Heavenly Daze

The idle monkey trainer recently took a few days off from not training monkeys to enjoy the sites, sun, snow and brews of South Lake Tahoe. If there is any less encouraging way to start a ski weekend, it was the snowless drive from San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe. In the dark we could not see the mountain, but were not encouraged when a local told us “it hasn’t snowed in two months.” “December,” confirmed his companion.

Day 1

Our first day on the slopes was a rough start, owing to a rather foolish decision to continue exploring the various nightlife opportunities that exist along the California-Nevada state line.

The Heavenly gondola takes off from US 50 just off the lake shore and does not stop for two miles and 1000 vertical feet. We took more local advice and started on the California side and were pleasantly surprised by the conditions. The snow was packed, but given that it was 45F at the base when we got up, we had expected slush at best. The cloudless blue sky left stunning views out over the lake.

Our group ended the day at Heavenly’s new lodge at the top of the gondola for some happy hour beers and views of the Heavenly Angels. On Thursdays and Fridays the lodge happy hour blasts loud tunes as go-go dancing Angels gyrate to the beat and drinks go at half-price. This takes drink prices back to normal from ski lodge level.

I will mention dinner at a small Italian place only for the two-sentence review that summed it up perfectly: “Despite being on the ground level, it had all the ambiance of a basement. But, the food was good.”

Day 2

There were clouds in the sky when we awoke on the second day of skiing, but this was no indication of cooler temperatures. We circled around to the north end of the Lake and the posh resort of Northstar. The crowds at the base had us a bit concerned about lift lines and crowded slopes, but this is an area at least as much about the idea of going skiing as it is about actually skiing.

On the mountain we found it fairly easy to avoid the crowds, and even found a few groomed blacks that had seen so few skiers there was still corduroy in the mid-afternoon. This is a big, wide open mountain with plenty of glade skiing and would make for a great day when covered in fresh snow.

The après ski this day did not feature strippers, er, I mean, go-go dancers, so did not really measure up to Heavenly. But, it held its own with comfortable couches around the ice rink and a live band. Naturally, this is set up in the center of the “village” which to all of us looked exactly like every other “village” built in North America in the last 10 years.

Day 3

We awoke to rain, which intermittently changed to freezing rain. We were not encouraged and thought there would be no skiing this day. Still, we ventured out for Kirkwood, which was reporting two inches of new snow. As we drove up and over a 7000-foot pass we watched the car’s outside thermometer near freezing and the precipitation turn into something resembling snow. Then we descended and there was talk of what would happen (nothing) if we arrived at the base of the resort and found rain.

Then we turned a corner and found winter. By the time we reached the ticket window there was snow, and it had been coming down all night. We eagerly geared up and headed for the top. As we checked a map and determined our route to the backside, a man skied up to inform us it was so windy he had come back to the front. We ventured on anyway and were rewarded. (Apparently one man’s too windy is another man’s breeze.)

There was about five inches of new snow – and not the infamous “Sierra Cement” I had anticipated. We floated and played over open runs and through nicely spaced trees. The temperature was still a bit warm and the long slow lifts meant the snow had time to melt and soak us each time we rode up. We decided to break for lunch only when one of our crew had so much moisture in his goggles he could not see and no way to dry them.

We traversed back to the front side, and found some great glades in which we were introduced to the Sierra Cement. It was deep and heavy, but as someone put it, “milky.” We walked across the narrow road from the base lodge and were rewarded with a half-empty sports bar/restaurant.

“You know it’s a good day when you don’t stop for lunch until 1:30.”

More or less dried out and with clean goggles, we spent the final couple of hours exploring some trees on the front side. Judging by the map, we had barely scratched the surface of Kirkwood. Five inches of fresh snow will always produce a more favorable impression of a ski area, but there was agreement that it would be worth a return trip.

Now to start planning for next year’s big weekend. 

The Calm before the Storm

I was reminded recently – well, early in May – that I have a blog. It seems I have been more idle than usual.

I had an intention to revisit the north of Japan to volunteer once again and see firsthand how the recovery efforts were progressing. This has not happened. Instead, I found myself recently idling in Athens, Greece for a brief time.

The inevitable question arises when this piece of information is offered: “How is Greece?”

I think we will find out this weekend. For the moment, Greece is in political limbo. The inconclusive outcome of the last election, in which anti-austerity and seemingly anti-euro parties did best, but ultimately unable to form a viable government. The rematch is Sunday. The outcome will tell us how Greece is.

For the moment, Greece is calm. Fortunate enough to have been in Athens a few times over the past year, I can say it was much calmer now than eight months ago. In September last year while I was there, there were demonstrations in Syntagma square, strikes by bus drivers, train conductors, and taxi drivers. The center of the city was blocked. The day after I left, Molotov cocktails flew into buildings around the square.

This month, there was none of that. This time the square was bustling with tourists, the open air bars and cafes were packed. To be sure, there was nervousness that this year’s big shipping exhibition would be lightly attended, but this would appear to not be the case. The opulent parties that coincide with the biannual exhibition overflowed. As a Swede at one party said as the second Ferrari and third top-end Mercedes pulled up to the valet, “What crisis?”

Indeed, even away from the exhibition and events, bars and restaurants were lively with young Greeks. The Plaka was again full of tourists. The planes to and from Athens were full. In short, it was a lot like it was two summers ago – and without the threat of strikes.

What happens Sunday will tell us how Greece is. It may lead to a messy default and exit from the euro. It may bring back to power the parties that attempted to implement the austerity measures demanded by the EU and IMF, and which sparked the demonstrations. But for now, Athens is calm.

Shanghai World Expo

On a roasting hot September afternoon, the idle monkey trainer and a colleague grabbed a taxi for the nearest World Expo entrance, where we had to open our bags, then board an Expo bus for the 2-minute journey to the gates, where we had to go through airport-style security.

China

Once inside, it was immediately clear that we would not be visiting a lot of the pavilions. The line in front of the Japanese pavilion, a big pink building that resembled a pig for some reason, confirmed the rumors we’d heard; namely that waiting times wandered into multiple hours. Helpfully, there are digital signs around the Expo letting you know which pavilions are experiencing the longest waiting times. Inevitably China, Japan and the USA were pushing between four- and five-hour waits all day. The signs would also let you know of the shorter (less than an-hour-wait) lines at certain pavilions.

Since I have an aversion to waiting in any sort of line whatsoever, I was fully prepared to take the advice of a helpful website and skip the pavilions for their bars. (This also coincided nicely with my love of trying new beers.) 

We quickly put the system to the test, grabbing a quick bite of skewered meat from the Pakistan pavilion restaurant. 

This was followed up with a stop into the Australian restaurant and gift shop for a Crown Lager and a cheesy, crowd-pleasing overhead acrobatic show with a couple dressed as SCUBA divers. 

Back out in the heat and sunshine it did not take us long to find that Malta had a nice little café and a good beer. At this point, the idle monkey trainer was approached by the first of several locals who wanted pictures taken with a white guy. I should have charged – it could have offset the costs of the beer.

As we exited Malta’s air-conditioned café, we saw that there was no line at the pavilion across the way, and decided we had to hit up at least one. Albania’s pavilion was a single room with a few murals showing beautiful views, and a gift shop that was exactly one display case long. They also had a wishing fountain. Happy that we had made a pavilion, we headed back out into the heat. As luck would have it, Georgia also had no line, so we got a second pavilion marked off. The Georgians used their one-room space to heavily promote their wine and skiing.

As we walked on, Peru beckoned with their strategically placed sidewalk café. A good beer and a meat pie later, we were off again, heading toward Brazil and the promise of a good cocktail. Sadly, AB InBev had the concession and were offering up only local favorites Budweiser and Corona. The same was true for the USA pavilion opposite. Nevermind, we thought, and headed out toward South Africa, via Argentina, who had a gorgeous restaurant in order to promote their own wines.

Not seeing what we were after at South Africa we instead headed into the African pavilion for a quick trip around the continent and rows of market stalls. Also, plenty of stuffed Gorillas.

But no beverages and we were getting thirsty. We headed back to the more reliably imbibing nations of Europe, where Germany’s outside stage was quiet and the bar area boisterous.  Hofbrau Dark hit the spot, but tired of standing room only, we launched out for the Netherlands' Happy Street, fake grass, canals and sheep. 

Naturally, Heineken was king here, so it was a quick one and off again. 

Belgium, we thought, would provide a good brew and bar. Remarkably, we had to actually walk all around the building to the back side to find a concession with beer. 

This proved to work out well, however, since as we sat street-side with our beers, we could watch the Latvians sky-diving simulating pavilion closing show.

Feeling pretty good, if a bit tired, we decided to walk through the rather depressing halls of the Red Cross & Red Crescent Socities’ pavilion. From there it was a short walk to the tropical islands and wooden canoes of the South Pacific nations, before a final pavilion in the form of Indonesia, which despite three-hour waits during the heat of the day was remarkably open and easy to enter after dark, in spite of the live band playing at the entrance. (China and Japan still had long lines as we made for the exit.)

Hossosawa Waterfall

In the western end of Tokyo’s administrative district lies Hinohara Village – the last “village” in Tokyo. Generally the term village in Japan is reserved for small communities. Despite having exceeded the generally accepted population of a village some time ago, Hinohara has kept the designation, doubtless for marketing purposes. That said, Hinohara looks like no other part of Tokyo – more of a small town nestled in the foothills.

One of the attractions of Hinohara, and the Okutama region to which it belongs, is the Hossawa Waterfall. 

Not the biggest waterfall by any means, it is situated in a lush box canyon at the end of an easy and short trail. From the bus stop or parking lot, make your way past the craft store, ice cream shop, a van selling Potato Burgers and another craft shop, then follow the rest of the trail along the stream with all the other people. Although it was not overly crowded, it was not a place one was going to find complete tranquility in which to ponder the deeper questions of life.

Potato burger, vegetarian version

Being a fan of natural beauty (and natural beauties) and not a fan of large crowds, it was heartening not to be there the weekend of August 21 for the local summer festival. The festival taking place that weekend is highlighted by the lighting of the waterfall in multiple colors – pink, blue, yellow, etc. The trail looked to be readied for the lighting with a string of – at the time at least – bare light bulbs just above head height.

That aside, it is a pleasant area worth a visit, though given the distance and transportation requirements (about 1.5 hours on a train and another 25 – 30 minutes on a bus) it is probably best to combine it with other hikes in the area. 

(The hike was done in mid-August.)

Monkey Prison

Near Kinugawa Onsen station in the hills of Tochigi Prefecture is a ropeway which will ferry passengers up a few hundred vertical meters to a “monkey sanctuary”. It appears more to be a monkey prison.

 (The idle monkey trainer was under the mistaken impression it was more of a wilderness preserve in which monkeys lived.)

Stepping from the tram car, one is assaulted instantly with the stench of close-quartered monkeys. Visitors to the facility are ushered into a small path extending into the monkey prison yard. Through the double layer of chain-link fence visitors may feed the monkeys by extending food pellets (conveniently for sale in the visitors’ area, of course) using a wooden stick. 

The monkeys climb all over the fences, the roof and each other, positioning for attention and food. They extend their forelegs through the fences, forlorn expressions on their faces. They pull and bite on the fencing, bounce and scream. The larger, more dominate monkeys exert their influence in the group to chase off younger, smaller rivals for the pellets, while (human) children squeal with delight and pull back the sticks so they can try to get pellets to the younger, cuter monkeys.

There are hiking trails up the mountain and around the top, which could have helped salvage the afternoon. But, an apparent infestation of mountain leeches put a stop to that. Having never encountered a mountain leech, the idle monkey trainer was somewhat surprised to learn that (1) leeches inhabit mountains and not just waterways, and (2) that the bite of the mountain leech is apparently very painful and results in lots of bleeding. It was strongly suggested that walking the trails in shorts and sandals would be a very bad idea. Apparently the staff at the top of the tram had already encountered hikers that morning suffering from multiple leech bites.

Instead, the idle monkey trainer returned to the public hot spring in front of the train station to soak his feet and enjoy a drink. And where the drunken security guard informed him that although the pump had been shut off at five o’clock he was welcome to stay as long as the water was warm, and repeatedly that the security guard had been attending a summer festival at which he was given several free beers, presumably including the one he was carrying around at the time. 


(The monkey prison was visited in August.)

It's a Small World

Tobu World Square is a sort of model-builder’s dream. Landmark buildings and architectural feats from around the world are rendered to a maximum 1:25 scale. Included in this collection in the hills of Tochigi Prefecture about two hours from Tokyo are the great pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the Parthenon of Greece, palaces and castles too numerous to list from western Europe and a Manhattan scene.

The models are detailed and include human figures in most to help show the scale. The exceptions to this general rule are the Great Wall, Angkor Wat and the models of older Japanese temples and shrines. 

Among the models from Japan are Tokyo station in its original glory, but complete with express trains and the shinkansen pulling in and out of the station, Narita airport with taxiing aircraft, and Yokohama Bay with boats making circuitous routes and moving traffic on the bay bridge, and Tokyo’s newest – and yet unfinished – “attraction” the Tokyo Sky Tree (that for some reason billows smoke/mist and bubbles).

Although the models are to varying scale, the world is not. The view from Yokohama Bay looks onto lower Manhattan, which consists of the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the World Trade Center, with a brief notation about the latter’s destruction.

 It also includes a couple of street scenes. This is where things take a bit of a break from the general theme of the models.

Most of the models from Europe and Tokyo show bustling scenes in front of the buildings, parties and dancing in Europe’s palace courtyards. For reasons not explained on any signs, the New York Street scene shows on one side of a building a horrific car accident, complete with a body being removed. On the other side of the building the scene shows a bank robbery in progress. To an American friend, this raised a couple of questions: Why single out New York City (the only model from the U.S. – or the Americas for that matter) to include negative events? If you are going to include negative elements and negative perceptions of a city, why are there no train officials with a blue tarp hurriedly clearing the latest body from the Chuo Line in Tokyo? Where were the pick-pockets working the crowds of tourists in front of Europe’s cathedrals? (Or perhaps these were too subtle to notice.)

PS. I would like to thank the little Japanese boy who gleefully pointed out the bank robbery scene.

(This post is a couple months overdue.) 

Views of Pike National Forest, Colorado, USA

The idle monkey trainer spent a few days idling around the mountains of Colorado recently. 

Another Wander Through the Woods

On the final day of January, I took my hangover for a walk through part of Big Thicket National Preserve. The two-hour drive from Houston was not one I would characterize as enjoyable or particularly interesting (though that could be partly a side affect of the hangover). It was rewarded, however, with blue skies and temperatures in the upper sixties. And a buffet lunch at Mama Jack's.

Big Thicket is a sprawling piece of the National Park System and rather disjointed. The Kirby Nature Trail, and at least the first part of the Turkey Creek Trail and Sand Hill Loop Trail, are all well maintained and easy to follow.

There are also a number of wooden walkways taking you over the swamps and drainages (bafflingly with an apparent randomness of numbering).

There are also a great number of downed trees throughout, exposing their roots and providing plenty of space for moss and mushrooms.

Into the Woods

I was once told that you generally have to drive three hours from Houston to get to the interesting stuff. Proving that is only a slight exaggeration, Sam Houston National Forest lies just an hour north of Houston. Turning off the highway, the view suddenly changes from strip malls and chain restaurants to thick forests and lake views.

The forest hosts a portion of the Lone Star Trail, a 128-mile hiking trail that traverses the state, as well as a myriad of other hiking and multiple use trails.

The trails on which I wandered today were closed to horses and motorized vehicles due to muddy conditions on the trails. There was no word of warning regarding the downed trees that crossed the trail.

These were muddy of a sort, under the few inches of water anyway. But, such are the hazards of walking trails in an area that gets 55 inches of rain annually. It is well worth the effort for the quiet and solitude.

Scott's Bluff

On the final Sunday of 2009, the idle monkey trainer headed north and east into "God's Country" as my host and guide often calls it. On maps it is known as Scottsbluff.

Towering over the town is Scotts Bluff National Monument. The bluff rises quickly to 800 feet above the surrounding prairie. The afternoon proved to be a good one for a visit, the strong winds having cleared sky and provided views well  into Wyoming.

 Wyoming is out there.

The bluff, and the town, take their name from a fur trader clerk who died near the bluff in 1828. A memorial to him sits on top of the bluff, which is reachable by a 2-mile walking trail that winds up bluff. This trail, I was told, was also used by the high school cross country team for training, with the requisite hurdling of rattle snakes. It is also accessible by the easier (because you can drive up it) road from the visitor center.

The view from the top, looking down over the walking trail.

The bluff was a well-recognized spot along the Oregon Trail, later the Mormon Trail, and the Pony Express routes. Wagon ruts, along with replica wagons, are still visible along the base of the bluff.

Looking over the Oregon Trail.

One final note: If you are interested in exploring what nightlife there is in Scottsbluff, a wintry Sunday evening is not the time to do it. Other than a car of cruising teenagers, the downtown area was deserted and left to the snow.

Texas Underground

The idle monkey trainer took a short getaway in San Antonio, home of the Alamo, the Riverwalk, and a number of other historically important Spanish missions. Having thus spent Saturday, and with fond memories of a fantastic dinner at the Fig Tree restaurant, I ventured into the low hills and even lower caverns of the Texas Hill Country.

Completely ignorant of the many commercial and other caves of the Hill Country, I managed to locate the oldest commercially operated caverns in the area. Cascade Caverns is located at the end of the aptly and not coincidentally named Cascade Caverns Road off of I-10 about 20 minutes west of San Antonio.

The first occupants, or at least users, of the cave were the local Native Americans. They were famously followed by a German recluse who lived in the cave during the Texas independence movement. In the 1930's several buildings were built directly above the caverns, including the original owner's residence, which utilized a natural vent from the cavern about 100 feet below to help ventilate the house. These buildings, along with the caverns themselves, suffered severe flooding in 2002 and stand unused.

The caverns were named for the waterfall that helped form the caverns and can be seen at the end of the tour. (Above) During the 1940's the "cathedral" was used for religious services when the waterfall had dried up. Water started flowing again and the alter was removed after a few years of use.

The cavern floods often, and the operators run a pump every 45 minutes just to keep it dry enough to have visitors. The constant water flow keeps the cavern "alive" with a number of formations continually growing, like the below formation, which started following the 2002 flood.

In addition to human visitors, the cave is home to a unique species of salamander found only in this particular cave. Obviously with such a limited territory, it is an endangered species. They are also incredibly hard to spot. Fortunately the guide is sharp-eyed and knows what to look for. I certainly would have been unable to spot the two-inch, camouflaged little guy. This being Texas Hill Country, there are also a couple of resident bat species. (Not shown)

The caverns, and surrounding grounds, have over the years yielded a large number dinosaur fossils, including a mastodon tusk and femur embedded in the cave's floor and wall respectively. All of which goes some way to explaining the T-rex (currently under restoration) that guards the parking lot and entrance.

Panama City

Panama City has been around since the Spanish decided it was a good location in the 16th century. As they plundered South America, the Spanish used the area as a transit point to reach their ships on the Atlantic side of the isthmus. In the early 17th century the city was sacked and razed by an English pirate.

Following that, the city was moved close to what is now the opening to the Panama Canal. Now a UN World Heritage site, the old city is being renovated (from the inside) by well off Panamanians and foreign investors.

The new business district is also seeing a large amount of development as North American and European retirees flock to the tropics and lower cost of living. The tourism authority obviously encourages such moves, as well as medical tourism. (The official hotel room tourist magazines featured articles and prominent advertisements for the reasonably priced treatments, primarily of a voluntary nature.)

Getting around

The idle monkey trainer has racked up a lot of air miles over the past few weeks. Waikiki did not produce any monkeys in need of training, but I did have fun with this guy.

Monkeys Found!

The Idle Monkey Trainer finally found some monkeys. Sadly for me -- and perhaps the primates -- they were already in confinements and docile.

Or, perhaps, just lethargic. In either case, the monkey trainer remains idle. As were most of the animals in the hot Houston afternoon.

Goliad State Park

Over a hot weekend, the Idle Monkey Trainer took to the road -- and was reminded what it is like to drive across certain parts of the United States: long, flat, an occasional cow to glance at along the way.

About three hours from Houston is the small town of Goliad, sitting along the banks of the San Antonio River. It was near here in 1749 that the Mission Nuestra Senora del Espiritu Santo de Zuniga was moved from the coast.

The Mission was the center of a huge cattle ranch that supplied Spanish colonial areas as far as Louisiana. The Mission also tried its best to convert the local population, who would take on elements they thought beneficial, and ignored those they did not, much to the frustration of the Spanish. The Mission is now the focus of Goliad State Park, which also hosts a memorial to Colonel Fannin, killed in the Mexican-American war along with hundreds of his men, the birthplace of General Ignacio Zaragoza's Birthplace, who commanded a unit of the Mexican army that defeated the French and whose victory is celebrated on May 5th each year.

It is also the home of the Presidio La Bahia.

The Presidio is where the declaration for independence of the Republic of Texas was signed, on the alter, which is still used in services each week. Nine different flags have flown over the Presidio -- Spanish, Mexican, Texan and the U.S.

Brazos Bend State Park

The Idle Monkey Trainer has relocated for a few months to America's fourth largest, and according to fitness magazine, sixth fattest city. Always in persuit of monkeys, and armed with the knowledge that Texas is a monkey-less place, I nevertheless ventured out to Brazos Bend to see what wildlife dwells.

This 50,000 acre wildlife refuge lies just an hour south of Houston, and is located on what used to be a part of the George Ranch. The bayous and lakes in the park are famously home to a multitude of American Aligators.

As with many a Texas afternoon, an oppressive heat was followed quickly by a thunderstorm, which quickly moved on, leaving in its wake soaked bipeds and their dogs. Wet poodle, apparently, will entice these normally stationary hunters to venture out of the water.

No dogs were harmed.

Wandering through the park with a friend who had been there frequently, but never witnessed any of the aligators in actual stalking behavior, I endevoured to find out how many of the creatures lived in the park. He responded that on his previous visits he had seen anywhere from three to 60 in one day, and so positited the true number to be in this range. I saw maybe two dozen, including the one-year-olds at the visitor center. (Which you can touch, while the very energetic volunteer tells you all about the life of the American Aligator in the park.)

The Idle Monkey Trainer was also fortunate enough to stop by the visitor center at the date and time that the snakes received their fortnightly feeding.

A return visit may be necessary. Though, I think I'll have to wait a couple weeks to be so fortunate.