Christmas Roadtrip

For the Christmas break, I decided to drive far, drive as far as I could along with seeing places. I overpacked with enough winter clothes, water, camping equipment, food and I was on my way.

Alvord Desert:

I'd seen some photos of Alvord Desert in South East Oregon and had been wanting to go there for a while. Being a slightly dumb guy that I am, I decided to drive there during winter time. The drive itself was quite far from South Bay. I reached Fields and got gas and amazing food at Fields General Store Motel. It is pretty much the only place to grab good food and gas before getting onto Fields Denio road. The burger and milkshake is really delicious over there! Also, an older lady named Nancy who works there is a total sweetheart! If you go there anytime soon, do tell the brown guy traveling by himself during Christmas who drives a Jeep says hi!

The drive on Fields Denio road was gorgeous with the Steens mountains on the west! Such a gorgeous view. The road is mostly gravel and had a fair bit of snow on it. There is a hot springs along the road where you can chill and heat up for $5. I didn't have the time to stop by, but from what I've read, it's a unique experience! Also, I fucked up and didn't stop by Mann Lake (I guess that is where  you can actually see the desert, please correct me if I'm wrong). And by the time I got out of Fields Denio road, I realized I missed the actual desert and I just drove through it.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskQ72j11

I then head to Columbia River gorge, and thus began my drive through hell. I drove via John Daly highway, and boy it was snowing heavily (no network for most part and nobody else on the road either). And it got dark too. I was scared shitless, but drove on and on and on. At 11pm in the night, I reached The Dalles. I thanked every god I could imagine for bringing me safely to the town in one piece. Folks, don't drive when visibility is poor. Lesson learnt, I will never do that again. I got a beer at Rivertap Pub, I think I got a stout and it was delicious! Highly recommend the pub!

Columbia River Gorge:

Early morning, I drove to Multnomah falls hoping there would be a lot of snow as I'd not seen a frozen waterfalls in a long time. Well, I was disappointed. The falls was nice, but, I've been there twice before, nothing different. So I did the usual scenic loop. I drove to Portland next and got lunch at a thai restaurant called Pok Pok. They serve northern Thailand food (Chiang Mai). I got a Koh Soy and it was delicious. I got some food to go too as this was Christmas eve and most restaurants were closed. Highly recommend this place! Food was amazing! I got back to my motel in The Dalles (in hindsight, I should've stayed somewhere closer to Troutdale). 

Next morning, woke up early, drove on the Mt Hood scenic byway. It was way too foggy and was snowing. Couldn't see shit, it was very disappointing, I really wanted to get a shot of Mt Hood from Jonsrud viewpoint. Bummed with the shitty weather, I started my drive up to Seattle.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskSjEtmi

I took the I5 then the 101 North to Seattle. The drive was incredibly beautiful. I got to Port Townsend and was pretty hungry.I got food at Golden Ocean restaurant (Chinese restaurant). I got a soup and it was by far the worst thing I've ever eaten. Food was terrible, so I barely finished it and head to the ferry. In hindsight, a Chinese restaurant in Port Townsend is a terrible idea! I took the ferry to Coupeville. The ferry ride is pretty beautiful! If you are in the area, take the ferry! It costs $8 per person (car). The ride from Coupeville to Seattle via Deception pass was a gorgeous one! 

Seattle:

I reached Seattle, and oh boy! What a view. There is something so ethereal about entering a city with its skyline visible! It is such a great feeling! Man, Seattle is wonderful! I met my friend and we got dinner at Saba Ethiopian Restaurant. I had high hopes for this place, but if you've had food at some of the other Ethiopian Restaurants in bay area or Chicago, this one doesn't compare. The food was alright ( I have a high bar for any ethnic food :P ). My friend and I went to Gas works park to see the Seattle Skyline across Lake Union. This is such a good view! This spot would be great for sunrise too! 

The next day, we had a small edible, then went to the MOPOP! That is the museum of Pop! Previously known as EMP. The museum has different sections, from video games to music to some weird fashion stuff! I had such a good time over there with my friend! They even have sound rooms where you can jam with different instruments from guitars to drums to piano! It was fucking incredible! To end the day, I visited an old friend of mine living in Bellevue for dinner!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/129034279@N06/3F01kz

Olympic National Park:

I'd initially thought of driving to Vancouver, but that required going through the customs. I had a lot of stuff (nothing illegal) packed in my Jeep and I was in no mood to unpack everything and then pack! Seemed like too much of a hassle, so decided to go to Olympic National Park instead. I took a ferry from Edmond to Kingston. The views on this ferry ride were far superior! I could see Mt Baker and other Cascade peaks! Was quite amazing! I drove to Port Angeles where I was planning on staying for the night. I got lunch at Cafe Garden (American style), the food was good and cost about $13 with coffee and a burger. I drove up to Hurricane Ridge and man, it was snowing a lot. The rangers at the entrance booth told snow chains were mandatory, so I had to stop and put them on. Honestly, my Jeep was behaving just right on that snow, but I put the chains on. During winter, Hurricane Ridge is closed beyond the visitor center. However, the view of the Olympics is pretty sweet from the visitor center.

The whole area was covered in feet of snow! There was a section setup for skiing over there. I had no interest in skiing so I drove back down to Port Angeles as I couldn't see shit due to heavy snow. I got dinner at Next Door Gastropub. A really cool pub with amazing food. I had one of the best burgers I've had over there! I got a couple of stouts too. Highly recommend this place if you are in the area!

Next morning, I drove up Hurricane Ridge once again as the weather was slightly clear. Oh man, did I get lucky! The view of the Olympics was just stunning! Highly recommend everyone to visit this place even though most of the area is closed. The view is worth the drive!

Next stop was Hoh Rainforest. I'd been to this place before, but I didn't get any good photos. So I went again. This time, I walked around at my own pace, clicking a lot. Parts of the forest was covered by snow. There is something magical about a place that has overgrowing moss, green trees and snow. So fucking cool! I did the little Hall of Mosses trail. 

https://flic.kr/s/aHskSjAe98

One thing to note is, the drive on Olympic Highway is beautiful. Do it during daylight. 

Not being able to photograph Mt Hood was bugging me a lot, so I looked  up weather around Mt Hood and it said "Partly Cloudy". And that was good enough for me. I drove down to Troutdale for the night. I stayed at McMenamins Hostel in Troutdale. This is in a pretty cool building with lots of wall paintings (looks like something out of Eyes Wide shut with some weird sex stuff). But, you know, there was no sex. The shared dorm was clean, bathrooms were nice and clean. Highly recommend it to anyone in the area and traveling solo. One advice, carry ear plugs, there is always a dude snoring like snorlax.

Mt Hood:

Woke up, got a coffee at a Starbucks closeby and drove to Jonsrud Viewpoint in Sandy, Oregon. The whole scene looked like a painting with fog rising above the tree line and Sandy River snaking along. Sunrise was gorgeous and I was appeased! The hard work paid off! Right after sunrise, I started my drive back to Seattle.

I stopped by in Woodland, Washington to get some food. I initially thought about eating at America's Family Diner and Catering, but a sign on their window put me off. It was something very passive aggressive and overly patriotic thing about them being politically incorrect and some other BS. Being a brown dude, I didn't want any of that hate. So I went to another brown place, Casa Tapatia Mexican restaurant. Delicious mexican food. I got enchiladas, Chile Rellenos and some guac! Everything was really good! Highly recommend!

Mt St Helens:

I decided to to take a detour and stop by Mt St Helens. The road was snowy, but the drive was beautiful. I hiked upto Ape Cave. But the stairs leading to the cave was completely covered in ice. I had my hiking shoes on and had my camera on me, so I didn't dare go down there (which I regret not trying). I began my drive to Seattle.

Seattle:

I stopped by Kerry Park for sunset. Gorgeous view as always. I met up with my friend and we went to Optimism Brewery. Great selection of really strong beers! Huge place with plenty of seating! Unfortunately, they don't have any food inside, just a food truck outside. We got beers, then went to Mediterranean Express and got Chicken Shawarma wrap! Man, it was one of the best Shawarmas I've had! Highly recommend and under $10!

North Cascades National Park:

Early morning, I started my drive to North Cascades National Park. The drive was very foggy. As I entered the park, I was welcomes by snow capped mountains. The road was covered by a small layer of snow (couple of inches I think). When I got into the park, I was the only person except the guy who clears the snow (good guy I might add). I am big fan of big mountains, snow, clouds, fog and all of that together! I spent a few hours just exploring the area (there wasn't much to explore as everything was closed due to heavy snow). I drove till little after Diablo viewpoint after which the road is blocked by snow. I have made a note to return to this park during fall! The drive back to Seattle was quite beautiful as the fog had cleared out from the highway.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskLxiSxE

Friday night was UFC 207, so my friend and I got stoned, ordered a bunch of good food and saw Rouset get her ass kicked. Good times!

Seattle:

On dec 31st, I went down to the famed Pike Place Market. Man, the food there is insanely good. I had food at a Filipino restaurant over there (https://www.flickr.com/photos/129034279@N06/31388801823/in/album-72157675136143884/). Food was good and cheap! I walked around the market, talking to local vendors, eating stuff along the way. Reminded me of the market in Chiang Mai. I returned to my friends apartment, took a quick nap, went out with my friend for new years eve! We took the giant wheel. Crazy view of Seattle from the big wheel! We stopped by the really gross Bubblegum Wall, be careful to never slip over there, or you are going to get a lot of gum in your hair!

https://flic.kr/s/aHskLxqZLy

We got beers at Old Stove Brewing, good beers! We drank at a bunch of other places, and by 11:30, we were substantially drunk. I wanted to see the fireworks, so I picked up my tripod, we stopped by some random street close to his place, I got my shot and then we drank a lot more. I don't remember much, it was a good night!

Next day, I started my drive back to South Bay. I stayed at Weed, California for the night. In the morning, I drove to McArthur Burney falls. Once again, I was disappointed as I wanted to see frozen waterfalls, I got some shots and drove back home. 10 days and 3800 miles!

Chiang Mai

    This was the most impulsive trip I've done so far! Found a ticket to Phuket from SFO for less than what it would cost to fly anywhere else in the US! It was a steal! I bought the ticket a month before thanksgiving. The closer I got to the date, the weather report said it would rain a lot in Phuket. So I did the obvious thing and bought domestic flight to Chiang Mai, which turned out to be a great idea as I'm more into nature and architecture than night life.

  My flight was a really long one (did I tell you I got it for real cheap?), which had a stopover in Wuhan (exceptionally terrible airport). Landed in Phuket in the middle of the night, exchanged some money right before the Visa-on-arrival booth (2000 Baht for visa on arrival). Just a tip, the guard who takes your application will ask 300 baht extra for "VIP" service, which is bullshit, so do not pay them. Pay the required fee and get done with it. Took all of 5 minutes to get the stamping. I bought a sim card for week for 450 Baht (I think) which included 3GB of 4g data which is pretty cheap! I went over to the domestic terminal and was too early for my flight to Chiang Mai, so I ended up taking a nap on one of the seats. Just a tip for those who want to check in bags for Air Asia, it costs a little cheaper to purchase the check in baggage option 4 hours or more before the flight (the difference is a few hundred Bahts).

  At around 8am I boarded the flight. The view of the Islands from the plane is quite amazing. Long windy rivers(?), beaches etc was quite stunning. Thailand is pretty damn green! Landed in Chiang Mai and took an Uber (I have 4G data!) to my hostel (Chiang Mai Hostel). The hostel is a small one with 3 rooms, 4 beds each (mixed dorms I think), 2 bathrooms. All the beds come with mosquito netting. All the travelers I met were quite pleasant (except this Dutch girl who spoke loudly about her adventures at 1am in the room). The hostel cost $5 per night and I paid in Baht. The hostel is in quite a good location as it's in the old town and walking distance from the Night Gate Market ( amazing food).

  As per the suggestion of the hostel guy, I started off the day (noon) by grabbing lunch in a small restaurant by the road, I had some Khao Soy (omg, it was delicious). My first stop was Wat Phra Singh (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phra_Singh). Beautiful temple with some exquisite architecture. There were many people praying, many tourists hanging out talking to the monks. Was a nice quiet place. My next stop was Wat Chiang Man (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Chiang_Man) is the oldest temple inside Chian Mai. More impressive Buddha statues, quiet, peaceful. I sat there for a while reflecting at all the poor choices I've made in life which led to me Chiang Mai all by myself, lol. Here a inspector (inspects the temple building), spoke to me about the temple, sharing it's history. Also he tried to get me to buy stitched suits in the night market, because his cousin in the UK comes every year to get one stitched. Good stuff I tell you. That is when I told him I wanted to walk around some more and started walking towards the Silver Temple (Wat Sri Suphan). It is quite an incredible temple which on the inside is covered with Silver (maybe some other metals too, but the Thai people were saying it's all silver). A gorgeous temple and more so when they light it up at night! Just a heads up, women are not allowed inside this temple, so you know, look at it from a distance and pray for equality one day! 

  I was getting quite hungry, so I head to the Gate market where the food blew my mind! There were so many options to choose from! Noodles, noodle soup, fried stuff, sushi, fresh fruit juice, kebab, they had so much good stuff! I was a little wary at first. So I watched where all the white hippie people ate, then decided to try that. I drank a lot of fruit juice too because it cost only 20 Baht! I spent about 100 Baht on dinner which included 2 dinners + juice. Since I ate so much street food, I was on tummy ache alert for the night with some medication right by my side, and voila, I was totally fine the next day! Success!

   I had booked a half day Elephant Nature Park visit through my hostel (1700 Baht), to my luck they didn't have anyone else sign up for the half day tour, so they put me on the full day tour! I did the tour through (https://www.facebook.com/elephantfamilysanctuary/) which was fairly well organized. They picked me up from my hostel around 8am, picked the others, and then we head to Elephant Nature Park. On the way we stopped at a small market to grab food, drinks etc. I had some Thai breakfast in the market ( I wish I wrote down the names) and some fruits.  All the people in my group were pretty excited like me to play with the elephants. And play we did! Once we reached the park, our guide (Tony) introduced us to the Mahouts and the elephants. All the elephants there were young, from 2 to 13 years old. Sooo cute! We played with them, feeding them bananas, sugar cane, petting their heads, scratching their bellies, kissing them etc. Some good old fashion lovin. We were served some really delicious traditional thai food (some were pretty spicy). After lunch, we prepared some medicine for the elephants which was made of salt, tamarind and bananas. We made small balls of them and fed the elephants (it helps with their digestion I think and general immunity). Then we went into a little pond to have a mud bath with the elephants where we played with the elephants. I hugged them a lot, really a lot! Then we cleaned up by going into flowing water with the elephants and playing with them. This is pretty much a dream come true for me! I have never felt so happy playing with something! After it was done, we said our goodbyes to the elephants ( I kissed them goodbye and they kissed me back, I think she likes me). 

  Our guide took us to a waterfall nearby. Sadly the water was a little too deep for me to get into ( I can't swim), so I took out my tripod and took photos of the waterfall. A really hot latina was busy taking selfies right beside me with my camera in the frame, if you are reading this, HI :). The waterfall was  pretty crowded and was an ok waterfall. And that was the end of the tour for the day. We drove back to the Old city and got dropped back to my hostel.

   I met a couple from Lithuania on the tour earlier who had expressed interest in seeing one of the Cabaret shows with ladybois. I was curious too, so we got dinner at the gate market, then walked to the night market (where the cabaret is located). The cabaret show was 200 Baht I think and was worth the money! The show was part funny, part cabaret. A warning to those who sit in the front row, guys, you will be kissed! I have a feeling some of the guys were way too enthusiastic about kissing, hmmm I wonder..front seat..hmmmm...I really liked the funny parts where there was a lot of physical comedy and gross jokes. The cabaret part was good I guess, if you like seeing good dancing, personally not a great fan of seeing people dance. I highly recommend this show if you are in Chiang Mai (it is not kid friendly, just an FYI). And that was the end of night for me!

   I rented a scooter through my hostel guy for 200 baht a day (no insurance, helmet provided). I woke up early and rode to Doi Sutep (which is on a mountain) hoping to catch sunrise, but I was too late. Also I fucked up and forgot to carry a jacket with me. It was pretty cold up the mountain. The ride up is quite pleasant and beautiful! Windy roads and green mountain! The temple gets very crowded very early, so get there as early as you can. The temple looks kinda like any other temple to be honest. The view from the temple viewpoint is the main attraction in my opinion. You are literally among clouds. I walked around the temple taking photos, praying to give me the strength to not fall sick from all the food I'd been eating like a fatass! There is an entry fee to get into the temple (50 Baht I think) for foreigners (wow a brown guy is a foreigner, so cool!)

  After the temple, I visited Bhuping Palace. I should've worn pants as pants are mandatory. So I had to pay 20 Baht to rent a pajama pant. The palace was very underwhelming as you see it from the outside. The flower garden on the other hand is quite beautiful and worth the entrance fee (50 Baht I think). The whole area is a short stroll. I took a few photos here. A very excited gay Thai dude wanted to get a photo with me (awww shucks). I obliged and got a slight ego boost, lol! I then router my phone to Sticky Waterfalls,  holy shit! Sticky Waterfalls! Yes, it is a sticky waterfalls. Which means you can walk where the water falls! The rock is pretty porous and causes a lot of friction on our feet. There are 4 levels to the waterfalls. So I put on my 10 year imaginary hat on and ran up and down the waterfalls for a total of 5 times in my underwear ( I forgot to bring swimming shorts). I was laughing the whole way up and down. It was at this moment I realized I forgot to pack the waterproof case for my action camera, oh fucking well! I highly recommend this waterfall to anyone who wants to unleash their inner child, come on, forget the handjobs, this is what Thailand is all about, lol!

   Speaking of handjobs, I drove back to the night market right after to look for a place to get a good thai massage as my feet and back were hurting a lot. I saw a nice place and thought, well, this could be nice, they look legit. WRONG! 30 minutes of the worst massage I have ever gotten, then the girl asks me if I want something special. I was getting pissed by then because I knew I was being scammed into a shitty massage, so I told her to continue giving me my shitty thai massage for another 30 minutes. The girl wasn't happy and she continues pestering me for a handjob. But being the upright citizen that I am, I refused and continued on with the shitty massage and 200 baht later, I regretted wasting 1 hour of my life. I was pretty hungry by then, so I went back to the gate market and ate like a monster. Since it was saturday night, I went towards the Silver Temple where they have the saturday night market. Man, so much cool art, music, food, the whole place was exploding with so many amazing things. I got a really good foot massage for an hour (150 baht + 20 baht tips). The guy was really good (unlike the pretty thai girl wanting to tug me). I highly recommend getting a massage in one of these markets! Cheap and good! I bought a couple of souvenirs and called it a night!

  Sunday morning, I had some breakfast in the local market, then rode to Doi Inthanon National Park ( I am crazy about national parks). The scooter ride by itself was long and boring, took me about 1:45mins to get there. As you wind up the mountain, it starts getting cooler and cooler. This mountain is the highest point in Thailand! Pretty cool if you ask me! I stopped by Mae Klang waterfalls first. Gorgeous waterfalls, but be careful while getting close to the water, it's pretty slippery, ask me how do I know it, coz I fell on my ass and bruised my right leg. I got a few good photos of the falls. Next stop was Wachirathan Waterfalls. A huge waterfalls which is quite gorgeous, do not miss it! I did the short guided tour of Doi Inthanon Nature Trail. It is guided as they don't let you in without a guide, because apparently it's easy to get lost on a well made trail, yeah sure. The guide fee is 200 Baht, I was lucky and split with a group of young kids who didn't mind me tagging along their ground. In retrospect, it is money going to the locals, so it's not all that bad! This nature trail is a 3-4 KM long trail which takes you through forest, open areas where you can see as far as you can! It quite a beautiful little hike! Highly recommend this, but keep 3-4 hours for this, you are only as fast as your group.

   I rode the scooter up the mountain to the highest point. The highest point has a sign saying it's the highest point, so nothing great about it. On the way down, I stopped by the Pagodas! Oh boy! These were truly beautiful. Since I was in a foreign country all by myself, I decided to trespass past the no trespassing sign to get a better view of the pagodas (see the photos). Looks like it's a pretty popular spot to trespass as I met a couple of other photographers there! Fog was quickly settling in closer to sunset. It cleared off for a bit, I got my shots, then set in again (wind was blowing pretty hard). I watched sunset from the Pagodas, then head back to Chian Mai in dark. It was cold, dark ride.

  Knowing this would be my last night in Chiang Mai, I went to the sunday night market. Again, lots of cool art (more artists showed up for this). There was a band playing some really trippy music (with a dijiridou). The food was off the charts! Mango with sticky rice, noodle soup, coconut water, fruit juice, I just kept eating. Then I stopped by the temple which has a really nice massage for 150 baht and it's legit. I got a shoulder and neck massage for the night and that was it.

   For my last day in Chiang Mai, I went back up to Doi Suthep. I stopped by Wat Pha Lad to start off my morning. It's a temple overgrown by moss and plants all around. It looks quite different from other temples. I hung out here for a while and then rode to Doi Soi. There is a really nice Flower Garden in Doi Soi. There is supposed to be a waterfall too, but it was more like the hostel shower. A very pretty and well maintained garden though, a pretty cool place for a short visit if you do visit Doi Suthep. There is a market in Doi Soi too, where you can buy souvenirs and also get some delicious food. Knowing I was running out of time, I rode back to Chiang Mai, got a full body massage at the temple (https://goo.gl/maps/E9QVvrNLWYU2). I highly recommend this place if you want cheap legit massage. I'm guessing some spas may have better massages. In the evening, I went out with my Canadian dude dormmate for dinner. Funny dude was going hard on tinder in Chiang Mai (what's up with you firangs and tinder, always in search for coochie lol). And that was the end of the trip, I took a Tuk Tuk to the airport and took a long ass flight to SFO via Wuhan (shitty airport).

Notes: Shop around for exchange rates within Chiang Mai. Everyone thinks I am muslim for some reason, maybe it's the beard. Maybe it is why I get randomly picked for checks at the airport. I'm Indian and I am hindu :P. Lots of creepy old white men with suspiciously young thai women. Lots of Western dudes with local girls through tinder. I'm guessing Thailand is the Vegas of the world, what happens in Thailand, stays in Thailand, except STDs, which you got from that hippie chick, that stays. Elephants are awesome! Food is amazing! Do not fly through Wuhan Airport!

Patagonia!

All photos here!

https://flic.kr/s/aHskB1uGaY

Oh where do I begin! Being a 10 year old kid, watching National Geographic, seeing Torres Del Paine on TV, this was my Harry Potter moment. I'd wanted to visit Patagonia for way too long. And finally I did!

I start my trip by flying out of San Jose, California to Santiago, Chile. While getting closer to Santiago, I could see the Andes among the clouds towering like a majestic king looking over it's continent! I was lucky to have a good old friend living in Santiago, hence I had a place to crash at!

Day 1: The next day, I had a early morning flight to Punta Arenas. It was a short 3-hour flight. I didn't want to depend on public transportation as I had a lot of stuff with me, from camera gear to the usual clothes etc. I rented the car (automatic because I've stayed in the US for a bit too long :P ) from Southland Rent a Car (http://www.southlandrentacar.com/). A guy name Juan Pablo brought the car to the airport, I filled the necessary documents and I was set to go. The car was Nissan Xtrail 4x4 with tires with little spikes on them for snow driving (didn't encounter any snow). To cross the border you will have to pay extra for the permit etc. The rental car guys will take care of it all. I used my California drivers license.

The drive to Torres Del Paine was about 5 hours long. On the way to the national park, I stopped by Puerto Natales to get gas and get snacks etc for my time in the park. The road to park was pretty well laid out (at least the highway parts). Once I got into the park, the dirt road began. Not too bad, but a little bumpy. All the tourist buses and vans drive like maniacs over there, so pay extra attention to the road!

I got into the park during sunset and man, what a view it was! I entered the park from the south entrance and saw the Cuernos right away! Finally I reached Hosteria Pehoe which is a little hotel on an island on Lake Pehoe! I would highly recommend to stay in this hostel/hotel which had an amazing view of the Cuernos right out of the windows!

Day 2: Woke up really early in the morning to start the hike to Mirador Torres. Since it was the onset of winter, it was really cold in the morning, I'm guessing below 0C or 32F. The trailhead was about 45 minutes from Hosteria Pehoe right beside Hosteria Torres. Early morning, when the sun wasn't up yet, I started the hike with my heavy camera backpack (was close to 25 lbs), which in retrospect was a terrible decision on my part ( had an accident 4 months prior to the trip and had not trained enough). The hike in itself was nice, but steadily increasing in elevation. I think the 1st 3rd and the last 3rd of the hike are the most challenging. My heavy backpack really slowed me down and I could see sunlight breaking, even though I was barely done with 75% of the hike. I messed up. I was panting hard, with my back killing me! I caught a glimpse of the days first sunlight hitting the peak of the Torres. It was such a gorgeous view!

I started the hike around 5:45 and I reached by around 9:45, and I missed sunrise by more than 40 minutes. Oh well. However, the view was so gorgeous! Mirador Las Torres was amazing! I had a sandwich, walked around the lake taking photos. It was really cold up there, so staying still would start feeling really cold. And then on my first day of the trip, my tripod got knocked over and my lens smacked against the rocks in the water. Fortunately, the lens did not break, but the zoom ring was stuck at 14mm. Bad start to a day. Took some photos and I was on my way down.

One of the best things about visiting Patagonia in May is the fall colors! And it is all over! Orange leaves, blue water, snow capped peaks, it was out of this world.

I ended up reached the trailhead by 4:30pm that evening. The sun was beginning to set, hence I started driving back to my hotel hoping to catch a good sunset. Man, I tell you, the whole park lights up really well during sunsets and sunrise! I was really fortunate to see a crazy fiery red sunset nearby to Lake Pehoe by my hotel. I ended up having dinner at Hosteria Pehoe as it was the easy thing to do. The food was alright, nothing to write much about! The hotel staff were very nice and helpful with sharing info on the park.

Day 3: Woke up early and started driving to Lake Nordenskjold to catch the sunrise! Man the view of the lake and towering Cuernos in the background is amazing. Since this was winter time, there was barely any wind and the water was really calm too. Days first light hitting on the cuernos peak is such a lovely sight! I got some good shots of the Cuernos during Sunrise. Then I hiked back to Salto Grande waterfalls. Man I'm such a sucker for waterfalls! Gorgeous waterfalls with the Cuernos as the backdrop. Got lucky and saw a rainbow too! I took a ton of photos here as this is what paradise must be like!

Once I was done here, I drove towards Hosteria Grey to take the Grey Glacier Boat ride. The boat ride was about a 2 hour boat ride start around 3 and getting us back by 5. They took us close to the Glacier and talked about it. However, since there was only one boat running starting May, I couldn't get off the boat near Grey Glacier. Had to do with taking photos from the boat. After the boat ride, I grabbed dinner at Hosteria Grey and then head back to my hotel to nap!

Day 4: Woke up again before sunrise, drove towards the Hosteria Torres as I wanted to get a photo of the sunlight hitting the Torres Peak! I found a good spot and parked the car by the road and took a lot of photos. Got lucky as there were a lot of Guanacos around chilling with the Torres in the background. I got lucky with a shot! Once I caught sunrise, I started driving towards El Calafate in Argentina. I did a quick stopover in Puerto Natales, filled gas, stopped by the border immigration control. Since I am a Indian national, I had to get multiple entry visas to both Chile and Argentina. The officers on duty were very cordial and took care of the stamping pretty fast. The road that I took to enter Argentina was a dirt road and extremely bumpy. I'd heard not so good things about Argentina and was wondering if these roads were a sign of things to come! But soon enough, I reached a highway and all was good!

The drive to El Calafate from Torres Del Paine was close to 6 hours. There are parts of road which are winding down the mountains. A lot of aggressive drivers and many really slow drivers! I couldn't see a happy medium! I reached El Calafate around 8pm I think. Checked right into my hotel (Hotel Rochester). Then I had some amazing grilled lamb (Parilla de Cordero). Patagonia is known for it's lamb! If you are ever there, please eat some lamb there! It is out of this world!

A little about El Calafate, it is a very touristy little town with upscale restaurants, wine bars etc. It is not cheap! Souvenirs are pretty expensive too. I spend a lot in this town, mainly because the souvenirs were really cool and the food was extremely good, pricey but really good.

If you've noticed by now, I have not stayed in a hotel or a dorm. I am a light sleeper and have had terrible experiences staying in dorm rooms with people snoring like lions. Also the hygiene of a lot of backpackers/travelers is questionable, I really value a good nights sleep with no smell of smelly feet! Once again, this is not a knock on any backpackers, it's just been my unfortunate experience! Also if I can afford it, I like to try out nice things in life!

I booked a little mini hike for Perito Moreno Glacier for the next day. I booked it through Hielo Adventures (http://www.hieloyaventura.com/). I think they are the only one in El Calafate who can take you to the glacier. However, if you don't intend on getting onto the glacier, then you can drive to the park by yourself and see the glacier from a distance. The entry to the park was about 30USD.

Day 5: Early morning bus ride to Perito Moreno Glacier. I'd to pack my own lunch, basically a sandwich from a cafe in El Calafate. The little tour was very well organized. The lady in charge explained many things about the glacier and it's history. Once we reached at our destination, we got off the bus, onto a boat to the glacier. We docked by the glacier, put on snow chains (?) on the boots and our guide started the mini hike on the glacier. The whole group was split into 2 groups, English speaking and Spanish speaking. The guide talked a lot about the glacier, different ice formations etc. Was fascinating to say the least! At the end of the little hike which took about 1.5 hours, we all had a shot of whiskey and a chocolate!Yummm. And that was it! After a little while, the boat came over to pick us up. And we started heading back to El Calafate. That night, I had some really good grilled lamb and local beer! Lot of lager beer here. Highly recommend it!

Day 6: After souvenir shopping, I started my journey to El Chalten! The drive was really nice with huge expansive views, Guanacos everywhere! The view while entering El Chalten was spectacular! Huuuge mountain range far away at the other side of a never ending road! It was crazy! I stayed at a place called Hem Herhu (http://www.booking.com/hotel/ar/hem-herhu.html) in El Chalten. The owner is a very quirky hippie kinda dude! Very friendly and full of life! The room was a very comfortable one with heat and hot water! The area was a little dirty on the outside, but the room was very clean and well taken care of! I highly recommend this place! Another plus is that this is 200ft from the trailhead to Mt Fitz Roy.

Day 7: Started the hike early morning to Mt Fitz Roy. This time, I did the smart thing by using another backpack, and carrying only one lens and the light tripod. The hike up was fairly easy. The last 1 km stretch was a stretch! Just stairs! 1 full kilometer of just climbing steps, uneven rocky steps! It was quite fun! Reached the top before sunrise, got some really good shots. The lake however was solid frozen! And the whole area was very cool! The hike down was really nice as I got to see things I couldn't see in the dark. But I made a mistake of taking a wrong turn and I ended up on the Cerro Torres route. I however ofcourse didn't go to Cerro Torres as I was getting cranky! I passed the Laguna Madre/Hijo. Amazing colors all around! The view of Mt Fitz Roy from different sections of the hike is better than the view of Mt Fitz Roy from the top!

I'd read many reviews that Mt Fitz Roy hike is better than Mirador Las Torres hike, and I completely agree. Much better landscape views! If you even have a choice between the 2, do Mt Fitz Roy! I ended up hiking around 26 km that day which was not planned due to my detour. Tired and hungry, I got back, ate some pizza ( I know) in a nearby restaurant and then started driving towards El Calafate. My idea was to drive to Puerto Natales or closer to the border. But I was very sleepy and didn't want to risk it. I decided to spend a night in a hotel in El Calafate.

Day 8: Woke up at 5 and started driving towards Punta Arenas directly. I took the route down via Rio Gallegos and entered Chile back on a proper highway! One of the nice things about this route is that you get to drive close to the coast and see the ocean! I did come across a abandoned building on the way to Punta Arenas with some really shady stuff in it. It was spooky to say the least. Seemed like homeless people might have been squatting there or a bunch of teenagers smoking weed there every day!

I grabbed a really good Lomito Sandwich filled with guacomole, onions , tomatoes, mayo in a restaurant in Punta Arenas called Lomitos. The chefs there don't use gloves while making the food, so don't look at them while they are making your sandwich, but I assure you that the food is really delicious! Finger licking good!

I did see a bunch of Penguins hanging out in Punta Arenas by a dock! Quite a sight! And that was it. I returned my car at the airport and took the flight back to Santiago.

Notes: Parilla de Cordero (grilled lamb) is amazing! Beer in El Calafate is really good! Do the glacier hike! Torres Del Paine is amazing! if you have to choose between hikes, then Mt FItz Roy is amazing. If you can, do a trip towards April end, so that most things are open and you get to see fall colors and no wind!

Let's go to the Olympics

My labor day long weekend trip (2015) to Olympic National Park. 

Day 1: Started the day early, really early by flying to Seattle, renting a car and driving down to Hoh rain Forest taking the south Route. The closer I got to the coast, rain started getting stronger. Reached the rain forest around 2, covered my camera with a plastic bag, my camera bag with a poncho and started my little hike to the hall of mosses. Funny thing was, I thought this was called Hall of Moses. Was wondering the whole time as to what's the relation between a forest and Moses. When I saw all the moss, it all dawned upon me. I'm glad I didn't say the name Moses in front of anyone, or they'd think i was really stupid.

The little hike was beautiful and was surrounded by lush green trees and mosses. Having seen the Amazon, this was quite a nice little rainforest. I'd no idea the US had a rainforest! A must visit for anyone wanting to see a totally different landscape!

I had lunch at a little cafe by the rainforest (which had a lot of funny passive aggressive signs all over). It's a good place to grab a bite when you're there. I head to Ruby beach right after my late lunch.

Ruby beach has a lot of different rock formations which is quite fascinating. I had a good time walking around the beach taking photos. Too bad it wasn't cloudy enough for good sunsets. A very nice beach, do visit it if you are in the area!

Since I was car camping, I drove to Hurricane Ridge which was about 50 miles away. Found a viewpoint, parked my car, stared at the stars and fell asleep.

Day 2: I was too tired to wake up early for sunrise, so woke up at 7. Started my hike up Hurricane Ridge. It was a short 3 mile round trip hike I think. The views were spectacular. Clouds were beginning to set in as the forecast was for showers. On top of the Hurricane Hill, you could see Canada across the Strait. Brilliant views and being there early gave me enough peace to see the place in calmness! I saw a bunch of fat marmots staring philosophically into the beautiful scenery.

I drove to Port Angeles right after. Walked around the town looking for interesting stuff. It's a nice little town with some really good sea food places. 

I drove to SolDuc falls next. The falls is a little hike away (2.5 miles roundtrip). It's a very beautiful falls with 3 different falls in one (see photo). There were a lot of people here as I got here around 3. Come here early if you decide to visit this place, otherwise parking can be a bitch!

I head to Rialto Beach for the sunset. Sadly it was very cloudy and started raining before sunset. But the beach by itself is very interesting. It has a lot of giant driftwood all along the beach. I couldn't walk much on the beach as it was raining and it was high tide. Apparently during low tide, you can walk a mile along the beach and see a rock with a keyhole with a view of the ocean. Anyhow, I couldn't do it.I walked around with an umbrella taking photos. 

I figured I couldn't sleep near the beach as it's day use, I drove back to Hurricane Ridge. Parked my car right by the visitor center and fell asleep with the sound of pouring rain on the car. 

Day 3: Woke up early to catch the sunrise. It was pretty cloudy and the mountains were covered by fog. It was absolutely surreal (see photos). I had a good time taking photos of the whole valley. I did mess up my panorama shots as the rolling fog made it difficult to stitch different photos, hence a failed panorama. However, I still got some good shots of the said fog! 

I drove to Miramere falls right after, did the small hike (1.5 rountrip). Beautiful little falls. Got some photos, then head to Lake Crescent. Had some clam chowder at the lodge, took some photos of the cloudy scenery of the lake.

Now I hadn't showered in 2 days, I just had to. So I went to SolDuc hot springs, took a shower, took a dip into the hot springs (which was overcrowded and felt really gross), took a shower again then stopped by Salmon Cascade. This was a really unique experience for me as I'd never seen Salmon trying to swim up current. I saw a few jump upstream into the falls. A very cool experience (see photo).

I quickly looked up anything else to see in the area, and lo behold, there was Madison falls. A very nice falls (better than Miramere falls). It is right by the road too. 

Next I drove to Port Townsend to spend the night. Fort Worden state park is a nice park with views of the strait, has a lighthouse. Unfortunately, I was really hungry, so I drove back to the town, had dinner, asked a gas station guy as to where I could park and sleep in the car without being fined. He suggested to sleep near the pier. Seems to work well :). 

Day 4: Had breakfast at Bayview Restaurant (their pies are really delicious). Took a ferry from Port Townsend to Coupeville. It was really nice ride with great views of the islands, I highly recommend anyone going to Washington doing a ferry ride ( book ahead in time to make sure you get your spot).

After de-boarding from the ferry, started driving towards Deception pass. The whole drive was very foggy, very much like a horror movie.Reached Deception Pass and the fog was clearing up. I hiked up the pass to get better views, but I suggest people to get on the bridge or by the beach. the views are nicer. My photos from the bridge were all ruined by my nd-filter (still not sure what went wrong).

I started my drive back to Seattle to my friend from engineering days, Jeevan. Jeevan and his wife Sushma were great hosts, let me shower at their place, made amazing Indian food which I hungrily gobbled up! They suggested we could drive to Snoquelme falls as it was closeby. So we did. 

Snoquelme falls hike was a 1.5 mile hike one way (i think). The elevation gain was a lot and was a good workout! The views from the viewpoint wasn't great. Sadly they have blocked access to get close to the falls. However I did see a bunch of adventurous (more than me!), jump the barricade and go down. I however decided against it as I had my camera bag, tripod etc. 

We ended the day by going to Kerry Park. The views of the city is absolutely stunning. Never have I ever been so happy seeing a city! Sunset was stunning! At dusk, the city lit up! It was wonderful! Also a group of rowdy girls from Colorado gave me company while I was shooting. If any of you happens to see this, it was nice talking to you all!lol

Ended the night at my friends place having some amazing dinner, then flying out in the morning!

Glacier National Park

It has been a while since I'd been dreaming about going to Glacier National Park. After seeing countless photos of this park, my mind was set. I made my solo trip to the park for the July 4th weekend and took 3 days off work to make it happen. On July 2nd (thursday) I flew to Spokane, Washington. I rented a car there and drove to GNP. One of the things that had me worried was finding a campground late in the day as I was reaching the park around 6 pm. So I called up Glacier Campground which is right outside the west entrance to the park. This campground was well taken care of, the showers were working and I had really good chicken gumbo here. A great place to camp for those looking for places near the west entrance.

After an early dinner at the campground, I drove to Lake Macdonald as I'd read that sunset at the lake was supposed to be amazing. Well, not quite. The sunset was OK. And the mosquitoes were working on overdrive the whole time at the Lake. After getting a few shots at the lake, I walked around the lake to get any more shots were it got dark. After the lake, I drove up the sun-road to catch the remains of the sunset in the valley. It was quite stunning and I wish I'd spent more time up the road than the lake. Only if wishes would be dollars, I'd be a rich man! I drove back to the campground after dark, showered and went to bed.

Next day I woke up at 4:30, packed my tent etc and headed out to the sun road to catch the sunrise. The sunrise wasn't as spectacular as I'd hoped. But, turns out, the moon was out. And man, was it beautiful. I got a few photos of the moon and the sun rays falling on Logans Peak ( I think). I drove straight to Rising Sun Campground after this to reserve a campsite. I got in at around 7:15am, and quickly reserved one. I set my tent up, then got breakfast at the  rising sun motor inn. I drove up to Logan Pass failr yearly, around 9:30 am. I parked my car, and off I went hiking to the Hidden Lake. I hiked up till the Hidden Lake Overlook where I saw plenty of mountain goats and a few marmots who were fighting or making love, one of those things. The hike by itself was fairly easy, about 3 mile roundtrip. The hike to the actual lake was closed from the overlook onwards. Which was a little disappointing. But I did see grizzlies and cubs drinking at the lake on my binoculars. So I guess I got a good experience out of it. The hidden lake with the mountain backdrop looks absolutely gorgeous. I knew I had to come here for sunset.

After taking photos at Hidden Lake overlook, I got back to the visitor center at Logan Pass. I enquired about hikes with a ranger and he suggested the Highline trail as the sky was clear and "it would be a good afternoon walk". Okay. That sounds great! And off I go on the 7.6 mile one way Highline trail. I started the hike around 12:30, which is when the sun is really out! After a few miles in, I realized that this trail wouldn't be covered by trees. It was open throughout, but with stunning views. I was carrying about 1.5L of water and carrying my camera gear with me. As it kept getting hotter and hotter, my bag seemed heavier! By about 3/4th of the way, I was out of water. Fuck, I hated my life and I was wondering as to why I was doing this thing, all by myself! Some existential questions were asked to myself, and I had no answers. I was so angry and thirsty that I didn't stop to take photos which made me even more angrier. I knew I fucked up not preparing well. I reached the Granite Chalet around 3:45pm and was glad to drink water there. I downed a a liter of water and a few chocolates. I stretched a bit, looked around the Chalet, the view was alright. There were better views along the trail, but I never took any photos there. Mind you, the hike itself isn't hard, I did it in a decent pace, but man, if you ever plan on doing this after noon, take enough water or just do the hike early morning. On my way back, around 4:45pm I took the loop down so that I could catch the last shuttle back to Logan Pass. The hike back wasn't easy on my knees. It was 4 miles of downhill. I did my best to not strain my knees too much. I was down by 6:15 pm. Shuttle back to Logan Pass.  Then drove back to camp area and got dinner at the inn. Glorious dinner for the tired and hungry! I drove to the viewpoint of Goose Island on St Mary lake to catch the sunset.I showered back the camp (you need tokens) and head to sleep. Not a bad day considering I got some good photos and learnt a few lessons in preparing well for hikes.

Next day, I woke up at 4am. I drove straight to Two Medicine Lake for the sunrise. The colors were beautiful, the reflection in the lake was amazing. And I could see the moon right up one of the peaks. A great photo! I drove to Many Glacier side of the park. Got breakfast at the inn there. A good place with nice people. After breakfast, I walked around looking for photo op. Swiftcurrent Lake looked wonderful, so I decided to talk the short loop around the lake. I stopped and clicked many photos. Then I saw sign for Josephine Lake, so I though to myself, why not. I ended up hiking to Grinnell Lake. Man, the water in the lakes progressively got greener. It was beautiful and cold! At Grinnell Lake, I saw a giant Moose on the other side of the lake. It was a big dude! I hiked back to the Many Glacier hotel  by walking all around the trails. This day felt a lot of better as it was getting progressively cloudy. Which meant, sunset will be awesome! I bought the ticket for the boat ride and ranger led hike to Grinnell Glacier the next day. I drove back to the Hidden Lake for the sunset. The view was just stunning, but I was bit by way too many mosquitoes. Those stupid organic bug sprays don't work! Also I saw a lot of mountain goats hanging around my tripod. Was a pretty cool experience. After getting my dose of photos at Hidden Lake, I drove to Goose Island viewpoint for sunset. The sunset was stunning here too.And then it started to rain. Like heavy thunderstorms. I drove back to my campsite and went to sleep. It was an amazing experience sleeping in a tent by yourself when it rains. This is what solitude is all about and this is what I was looking for. I loved every moment of it. 

Next morning (sunday), I woke up at 4 am. Headed out to Many Glacier. Took some photos of Swiftcurrent Lake, had breakfast and was waiting for it to stop raining. It never did. I had forgotten to pack a rain jacket. I ran to one of the stores there and bought a overpriced jacket because the ranger was doing the hike, rain or shine. Our boat left the dock at 8:45am. We sailed to Lake Josephine, did a small hike, then took another boat to the end of the Lake Josephine. Our actual hike began then. The ranger was a very nice professor who worked as a ranger in this park during summer. I forget his name, but he was very informative and patient with all the questions from our group. The hike itself was slow as we had a big group. It was a little frustrating to walk slow, but I guess the information provided by the ranger was more valuable. We hiked up the trail which was really beautiful, well maintained, there were waterfalls along the trail, wildflowers, the view of the 3 lakes below, it had everything. And it was raining. We were walking through the clouds. It was surreal. I'd never hiked in the rain before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was an experience to last a lifetime. If you ever get a chance to hike in the rain, do it! Once we reached to the glacier, the view was out of this world. Giant walls of stone, glacier, lake, clouds, fog, oh man, it looked like a scene from Game of Thrones. The whitewalkers would come down running anytime! I had a good time taking photos here, however I didn't carry my tripod, so I couldn't get the shots I wanted. I walked around the lake taking photos, then hiked down by myself. This was a really nice hike and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Everything about this hike was amazing! The glacier is something you've to see atleast once in your life!
I stayed at Lake Swiftcurrent till sunset, got a few photos, then head back to the campground.

I woke up at 4am again, drove to Many Glacier, got some sunrise photos in. Had breakfast and then started my hike up to Iceberg Lake. On my way up, I saw a ranger led hike, so I decided to join them. Once again, this hike was very beautiful, I took a lot of photos along the way. I took a short break at the Ptarmigan Falls. Then I resumed my hike upto the lake. The lake was very beautiful with icebergs floating on it. It was such a unique sight for me. I had a great time taking photos here. I decided to get into the ice cold water and dipped my feet in the water! It was icy cold as expected and helped my sore feet. And I started by hike down. I decided to drive up to Two Medicine Lake for the sunset. On my way there, a giant female Moose ran across the highway, I had to brake hard to avoid hitting the moose. The moose had disappeared! I really thought I was tripping! Two Medicine lake was nice and quite, I got a few photos of the sun setting. After the sun disappeared behind the mountains, I started the drive back to my camp. It was on my way back that, I saw the sun and it looked like a giant red ball. It was clearly visible without needing to squint my eyes. I imagine it's due to hiding behind a thin layer of clouds. And I saw a grizzly hanging out on the field by the road. A great way to end my night and my last day at GNP.

Next morning, I had breakfast, hiked down to St Mary Falls. I got a few photos in, and decided to be a bit adventurous by getting closer to the water! And I slipped into the water with the camera in my hands. Thankfully, the water wasn't too deep and my camera stayed dry. My shoes however, were completely wet. I had to drive back to the airport with wet shoes, aghh! For my drive back to Spokane, I drove through the east entrance. It was raining very heavily and the drive was very beautiful! 

Few notes: Huckleberry Pie is delicious. Organic bug spray doesn't work! Every day had a different weather. My tripod broke. I hiked ~50 miles on my trip. My cellphone factory reset by itself in my pocket. Moose are hella big!