South America trip

It was my dream to do a 3-month trip to South America. Somehow over the years I covered most of what I wanted to in 3 different trips :) So not sure if that dream is fulfilled or it was about 3-month long trip! Here is what I ended up doing -

Peru: April 2006

This was very early, we had just started hiking / backpacking, no concept of trip yet!
7-days
Flew to Lima, and then to Cusco.

• Stayed there 2 days, saw local site, should have stayed a bit longer to acclimatize.
• Did the Inca trail - 4 day trek
• Spend a day in Lima - had trouble finding vegetarian food.

Ecuador: July - August 2010

With some more travel experience under our belt. This trip happened due to a conference.
12 days

• Started in Quito, spend one day walking around.
• Took local bus to a place called Chucchilan to do a somewhat famous circuit. Loved our little hostel.
• Did some day hikes there, hiked to Lake Quilotoa at 14000ft. Loved the place.
• Public transport back to Latacunga and then off to climb Cotopaxi. It was a bad time to climb and we were hit by worst snow storm of the season.
• Then off to a small town called Mindo at start of cloud forest. Stayed at Hotel Ruby or something, little old house with MANY dogs, but loved it!
• Spent some chilled days there - Rappelling down a waterfall, Ziplining, seeing butterfly century and just walking around. Very relaxing.

Chile - Bolivia: December 2013

This was a consolation 1 month trip instead of 3

• Started in Santiago, spent a day and then flew to Punta Arenas, then over to Puerto Natales by bus
• Stayed at Erratic Rock, awesome hostel before start of W circuit in Torres del Paine
• 5 day 5 night backpacking there, cut short 1 day due to weather.
• Came back to Puerto Natales and stayed extra day at Erratic Rock as it was just so cool!
• Over to Punto Arenas. Stayed at some hostel.
• Took a 1-day trip to Isla Magallenes to see Penguins. Awesome, turned out to be great day. Also saw dolphins on the way.
• Then off to Santiago, stayed couple of days there, walking tour, cooking in hostel, chilling, making further plans. Skipped rest of Chile to go to Bolivia which sounded more lovely.
• Flew to La Paz.
• Spent couple of days there.
• Did a day hike to Condorini mountain for acclimatization with a local guide we found walking around in La Paz. Guide was great.
• Change of plans here, to avoid any Christmas complications, went to Uyni first instead of Copacabana with local bus to do salt flats tour. Going to lake would have been better for acclimatization.
• Booked the tour at Uyni, turned out to be quite good, did not need to book ahead.
• Stayed at rufugio near Licancabur at end of tour to climb the mountain.
• Climbed the mountain (with a terrible guide)
• Driven back to Uyni.
• Took bus back to La Paz.
• Spend few other chilled days here - loved La Paz
• Bus to Copacabana / Lake Titicaca.
• Loved the lake, spend couple of days here just chilling, doing nothing, eating good food.
• Back to La Paz, flight to Santiago, and then return.

I heart swiss immigration system

Let me post this before things start going wrong!
For now, I love the way swiss immigration system is working, its almost a shock (good one) after dealing with US system for 9 years.
Day 1: My work permit is expiring in 10 days, I want to renew it.
Response: Don't worry, it will come automatically.
(OK, though that was wrong!)

Day 8: Panic! It has not arrived, work permit expires tomorrow!
Response: Just bring this form and passport tomorrow and we will apply.
Me: Still in panic! But permit expires in 2 days.
Response: (no response, she did not understand its an issue)

Day 9: Go to office to apply for extension. Number of documents required: 1, Time required: 15min, cost: 204CHF. Time to get extension: 2 - 3 weeks.
Me: Still in panic! But the current card expires tomorrow, what can I do.
Response: Its fine, the new card will arrive in mail in 2 - 3 weeks.
Me: Oh! I need to to travel in 2 weeks.
Response: Its fine, its in the system.
Me: But I need proof.
Response: Ok (if you insist), wait for 2 weeks, go to immigration office on last day and get a temporary visa.

Me: Totally unsatisfied with the answer, still in paniced mode, but reluctantly left. It was shocking to me how they were not at all worried by the fact that my work permit so to say expires tomorrow and I am still living and working in the country. They just said sit back and wait for the new one to come in snail mail. So if I am not travelling it does not matter.

Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality - Eliezer Yudkowsky

I picked up this book thinking that either its an alternate plot or its trying to rationalize or use science to show how things in Harry Potter books are possible or not possible and how its not all magic. I am sorry I laid eyes on this book. It does talk about an alternate plot, one where Harry's adopted parents love him, but very soon writer's total lack of creativity shows up making the book unbearable. Writer has tried to sell the book by sensationalizing - 10 year olds plotting crimes and how to get away from that, it made me sick. There is no sense of time in the book, 2 people or 2 objects argue same senseless points till end of world and time does not pass. Everything is completely over-analyzed scientifically to the point that you want to pull your hair out.
Final conclusion - stay away from the book if you value your time.

12km day - conquered the hills

... ok, not exactly hills, but some parts with some upward inclination which we won't even consider a hill back in Seattle.

Today was 12km (7.5miles) day. After last weekend's tiring 9km, I was not sure we can do this, and this time I wanted to add the "hills" that Zurich marathon course has. So off we went, starting @10:10 from Tiffenbrunnen. The day was perfect, perfect temp around 8C, partly cloudly, could not ask for a better running day. We started slow, making sure everyone is together which was a really good thing. After everyone else left, we decided to speed things up a bit and face the dreaded hill. So we ran a bit faster and kms went by fast, and soon we were at the point of return. hmm, no real hills, what happened. Last year when I was cheering runners there looked like a terrible hill. We had gone through all of that and still going strong! I am sure it was the effect of slow start that gave time to warm up. All the statements about for best time start slow, make second half faster are true afterall. Quite pleased with the run today, looking forward to a strong 15km later.

Weekday run

Its that time of the year again when mountains are in snow (and so are cities) and you want to get out and train for next long run. I am trying to keep weekday runs on treadmill creating, and since I got the five-fingers, there is a new enthu to run on treadmill. So here is today's weekday run -

Theme was  hill workout -
3 min warmup to reach 7.2 km/hr pace and then maintain that pace for whole workout.
2 min @ 0.0 incline (rest)
1 min @ 4.0 incline
2 min @ 6.0 incline (stress)
Repeat the above 5 min sequence then,
2 min @ 6.0 incline (stress)
1 min @ 0.0 incline (rest)
Repeat the above 3 min sequence 2 more times.
Cool down for 3 - 4 min.
Total time ~33 minutes

Finally gave into fad for shoes

After a long time resisting the fad for five-finger shoes, I finally gave in and bought these (yes in pink!) - http://www.rei.com/product/835034/vibram-fivefingers-kso-multisport-shoes-womens-2011-overstock
Lets see if there any truth in all the "awesomeness" of these shoes or chappal or whatever they are.

Also spend the weekend doing touristy things - eating at interesting places, all recommended by locals -
Shana Thai
Sakoon Indian
Banana Leaf Malasian
Madras cafe
(2 more to come before the weekend is over)

But I earned it all by going for a 6 mile run on Stevens Creek trail and then hike up Mission Peak ~6miles RT, 2000ft elevation gain.

Fastest zip through US immigration

Today I was very pleasantly surprised by US immigration, a totally rare event. I was asked just one question - which I answer wrong anyway. What type of visa you have - I said H1 though I have a B1 :), old habits. Then just right hand fingerprint and photo, and you are done! In general it felt like line was moving quite fast, perhaps they are learning from Europe! Of course Switzerland still holds the record for efficiency, out of plane and on the train in under 20 minutes!

Me, snow and love

I love snow, I am scared of it, I still love it. Any day I getup and see the rooftops covered with snow, it makes for a great day. This year winter in Zurich did not disappoint, we had feet of snow in December before I left, and there is still some on ground now, and this is just middle of winter. It feels so awesome to be covered in overcoat, gloves, scarf, hat and winter shoes and go out walking in snow with temp under 0C as if its just another day. I am still not so comfortable walking on snow, but its perfect here where elfs always come in the morning and anytime after snow to clear the walkways. Looking forward to doing some snowshoeing this year, and maybe finally take out crampons to try something.

If Tomorrow Comes - Sidney Sheldon

Somehow I found this book in my collection left back in India and decided to read it out of boredom. The book turned out to be a surprise, I might or might not have read it earlier, but its a real page turner. It starts out with the central strong female character becoming a victim. As you are reading, its quite clear that you feel her foolish and pretty much expect what's going to happen. Soon though it turns into a real surprise and in the end you have a completely different feeling from when you started. There are of course some naive incidents in the book which you are bound to say - really! it does not happen that way. But then again if everything was totally realistic, then it would not be a work of fiction. So pick up the book and enjoy it, a really good read.