TravelStream™ news feed for member green_ears on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/green_ears en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:20:39 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/4/1255573239/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/4/1255573239/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/4/1255573239/tpod.html Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:20:39 -0400 My Honeymoon!

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Warsaw, Poland

Good morning!It's 3:51 AM on Friday morning and we are still jetlagged (there is a six hour time difference here), so I thought that I would invest my insomnia in updating my blog on my iPhone: hurrah for free wireless Internet!After taking the plane from Ottawa to Toronto, we ended up leaving two hours later than expected due to a delay in the arrrival of our plane (on top of our three hour layover!). Kasia and her uncle had fun sorting through and placing the 125 pictures we had printed for him that morning in a new photo album... Stefan had come all the way from Poland in order to attend Maggie (Kasia's sister) and our weddings in September and October respectively. The flight was OK on a plane by the Polish airline Lot; disapointingly, no pierogis were served during our flight! :p Upon arriving in Warsaw (Warsawa in Polish), we were warmly greeted by Peter (one of Kasia's cousins) and his faimly who had been waiting for us since 8:00 AM! We arrived around 12:00... Stefan left with Peter's parents for Belchatow (Kasia's home town) and Peter very kindly drove us to our apartment in the Old Town; a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was rebuilt after being destroyed in WWII. The narrow streets, surrounding protective medieval walls and beautifully crafted historical buildings remind us of Old Quebec back home. We will post pictures soon; my iPhone cannnot upload pictures to TravelPod.comThe owner of our apartment is very kind and she showed us ournew home: the Polish Chamber. It is a very romanticly decorated apartment made to resemble the late 1800s. We have a small kitchen, digital cable TV, full washroom, free wireless Internet and three small yet unique restaurants on the lower floors of our building.Following a short nap in our new home, we ventured out into the cold -they had their first snow the day before our arrival! - and walked around the old town to identify some key resources for our stay ad well as absorb the atmosphere: tourism office, pharmacy, ATMs, restaurants... We got some local currency, Zlote (pronounced zwo-te) and bought ourselves some very tasty pierogis (a sample of six or so different kinds of fresh homemade pierogis) in a cute and very touristy Polish restaurant. The prices are more expensive than outside the capital but reasonable nonetheless. One zlote is about 36 cents Canadian and a good coffee is about 10 zlote including tax. Depending on the food, there is either 22% or 7% tax which is already included in menu prices. Tips are up to 10% and volountary. The pierogis and service were great and we topped off the evening with a cappucino and tiramisu at the Italian restaurant below our apartment... They were authentic!That's all for now, I'm feeling sleepy again...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/4/1255456304/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/4/1255456304/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/4/1255456304/tpod.html Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:13:14 -0400 My Honeymoon!

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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Hi everyone,Guess what: we're married!Yes, everything went down as planned last Saturday: everyone was on time, everything was beautifully decorated, all played their part perfectly and it was a beautiful sunny day! It was very rewarding for us to see the chain of events unfold around us after eight months of careful planning...As promised, here are a few memorable snapshots of our ceremony and reception before we just onto the plane for Poland Wednesday.Enjoy!Kasia & Christian
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/3/1204201680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/3/1204201680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/3/1204201680/tpod.html Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:02:07 -0500 3 Weeks Flying Over Colombia!

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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Wow, wow, wow... What an adventure!I am so pleased that I can finally add this final entry to my blog from my parent's home with my girlfriend by my side... It feels so good and surreal that I was afraid of waking up this morning in my hotel room in Colombia!!!So, here are the last few details about the endless number of challenges my dad, sister and I faced even while just trying to leave the country:We all got up at the regular time on Tuesday morning, had breakfast and then proceeded to pack. We had lunch and then popped into town to grab a few souvenirs before we left (limited edition strain of beans of 100% pure Colombian Juan Valdez coffee for all!). Later on, Richi kindly came by to pick us up in his truck two hours before our flight as promised. It turned out that the main bridge on the way to the airport was in construction and that the traffic on the highway was at a standstill, so Richi proposed an alternative route which would circumvent the bridge by driving through the historical colonial town of Giron. So we did and, about 5 minutes before crossing a smaller bridge and getting onto the highway to the airport, we ran into a brand new roadblock! The locals were literally stacking giant stones across the road to block traffic! We really didn't want to miss our flights since they had been so hard to come by and coordinate. Anyway, Richi kept his cool and asked a local Gironite down the road if there was an alternative route close by with a bridge to cross the river... Luckily, there was! About 5 blocks down, we turned into this EXTREMELY narrow europeen-like street (the kind made wide enough for a single horse carriage) and drove down VERY slowly... There was about a foot of space to spare on either side of the truck! As promised, it tight cobble-stone road eventually gave onto a tiny cobble-stone bridge which we crossed and finally merged onto the highway to the airport with plenty of time to spare... Incredible! We were all impressed.BUT, the adventure didn't stop there, oh no... That would be too easy. Once we said our goodbyes to Richi and eventually got to the Avianca Airlines counter, the clerk there informed us that he couldn't find my sister's ticket! She was the only one who actually had a ticket for this date even before leaving Canada and we had been added to the flight last week. A half hour, lots of Spanish, waving around my X-rays and some tears later, the guy finally apparently found her ticket and we were on our way to sit for two hours in the mosquito filled, non-air conditioned airport waiting room because our flight was an hour late! No matter... I bought everyone a cappucino and we tolerated the insanely uncomfortable chairs angled back at 120 degrees (seriously, uncomfortable chair making is an art in this country: hospitals, restaurants and hotels are no exception to the rule!). So, we finally did get on the plane and flew to Bogota.In Bogota, we found a real live Air Canada counter and checked in, stressing that we were flying business class and that I needed some extra time to get on the plane because of my back. That allowed us to bypass a huge line-up. Then we discovered that we needed to get some special airport tax form stamped before paying the airport tax at the counter. We finally did pay it (114$ USD for 3 people) and, miraculously, after browsing through 3 different computer terminals, all 3 tickets were identified and handed to us (even though, like the Avianca tickets, they didn't show up on their website when we checked the same morning). Interestingly, they were normal computer ticket forms which were filled in by hand and pen. No matter, obviously, there are compatibility issues in the super duper "Star Alliance" Air Canada and Avianca Airlines are part of... Crazy. More waiting and lots of X-rays and security checks later, we got onto the plane and then waited a whole hour more for a couple of passengers which apparently checked in their luggage but failed to find their way to the plane. We eventually took off without them. FINALLY! We were on our way back to Canada in business class and the flight attendants spoke French AND English (and a bit of Spanish just to remind us where we came from)! Wow... Doctor Vasquez prescribed some Codeine for my flight and I took it. It made things bearable, but wearing my corset for so long was really uncomfortable since it presses against part of my back scar. Regardless, I did manage to squeeze in an hour or two of sleep during the 6 hour flight to Toronto. Boy was I pleased to see the snow down below as we landed!!! No more Colombia, no more Spanish, no more private health care, no more useless insurance company, no more flight issues (so we thought!), reuniting with my girlfriend, friends and family...In Toronto, we were informed that there was a screw-up with Air Canada in Bogota, so that connecting flight to Ottawa's luggage would not be automatically transferred. We were already late for our connection, so by the time we found our luggage, they had already cut off boarding for our flight. More waving X-rays, friendly Air Canada staff and 15 minutes later, we were booked on an identical flight and hour later. We took the time to have a full american breakfast with eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast. It was really good (for 25$ a plate) and by the time we were done, it was boarding time for our last leg of our journey. This time, the seats were very comfy and the service excellent. We also left and hour later, but the pilot managed to make up for it somehow.In Ottawa, we were greeted by my girlfriend's beautiful smile and warm embrace... The journey was FINALLY at an end and we could FINALLY relax (or so my sister thought: we dropped her off at the bus station for her return to Montreal and her bus broke down about half way, so we got one more 4 hour delay home by the time a mechanic was sent and fixed it)!THE END
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/3/1204034940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/3/1204034940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/green_ears/3/1204034940/tpod.html Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:11:26 -0500 3 Weeks Flying Over Colombia!

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Bucaramanga, Colombia

Well, my dad and I had our last desayuno (breakfast) this morning at the hotel and I just finished packing all my stuff and am ready to come home! I'm going to pickup a few little souvenirs in town and then we're on the planes home tonight!I CAN'T WAIT!!!
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Bucaramanga, Colombia

Good evening everyone,Finally, one more night in Colombia and then we're on a plane back to good'ol Canada!!!Today, my neurosurgeon Fidel and his wife invited my dad, my sister and I to their apartment for a home cooked lunch at 13:00. Fidel's wife even came to pick us up at the hotel and Fidel drove us back on the scenic route along the top ridge surrounding the city. They have a really condo in downtown Bucaramanga filled with beautiful paintings. Both were extremely welcoming and the food was delicious. While discussing medical matters and Canada vs Colombia points, we had a surprise visit from Fidel's mother who just happened to speak really good French because she worked in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 40 years ago! It is a small world indeed! The company was great and it was our official goodbye dinner as we are leaving tomorrow. I still can't believe how lucky I was to find my way in the hands of such a skilled, kind and humble medical specialist. Thanks to him and his team, I was able to walk 2 days after my accident and immediately after my surgery.One more day and I will be HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN, LIKETY SPLIT!
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Bucaramanga, Colombia

Hi all,Well, this feeling has been a long time coming and I have been fighting it off by focusing my mind on healing my body... However, as the return date gets closer, I can't help but think about my girlfriend, family, friends, familiar culture and posessions awaiting me back home. Yeah, I am officially homesick since yesterday and it is very hard. I'm trying to think about other things and my dad and sister are doing a great job helping me stay positive and physically fit, but I am nontheless quite homesick!Luckily, things at home are already moving along thanks to friends and family: a family doctor has been located and booked for me, my boss has already got the short term sick leave and long term sick leave (if needed) paperwork started and everything I need has been moved from my apartment to my parents house (where I will be staying for the first few weeks).My body is continuing to heal with visible daily results (although less dramatic then the last two weeks) and things are going well. I'm just psychologically and physically drained from this whole ordeal and can't wait to find myself once again embrassed in my love's arms.Thanks for your continued support and positive thinking everyone!!! It is MUCH appreciated and has surely played a very important role in my rapid recovery.Till next time...
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Bucaramanga, Colombia

Hi everyone, I thought I'd take a minute and give you a quick update and fill in the blanks quickly post-operation to today. After the operation, I was extremely well taken care of by own fleet of medical staff available 24/7: nurses, pain doctor, neurosurgeon, psychologist and physiotherapist. Without their interventions, it would have been impossible for me to heal enough during the first week post-operation to be able to leave the hospital the following Saturday. All I can say is that it was the hardest week for me psychologically and physically both due to constant recurring pain, an extremely swollen back (thus little or no sleep since I had to sleep on my back for my spine to heal), 3 days of living in a timeless and spaceless cloud of morphine, frequent visits from friendly strangers (some with family on the floor, some missionaries and a woman who wanted me to adopt her son and take them both to Canada - that woman from the emergency room) and friends (Michel, Richi and the Albertan crew) and of course, people from the hospital's adminsitration department who liked to remind me every few days how my insurance policy wasn't paying for anything and I had to reassure them that my credit card would cover it all. ANYWAY, I somehow managed to survive it all and I believe my desire to leave and be reunited with my family, girlfriend and friends helped me a great deal in recovering so fast. The constant reassurance and personal attention of my neurosurgeon Fidel has also been an extraordinary help. So, here we are, my sister and father came to get me last Saturday when I was released from the hospital and we have been staying in a 5 star hotel minutes from the downtown core in a nice huge green compoung: golf, tennis, squash, good food, excellent service, etc. My inflammation on my back is completely gone and only a little around my stummach remains. My sleeping patterns are still erratic and I usually manage a few hours at night and a few light ones during the day. Every day, I wear my custom-made back brace (corset) walk more and more and yesterday was my biggest day since we walked downtown from the hotel in the morning and afternoon (a total of 3 hours of walking on various terrain). What is nice is that since I came out of the operating room, I have been able to visually see and feel my body healing at this incredible pace. My neurosurgeon has been following up with me and everything looks good on the x-rays, physical tests, etc. He even hand delivered my full medical report, letter of incapacity for my work and a letter of recommendation for a follow-up by a neurosurgeon in Canada. PLUS, he even brought US a gift (a nice wooden statue my dad was eyeing in his office) and invited us for lunch next Monday at his place! Can you imagine getting that kind of treatment from a medical specialist back in Canada?! Fidel has been my gardian angel throughout my whole ordeal and I am forever in his debt. So, all is well and we are all leaving for Canada next Tuesday night... This is and has been the most difficult life altering experience I have ever had, but thanks to everyone's support and the incredibly positive outcome, I believe I will come out on top as a better man. Till next time!
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Bucaramanga, Colombia

Hello everyone, Well, it has been extremely hard for me this past week both psychologically and physically. I must admit that the whole ordeal so far has been the most difficult experience I have ever been through and that it has made me think and re-prioritize a lot of things in my life and I am continuing to do so as I feel better and better... That said, I feel comfortable enough today to relive the events from my accident to today with you all in order to fill in the gaps in this blog and hopefully avoid having to repeat the story in its entirety over and over again once I get back home (no offense, but it was hard enough living through it once and yet again via this blog entry). On the morning of Friday February 8th, the whole gang of Albertans, Michel, Richi and myself left early to fly the Chicomocha Cayon yet again on our way to a historic colonial town called Barichara. Michel and I both managed to get a full breakfast thanks to our hostesses and everything was peachy. We were a little tired from having returned a little late the night before however. Once at the Canyon, I felt a lot more comfortable and less intimidated since I had successfully flown the site before. Everyone but Michel started getting their equipment ready and performing their pre-flight checks all the while keeping an eye on the wind conditions. Michel and I did spot what seemed to be a regular back wind cycle (wind coming from the opposite direction we launch in), but we concluded that it must be the huge pumping thermal activity around us which was producing the effect since the regular wind had not yet switched to create a rotor as it was too early for that. However, Michel decided on a gut feeling that he would not fly this site today and told Richi he was too tired and it didn't feel right. I found I was a touch tired, but was confident in my flying abilities, so I finished my pre-flight check and proceeded to move to launch first since others were not yet done. Richi took out an improvised wind sock which I watched carefully and waited for a nice smooth incoming wind cycle. I inflated my wing perfectly, kited it a bit, turned around and ran down the launch and took off to what seemed to be a perfect launch. Then, hell broke loose within a matter of seconds: the right part of my wing collapsed (deflated) by surprise by a huge 80% of my wing surface. I tried to compensate by weight shifting left and pumping my right break to re-inflate it and it eventually it did re-inflate, but I had dropped altitude below the launch and was back to the 90 degree canyon wall. I then prepared to fly straight out into the canyon, away from this turbulence when moments later, the left side of my wing collapsed by another woping 80%. This time, I didn't have time to compensate because somehow, I was now heading head on straight into the canyon wall. All I really remember from then is desperately trying to weight-shift my body so that I would not hit the canyon wall head-on, but rather on my back or side protective layers of my harness in order to avoid dying to breaking nearly every bone in my body. The next thing I remember is my wing getting caught in some tiny bushes above the canyon wall and me slamming my back-side into the wall and then total silence and lack of movement. I also felt a sharp pain in my back as it happened, but was surprised to find myself haning below a tiny ledge suspended in mid-air 2000 meters above the canyon floor. The first thing I did was look up to see how secure I was and after noticing that my wing was caught in a tiny cactus and some bushes and that I wasn't dropping down anymore, I tried to move my legs to see if I was paralysed... I COULD MOVE THEM! All was not lost. Now, I started yelling as loud as I could to let everyone know I was still alive. Soon after, my colleagues started yelling back and I eventually, they Peter spotted me from the left side of the launch. I wasn't too far away, but was quite low into the canyon. The pain was constant and combined with the heat emanating from the canyon walls and floor, the uncertainty of the solidity of the anchoring of my wing in a tiny cactus which was leaking sap down onto me and the uncertainty of how long or if my colleagues could manage to get me out had me quite worried and swearing at everyone to get me out as soon as possible. In my mind's eye, I was suspended there like that for 3 hours trying not to move so that the cactus wouldn't let go and keeping one hand on my reserve parachute as a backup if it ever did. Thankfully, Michel, Bob, Dale, Chris, Richi and some local Colombian construction workers managed to call an ambulance, get some rope down to me to secure around my harness and eventually pull me up. I am eternally greatful to have had such a great team of people working together to literally save my life. The whole rescue took many attempts as no one could see below the cliff where I was and a few attempts snagged the rope's wooden branch lead into my wing and had them pulling on my only means of survival there. When I was finally pulled up, I was greeted by a friendly Colombian hand and pulled over the cliff with my harness still on. Richi eventually came down and helped them get me out of my harness and I somehow managed to half-walk the small slope to the flatter part of the hilltop and collapse on my back, then side. Chris, a chiropacter, and Michel, a pathologist, were both the first medics on the scene and performed a quick survey of my back pain. Something was up with my spine for sure. Eventually, the ambulance got there and strapped me onto this straight slate of wood and carried me into the ambulance. I quickly asked Michel to accompany me and Richi to fetch my wallet, passport, medical and credit cards from my harness pocket before leaving. I was in constant pain and the ambulance attendees did not inspire too much confidence in me as they tried to fiddle around with the oxygen levels they were giving me. I could barely breathe it was so hot. We eventually asked where we were going and were told we were going to a small clinic 30 minutes away. I don't know if Michel asked for something more professional sounding or if my own facial expression communicated my will for something a little bigger since my life and mobility were involved, but the ambulance driver eventually decided to drive and hour back to the main clinic (private hospital) in Bucaramanga instead... It was the most painful experience in my life and I ended up holding myself down on the wooden slate as the ambulance bounced around, up and down the winding mountain roads. All I could see was the sky swirling round and round via the ambulance's skylight. On top of the pain, I was dehydrating due to the lack of air conditioning and everyone refused to give me water in case an emergency surgury was required when we got to the hospital. Michel finally did manage to negociate a few drops of water on my tongue. Thanks to Michel's watchful eye, constant encouragement and my will to live, I bit the bullet and accepted that an hour of intense pain was a small price to pay to be alive and out of that canyon! Eventually, we got to the Foscal clinic and I was wisked away into the emergency room. I should note that this is my first ever hospitalization experience... There, a swat team of nurses and doctors surrounded me and asked me some basic questions in broken English and Spanish. They then proceeded to strip off my pants and cut up my shirt, do some tests and then left me there with a drip to rehydrate me for a half hour or so on my board + bed combination. Later on, I was moved with Michel into the "VIP Waiting Room" which was filled with a bunch of other sick people waiting for treatment. Michel and I satyed there for hours as paperwork was being filled and X-Rays ordered. Eventually, we were informed that the X-Rays had been cancelled due to the clinic not being able to contact my insurance company. We then pleaded to pay with my credit card and so the X-Rays were back on the menu and I was wisked away for some X-Rays. We spent the next few hours waiting on my board for a diagnosis and talking to my insurance company by cell phone to get the coverage started (it was the only phone we could use to make long distance calls) and a neurosurgeon finally came back to explain that I had fractured my third vertebrae and that a CAT scan was necessary to discover whether or not my fracture was stable or unstable (burst). A stable fracture meant no surgery while an unstable fracture meant major spinal surgery and all of the risks that entails (including all the mobility and senses I still had then). Some more hours later, a cancelled CAT scan for the same insurance-reasons as before, flashing my credit card some more and we finally had a CAT scan performed. Many more hours later and the final diagnosis was in and the images were so conclusive that I could clearly see the problems: I had the worst case, an unstable fracture, AND something new; my spinal cord was compressed by a detached piece of my verterbrae. The situation was grim, but the doctor was confident. So, many more failed communications between my insurance company and the clinic lead to me flashing my credit card again to pay a deposit on the surgery in order to get it done ASAP! I was actually talking to the insurance company at this point, stressing my pain since the clinic refused to give me any pain killers without being covered by any insurance policy. I had to pee real bad, but all I was offered was a piss-pot and I didn't feel comfortable peeing in front of a room full of strangers. While waiting, we met a kind single mom with her little girl who spoke perfect English and talked a lot about this and that. Michel finally left me there after having spent more than 12 hours with me in the "VIP Waiting Room" and agreed to come back tomorrow after the surgery. I was informed that I would also be moved up to a private room at some point later on... Those hours were the most painful in my life, combined with the stress of dealing with my insurance company and being in a foreign hospital with my limited working Spanish. However, they were somewhat mitigated by that friendly woman who even managed to fetch and feed me soup and a cold drink since I was starving by then. After hours of pleading with the head nurse at the room, I was finally given regular doses of morphine to kill the pain and just hours before being moved up to a private room, a curtain was installed around me so I could finally relieve myself with some dignity. Eventually, either Saturday night or early Sunday morning, I was moved to a private room where I could buzz for a swarm of nurses to come for anything I needed. They kept me under constant surveillance and I had regular morphine drips by then. My neurosurgeon suddenly popped up at some point, explained the whole operation (cutting in from the side because of my crushed spinal cord canal, removing the broken verterbrae and inserting a titanium stabilizer with a piece of bone growth) and its risks in English (4-6 hour operation with possibility of complications, death or paralysis) and I was taken down to the surgury theater. There, I was greeted by a friendly general surgeon who explained how I would be operated on (the incision) and an anestheseologist who explained how I would be put to sleep. I looked all around for signs of mould or uncleanlyness, but was rather surprised by the bright white spaceship-like feel of the room and equipment. They also had some really nice relaxation CD playing. I felt safe and in good hands. So, a gas mask was put on my face and I was told to breeth in deeply... I don't even remember passing out or being in the intensive care unit. But, I do remember waking up 8 hours later in my private room with a huge gash in my left side... I was eventually greeted by my neurosurgeon and he explained that the operation took longer because it was so delicate and that I had required a blood transfusion because I had bled a lot. Michel would later inform me that he had been denied accesss to the ICU because the friendly woman we met in the waiting room had beaten him to me and there was a one person visitor's limit.
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Bucaramanga, Colombia

Hi guys,After much thought, I have decided to postpone the full detailed blog entry describing the missing days between my accident and my leaving the hospital. I believe it will be easier for me to recover physically for my trip home before diving into the waterfall of emotions awaiting me when I will revisit the past week's events.However, I have taped this small video this morning in the hotel computer room in order to show you my incredible progress visually.Enjoy!
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Bucaramanga, Colombia

Hi everyone,I just wanted to post a quick note to say that I suffered a paragliding accident - an unstable vertabrae burst fracture and 70% spinal cord comrpesion - on Friday February 8 which required a major spinal column surgery and that is the reason for my recent silence... However, I am very pleased to announce that following what doctors are describing as an "exceptionnally quick recovery" and a few days of physiotherapy, I was released from the hospital here yesterday and am staying in my own room with my father and sister at a very nice hotel within minutes walking distance from the hospital. I have been extremely lucky during the incident: I have suffered ZERO neurological impairement, was able to walk the next day following the sugery and have been walking around normally, but EXTREMELY carefully with the support of a removable back brace, since then.I will post more details of the entire ordeal with pictures a little later on during the next week.Thanks to everyone who has helped, emailed, phoned, talked and prayed for my family, friends, colleagues and myself. All your best wishes and cooperation were and are still a huge part of the miraculously positive outcome of the entire ordeal.P.S. This is a picture of me standing in front of the view at the hotel I am staying at this morning.Hasta luego!
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