Thursday, December 06, 2012
2012.12.6. Oedipus el Rey at ACT Theatre
Ese Teatro presents Luis Alfaro's new play Oedipus el Rey, a retelling of Greek legend in LA's Latino underworld. Despite all our efforts, fate rules. I'm a little disappointed as how the theme played out: almost no change from the original tragedy, except for one insignificant change: the LA Oedipus was raised by Tiresias. I was hoping for a slightly different ending. Good acting. Almost no stage set. I like the vertical bed scene, quite clever in a small theatre.
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
2012.12.4. Owen Meany’s Christmas Pageant - a short play
Book-It stages part of John Irving's novel A Prayer for Owen Meany about Children putting up a nativity scene for a Christmas gathering in a New England town in 1950s. Wonderfully adapted by Jane Jones & Myra Platt. Almost no stage set. Short. A little over an hour, no intermission. Very funny. Good acting. It makes me want to read this novel.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
2012.11.17. Opera - King for a day
Seattle Opera's Young Artists Program performed Un Giorno Di Regno by Verdi, in honor of his 200th birthday (almost, 11 months short). Only one show in Seattle.
It's good to see that the venue was almost full. A good support for these young singers.
Cavalier di Belfiore Hunter Enoch Treasure La Rocca Matthew Scollin Baron di Kelbar Colin Ramsey Edoardo di Sanval Theo Lebow Giulietta di Kelbar Deborah Nansteel Marchesa del Poggio Dana PundtStrong voices except for Marchesa (she got better in the 2nd act. A wonderful actress though). Benaroya Hall's recital hall is too small for these voices. Excellent acting, good costume. No stage set except for 6 chairs. One piano, no other instrument. A delightful but silly opera with nice melodies. Short: 2 hours including an intermission.
It's good to see that the venue was almost full. A good support for these young singers.
Friday, November 16, 2012
2012.11.15. Emanuel Ax with Seattle Symphony
After a long and stressful day, I decided to go hear Emanuel Ax to unwind.
I like the 3rd movement more than the other 3 of Brahms' concerto. Overall, I'm not so taken by it. The 4 movements are seemly disjoint. The solo horn opening feels sticky. Dutilleux's is a cacophony of sound: larger orchestra, more percussion, heavy use of the double base. Too loud and messy for my liking. The 5 movements ("Les Heures", "Ariel maléfique", "Mémoire des ombres", "Vagues de lumière" and "Dominante bleue?") have no clear boundary, if there is one. The children's voices are sweet, but I couldn't make out the words. I prefer the last and the shortest piece in tonight's program. Strauss' is also loud at times, but has more of a plot, and some interesting sounds. The audience, however, were more taken by the first 2 works. During the Ask the Artist session after concert, questions were all in these two pieces. Morlot, again, called Dutilleux, "my dearest friend", and praised the poetry in his music, which failed to emerge to a layman like me. I recommend these Q&A sessions for anyone who wouldn't mind getting home late, and I appreciate the artists taking the extra time to enlighten me.
Ax appears very courteous. He moves his head and mouth a lot, especially when he plays strong notes, but not making any noise or over showy gestures like many young pianists nowadays. Tonight, as an encore, he played a Schumann piece with the principle cello Efe Baltacıgil.
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 Henri Dutilleux: The Shadows of Time, for 3 Children's Voices and Orchestra R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Op. 28
I like the 3rd movement more than the other 3 of Brahms' concerto. Overall, I'm not so taken by it. The 4 movements are seemly disjoint. The solo horn opening feels sticky. Dutilleux's is a cacophony of sound: larger orchestra, more percussion, heavy use of the double base. Too loud and messy for my liking. The 5 movements ("Les Heures", "Ariel maléfique", "Mémoire des ombres", "Vagues de lumière" and "Dominante bleue?") have no clear boundary, if there is one. The children's voices are sweet, but I couldn't make out the words. I prefer the last and the shortest piece in tonight's program. Strauss' is also loud at times, but has more of a plot, and some interesting sounds. The audience, however, were more taken by the first 2 works. During the Ask the Artist session after concert, questions were all in these two pieces. Morlot, again, called Dutilleux, "my dearest friend", and praised the poetry in his music, which failed to emerge to a layman like me. I recommend these Q&A sessions for anyone who wouldn't mind getting home late, and I appreciate the artists taking the extra time to enlighten me.
Ax appears very courteous. He moves his head and mouth a lot, especially when he plays strong notes, but not making any noise or over showy gestures like many young pianists nowadays. Tonight, as an encore, he played a Schumann piece with the principle cello Efe Baltacıgil.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
2012.11.10. PNB All Premiere
Arms that work:
Lost in light:
Kammermusik #3:
Sum Stravinsky:
All new pieces. 2 intermissions. Announcement started at 7:37, all done by 9:40. Box office opens 90 minutes before curtain. Rush tickets are $5 more, contrary to rational thinking. No wonder, the house was only ~70% full. A pity for a Saturday night.
music - Barrett Anspach choreography - Andrew Bartee costume - Mark ZapponeNovel costume, not sure I like it. A row of vertical elastic band. Interesting in forming geometric shapes. But I don't know what it signifies.
Lost in light:
music - Dan Coleman choreography - Margaret Mullin costume - Alexis MondragonNo stage set. I didn't like men's costume. It has a waist.
Kammermusik #3:
music - Paul Hindemith choreography - Mark Morris, Tina Fehlandt costume - Mark Zapponeno stage set. 3 different background height. All red. Music and movement are more in sync. Stronger beat in music. Simple movements but more elaborate combinations.
Sum Stravinsky:
music - Igor Stravinsky choreography - Liyon Gaines costume - Pauline Smithno stage set. More conventional dress and movement.
All new pieces. 2 intermissions. Announcement started at 7:37, all done by 9:40. Box office opens 90 minutes before curtain. Rush tickets are $5 more, contrary to rational thinking. No wonder, the house was only ~70% full. A pity for a Saturday night.
2012.11.9. Leonard Cohen at Key Arena
Old Ideas album tour of 2012. At 78, Leonard Cohen doesn't have much voice, but he sang with emotion and tenderness. He usually starts a song kneeling down. He holds the mic so close that his lips touch it. Most of the time he slouches when he sings or recites a poem. Whether new or old, all bleak, sometimes, with cracks where the light comes in (as in his lyrics). Same old style, similar tempo, melancholy, short melodies with small range of pitch + variations. Cohen was very courteous when speaking. He took off his hat whenever introducing a band member, each was given sufficient chance to demonstrate his virtuoso. They are all very talented. My favorite is the guitar guru from Barcelona. All strings in the band wear black hats like Cohen does. All in black suit, including the 3 girls on vocal. No modern and fancy lighting or apparatus. The concert started 15 minutes late. Not bad. People can go in and out throughout. 2 encores at the end that lasted ~25 minutes. At each finish, Cohen sort of leaped off stage. Over 3 hours of standing. So much energy for someone who's almost 80.
It wasn't a full house. 200 levels are closed behind black drapes.
Thursday, November 08, 2012
2012.11.8. Seattle Symphony with John Adams
John Adams conductor Jonathan Biss piano John Adams: Harmonielehre Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, "Emperor"Adams spoke at the beginning of the concert, saying how fortunate to both compose and conduct. Don't know if he'll do the same for the next 2 performances. He is a very energetic conductor. His symphony is loud, except for the very beginning of the 3rd movement. Big orchestra filled to the brim of the stage, 5 guys on percussion, who had to move about their toys. It started rhythmic repetition without much of any melody, but not entire atonal either. I'm not sure I enjoyed it, but I'm glad to have heard it. Beethoven's, in comparison, is music to the ears. Smaller orchestra (~20% less string, ~60% less wind, only 1 on percussion). Biss is a little too loud in my opinion. But the transition between the 2nd and 3rd movement was done beautifully. The audience loved him. He has a way of swaying his body when playing, and leaning back so much after he's done with a segment, that I feared he would fall off the chair. In 3 occasions, I believe (not certain), I could hear his seemingly intentional heavy breathing when playing strong notes, in the same tempo.
After the concert, two of them changed attires and appeared in the lobby to answer questions, which is very gracious of them. One German lady corrected Adams' pronunciation of the title of his own symphony. Whoever spoke lauded them. I took some note of 2 music pieces to check out later.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
2012.10.24. Fidelio
Seattle opera staged Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, for only 6 performances. A modern adaptation. Simple stage. I can see why it isn't so popular. The overture starts gloomy and it's long. The only tunes I liked are the quartet: Mir ist so wunderbar and the prisoners' chorus. No drama, no intrigue, very idealistic. 2 acts, 80 min and 35 min. Good actors. I especially like the voices of Marzelline and Rocco.
Leonore Christiane Libor Florestan Clifton Forbis Rocco Arthur Woodley Don Pizarro Greer Grimsley Marzelline Anya Matanovič Jaquino John Tessier Don Fernando Kevin Short Conductor Asher Fisch Stage Director Chris Alexander Set Designer Robert Dahlstrom Costume Designer Catherine Meacham Hunt Lighting Designer Duane SchulerWhen I left the theatre, it was pouring. Seattle Center should erect more covered walkways.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
2012.10.21. Ramayana at ACT
ACT is staging India's epic Ramayana for the whole month, with 2 performances each day on weekends. Adapted and Created by Yussef El Guindi and Stephanie Timm
Direction by Sheila Daniels and Kurt Beattie. Not a good idea nor an easy task to convert it to a play of reasonable length with limited actors. Very messy, too many plots, animals, super beings, hard to portrait on stage. Probably better shown in a movie. The current adaptation has practically no stage set. Costume is not heavy enough to disguise the actors. Since each of them play many roles, it's easy to get confused. As far as the story goes, the characters are either perfect, or evil. Nothing in between. There's no character development at all. Everyone is idealized. Anyway, not a play I enjoy.
Direction by Sheila Daniels and Kurt Beattie. Not a good idea nor an easy task to convert it to a play of reasonable length with limited actors. Very messy, too many plots, animals, super beings, hard to portrait on stage. Probably better shown in a movie. The current adaptation has practically no stage set. Costume is not heavy enough to disguise the actors. Since each of them play many roles, it's easy to get confused. As far as the story goes, the characters are either perfect, or evil. Nothing in between. There's no character development at all. Everyone is idealized. Anyway, not a play I enjoy.
2012.10.21. Closing day of Next50
The 50th anniversary of the 1962 World's Fair. This all summer long celebration ends today. Other than a closing ceremony (which I missed), many performances were held at Fisher Pavilion. Seattle Symphony played Gershwin (Cuban Overture), John Cage (Variation 3), Beethoven (Leonore Overture), Debussy (Fete from Nocturnes), and Berlioz (Roman Carnival Overture). Morlot conducted and talked. The room's acoustics is not too bad.
World Vision held an audio tour of a girl growing up at Kasenaero, a fishing village by Lake Victoria in Uganda, the epicentre of AIDS. Belief in God and help from World Vision and other organizations allowed the girl and her mother to survive. 500k people receive care in Uganda. You are welcome to sponsor a child or leave them prayers through World Vision. On my way out, chatted with an employee. She's never been to Africa, but sponsors a boy in Kenya. A clever way of asking for donation.
A more interesting performance is by Pat Graney's 50 dancers, all dressed in white, walked/lay on ground/stood on chairs, yes each with a white chair, around the fountain. Both old and young, half are kids, only 2 guys. Some in summer dress, some in winter coat. Even though it was simple and not very synchronized, it's still quite different and entertaining. A chilly day to perform outdoors (~9°C). It started drizzle towards the end. Some of the performers were a bit wet.
Center House (somehow is called Armory now) is also hosting Turkey Festival this weekend.
World Vision held an audio tour of a girl growing up at Kasenaero, a fishing village by Lake Victoria in Uganda, the epicentre of AIDS. Belief in God and help from World Vision and other organizations allowed the girl and her mother to survive. 500k people receive care in Uganda. You are welcome to sponsor a child or leave them prayers through World Vision. On my way out, chatted with an employee. She's never been to Africa, but sponsors a boy in Kenya. A clever way of asking for donation.
A more interesting performance is by Pat Graney's 50 dancers, all dressed in white, walked/lay on ground/stood on chairs, yes each with a white chair, around the fountain. Both old and young, half are kids, only 2 guys. Some in summer dress, some in winter coat. Even though it was simple and not very synchronized, it's still quite different and entertaining. A chilly day to perform outdoors (~9°C). It started drizzle towards the end. Some of the performers were a bit wet.
Center House (somehow is called Armory now) is also hosting Turkey Festival this weekend.
Monday, October 15, 2012
2012.10.13-14 Annual Wild Mushroom Show
Despite the unusual dry August and September, Puget Sound Micology Society still managed to mount the Mushroom Show this year. A lot more people, much less mushrooms. Instead of hosting it in its own venue: U.W. Center for Urban Horticulture, the show is at Mountaineers Club at 7700 Sandpoint Way NE. Other than vendors and artists, there were two lovely chefs dishing up various recipes nonstop to distribute to the queued-up visitors. I especially like the egg dish by Kathy Casey. I went to all 4 lectures (repeated at different times), 2 by Tom Volk from Wisconsin, and searching mushroom in Thailand, Nepal and China by Taylor Lockwood and Urban Foraging by Curt Haney from California. Some of Lockwood's mushrooms photos are unearthly beautiful as these two found on his website.
Friday, October 12, 2012
2012.10.11. William Baker
Structural Engineers Foundation of Washington invited William F. Baker to talk at their annual forum. This year, it was held at Recital Hall of Benaroya Hall at 6pm, preceded by a reception. 
He uses Burj Khalifa (more detailed) and his other projects to illustrate his design ideas. The take-away I get is simplicity, and learn from the old masters. It was quite interesting. Example: there's no crane tall enough for skyscrapers like Burj.The chair Howard Burton also played a short film of the structure engineers contributed to 1962 World Fair, and thanked numerous people, and introduced this year's scholarship winners. The event is by registration. The venue was only about half full.
Monday, October 08, 2012
2012.10.7. Lake Ingalls
Sunday. Sunny, dry. Ingalls Way is quite popular. Started hiking ~noon. The half moon was still up, very clear against the blue sky. Thin dry forest. Not steep, but dusty. Some of the zigzags here are quite silly. Huckleberry leaves are red, but no berries. Saw some Scarlet Trumpet flowers. The view of the river valley and the steep granite across is nice. As you gain elevation, you can see Mt Adams, and later Mt Rainier. But the view isn't grand.
In less than 2 hours (~3 miles?), reached the top of the pass. There, you enter a larch filled basin with views to the north. Straight at your face is Ingalls Peak. Watch your steps: very rocky. Camping sites in lower basin. Most larches are already golden, shiny against the sun. Walk downhill passing more larches, some meadow with springs. Eventually the trail goes up again through rocks. Cannot go fast. ~45 minutes later, that's the lake.One deer on Teanaway Rd on the way in, saw a group in one of those fields next Hwy 97 on the way back.
Direction: I-90 exit 85 for Hwy 97. 6.6 miles (just short of mile marker 7) turn left on Teanaway (River) Rd.~23 miles till the end of Forest Road 9737. The first 13 miles are paved. The gravel isn't too bad. Lots of camping spots along the road next to the river.
Sunday, October 07, 2012
2012.10.6. Seattle Symphony
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Efe Baltacıgil, cello
Seattle Symphony
Mussorgsky: A Night on Bald Mountain
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39
I really like the 2nd to last piece of Tchaikovsky's variation. Sibelius' employs a lot of heavy drums, a master of big sound. It makes me think of outdoor concerts with green grass and heavy wind.
Efe Baltacıgil, cello
Seattle Symphony
Mussorgsky: A Night on Bald Mountain
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39
I really like the 2nd to last piece of Tchaikovsky's variation. Sibelius' employs a lot of heavy drums, a master of big sound. It makes me think of outdoor concerts with green grass and heavy wind.
Monday, October 01, 2012
2012.10.1. Church Mountain
Oct 1st 2012, Monday. Chance of rain 30%. Cloudy and more cloudy.
Church Mt.: 4.2 miles one way. 3500' gain. I didn't reach the summit, because it was in the clouds. Have to come back on a sunny day to see the view from the 6000' peak. Good thing about a weather like today is the comfort: minimal sweat, no sticky sunscreen.
Moderate grade, mostly smooth trail. I started hiking ~1pm. 10 minutes in, one hiker came out with his dog. 1:20 hour later, passed a creek, and then 2 hikers. 10 minutes later, reached the open slope, by now full of dead corn lilies. In front is a meadowy basin. 4800'? Red with blueberry bushes, but not many berries. Wide, protected, creek strewn, very nice. Possible to camp here, even though no established camp site, it's flat enough, as long as you avoid the swampy parts. 
To see Mt Baker, you have to walk to the north edge of the basin. I wondered about, and hiked further up through trees and endless corn lilies to another smaller creek strewn basin. Soon, I was getting into the clouds, couldn't see much. Turned back ~3:15pm. Back in car at 5pm.
Left home at 10am, 37 mile (~45 minutes) to Sumas border. Signed 20 minutes delay. Actual wait time 38 minutes. 15 minutes to the junction of 547 & 542. Another 15 to Glacier ranger station, my regular stop before and after a hike. Toilet paper was running out. Church Mt road 5 miles east of the ranger station. Quite rough, but passable. 2.6 miles. Crossing Fossil Creek now is easier than the road itself. 2 cars already parked at the trailhead. An outhouse, 2 garbage cans.
Church Mt.: 4.2 miles one way. 3500' gain. I didn't reach the summit, because it was in the clouds. Have to come back on a sunny day to see the view from the 6000' peak. Good thing about a weather like today is the comfort: minimal sweat, no sticky sunscreen.
Moderate grade, mostly smooth trail. I started hiking ~1pm. 10 minutes in, one hiker came out with his dog. 1:20 hour later, passed a creek, and then 2 hikers. 10 minutes later, reached the open slope, by now full of dead corn lilies. In front is a meadowy basin. 4800'? Red with blueberry bushes, but not many berries. Wide, protected, creek strewn, very nice. Possible to camp here, even though no established camp site, it's flat enough, as long as you avoid the swampy parts. 
To see Mt Baker, you have to walk to the north edge of the basin. I wondered about, and hiked further up through trees and endless corn lilies to another smaller creek strewn basin. Soon, I was getting into the clouds, couldn't see much. Turned back ~3:15pm. Back in car at 5pm.Left home at 10am, 37 mile (~45 minutes) to Sumas border. Signed 20 minutes delay. Actual wait time 38 minutes. 15 minutes to the junction of 547 & 542. Another 15 to Glacier ranger station, my regular stop before and after a hike. Toilet paper was running out. Church Mt road 5 miles east of the ranger station. Quite rough, but passable. 2.6 miles. Crossing Fossil Creek now is easier than the road itself. 2 cars already parked at the trailhead. An outhouse, 2 garbage cans.
Friday, September 28, 2012
2012.9.28. Goat Mountain
Sept. 28th, Friday, cloudy, rain. Goat Mountain. 3 miles to the trail end.
A late start. I didn't start hiking until 3pm. The trail head is about 2.5 miles left of SR542 on Hannegan Pass Rd (decent gravel/dirt road, mile 46, 13 miles east of Glacier Ranger Station). Mine was the only car parked at the lot before the trail head. 20 minutes in, met 2 young dudes in camouflage outfits, chatting, one if whom carried a gun. That got me a bit worried. The trail is in good shape. Not steep, mostly soft along the zigzags. 1.5 hours later, emerged from the forest. Met one hiker on his way down. Blueberry galore, the best I saw this year. Still some Indian Paintbrush left. Mountain ash's red berries are everywhere. The mountain slopes here were all red! At this time, it started raining! I pulled out my rain jacket and continued, hoping for the rain to abate, and it did, when I reached the old fire lookout, ~25 minutes later. Excellent view, also a good place to pitch a small tent (however, no water source, exposed). There's another tent site closer by the trail. Shuksan is staring right at you. Baker was in the clouds. 
It was not yet 5pm, so I continued on in the endless blueberry field (but drier and smaller) to see more distant North Cascade mountains. The trail disappeared more or less an hour later. I scrambled on a bit along some water seepage among yellow grass. It was steep and slippery. I was creating erosion, so I turned back soon enough without seeing any more reasonable trail ahead. Also it was getting late: 5:45. I can imagine the view at the top promised in the guide.
Picking more blueberries on my way down. Got back at car at 7:20, too dark to see the trail. As always, I stopped at the ranger station to wash up. There was just one other car there. Crossing the border at Sumas at 9pm was quick and smooth: the officer didn't even check my duty free beer purchase. Pouring rain on Hwy 1.
From Seattle to Glacier, I took Hwy 9 from Hwy 20. Along Hwy 9, between Doran Rd and Saxon Rd. has great view to the east: Twin Sisters. Often I fill gas at the Texaco at the junction of SR 542 and SR 547 (~mile 23), 15 minutes west of Glacier Ranger Station (~mile 34), or ~107 miles from Seattle, or ~60 miles from my sister's home.
A late start. I didn't start hiking until 3pm. The trail head is about 2.5 miles left of SR542 on Hannegan Pass Rd (decent gravel/dirt road, mile 46, 13 miles east of Glacier Ranger Station). Mine was the only car parked at the lot before the trail head. 20 minutes in, met 2 young dudes in camouflage outfits, chatting, one if whom carried a gun. That got me a bit worried. The trail is in good shape. Not steep, mostly soft along the zigzags. 1.5 hours later, emerged from the forest. Met one hiker on his way down. Blueberry galore, the best I saw this year. Still some Indian Paintbrush left. Mountain ash's red berries are everywhere. The mountain slopes here were all red! At this time, it started raining! I pulled out my rain jacket and continued, hoping for the rain to abate, and it did, when I reached the old fire lookout, ~25 minutes later. Excellent view, also a good place to pitch a small tent (however, no water source, exposed). There's another tent site closer by the trail. Shuksan is staring right at you. Baker was in the clouds. 
It was not yet 5pm, so I continued on in the endless blueberry field (but drier and smaller) to see more distant North Cascade mountains. The trail disappeared more or less an hour later. I scrambled on a bit along some water seepage among yellow grass. It was steep and slippery. I was creating erosion, so I turned back soon enough without seeing any more reasonable trail ahead. Also it was getting late: 5:45. I can imagine the view at the top promised in the guide.Picking more blueberries on my way down. Got back at car at 7:20, too dark to see the trail. As always, I stopped at the ranger station to wash up. There was just one other car there. Crossing the border at Sumas at 9pm was quick and smooth: the officer didn't even check my duty free beer purchase. Pouring rain on Hwy 1.
From Seattle to Glacier, I took Hwy 9 from Hwy 20. Along Hwy 9, between Doran Rd and Saxon Rd. has great view to the east: Twin Sisters. Often I fill gas at the Texaco at the junction of SR 542 and SR 547 (~mile 23), 15 minutes west of Glacier Ranger Station (~mile 34), or ~107 miles from Seattle, or ~60 miles from my sister's home.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
2012.9.23 Ptamigan Ridge at Mt Baker
Sunday, cloudy -> sunny but a bit hazy. Ptarmigan Ridge at Artist Point, above Mt Baker ski area, and above the clouds. The clouds shrouding the lower ridges, quite pretty. View starts from the parking lot, and never stops. Not just the up close Shuksan and Baker, but many distant North Cascade peaks which I cannot name. Elevation doesn't change much. Perfect for strolling. Some soft snow patches, which doesn't pose any problem. Few flowers were left. Fireweed added some color. Paintbrush here is creamy yellow. 
About 1 hour into the hike is a short ridge with gentle slope covered with blueberry bushes, now turning red. Berries were a bit dry and small, but tasty, much more than other places this year. Another hour later is more snow, and a side trail going down to 2 ponds. The small pond is deeper, hence beautifully turquoise. A far snow patch has 3 goats and a baby. We stopped up on a ridge for lunch. On the way back, Nicolas spotted some ptarmigans. Not enough high clouds. Sunset wasn't as colorful as I hoped. The half moon was bright as early as 6pm.
Friday, September 21, 2012
2012.9.20. Seattle Symphony
Ludovic Morlot, conductor Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9 Martinů: Symphony No. 6, "Fantaisies symphoniques," H. 343 Debussy: Nuages and Fêtes from Nocturnes Respighi: Pines of Rome
- I pini di Villa Borghese (The Pines of Villa Borghese)
Pini presso una catacomba (Pines near a catacomb)
I pini del Gianicolo (The Pines of the Janiculum)
I pini della Via Appia (The Pines of the Appian Way)
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
2012.9.17-19 Klapatche Park
Unusually prolonged warm weather in Seattle. Decided to do Klapatche Park trail during the weekday.
Monday, 9/17, a late start. By the time I reached Longmire wilderness center, it was already 4pm. 77°. I405 exit to 167 was very slow, and 161 at Puyallop was slow. Had to wait after a couple who inquired trails at Paradise in detail, undeterred by my waiting. All backcountry sites are available today on the bulletin board. Since I was 3 hours behind my plan, I asked for Lake George for the first night and Klapatche Park for the 2nd. The ranger told me water was still available at Aurora Lake, but it was dirty. Called to report my itinerary change at the Longmire Inn: there is a single payphone next to the restaurant. $1. ~5 seniors sitting on the porch watching Mt Rainier. By then, the late afternoon sun has finally made it visible. On my way here, it was too hazy to see the mountain at all. I had my late lunch, washed fruits. Headed back to Westside road. Wide, gravel, but in good shape except some big potholes once awhile. Met 1 car coming out, passed 2 cars. At the road block ~3 miles later, ~4 cars parked. No view on the road.
5pm, I finally started my hike with a bike. My bike ride lasted less than 5 minutes to a washout. A single thin log is placed for foot passengers. I had to wade in the shallow water pushing the bike. At least it was short. However, I was such a lousy biker, that I wasn't able to peddle faster than I walk or even mount the bike. It tired me more than just walking. So pretty much I pushed the bike all the way for 1.5 hours (3.8 miles). The road is along Tahoma Creek, full of rocks and logs, wide, not much water. Occasionally you can see part of Rainier, but not at the old Tahoma Vista parking area.
Locked my lone bike on the rack at the wide Round Pass (signed 4000'). Lake George trail is behind the rack. Walked up there in ~25 minutes (signed 0.9 mile, and 2 miles to Goat Lake trail). 
5 big sites on the left side of the trail, on the hill next to the green lake, but no view of the lake. 1 group site on the right side of the trail. A good size open shelter, a locked ranger's cabin, a bear pole. 2 toilets. Mt Rainier was getting really red and pretty, but too many trees blocking the view. I put up my tent first at a flat place near water. Quite a lot of insects huddling in the air, but they didn't bother me. Considering I was the only one for miles around, I later decided to move uphill to a camp site, in case an animal decides to pass my tent to have a drink. It's a pity that I arrived one hour too late to watch sunset from Gobblers Knob. It gets quite dark by 8.
9/18, Tuesday.
Up at 6:30. Hiked to Gobblers Knob before breakfast. Signed 1.6 miles. Passed a small meadow of Corn Lilly, a pond, many dead avalanche lilies. At 1.2 miles, junction to Goat Lake trail (another 1.1 miles to the lake). The sun rose as I walked. By the time I reached the locked lookout, the sun was as high as the summit of Rainier. The 360° view is still grand: layers and layers of light blue distant ranges with a pink tint. Mt Ste Helens was faint. Mt Rainier was already too bright for a photo. Sunset here should be prettier. The fire lookout was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. After WWII, aerial surveillance became the primary method of spotting fire. These lookouts are still used occasionally. Mt Rainier currently has 4. I was back at the camp at 8:40. Cooked a pack of Korean instant noodle and sweet oat meal. I added salt instead of all of the spicy soup base. Interesting combined flavor. Packed and headed out at 10:00.
Back at Round Pass, I tied some garbage and rain fly to the bike to shed a couple of pounds. There's a Marine Memorial site here, with small flags and a big sign listing all 32 died in plane crash on Tahoma Glacier. Met 2 day hikers here. Headed down to the South Puyallup River trail. At 0.6 mile, it reconnects to Westside road. Turn right and continue on South Puyallup River trail towards Wonderland Trail (in another 1.6 miles) and regain elevation.
1:10 hour (~2 miles) after leaving Round Pass, I hit the Colonnades to the right. The ~hexagon columns run for a bit until the South Puyallup camp sites. Andesite? They go straight up. Quite interesting. The river water is quite muddy here. This entire trail is in the woods, with cool breeze. My GPS took forever to lock.
Joined Wonderland trail 2.2 miles from Round Pass. (Signed: Left: St Andrews Lake 3.2, Klapatche Park Camp 4.0, Right: Emrald Ridge 1.8, Devil's Dream Camp 6.7.) Crossed the big bridge over the river, with a partial view of Rainier. Overgrown in parts. Took me over 2 hours to get to the lake. As the high noon sun shined on the dry trail, I was getting tired. In an hour, caught the first glance of St Andrews Park and Mt Rainier. Flowers were all dead by now. Blueberry leaves were turning red, but almost no berries. Met 2 backpackers coming down from North Puyallup camp, who told me there was no water at Klapatche Park. Continued up to a ridge and Rainier disappeared behind hills. Then walking downhill. Slopes of dead lupines. At 2pm, I reached St Andrews Lake, shallow, small but clear, with the reflection of Rainier. There were still 2 small patches of snow left, but hard as ice. Had lunch with melting pate and vegetables that were starting to smell in the heat. I decided to rest here until sunset and cook my dinner here (cook my veggies) before heading to Klapatche Park for the night. 1 backpacker went by the lake at 4. At 4:20, I followed a trail on the opposite dried shore, up to a slope. Found a place for tent with nice view. All along the short and steep trail was withered lupine. Started cooking dinner at 6pm, then had a bar of chocolate, brushed my teeth, before packing all up and waited for the photo moment at 7pm: the mountain was beautifully lit.
Now hurried down to Klapatche Park, 0.8 mile further. There is a ledge a bit north of St Andrews Lake to take good photos of Rainier and a deep rocky valley draped with thin waterfalls. The withered densely flowered slope. Klapatche Park is small and flat. Almost dried Aurora Lake still offered a bit of unclear reflection of Rainier. 4 big sites on the west side of the lake/trail, reasonably obscured from each other. 2 were already taken. At ~8:30pm, I went out sat at one of the logs by the trail next to the camp, trying to take a photo of the fading Rainier against the starry night. Failed. Absolutely beautiful though. Not a single cloud. Myriad of stars, clear milky way and all. The other 2 campers also came out: old buddies out hiking for 5 days. They go backpacking every September for 13 years. They told me that at South Puyallup Camp, there's a creek towards Emerald Ridge ~1/4 miles away. The creek that fed to Aurora Lake was bone dry at the moment. And last night all sites were taken. So the board at Longmire's wilderness office wasn't updated during the day.
9/19 Wednesday.
Same, warm and hazy. Packed, retraced, dropped my backpack behind the Wonderland sign and started my dash to Aurora Peak shortly before 7am. Only 0.3 miles, but 500' gain, overgrown trail. By 7:10 I was at the top of Aurora Peak, out of breath. Mt Adams and Mt St Helens were clearly visible. Layers upon layers of silhouette. Didn't need to rush, the sun didn't reach the southern ridge until 7:30, then only at 7:45 did it shine upon me. Klapatche Park was in the shadow until 8am.
Cooked a big breakfast at St Andrews Lake. Left ~10:20. reached my bike ~13:30. A group of noisy junior high students came out of Lake George trail with 2 chaperons. I'm glad that I wasn't camping next to them last night.
Repacked, road the bike back out. This time, gravity did all the work. Took only ~20 minutes to the car which was baking in the sun. Drove back to shade at the turn off, rest and drank. It was 79°. Heading back to Seattle at 3, hitting all the traffic:(
Monday, 9/17, a late start. By the time I reached Longmire wilderness center, it was already 4pm. 77°. I405 exit to 167 was very slow, and 161 at Puyallop was slow. Had to wait after a couple who inquired trails at Paradise in detail, undeterred by my waiting. All backcountry sites are available today on the bulletin board. Since I was 3 hours behind my plan, I asked for Lake George for the first night and Klapatche Park for the 2nd. The ranger told me water was still available at Aurora Lake, but it was dirty. Called to report my itinerary change at the Longmire Inn: there is a single payphone next to the restaurant. $1. ~5 seniors sitting on the porch watching Mt Rainier. By then, the late afternoon sun has finally made it visible. On my way here, it was too hazy to see the mountain at all. I had my late lunch, washed fruits. Headed back to Westside road. Wide, gravel, but in good shape except some big potholes once awhile. Met 1 car coming out, passed 2 cars. At the road block ~3 miles later, ~4 cars parked. No view on the road.
5pm, I finally started my hike with a bike. My bike ride lasted less than 5 minutes to a washout. A single thin log is placed for foot passengers. I had to wade in the shallow water pushing the bike. At least it was short. However, I was such a lousy biker, that I wasn't able to peddle faster than I walk or even mount the bike. It tired me more than just walking. So pretty much I pushed the bike all the way for 1.5 hours (3.8 miles). The road is along Tahoma Creek, full of rocks and logs, wide, not much water. Occasionally you can see part of Rainier, but not at the old Tahoma Vista parking area.
Locked my lone bike on the rack at the wide Round Pass (signed 4000'). Lake George trail is behind the rack. Walked up there in ~25 minutes (signed 0.9 mile, and 2 miles to Goat Lake trail). 
5 big sites on the left side of the trail, on the hill next to the green lake, but no view of the lake. 1 group site on the right side of the trail. A good size open shelter, a locked ranger's cabin, a bear pole. 2 toilets. Mt Rainier was getting really red and pretty, but too many trees blocking the view. I put up my tent first at a flat place near water. Quite a lot of insects huddling in the air, but they didn't bother me. Considering I was the only one for miles around, I later decided to move uphill to a camp site, in case an animal decides to pass my tent to have a drink. It's a pity that I arrived one hour too late to watch sunset from Gobblers Knob. It gets quite dark by 8.
9/18, Tuesday.
Up at 6:30. Hiked to Gobblers Knob before breakfast. Signed 1.6 miles. Passed a small meadow of Corn Lilly, a pond, many dead avalanche lilies. At 1.2 miles, junction to Goat Lake trail (another 1.1 miles to the lake). The sun rose as I walked. By the time I reached the locked lookout, the sun was as high as the summit of Rainier. The 360° view is still grand: layers and layers of light blue distant ranges with a pink tint. Mt Ste Helens was faint. Mt Rainier was already too bright for a photo. Sunset here should be prettier. The fire lookout was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. After WWII, aerial surveillance became the primary method of spotting fire. These lookouts are still used occasionally. Mt Rainier currently has 4. I was back at the camp at 8:40. Cooked a pack of Korean instant noodle and sweet oat meal. I added salt instead of all of the spicy soup base. Interesting combined flavor. Packed and headed out at 10:00.Back at Round Pass, I tied some garbage and rain fly to the bike to shed a couple of pounds. There's a Marine Memorial site here, with small flags and a big sign listing all 32 died in plane crash on Tahoma Glacier. Met 2 day hikers here. Headed down to the South Puyallup River trail. At 0.6 mile, it reconnects to Westside road. Turn right and continue on South Puyallup River trail towards Wonderland Trail (in another 1.6 miles) and regain elevation.
1:10 hour (~2 miles) after leaving Round Pass, I hit the Colonnades to the right. The ~hexagon columns run for a bit until the South Puyallup camp sites. Andesite? They go straight up. Quite interesting. The river water is quite muddy here. This entire trail is in the woods, with cool breeze. My GPS took forever to lock.
Joined Wonderland trail 2.2 miles from Round Pass. (Signed: Left: St Andrews Lake 3.2, Klapatche Park Camp 4.0, Right: Emrald Ridge 1.8, Devil's Dream Camp 6.7.) Crossed the big bridge over the river, with a partial view of Rainier. Overgrown in parts. Took me over 2 hours to get to the lake. As the high noon sun shined on the dry trail, I was getting tired. In an hour, caught the first glance of St Andrews Park and Mt Rainier. Flowers were all dead by now. Blueberry leaves were turning red, but almost no berries. Met 2 backpackers coming down from North Puyallup camp, who told me there was no water at Klapatche Park. Continued up to a ridge and Rainier disappeared behind hills. Then walking downhill. Slopes of dead lupines. At 2pm, I reached St Andrews Lake, shallow, small but clear, with the reflection of Rainier. There were still 2 small patches of snow left, but hard as ice. Had lunch with melting pate and vegetables that were starting to smell in the heat. I decided to rest here until sunset and cook my dinner here (cook my veggies) before heading to Klapatche Park for the night. 1 backpacker went by the lake at 4. At 4:20, I followed a trail on the opposite dried shore, up to a slope. Found a place for tent with nice view. All along the short and steep trail was withered lupine. Started cooking dinner at 6pm, then had a bar of chocolate, brushed my teeth, before packing all up and waited for the photo moment at 7pm: the mountain was beautifully lit.
Now hurried down to Klapatche Park, 0.8 mile further. There is a ledge a bit north of St Andrews Lake to take good photos of Rainier and a deep rocky valley draped with thin waterfalls. The withered densely flowered slope. Klapatche Park is small and flat. Almost dried Aurora Lake still offered a bit of unclear reflection of Rainier. 4 big sites on the west side of the lake/trail, reasonably obscured from each other. 2 were already taken. At ~8:30pm, I went out sat at one of the logs by the trail next to the camp, trying to take a photo of the fading Rainier against the starry night. Failed. Absolutely beautiful though. Not a single cloud. Myriad of stars, clear milky way and all. The other 2 campers also came out: old buddies out hiking for 5 days. They go backpacking every September for 13 years. They told me that at South Puyallup Camp, there's a creek towards Emerald Ridge ~1/4 miles away. The creek that fed to Aurora Lake was bone dry at the moment. And last night all sites were taken. So the board at Longmire's wilderness office wasn't updated during the day. 9/19 Wednesday.
Same, warm and hazy. Packed, retraced, dropped my backpack behind the Wonderland sign and started my dash to Aurora Peak shortly before 7am. Only 0.3 miles, but 500' gain, overgrown trail. By 7:10 I was at the top of Aurora Peak, out of breath. Mt Adams and Mt St Helens were clearly visible. Layers upon layers of silhouette. Didn't need to rush, the sun didn't reach the southern ridge until 7:30, then only at 7:45 did it shine upon me. Klapatche Park was in the shadow until 8am.
Cooked a big breakfast at St Andrews Lake. Left ~10:20. reached my bike ~13:30. A group of noisy junior high students came out of Lake George trail with 2 chaperons. I'm glad that I wasn't camping next to them last night. Repacked, road the bike back out. This time, gravity did all the work. Took only ~20 minutes to the car which was baking in the sun. Drove back to shade at the turn off, rest and drank. It was 79°. Heading back to Seattle at 3, hitting all the traffic:(
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
2012.9.4. Wolfgang Season Kickoff Party at Columbia Tower
Tuesday 6pm. Sunny and warm. Seattle Symphony's young patron club Wolfgang had an open party (no membership required), sponsored by Columbia Tower Club. Hors d'ouevres and open bar. Two violinists performed after 7:15pm as I was about to leave. A questionnaire was handed out. A free pair of tickets will be drawn if you answered right. At the 74th floor of Columbia Tower, this is arguably the best view in town: Mt Rainier, Elliot Bay and the islands beyond, downtown buildings and the harbor. Food was acceptable, but limited: bread (ran out), cheese, cold cut meat (ran out), cold grilled vegetable, and some warm small bites. As for the crowds, hard to say, as I only talked to my guest and a member she was chatting with when I arrived (late). Plenty people over 40 (no longer eligible to be a member of Wolfgang). These events used to be member only, each can invite one guest. A very good deal if you go to 5 or more concerts in a season. Easy ticket exchange program. I guess Wolfgang is trying hard to enlist more people, and Columbia Tower Club is also, even offering half price initiation fee ($250, including next season's Wolfgang membership, which is $40 now).
Monday, September 03, 2012
2012.9.2. Mt Dickerman
Sunday. Mount Dickerman. ~3800', 8.6 miles RT. 2:45 hour to get up, and 2 hours to go down. The first 1.5 hours are in the woods. Good trail, endless zigzag but not steep, big trees that get thinner as you go up. The next 30 minutes are flatter among blueberry shrubs, partial view of the southern mountains. The sun made the leaves bright yellowish green. Lots of little rocks. Another 15 minutes lead to a flat area with lots of lupines and velarian. A side trail to a butte. The last 30 minutes are a delight. Slopes dense with flowers, view opened up on both sides. At the very top, some trees block the view to the south. Continue a bit further along a short ridge of flower carpet to another butte for a fantastic 360° unobstructed view:
Mt Baker to the north (didn't see Shuksan) in the far background, closer peaks are Mt Forgotten, White Chuck, Mt Pugh over the Perry Creek valley. To the east Glacier Peak is towering over others. To the southeast, jagged peaks of Alpine Lake wilderness. No Rainier today due to the clouds. The immediate south is Pilchuck, Three Fingers. Well worth the effort. Sat down to eat my cake. 3 grey jay fought for my food. One flew 3 times almost to my face.
Direction: ~17 miles east of Verlot on Mt Loop Hwy, or 2 miles further east from Big Four turn off. ~1:50 hours from Seattle. ~30 cars in the road side parking lot, shared with Mt Forgotten trail. A lot of camping possibilities along Mt Loop Hwy. Saw a few tents on the riverbed.
Monday, August 27, 2012
2012.8.26. Paradise - Rainier
Sunday. Nice weather: not too warm. Cloudy: the top of Rainier was shrouded in clouds until about 2pm. The flowers at Paradise are very good, as always, but on their last legs. Walked the upper Skyline trail and took Golden Gate trail back. Saw 2 bears while on Golden Gate trail. It's still the best flower slope in the area. Dense, but not very colorful. A nice exercise.
The problem with Paradise is its accessibility, hence the crowd, especially those I don't like to be associated with, like visiting a zoo. Saw at least 2 groups were practicing crampons and harness on the lower icy slopes. Many more heading up as well as coming down from the summit.
The problem with Paradise is its accessibility, hence the crowd, especially those I don't like to be associated with, like visiting a zoo. Saw at least 2 groups were practicing crampons and harness on the lower icy slopes. Many more heading up as well as coming down from the summit.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
2012.8.21. Old Times
One of the 4 plays at ACT's Pinter Festival this summer. As the previous two I watched, Old Times is equally strange. Disconnected conversations, silence, repetition, allusion. Pinter plays with words, sometimes, telling you that he's playing with the words but without have any fun twist of the words. An old friend, the only friend 20 years ago of the wife, came for a visit from Sicily to this couple's house in the English countryside. Song segments alternates from the husband to the friend. Memories of their lives with the wife 20 years ago, all in a strange and at times twisted way. The friend remembers a young man sobbing on the wife's bed when they were sharing a room in their youth. The husband recalls meeting with this friend before the marriage. The wife remembers this friend dead.
Simple stage. I really think they should put some cover on the 2 bed/sitting lounge. Great acting and articulation, as always.
Simple stage. I really think they should put some cover on the 2 bed/sitting lounge. Great acting and articulation, as always.
Monday, August 20, 2012
2012.8.18-19, Summerland - Indian Bar
2012.8.18. Saturday. Warm. Cloudy in Seattle, but not as bad in Rainier. Left downtown ~8:30am. Getting a permit at the busy one-man White River ranger station took sometime. He was overwhelmed and not very helpful. Almost impossible to find a parking spot. Started hiking ~11 at the Summerland trialhead.
First 2 miles, almost flat, smooth trail, in the woods, some mushrooms. Around the bridges over the Fryingpan Creek, view starts to improve. Dense mountain asters, then dense valerian, interspersed with yellow and blue, once a while some red. Avalanche lilies are mostly gone. Once at Summerland, the view is expanse. Too bad, the sky was not blue today. But the fields of blue lupines compensated. Found an excellent "secret" campsite (a workers' hideout) not too far from the creek, with locked iron boxes and a red beach chair! View of Mt. Rainier too!
After lunch, at 2pm, headed to Panhandle Gap, over boulders. Still lots of snow around the gap, but nothing difficult with waterproof boots and poles. 2 half frozen ponds. A group of kids were sliding down, screaming and beaming. Took me over an hour to get here. Excellent view all around. Earlier on, a group of goats were seen on the snow. The south side of the gap is more expansive, more distant mountains. Cannot see Mt. Rainier from here, but Mt Adams was looming ghostly ahead due to the clouds. It's not all the way down. Plenty of uphills. Mercifully, they are short, and punctured with flat meadows. Another hour later, reached a down slope full of flowers. Most colorful. To the right (east) is a big deep ravine with a dozen little waterfalls draping on the seemingly smooth surface. To the left, green hills with blue hue (lupine). To the front, endless layers of scenery. Ate and rested. I think it is my favorite spot on Rainier. Ohanapecosh Park? Apart from 2 campers earlier on, no people whatsoever since the gap. Didn't go further down to Indian Bar camp, but could see it from here. Maybe needs another half an hour.
Back at camp ~6:30pm. Early enough to cook and wash. Mosquitoes. Not much of a sunset tonight. Surprisingly many stars at night.
8.19. Got up at 6:30 witnessed sunrise shortly before 7am.
Too cloudy. The top of Rainier was in clouds. Did see rainbow briefly. Then it rained. I fell back to sleep inside the tent.
Departed at 9:30am. Campers at Summerland all headed up. Met them on the narrow steps. A marmots was eating lupine flowers right by the trail. He stopped from time to time to stared at hikers. Very cute! On the way down to the car, met close to 100 hikers!
Drove up to Sunrise Point to enjoy a watermelon. Only here, found a nail on the right front tire. I cannot imagine anyone doing this. Had to change tire. A wonderful trip ended on a sour note and ~8 bites.
Practicality: Summerland shelter is at ~5800', 4.2 miles from the trailhead (@~3800'). 5 individual sites, 1 group site. Panhandle Gap is at 6800', 6 miles from the trailhead. Indian Bar campsite is at ~5120', 4.5 miles from Summerland, 4 individual sites, 1 group site.
First 2 miles, almost flat, smooth trail, in the woods, some mushrooms. Around the bridges over the Fryingpan Creek, view starts to improve. Dense mountain asters, then dense valerian, interspersed with yellow and blue, once a while some red. Avalanche lilies are mostly gone. Once at Summerland, the view is expanse. Too bad, the sky was not blue today. But the fields of blue lupines compensated. Found an excellent "secret" campsite (a workers' hideout) not too far from the creek, with locked iron boxes and a red beach chair! View of Mt. Rainier too!After lunch, at 2pm, headed to Panhandle Gap, over boulders. Still lots of snow around the gap, but nothing difficult with waterproof boots and poles. 2 half frozen ponds. A group of kids were sliding down, screaming and beaming. Took me over an hour to get here. Excellent view all around. Earlier on, a group of goats were seen on the snow. The south side of the gap is more expansive, more distant mountains. Cannot see Mt. Rainier from here, but Mt Adams was looming ghostly ahead due to the clouds. It's not all the way down. Plenty of uphills. Mercifully, they are short, and punctured with flat meadows. Another hour later, reached a down slope full of flowers. Most colorful. To the right (east) is a big deep ravine with a dozen little waterfalls draping on the seemingly smooth surface. To the left, green hills with blue hue (lupine). To the front, endless layers of scenery. Ate and rested. I think it is my favorite spot on Rainier. Ohanapecosh Park? Apart from 2 campers earlier on, no people whatsoever since the gap. Didn't go further down to Indian Bar camp, but could see it from here. Maybe needs another half an hour.
Back at camp ~6:30pm. Early enough to cook and wash. Mosquitoes. Not much of a sunset tonight. Surprisingly many stars at night.
8.19. Got up at 6:30 witnessed sunrise shortly before 7am.
Too cloudy. The top of Rainier was in clouds. Did see rainbow briefly. Then it rained. I fell back to sleep inside the tent. Departed at 9:30am. Campers at Summerland all headed up. Met them on the narrow steps. A marmots was eating lupine flowers right by the trail. He stopped from time to time to stared at hikers. Very cute! On the way down to the car, met close to 100 hikers!
Drove up to Sunrise Point to enjoy a watermelon. Only here, found a nail on the right front tire. I cannot imagine anyone doing this. Had to change tire. A wonderful trip ended on a sour note and ~8 bites.
Practicality: Summerland shelter is at ~5800', 4.2 miles from the trailhead (@~3800'). 5 individual sites, 1 group site. Panhandle Gap is at 6800', 6 miles from the trailhead. Indian Bar campsite is at ~5120', 4.5 miles from Summerland, 4 individual sites, 1 group site.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
2012.8.17. Turandot
Highly enjoyable. Back to what the operas were about "traditionally": theatrical extravaganza for the commoners. Dramatic staging. Visually overwhelming colors. Funny libretto. Sometimes bordering vulgar. No subtly. The two leading male singers are excellent. The chairs of Ping, Pang, Pong is a fun idea.
I'm glad to see a good turnout on this Friday evening. The AC is a good incentive: quite hot today.
Timur: Peter Rose
Calaf: Antonello Palombi
Liu: Lina Tetriani
Turandot: Lori Philips
Conductor: Asher Fisch
Stage, set, costume, choreographer: Barbe & Doucet
I'm glad to see a good turnout on this Friday evening. The AC is a good incentive: quite hot today.
Timur: Peter Rose
Calaf: Antonello Palombi
Liu: Lina Tetriani
Turandot: Lori Philips
Conductor: Asher Fisch
Stage, set, costume, choreographer: Barbe & Doucet
Friday, August 10, 2012
2012.8.9. Skyline Divide
Skyline Divide may be the easiest and most rewarding hikes in the North Cascades. Only 2 miles one way, 4300' - 5900'. The view is glorious. Carpets of yellow, white and blue waving in the breeze. Snowy mountain peaks in 3 directions both far and near, and one side is green hills down to North Fork Nooksack River. Baker to the south is the closest, Shuksan and Ruth to the east, Canadian peaks to the north. Only one small snow patch on the trail before reaching the ridge. Easily passable in tennis shoes. Bugs, but not too bad. I got one bite. The trail goes further 2.5 miles and ~650' up towards Baker. However, with a kid and a grandma in tow, we settled in the first patch of flowers for a picnic. Glad to be here.
Direction: the first road (FR39) east of Glacier ranger station. Turn immediately to left on to FR37. 12 miles gravel to the end. Bumpy sometimes. Clear signs. About a dozen cars around noon on this Thursday. Some campers (no running water, but enough snow).
Shell Gas station at Maple Falls is reasonably priced: $3.79/gl today. The wait at Huntington-Sumas border crossing is 30 minutes to US ~11am, and 1.3 hours to Canada ~6pm!
Monday, August 06, 2012
2012.8.4-5 Wedgemont Lake and Squamish Spit
2012.8.4. Saturday. Wedgemont Lake has been on my todo list for a few years. It's absolutely worth the effort: 14km RT, 1200m elevation gain. Took me 3:05 hours to reach the ridge. Relentless steep grade. The first 2 hours are boring, except at the 2 short iron bridges close to the trail head, where a constant fresh breeze cools down my sweat. No view, no breeze, root ladders. Occasionally tiny stream by the trail to wash the sweat off. Even though most of the time you cannot see any water, you can hear it all the way. After 2 hours, a towering waterfall can be seen through the trees to the other side of the ravine. Never a full view, just a glimpse here and there for half an hour, until you emerge from the forest. The last half an hour is pretty: bright green corn lily, view to the south cliffs with hanging snow, to the west Tantalus Range. Some sub-alpine flowers. No shade, but has breeze. Lots of boulders. Sometime require hands. Once you climb up the avalanche chute, it's almost flat. 
A few minutes later, the powdery green glacier lake dazzles in front of you. Nice to rest here. But hard to stay put for long before the horseflies in the neighborhood find you. Soon, green shrubs and white heather give way to rocks. The view is better up here. But who wouldn't go down to the lake? Just 5-10 minutes on broken rocks, almost flat. Very refreshing to wash the sweat off. Too cold to jump in, at least for me. On the way down to the waterfront, I saw 2 guys sunning themselves next to a little pond completely naked. After some food by the lake, soaking up the view, returned to the car in ~2.5 hours. My legs were a bit wobbly towards the end.There's a very small hut (for 4 or 6 people?). A high toilet (clean, decent toilet paper, no smell). 3 excellent wood camping platforms on the rocky ridge, overlooking the stunning beauty of the surrounding granite and the tantalizing lake. Most campers had to find places around the rocky slope without the lake view, or down at the waterfront (less dramatic view). Not too many people on this sunny, a bit too hot (~32°C), Saturday. 5 bites, not too bad.
Direction: ~13km on Hwy 99 north of Wistler Gate Blvd. Clear BC provincial park sign (blue + white) for the lake. Turn right. Follow the sign to turn left. Total ~2km on the narrow gravel road. Bad but passable. Left Seattle downtown at 8:20am, arrived at the tail head at 14:20. Two 5 minute stops for gas and duty-free. 30 minutes at the border. Slow going at times on Hwy 99. Too many people for the Canadian long weekend.
Returned to Squamish for the night. It was already past 10pm. Everything was closed. Picked up a local visitor's guide at the hotel lobby. Only then did I realize that this might be some kind of long weekend in Canada.
8/5 Sunday
Canada Day parade in downtown Squamish. People lined up Cleveland Ave's east side (in the shade). Instead of watching the parade, we headed over to the spit to watch the Canadian kite board national championship, one of the few festivals in the visitor's guide. People were just filing in. The spit itself is very scenic, bordered on both side by water. One side is the marshy deposit typical of an estuary. Very green, lots of birds. Ahead is Howe Sound. Prevailing summer wind makes this area very pleasant on a hot summer day. Great view over Stawamus Chief and Shannon Falls, Diamond Head... Today, it's also extremely colorful. Some were just showing off, not participate the competition.
Direction: Hwy 99 north edge of Squamish town center. Take Centenial Way west or Commercial Way west - right on Queens way. Continue on Government Road curving south. Drive the wide gravel road all the way to the end, with water on both sides.
$15/day or $150/year. Anyone can play here. Free to watch. Gear rental and medical attention, kite boarding school. A small booth selling water and beer. Cash only.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
2012.7.28. Sunrise at Mt. Rainier
~5 hours walk in the afternoon. Thick clouds when we left Seattle. In just 5 minutes entering the park, we got through the clouds. Rainier's eastern face glisten in the blue sky. As always, stopped at Sunrise Point parking lot - one of the prettiest views in the park. Mt Adams can easily be seen to the south. The drive from here to Sunrise is lined with blue and red.
Walked to Berkeley Park first. Frozen Lake is 1/3 frozen. 2 patches of snow, easy cross. Berkeley Park was covered with early summer flowers: glacier lily, western anemone, corn lily. Very green. Had lunch next to a creek. Quite some Jeffery's shooting star and marsh marygold. Had to cross the creek (not the trail) to find some patches of avalanche lily. I like these better than the yellow ones.Returned to the Wonderland Trail. Proceeded to the east towards Granite Creek, until the pass. Dryer, rockier. More lupines, phlox, penstemon, paintbrush, even heather (white, golden, pink). Very good view at the pass. There was a slope densely covered with blue (Jacob's ladder, harebell, cusick's speedwell), white and yellow (Fan-leaf Cinquefoil, ...). Clouds moved in...
On the way back, detoured to visit Sunrise Camp. Not too bad. Shadow Lake is not too close, but not a far walk. A nice looking wooden shelter, completely boarded up, why?
Back in Sunrise parking lot, a buck emerged high on the flowering slope. Almost no one noticed him. Good size antlers.
Clear sky in Seattle, and to the south. Traffic jam, blocked street due to the Torchlight parade, which just ended when I walked home.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
2012.7.25. Pinter's 2 short plays at ACT
Part of ACT's Pinter Festival.
First half, The Dumb Waiter, written in 1957. I'm completely lost. 2 hit men waiting for the order in a Birmingham basement, where food orders come down via the dumb waiter from time to time. At the end of the play, we might guess that the junior partner is the target of today's murder. The dumb waiter represents a one-way communication, orders given to a lower class. Pauses and repetition are used to create tension and emphasis. The logistics how the junior partner went to the kitchen/bathroom and later appeared in the front door without his attire is flawed and strange.
2nd half, Celebration of 2000, is equally puzzling, but at least entertaining. 2 tables in the town's best restaurant. One celebrates an older couple's wedding anniversary with wife's sister and her husband. The other, a young couple, where the husband just got a promotion of sort. Meaningless and sometimes ridiculous (yet funny) conversations, interjected by the restaurant owner, the beautiful maitresse d', and a waiter who associates his grandfather with every famous men in 1920s and 30s. The play ends in the mid sentence of this waiter, again talking about his grandpa.
I don't understand either play, what's the intention of Pinter. Excellent stage sets: simple and effective. The basement's wall are nicely stained. The restaurant wall seems frosted glass with an elegant green glow. Great acting, as always. The house was quite full, to my surprise. This is a Wednesday.
First half, The Dumb Waiter, written in 1957. I'm completely lost. 2 hit men waiting for the order in a Birmingham basement, where food orders come down via the dumb waiter from time to time. At the end of the play, we might guess that the junior partner is the target of today's murder. The dumb waiter represents a one-way communication, orders given to a lower class. Pauses and repetition are used to create tension and emphasis. The logistics how the junior partner went to the kitchen/bathroom and later appeared in the front door without his attire is flawed and strange.
2nd half, Celebration of 2000, is equally puzzling, but at least entertaining. 2 tables in the town's best restaurant. One celebrates an older couple's wedding anniversary with wife's sister and her husband. The other, a young couple, where the husband just got a promotion of sort. Meaningless and sometimes ridiculous (yet funny) conversations, interjected by the restaurant owner, the beautiful maitresse d', and a waiter who associates his grandfather with every famous men in 1920s and 30s. The play ends in the mid sentence of this waiter, again talking about his grandpa.
I don't understand either play, what's the intention of Pinter. Excellent stage sets: simple and effective. The basement's wall are nicely stained. The restaurant wall seems frosted glass with an elegant green glow. Great acting, as always. The house was quite full, to my surprise. This is a Wednesday.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
2012.7.21. Bandera and Twin Falls
Bandera used to be my 7/4 flower hike. Like last year, cool summer weather and large spring rainfall delayed the snow melt. The flowers are yet to reach their peak, especially on the higher slope. Still has some snow patches on the ridge. Even though I've been here so many times, the colors never failed to dazzle me. Somewhat too cloudy today. Couldn't see Mt. Rainier. But the clouds moving in and out has its own charm. Quite a lot of people. Standing amidst endless flowers, I didn't mind to wait for people to pass.Practicality: I-90 exit #45 east is closed. Need to take exit 45 westbound for FR3090. Road was clear (quite some fallen trees, cut), pot holes, but not too bad. ~2.5 miles to the bottom of the steep flower covered slope. Quite some bugs.
Stopped by Twin Falls in Olallie state park south of exit #34. Lots of people here too, more in sandals and jeans, higher in body weight. A very green one mile trail (almost) along South Fork Snoqualmie River to more than two waterfalls. At one point, it was cascading down 4 steps in a narrow gorge. 
Mossy, a bit muggy (no wind), some big trees. Shady but warm. Possible to play in the cold river in the first half mile of the trail. No access to the plunge pools. Little elevation gain. A very nice place to introduce newbies to hiking. Not as many bugs as on Bandera.Trivia: ollalie = berry
.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
2012.7.17. Whidbey Island state parks
Tuesday. WA state parks now charge a hefty $10 for day use. Its annual fee kept at $30.
We arrived at
Deception Pass around 2pm. Quite a lot of people and cars. Parking next to the bridge was 80% full. A young girl in an information booth answering questions and dispensing fliers. A good map is also posted. Even though only 20% full in the West Beach, but it's a HUGE lot. I cannot imagine what it's like when the lot is full (on weekends). I consider this already too many people. We didn't walk much. Just walked the two bridges. My friend's child played in the swimming area of Cranberry Lake, next to the ocean shore. So the parents had to keep watch. I walked around the short, paved sand dune loop. Not really a dune: quite flat. Excellent weather: sunny, a little hazy, but not hot. View at the beach is not bad. But I like the view up from the bridge much better. More than one campgrounds in the park.
Next stop: Fort Ebey. Saw 2 deer right at the parking lot. Constructed in 1942 in response of Pearl Harbor attack. 2 gun sites (only circular ground), a concrete bunker where you are hide or store ammunition. A bit damp inside. Water is leaking through the ceiling at a couple of points. Could be spooky. A flash light is useful. Tall enough to walk around without bending. Some rooms have wooden doors. The grassy slope high enough to have a fine view of the coast. Saw ~5 other people, maybe camping here? Very nice and quiet. My friend refused to sit on the grassy :(
On the way to Fort Casey, we stopped at Keystone Harbor, checking out the ferry and the underwater park. As it was getting dark, only 2 cars were there. We watched the sunset on top of the gun battery and barrack in Fort Casey. We were the only people there. Fine view of the Olympic. 2 more deer here. Didn't have time to check out the new1903 light house. This army site is much older: 1890. 2 shiny big guns. The barrack is much larger and in better condition. Staircases and safety nets. Guided tours are offered in summer weekends. Another nice park to camp and stroll about. Not sure if it would get too crowded on weekends.
We arrived at
Deception Pass around 2pm. Quite a lot of people and cars. Parking next to the bridge was 80% full. A young girl in an information booth answering questions and dispensing fliers. A good map is also posted. Even though only 20% full in the West Beach, but it's a HUGE lot. I cannot imagine what it's like when the lot is full (on weekends). I consider this already too many people. We didn't walk much. Just walked the two bridges. My friend's child played in the swimming area of Cranberry Lake, next to the ocean shore. So the parents had to keep watch. I walked around the short, paved sand dune loop. Not really a dune: quite flat. Excellent weather: sunny, a little hazy, but not hot. View at the beach is not bad. But I like the view up from the bridge much better. More than one campgrounds in the park. Next stop: Fort Ebey. Saw 2 deer right at the parking lot. Constructed in 1942 in response of Pearl Harbor attack. 2 gun sites (only circular ground), a concrete bunker where you are hide or store ammunition. A bit damp inside. Water is leaking through the ceiling at a couple of points. Could be spooky. A flash light is useful. Tall enough to walk around without bending. Some rooms have wooden doors. The grassy slope high enough to have a fine view of the coast. Saw ~5 other people, maybe camping here? Very nice and quiet. My friend refused to sit on the grassy :(
On the way to Fort Casey, we stopped at Keystone Harbor, checking out the ferry and the underwater park. As it was getting dark, only 2 cars were there. We watched the sunset on top of the gun battery and barrack in Fort Casey. We were the only people there. Fine view of the Olympic. 2 more deer here. Didn't have time to check out the new1903 light house. This army site is much older: 1890. 2 shiny big guns. The barrack is much larger and in better condition. Staircases and safety nets. Guided tours are offered in summer weekends. Another nice park to camp and stroll about. Not sure if it would get too crowded on weekends.
Monday, July 09, 2012
2012.7.8. Cheese making at River Valley
Parmesan and Feta Cheese making class of ~1.5 hours at River Valley cheese in Fall City. $65 with Groupon. Still too expensive. 
The hands-on part is only cutting the already made Feta and coating the already made Parmesan wheel in salt. Plastic gloves were provided to keep our hands clean. Total 16 students in this session (2 classes every weekend day). However, it's still fun. 
A cheese platter was laid out at the door (the fresh goat cheese with honey and lavender is yummy. The rest is not aged enough to develop a lot of flavor, and a bit on the salty side), which we could sample at anytime; a slice of cheese cake (made fresh today at 4am) was boxed for us to take home. As for studying material: a stainless steel bowl to cut the Feta, sea salt and olive oil to season it, and a plastic container to take home with. For Parmesan, we picked a wheel, rolled it in salt, and Julie wrapped it for us. A ~10 page printout with detailed instruction and link to resources. Only one student (it's her birthday) was called up to turned the milk while it congealed, and to scoop the curd into a perforated can to squeeze the whey out. Julie is fairly practical, teaching us to make cheese in a small home setting, telling us where to buy material and the reasonable price or how to go about making our own. Julie Steil, the owner, started cheese making 7 years ago (after a high rise management career). According to her, she was #6 in WA state at that time. Up to 2 years ago, she kept a herd of 200 cows + buffalo + yak + sheep + goat, breeding them and milking them. The cheese factory is just a garage. Instead of cars, it has a few deep sinks and fridges, a big tub.
Here are my notes + printout distributed by Julie:
After the class, swam in the nearby Snoqualmie River. A bit hard to walk on the pebbles with my injured ankles. Not a lot of shade. The water is very clear, can easily see where I was standing. The current is quite strong. I only stayed on the shallow side, which I could just sat on the pebbles with water up to my neck. Water was fairly chilly, especially the deeper running center. Refreshing for this hot afternoon (above ~80°?). Lots of people floating on brightly colored tubs fashioned with back rest and drink pockets. Often times 3-4 tied together. Saw one guy standing on a surf board and peddling down stream. A bit precarious. Relaxing and fun to watch them. Would be glad to return with some drinks on another hot day. Did tried Rattlesnake Lake. Even more people. Grass and shade, but water is a bit dirty. 
On the way back, dined at Sip Restaurant and Wine Bar, armed with 2 $50 gift cards (my birthday present that was nearly impossible to use without a car after their Seattle branch closed.). The cheapest wine flight ($15, I liked the first one, the lightest), an appetizer (good), 2 entrees (The short rib I ordered was way too dry. The tuna dish came with an interesting pasta, sweet and tangy.), 1 scoop of ice cream (not bad). Still need extra cash to cover the tip. Nice outdoor seating. Nice wash sink in the restroom. Almost empty in the main dining room.
Sunday, July 08, 2012
2012.7.7. Miracle! at Intiman Playhouse
Preview of one of the summer festival at Intiman. Offensive language and sexual imitation at time. Good costume. Simple stage set. I'm glad that Intiman is finally back to life on its 40th birthday. 4 plays in one month is a commendable achievement: 2 openings today! But the energy seems to have spread thin. I can not say for the other 3 plays. This is not well rehearsed, yet. A bit rough and rush in how the story is put up together.
Plot: Helen Steller is a spoiled 20 year old deaf and blind, love to dance in drag in his father's gay bar. Government sent a lesbian sign language teacher to Helen.
Very busy at Seattle Center. Naked bikers came earlier in the day via the Sculpture Park. Lots of people when I went there to buy the ticket (~7pm). The beer garden was overflowing. But not many in the theatre. ~40% full.
Plot: Helen Steller is a spoiled 20 year old deaf and blind, love to dance in drag in his father's gay bar. Government sent a lesbian sign language teacher to Helen.
Very busy at Seattle Center. Naked bikers came earlier in the day via the Sculpture Park. Lots of people when I went there to buy the ticket (~7pm). The beer garden was overflowing. But not many in the theatre. ~40% full.
Thursday, July 05, 2012
2012.7.5. One Slight Hitch at ACT
One Slight Hitch by Lewis Black. Nothing new, but still quite funny. Some smart dialog. Excellent acting, especially the dad (hilarious when he was drinking and smoking. Actor R. Hamilton Wright has been one of my favorites on Seattle's stages.). The groom and the girl were fun. I really like the stage set and the color too. Clever background lighting on the top. Wonderful opening and short ending narrated by the youngest daughter.
A suburban Cincinnati house is throwing a wedding party for the eldest daughter in early 1980s. The ex-boyfriend showed up.
I fell going down the stairs and twisted my only good ankle. Now I'm quite handicapped. Jim Moran, the house manager, happened to witness my fall (so were many patrons), brought me an ice pack loosely wrapped in a paper towel. During intermission, he came in and inquired about my foot. On my way out, he gave me his name card and showed me a form that he filled about my accident. Maybe worried that I'd sue the theatre?
A suburban Cincinnati house is throwing a wedding party for the eldest daughter in early 1980s. The ex-boyfriend showed up.
I fell going down the stairs and twisted my only good ankle. Now I'm quite handicapped. Jim Moran, the house manager, happened to witness my fall (so were many patrons), brought me an ice pack loosely wrapped in a paper towel. During intermission, he came in and inquired about my foot. On my way out, he gave me his name card and showed me a form that he filled about my accident. Maybe worried that I'd sue the theatre?
July 4th at the 2012 Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival
2012.7.4. Last day at the Wooden Boat Festival. A beautiful day. Warm and sunny. Quite fun. Lots of people. Kids running around in dancing fountains, or testing out their newly built little boats in the big pond. Lots of wooden boats that you can walk in and chat with the owners. I liked schooner WN Ragland the most, who earned my token. Its interior has some fine pieces of furniture and fun decoration. Kitchen counter top has slots built in for knives. Carol M let's you wonder in its twin engine room. Steamship Virginia V's engineer room IS the main floor, huge. 4 pistons, a fuel-injected boiler, and many pipes and valves. There was a guide happy to explain how things work. Tug boat Arthur Foss also opens its engine room. You have to take shoes off to walk onto Zanzibar, a very nice yacht. M.V.Lotus is draped like a floating B&B. Orion sail boat runs overnight school programs. Of course, half of the boats were just moored there for the show and the fireworks. They don't let you in. But enough to look around, and I only visited those parked to the west of MOHI. 4 canoes were being built in a hut near the Wooden Boat center. At 4pm, 3 small semi-finished boats built in less a day did their run (Quick and Daring Boat Building contest). The 3rd one (made of cardboard and duct tape!) tipped when launched. Both guys fell in the lake. One of them knocked a hole on the side, which disqualified the boat. The other 2 (made of cheap plywood) finished the round, managed to put the sail on the way back.
Fireworks started ~10:20pm on Lake Union. A bit chilly. The roof top of my building was somewhat crowded, even though each unit was limited to 2 guests. A couple of fun designs including smiley face, half balls, cubes. Too far to have the real experience. Colorful nonetheless. Elliott Bay didn't seem to have a fireworks show this year.
Fireworks started ~10:20pm on Lake Union. A bit chilly. The roof top of my building was somewhat crowded, even though each unit was limited to 2 guests. A couple of fun designs including smiley face, half balls, cubes. Too far to have the real experience. Colorful nonetheless. Elliott Bay didn't seem to have a fireworks show this year.
Monday, July 02, 2012
2012.7.1. Granite Mountain
Overcast, cold. Partially snow covered. Trail was lost close to the top. Didn't get to the lookout. A bit cold. Beargrass, lupines are coming. Only a little paintbrushes. Cloudy. Could only see the neighboring snowy mountains near the pass. Good view if it would be sunny.
Granite Mountain:
Roundtrip 8.0 miles
Elevation Gain 3800 ft
Highest Point 5629 ft
I-90 exit 47. North of highway. Turn left. Share the trailhead with Pratt Lake,
Granite Mountain:
Roundtrip 8.0 miles
Elevation Gain 3800 ft
Highest Point 5629 ft
I-90 exit 47. North of highway. Turn left. Share the trailhead with Pratt Lake,
Saturday, June 30, 2012
2012.6.28. Matrix with Seattle Symphony
Monday, June 25, 2012
2012.6.23. Seattle Men's Chorus "Sing Out"
Seattle Men's Chorus performs at McCaw Hall. Not very funny this concert. A bit too political: trying to urge the audience to vote in November for the new proposition that'll grant marriage to homosexual couples. Eric Lane Barnes' For the Straight Guys has quite funny lyrics. Circle of Life is very well done. I also liked the costumes for Do, Re, Me and Dancing Queen. O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen is beautifully done. Seattle Women's Chorus also sang. Both did I Thank You God for Most This Amazing Day music by Eric Whitacre,
lyrics by E.E. Cummings, but it's a bit too somber and complicated. I didn't enjoy it as much. Local voice group Esoterics sang a set of 5 songs based on Simpson characters. A youth group called Diversity Harmony say one song, not nearly as good as the few we heard in the lobby before the concert. Two general public competed on stage solo, selected from 40 some entries. The lady won by 2 votes, which is to my surprise.
lyrics by E.E. Cummings, but it's a bit too somber and complicated. I didn't enjoy it as much. Local voice group Esoterics sang a set of 5 songs based on Simpson characters. A youth group called Diversity Harmony say one song, not nearly as good as the few we heard in the lobby before the concert. Two general public competed on stage solo, selected from 40 some entries. The lady won by 2 votes, which is to my surprise.
Friday, June 15, 2012
2012.6.14. Seattle Symphony
Ludovic Morlot conducts
Stephen Hough on piano
This month program notes mentioned 3 departing members, Luce, Williams, Du. The youngest of these, Du, has served with Seattle Symphony since 1986. I hope they didn't leave out of any discontent during the transition. I truly hope our new music director gets along well with the members of the orchestra. Today's concert was close to full. Outstanding for a noon performance, even though a rush hour discount was offered.
Stephen Hough on piano
- Bernstein: Overture to Candide
- Ives: Symphony #2
- Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto #3 in D minor
This month program notes mentioned 3 departing members, Luce, Williams, Du. The youngest of these, Du, has served with Seattle Symphony since 1986. I hope they didn't leave out of any discontent during the transition. I truly hope our new music director gets along well with the members of the orchestra. Today's concert was close to full. Outstanding for a noon performance, even though a rush hour discount was offered.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
South America - part 17/17 - Summary of the 4 months
4 months are not enough for South America. I only visited part of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru (2nd time), Ecuador (2nd time), Columbia. After maybe a month, I got into the busy yet simple rhythm of traveling, always going somewhere, no longer wanted to go home. I found this quote of Theroux succinct: Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going.Favorites of this trip
- Peru is my favorite country: mountains are higher, ruins are grander. I will return!
- Towns: Banos in Ecuador. 2nd: Copacabana in Bolivia, Villa de Leyva in Columbia.
- Ruins: Kuelap near Chachapoya, Peru. Of course, nothing can beat Machu Picchu.
- Hiking: Huaraz area (Cordillera Blanca).
- Iguazu Falls, Perito Moreno glacier, Torres de Paine park, Paradise Bay in Antarctic Peninsular, Laguna Colorada, Valle de Cocora.
- Jungle tour out of Lagunas, Peru, is the most memorable, for both the good and the bad. I'd like to do another Amazon tour in dry season (June-October), maybe from Pucallpa, Peru or Rurrenabaque, Bolivia.
Resources:
- Guide books: Lonely Planet, Frommer's, Rough Guide.
- An e-reader is highly recommended to have, so you don't have to carry all the books. However, mine was stole 3 weeks into my trip. So I bought books twice, borrowed people's guide books, and downloaded library's country specific e-books on my iTouch, (Frommer's usually). However, battery wears out quickly. I found these three similar, in usefulness, often outdated. Still, it's absolutely essential to have at least one guide book. ** update: I shopped for another Kindle as soon as I was back in USA. I actually bought 3 Kindles: a newest Kindle (smallest and cheapest, but I don't like to type using the 5-way button), a Kindle Touch (my favorite), and a Kindle Keyboard 3G (my second choice).
- The best is Internet. One recommended site is: Lonely Planet's forum.
- Maps on Kindle is quite useless. Resolution is too low. I recommend map apps on iTouch or download on your laptop.
- Hostel front desk. Tourism office.
Packing
Had to pack for 0°C-35°C. What I brought that're recommendable:
- Eye mask + ear plug (important)
- 1 big backpack, 1 small backpack (sprayed by thieves and I threw it away).
- 1 thin sleeping bag. Mostly used on overnight buses or sleep in the airport.
- 1 small cashmere sweater, 1 thin fleece with hood, 1 thin 800-fill down coat, 1 fleece hat, 1 pair of ski gloves and ski-jacket to throw away
- 1 pair of long pants, 1 long sleeve shirt (both insect-shield)
- 2 pairs of shorter pants longer than knees (both quick-dry).
- 3 T-shirts (quick dry), 1 long sleeve undershirt.
- swimsuit, 1 big + 1 small towel (quick dry).
- rain pants + poncho.
- 1 pair of waterproof hiking shoes, 1 pair of sandals (threw that because it didn't fit properly for long walks, and bought a pair of water shoes).
- 1 head lamp (lost it, had to buy another one), steripen (used to disinfect tap water).
- unmatched socks and unwanted underwear (to be threw away). At the end of the trip, I was left with only 2 pairs of socks and 3 pairs of underpants.
- laptop, camera, Kindle (stolen in Chile), a GSM phone (not used)
- ITouch with offline maps, PDFs of guide books, blogger app (used constantly to keep notes), translation app.
- 1 8GB USB flash drive, 2 8GB SD card, 2 batteries for camera, a mic+headphone to call on my laptop, spare cables and ear buds.
- sun hat, sun block, insect repellent, sunglasses.
- Washing line, 3 clips, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, floss, toilet paper, wetwipes.
Money
- I lost track of how much I spent. Antarctic is the most expensive. $5000 a week. Argentina, Chile are expensive (same as in USA). In Columbia, things are generally the same price as in USA (except for tropical fruits), and its coastal area is more expensive. Bolivia is the cheapest, next is Ecuador (thanks to its own petroleum production).
- ATMs charge a hefty fee ($4-5) in Chile and Argentina. Other countries depending on which bank the ATM belongs to. US$ is the easiest currency and sometimes the only foreign currency you can exchange. Bolivia and Peru only take new US notes.
- Traveling alone is more expensive but flexible. I couldn't share taxi or tour costs with others.
- My largest expense is transportation, due to the large distance I covered. Public transportation is extensive.
Language
- Spanish only. Harder to understand the accents in Argentina and the Carribean coast of Columbia.
Food
- I love all the fruits in Peru and Ecuador markets.
Health
- Where I was, no medication is required.
- I took Acetazolamide for Bolivia and Huaraz, prevention only. It's supposed to increase oxygen in the blood. Need to take plenty of water when taking the pill. 24 hours before ascent. 3 pills a day.
- I also took Doxycycline for malaria before heading to the jungles, prevention only. It upsets stomach, and increases sun burn. Need to take plenty of water.
- As a woman, hormone pills to avoid period.
- Antibiotics for diarrhea when needed, multivitamin (finished in the middle of my trip).
- A 12oz bottle of contact lens solution lasted me for the entire trip. I didn't use contacts if no clean water can be found, like the whole week going to the Amazon region.
- I had Hepatitis A and B vaccination 12 years ago. So, had a Hep A booster before my trip.
- Last year, I had vaccination for Yellow Fever and Typhoid.
Power Plug
- European plug: Argentina, (Brazil?), Bolivia, Chile, Peru and Bolivia.
- US plug: Columbia, Ecuador. I carried a universal power plug which works in most countries (not South Africa).
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