twenty-ten in 3 acts

Nikki in South Africa. Part 1

2010-06-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the lack of blog post since arriving in SA. I'll try and catch up quickly... starting with Nikki's 2 week visit to South Africa. Nikki, Eric & I made a last minute decision to flee the stormy weather in Cape Town & fly to Port Elizabeth, the starting point for a road trip. Our road trip evolved as we traveled -- from the beaches of the "Wild Coast," to the hogsback mountains, on to Addo Elephant Park. A visual snippet of the diverse landscapes we visited below & full set of photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/maikanicholson/SANikkiSPhotos?feat=directlink

Driving on the "wrong" side of the road & shifting with the left hand - not as difficult as one might think!

We spent night one in the town of Chintsa (pronounced in Xhosa with two clicks of the tongue) @ Buckaneers Backpackers & woke up at dawn for sunrise, yoga, "redbacks" and running on the beach. Definitely a top 10 sunrise.

The next day we hiked along the wild coast coast near Morgan's Bay...the dramatic cliffs backed by rolling green hills reminiscent of Ireland perhaps?

Our next stop was Hogsback in the Amatola mountains, featuring aptly named Hog 1, Hog 2 & Hog 3. This area reportedly was an inspiration for the fictional landscapes of J.R.R Tolkein - a South African, who knew?

2 days in Hogsback featured 2 great hikes, the oldest tree in South Africa, 5 waterfalls, one bathtub in the middle of nowhere, one 30m high tree house, a windy summit, 3 very breakable clay animals sold to us by the 'kamikaze kids'

Eric and I approaching Hog 1

A windy Summit

After Hogsback we headed on to Addo... a dramatically different landscape yet again. We were fortunate to come across Chris (crisscross adventures), who was an amazing guide for Addo Elephant NP and the surrounding area. He grew up in Addo and had an incredible wealth of knowledge of the landscape & wildlife in the NP & surrounding area as well as an innate ability to spot wildlife in the bush. He also guessed my birthday to the year, month and DAY on the first guess. He say he "has a sense about certain people"..... eerie. Below a trip with Chris Pickels & co. on the Sundays River.

Kudu, warthogs, buffalo, flightless dung beatles.....and of course elephants galore!

To be continued.....

senderismo sierra nevada part 2: monachil

2010-04-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day of hiking near Pueblo Monachil.
The Route: Monachil - Puente colgante - Tunel de las Palomas - Acequia de los Habices - Monachil

Full set of photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/maikanicholson/Monachil?feat=directlink

senderismo sierra nevada - part 1: vereda de la estrella

2010-04-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

In search of the Cueva Secreta

The trip started out brilliantly (albeit a little on the late side) on a sunny Thursday afternoon. We caught a bus from Granada to Pueblo Guejar Sierra with delicious sandwiches in our bellies (thank you Jinse) and a spring in our step.

Below - Guejar Sierra on the right,reservoir of Rio Genil in the background. The reservoir supplies drinking water to Granada.

From town, we had to walk on a country road for about 5km to the Vereda de la Estrella trailhead. We promptly ran into our first roadblock - more specifically - a section of road that had been washed out by a mudslide. We asked the construction workers if we could pass and they said - NO - the road is CLOSED. So we asked, with friendly smiles on our faces, are you sure? There's no way around by foot? - Pause -...oh hum, ok... you can walk around and use our construction bridge to cross. Apparently walking through construction sites is OK in Spain.

Below - rebuilding the road. Record rainfall this year in Granada has caused many problems with mudslides in the area

And fences? they're just to keep the goats off the trail, right?

Success! We've made it through to the trailhead

Abandoned mining camps - now being restored as refugios (we think)

We were aiming for the Cueva Secreta as an end point to Day 1, but at 8:30pm we were still had a ways to go. We decided to set up camp in a nice level area - a helicopter landing pad for emergency evacuation! We set up a fire pit, gathered wood & prepared a delicious dinner of Copos de Quinoa with Cranberries, Cashews, Mint, Cilantro & Parsley. Camping gourmet!

Above - setting up camp!

Below - the gorgeous view from our campsite

At 3am, we woke up to the drumming of raindrops on the rainfly - so loud and steady it was difficult to sleep. When we woke up, the rain had abated enough to make breakfast & prepare for day 2. Just as we were finishing breakfast, the drizzle turned to buckets & we ran for shelter into an old mine tunnel nearby. About 5 minutes walking from our campsite, we encountered our last roadblock, an impassable waterfall - our decision was made for us - time to head back to Guejar Sierra.

No podemos pasar - sigh - didn't make it to the Cueva Secreta this time around.

Bad weather rolling in...

Back in town. filling our water bottles with fresh mountain spring water.

Of course, it turns into a beautiful day in the afternoon - we sat on a Terraza, wishing we were still in the Mountains!

Lovely Lisboa

2010-04-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

I ♥ Lisboa

I ♥ Lisboa

view of the city from Castelo Sao Jorge

Archaelogic record shows signs that humans have occupied the site of Catelo Sao Jorge (at the highest point of the highest hill in Lisbon) since the 6th Century BC - Indigenous Celtic tribes, greeks, phoenicians, carthaginians and later romans, moors, etc. The castle & city of Lisbon was won over by the Christians in the mid 12th Centruy during the Seige of Lisbon.

A popular spot!

@ Castelo Sao Jorge with my new Living Lounge friends (an international crowd - US, germany, finland & switzerland)

a view of the City, with 25 de Abril bridge in the background - often compared to the Golden Gate Bridge due to it's similar hue and suspension construction. It's the 21st longest suspension bridge in the world.

{#1. Ashaki Kaikyo Bridge (Japan)6,529-ft #9. Golden Gate Bridge 4,200-ft #21 25 de Abril Bridge 3,323-ft}

A perfect blue sky & cherry Blossoms @ Monestary Sao Vicente de Fora

A tram in the historic Alfama district

The nicest hostel I've ever stayed in: The Living Lounge hostel, Baixa-Chiado neighborhood in central lisbon

Each room was designed by a local artist - above, my room w/ Swiss roommates Selene & Livia

Each night, the hostel's chef served up a 3 course feast for the low low price of 8 euro. It was a good way to meet fellow travelers, and some locals too!

Style & Comfort

a very feliz cumpleanos

2010-04-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

A lovely evening with friends, old & new @ my piso. Thanks to Jenny (x2), Amy, Jinse, Leila, Mariana, Rachel, Katy, & fellow bday girl Carrie!

The Menu:

Chips & Guacamole

Mache Salad with Avocado, Cashews & Cherry Tomatoes

Coconut Curry Pink Lentil & Vegetable Stew

Basmati Rice

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

Gluten Free, Agave Sweetened Zucchini, Apple, Sweet Potato, Coconut & Cinnamon Cake with Walnuts

Azulejos

2010-04-14T09:14:00.001-07:00

Azulejos are the ornate & colorful tiles that adorn many of the facades and interiors buildings throughout Lisbon & are a cornerstone of Portuguese architecture. The tiles were introduced by the Moors in the 15th Century & the name Azulejo is derived from the arabic word Zelije meaning "polished stone."

This is just a sampling of the stunning array of tiles I saw while wandering the streets of Lisbon. Que bonito!

Here's a really nice website with history, styles & influences of the Azuluejos in Portugal http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/azulejos/eng/index.html

Portugal Part 1: The Algarve & stalking the locals in Portimao

2010-04-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Fleeing the semana santa procession gridlock in Granada, we (Maika, Jenny (canadian), Carrie) hopped in our wee rental car packed to the brim with beach gear and snacks. Our first stop was Faro - in the Algarve region of Portugal - where we picked up Jenny (english jenny) who was arriving by plane from the UK.

We drove by Faro's main church no less than 25 times while searching for our hotel in the labyrinthine network of one way streets. Inside this church is the Capela de Ossos - a chapel lined with the bones of monks. The chapel was built around 1816 & it's construction displaced a cemetery where hundreds of their earlier brethren lay buried, so the bones were salvaged and recycled into this somewhat bizarre reminder of mortality

Faro seemed very depressed (lots of abandoned buildings) & was very quiet, but the old town had few nice spots & also and some colorful murals!

After Faro, we headed to Portimao, further to the west in the Algarve. Portimao is a big resort town full of huge blocks of touristic apartments, resort hotels and beach houses. During the summer high season, the resorts & beaches are reputedly packed but luckily we were there in off-season and things were relatively serene.

We stayed in the 'Estrela do Vau' apartments,above, which had the feel of faded/outdated grandeur & was painted an appropriately easter colored pale pink. It was clean, comfortable & cheap and served as a good base to explore from.

Below, Portimao's harbour at the entrance to the City.

Our first night in Portimao we went in search of a quiet local bar - away from the main boardwalk (a clear overpriced tourist trap & discoteca haven). We once again found ourselves driving in circles in old-town portimao. There was hardly soul to be seen, nor any sign of a bar. When we were about to give up, we saw two young, hipster-looking guys walking down the Street. They said they were going to a bar, so we followed them & discovered the "true" Portimao hang-outs (ie we were the only non-portuguese in the bar).

here we are stalking the Portimao locals in our mini-car

Jenny (canadian) and Carrie w/weird portuguese man loitering in background

This guy was a harley enthusiast & world traveler. He told us many amusing tales of his adventures after quitting his job in the banking industry while continuously downing shots of some unidentified potent alcohol.

The next day, we had a wonderful time on the beach outside of Portimao - we went running, played frisbee & did yoga in the sand. The beaches outside of Portimao had really stunning rock formations and caves.

Me & Jenny hanging out on the beach.

One of the many beautiful beaches

The next night, as recommended by our new friends from the bar, we went to the restaurant Pote Cheio and enjoyed a desert platter with traditional Portuguese sweets and a local bottle of wine. The Portuguese really know how to make sweets - in the Algarve they're famous for their marzipan sweets. yum.

Apparently the restaurant is a favorite among the locals & we ran into the same guys who pointed us in the direction of the bar the previous night. At this point, they seemed to think we were stalking them around Portimao & appeared very determined to ignore our presence completely (pesky american tourists!).

Afterwards, once again on recommendation from our friend the waiter, we headed to a live music bar that had a fun funk/cover band. I think we found the best spots in the not terribly exciting city of Portimao!

Jenny, Jenny & Carrie had to head back to Granada the next day, but I decided to take a bus up to Lisbon & explore Portugal a bit more. It was a good choice....

to....be....continued

@ 11,413 - feet

2010-03-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

Whew, this weekend was an adventure! I succesfully made it up to the highest point on the Iberian Peninsula (though not all that high) ~ the summit of Mulhacen (11,413-feet).

I will admit, the weekend wasn't all fun....there were a few hiccups.

First, I got food poison on Thursday night & was throwing up all night...the climb was scheduled to depart Saturday morning so I debated just going back to Granada and skipping the whole thing. However, by Friday night I was feeling a bit better and managed to keep some food down, so decided to go for it!

The other hikers were three canadians from Victoria BC. Really nice folk- one of them is apparently a well known lawyer in Canada (he defended the Orca that recently killed a woman who fell into it's tank) and his son and another friend were with him. He had an interesting story - he had been in a bad ski accident 7 years ago and severed an artery in his neck. They though it had healed, but about 6 months later he sneezed and dislodged a blood clot which went to his brain and caused a stroke. He got bored with rehab and started climbing in a climbing gym where he met Dan (the other hiker). Since Chris' recover, they have climbed a mountain together about once every year!

On saturday AM we hiked up to Refugio Poquiera, a hikers hut on the south face of Mulhacen.

Hiccup #2 was that somehow the guide didn't book beds in the hostel (he thought he had, but the hut caretakers had actually told him there were no beds available). With nowhere to get a decent night's rest, we decided to snooze for an hour or two of on the benches and then do a night ascent!

At about 3am early on sunday morning, we set out for the 3.5 hr +/- trek to the summit. It's a pretty straightforward mountain (not technical), just a steady up-hill to the summit. We summited just before sunrise. It was quite beautiful, and eerie o climb at night - so quiet, with the only sound a chk-chk of crampons on ice.

We headed back down pretty quickly cus it was windy and cold at the top, stopped for breakfast at the hut and then booked for another 3 hours of hiking back to the car. Whew! An exhausting but also exhilarating weekend in the Sierra Nevada.

Full group of photos here! http://picasaweb.google.com/maikanicholson/LanjaronMulhacen?feat=directlink

Arquitectura of Francisco J. del Corral del Campo & Parque de las Ciencias

2010-03-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

Nate (my SvR colleague) and Francisco met at a conference in Rio de Janeiro. Nate put us in touch and Francisco has gone above and beyond, welcoming me to the design community in Granada.

He teaches at the University and invited me to a collaborative workshop on scenography between the architecture & art department. The class was in the process of creating models relating to a work of Federico Garcia Lorque, the famous Granada poet. It was quite interesting, though to be honest I couldn't understand much of their explanations & commentary due to my emaciated Spanish skills (Thanks to Tom all I know how to say is traiga tu culo sucio a mi oficina, ahora mismo!).

Last Friday, he invited me and some of his students to tour the 'Public Spaces for Events Forum de Negocios.' The public spaces were created to augment a preexisting office building in southeast Granada. Photos below.

From the project description: "On the boundary of the urban city, next to the fertile low-land (Vega), just where urban geometries are replaced by rural ones, we propose a new landscape for events and celebrations placed close to an office building"

Above, Roof space # 1 - herb gardens & traditional plants from Alhambra and Generalife, red carpet highlights the interplay between urban and rural settings.

"Our landscape carpet tries to create a new reality to dialogue with the existing one instead of using other camouflage strategy."
The second roof space used an installation of recycled glass bottles. Francisco noted that they were very unhappy with the final installation of the bottles...

Francisco also expressed his dissatisfaction that the water feature was not being actively used by the building owners - That a place that intended to be lush with waterlilies and flowing water was still and inactive.

"Water is one of the main instruments used for shaping the different spaces. Its sound and presence modifies our feelings. It springs calmly some times, others its sonorous and rhythmic, it follows our steps on a water stair and propose our rest ending in a pond thanks to a channel guided by one of the designed strength lines."

The interplay between different materials & textures were accentuated by oxidized steel, which Francisco called "strength lines."

It was wonderful to hear Francisco speak about his work, and meet several of his students (though our conversations were once again limited to halting Spanish).

After the tour, I headed to Parque de Las Ciencias (the science museum) - across the street.

Entrance to the museum

museum landscape included many interactive features including playgrounds, fountains, water courses, solar panels, etc.

One of the exhibits was about taxidermy - means, methods & uses in museums and science.

I also went to an exhibits about Darwin, a journey through the human body & Ecology in Spain.

Interactive water feature

One of the museum buildings - jointly owned by the university...and the first building Francisco designed in Granada!

Bird & Cat profile (they're both real)

on spanish time

2010-03-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

They have an interesting schedule here...I'm slowly adjusting to it, though I haven't mastered the Siesta just yet.

Late morning wake-up

late lunch@ 2pm

Quiet afternoons for Siesta time around 3pm

Stores are closed from about 2pm-5pm

5pm - Coffee!

10pm (or later) dinner

Everybody stays up late here - teenagers, children, babies, grannies, granddads and all!

A ski adventure in the Sierra Nevadas!

2010-03-16T09:12:00.001-07:00

Our day begins with a 5:30 AM wake-up call. This is the time that a "normal" Spaniard would go to bed on a Sunday morning after a Saturday night out -- after the discotecas close their doors. On our way to the bus we see some of these discoteca-stragglers stumbling home to their beds.

This weekend, the buses to the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort are free! We get there extra-early to make sure we get a spot& are the first ones to arrive.

On the bus ride up to the mountain, the morning sunrise suggests it's going to be a sunny day. Juanito tells me it's going to be very busy - this year, they've had many weeks of bad whether and had to close the ski resort previous weekends. With the sun & free buses, the mountain is sure to be packed!

Below is Juanito (on the right), my roommate's boyfriend. Juanito is from Venezuela and is super outdoorsy! He is going to run a 100 kilometer race at the end of May. He lives just across the courtyard from our flat with his sister, brother in-law and two nieces. Juanito was the instigator of this ski outing. His family just moved to Granada from Venezuela about a month ago - this is the first time they've touched SNOW (let alone been on skis!)

We eat breakfast in the ski resort village - toast with tomato & olive oil and cafe con leche!

Below is my flat-mate Jenny (on the right). Jenny is from England and has been living in Granada for 3 years. She teaches English and does translations in her spare time. Jenny has also lived in France and Italy and is fluent in all of those languages. Coincidentally, Jenny worked with my cousin Tom when he was in Granada several years ago!

As Juanito predicted, the slopes are packed! The first half of the day, I only managed to get in two runs...the rest of the time was spent in lift lines. Apparently, Spanish folk don't believe in queuing in an orderly fashion - pushing one's way to the front seemed to be the method of choice - a dangerous ordeal on skis & snowboards.

Notice the lack of trees & varied terrain? It just can't compare to the Pacific NW - mostly groomers on this mountain...

Juanito gives ski lessons to the family

The crew at the end of a long day on the slopes!

Jenny is spent!

Me on skis? How strange! First time in 15+ years!

The ski village - apparently the Sierra Nevada is expensive because it is the only real ski resort in Spain...there is no competition so the prices are high! 2,000 euro for a week in a small apartment! The lift tickets were also very expensive - 41 euro for a day lift ticket.

It was worth it to get up into the mountains on such a beautiful day!

Realejo

2010-03-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

My piso is in the Realejo neighborhood of Granada, which is the old Jewish Quarter of the City. The neighborhood is a labyrinth of calles, placetas (little plazas) & narrow callejons where overhanging balconies nearly touch. It's quite easy turn yourself around & end up somewhere unexpected; getting lost is a great to explore new places. Fortunately, with the mountains to the east, the Albyzin to the west & the Alhambra & Cathedral as landmarks, it's easy to re-orient & find your way back.

The neighborhood has been dubbed the barrio de giras (tourist neighborhood) because there are lots of expatriates & tourists staying in Realejo. However, it's still very charming y es mucho mas tranquilo que el centro o albyzin (the old muslim quarter). I'll just have to ignore the occasional local muttering "gira" under their breath while walking past me...

Promenade on Carrera del Genil

small local shops, each selling their specialized items

They've got Brompton's @ my local bike shop!

...La Panaderia...

...La Fruteria...

polychromatic spices

My local eco-tienda

A major landmark in Realejo is the Iglesia de Santo Domingo. It's a beautiful church, but its presence carries some dark overtones from the time of the Inquisition.

When Ferdinand and Isabella conquered the last Moorish territory in Granada, they launched a campaign to ensure that Spain would be thoroughly Christian, often using cruel measures; Muslims and Jews were forced to convert or otherwise face exile, imprisonment, or worse. Where the Iglesia de Santo Domingo is now was originally a synagogue, which was destroyed and replaced with the church. For the Christians who came to power in Granada, doing this was a way of sending the message that there would be no place for Jews in the new Spain.

My Piso

2010-03-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

My first few days in Granada were predominantly spent searching for a piso (flat) to live in. In Spain, there is a website called loquo.com that is similar to craigslist. Unlike craigslist, however, the posters usually put very little information in their ads... something along the lines of...

"Se alquila una habitacion. Comparto piso con dos otras chicas y busco uno mas companero/a de piso. El piso esta muy centrico, grande y luminosa. Si te interesa, llammame a 555 555 555."

... no ages, interests, photos or desrciptions. Just a phone # and address. This resulted in halting "spanglish" conversations filled with long, uncomfortable pauses.

I thought I had found my spot, speaking to a potential companero de piso who is an architecture student from Brazil - sounds promising, right? Desafortunadamente, the piso was a wreck. Filthy bathrooms, dishes in the sink & the pervasive stench of wet sponges(credit to haley for that odor descrip.)and weed.

Don't fret, this post has a happy ending! I found the perfect Piso* and companera de piso**, through a friend of a friend. A charming two bedroom, split level flat with a English girl, Jenny, who has been living in Granada for several years.

*No Piso will EVER compare to the 1614

** No companeros de piso will ever compare to my 1614 roomies.

mi cama

La Sala

No hay horno! How am I gong to make gluten free, agave sweetened oatmeal cookies?

A view of the courtyard from my room

Act 1, Week 1: Blog slacker already...

2010-03-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

I said I'd give this blogging thing a go, so here I am...a little behind already after a whirlwind first week traveling through england and ending up in espana.

Oy, i'm going to miss Seattle, my house, our fabulous dinner parties. Fish & Chicken taco night @ the 1614 for my last night in the states.

Nathan waiting for us to serve him food

The spread: Grilled chicken, pan fried fish, guacamole, black beans (whole & refried), chili lime cabbage slaw, poly-ingredient salad, tortillas ala microwave

Me gusta fish tacos y vino blanco

Week 1 consisted of..

First. A trip to Bristol to visit Dan
Second. A stop in Oxford to visit cousin Tom & his wife Claire
Third. A day in London to revel in college memories
Fourth. Granada, where i'll stay for the rest of march and april

BRISTOL
Dan said to me when I dropped him off at the airport in Seattle - "I bet you're the most likely (out of the Seattle roomies) to come visit me in england the soonest." I lived up to his augury, stopping through Bristol just 4 months later...

For those of you who did not meet Dan in Seattle, he lived with us for the month of October & won us over by cooking us pumpkin risotto, letting his tea water boil extra long (Dhoe was especially fond of this) and of course with his charming accent.

Bristol's Clifton suspension bridge, circa 1860s

Unfortunately my stay was very short. We went to a "shit italian" restaurant (their words, not mine) with Dan's roommates & medical school buddies, all lovely folk. The next day, Dan took me on a brief walking tour of the City.

dan & i playing on the train tracks

OXFORD
next stop was oxford to visit my second cousin Tom & his wife Claire. Tom & I met the year I was studying in London (upon the request of our parents) and were immediately relieved that we actually liked each other! Coincidentally, Tom & his wife Claire studied in Granada a couple of years ago...more on this and small world coincidences later.

Here we are, posing for a photo like all good chinese relatives do!

Unfortunately I didn't have much time to walk around Oxford, but from my brief visit it's how I imagined it: Classic english architecture & an abundance of well-dressed, scholarly looking ladies and gents. A photo from Oxford ~

LONDON

I took the train into London for the day (what wonderful commuter trains they have in Europe - fast, timely & comfortable). The weather was absolutely beautiful so I ended up walking around London for 7 or 8 hours, covering 10+ miles on foot.

I started with the old hang-outs & University College London campus (where I studied for my junior year of college). Oh the memories!

...to Schafer Halls, home of Me, Nikki, Shirley, et al.

Buckets of late night rice with soy, sriracha and a fried egg on top were consumed in this building...

...the to the UCL Quad...

...continued up Tottenham Court Road through Trafalger square...

...Along the Thames...with a nice view of The Palace of Westminster, Big Ben & the London Eye...

..through the "posh" neighborhoods of Kensington and Knotting Hill...

....With a beautiful sunset to end the day.