Taming alligators

Water skiing in Doctor's Lake as a kid always seemed pretty crazy to me, but when your mother assures you that its totally safe, you know, who was I not to jump in the water. But we still carried out a bit more caution by putting the dogs in the house and sticking to dry land when there was a gator lurking about. Not really the same in The Pampas. Even the most timid of people in our crew was frolicking about in the water with a nice 5-6 foot gator glaring on from the bank. I have to admit, it does make you a little nervous when you see that menacing head disappear and the beast could be anywhere. But like my beloved mother, Chalo and Juan Carlos our guides through the area seemed to think everything was perfectly ok - 'no, es ok, tranquillo amigos', so ya know, when in Rome thou shall swim with aligators and paranas(I still don't know what that means).
It literally went from everyone being star struck by that first gator siting to not even thinking twice about antanganizingly taunting the camp mascota, Fredrico - former star of the 90s comedy classic, 'Happy Gilmore'. Fredrico has found solace here in the Amazon as he playfully threatens to bite off the hands of tourists, munches on parana remains, and winks his lone eye at the gringas passing through.
The really freaky side of the gators comes out at night, flashing a light along the shore to have 10 demonic red dots respond to the intrusion. But even the night time red eye intimidation technique didn't stop the lone ozzy in our group from grabbing a baby gator on shore to parade it around the boat - of course the beers probably had something to do with that.
Other than the abundance of gators The Pampas region of the Amazon is an especially fertile expanse for an array of wildlife. There are turtles, Rodents of Unusual Size, Pink River Dolphins, Paranas, various monkeys, uncountable species of birds, anacondas, cobras, and supposidly some jaguars sneaking about. Ah, the Amazon, a truely unforgettable experience: the wildlife, the landscape, the lifestyle, and the miserable effects on your bowels.

Huanchaco for a month...

Arrived late on Monday night and volunteering my mornings at Un Lugar surf school, owned and operated by the infamous Juan Carlos. I will also be spending a couple nights a week teaching English to University students in exchange for a critique of my español. The surf here is nice even though any skills I thought I once had have completely deteriorated. Got a month here, a little more exploration north - maybe cross over the equator, and its back stateside...time is'a flyin by!

64 Clicks for the adrenaline junkies soul

Cafe Terrazo was packed and the tension all but smacks you in the face as you walk through the door. The murmurs circulating are all centered around what was to come, "When was the last time you rode a bike", "I heard somebody broke their collar bone last week", "Are you really sure you wanna do this?" I was feeling that queasy tension in my gut similar to the excited anticipation before a day on the slopes or stepping onto a new roller-coaster as a kid. The WMDR: The World's Most Dangerous Road, otherwise known as Weapon's of Mass Destruction Road, is in fact the world's most dangerous road. Buses and Trucks carrying loads of people and cargo fall to their death every year on this stretch of about 35 kilometers of gravel. Why not grab some mountain bikes and give it a go!
Starting at 15,400 ft, the lack of oxygen and bitter cold hit you all at once. You got about 30 kms of road to cover, getting a chance to feel up your bike while reaching top speeds of around 50-60 kms/hr. But the real fun comes when you hit that gravel. That first bend you come up on that looks as if you are riding straight on into oblivion is truly breathtaking. With a 2,000-3,000 ft drop off to your left, mistakes are completely unacceptable and ensure a pretty certain and undoubtedly miserable death. During the overall 11,800 ft vertical drop you end up stripping about 3 layers of clothes throughout the day. The morning starts off surrounded by snow-capped peaks and you finish up in the evening chillin in the Amazon at an wildlife reserve. Needless to say the day was full of excitement and straightup downhill fun!
In all honesty, I was expecting a bit more out of the track with all the hype that it got. I mean it was definitely fast and fun, just not terribly difficult. Even so, the novelty of riding down the World's Most Dangerous Rode is pretty cool and you are definitely into it while you are riding with that monstrous drop off pumping adrenaline through your veins. Thanks for another good time Bolivia!

Club MP

The ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu is surrounded by an ever changing blanket of mystery and intrigue. The construction, the purpose, the how, the why, the when, and the what for have all been the subjects speculation and suspense throughout the years. Some believe it was a fortress hosting the last stand of the Inca empire at the hands of the Spaniards, others are convinced it was the capital of the empire where all the Inca royalty resided, while still others have theorized it was a sanctuary for the Inca women. As I scaled Waynapicchu, overlooking the ancient ruins, a vision was bestowed upon me and I now know hold the truth behind all the hype. The nearly vertical staircase near the top of Waynapicchu is enough to put the fear of God into anyone on its own and it was at this spot when The Roots highly beat-tastic single, Seed 2.0, randomly came up on the shuffle mix I had playing on my ipod. A combination of the critically acclaimed tune, along with the fear of falling into oblivion to my left and the unique energy the ancient ruins radiate, I was granted a vision of the truth behind the mystery of Machu Picchu and I shall share that truth with the world...

Machu Picchu was an erotic resort for newly weds and those trying to mend the fabric of a broken relationship. A club med of sorts maybe referred to as Club Machu Picchu, or the Quechua equivalent back in the day. It makes so much sense when you put all the pieces together. First of all the Inca´s were a very sensual people, so shrine of this magnitude would not be unusual. Then there are all the different theme rooms: the puma room, the condor room, the snake room, there is even one whole section of the place in the shape of a sexy alligator. The llamas gallivanting around the place can absolutely, without a doubt feel the sexual energy flowing through the ancient stones. The llama foreplay ran rampid throughout the site, and we even got to witness a full-on llama lovin scene, which was of course rewarded with a standing ovation from the crowd of ruin dwellers. Inca women were also known to be rather large ladies, and we all know the female sex drive is directly related to her current measurements. As they say, the more cushion, the more the need and desire for constant coitus. Those Inca dudes had to build a sexual fantasy-land of monumental proportions to keep their women from going mad. So there it is, mystery solved, no need for further speculation or ridiculous theories.

The big peak is Waynapicchu, had to borrow this photo off the web as all my Machu Picchu pics got deleted at Lake Titicaca. Even the scandalous llama pics...very depressing I know.

Got goosebumps after reading this one...

NEW YORK -- By the time Georgia was done demolishing Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, it was apparent the Bulldogs were well on their way to being No. 1 -- to start the 2008 college football season.

Seeking its first national championship in 28 years, Georgia is on top of The Associated Press preseason Top 25 for the first time.

The Bulldogs received 22 first-place votes and 1,528 points from a panel of 65 media members in the poll released Saturday.

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said in a telephone interview with the AP.

"I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."


Ohio State, coming off a second consecutive loss in the national championship game but returning 20 starters, is No. 2. The Buckeyes received 21 first-place votes and 1,506 points.

No. 3 Southern California, which plays Ohio State in Los Angeles on Sept. 13, received 12 first-place votes. No. 4 Oklahoma had four first-place votes and No. 5 Florida received six first-place votes.

Georgia finished last season 11-2 and No. 2 in the country behind Southeastern Conference rival LSU. The Tigers won the national championship in the Superdome in New Orleans on Jan. 7 by beating the Buckeyes.

But a week earlier on that same field the Bulldogs ended their season with a seventh straight victory and sent a message about 2008: "Look out!"

Georgia faces long odds in its bid to win its first national championship since 1980. Only 10 AP preseason No. 1 teams have gone on to claim the national title:

• 2004-Southern Cal
• 1999-Florida State
• 1993-Florida State
• 1985-Oklahoma
• 1978-Alabama
• 1975-Oklahoma
• 1974-Oklahoma
• 1956-Oklahoma
• 1952-Michigan State
• 1951-Tennessee

Georgia toyed with high-scoring Hawaii and its Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback Colt Brennan in a 41-10 rout, and one glance at the Bulldogs' depth chart, with all those freshmen and sophomores playing major roles, revealed the Bulldogs would be a force this season. The questions started even as Georgia celebrated its big victory on the confetti-covered turf.

Richt's job since then has been to keep his team from getting too wrapped up in the hype.

"I think it motivates the guys to prepare well, but the big thing is: If you think about a championship way back in January ... that can wear you down," Richt said. "It's our responsibility as coaches to help these guys break it down to one day at a time, one workout at a times, one practice at a time. Just prepare to be in position for the challenge.

"If we don't work, we'll have no chance."

No. 6 Missouri has its best preseason ranking. The Tigers ended last season No. 4, which was their best showing ever in the final poll.

LSU's Tigers will begin defense of their national championship ranked seventh. West Virginia is eighth, Clemson is ninth and No. 10 Auburn gives the SEC four top-10 teams to start the season.

With Florida and LSU taking the last two national titles, the SEC could become the first to conference to have three different teams win consecutive national titles.

Georgia certainly has the ingredients on the field to make that happen.

"We take it one step at a time. All we can do is focus on the smaller picture," receiver Mohamed Massaquoi said. "We can't let ourselves get overwhelmed. It takes away from playing hard and playing smart."

The Bulldogs return 16 starters, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, already being touted as a future first-round draft pick, and running back Knowshon Moreno, who became the first Georgia freshman to run for 1,000 yards since Herschel Walker did it while leading the Bulldogs to the national title in 1980.

Stafford has been starting since his freshman season, and so far has been more of a caretaker quarterback than a star for the Bulldogs. He completed 56 percent of his passes last season for 2,523 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

The Bulldogs expect more from the 6-foot-3, 237-pound NFL prototype.

"I think he's ready to fly," Richt said. "He improved tremendously from his freshman year.

"We're all kind of growing together with Matt. This year we ought to see a better performance by him, not only because he's better but because the guys around have improved also."

Stafford will, however, be without his left tackle from last season. Trinton Sturdivant, who started every game as a freshman last season, injured his left knee in a preseason scrimmage and is done for the year.

On defense, the Bulldogs have a potential All-American in every unit, starting with 290-pound tackle Geno Atkins, middle linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, who led the team in tackles and had a huge game in the Sugar Bowl, and cornerback Asher Allen, who was second on the team in tackles and had three interceptions.

The second 10 of the Top 25 begins with No. 11 Texas, followed by Big 12 rival Texas Tech. No. 13 is Wisconsin, with Kansas and Arizona State next.

BYU, ranked in the preseason for the first time since 1997, is 16th.

Virginia Tech is 17th and Tennessee is 18th. South Florida, which made the AP Top 25 for the first time last year and rose all the way to No. 2, has its first preseason ranking at No. 19.

Illinois rounds out the top 20.

The final five are Oregon, Penn State, Wake Forest, Alabama and Pittsburgh, ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2003.

The SEC leads all conferences with six ranked teams, and Georgia has the other five on its schedule, plus a trip to Arizona State on Sept. 20.

"We definitely have our work cut out for us," Richt said.

So do the Bulldogs' opponents.

Bolivia by storm

I appologize for the lack of posts as of late, Bolivia boasts an excess of amazingly fun activities and a lack of high speed internet connections. Spent 3 days in Copacabana around the floating islands of Lago de Titicaca, mainly just expelling fluids from boths ends of my body, recovered in La Paz and promptly beat myself back down with La Paz's excellent party scene, rode a kickass mountain bike 64 kms down the most dangerous road in the world, landed in a plane on my first grass run-way, swam with alligators and river dolphins, bird watched and spotted the everyone's favorite multicolored Tucan, went anaconda hunting, parana fishing, and played with some ROUS's, chilled at a jungle pool, ackwardly danced with the locals at Rurrenbaque's only disco to some rather bizarre traditional Bolivian music, chilled at the San Pedro prison with the South Africans, now heading down to Uyuni to gaze at the 'out of this world' salt plains. Indepth stories are a'brewing and shall be accompanied with pics soon...wheee!

"it's so quiet, it's so quiet, it's so quiet
and you're dreaming, and you're dreaming, and you're dreaming
I turn to you and say - awake is the new sleep, awake is the new sleep
so wake up. And do it, whatever it is. Just do it, whatever it is.
'cause awake is the new sleep, awake is the new sleep
so wake up
wake up.
and do it. Whatever it is, whatever it is,
just do it, whatever it is, whatever it is,
go do it, whatever it is, whatever it is
just do it, whatever it is, whatever it is." -Ben Lee