serene’s posterous

Photo taken by Eu-Jin.  I was descending towards Kalalau beach.

We went to Kauai back in May this year, specifically to do this hike along Na Pali Coast to Kalalau beach (which can only be accessed by land using this trail).  The trail is 22 miles round trip, with an elevation change of 4,500 feet, because we had to traverse through several valleys.  I am not a big fan of camping, and would much rather do a long dayhike with a small pack than lug along full backpacking gear to camp overnight.  We were fortunate that the trail conditions were good, so we didn't have much trouble other than dealing with the heat and humidity (and the problem of my drained headlamp batteries).  The views along the second half of the hike were spectacular.  There were also lots of native flora and fauna to admire.  I almost wished we had a little bit more time enjoy the beach and the waterfall at the end of the beach, but we could only hang out for less than a hour before we had to head back.

Reading this article from the New York Times made me think about the various random stuff I have bought on our travels.  Eu-Jin frequently complains about my shopping habits.  I usually can't resist getting more tchotchkes hawked by the vendors in the various places we have visited.  It is fortunate that we try to travel light, and therefore everything usually must fit into our carry-on baggage.  I am also quite cheap, so at least I don't waste all that much money. 

I think the one souvenir item that I have used the most over the years is my favorite baby alpaca woolley hat from our first trip to Peru in 2004.  It cost about 3 bucks from a store right by the main square in Cuzco, and it has kept me warm over many vacations and camping trips.  The photo (taken by Eu-Jin) from several years ago shows me wearing that hat at the summit register of Mount Whitney.

We have a "travel shelf" too, filled with figurines (eg. llamas made from salt, wood, stone, and wool) and other random stuff (windchime, glass snail etc.) that were bought or picked up over the years or were given to us from our friends' travels.  And we have a small box filled with various sling bags (I can't seem to resist getting more bags), scarves, coin purses (a particular favorite of Eu-Jin's), woolley hats.  We have also bought food items, such as biscuits (lots of interesting varieties in the grocery stores), teas (anis tea!) and candy, but those have long since been consumed.

Tatu slept all stretched out on Eu-Jin's lap this morning.

Photo taken by Eu-Jin.

After not visiting for almost 2 weeks, Tatu showed up this wet, rainy evening.  He sat on Eu-Jin's lap for a bit, and then later deigned to sit on my lap too.  He licked my fingers a fair bit too, because he probably tasted the roasted butternut squash I was eating before heading to the balcony to hang out with him.

Photo taken by Eric Chan.

Tatu (his/her name according to our neighbors from the next apartment block) apparently lives a few blocks away, but comes by sometimes to sleep in the sun at our open balcony.  Tatu's really friendly, and likes to butt his head on our hands and walk around our legs.  He hasn't visited since Tuesday, so I wonder where he is...

As I was getting back home in the evening on Friday, I spotted a hawk flying pretty close, over my head into the tree nearby.  Over the past year, Eu-Jin and I have been seeing hawks near our apartment.  We think that a pair must have moved into the neighborhood recently. 

It is too bad we have to move from our apartment in a few weeks...I would miss the little birds hanging out by the rafters too.

Last Friday, I went to my first baseball game...San Francisco Giants vs Houston Astros.  The AT&T Park is a nice space, but it was very windy and cold sitting on the bleachers.   I was definitely glad that I had my fleece and windshirt.

I don't think I understand the appeal of baseball.  Despite the valiant attempts of the group I went with, I don't think I had a handle on what was happening on the field.  Apparently it was unusual that the Giants were up by 13 runs (including 2? home runs) to nil in the first three innings.  We didn't stay to the end of the game - nothing much happened after those first few innings.  I guess baseball games are an excuse for people to hang out and eat expensive food from the concession stands?

Photo taken by Eu-Jin

Saw this article in WSJ today.  When Eu-Jin and I were in Turkey in January this year, we spent many hours in the archaeological museum in Istanbul.  A lot of the time was spent peering at the Alexander Sarcophagus, walking around it and observing details that weren't apparent on the first look.  It was probably one of the most beautiful classical antiquity I have ever seen.

While the burial chamber depicts Alexander the Great, the sarcophagus was probably carved for Abdalonymos, one of Sidon's kings.
 

We just wanted to be outdoors last weekend and do a hike, any hike.  And because we didn't manage to finish all our errands on Saturday, we didn't have enough time to travel further to do a longer hike on Sunday.  We ended going up Mission Peak.  In 2004, we went up Mission Peak several times in our misguided attempts to "train" for our first backpacking trip in Peru.  But we haven't been back since.

It isn't a particularly hard or spectacular hike.  It climbs about 2000 feet in less than 3 miles.  Although we started hiking close to 5pm, it was still quite hot on the way up due to the lack of shade.  It was very windy at the summit, so we didn't linger too long to enjoy the panoramic views.  On the way, we saw handgliders, possibly a turkey vulture and hawks, and plenty of squirrels and cows.  This hike is probably better early spring because I imagine that the hills would be filled with wild flowers.

       

After an afternoon in the lab on Memorial Day, I decided I needed to be outdoors for a bit, and persuaded Eu-Jin to visit the cactus garden close to sunset.  The light was beautiful, and there are lots of pretty flowers.  We also saw a humming bird partaking in the nectar and bees too.