Wanderlust

Losing my religion in Vatican City

February 28, 2013 Elle #HistoryNerd Wanderlust

Hanging with popes at the Vatican

I once read that it would take ten years to view every item in the Vatican Museums. Even if I had 10 years to spare, I would not choose to spend them exploring ever inch of an art museum. So one day at the Vatican Museum it is. It was plenty. I probably spent more time exploring the architecture of St. Peter’s than the treasure troves of the Vatican Art Museum.

Vatican’s sphere within a sphere….

Catholic rules and things

I visited in early March. High temperatures reached a balmy 55F. Showing too much skin wasn’t a huge concern for me. However, keep this in mind if you decide to visit in the summer, this IS a religious site. Even if you aren’t Catholic or Christian, show respect. Additionally, the Vatican has a pretty strict dress cod. They also have the staff to enforce said rules in nearly every language under the sun. So no hats, shorts, bare knees, bare shoulders, ect.

So here’s the thing; I am Catholic, [not a shining example] but I am the only member of my family that is. I had a decidedly non-traditional childhood. The one thing my dad insisted on was that I ‘go to church’. So I picked the most exotic church I could find– Holy Spirit Catholic Church. It was [and still is] a tiny parish. I did not know a single soul that was Catholic. My dad refused to go in with me. And the parish had no idea what to do with a school aged child with no parents. But I regularly attended mass. While I didn’t have ‘parental permission’ to take the sacraments, I soldiered on. And while at my decidedly non-Catholic Christian College, I gave a big, double fingered fuck-you to my dad, and went and got baptized, confirmed, and confessed all at once. And just like that, I was an official Catholic.

So yeah…Vatican City, home to about 800 people including— yes, you guessed it—ole’ Benedict himself. As luck would have it, I was staying right outside the Vatican. Some people say stay in Central Rome; it’s where all the action is. To those people, I say staying near the Vatican is a much better idea. Less people, better gelato, and inn keepers who will get you tickets to the Wednesday papal address.

vatican-pope — See Benedict giving me the stink eye…it’s as if he knows I haven’t been to confession lately.

swiss guards — I bet these guys 1. hate dressing up like a medieval court jester. 2. constantly having cameras stuck in their face. Not only are these Swiss guard single, Catholic, Swiss army men, they also carry swords and SIGs. Both of which I am supremely jealous of .

Anyway, back to Vatican art…

There’s a statue of some Greeks.

At first glance there is an angry energy to the statue. The father and his two sons writhe and twist in battle with two snakes. The agonized expression on the father’s face as he fights to save his children adds drama and pain to the scultpuree. And the quality of the work is breath-taking. The sculptor depicts the muscles and sinews of each of the three figures as they struggle with the serpents. I vaguely remember seeing a slide of this during art history. The Struggle. The Emotions. The Strength. And since I DO love history, I did a little digging on the history of this piece.

And what a history!

This statue linked to the founding of Rome, and to the renowned Latin writer Pliny the Elder. Who’s he? I’m glad you ask. Pliny was an amazing writer who died trying to escape the eruption of Mt Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum. And that’s not all. The statue’s story also intertwines with Michealangelo, the birth of the Vatican Museum, Raphaeal, William Blake, and even Emperor Napoleon! Impressive, no? Next to naked David in Florence, it was one of my favorite scupltures.

laocoon statue — Look at the expression on his face.

The Sistine Chapel

The amazing Sistine Chapel ceiling almost didn’t get painted. Michelangelo wanted to be seen as a sculptor [he did create David after all] and not a painter. He didn’t want to accept the commission for doing it, but Pope Julius II wasn’t an easy man to refuse. Julius was nothing, if not impatient. During one confrontation Michelangelo, Julius threatened to have him thrown off his scaffolding if he didn’t complete the work more quickly. On one occasion, the story goes, Julius asked when it would be finished. “When I can,” said Michelangelo, whereupon His Holiness began beating him with a stick. [Ahhhh, Catholicism…]

At *only* 498 years old, the ceiling is by far not the oldest attraction in Rome, but it may be the most famous. It took me two days to paint 144 sq ft of ceiling in one color. It took Michelangelo four years to paint 12,000 sq ft of ceiling in several scenes and colors. He wins.

Let’s face it, other than knowing that I was looking at the Sistine Chapel ceiling, I didn’t have a clue as to what I was looking at. An art snob, I am not. But that staircase. That thing was awesome.

Intentional or not, the staircase leading to [and from] the Vatican museums is an amazing work of art and engineering.

Traveling Recap–Did it Change My Life?

January 6, 2013 Elle Wanderlust

As my travels are winding down and I’m looking for a more permanent existence, I have started doing a little reflection on my trip. 16 months away is a long time to be away. Was it life changing? Not in any dramatic way [although I did make one big decision as a result of my volunteer experiences]. Did I make a difference in some one else’s life? Maybe on some small level for at least the time I was there. I can’t say what happened after I left. Did I meet my goals? Yes. My goals of the trip was to have fun, engage in meaningful volunteer experiences, and meet new people. I am a little bit torn.

In one way, I feel like I could go on traveling forever. There is a great big world out there, and this experience has taught me that I have only seen a tiny part of it. In another way, I am ready to start down the path of my new career. I am a little bit scared. It will be a long road. I don’t know when I will be able to travel again, especially like this. I feel conflicted about going “home.” Do I even have a home to go to? I have friends that I want to be near. I can’t wait to see the children in my life, and how much they have changed.

Wandering without being lost–Laguna Miscanti, Atacama Desert, Chile 2010

There are things I have missed–such as having a regular study spot, sleeping in my own bed, taking a bath in my own bathtub–hot water and all, and of course my kitties. I have people who I want to see although I have learned I can make friends with nearly anyone. So in one aspect I am ready to get home, tackle what I need to tackle in order to meet my goals. Another part of me says traveling is so easy–much more so than real life, so I should continue doing that. I think my next international trip will be to some part of Eastern Europe. I am not sure where or when, but until then I have a little more that half of the United States to explore [and now I have new friends in previously untraveled parts of the country].

Thinking about what to do

I know people are going to ask…

Since I know the questions will be coming, I spent a few minutes in thought about the best and worst parts of my trip. Here goes:

Andean Condor in flight

Highlights: unexpected almost free trip to the Galápagos Islands, Iguazu Falls, seeing Aconcagua, being at the end of the world
Low lights: catching malaria during my first month of my trip. I didn’t show symptoms for about 6-8 weeks though. Or at least that’s the best guess based on when I was entering and exiting the Amazon.

Blue footed Booby

Thing I wish I hadn’t lost: my head lamp. I actually know where I left it; I was just too far gone before I realized it. I have been in the dark ever since then.
Thing I wish I had lost: I never used my rain poncho. I gave it to some kids and they had a blast playing with it.
Most useful items: Zune with speakers, Swiss army knife, sheet, travel pillow
Least useful items: camera accessories (I used them because I had them, but I would have been fine without them), umbrella
Best new food: Manjarblanco with apples…. mmmmmm
Worst new food: cuy–too small, too little meat, too much work, and too greasy

Santa Catalina Monastery

Funniest moment: “beerbombs”–how my Brazilian friend Henrique pronounced/understood the explanation of “beer-pong”
Scariest moment: There were two: 1. Being pounded into the rocks like a rag doll with a surf board tied to my feet, not being able to catch my breath, or regain my balance, and looking back and seeing nothing more than a wall of water coming my way…really thought I might die that way. 2. Being kidnapped by rouge taxi drivers crossing the border from Peru to Ecuador who tried to extort money from me.
Favorite place visited: Angel Falls, so remote, so beautiful and Usuhaia… for the same reasons as Angel Falls

Lake Titicaca

Least favourite place visited: the midad del mundo monument… so overrated
Favorite new activity: para sailing… its like floating in the air
Least favourite new activity: Surfing, I could never master it, but the one or two times I did,, it was amazing
Favourite countries: Argentina and Colombia
Least favourite countries: Paraguay and Ecuador
Favourite cities: Mendoza, AR, and Santa Marta, CO
Least favourite cities: Santiago, Chile and Rio de Janeiro, BR (just too big)

Cartagena, Colombia… one of my favorite cities

That time I went to the Galapagos Islands

October 10, 2012 Elle Wanderlust

I don’t know if I ever mentioned that time I went to the Galapaos Islands. I think going to the Galapagos Islands are one of those things that are on nearly everyone’s [ok maybe not everyone, but every traveler, animal lover, and science nerd I know] bucket list. My own adventure to the islands involved a bit of serendipity and a lot of meclizine.

In September 2010, I was working/volunteering for an ecological research/preservation company. The original plans were for me to split time between the Mindo Cloud Forest, the Lalo Loor Dry Forest, and the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. I did all that and more. But the highlight of my conservation internship was when I was asked to spend 10 days on a research boat on the Galapagos Islands tagging turtles.

Galapagos Tortise

These guys are huge and can live up to 175 years in captivity or 100 years in the wild

and checking on these guys

don’t forget about these fellas

and revel in the cuteness of these lovable lions

My home for the 10 days was spent between living on a boat [not ideal for someone who gets motion sickness as easy as I do while on a boat] and spending time at the Charles Darwin Research Center. There were not a whole lot of tourists on the islands. I don’t know if it was due to it being the low season [September] or the fact that back in 2010 there weren’t a whole of of tour groups coming to the island.

Edit note: Before he died in 2012, Lonesome George was the center’s most famous resident. He got his nickname because he was the last surviving member of his species. Scientists tried mating George with several different ladies who were genetically close to George but nothing happened. He died without having reproduced and with his death, his species became extinct. I feel a little bad for him, living his last years in comfort but without the friendship of someone of his own kind. George was also known for being a little bit of a recluse. Each time I saw him, he was hiding behind something or behind the trees, but always munching on grass.

The giant tortoises like George can weigh up to 800 pounds fully grown.

Hard to believe that these little fellas will still be with us in 2180 and will be 800 pounds. I’d be lucky to survive to 2080.

One of the cool things about being a ‘researcher’ is getting to go where is usually off limits to tourists. And when you are in places not often frequented by human, you catch animals, or in this case turtles, having sex. I’ve never thought about tortoises having sex before, but I sure didn’t imagine them doing it ‘doggy-style’.

Tortoise style

It must have been giant tortoise valentine’s day or something. I found another couple doing the same thing.

All that tortoise sex results in lots of babies, and it was because of the babies that I was there. See that yellow writing on the shells? That’s my handiwork… tagging baby land tortoises for future scientific research.

These guys have such personality. And they are only found on the Galapagos Islands. A lot of the creatures on the islands are like that. Being located over 600 miles from mainland Ecuador equals not a lot of genetic diversity. And that is a good thing especially from an evolutionary point-of-view.

Beginning in Bogotá

January 8, 2012 Elle Wanderlust

Ok, I’ll be the first to admit it. I was not enthusiastic when my flight to Maracaibo was canceled and Bogotá became my first South American stop. My original plan was to skipped the Colombian capital altogether and I was not at all excited to visit Bogotá. In hindsight, Bogotá most definitely was a better [and probably safer] introduction to South America than Maracaibo.

I read so many horror stories of mugging. I hadn’t found any articles in which people were raving about the city. It seemed like most people were rushing through Bogotá, hitting up the most important museums, using it as a transit stop and moving on quickly to the next place. Whatever that place may be.

Part of the reason I chose South America was that, in theory, I speak Spanish fluently. Or at least I did a few years ago. I was feeling a little isolated since I am trying to not speak English at all, but today that changed. Not that I magically became fluent overnight, but it is (slowly) coming back to me.

For example, today I took the Transmileno to the other side of Bogotá for no reason than to see another part of the city (It rained while I was riding the bus instead of walking the streets. I call that a win-win) .

Bogota’s buses going through the rain and again in the sun

What is this fruit deliciousness

On the return trip, I had conversation with an elderly gentleman who sat next to me. It was nothing serious, weather, I’m new in town, ect, but it was a chance to practice Spanish with someone who didn’t speak crazy fast. I’m feeling a little more confident. After successfully ordering lunch [3 courses $5500 COP ~$3.25], I stopped in the frutería. Fruiteria = a store only for fruit… these are some of the things I love about being away–I’d never get that in the USA.

I only wanted to get a few snacks for the road, but I was talked into a fruit salad. Nothing like I’ve ever had. It included mango, papaya, pear, banana, and a couple other fruits I have never seen before. Before leaving, I ask the fruit man Que es esto? esto y esto, and very patiently he shows me all the fruits in the store, both in the natural state and the cut up state. So while my fruit salad was only slightly less than lunch, the education about fruit was worth the $2.75 price tag.

Bogotá is a city of more than 8 million people. And as much as I am not a big-city person, I still find big cities fascinating. Just don’t expect me to move to one. I arrived at El Dorado airport at 2a, a full one day + 18 hours after my intended arrival time. I just wanted to get into a bed as quickly as possible. So I took a taxi, which I hate, to my hostel in Candelaria, where I promptly crashed for a few hours.

The next morning, I started to explore the city, and I noticed two things right away: the altitude [O.M.G breathing is so hard] and the thick layer of gray clouds that hover over the city on most days. The altitude – Bogotá sits at 8,675 feet– caused me to huff and puff my way up and down Candelaria’s steep streets like a chain-smoking asthmatic. I never got used to it during my two weeks in the city. Bogotá is not exactly warm either. I can see why it’s off the radar with most travelers. Especially travelers coming from sea level, tropical temperatures, and perfect weather.

I joined a few of the free walking tours during my stay. They are excellent for getting one’s bearings straight in a new city, finding out a few more details about places to hit up, and addressing safety concerns. They are also good for traveling by yourself but having safety in numbers.

I May Be Crazy

January 1, 2012 Elle Advice (that you probably shouldn't follow) Featured Post Life Wanderlust

Life updates

Since my return from Italy, my travel and exploration game has been rather lackluster. I’ve had a few trips along the Carolina Coast and ventured up to the mountains a few times, but let’s be honest, nothing that could be labeled as epic. Oh, and to add some chaos to the mix, I decided to dive back into the academic abyss and pursue a degree in microbiology. As if that wasn’t enough, I even joined the fencing team, attempting to keep up with those energetic 18-20 year olds…well, most of the time. Fast forward to 2008, I found myself back in South Carolina, where I unintentionally stumbled into a romantic entanglement with a guy from my old workplace. You know, just your average, run-of-the-mill routine stuff. But deep down, something felt off. Could it be that I never received the contentment gene that makes people blissfully happy with a “normal” life? As my thirties and beyond loom ahead, it seems I have no real desire to settle down. Not with the frantic pursuit of a medical career, not with the town I’m dwelling in, and if I’m being brutally honest, not even with the guy I’ve somehow landed myself into. What on earth is wrong with me? Ugh, the mysteries of life…

I must confess, I went a bit bonkers with the hair dye and my once-purple locks transformed into a fabulous shade of blue! As if that wasn’t enough, the scorching sun decided to join the party and made it even more vibrant. Who needs a rainbow when my hair can brighten up the whole town?

Blogging beginnings

In my very fist post–way back in 2005, I yapped about how life was getting as stale as a week-old baguette. [ETA: I must confess, that post has taken its final bow and has been deleted. But let’s not dwell on the past, shall we? Because right now, I’m about to spill the beans on that very topic, just above this sentence]. When I first dipped my toes into the mysterious world of blogging in 2005, it was my funky way of figuring out and spilling the tea on life and death, love and loss, endings and beginnings, and all the curveballs that life kept hurling at my face. Back then, I had just flung myself into the real world after college [round one], relocated to a shiny new city, and started my first gig in the healthcare field, where I was moonlighting as a superhero, saving tiny humans, and battling monstrous illnesses. I coped with all these seismic shifts in my life by spilling my guts onto the pages. And going on wild adventures. Now, don’t get me wrong, I adore my job, but let’s be real, if I were to keep at it for the next 35 years, I’d probably go banana-pants bonkers. So here I am, conducting a full-blown examination of my life’s fancy blueprint. And guess what? Brace yourself, folks, because I’m mapping out my most epic escapade to date.

Me–hanging out in the breakroom at work circa 2010? Maybe I’m even planning a trip right there

The ‘other news’–the one where I may be crazy

While opening up the blog to the public is one attempt to stave off the potential mid-life crisis, some may say I’m already in full-blown crisis mode. So, earlier this week, I happened to stumble upon a hidden treasure while surfing the vast ocean called the internet. What, you may ask? an amazing airline deal! Call me impulsive, but without even giving it a second thought, I plunged headfirst into the grand adventure. Lo and behold, I managed to snag a one-way ticket from Charlotte to Caracas, all for the unbelievable price of $99!

Now, let’s address the obvious questions. Have I ever been to Venezuela before? Absolutely not! Did I even have a burning desire to visit Venezuela? Not really. But hey, I studied their history in college and my high school Spanish teacher happened to hail from that very land. So, it’s fair to say that I’m at least equipped with some basic Spanish skills. Plus, I’ve always dreamt of witnessing the majestic Angel Falls with my own eyes. This seems like the perfect opportunity!

Now, you might be wondering: What else will I do in Venezuela? Well, that’s a mystery waiting to be unraveled. Where will I stay? Your guess is as good as mine. And the million-dollar question: Will I be kidnapped by narco-terrorists? Let’s hope not! As for the most pressing question of all—when will I come back? Frankly speaking, I haven’t got a clue. Perhaps I’ll end up hating the place and return within a week. Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll fall in love with Venezuela and concoct a plan to stay there forever. Only time will tell!

But follow along and see how this little Venezuela adventure plays out..

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