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The weekend after the Zion's Canyon hike, it was unofficial gay day at Lagoon promoted by Q Salt Lake. The theme was to wear red shirts so everyone would know who the homos were. It was funny to see the straight guys that unwittingly wore red shirts too.
Chad Hall on the stairs to Colossus.
The day started at noon with us storing our coolers of food and libation in the reserved pavilion. Next came the rides. We knocked out most of the big ones early. The Bat, Colossus, Rocket (twice), Spider, and Wicked. We ate lunch and did a few more of the requisites like the Tidal Wave.
Chad and Brandon riding the gondola.
We stopped by the photo shoot scheduled for 6pm but there were only a handful of people there and we decided we didn't want to be in such a small picture so we played video games for a few minutes. Back to the pavilion to gather things and we set off for the patio at Try-Angles for one of the last beers-on-the-patio-Sunday of the summer.
Brandon, Chad H, Craig, Me, Pants, and JML123.
On Friday, I picked up John, Nicki, and Brit from John's house and we headed to St. George. We met up with Weston and Dave who went down the night before to get permits for hiking the Subway in Zion's Canyon. Unfortunately, permits for the Subway were already gone; seems people started lining up outside the permit office at 3:00am the night before. Weston and Dave arrived at 5:30 and had already missed out.
They decided to get us a permit for the Orderville slot canyon instead, also called the Waterpark. It is a 12 mile hike with a dry first half and wet second part. We made our way to the family condo, had a beer, and all went to bed. Before bed, Weston pulled out six cammo shirts that he and a friend had customized with iron-on decals on the back. Mine was Frostman. John, Nicki, Brit, and I decided to take liberties with ours and removed the sleeves for a more fashionable look.
Up at 5:30 to get a start on the day. We stopped at Smith's for sandwiches to take with us on the hike. Since 1/2 of the hike is wet, we had plenty of sealable baggies with us.
To get to the starting point of the hike, we drove through the tunnel, out the other side of Zion's and into East Zion's. Up a dirt road to a service road and we found the entrance. It took us until 9:00am to arrive.
About two miles of the hike is just getting to the slot canyon along a dirt road. Finally we entered the slots and had a great time just walking along and talking to each other.
Me in the dry part.
Eventually we came to the first obstacle which was about a 20 foot drop into a pool of stagnant water. This signaled the beginning of the water features. There were anchors in the side of the mountain to be used for rappelling down the drop. Weston and Dave brought along two moutaineering harnesses which the girls used to get down. The guys all just used their hands to lower themselves.
Me rappelling down the first obstacle.
This is where the funnest part of the hike began. From here on out, we were walking through water. From somewhere unseen, water just appeared and there was a stream. At first it was never more than just a few inches but as we proceeded, there would be deeper and deeper spots. We were splashing, jumping, playing in the water. It was cool and very refreshing.
Some chest deep water.
Eventually we got to places where the water was up to our chests after a descent. Then over our heads. Finally there were some spots where we had to swim after descending in order to touch ground again. It was amazingly fun. Honestly I was pretty nervous after the first descent because I'd never done anything like that before, but my confidence began to grow after that.
Last obstacle.
Getting close to the seeing people.
Finally after about 7 hours, we came across so other people hiking. They had hiked up from the upper visitor's center as far as it was allowed to go upstream. There were still about 3 miles left to go back to catch the shuttle. But at least we were seeing people again and we knew we had made it out alive.
The last three miles seemed to last for a week. It was by far the hardest part of the hike. There were buried, slippery rocks all over the place which made walking very difficult. And at this point, there were more and more people so we had to skirt past them.
Seeing the visitor's center was the most beautiful site. We caught the shuttle back to the beginning of the park so I could drive Weston back to get his car. It took almost 2 hours round trip to get back and pick everyone else up. We decided on our way back to St. George that we were just going to into a restaurant without showering because we were so tired and hungry. It was 10pm before we sat down to eat. Midnight by the time we got home. Everyone was in bed within 1/2 hour.
The whole gang at the end.
The next morning, Weston and Dave decided to just head back to Salt Lake as well. The day before they were convinced they would be able to do the hike up Angel's Landing after doing Orderville canyon. However Sunday morning, they were as sore as everyone else. It was sort of validating to know we accomplished something that made even experienced hikers worn out and sore the next day.
While my pictures didn't turn out so hot, here's a link to some professional ones:
http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/albums/index71.htm
Last weekend, a bunch of us left Friday night and headed for the cabin. A group of friends has gone to the Oneida Narrows to float the Bear River for several years and last year we all figured out that their camp is only about 20 minutes away from my family's cabin in Ovid, Idaho. So for the second year, we joined up with them to float the river.
John and Greg drove to Preston before Craig and me, and made their way to the local watering hole for some pool. Upon walking in, the missing-most-of-his-teeth local asked them if they were married and/or from San Francisco, which I found hilarious.
We finally met up, grabbed some food at the local salmonella station, and headed for the cabin. Arriving late, we quickly got ourselves situated and poured some drinks. Next thing we knew, it was 3am. Bed time.
Next morning we drove and met up with Shane and Tut's camp at the top of the dam. I felt quite lucky to have the cabin where we could retreat after the rafting and get a nice hot shower. I'm not above pitching a tent but if you don't have to....
We launched around noon after dropping off a few cars at the bottom. Since it took some time for the return trip of the vehicles, we decided to begin our hops and barley tasting. By the time they were back, most of us were half in the bag. And of course we took plenty of them with us.
The river.
The group.
Craig, Greg, and John.
The trip was a blast. It took about 5 hours to float the entire river and just as we were picked up, it started to storm pretty hard. We made it back to the cabin in one piece, ate dinner, and were all in bed by 9:30pm. It was a long day.
After 36 hours of traveling, I have made it home. The flight out of Johannesburg was delayed by several hours, causing me to miss my connection in Atlanta. I actually saw the jetway pulling away from the airplane and missed it by 30 seconds.
I will be posting pictures hopefully within the next week or so.
I am now at the airport in Port Elizabeth. We woke up at 11pm Wednesday, Salt Lake time (it was 7am Thursday for us) and I will arrive back into SLC at 1pm Friday (SLC time).
Yesterday we slowly got moving, one of the first days that Forbes wasn't up out of the gates, pacing the room planning the day's events and shaving. I told him if he keeps shaving like that he won't have any skin left. It's a subconscious habit that helps him think and is part of his routine. So of course Johann and I both teased him whenever possible. Or as they say here and the UK, "taking the piss out of him".
We went to a mall in the old town of PE though in a better part than the CBD. Brekky and coffee followed by an hour on our own shopping. I have been diligently searching for that one pair of shoes that I simply cannot live without but disappointingly, none of them made my wallet quiver in anticipation of making such a necessary purchase.
After arriving back at the hotel I went with Forbes to the market on the beach that he went to yesterday where I purchased a few more wooden animals. I started calling Forbes "Noah" because of the amount of animals he has purchased; the only thing missing is the ark.
Back to the hotel for kitty naps. Speaking of which the hotel has two cats that hang out in the lobby so they know if I'm missing to look for me there. One is white and the other a replica of the old Morris cat from tv.
Stretching and yawning, we walked down to the beach since I realized I had never touched (or seen) the Indian Ocean before. The water was cold though not totally unreasonable for swimming. A family in fact was all running in and out of the water playing around. As with most places outside the US all the males in the family wore speedos.
Me standing by the Indian Ocean.
We strolled along the beach to Barneys, a local seaside pub with awesome views. We sat on the patio with a beer in hand to watch the sunset, to be my last in South Africa for this trip. We meandered along the beach back to the hotel. The rest of the evening consisted of ordering pizza, draining the remainer of beer still in the fridge, a bit of the Tour de France on the tube, and bed.
The view from Barney's patio.
Forbes on the patio of Barneys.
This morning we got up before the alarm. I didn't sleep too well thinking about getting things together and what I have to do when I get home. The car was loaded, we checked out and got to the airport with plenty of time for breakfast. I browsed the shops for a few more trinkets and met the other two at their gate. My backpack is getting very heavy now with one bottle of wine and one of olives that I've been carting around since Stellenbosch. And the paintings I bought in Cape Town are slightly cumbersome but will hopefully fit in the overhead compartment.
I just said goodbye to Forbes and Johann since they are continuing on to Durban where they will stay for four nights. Forbes then goes back home for one night, on to Germany the next day for a few weeks to be with his partner Jan, then back to London for a few nights and on to Marakesh with Jan. Finally he and his friend Ben whom I've met are going to Scardinia until a few days before their school term begins. Johann will fly back to Bloemfontein to be with his mother for a few weeks and then to Dubai, followed by Italy. One of the benefits of living in Europe is that you can be in one of many countries in an hour by plane. Right now there are so many discount European airlines competing for business, you can get a flight to most places for under $100. I even saw one promotion that said certain flights out of London we starting at £.50 which is about on dollar. You still have to pay airport taxes which are $40, give or take, but still a great deal. A benefit of living in the UK specifically is the pound is the strongest currency in the world right now so things are much cheaper for them, even in other parts of western Europe because they are all on the Euro currency.
There are many Americans waiting for the flight to Joberg. Up til now, I've only seen (or heard rather) a small number of Americans in the county which is a nice change. Most of the other tourists we come across have been either British or German. I suspect the rest of them will be on my flight to Atlanta.
This will probably be my last post for this trip unless something happens between now and when I arrive home. My plan is to update the blog when I get home with pictures that correspond to the events. All of the posts from this trip have been done by sending an email from my Blackberry device. It's very convenient, the only problem is once it's sent, it's sent so if I find a misspelling, the only way to fix it is to login to the website and do it. Since we've not been to any internet cafes, there hasn't been a chance. This has been the longest I've been without a laptop in probably 10 or 12 years.
Tah for now.
We made it to Port Elizabeth after a four hour drive. On the way we passed Tsitsikamma gorge, a striking ravine that is spanned by a very long bridge. The white mountain rocks poke out from the sheer cliffs every so often and everything else is covered in a green carpet of grass.
We made it to PE (as the locals call it) and began the process of searching for a place to stay for the last two nights. We have been very lucky in the past as we found great accomodation easily and usually for a great price. This being winter in South Africa doesn't attract a huge tourist base. I can't imagine being here in the summer time though since it gets unbearably hot and humid. With only one day's exception, we've had excellent weather. It can get cold once the sun sets though.
We began the process of looking for a hotel and started inquiring along the beachfront avenue. The first three places we tried we sold out because there is a big rugby match tomorrow. We found a few places that had space but most were dodgy. Finally we found a nice place on the oceanfront with a two bedroom place and an oceanview. It was the last room at this place. And it was not too expensive, about R1000 per night divided by three. (The Rand, when used to designated currency, is denoted as an "R" before the amount as $ is for dollar.)
Our hotel in Port Elizabeth.
The view of the ocean from our balcony.
Once settled we got back into the car and went to the old city center. Out of all the cities I've seen on this trip, PE is the most blightful yet. Perhaps with the overcast sky it made the mood even worse but all the buildings are decrepid, paint flaking away, people just hanging out on the corners. Even the catholic church in the middle of the area had alarms installed in case someone approached the front of the church or another area that had anything removable. Johann told us that the CBDs (central business districts) of all South African cities are awful places to be and the government has been trying to change that. The only city with a thriving CBD is Cape Town.
Part of our walking tour included Donkin Reserve, a park named for an important government figure in the 1800s. His young wife Elizabeth died from a fever and he renamed the city in her honor. In the guide book we've been using, it describes Donkin street and the row houses along one side. They were declared a National Treasure in the 80s. I was saddened to see what shape they were in. They haven't seen a coat of paint or a nail to fix a broken step probably since they were declared a monument. We found the house pictured in the guide book though it took some work to figure it out. The book isn't very old but the picture must be because it didn't look at all like the real house.
Donkin Street with the "historic" row houses.
Donkin Reserve.
On the way back to the car, we stopped off at a hotel near the park for a beer. The hotel had the appearance of a grand place in its time: beautiful marble floors, handcrafted woodwork, terraced atrium. But like everything else in the city, its heyday is long gone. With some TLC it could be restored to its original beauty if only the surrouding area could support it.
So we sat at the bar and had two beers and finally had conversation, though a bit strained at first. Next we went back to the hotel after stopping at a bottle shop on the way home. Forbes went to the craft market across the road and Johann went to meet another former student of his who lives now in PE. I stayed home and had another beer. After a bit Johann showed up with his friend Adrian who is 25 years old and working as a civil engineer here. He's a handsome lad and somewhat soft-spoken though that may have been partly because he was unsure of his English skills being Africaaner.
The four of us sat on the balcony watching the sun go down, drinking, and chatting. I think events from the previous night faded quickly as the beer and brandy (for the South Africans) flowed. None if us had eaten since breakfast in Knysna but we kept it going like champs. Finally at 9pm, we decided we needed to head to the casino just down the road so we walked there. I was the only one who had played blackjack before and the rest were excited to try it so we plopped down at the R25 table. There are no free drinks, even when you're playing. It was awful. So we had to buy them.
The blackjack table was slightly different than the ones I'm used to. A half-circle plastic disc is situated in front of each player presumably to catch the cards as they are dealt. There are five decks of cards in a machine that continuously shuffles them so after a round, the dealer places them back in the machine and they are reinserted into the five decks. This makes counting the cards impossible and gives the house better odds. Regardless, we were all doing well and winning though at first Forbes was only watching. He seemed to understand the basics so I gave him one R25 chip to have a go. He won right out of the shoot and even had three blackjacks. All with my guidance of course. I broke even after a tip to the dealer and Forbes, in true Scottish fashion, went to the table with nothing and left with R300.
It was time to call the evening to a close as it was nearing 11pm and we still hadn't eaten. Somehow I kept pace with Forbes and was in much better shape than he was. We left Johann and Adrian at the casino and started walking home. On the way, I saw a Speers burger joint, similar to Burger King, and knew if I didn't eat, tomorrow would be spent in bed. His Majesty had taken a diet pill and wasn't hungry so he waited outside while I got my order to go. And thank goodness he was there because the lamppost really needed to be held up and he was just the man to do it. I took him by his leash and led him home.
A passed out Forbes and a greasy burger after a night out, the ocean waves crashing outside the open patio doors, and some tv. Doesn't get any better. I stayed up for an hour pouring water down my throat and watching tv. Just as I was about to lie down, the other two banged on the door (even though I told them the key was at the front desk...retention isn't Johann's forte) so I let them in with pizzas from the Dros restaurant across the way. As they ripped into the yeast carcass, I bid goodnight and went to sleep. At 3am I heard footsteps and the door shut. Seems the boys went back to the casino and kept the party going. Adrian has to work tomorrow at 7am...it's going to be a long day for him.
