Adrienne Did't Die ... Yay

I rushed past wooden crosses, the only thing stopping me from falling off the edge of the cliff, my hands numb from the vibration, my eyes on the path ahead of me. My heart was beating out of my chest, the peddles under my feet barely moving. Once and a while water would trickle down off the side of the cliff beside me, falling onto my helmet. I watched as the greenery rushed by me, the clouds obscuring the path ahead of me.

Five hours earlier I was in a van with five other travelers heading with bikes strapped to our roof to the start of Death Road, Bolivia. Casino de las Yungas is known as the worlds deadliest roads. After traveling to the deadliest roads in India, I though this was not going to be such a big deal. I am not the best bike rider, but I survived mountain biking the winding mountain roads on the way to Machu Picchu, so this is gonna be a piece of cake. 

We arrived at the top of the mountain. We each posed with our bike near this lake, thinking, this can be the last photo of me alive. We dressed in protective gear including knee and elbow pads, a full body suit gloves and a mountain biking helmet. After strapping my gopro to my chest we each mounted our bikes. 

The first 1/3 of the road is paved and has a pretty good amount of traffic. We dodged trucks and vans, flying past tall snow covered mountain. We stopped a couple hours in for a light snack. We then mounted our bikes to complete the most rigorous part of the road. The rest was dirt, rocks, gravel and wet mud. Our small team zipped through the jungle, stopping to see famous accidents along the way. 

"Look down, do you see that charred bus down there at the bottom of the cliff? 30 people died there." We continued... "Here is where people are thrown off the cliff if they have done something bad...you can hear them screaming sometimes at night." We continued.. "Here is the spot where most bikers die ... Look down you can see the remains of the bike frames." 

I am sure these stories are told to us to enhance the adrenaline rush. After three more hours of breath holding, heart pounding madness we finally arrived at the end. I finished ... I didn't die. I even got a shirt that says so, although most people know I am crazy enough to do something like mountain bike Death Road, but if you do t believe me just watch the video I filmed. 

Taking on a Challenge

Yay the 100's post!!!

If you don't know me, I have always been very shy. I have stage fright even people fright sometimes. I am terribly afraid of spiders and I could barely order food in a resturant until I was around 10. I have come a long way since then.

I started out as a quiet elementary school girl in speech therapy and tonight I took on the most difficult performance that I will probably ever do. When I was standing on stage with my red corset and my leather pants I faced my fears.

The bright spotlight blinded me and my heart beat hard against my chest. As I recited my lines my body shivered perched upon red stelletos. I neared the end of my monologue and now the part came that would make or break the performance.

I remember at Berkeley when I attended Vagina Monologue's I was blown away by the woman who did "the woman who loved to make vaginas happy", not just by her courage to be on stage, but by her bravery for being able to do what she did on stage.

As I started into the the first moan I channeled my character, I seperated myself from the shy girl and became a strong woman. I put all my effort into each moan letting the laughter of the audience fuel my confidence. I thrashed about on stage, changing positions and using props. As I reached the finally I was out of breath and exhausted, but I was also different, I accomplished something I never thought I would be able to do.

A couple years ago when I first saw this performance, I said that if I was able to do this monologue on stage then I would be able to do anything. I did it...

"I would gladly live out of a backpack if I can see the world"

Not a day goes by that I do not remenise about my travels and dream about my future journies. I have been inspired by my adventures and I continue to long for new experiences.

I read a quote recently by Don George in his article "How to Fall in Love with Traveling": 

"Travel brings us closer to that state where the thin tissue between inner and outer, self and world, disappears. It makes the world new again and makes us new, too." 

I constantly feel the urge to shed my obligations and just escape back into a life of freedom and adventure. Some say I have been bit by the travel bug. I think that traveling has always been something I enjoyed, but after having the opportunity to escape I have become addicted. Traveling has opened my eyes to what true happiness is.

Don George writes about the experiences that made him fall in love with travelin. When I think about my own moments of falling in love, the emotions are so strong that sometimes life feels incomplete without my backpack on my back and a ticket in my hand. 

When I think about the happiest moments in life I am taken back to enjoying a chai on the trains in India, paragliding over the mountains in Nepal, enjoying Peruvian food at my friends home in Cuzco, dancing the night away with Sole in Salta, Argentina, and watching the sun set against the Torres del Paine in Patagonia. 

If I could spend every moment of my life discovering new places I would give up all the riches in the world to live out of a backpack forever. 

I once heard a quote "Traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer." It's true, I have learned so many things about the world and myself while traveling. If only traveling was free I would give up my own bed to sleep in unfamiliar places, because unfamiliar is something that excites me. 

As Don George says:

"I know from my own wandering that embracing the unfamiliar in this way can be as terrifying as it is exhilarating, but I have learned to make the leap, to meet whatever the universe sends my way with a vulnerable and open heart.

Why? Because when we approach the places and peoples of the planet this way, some amazing adventure always unfolds, diminishing and completing us in ways we can’t begin to understand." 

Although I don't see many opportunities for travel in my near future my addiction will remain and I hope that I will never lose sight of what truly makes me happy. 

See Don George's article here: 

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/03/28/how-to-fall-in-love-with-the-world/?sf2500833=1

Photograph of Salt

Uyuni Salt Flat - Bolivia

I remember looking to over the salt flats in Bolivia as they stretched on for miles. I was standing in a place where the locals harvested the salt. Mounds of white were built up around me and small heated geysers we're bubbling from the ground. I saw this loan bike sitting against a salt pile and I felt like it depicted the loneliness and desolation of the flats.  It looked so striking against the white salt and it seemed almost abandoned, calling for someone to hop on and pedal across the barren land. 

The Uyuni salt flats reminded me of the beauty this world has to offer those who wander. 

Traveling by Bus- South America

first row and food on the double decker

The long bus rides in South America is a unique experience. Many of the buses are double decker, with the more pricy full reclining seats on the bottom and the semi-reclining seats on the top floor. They have lots of entertainment. They play American Movies in Spanish and Bingo for a free bus ticket, all in Spanish so learn your numbers. They serve three meals, many of which come in little lunch boxes. They are not very vegetarian friendly, its usually ham and cheese for lunch and arroz con pollo (rice and chicken) for dinner. If you are not picky, you can eat just the rice or just the bread and cheese. Many of the sides are vegetarian, usually a cookie, some weird fruit cup or apple and a juice box.

My recommendations for long journeys is go to the supermarket and buy some snacks before you load onto the bus. Either if you are vegetarian or always hungry its a good idea to have something to curb your hunger before you arrive to your destination. Trust me a 30hr bus ride makes you very hungry. Also vary your snacks. On many occasions I would buy more sweet snacks, because that was the mood I was in at the supermarket, and half way through the bus ride I was so done with dried fruit and chocolate and just wanted some salty chips or pretzels. Make sure to get salty and sweet snacks that have a good amount of calories to prevent you from being starving.

If you are going for cheaper (semi-reclining) also called semicama (cama as in bed) I would try to get the seat in the first row. It has lots of leg space and a huge window and great views of the surrounding. Although from Lima, Peru to Santiago, Chile its all desert, so not much to look at.

Note to those with fear of hights, the first row on the top gives a great view, Butkus also very high above the road, so it seems like your flying. There are curtains you can shut if you feel uncomfortable.

Cama and delux cama are very nice, the seats are much bigger, one on each side of the aisle on the bottom floor of the bus. They recline almost all the way back, to give you a semi normal night sleep.

No matter if you pick semi cama or delux, the bus attendants try to make you as comfortable as possible. You get a blanket and small pillow, it can get quite cold with the AC blowing full blast so bring a sweater.
 

Buying Tickets:

 The lowest prices are at the bus stations, from the companies offices. You can also buy tickets from your hostel and travel agents, but they usually charge more. By going to the bus station you can compare prices and amenities, you can even negotiate prices. 

Typically I would buy a ticket for my next bus when I arrived at a new location. This would ensure that I had a seat on a bus on the next date that I wanted to travel. Usually you can get tickets the same day for a later bus, but on a couple of occasions I have met people who could not get tickets and had to stay an extra day. 

Tips:

Keep your valuables secure and out of sight, if you are flashing an ipad or iphone, it will encourage people who might be looking for items to take them. Also try not to take sleeping aids on buses, its easy to steal from a sleeping person, especially if they wont wake up. When you sleep keep your valuable items hidden and in inside pockets. 

Sit as far from he bathroom as you can, especially on long rides during the summer. 

Make friends.

Our Beautiful World in Photos

Laguna Colorada- Bolivia

Dargeeling -India

Backwaters -Alleppie - India

Annapurna Circuit - Nepal

Pucon - Chile

Death Road - La Paz - Bolivia

Valparaiso - Chile

Humayu's Toumb - Delhi - India

Colca Canyon - Peru

Torres del Paine - Chile