TravelStream™ news feed for member magellanic on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/magellanic en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:40:21 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/galapagos--2007/1182635040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/galapagos--2007/1182635040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/galapagos--2007/1182635040/tpod.html Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:40:21 -0500 Todd Fredericksen and I received our third Berger Grant from the Appalachian College Association to take a total of 16ACA faculty to the Galápagos Islands and mainland Ecuador.

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Baquerizo Moreno, Ecuador

Day 4: June 23, 2007 Puerto Ayora to Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal I awoke at 7:00 and met Barbara in the Hotel Comedor for breakfast at 7:30. Rafael showed up at 8:15. We packed our stuff and left it in the deposito. Rafael drove us back toward the central highlands to El Rancho Primalia where we got out and hiked around the trails amongst the giant tortoises living in the wild. They appeared to be almost oblivious to our presence, although a couple of them ducked into their shells and hissed. There was a fine rain throughout our 45 minute stay. We saw at least a dozen tortoises. Just a few km from the tortoises is a beautiful lava tube that Rafael took us to visit. It is about 300 m long and up to at least 15 m high with electric lighting throughout. It is the biggest one I have visited. The drizzle continued as we drove back to town. Rafael dropped us off at the hotel. He wanted $35-40 from each of us. I negotiated him down to $20 which is probably a little too much but beats an official guide's charge of $45/person. I sat in the Comedor and wrote while Barbara went out to shop for gifts. She returned reporting only a moderate success. Rafael didn't show up to pick us up so we got another cab to take us to the port. After some confusion we checked our bags through quarantine and walked over to the San Cristobal ferry launch. We left about 15 minutes later in a 12 m launch with 23 people aboard. The crossing was rough and not fun. We hit bone crunching pockets numerous times. We were flying! We hit so hard once I thought the boat would break. The captain slowed a bit after that. I was a bit queasy for the first 2/3 of the trip but was fine for the last third. We were met in Baquierzo Moreno by the daughter of the Hotel Chatham owner and took a cab up to the nice hotel a few blocks from the bay. The crossing only took two hours instead of the normal 2:45. I meditated but fell asleep until about 7:00. Barbara and I walked down to the harbor and had dinner at a nice restaurant overlooking a beach littered with sea lions. I had a great ceviche de calamari. We walked back to the hotel and went to our rooms. It took me awhile to figure out how to hook my video camera up to the TV. Just as I got it going, there was a knock at the door with the message that friends were in the lobby to see me. I walked down and was met by Todd, Tom, Russ, Mary, Lynn, and Edwin, our guide. After 15 minutes of talking we decided to go get a beer. Barbara's light was out so I decided not to disturb her. We walked down to the harbor and found a bar that was Todd's type of place. We got beer and the women started dancing. Tom and I joined them. Later on three crew members also joined us. We split up around 11:00 and I walked back to the hotel. After watching my video I took a shower and went to bed, glad that our separation from the group was over.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1185135721/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1185135721/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1185135721/tpod.html Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:30:39 -0500 The Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Geology Field Trip to Iceland

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Reykjavík, North Carolina, Iceland

I got up at 7:00. Some people had already struck their tents. Motley and Curtis had returned around 5:30. The girls had returned before 1:00. All had adventures too numerous to recount here. Camp was struck and ready to load by the time Magnus arrived. We loaded up and were on our way to the Bláa Lonid (Blue Lagoon) by 9:45. A lot of us dozed a little on the way out. I took some fotos of the shoreline and Reykjanes lavas as we went. Þorleifur confirmed that the Blue Lagoon was included in our trip so we all went in, soaked, and applied the silica center mud to our faces. I had somehow missed the waterfall and cave during my 2002 visit. Motley was amazed at how much the place had evolved in the time since he was there when he was 13. We got out and showered at 12:00 and ate an expensive lunch in the cafeteria. On the way out I met Magnus Ólafsson, the owner of Mó Bilar, who made our camping arrangements. He explained that we would need to change vehicles at the airport because he had another group coming in. We drove to the airport and unloaded. We said our good-byes and it was over. Audrey, Mal. Leah, Magnus, and I were the only ones left. We loaded the rental camping equipment into a new trailer and piled into an American SUV to haul it back to Reykjavik. Magnus left us off at the lighthouse flea market where Audrey bought a pair of jeans for 100 kr. Finally! a good deal in Iceland! We walked through the shopping district making a few purchases and stopping at the kaff swartiđ for a beer. We took a cab to the Nordica Hotel. Mal and Leah had a business-class room, which gave them access to an 8th floor lounge with beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres. We sat, talked, and enjoyed the view for an hour until 6:00. Audrey and I said good-bye and took a cab to the campground because I had to call Þorleifur. It turned out that I didn't have his number but after trying Þráinn and Magnus, Heiđa a finally gave it to me. His wife Þora answered the phone and we arranged for Þorliefur to pick us up at 7:30. Audrey and I were waiting when he drove up. To my surprise, he is about 20 years older than Þrainn. I liked him immediately. We drove to Kopavogur where he showed us a marine terrace where he played as a kid. It is being reclaimed by trees. It is at the same level as the water tower/restaurant. We continued to his home nearby where we were greeted by Þora, a very warm and gracious woman. Their son, Björn picked up Þráinn at the airport. I could not turn down Þorleifur's offer of dark, black oak-cured polish vodka. It turns out he is a historian with interests in labor unions. He just published a volume I of 3 of the history of Iceland's labor unions. Most of his travel business involves bringing Icelanders on tours of Poland. We ate a marvelous meal. Arctic char was the main course with carrots mushrooms salad and a marvelous Swedish apple tort for dessert. Around midnight Björn drove Audrey and me back to camp and Þráinn to his home. As a parting gift, Þorleifur gave me a bottle of polish vodka cured with bison grass. Þráinn and I said our good-byes and promised to work together again. I crawled into my tent and must have fallen asleep before getting into my sleeping bag without realizing it. I crawled into my sleeping bag at 2:15. It was sort of darkish outside!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1185135720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1185135720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1185135720/tpod.html Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:29:04 -0500 The Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Geology Field Trip to Iceland

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Reykjavík, North Carolina, Iceland

I got up at 7:00. Some people had already struck their tents. Motley and Curtis had returned around 5:30. The girls had returned before 1:00. All had adventures too numerous to recount here. Camp was struck and ready to load by the time Magnus arrived. We loaded up and were on our way to the Bláa Lonid (Blue Lagoon) by 9:45. A lot of us dozed a little on the way out. I took some fotos of the shoreline and Reykjanes lavas as we went. Þorleifur confirmed that the Blue Lagoon was included in our trip so we all went in, soaked, and applied the silica center mud to our faces. I had somehow missed the waterfall and cave during my 2002 visit. Motley was amazed at how much the place had evolved in the time since he was there when he was 13. We got out and showered at 12:00 and ate an expensive lunch in the cafeteria. On the way out I met Magnus Ólafsson, the owner of Mó Bilar, who made our camping arrangements. He explained that we would need to change vehicles at the airport because he had another group coming in. We drove to the airport and unloaded. We said our good-byes and it was over. Audrey, Mal. Leah, Magnus, and I were the only ones left. We loaded the rental camping equipment into a new trailer and piled into an American SUV to haul it back to Reykjavik. Magnus left us off at the lighthouse flea market where Audrey bought a pair of jeans for 100 kr. Finally! a good deal in Iceland! We walked through the shopping district making a few purchases and stopping at the kaff swartiđ for a beer. We took a cab to the Nordica Hotel. Mal and Leah had a business-class room, which gave them access to an 8th floor lounge with beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres. We sat, talked, and enjoyed the view for an hour until 6:00. Audrey and I said good-bye and took a cab to the campground because I had to call Þorleifur. It turned out that I didn't have his number but after trying Þráinn and Magnus, Heiđa a finally gave it to me. His wife Þora answered the phone and we arranged for Þorliefur to pick us up at 7:30. Audrey and I were waiting when he drove up. To my surprise, he is about 20 years older than Þrainn. I liked him immediately. We drove to Kopavogur where he showed us a marine terrace where he played as a kid. It is being reclaimed by trees. It is at the same level as the water tower/restaurant. We continued to his home nearby where we were greeted by Þora, a very warm and gracious woman. Their son, Björn picked up Þráinn at the airport. I could not turn down Þorleifur's offer of dark, black oak-cured polish vodka. It turns out he is a historian with interests in labor unions. He just published a volume I of 3 of the history of Iceland's labor unions. Most of his travel business involves bringing Icelanders on tours of Poland. We ate a marvelous meal. Arctic char was the main course with carrots mushrooms salad and a marvelous Swedish apple tort for dessert. Around midnight Björn drove Audrey and me back to camp and Þráinn to his home. As a parting gift, Þorleifur gave me a bottle of polish vodka cured with bison grass. Þráinn and I said our good-byes and promised to work together again. I crawled into my tent and must have fallen asleep before getting into my sleeping bag without realizing it. I crawled into my sleeping bag at 2:15. It was sort of darkish outside!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1185135660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1185135660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1185135660/tpod.html Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:25:00 -0500 The Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Geology Field Trip to Iceland

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Reykjavík, Iceland

I got up at 7:00. Some people had already struck their tents. Motley and Curtis had returned around 5:30. The girls had returned before 1:00. All had adventures too numerous to recount here. Camp was struck and ready to load by the time Magnus arrived. We loaded up and were on our way to the Bláa Lonid (Blue Lagoon) by 9:45. A lot of us dozed a little on the way out. I took some fotos of the shoreline and Reykjanes lavas as we went. Þorleifur confirmed that the Blue Lagoon was included in our trip so we all went in, soaked, and applied the silica center mud to our faces. I had somehow missed the waterfall and cave during my 2002 visit. Motley was amazed at how much the place had evolved in the time since he was there when he was 13. We got out and showered at 12:00 and ate an expensive lunch in the cafeteria. On the way out I met Magnus Ólafsson, the owner of Mó Bilar, who made our camping arrangements. He explained that we would need to change vehicles at the airport because he had another group coming in. We drove to the airport and unloaded. We said our good-byes and it was over. Audrey, Mal. Leah, Magnus, and I were the only ones left. We loaded the rental camping equipment into a new trailer and piled into an American SUV to haul it back to Reykjavik. Magnus left us off at the lighthouse flea market where Audrey bought a pair of jeans fro 100 kr. Finally, a good deal in Iceland! We walked through the shopping district making a few purchases and stopping at the kaff swartiđ for a beer. We took a cab to the Nordica Hotel. Mal and Leah had a business-class room, which gave them access to an 8th floor lounge with beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres. We sat, talked, and enjoyed the view for an hour until 6:00. Audrey and I said good-bye and took a cab to the campground because I had to call Þorleifur. It turned out that I didn't have his number but after trying Þráinn and Magnus, Heiđa a finally gave it to me. His wife Þora answered the phone and we arranged for Þorliefur to pick us up at 7:30. Audrey and I were waiting when he drove up. To my surprise, he is about 20 years older than Þrainn. I liked him immediately. We drove to Kopavogur where he showed us a marine terrace where he played as a kid. It is being reclaimed by trees. It is at the same level as the water tower/restaurant. We continued to his home nearby where we were greeted by Þora, a very warm and gracious woman. Their son, Björn picked up Þráinn at the airport. I could not turn down Þorleifur's offer of dark, black oak-cured polish vodka. It turns out he is a historian with interests in labor unions. He just published a volume I of 3 of the history of Iceland's labor unions. Most of his travel business involves bringing Icelanders on tours of Poland. We ate a marvelous meal. Arctic char was the main course with carrots mushrooms salad and a marvelous Swedish apple tort for dessert. Around midnight Björn drove Audrey and me back to camp and Þráinn to his home. As a parting gift, Þorleifur gave me a bottle of polish vodka cured with bison grass. Þráinn and I said our good-byes and promised to work together again. I crawled into my tent and must have fallen asleep before getting into my sleeping bag without realizing it. I crawled into my sleeping bag at 2:15. It was sort of darkish outside!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/argentina_2007/1200014760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/argentina_2007/1200014760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/argentina_2007/1200014760/tpod.html Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:51:29 -0500 Fulbright/Sabbatical in Argentina: I was fairly stationary in Salta until December but then traveled extensively in Patagonia until the end of February.

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Puerto Ayora, Ecuador

Day 148: January 10, 2008 Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela to Puerto Ayora, Santa CruzWe got up at 6:00 for a 6:30 breakfast. By 7:00, we were in the panga, which took us to the municipal dock in Puerto Villamil. Hundreds of boobies and pelicans were diving for fish as we headed for town. We took a large van from the dock to the far end of the beach and began our walk back along the beach, about 3 km. Pelicans and boobies were fishing here too. We walked along the white sand beach until we came to some pahoehoe basalt outcrops. Numerous baby marine iguanas played in the rocks while sea lions frolicked just offshore.After we reached the new dock area, the panga picked us up and took us across the bay to the Tintoría hike. The marine iguanas there are the largest we have seen, some with the red and green marks we saw on Floreana. Numerous young also scurried about through the aa lava field. The tide was low and the lighting was wrong to see any sharks resting in the bay so we continued across the loop trail through the aa and returned to the landing.Kathy had aparrently eaten some mushroom with dinner last night and had been feeling the effects of an allergic reaction. She had taken some benadryl early in the day but not enough. She was not feeling well and her throat was swelling. Antonio could not raise the Estrella del Mar I on the radio from the landing so he asked a taxi boat to go get them. Jico came with the panga ten minutes later. We thanked the taxi guy and returned to the boat. We got Kathy taken care of and then put on our wetsuits and returned to the area we had just left. The snorkeling was in very shallow water. We saw the standard fish. The highlight for me was following a 60 cm stingray around for about ten minutes.We started to get cold after an hour beneath the overcast sky and returned to the boat for lunch. It was disappointing not to be able to see the volcanoes Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul but they were shrouded in clouds. Right after lunch, we boarded the panga again to go visit the tortoise breeding center where the various giant tortoise subspecies and other turtles of the island are raised until they are three years old before being released into the wild. It appears to be a very well run operation. Many of us left small donations to the center. We took taxis back into town to await the panga. None of the bars were serving because of siesta and the internet was essentially down because the connection was so slow. We walked to the dock to wait. A mass of pelicans was swarming next to the dock. We finally found a place that served beer five minutes before the panga came. We managed to down them by the time it got there. The pilot took a group picture of us with Antonio in the panga.Back on board, we immediately set sail for Puerto Ayora. We slowed down and ran up the west side of Isla Tortuga, about 50 m offshore. It is an eroded tuff ring just east of Isabel. Hundreds of baby iguanas clung to the steep walls just above the waves. Frigate birds and boobies flew overhead. One area exhibited numerous male frigate birds with their bright red pouches inflated. Once we reached the north shore of the island, we headed east, watching the sky turn a pastel orange behind Tortuga as the sun set behind the clouds, obscurred by the island. It only appeared, a little to the north of the island, just before dipping below the horizon. As darkness fell, we congregated in the salon for our final briefing. The crew threw us a small party, highlighted by the crazy cook singing a couple of songs. He was very entertaining. We gave Antonio and the crew their tips and paid for our equipment rentals and consumed items before having our final dinner. Afterward, I gave Chico Bags to Antonio, German, Jico, and Juan Carlos and then helped Gonzalo and German make out receipts for everyone. That done, I went down to my cabin to write and retire. We arrived in Puerto Ayora and dropped anchor about 10:30.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1184769900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1184769900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1184769900/tpod.html Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:17:26 -0400 The Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Geology Field Trip to Iceland

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Kirkjubæjarklaustar, Iceland

Day 12: July 18, 2007 Skaftafell to Kirkjubæjarklaustar and Lakagígar              I slept about 10 hours.  I was a little sore when I first got up but after walking to the WC and back I felt fine.             We broke camp quickly and loaded up the trailer.  Öræfajökull was cloud free so we stopped for fotos on the way out of the park.  We made another stop at the destroyed bridge girders from the 1996 jökulhlaup and had more good views of Öræfajökull as well as where I had walked the previous day.  Our next stop was a Magnus stop at a place called Dverghamrar.  It is comprised of numerous 2-4 m high basaltic columns.  Magnus took a group foto with each of us sitting on a different column. A fracture through the site gives a beautiful view of Slóðfoss.  One large column, called Erikslundar, which I think mean's Erik's penis, bends away from the wall at about a 45˚ angle.               From Dverghamrar it was a quick drive to Kirkjubaejarklaustar.  We had camp set up by 12:30.  Audrey and I did shopping for dinner.  We returned to camp and loaded the bus for the grueling ride to Lakagígar.  We were treated to a beautiful view of Katla and the Mýrdolsjökull before leaving the pavement.  En route over the washboarded dirt road, Magnus pulled off to show us Fagrifoss (Beautiful Falls)-a place I had not seen before.  It was a great short stop that we all enjoyed.             Lakagígar has been included in Skaftafell National Park and there is now a Blágil campground on the rift. We climbed Laki under fairly clear skies.  There was a good view of the Vatnajökull to the northeast but it was hazy in the SW so we could not see Mýrdalsjökull.             Magnus wanted to explore the road beyond Laki. It is new and no longer dead ends but makes a loop back to Blágil instead.  There is a nice spatter cone with a deep hole before returning to the main road and the bumpy ride back to camp.             The campground had filled considerably, mostly with Icelanders.  We cooked dinner and ate it all.  I went to bed after taking a much needed shower for 150 kr.  I was instantly asleep in spite of a lot of partying in the Icelanders' campsites.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1184445660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1184445660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1184445660/tpod.html Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:58:55 -0400 The Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Geology Field Trip to Iceland

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Reykjahlið, Iceland

Day 8: July 14, 2007 Husavík, Ásbyrgi, and Dettifoss          Today was a day of exploration of a part of Iceland I had not visited before. After breakfast we drove to Husavík on the north shore and stopped for an hour to explore the town. Matt, Jeff, and I walked around the harbor and fotografed the fishing boats. The highlight of the town is unquestionably the Iceland Phallological Museum, where we had a Brevard College foto taken. I wonder what Guto would do here!?! Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it was closed. We stopped by the whaling museum, but I refused to pay 500k to support whaling so we all left. We continued up the road to our northernmost point. We all walked to the shore of the Arctic Ocean. The latitude was N66˚ 12.2', less than 18' shy of the Arctic Circle. Around the bend, we stopped at a clifftop overlook for lunch. To our delight, dozens of puffins swam in the water below. Audrey, Matt, and Bill got good close-up fotos on the cliffs. I got good video of them in the water. We drove down to the delta of the Jökulsá a Fjöllum and across the river to Ásbyrgi and the Jökulsárg National Park visitor center to take in there excellent displays about the natural history of north-eastern Iceland. Then, we drove into the point of the Ásbyrgi which is where two waterfalls eroded back through the basalt flows to join in a single massive fall which suddenly turned off when the Jokulsá changed its course. We hiked back through the forest to the base of the dry falls and into the arcuate fossil plunge pool which was 8-10 m deep. Then we walked to two higher platforms getting views of the whole pool and finally a downstream view over the top of the trees. That's right! Trees! It was the first time I'd seen a forest in Iceland! We drove southward on the east side of the river stopping off to get a breathtaking view of the canyon at the Hafragilsfoss. It looks a lot like the Columbia river gorge with its layers of columnar basalts. Just a few kilometers farther south is Dettifoss, Iceland's biggest waterfall. We walked to the edge of the fall and took turns lying on the rock to feel the power of the pounding water. Magnus had me stand with my hands out and eyes closed to let the power of Dettifoss enter my body and help it heal. It was a very emotional experience for me. The final 80 km south back to the pavement is all washboard. We flew over it at about 100 km/h in less than an hour. On the way back to camp we made two short stops: one at the bridge over the Jokulsá where we found Askja pumice and the other at Grotgjá to see the underground hot bath at 50˚ C (too hot to use since 1974). We had a great vegetarian meal prepared by Audrey, Kathy, and Rain. Afterward, I went up and met with Sigfus to give him the names of the different types of Mývatn volcanoes. The fog had rolled in preventing our viewing them from the far shoreline. I went back to camp and discovered most people had gone to the Mývatn nature baths. I wrote for awhile but dozed off. When I awoke at 12:30 I went and took a shower. The others had returned by the time I got back to camp. We all went to bed soon after. What a great day!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1188678060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1188678060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1188678060/tpod.html Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:02:34 -0400 The Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Geology Field Trip to Iceland

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Reykjahlið, Iceland

Day 7: July 13, 2007 Námasfjall Hverir and Krafla     I slept well but not like the previous night.  After breakfast, we loaded up and headed over to Namasfjall Hverir under overcast skies. The geothermal field was as active as ever.  We toured it in a clockwise direction before climbing the mid-ocean ridge on the trail by the road. Although it was slippery in places it is a much easier climb than the trail to the south of the area.  The low clouds and drizzle dampened our view and enjoyment of the site.  Magnus met us at the road and we drove into Krafla Caldera, passing the geothermal power plant.  The wind and rain at the Viti shortened our visit.  The lighting did not show the spectacular colors I've seen there in the past.           We drove to the Leirhnjükar parking lot and ate lunch on the bus to keep out of the weather.  The rain stopped while we ate so we started to hike after we ate.  Even in the fog the place is amazing.  We walked through the geothermal areas and started the southward trail through the spatter cones.  One of the cones had an amazing mini lava tube whose drainage formed a pahoehoe stairway.  The flow was frozen in the bottom of the tube and hot gas was escaping.  We got pictures of Motley's head poking through a crack in another tube.             At the south end of the trail where marvelous tensional cracks leave little doubt of the tectonic stresses in the area, I climbed a steep hill to get a better view.  On the way up, I slipped and jammed my middle finger into the slope.  It looked really dislocated, but didn't hurt.  Magnus thinks it is broken but I think it is just sprained at the distal joint.             Everyone returned to the bus.  It was cloudy and cool, and a little windy.  We drove back to camp.  Kathy, Rain, and I went down to the hotel bar for a $9 beer and good conversation.  Then we did some very expensive food shopping, getting shrimp for the evening's burritos.             Rain and I were standing outside the cook tent when Sigfus, the campground owner, came up and spoke with us.  It was good to see him again.  We made plans to go look at volcanoes the next evening.             A bunch of us returned to the bar to hear a show called "The Story of Farming" performed by two women playing a synthesizer and a saxophone.  It was an ethereal but forgettable experience.  Motley, Rain, and I sampled Magnus' snuff-a first for all of us.  It was probably the last for me.             We drove back to the campground around 11:15.  The twilight was strong enough to warrant a nightcap before going to bed.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1184182560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1184182560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/iceland--2007/1184182560/tpod.html Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:27:51 -0500 The Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Geology Field Trip to Iceland

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Reykjahlið, Iceland

Day 5: July 11, 2007 Hveravellir to Reykjahlið              Hveravellir had terrible weather during my three previous visits but I slept soundly with my tent door open.  The brilliant sun awoke me at 6:15, shining through the door.  We ate breakfast and broke camp.  Our bad tire was completely flat.  Magnus could only find a tire in Akureyri ~250 km away.  Since the vehicle was a dually, he felt we could make it that far.             We headed north and soon came to the Blöndulón Reservoir where we stopped at the overlook and had a perfect view of the small Eiriksjökull ice cap.  I had forgotten what a perfect shield volcano it is.             After 80 km the road turned to asphalt.  We took it into Varmahlið , stopping above town at an overlook to view the Skagafjörður and glacial valley.  We ate lunch outside of the coffee shop/grocery store and then headed for Akureyri under pristine skies.  I guess I had never had clear weather for that drive before because I was astounded by its amazing beauty.  There were many cirques cut into the stacked basalt flows.  We reached Akureyri on the Eyjafjörður without incident.  The shopping center was next to the Goodyear store so Audrey, several others, and I did grocery shopping while Magnus got two new tires.             We left town about an hour and a half after we arrived and drove north up the east side of the fjord, stopping for fotos at a beautiful overlook.             The drive toward Mývatn was as spectacular as always, passing by cirques and gigantic landslides.  Our stop at Goðafoss was beautiful.  I explained the geology and let everyone explore it on their own.  I walked with Kathy to the falls.  Then we joined Mal to walk up to the drainage reversal area.             Our final leg was a straight shot over to Mývatn and Reykjahlið.  We arrived at the Bjarg campground but they had no record of our reservation and no one ever told me which campground to go to.  The French attendant called my friend, the owner Sigfus, who was in Akureyri.  He was happy to hear from me but could recall no reservation.  Disappointed, we checked out the campground at the hotel at the north end of town, but they had no record of us either.  We returned to Bjarg and finally got a hold of Magnus Ólafsson's office in Reykjavík, who told us to stay where we wished.  Bjarg is my favorite.  We camped right on the shoreline, as we had in 2004.             We set up camp amongst tens of thousands of midges and finally ate dinner around 10:30.  Everyone went to bed exhausted immediately afterward.  A strong, cool breeze made us yearn for our sleeping bags as the fog crept across the lake.  It died down when the sun finally set and we fell asleep to the rhythm of the small waves breaking gently on the shoreline.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/argentina_2007/1198550160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/argentina_2007/1198550160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/magellanic/argentina_2007/1198550160/tpod.html Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:45:05 -0500 Fulbright/Sabbatical in Argentina: I was fairly stationary in Salta until December but then traveled extensively in Patagonia until the end of February.

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El Calafate, Argentina

Day 132: December 24, 2007 El CalafateBe sure to look at the fotos in the album. There re way too many!We got up at 6:45 and left the campground at 7:20, arriving at the bus pick-up point at 7:30. The bus brought us out to the piers at Punta Banderas. It let us off at the wrong one so it was a bit of a walk to get to our catamaran, the Nuevo León. The boat was much larger than the one we took to Estancia Cristina a few weeks earlier. More than 100 people took the tour but it really didn't seem crowded in the cabins although it was a little tight on deck at times. The boat moved really fast. We soon overtook the Estancia Cristina launch and were surprised to see the Stones waving to us from the fantail. We later learned that their itinerary had been flip-flopped. We sped onward under a beautiful sunny sky past the fold-thrust structures and through the icebergs for more than an hour before pulling in to Bahía Onelli. Disembarking at the dock, we walked 800 m through the woods, along the river to Lago Onelli, a proglacial lake dammed by a recessional moraine, into which the Aggasiz and Onelli glaciers enter and calve off icebergs that are stranded until they melt. It was beautiful under the clear sky. In 1989 it was rainy, windy, and had a low ceiling. I had no idea the place was so beautiful. Although some people ate at the restaurant there, we picnicked on the lakeshore and then walked along the shoreline before returning to the boat.We sailed to the front of the Upsala Glacier and stood 800 m in front of it for about half an hour. Once again, I saw nothing calve off it but it was obvious that there had been a lot of activity since my visit a few weeks ago. There were many big icebergs in close to the glacier.Next, we sailed back toward Punta Banderas, past Bahía Onelli and up the Spezzagini Arm of the lake. It rivals Perito Moreno in its awesome appearance. It stands about 100 m high and overhangs the lake. I saw a few small avalanches but no real calving. Our three story sister ship was dwarfed by the ice. Being able to see the entire source area made it even more impressive. I don't really remember going here in 1989 but I know we did. On the way back to port, we pulled in close to the wall and saw an Andean Cóndor at her nest from about 20 m away. We did this at the same spot in 1989. I highly recommend this trip over the Estancia Cristina trip.I fell asleep on the bus on the way back to El Calafate; Will awoke me when we arrived. Back at camp all three of us showered. I called my parents to wish them Merry Christmas and asked them to forward a Happy Birthday to Elena who turned 16 today. I still haven't heard from her since she returned to the US! We then went over to the Kau Yatún to have dinner with the Stones. They had not yet returned from their excursion but showed up about ten minutes later. We sat in the lounge drinking beer while they got themselves showered for dinner. A woman named Stacey came in and they invited her to join us. She is from Venice, CA and sells carousels to high-class malls-an interesting one for "What's My Line?"!!!We ate dinner at the hotel clubhouse. Only a few other tables were occupied. It was a grand setting with excellent appetizers, including shrimp and venison. I was full by the time my bife de chorizo came. Unfortunately, it was a little tough so I used that as an excuse for not finishing it.After dinner, the tables were pushed back and a DJ started playing loud music. We all danced and the young hotel staff joined in. I danced a fair amount but was content to sit and enjoy the moment. At midnight fireworks were shot into the sky all over the small city. We partied until 2:00. I was tired so I drove back to the campground by myself leaving Megan and Will to keep the party going. I was in my sleeping bag by 2:30. I didn't hear Megan and Will return at 3:30.
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