I was going through some pictures today and I've found that, as many of us probably do, I have a huge amount of sunset shots. I have sunsets over Miami, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Kenya, Orlando, New Orleans, Bermuda, The Bahamas and more. I have good sunsets and not so good. Sunsets with people silhouetted in the foreground and sunsets with giraffe and elephant silhouetted in the foreground.
I have sunsets that are green and sunsets that are blueish. I have purple, red, yellow and orange sunsets. I even have video of the sun going down into the horizon from Mallory Square in Key West and from atop a hillside in Nanyuki, Kenya with Mt. Kenya in the distance.
What is my (our) fascination with sunsets? Well, I'll tell you my theory. As much as I hate to think that I might not be immortal, I might not be. There is the distinct possibility that we have only a finite time on this planet and that the time that we think is so abundant really is limited. We all get sooooo busy - working, going to the grocery store, paying bills, commuting. I suspect that there's not a place on this earth where people don't get caught up in the minutia that is day to day living - caring for children, spouses, pets.....working at jobs that are either unfulfilling or too stimulating - doesn't matter what we do - we're usually too busy to stop and look at the incredible miracles that happen around us every day.
So when we do have the chance to go somewhere and look at the sky turn yellow and purple and pink. We hope the conditions are perfect (there's no rain or tall person with a hat in front of you or loud screaming drunk or child ruining the moment). And we have a moment to stop and breathe and look and take it in.....
A sunset is the oldest and simplest miracle on earth - Ancient Egyptian Priests prayed each sunset to the Sun God Ra to bring back the sun the next day. The ancient Romans built temples to sun worshipers. The Aztec and Mayans worshiped the sun. There is something so primal, so natural about looking at the sunset.
A picture that no human could replicate is painted by nature each and every day. And maybe there is some primal instinctual fear in our darkest lizard brain that this could possibly be the last sunset we will ever see that makes us stop in our tracks and watch. And hope this sunset that we're witnessing is pink and orange and red and yellow.....the perfect sunset. The one to go on.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Monkey Doctor and the Fancy Hotel
When we were in Nicaragua, we stayed in quaint little haciendas and bed and breakfasts. Each one was small and cozy with good food and cold drinks - everything you could want and nothing that you didn't need - just the way it should be. Jack and I tend to shy away from the large chains - I mean when you stay at the large chains you forget where you are in the world and why you're there - Jamaica turns into Cancun which turns into Costa Rica which turns into Miami which turns into Orlando - same towels, same pool with "yellow bird" being piped in, same, same, same. I think the entire purpose of going to another country is to really immerse yourself in the local ways - to eat in local roadside stands, to stay at a local b&b, to meet the people and to give money directly to the community instead of the Hilton family....
But, I did hear about this really cool hotel in San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua - a hotel set into a hillside, each room resembling a cave. Not a chain but a "western" hotel with lots of pools, bars, etc. So our last night in Nicaragua, after spending time on Ometepe Island with giant spiders, howler monkeys, cows, thousands of frogs and one very poisonous coral snake we decided to travel to the "touristy" town of San Juan Del Sur and stay at the Pelican Eyes hotel.
Nicaragua surprised me on many levels - it charmed the living daylights out of me - and the roads for the most part were smooth and well signed. Until we turned off for San Juan Del Sur. We turn off the beautiful Pan American Highway at the sign for San Juan Del Sur - 50km. Well, that's close....not! The roads were nothing short of red clay and rocks just large enough to break the axle on a rental car. After what seemed like forever on this really dusty hot road, we stopped at the ice cream man (see picture of the ice cream man and his ice cream bike). and had a delicious cold treat.
We finally get to San Juan Del Sur and the Pelican Eyes Hotel. Beautiful hotel set into a hillside cliff with the most amazing vistas of the bay of San Juan Del Sur and the Pacific Ocean. We get the keys to our hacienda - which is beautiful. What is disturbing, though, is that directly in front of out door there are some little howler monkeys on harnesses. Further investigation shows me a little boar in a cage, some chickens and some ducks. Animals in cages? A mini zoo? I run to the front desk to confront these people - if they have monkeys for the benefit of tourists I am so outta there! So the woman at the front desk see this American hellcat in front of her as I confront her about the monkeys. Yes - that is our rehab facility, she replies. For our veterinarian. Would you like a tour of our animal hospital? That shuts me up as I nod yes.
I am escorted down some rock steps to what I would like to refer to as "my waking dream" - kittens and chickens and monkeys. Dogs and birds lying together, walking around, healing. I am greeted by an volunteer who shows me around. I spend the day there and the following day I am introduced to Maya. Maya is a six month old howler monkey orphan. She will be raised by hand and loved until she is about two or three, when she is sexually mature. She will then be released to have her own life and family back in the wild. Male monkeys, however, cannot be released - they would be ganged up on - hence the monkeys on the property.
The Stones and Waves clinic is unique in that this beautiful hotel funds part of the operation and gives them much needed property. What a wonderful idea. In countries like Nicaragua, animals are not treated kindly. Like the story of one of the monkeys on the property that almost had his arms and legs macheted off by a drunk. Or the stories of boys throwing rocks at monkeys for fun. Or the poisoning of cats and dogs. The vet at Stones and Waves is not rich, In fact he joked that he's still paying off his student loans - and he's middle aged. What a wonderful man. What a wonderful place.
I still think about beautiful Maya - her baby breath that smelled of banana and mango. Her teeny little hands touching my ear and her little tail wrapped around my neck as she fell asleep on my shoulder. I think about this perfect little creature and how there are people in the world that would want to harm her. But there are also good, good people who would give up a big house, a new car every few years and creature comforts to live in a poor country to help save her and her kind. I think of Maya, who by my calculations should be ready to be free to make her own monkey babies in the Winter of 2009. And I think that one day, as she plays with and grooms her own sweet baby monkey, she will tell her child about people and how some of them can be good.
Please visit http://www.piedrasyolas.com/swvc_eng.htm for more information on this wonderful clinic and to donate much needed money to their efforts to build a new monkey enclosure for the monkeys that are rehabilitating and those that cannot be released into the wild again.
But, I did hear about this really cool hotel in San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua - a hotel set into a hillside, each room resembling a cave. Not a chain but a "western" hotel with lots of pools, bars, etc. So our last night in Nicaragua, after spending time on Ometepe Island with giant spiders, howler monkeys, cows, thousands of frogs and one very poisonous coral snake we decided to travel to the "touristy" town of San Juan Del Sur and stay at the Pelican Eyes hotel.
Nicaragua surprised me on many levels - it charmed the living daylights out of me - and the roads for the most part were smooth and well signed. Until we turned off for San Juan Del Sur. We turn off the beautiful Pan American Highway at the sign for San Juan Del Sur - 50km. Well, that's close....not! The roads were nothing short of red clay and rocks just large enough to break the axle on a rental car. After what seemed like forever on this really dusty hot road, we stopped at the ice cream man (see picture of the ice cream man and his ice cream bike). and had a delicious cold treat.
We finally get to San Juan Del Sur and the Pelican Eyes Hotel. Beautiful hotel set into a hillside cliff with the most amazing vistas of the bay of San Juan Del Sur and the Pacific Ocean. We get the keys to our hacienda - which is beautiful. What is disturbing, though, is that directly in front of out door there are some little howler monkeys on harnesses. Further investigation shows me a little boar in a cage, some chickens and some ducks. Animals in cages? A mini zoo? I run to the front desk to confront these people - if they have monkeys for the benefit of tourists I am so outta there! So the woman at the front desk see this American hellcat in front of her as I confront her about the monkeys. Yes - that is our rehab facility, she replies. For our veterinarian. Would you like a tour of our animal hospital? That shuts me up as I nod yes.
I am escorted down some rock steps to what I would like to refer to as "my waking dream" - kittens and chickens and monkeys. Dogs and birds lying together, walking around, healing. I am greeted by an volunteer who shows me around. I spend the day there and the following day I am introduced to Maya. Maya is a six month old howler monkey orphan. She will be raised by hand and loved until she is about two or three, when she is sexually mature. She will then be released to have her own life and family back in the wild. Male monkeys, however, cannot be released - they would be ganged up on - hence the monkeys on the property.
The Stones and Waves clinic is unique in that this beautiful hotel funds part of the operation and gives them much needed property. What a wonderful idea. In countries like Nicaragua, animals are not treated kindly. Like the story of one of the monkeys on the property that almost had his arms and legs macheted off by a drunk. Or the stories of boys throwing rocks at monkeys for fun. Or the poisoning of cats and dogs. The vet at Stones and Waves is not rich, In fact he joked that he's still paying off his student loans - and he's middle aged. What a wonderful man. What a wonderful place.
I still think about beautiful Maya - her baby breath that smelled of banana and mango. Her teeny little hands touching my ear and her little tail wrapped around my neck as she fell asleep on my shoulder. I think about this perfect little creature and how there are people in the world that would want to harm her. But there are also good, good people who would give up a big house, a new car every few years and creature comforts to live in a poor country to help save her and her kind. I think of Maya, who by my calculations should be ready to be free to make her own monkey babies in the Winter of 2009. And I think that one day, as she plays with and grooms her own sweet baby monkey, she will tell her child about people and how some of them can be good.
Please visit http://www.piedrasyolas.com/swvc_eng.htm for more information on this wonderful clinic and to donate much needed money to their efforts to build a new monkey enclosure for the monkeys that are rehabilitating and those that cannot be released into the wild again.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Zebra on the Runway
On our trip from Nanyuki to the Masai Mara, our little airplane was grounded due to mechanical problems. This happens all the time everywhere (I should know - I'm married to a pilot). So our short 45 minute flight to the Mara turned into an air odyssey around Kenya.
We took off from Nanyuki to Samburu Intrepids and then Samburu proper. Two stops on two airstrips. Just fascinating to watch - flying into the Abadares, watching the rather forest like Nanyuki turn to desert by air, flying so low that you could see the ancient volcano craters, long extinct, turn to green velvety valleys. Giraffe and elephant turned to toys, marching across the plains.
From North (Samburu) we headed back to Nairobi where we had a few hour layover and were treated to lunch for our troubles at the Safarilink lunch counter (a delicious curry vegetable plate and mango juice, thank you very much..). I tried my best to turn into ugly American Tourist and raise hell that our entire day was shot....but I absolutely could not be angry with anyone in Kenya - the people are so gracious, so polite, so well mannered at the airport. They apologized first, sent cars for us, changed our return flight to the afternoon so we would have a day on the back end and offered me a coke light so how in the world could I ever be angry? Nope. Life is good, I am in Kenya, I am surprisingly happy for a long layover and several hundred miles of travel north to go south....
We finally make it to the plan to the Mara. This, of course, entails another four stops before our airstrip. We take off and head for the Lake Navaisha area. We fly over the Kibera slum in Nairobi - tin roofed shacks after tin roofed shacks..then the well manicured lawns and English gardens of Karen - the home of Karen Blixen of Out of Africa fame. Out of the Nairobi airspace we enter the Great Rift Valley - home of some of the most important discoveries of the origins of man. Indeed, this really looks like where the origins of mankind should be. In fact, it's strange but setting foot on African soil, you feel some primeval force telling you you are home. Call it your molecular cells remembering the air, the smell, the way the sun shines on this enormous land stretching out to forever, but you do feel like you have come home. Go to Africa and experience this yourself.
We pass more extinct craters, hills and lush green valley. More beautiful than can be imagined is this land. Coming upon Lake Navaisha - a beautiful lake, actually smaller than my imagination of it. We make a final approach and there it is - a freaking ZEBRA trots on the runway just as we are getting ready to touch down! Now I have the dual fortune and misfortune to be married to a pilot - because when he's calm I know everything is good - but then again if he even so much as flinches and lets down his "captain" guard for a nanosecond, I know we're screwed - and Jack flinched and pulled up on the imaginary yoke - just as the pilot flying this prop plane did the same thing - causing luggage to fly, people to be jostled and plane to go straight up to avoid messy and bad head on collision with said Zebra! Whoa - I'll say one thing about the US - we have no Zebra hazards on our runways.
We approach for another landing, this time Zebra free and drop off a British honeymoon couple, take off quickly (before the Zebras come back - they're watching at a safe but close distance just off the runway - perhaps there are some delicious plants growing off the runway but clearly they're waiting to reclaim their spot on the dirt runway.
Back in the air(Zebra free) , we head for the Mara, Porini Lion Camp and LIONS!!!!
Never have I seen anything that just makes me hang my jaw down stunned and floored by the sheer beauty as I have in Kenya. Can you fall instantly, hopelessly, in love with a land that you've only know in your dreams? Yes, but only if the reality meets your incredibly high expectations. The expectations of a child dreaming of wild animals and endless vistas. Kenya not only exceeded my expectations, but brought me right back to that little girl who dreamed of meeting Elsa the Lioness. I am now, and forever will be, in love with Kenya.
We took off from Nanyuki to Samburu Intrepids and then Samburu proper. Two stops on two airstrips. Just fascinating to watch - flying into the Abadares, watching the rather forest like Nanyuki turn to desert by air, flying so low that you could see the ancient volcano craters, long extinct, turn to green velvety valleys. Giraffe and elephant turned to toys, marching across the plains.
From North (Samburu) we headed back to Nairobi where we had a few hour layover and were treated to lunch for our troubles at the Safarilink lunch counter (a delicious curry vegetable plate and mango juice, thank you very much..). I tried my best to turn into ugly American Tourist and raise hell that our entire day was shot....but I absolutely could not be angry with anyone in Kenya - the people are so gracious, so polite, so well mannered at the airport. They apologized first, sent cars for us, changed our return flight to the afternoon so we would have a day on the back end and offered me a coke light so how in the world could I ever be angry? Nope. Life is good, I am in Kenya, I am surprisingly happy for a long layover and several hundred miles of travel north to go south....
We finally make it to the plan to the Mara. This, of course, entails another four stops before our airstrip. We take off and head for the Lake Navaisha area. We fly over the Kibera slum in Nairobi - tin roofed shacks after tin roofed shacks..then the well manicured lawns and English gardens of Karen - the home of Karen Blixen of Out of Africa fame. Out of the Nairobi airspace we enter the Great Rift Valley - home of some of the most important discoveries of the origins of man. Indeed, this really looks like where the origins of mankind should be. In fact, it's strange but setting foot on African soil, you feel some primeval force telling you you are home. Call it your molecular cells remembering the air, the smell, the way the sun shines on this enormous land stretching out to forever, but you do feel like you have come home. Go to Africa and experience this yourself.
We pass more extinct craters, hills and lush green valley. More beautiful than can be imagined is this land. Coming upon Lake Navaisha - a beautiful lake, actually smaller than my imagination of it. We make a final approach and there it is - a freaking ZEBRA trots on the runway just as we are getting ready to touch down! Now I have the dual fortune and misfortune to be married to a pilot - because when he's calm I know everything is good - but then again if he even so much as flinches and lets down his "captain" guard for a nanosecond, I know we're screwed - and Jack flinched and pulled up on the imaginary yoke - just as the pilot flying this prop plane did the same thing - causing luggage to fly, people to be jostled and plane to go straight up to avoid messy and bad head on collision with said Zebra! Whoa - I'll say one thing about the US - we have no Zebra hazards on our runways.
We approach for another landing, this time Zebra free and drop off a British honeymoon couple, take off quickly (before the Zebras come back - they're watching at a safe but close distance just off the runway - perhaps there are some delicious plants growing off the runway but clearly they're waiting to reclaim their spot on the dirt runway.
Back in the air(Zebra free) , we head for the Mara, Porini Lion Camp and LIONS!!!!
Never have I seen anything that just makes me hang my jaw down stunned and floored by the sheer beauty as I have in Kenya. Can you fall instantly, hopelessly, in love with a land that you've only know in your dreams? Yes, but only if the reality meets your incredibly high expectations. The expectations of a child dreaming of wild animals and endless vistas. Kenya not only exceeded my expectations, but brought me right back to that little girl who dreamed of meeting Elsa the Lioness. I am now, and forever will be, in love with Kenya.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Key West - The City at the End of the Country
I LOVE KEY WEST. I love driving to Key West. I love the freedom I feel every time the Florida Turnpike ends and I start the drive south and west on the Overseas Highway. Key West is everything that Miami lacks. Let me first say that I do like Miami. I don't love it because how can you love something that really has no soul and no identity? Miami and Miami Beach are the supermodel of cities - heartbreakingly beautiful, put together, lovely to look at, wonderful for a one night stand but try to talk to her about art, or culture.....and.....? Yeah. I know that Miami is really trying to have a great art and culture scene. I give props to my friends who work hard at having Miami being taken seriously as a cultural capital but after all the galleries, the concerts, the happenings - Miami Social comes along and kills any good press with a swipe of a perfectly french manicured fingernail.
But enough of Miami....I want to talk about Key West. Strangely enough, a lot of my South Florida acquaintances think Key West or the Keys, for that matter, is really a euphemism for the Tiki bar in Islamorada - NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!!!!!! Stop! The Keys and Key West is so much more than that! Let me explain.
For me, the drive on the Overseas Highway is nothing short of the drive to freedom. Best done in a convertible (alas, my little LeBaron died), any car will do in a clinch. For the drive it is a requirement to put on the Margaritaville channel on Sirius radio (a Jimmy Buffet or Bob Marley CD will work fine, too). Leave your attitude in Miami or Weston and drive. I like to drive slow, stopping for a wonderful conch chowder at The Island Grill http://www.keysdining.com/islandgrill/, This, by the way is part of the real Islamorada - not the Tiki Bar. And it's not that I'm getting old - I always hated places that reek of pre-mixed pina coladas and vomit. Always have. Even at 20.
After a satisfying pitstop to refresh and have a little chowdah....it's heading south. This is where the scenery turns brilliant. take the time to stop at a parking spot and look down into the water. You'll be treated with manta rays, grouper and lobster - fantastic! I love to look at the old railway tracks and stop at the Hurricane Memorial in Islamorada, just south of the Cheeca Lodge.
Before the Seven Mile Bridge, I like to stop into The Island Fish Company for a brewski (just one - another 50 miles to go) and some conch fritters. Yes - this trip is all about eating, drinking and walking. Soon we're on the famous seven mile bridge - where I still marvel at running it on foot. But you can drive - most people do. Then we get into kitschy territory - The Dolphin Research Institute, The Turtle Hospital (complete with turtle ambulances), and the giant pink shrimp mobile (i don't know....I just don't know).....
My next favorite is the Key Deer sanctuary area. We always pull off the road to look for these amazing little dog-sized creatures. And we always spot one or two. So beautiful.
More bridges, more islands....the islands getting smaller and the bridges more and more frequent in the lower keys. The Gulf on your right and the Atlantic (really Florida Straits) on your left. Until...Key West!
We always stay at the same Bed and Breakfast, The Popular House. It feels like home to us - large and pink with cedar walls and funky decor. Our room has a giant fake Gauguin oil as a headboard. In Key West, there is of course Duval Street - known for bars, bars, and.....bars. But there is so much more in Key West.
Look at the houses - nearly every one is a historic site with a story. There is the Little White House the vacation home of Truman. The lighthouse, The Audubon House (OK - Audubon never lived here....but he might have)....The Hemingway House where you can see and play with Ernest Hemingway's famous six toed cats.....The Southernmost Point (only 90 miles to cuba), Mallory Square with the Sunset Celebration and the amazing acts that perform every day (tips are really appreciated and well earned). You can have a margarita at the original Pan Am building, (Now Kelly's a restaurant owned by Kelly McGillis), an incredible meal at Michael's (my favorite posh spot), or go looking for ghosts (my personal favorite thing to do)....
I love Key West. I like picking a side street and getting lost among the scent of honeysuckle on a warm summer night. I like finding a new restaurant (like The Cafe) and hunkering down to a Nice lazy lunch. I like listening to a cover band at Sloppy Joe's, knowing I am walking in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams. I like visiting the cemetery and shouting a hello - half waiting and half dreading a reply. What is it about Key West that attracts the strange, the artistic, the eccentric and me? Maybe it really does feel out of touch with the rest of the country - anything goes here - the politics and the social moires of the rest of the country don't matter here. Maybe because there is sea air from everywhere and gentle breezes blow eternal. Maybe because it is so different...yet so welcoming.
And so, after a boat trip to see dolphins, some absolutely amazing clam chili at Alonzo's Oyster bar and a sunset ale, it's time to drive back to Miami....Back to life, back to reality....
But enough of Miami....I want to talk about Key West. Strangely enough, a lot of my South Florida acquaintances think Key West or the Keys, for that matter, is really a euphemism for the Tiki bar in Islamorada - NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!!!!!! Stop! The Keys and Key West is so much more than that! Let me explain.
For me, the drive on the Overseas Highway is nothing short of the drive to freedom. Best done in a convertible (alas, my little LeBaron died), any car will do in a clinch. For the drive it is a requirement to put on the Margaritaville channel on Sirius radio (a Jimmy Buffet or Bob Marley CD will work fine, too). Leave your attitude in Miami or Weston and drive. I like to drive slow, stopping for a wonderful conch chowder at The Island Grill http://www.keysdining.com/islandgrill/, This, by the way is part of the real Islamorada - not the Tiki Bar. And it's not that I'm getting old - I always hated places that reek of pre-mixed pina coladas and vomit. Always have. Even at 20.
After a satisfying pitstop to refresh and have a little chowdah....it's heading south. This is where the scenery turns brilliant. take the time to stop at a parking spot and look down into the water. You'll be treated with manta rays, grouper and lobster - fantastic! I love to look at the old railway tracks and stop at the Hurricane Memorial in Islamorada, just south of the Cheeca Lodge.
Before the Seven Mile Bridge, I like to stop into The Island Fish Company for a brewski (just one - another 50 miles to go) and some conch fritters. Yes - this trip is all about eating, drinking and walking. Soon we're on the famous seven mile bridge - where I still marvel at running it on foot. But you can drive - most people do. Then we get into kitschy territory - The Dolphin Research Institute, The Turtle Hospital (complete with turtle ambulances), and the giant pink shrimp mobile (i don't know....I just don't know).....
My next favorite is the Key Deer sanctuary area. We always pull off the road to look for these amazing little dog-sized creatures. And we always spot one or two. So beautiful.
More bridges, more islands....the islands getting smaller and the bridges more and more frequent in the lower keys. The Gulf on your right and the Atlantic (really Florida Straits) on your left. Until...Key West!
We always stay at the same Bed and Breakfast, The Popular House. It feels like home to us - large and pink with cedar walls and funky decor. Our room has a giant fake Gauguin oil as a headboard. In Key West, there is of course Duval Street - known for bars, bars, and.....bars. But there is so much more in Key West.
Look at the houses - nearly every one is a historic site with a story. There is the Little White House the vacation home of Truman. The lighthouse, The Audubon House (OK - Audubon never lived here....but he might have)....The Hemingway House where you can see and play with Ernest Hemingway's famous six toed cats.....The Southernmost Point (only 90 miles to cuba), Mallory Square with the Sunset Celebration and the amazing acts that perform every day (tips are really appreciated and well earned). You can have a margarita at the original Pan Am building, (Now Kelly's a restaurant owned by Kelly McGillis), an incredible meal at Michael's (my favorite posh spot), or go looking for ghosts (my personal favorite thing to do)....
I love Key West. I like picking a side street and getting lost among the scent of honeysuckle on a warm summer night. I like finding a new restaurant (like The Cafe) and hunkering down to a Nice lazy lunch. I like listening to a cover band at Sloppy Joe's, knowing I am walking in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams. I like visiting the cemetery and shouting a hello - half waiting and half dreading a reply. What is it about Key West that attracts the strange, the artistic, the eccentric and me? Maybe it really does feel out of touch with the rest of the country - anything goes here - the politics and the social moires of the rest of the country don't matter here. Maybe because there is sea air from everywhere and gentle breezes blow eternal. Maybe because it is so different...yet so welcoming.
And so, after a boat trip to see dolphins, some absolutely amazing clam chili at Alonzo's Oyster bar and a sunset ale, it's time to drive back to Miami....Back to life, back to reality....
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Why I Run
So a lot of my friends and acquaintances know me as a runner chick. Always running some marathon or (god help me) an ultramarathon. I'm not infallible and sometimes I fall off the running wagon and don't run for an extended period of time. OK - for me an extended period of time is like, well, a week. But still........I'm trying to prove that I'm human too.
I've run hundreds of races, dozens of marathons and one ultramarathon (that would be 50 miles, nonstop, in case you're wondering. check out http://www.keys100.com/ if you want to follow in my blistered footsteps. It's awesome). I've run in the morning, in the evening, in the dead of night, in the rain (hate when that happens), in the snow, in the freezing cold, during a hurricane and on some insanely beautiful and frighteningly ugly courses and trails.
I know the old chestnut - why do I run? Because it feels so good when I stop. Which is actually partially true. Also because a beer or a margarita never tastes as good as after a marathon. And because I was born with the tendency to not be built like my good friends Joy and Leticia - all tall and lithe and slender. If I didn't run or do something I would probably resemble tweedledee or humpty dumpty. Not a good look for me. And because it does allow me to travel to places to run a particular race without that tourist thing - I'm not a tourist - I'm here for a purpose - to run the Boston/New Orleans/Anchorage/Marine Corps/NYC marathon....And because it is cheaper than a gym membership, doesn't include those scary pilates torture devices and does not require me to learn neither intricate dance moves nor to hold poses for an extended period of time (I also, alas, was not born with grace or balance).
But the main reason why I run....the real reason why I run......is twofold - and sounds a little schizo. I run for the camaraderie AND the solitude.
Let me explain......In this world of increasingly less contact with people, running does offer a sense of community. This is such a digital age - you can be "friends" with someone you've never met, you can conduct meetings over thousands of miles and you can "phone in" your work, a report, a story, a pitch without ever having to leave your bedroom. The computer and cell phone and television are kings and while they have made the world smaller (I actually have friends and a client in Kenya. KENYA!) they have also made it more difficult to get together in person (I have friends, BEST FRIENDS, that I see like once every six months - you know who you are).....then one thing you can't do, though, is run a virtual race. Yes, I know. I hear you. Nike has tried that. Marketed it. Doesn't work. Stupid. Just a way to get your money. Even I, the running obsessed would not give Nike my money so I can run a marathon alone while other people are running alone wherever they are at the same time - would you? I will say this to you now, the road race, the marathon, the ultra marathon, the relay will continue to grow as a sport, a community event, a way to meet people.
So I run for the camaraderie. Because for the past seven years or so, every time Fall rolls around, I run with a team and train them for a race. And every Saturday at 5 am in the dark as I mix gatorade and drag Jack out of bed to walk dogs or something (because he joins me) I complain. And Jack complains. And I love every second of it. It's a rite of fall. It's seeing my friends. It's the joy I get when they are faster or stronger or have accomplished something great.
It's at the start of a large marathon being in a group of 20,000-40,000 other people who have the exact same goal as you. The same eye on the prize. It's at mile 13 or 26 or at the finish line when you talk to strangers on the course, sharing a gel or a helping hand to someone struggling that you don't even know and hearing complete and total strangers cheer for you like you're a rock star or a celebrity.
It's knowing that most of the people I cherish most on this earth are runners and that they embody the spirit of goodness. That they all have jobs, families, responsibilities yet still run and more often than not, raise money for a charity as well because I've found runners to be really good people. With hearts to match their appetites.
And there's the solitude.....Because sometimes after a long particularly difficult day of worries about job, bills, stress, obligations, sickness, loss....there is nothing more cathartic than putting on my shoes and running on the beach. Sometimes to music on the ipod. Sometimes to the music of the surf. But the world and it's petty and not so petty worries melt away. Running has kept me sane many many times over.
On second thought - it could be for the free t-shirts........
I've run hundreds of races, dozens of marathons and one ultramarathon (that would be 50 miles, nonstop, in case you're wondering. check out http://www.keys100.com/ if you want to follow in my blistered footsteps. It's awesome). I've run in the morning, in the evening, in the dead of night, in the rain (hate when that happens), in the snow, in the freezing cold, during a hurricane and on some insanely beautiful and frighteningly ugly courses and trails.
I know the old chestnut - why do I run? Because it feels so good when I stop. Which is actually partially true. Also because a beer or a margarita never tastes as good as after a marathon. And because I was born with the tendency to not be built like my good friends Joy and Leticia - all tall and lithe and slender. If I didn't run or do something I would probably resemble tweedledee or humpty dumpty. Not a good look for me. And because it does allow me to travel to places to run a particular race without that tourist thing - I'm not a tourist - I'm here for a purpose - to run the Boston/New Orleans/Anchorage/Marine Corps/NYC marathon....And because it is cheaper than a gym membership, doesn't include those scary pilates torture devices and does not require me to learn neither intricate dance moves nor to hold poses for an extended period of time (I also, alas, was not born with grace or balance).
But the main reason why I run....the real reason why I run......is twofold - and sounds a little schizo. I run for the camaraderie AND the solitude.
Let me explain......In this world of increasingly less contact with people, running does offer a sense of community. This is such a digital age - you can be "friends" with someone you've never met, you can conduct meetings over thousands of miles and you can "phone in" your work, a report, a story, a pitch without ever having to leave your bedroom. The computer and cell phone and television are kings and while they have made the world smaller (I actually have friends and a client in Kenya. KENYA!) they have also made it more difficult to get together in person (I have friends, BEST FRIENDS, that I see like once every six months - you know who you are).....then one thing you can't do, though, is run a virtual race. Yes, I know. I hear you. Nike has tried that. Marketed it. Doesn't work. Stupid. Just a way to get your money. Even I, the running obsessed would not give Nike my money so I can run a marathon alone while other people are running alone wherever they are at the same time - would you? I will say this to you now, the road race, the marathon, the ultra marathon, the relay will continue to grow as a sport, a community event, a way to meet people.
So I run for the camaraderie. Because for the past seven years or so, every time Fall rolls around, I run with a team and train them for a race. And every Saturday at 5 am in the dark as I mix gatorade and drag Jack out of bed to walk dogs or something (because he joins me) I complain. And Jack complains. And I love every second of it. It's a rite of fall. It's seeing my friends. It's the joy I get when they are faster or stronger or have accomplished something great.
It's at the start of a large marathon being in a group of 20,000-40,000 other people who have the exact same goal as you. The same eye on the prize. It's at mile 13 or 26 or at the finish line when you talk to strangers on the course, sharing a gel or a helping hand to someone struggling that you don't even know and hearing complete and total strangers cheer for you like you're a rock star or a celebrity.
It's knowing that most of the people I cherish most on this earth are runners and that they embody the spirit of goodness. That they all have jobs, families, responsibilities yet still run and more often than not, raise money for a charity as well because I've found runners to be really good people. With hearts to match their appetites.
And there's the solitude.....Because sometimes after a long particularly difficult day of worries about job, bills, stress, obligations, sickness, loss....there is nothing more cathartic than putting on my shoes and running on the beach. Sometimes to music on the ipod. Sometimes to the music of the surf. But the world and it's petty and not so petty worries melt away. Running has kept me sane many many times over.
On second thought - it could be for the free t-shirts........
Monday, July 27, 2009
Freezing on the Equator
One of the places we visited in Kenya was Porini Rhino Camp. Porini Rhino Camp is located in the ol Pejeta conservancy in Nanyuki, Kenya. Nanyuki is located on the Equator. It's also located in the foothills of the Abadare mountain range and is at an elevation if over 6,000 ft. When you think of Africa, especially Kenya, especially being on the equator - you think of, well - hot weather. At least I do. And living in Miami for the past four years, that's a good thing because I totally gave up any tollerance for cold weather whatsoever and now am a total heat dweller - if it gets below 65 degrees, I'm shutting down...
So we fly into the Nanyuki airstrip - which by Kenya standards is a huge airport - they even have a giftshop and restaurant (Barnies). We land and see the airstrip on the equator sign - pretty remarkable. This is also the place to see rhino, wild dogs and cheetah - promising so far. we get into the land rover and make our way to camp - it's about a 2 hour trip to camp but these rides also double as game rides so the time goes by slowly when you are searching for rhino and zebra.
This conservancy has a rich history - it was actually owned by Lord Delamere from Out of Africa fame. The conservancy also was the home at one point to Adnan Khasoggi. There is the Jane Goodal Chimpanzee Refuge on this land and at 90,000 acres, is the largest rhino conservation area in Kenya. The land is much more lush than in Amboselli, which was more desert-like and much drier. And the mountains - you can see Mt. Kenya in the distance - beautiful and snow capped. Simply breathtaking.
We arrive at the camp and meet the camp manager, Ben. I immediately love this guy - he is all smiles and stories. It's apparent that he loves where he is and what he does and also loves to hear as well as tell a good story. Ben will spend every breakfast lunch and dinner with us as our host, our dinner guest and our entertainment - and this is most welcome by us.
We have a walk with Maasai in the conservancy and a lovely lunch under a giant tree - most wonderful. We then go for our traditional sundowner (unlike thanksgiving and christmas dinners with dysfunctional families - this, my friends, is a tradition worth taking note of. As far as traditions go, this is one that everyone should take up). Sundowners are just as they sound - you have a cocktail as the sun goes down. Only here, you're taken by open land rover to a hilltop, a campfire is made for you and you have a "bush" gin and tonic (no ice in the bush) while watching a mother cheetah teach her almost grown cubs to hunt. Does it get any better? I don't think so (but I'm open to it).
I am so fascinated that I don't realize the sun going down means the night setting in. And our guides bringing out down jackets for themselves make me think I'm in for a long night! By the time we get back to camp, I'm hiding under layers of traditional Maasai blankets. Who turned down the hear? This is Africa! When the hell did it get to be about 40 degrees F? Huh? Before dinner we literally put on every layer of clothing we have -I totally look like a crazy person - wearing black socks with my hiking sandals, a baseball cap - yup - this is my sexy honeymoon look alright! Hot hot hot!
Another wonderful meal with Ben, a chat by the fire (warmth) and then it's off to our tent. I'm in the bathroom and Jack gets into bed and I hear a scream - "there's an animal in our bed"! Shit - what kind of little furry thing with large teeth got into the tent? Too big for a real predator - maybe a mongoose? Jack is out of the bed by now - (let's get this straight - Jack is a real guy. He flies planes for a living. He does things in the air that make me sick thinking of it. He would walk a tightrope from our building on the 16th floor to the one across the street without thinking twice. But....when it comes to critters, especially spiders - that's my department). I pull the covers and it's....a.......hot water bottle. covered in a fuzzy material to make it cuddlier, I guess. We hear the Maasai guard ask if we're alright - we say yes - I'm sure he gets this every night.
The bed is really cozy - just me, Jack and our Nanyuki pet....the hot water bottle.
So we fly into the Nanyuki airstrip - which by Kenya standards is a huge airport - they even have a giftshop and restaurant (Barnies). We land and see the airstrip on the equator sign - pretty remarkable. This is also the place to see rhino, wild dogs and cheetah - promising so far. we get into the land rover and make our way to camp - it's about a 2 hour trip to camp but these rides also double as game rides so the time goes by slowly when you are searching for rhino and zebra.
This conservancy has a rich history - it was actually owned by Lord Delamere from Out of Africa fame. The conservancy also was the home at one point to Adnan Khasoggi. There is the Jane Goodal Chimpanzee Refuge on this land and at 90,000 acres, is the largest rhino conservation area in Kenya. The land is much more lush than in Amboselli, which was more desert-like and much drier. And the mountains - you can see Mt. Kenya in the distance - beautiful and snow capped. Simply breathtaking.
We arrive at the camp and meet the camp manager, Ben. I immediately love this guy - he is all smiles and stories. It's apparent that he loves where he is and what he does and also loves to hear as well as tell a good story. Ben will spend every breakfast lunch and dinner with us as our host, our dinner guest and our entertainment - and this is most welcome by us.
We have a walk with Maasai in the conservancy and a lovely lunch under a giant tree - most wonderful. We then go for our traditional sundowner (unlike thanksgiving and christmas dinners with dysfunctional families - this, my friends, is a tradition worth taking note of. As far as traditions go, this is one that everyone should take up). Sundowners are just as they sound - you have a cocktail as the sun goes down. Only here, you're taken by open land rover to a hilltop, a campfire is made for you and you have a "bush" gin and tonic (no ice in the bush) while watching a mother cheetah teach her almost grown cubs to hunt. Does it get any better? I don't think so (but I'm open to it).
I am so fascinated that I don't realize the sun going down means the night setting in. And our guides bringing out down jackets for themselves make me think I'm in for a long night! By the time we get back to camp, I'm hiding under layers of traditional Maasai blankets. Who turned down the hear? This is Africa! When the hell did it get to be about 40 degrees F? Huh? Before dinner we literally put on every layer of clothing we have -I totally look like a crazy person - wearing black socks with my hiking sandals, a baseball cap - yup - this is my sexy honeymoon look alright! Hot hot hot!
Another wonderful meal with Ben, a chat by the fire (warmth) and then it's off to our tent. I'm in the bathroom and Jack gets into bed and I hear a scream - "there's an animal in our bed"! Shit - what kind of little furry thing with large teeth got into the tent? Too big for a real predator - maybe a mongoose? Jack is out of the bed by now - (let's get this straight - Jack is a real guy. He flies planes for a living. He does things in the air that make me sick thinking of it. He would walk a tightrope from our building on the 16th floor to the one across the street without thinking twice. But....when it comes to critters, especially spiders - that's my department). I pull the covers and it's....a.......hot water bottle. covered in a fuzzy material to make it cuddlier, I guess. We hear the Maasai guard ask if we're alright - we say yes - I'm sure he gets this every night.
The bed is really cozy - just me, Jack and our Nanyuki pet....the hot water bottle.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Hemingway and I
I am a complete and total animal rights activist. I want animals to be protected and to live out their lives free from hunting, torturing and being caged. I could no more think of eating a burger or wearing a fur than I could eating and wearing my dog. It's that insane a thought.
So it always seems strange to me that I am so fascinated by Earnest Hemingway. There are some reasons - we share a birthday (July 21st), we share a fascination and love of Key West, Cuba, drinking and the written word. I think we might have been friends, if he could be friends with a woman (and I think he could have. In fact I think contrary to popular belief he loved and respected women. If you read his books you'll know what I mean). But he was a hunter. A fisherman. He loved bullfights. I was in Key West, as I am in Key West every July 21st for OUR birthday (mine and Hemingway's). There was a thunderstorm of biblical proportions and we ducked into the local bookstore (Island Books - wonderful place). I looked at the obligatory Hemingway section and found "Hunting with Hemingway", Hemingway on Hunting", Blood in the Afternoon" and other Hemingway books on hunting, bullfighting, etc. So interesting.
After the rain stopped, I walked over to the Hemingway House. Hemingway left a trust for his cats and their descendants to be cared for. His biography said he never got over the loss of his dog, Black Dog. And that his cats were his sole writing companions. I spoke to Hemingway (it's said his ghost is attracted by the Hemingway celebrations during his birthday and comes back to the tiny Island City of Key West). I asked him why the duality?
Well, Ernest didn't answer me (though I did get an orb in my picture), but I think I got the answer on my own. Hemingway was a product of his time and so much more. I think he loved women and animals. I think he suffered from manic depression and had suicidal tendencies. I think he was very sensitive and sad and masked that with every macho thing he could do. I think he bought into the hunting to save the animals hoo haw. To be macho. To hide the pain.
Much has been written about Hemingway - good and bad. It's been written that he hunted hyena with a machine gun, but that he respected all the large cats he killed. It's been written that he adored all his cats and dogs and tried to save the stray dogs of Cuba. It's also been written that after two failed suicide attempts, his last wife unlocked the keys to the gun chest and let him know she did it.
There are many ghost stories about Key West. In Key West it's not only possible but likely that an author who had some good years in an island paradise should want to roam the town, stopping in to Sloppy Joe's for a drink and having a good chuckle about the Hemingway lookalike contests and the riding of the bulls down Duval Street even years after his death. If Hemingway does roam Key West, we'll meet someday. And I'll finally get to tell him my theory about him - that he felt way too much.....
So it always seems strange to me that I am so fascinated by Earnest Hemingway. There are some reasons - we share a birthday (July 21st), we share a fascination and love of Key West, Cuba, drinking and the written word. I think we might have been friends, if he could be friends with a woman (and I think he could have. In fact I think contrary to popular belief he loved and respected women. If you read his books you'll know what I mean). But he was a hunter. A fisherman. He loved bullfights. I was in Key West, as I am in Key West every July 21st for OUR birthday (mine and Hemingway's). There was a thunderstorm of biblical proportions and we ducked into the local bookstore (Island Books - wonderful place). I looked at the obligatory Hemingway section and found "Hunting with Hemingway", Hemingway on Hunting", Blood in the Afternoon" and other Hemingway books on hunting, bullfighting, etc. So interesting.
After the rain stopped, I walked over to the Hemingway House. Hemingway left a trust for his cats and their descendants to be cared for. His biography said he never got over the loss of his dog, Black Dog. And that his cats were his sole writing companions. I spoke to Hemingway (it's said his ghost is attracted by the Hemingway celebrations during his birthday and comes back to the tiny Island City of Key West). I asked him why the duality?
Well, Ernest didn't answer me (though I did get an orb in my picture), but I think I got the answer on my own. Hemingway was a product of his time and so much more. I think he loved women and animals. I think he suffered from manic depression and had suicidal tendencies. I think he was very sensitive and sad and masked that with every macho thing he could do. I think he bought into the hunting to save the animals hoo haw. To be macho. To hide the pain.
Much has been written about Hemingway - good and bad. It's been written that he hunted hyena with a machine gun, but that he respected all the large cats he killed. It's been written that he adored all his cats and dogs and tried to save the stray dogs of Cuba. It's also been written that after two failed suicide attempts, his last wife unlocked the keys to the gun chest and let him know she did it.
There are many ghost stories about Key West. In Key West it's not only possible but likely that an author who had some good years in an island paradise should want to roam the town, stopping in to Sloppy Joe's for a drink and having a good chuckle about the Hemingway lookalike contests and the riding of the bulls down Duval Street even years after his death. If Hemingway does roam Key West, we'll meet someday. And I'll finally get to tell him my theory about him - that he felt way too much.....
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