can get up to eight feet of snow so we did not want to spend the next several days here if we could help it. The team worked quickly to strike camp and load sleds and packs for the journey. A few time people asked if they could follow us down. One guy asked if he could tie in with our rope. Since he was a guide (for one of the authorized services) he was more familiar with the route than any of us so we took him on.

11 Camp

Packing up for one last drag from 11 Camp

I had recorded GPS waypoints and the route we took on the way up the mountain. So with the GPS, and map and compass as a backup, we headed out of camp in 10-20 foot visibility. The going was rough as visibility frequently decreased to arms length. The suggestions I had read about wanding the route on the lower mountain came to my mind. We had not followed this approach as there were many wands from numerous groups already in place. At least they seemed numerous on the way up. By trusting the GPS and not second guessing it we slowly made it from one landmark to the next and soon were headed down Ski Hill. The winds increased and the visibility dropped as we went lower. At one point I could not see at all as my glasses became snow packed. Our tag along guide offered to take the sharp end and we deftly passed the crevasse area and were at the larger and climber packed 7800 camp.

With no desire to set up camp other than at the airfield we pushed on. Now the relatively flat glacier was throwing more challenges at us with crevasses and flat light. The poor visibility continued. So poor as to confuse a Korean team we ran into who were actually going back up the glacier towards 7800 camp! That wasn’t the way they wanted to go either. When they heard we had GPS they fell in line behind us. As we worked our way down the glacier other groups joined in. Once at the base of Heartbreak Hill we had over twenty climbers with us.

Conga Line

Some of our followers before Heartbreak Hill who lacked a GPS unit

The hill is well named. At this point we had been moving, almost non stop, for eight hours with heavy packs and sleds and we were very tired. The hill sucked our remaining energy as we slowly plodded up towards camp. I don’t know what the others did to push on but I found myself counting…one-two, one-two, one-two…repetitively as I moved my feet. It was a long slow push at the end of a slog.

While Kiefer checked in for our flight, we were 25^th, we quickly set up camp. Our first task was to dig up our last cache and liberate the cases of beer that we buried almost two weeks earlier. That was one of the best beers I had ever drunk. It was certainly well earned as was the sleep.

Beer

Dan, Gabe and Craig with a well deserved beer

Day 14 Thursday May 28^th: We woke to falling snow and a very low cloud ceiling which guaranteed no planes would be flying, possibly for several days. Since we were several loads down the list there was no worry about needing to pack in a hurry.

Alaskan friend of ours, Mark and Thomas, had arrived in the middle of the ‘night’ having followed the now zig-zag wand route down the glacier from 7800 camp. They set up their tepee kitchen tent next door and we moved in for the day bringing a couple of stoves, plenty of food and any alcohol we had left. A couple of Colorado climbers, Cindy and Val, joined us bringing homemade pancakes to go with the bacon we fried up from our cache. With 10-12 climbers packed inside the stories and cooking continued all day while it continued to snow. The weather report that evening called for up to five more days of similar weather. That was disappointing as we had already finished the beer! It was a great day getting to know our neighbors instead of short conversations about the weather or the route ahead of us. It was also a relief to be safe in camp and have the mountain and its dangers behind us.

Food Day

An all day eating and drinking fest. The tent held 10-12 climbers.

Day 15 Friday May 29^th: Since any sense of urgency was removed by the forecast the night before there was no hurry to wake up and get breakfast. Excited voices, from the teams around us, woke me. I poked my head out the back vestibule to actually see some blue sky! The excitement was a plane on the way and as the vanguard would evaluate the conditions before the other pilots would take to the air. The odds of our return to Talkeetna were increasing with every minute of blue sky. Our placement at 25 meant we could get out on the fourth flight from Talkeetna Air Taxi (TAT). We started to organize and pack—just in case—which was good as we got out on the last two flights. The last two for several more days as the weather moved back at basecamp.

Seeing Blue

Haliku looking for blue sky in the morning

Lines

Departure line for the plane

Before Departure

Dan and Craig behind Gabe, Haliku and Kiefer before returning to Talkeetna

A stop to the ranger station to check out of the park was first on our list. Then beer before well needed showers. Food and drink soon followed!

Results

The stats the day we left the glacier

Feast

Craig has his eye on Kiefer's burger at the West Rib Restaurant

I want to thank the entire team for the work each put into this trip. It was a group effort and that effort was needed to summit and return without any lasting issues. Climb on!

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Mon amie Yano

nobody@vox.com(EntreCielesMers) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:54:51 -0800

Mon amie Yano

Cette enfant a été l'une de mes premières rencontres lors de mon arrivée chez les yanomamis .
Son caractère sauvage et espiègle m'ont conquise ..même lorsqu'un matin elle s'est amusé à me pincer les fesses au travers des mailles de mon hamac alors que j'étais encore dans un sommeil profond.
This child was one of my first contact I get when I arrived at the yanomami.
Her wild and mischievous conquered me ....even when on one morning she had a good time by pinching my buttocks through the meshes of my hammock while I was still in a deep sleep.

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AUTOMNE 2008 - en alsace.....

nobody@vox.com(regardlese) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:44:50 -0800

foret du tanenwald a Mulhouse.....

la foto préférée des internautes...

AUTOMNE 2008 -

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/26928690

http://photos.linternaute.com/auteur/4144601/9611780048/1253720/1093562938/tannenwald/

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/31949889@N02/tags/g10/

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Les prophéties de la Fraudais -1874

nobody@vox.com(regardlese) — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 02:40:55 -0700

Marie-Julie Jahenny- la stygmatisée de Blain en Bretagne-reçut en 1874-des prophéties uniques en leur genre, sur la situation de la France-

http://www.marie-julie-jahenny.fr/

http://www.marie-julie-jahenny.fr/prophetiespourfrance.htm

1)- La France deviendra mahomète ...et c'est en bonne voie.

-http://lesalonbeige.blogs.com/my_weblog/2006/08/islamisation_de.html

-BENOIT XVI, a propos de l'islam et son prorophète = -Vous ne trouverez que des choses mauvaises et inhumaines, comme le droit de défendre par l'épée la foi qu'il prêchait. -

2)- Le temps des crimes est ouvert, beaucoup de mères seront sans cœur pour leurs propres fruits encore innocents ....

avortements....

3)- ELLE A VU DANS SON SOLEIL MYSTIQUE QU’ON VEUT IMPOSER UNE LOI

-SUPPRIMER le DIMANCHE...

-http://www.travail-dimanche.com/

4)- également des épidémies de maladies inconnues dont les ravages seraient affreux-

-sida... -grippe.. etc..

http://www.resiac.com/Resiac/details.do;jsessionid=59B1E909B7EB6DCB179080FF14AAA332?p=5091D007-7F000001-0475CCEF-A2763F6A

Burka = la femme selon l'islam....

Marie-Julie Jahenny

Marie-julie JAHENNY....

Mainbombe

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Get Out and Explore the World!

nobody@vox.com(Haliku) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:46:06 -0800

The title says everything and also very little at the same time. It is a broad statement that people can interpret as they wish. For some, exploration is done in an armchair with a favorite book or TV remote. Others learn about themselves and the world through charity work in their community. A smaller number learn by, as I have long called it, exercising their passport. These examples and every possible adventure in between is still exploration; it is learning and exploring the world that is important. The what or why of one's exploration are just as varied and are often very personal.

I have mentioned previously that my love of exploration is because of my parents. Not only did they subscribe to National Geographic magazine for many years they took my brother and I to museums, local cultural festivals and on trips to other parts of the country. The thrill of seeing a place for first time burns not just the sight but the sounds, the smells and other details of the location into my memory.

Humans have always been explorers. How else did the Vikings find North America in the early 11th century? Or find the excellent moral mushroom patch outside a small park in NW Iowa one early June day? Even our TV fiction frequently portrays explorers. How many of you already know Dora? Or Dr Henry Walton Jones?

I recently was introduced to an online book, Exhilarating Freedom in the Andes, by Chris Goulet. The book is a worthy read in itself as it documents his travels in the Andes by bike.

One chapter is titled The Explorer-Adventurers, his reflections on explorer adventures both old and new. After I read it his thoughts really resonated with me. I would of liked to be the author of such a piece of prose but I am not. Glad I am to have read it and to share it with others. Remember to get out and explore the world, you will be better for it.

The Explorer-Adventurers by Chris Goulet

We have an insatiable thirst to experience the world firsthand.

We derive intense satisfaction in challenging difficult, insecure and uncomfortable environments.

We take the time to observe and absorb, because we are not racing. We are not competing with anyone but ourselves.

Our encounters with vastly different environments, lifestyles, and beliefs profoundly expand our interest and awareness of the world.

Witnessing meager standards of living forever changes our perception of the western preoccupation with striving for material wealth.

When we return home, we feel delighted at regaining the little pleasures that have been denied to us in faraway lands.

We have frequent flashbacks of our expeditions and take pleasure in telling others our experiences.

We become tolerant of petty annoyances or discomforts and become patient in our projects.

But the ceasing of discovery and strong sensations precipitate in us a long emotional slump.

Sensations we once held to be exciting become less so.

Is it worth it? Like they say, "It's better to have loved (traveled) and lost (come home) than never to have loved at all."

Once we have eaten from the tree of knowledge, we cannot go back to ignorance.

While on expeditions, our attention is intensely focused and nothing else matters, but back home it is difficult to concentrate on what we are doing.

Our successes strongly reinforce our self-esteem. We can do anything, but we find we don't really want to do anything but explore.

We dream of more adventures, and when preoccupation turns to obsession, we are bound to realize them.

We are fascinated with the stories of other explorers and we plan our expeditions to avoid their misfortunes.

Are we escaping from something or have we been unfortunate with normal life? The true weight of these factors lies hidden from us.

What do we search for? We don't really know, until we find it.

Ultimately, we explore to find ourselves.

Our passion for adventure continues...

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black + white fever.

nobody@vox.com(susan elsagir) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:20:02 -0800

photos taken from susan elsagir.

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fatih. july 2008.

nobody@vox.com(susan elsagir) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:11:47 -0800

fatih on his bike.

spontaneous visit last year...

what a good looking biker... :-)

photos taken by susan.

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Sweetroad, Iwata Denki, Vintage Revival Productions

nobody@vox.com(Patrick Ng) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:30 -0800

It's time to gear up for lots of store visits, there will be a lot of layout changes, one more new store and multiple phases of Xmas promotion happening from this week onward. My gears will change from office setting (mind.depositor, Moleskine diary, fountain pen, calculator, camera) to field setting (pocket Moleskine, camera).

Gear up with Moleskine

One of the indispensable tool is this "Holder for M" from Vintage Revival Productions. It is an ingenious two piece product made from a combination of leather and denim label material. One piece acts as a holder which allows you to insert your M into your jean's back pocket (8,800 yen), the other is a pen holder (4,500 yen). Both pieces are looped so that you can slide to the front and back cover of you M easily without permanent damage.

Moleskine Holder - on the go

Where did I found this you asked? It was last July when I thought I was having the last meeting of a business trip in Tokyo, Mr. Doi from Sweetroad (a great store to visit mind you) told me about Mr. Iwata and his shop Iwata Denki. I had to rush to that store in Setagaya before it's closed. Full of sweat and unable to communicate in Japanese, I was signing and nodding a lot and had a great "conversation" with Iwata san, a designer himself, who published 2 design books called GOALD (goal of design), and constantly working to create new products. Do visit Iwata san's blog to get a glimpse of his works and product collections from his friends.

Iwata Denki shop - Iwata san holding his leather M skins

Iwata Denki shop - Iwata san's leather goods

Iwata san made some very nice leather Moleskine covers. They are like stickers, only in leather, which are removable and probably can last several uses when you change your Moleskine. I was about to buy the brown snake skin embossed or the wood imitation cover but too bad they were out of stock. He also made those cute little leather photo clips which look like smileys, they are put into recycle film cans and sold in stores like Tokyu Hands and Loft.

Iwata Denki shop - Vintage Revival Productions' Holder for M

Iwata san was very keen to show me his collection of great products in the shop, wooden iphone case, his leather credit card holder, coin pouch etc. "Holder for M" was the one thing I got from his shop, then I was out of cash in Tokyo :)

So if you are going to Tokyo, I suggest you to dig up these interesting small shops to go, it is far more rewarding as a journey. As for myself, the connection and sense of discovery always give me the thrill.

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