Gordon: We have had some unsettled weather lately, with high winds and rain, some of biblical intensity. The rain seldom lasts all day, however, allowing us to walk for a few hours each day. And the temperatures remain ridiculously pleasant: it is always between 19 and 24 degrees, night or day, rain or shine. We have been waiting for a particularly good day to walk ...
Orisao Gordon: I was hanging some laundry on the line at our hotel this morning when I noticed an orange tree with abundant green fruit. Looking around, I realized that the clothesline is set in a tropical fruit garden. In addition to the oranges, there are several small banana trees, a number of mature guava trees (which are currently in season), a small pomegranate shrub, ...
The Pico Vineyards near Madalena. A grape growing out of a crack in the Lava. Maria Gordon:Somewhere at the North End of Pico Island, AD 1449“And here, my love, is our new vineyard.”“This wasteland of black rock? Are you kidding, João?”“Maria, with a little labour we will be able to grow figs and grapes here in abundance.”“I know you are a sailor, and know little ...
Pico in morning light. Gordon: The island of Pico gets its name from the high volcanic peak located on it. The mountain of Pico rises 3500 metres from the ocean floor, 2351 metres of which are above the waves. It is the highest point in Portugal.I had hoped to climb Pico the last time we were on the island. I brought heavy hiking boots and ...
Gordon: We are starting our second week in the Azores and we are as happy as clams. This trip is structured differently from most of our outings, in that we are deliberately moving less frequently between accommodations. We have abundant time, and changing lodging less frequently seems like a good idea during this plague year. As it happens, COVID is not actually much of a ...
Gord in the Guatalupe Cemetery Maria and Ruth Gordon: Manoel “Emmanuel” Tavare de Miranda was born on the island of Graciosa, a few kilometres from where we are staying, in 1648. He was my seventh great-grandfather.According to the genealogical records that Ruth has researched, Manoel became a sailor and left the island of his birth as a young man for the bright lights of 17th ...
We suffered a bit of anxiety around the flight out of Lukla, as the day before we were scheduled to depart a number of flights were cancelled due to cloudy weather. As it turned out, the weather was fine and flights left in as regular a manner as can be expected in Nepal.The takeoff at Lukla airport is a unique experience. As at Ramechhap the pilot ...
We completed the Everest Three Pass trek in 19 days, leaving us with two days before our flight to Kathmandu. We considered various options and finally settled upon an overnight excursion along the trail towards Jiri. This trail is one of the options for those that would prefer to walk to Lukla rather than take a flight. It typically takes six days and is only used ...
We had a relaxed two day walk from Namche to Lukla. As we lost elevation the vegetation became lusher and the human population more dense.Last night we stayed at a small family run guesthouse in Tok Tok, about midway between Namche and Lukla. The owner was a mountaineer in his younger years and had summited Lhotse and another 8000 metre peak in Tibet, as well ...
Today’s walk was like some kind of Himalayan fantasy. We passed through juniper and rhododendron forests, strode along trails cut out of ravine walls hundreds of feet above a river, crossed a bridge above a roaring waterfall, and passed through several traditional villages. The light was magnificent and we could hardly make any progress with all of the photo stops.About halfway to Namche we started ...