I get a ride from Anastasia (great name or what???) who works at the Hostel, to the airport. Quite an enjoyable ride. The flight - well I will say one thing. The leg space was the smallest I have EVER experienced. Aeroflot is breaking some records on that one. Wow. But, no matter - the ride is short and it is time to transition.
I am getting in the groove now. I arrive at St. Petersburg and manage to 1. Borrow a phone from a local for a call. 2. Call Nord Hostel and determine room availability. 3.Negotiate a cab fare that is one quarter the asking price. Make my way quickly to the Hostel and check into a nice room, very centrally located.
Now I am starting to get this!
I had never heard back from another hostel I had a reservation at so I find another one that seems to be a much better location. I go with that, and it turns out to be a very wise decision. Follow your instincts.
HOW TO HAVE SMOOTH TRAVEL TRANSITONS
I am speaking a little Russian now and my confidence is building. There are a few critical factors to smooth international travel transition points. Such as: Knowing some key phrases of the local language, like Hello, Hows it going? Please - I would like, How Much, That is Too Expensive, No, Speaking the name of your destination with confidence (you do this by asking someone else how to say it before you talk with the cabbies, is critical. Also, your body language, facial expressions and tone are also equally important. You must be confident, firm, and let those you are dealing with know you know what you are doing. When you are asked is this is your first time here, take a guess what your answer should be... NO! I came a few years ago and am happy to be back! Getting a bench mark for how much a cab ride SHOULD actually be before you begin negotiating is also key. Talk to a local, or do a little research with a hotel or busienss at your destination in advance via internet or phone.
You get these elements dialed, and you can negotiate as if you are a world traveller - now a floundering tourist.
St. Petersburg is beautiful. Much smaller, more European, and WAY more laid back than Moscow. Everything seems easier, safer and the people seem happier in general.
My first night out on the town, I find a random small restaurant called Beer Exchange. This is where the price of beer changes depending on how much of what type is being bought! Genius.
One of the locals speaks english and we have great conversation, drink some vodka (of course) and I have a delicious Russian sausage meal.
I wander around the Nevsky Prospect looking at some of the Cathedrals and statues. I really like the feel of St. Peterburg. The people are nice. They actually will stop and talk to you when you need to ask for directions. Some people are even smiling~ WHOA - culture shock!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Karma Bar
Well, my short nap turns out to be three hours long. I wake up at 11:45 PM and head out on the town at midnight. (Got to love the big cities!) Karma Bar is my location of choice. I figured the name itself is a good enough reason to go. I grab a car and got there no problems. The guy actually understands the word Karma and I manage to pronounce the street enough for him to understand. What a relief. Getting a car is a very interesting experience in an of itself - more on that later.
Unfortunately I miss the free dance lessons earlier in the night. The bar is dark. There is hip club music pumping. I make my way through the crowd and take my inaugural shot of Russian Vodka and drink the local brew....
Soon I am hanging with the locals and get to know some of the people. A few that actually speak english. I eventually loosen up a bit and goove to the tunes. I smile - a lot! Which of course is VERY un Russian - but I can't help it. THe night progresses and, as I had been told, there are people dancing on the bars and plenty of rabblerousing. There are a couple moments where I bump into guys and have a moment of "I hope this guy doesn't get agro" thoughts. I manage to keep my wits about me and keep the vodka shots to a minimum. I hear Snovum Godum for the first time - and realize that someone has told me Happy New Year in Russia. THAT I must remember as it will likely be a staple of what I am going to be saying in the next few days. The night progresses and I consider another spot, but it is 4:30 in the morning.
I am nervous about finding my way home and getting at car this late. I end up sharing a car with a couple nice girls who get a great cab fare, and are able to explain where it is that I am staying. Thank goodness. Because it is freezing out and dumping snow. And double thank goodness, because my hostel I am staying at is on a random side street that looks the same as every other street, and if you don't have an exact address and someone that knows how to get there... there is a good chance that you will never find the way.
I lay down for a few hours. Soon I am heading to St. Petersburg for New Years Eve!
Unfortunately I miss the free dance lessons earlier in the night. The bar is dark. There is hip club music pumping. I make my way through the crowd and take my inaugural shot of Russian Vodka and drink the local brew....
Soon I am hanging with the locals and get to know some of the people. A few that actually speak english. I eventually loosen up a bit and goove to the tunes. I smile - a lot! Which of course is VERY un Russian - but I can't help it. THe night progresses and, as I had been told, there are people dancing on the bars and plenty of rabblerousing. There are a couple moments where I bump into guys and have a moment of "I hope this guy doesn't get agro" thoughts. I manage to keep my wits about me and keep the vodka shots to a minimum. I hear Snovum Godum for the first time - and realize that someone has told me Happy New Year in Russia. THAT I must remember as it will likely be a staple of what I am going to be saying in the next few days. The night progresses and I consider another spot, but it is 4:30 in the morning.
I am nervous about finding my way home and getting at car this late. I end up sharing a car with a couple nice girls who get a great cab fare, and are able to explain where it is that I am staying. Thank goodness. Because it is freezing out and dumping snow. And double thank goodness, because my hostel I am staying at is on a random side street that looks the same as every other street, and if you don't have an exact address and someone that knows how to get there... there is a good chance that you will never find the way.
I lay down for a few hours. Soon I am heading to St. Petersburg for New Years Eve!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Landing in Moscow
I managed to make it to MOSCOW! I nearly froze last night as I wandered around the city. People here just don't speak English. Imagine that? The vibe here is so different than Thailand, and it is just crazy. Talk about culture shock. I spent the majority of today looking for a historic banja house (bathhouse). I got lost when I diverted my attention from the terrible map I was using for a few moments. I asked over 30 people for directions and got nothing but NO and scowls. On the 31st, I found the bath house. How much failure does it take to achieve a desired end result? After about the 25th time, I started laughing each time and getting excited for the next rejection. I was starting to set a personal best!
So I finally got to the bathhouse. Good fun. Get naked and hit yourself with birch leaves. Steam so hot you think you might just pass out - and then cold plunge. Russian fun! I am solo so it will be an experience. Tonight I will head out to try out the nightclub scene. Should be interesting, I will let you know how it goes…
So I finally got to the bathhouse. Good fun. Get naked and hit yourself with birch leaves. Steam so hot you think you might just pass out - and then cold plunge. Russian fun! I am solo so it will be an experience. Tonight I will head out to try out the nightclub scene. Should be interesting, I will let you know how it goes…
Chiang Mai
From the orphanage, I headed up to see Josh again in Chiang Mai. We worked on business development for the corporate team building in Thailand and spoke a lot about our visions for 2007. I went to the annual crag clean up day at Crazy Horse Buttress, where Josh has developed all the climbing routes there. I changed anchors and spent the day doing route maintenance to ensure a safe climbing environment for all of those that come and climb here. There were about 30 volunteers for the day from different parts of the world.
Christmas Day was spent, yes, you guessed it, climbing. I fired several classic link ups (multiple pitches combined into one long - long pitch). Incredible climbing. I liked it even more than the climbing down south because it is more technical and varied with the movements. We hung out with Jim Waugh, who is a bit of a climbing legend from the states. He was recently the coach of the Asian Climbing team and lives in Bangkok. We had great conversation and I got a great interview from him as well. One of the things he said toward the end was that what makes a climber great is when you can be as excited for your partner when they get the red point as when you do. Support those around you and make THAT be what your climbing experience is about. Facilitate the growth and development of others, and you will experience much success....
There is so much more to write about. Many more insights from the trip. I will post those a bit later. For now - time to rest!
Christmas Day was spent, yes, you guessed it, climbing. I fired several classic link ups (multiple pitches combined into one long - long pitch). Incredible climbing. I liked it even more than the climbing down south because it is more technical and varied with the movements. We hung out with Jim Waugh, who is a bit of a climbing legend from the states. He was recently the coach of the Asian Climbing team and lives in Bangkok. We had great conversation and I got a great interview from him as well. One of the things he said toward the end was that what makes a climber great is when you can be as excited for your partner when they get the red point as when you do. Support those around you and make THAT be what your climbing experience is about. Facilitate the growth and development of others, and you will experience much success....
There is so much more to write about. Many more insights from the trip. I will post those a bit later. For now - time to rest!
Phi Phi and the Tsunami Funds
Ryan and Josh left on December 15th. Ryan headed back to the states for work and obligations. Josh headed home to Chiang Mai to manage his rock climbing business - Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures. I headed to Ko Phi Phi to investigate the impact of the tsunami and the donations that I had sent over a year and a half prior.
My quest was also to find the recipient of the remaining funds that I have. Because of all the confusion with government funding and questions about where the money was actually going, I had to get very specific and meet the people that were going to receive the rest of the tsunami money. Yes - I am shocked at how long it took to distribute the remaining funds. Traveling to Thailand, calling and setting up appointments from there was absolutely necessary to make sure the money was distributed properly.
The result? Duang Prejip Foundation out of Bangkok. I spoke with their organization representatives and they arranged a visit to an orphanage just north of Kao Lak. So, I caught a ferry to Phuket and was picked up by a few ladies and children for a van ride to the orphanage. When I arrived, 30 beautiful children, all of whom lost their parents in the tsunami, greeted me. We ate a delicious meal of rice, pork, cabbage and fish. This was a special treat for the kids because there is usually just one dish besides the rice. They had a few extra because I was there apparently. Just after dinner, I was surprised with Christmas Carols - in English - sung by the kids! I was blown away. Possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen, heard and felt!
So I got to know the ladies that take care of the children and hear their stories. Amazing stories of resilience, and love for each other. The remaining funds will go to creating a library of books for the kids to help them to read and learn. I will also provide toys and sports equipment for them to use. Including a bunch of initiative gear, along with instruction and training on how to use them. This will create long-term value for the children and this is a donation specifically for the children. The sports gear will remain and be used for a long time. I am soooo happy that I finally got the funds to where they belong. For anyone reading this that supported me in my cause - Thank you. The resources are being well taken care of and the money is going directly to the children impacted by the tsunami. My time there concluded with an interview with one of the women there. She had lost her husband, two children, parents and 5 other family members in the tsunami. Her message was so inspirational. A very brief slice and summary: Live life to the fullest every day - because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
My quest was also to find the recipient of the remaining funds that I have. Because of all the confusion with government funding and questions about where the money was actually going, I had to get very specific and meet the people that were going to receive the rest of the tsunami money. Yes - I am shocked at how long it took to distribute the remaining funds. Traveling to Thailand, calling and setting up appointments from there was absolutely necessary to make sure the money was distributed properly.
The result? Duang Prejip Foundation out of Bangkok. I spoke with their organization representatives and they arranged a visit to an orphanage just north of Kao Lak. So, I caught a ferry to Phuket and was picked up by a few ladies and children for a van ride to the orphanage. When I arrived, 30 beautiful children, all of whom lost their parents in the tsunami, greeted me. We ate a delicious meal of rice, pork, cabbage and fish. This was a special treat for the kids because there is usually just one dish besides the rice. They had a few extra because I was there apparently. Just after dinner, I was surprised with Christmas Carols - in English - sung by the kids! I was blown away. Possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen, heard and felt!
So I got to know the ladies that take care of the children and hear their stories. Amazing stories of resilience, and love for each other. The remaining funds will go to creating a library of books for the kids to help them to read and learn. I will also provide toys and sports equipment for them to use. Including a bunch of initiative gear, along with instruction and training on how to use them. This will create long-term value for the children and this is a donation specifically for the children. The sports gear will remain and be used for a long time. I am soooo happy that I finally got the funds to where they belong. For anyone reading this that supported me in my cause - Thank you. The resources are being well taken care of and the money is going directly to the children impacted by the tsunami. My time there concluded with an interview with one of the women there. She had lost her husband, two children, parents and 5 other family members in the tsunami. Her message was so inspirational. A very brief slice and summary: Live life to the fullest every day - because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Ton Sai Interviews
I interviewed several people about self-actualization and realizing your potential. One of the highlights was Francois, a French guy that is 63 years old. He still onsights 7B (5.12+) - which means he climbs a new route he has not seen without falling. He is 63! He spoke about all that climbing has done for him and the transference between climbing and life. He is quite the inspiration and a model for me as to the physical and mental fitness that I will maintain through out my life.
One part of self-actualization is having a positive vision for your future. When you find people that you want to model your life after, find out what they have done so you can copy it! Visualize yourself being physically strong, fit and happy and that is what you will become... Your mind leads you to action, and it is the action that produces the results you desire....
One part of self-actualization is having a positive vision for your future. When you find people that you want to model your life after, find out what they have done so you can copy it! Visualize yourself being physically strong, fit and happy and that is what you will become... Your mind leads you to action, and it is the action that produces the results you desire....
DEEP WATER SOLOING
On day 4 we went deep water soloing - what an incredible experience. This is free sport climbing above deep water. To get onto the rock, either you dive in and swim onto the rock, or you climb off a long tail boat and up onto cliffs - or onto a stalactite that is hanging down from above... the boat drifts away and you are on your own. When you fall (that's not IF), you end up in the water. The goal is typically to make it to a certain point on the rock and then jump off. Josh set the pace by going huge on the first cliff. He climbed WAY higher than anyone else did. He pulled a crux move about 50 feet over the water and swung onto a stalactite, and then dropped off. Amazing. Once again - Josh is the man! The whole boat cheered and we were off to the next set of cliffs... This set the tone for the day, and Ryan and I each had our moments of glory. I went quite large on the next cliff and ended up pulling a sequence of very difficult moves that were WAY high off the deck. When you are over 50 feet up, it actually looks more like 75 because, when you look down, you can see right through the water because it is so clear. Managing your state, staying focused, and remaining solid with your technique all the way through hitting the water is critical to staying safe.
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