Training.

For what, you may ask?  The Moab Trail Half Marathon http://www.moabtrailmarathon.com. It's coming up in about a month, so I'm putting in the miles. This race is a sort of adventure half marathon, run on trail and over Utahs famous slick rock, through rivers, sand, and also requires ropes/scrambling in some spots!  I cannot wait. So, my friend Susanne (also signed up for the race) and I headed to the mountains to get 10 long miles in on a trail with tough climbs and varied terrain. It was an absolutely beautiful fall day that felt like midsummer.  We drove up to Evergreen and hit the Bergen Peak trail. It boasts an 1800+ft climb and awesome trails.  

I should say, trail running is by far my first fitness love. A close second certainly backpacking and hiking (followed by skiing, but that's totally different). I find trail running more freeing than hiking - still so connected with nature, but with much less gear, swifter, more graceful movements, flying over rocks, churning away on the climbs and letting your legs fly on the descents, picking your step in a split  second.  Ahhh...trail running. 

The view on the way up, a short refuel break. 

Susanne on the trail, still heading up. 

The aspens were still amazing in spots. 

The final trail to Bergen Peak, looking downhill. 

On the top!  Looking towards the 14er Mount Evans. 

It was a great afternoon and the time flew by. After stopping for some post run smoothies and heading back down the hill to Denver, I iced BOTH knees and enjoyed the rest of this magnificent fall weather we're having. 

Huevos!!

Loretta (or Retta as she's affectionately known by me) came through with the first two eggs!!  They're small but were very yummy for breakfast today. 

I have the best friends...

I found ten willing participants for my birthday fun. I booked an hour and a half (time flew by) at X-Arena (http://www.denverpartyarena.com/). We proceeded to sign our life away with waivers and partake in American Gladiator/Ninja/Wipeout games. It was awesome, and nobody broke a bone!  I didn't get any pictures or videos of my favorite one - called "Assault" - basically you are put on a platform surrounded by padded mats and everyone pummels you with heavyweight balls that look like 2 workout balls stuck together (the big kind you do situps on) until you fall off the platform.  SO MUCH FUN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also had a fantastic view of the eclipse from our roof last weekend!

The chicken is still kickin'.

Well, it turns out that the hawk I chased out of the yard a few weeks ago actually got a hold of one of my ladies. Minnie, to be exact. She started having signs of sour crop so I tried a few home remedies with no luck. I found a vet and expected to be just sent home with antibiotics.  Well, it's become a bit more complicated than that. He discovered a hole in the crop bigger than a nickel!  He said it's likely been festering for awhile. The hawk is the most likely candidate for an injury of this sort. 

So, instead of opting for expensive surgery (she is just a chicken, after all), we've opted for slathering the wound in special cream and just keeping her inside until it heals. A cheaper option and it still gives her a good chance of healing.

It's a gnarly wound. Poor Minnie. 

And the vet made her a fancy schmancy collar to keep her from picking at it. How Victorian!

I think we will know in a week if she'll heal and pull through. But for now, the chicken is still kickin'.  

 

Mekong Delta, Seoul, then home.

We're baaaaaack!  Home that is. We spent our last few days in Saigon (only foreigners call it Ho Chi Minh city - I never knew), the Mekong Delta and then in Seoul, South Korea. Our flights allowed for an all day foray into Seoul and I'm glad we took the opportunity. 

The Mekong delta was wonderful, we got out on the river on a larger boat, then on a much smaller boat. We visited a local bee farm, coconut candy shop and saw life on some of the islands in the river. The river IS the life for so many, the monsoon rains bring enough water for rice, fishing, and many fruits and vegetables. The scenery is wonderfully green and so very different than what we are used to in Colorado.  One of the most curious things we noticed were many small mausoleums (one person size) in the rice fields and behind homes.  It is their custom to bury their loved ones on the family farm, as they believe it is good luck and they can watch over their lands. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of them, as I wasn't sure what the etiquette was on taking pictures of the graves and I didn't want to offend. 

Some delta pictures:

We also visited the Cu Chi tunnels near Saigon. Very cool experience. They have done a great job of excavating rooms that were formerly buried in tunnels. They're now open for visitors and some of the tunnels have been widened just enough for westerners. Tom also got to fire an M1. Happy boy. 

Seoul. What can I say?  It looks like any large city in the U.S.  Coming from Cambodia and Vietnam, this city was a bit of a culture shock. It felt like we'd returned to our own country in a lot of ways:  credit cards were accepted, there were no bicycles and scooters zipping around, drivers obeyed traffic laws, the subway system was modern and so were the bathrooms. But the temples in Seoul were fabulous and we are glad we hopped the train into the city for our all day layover. We barely made it back in time for our flight, but that's another story. :)

It's great to be home but I'm already thinking about the next trip. Hmmmm...where to go?!

It's unfortunate...

...that my two new favorite restaurants are on the other side of the world. Today, in Ho Chi Minh, we found two absolutely awesome places to eat (thank you, TripAdvisor). One is a Vietnamese/Thai vegetarian restaurant called "Hum..." And the other is "Ganesh", an Indian place serving both northern and southern Indian cuisine. Wow, just wow on both of them. If they were in Denver, we'd be at them weekly. Seriously.  I'm not someone who takes pictures of their food, or you'd be looking at some amazingly good mushroom and pineapple (not together) fried rice right about now. Ho Chi Minh is a gritty, busy, noisy, crowded, horn honking loving, HOT city...with amazing food. 

I've also realized that you have to just accept that you'll sweat in Southeast Asia. If you move at all, you'll sweat, and not just a little.  And it will take jumping in the shower, in a pool, or sitting in front of a fan to cool off. It's just the way it is. Accept it and move on, sweaty. Even the locals sweat, which is, somehow, actually encouraging to us travelers in some weird way. Even being born into this hot and humid climate does not ensure your dryness.

Tomorrow, we venture into the Mekong delta. Talk about a hot day. I'm mentally preparing myself already. 

Some pictures from our trek around Saigon today below. Not a ton of good sightseeing here, but enough to keep you busy for a couple of days. 

The large box on the back of the scooter is, in fact, a large glass display case. On this trip we've seen baskets of fish, a dead gutted pig and a family of 4 on a scooter (separately). 

The electrical wiring in Saigon. No additional words needed here. 

Their main post office, a very cool French colonial building. 

Just missing the storm (hopefully)

A big storm is headed our way...that's what we hear, anyway. The military has decreed no boats are allowed out - at least the kind that would be for snorkeling or diving. The fishing boats from sea have come in close to the islands to shelter and to wait out the storm, and the ocean in front of our hotel is a bit too choppy for a stand up paddle board or even a kayak.  Right now, the sky is still blue with big puffy clouds, but the wind has picked up noticeably.  Our flight out is early tomorrow, let's hope it's not cancelled.

We got in a good hike "up and over" the island yesterday. Hot, uphill, rainy, muddy, then a STEEP, slippery descent down the other side through the center of the rainforest. We saw a troop of their local monkeys and their black squirrels, which are actually larger than their monkeys. Eventually, we ended up at a deserted bay and walked back toward town. I have to say I do love hiking anywhere in the world, but I think I prefer mountains in cooler climates best. Spiders the size of my hand are not something I enjoy looking out for...and yes, they have those here (shiver). 

Today, we are getting in some down time and relaxing before we are on the move again. Spending a couple of days in Saigon and the Mekong Delta  before hopping a plane back towards the US, with a one day stop in Seoul, South Korea.  Still loving Southeast Asia!

View from the top of the island, looking toward town. 

We took shelter an old building in the abandoned So Ray plantation during a brief downpour...

Tom exploring the building.

Bay on our hike, deserted of course. Great spot for a snack and a look around. 

This one speaks for itself. 

Sunrise view from our balcony. One of the most serene spots we've ever visited, except for deserted mountaintops back in Colorado!