The adventure continues...I was encouraged by the H2O Patagonia crew, especially, my new, dear friend, Pete, to run, yes run across the Chile/Agentina border...so, I did!  The immigration/emigration officers thought it was rather strange to say the least, but as the rest of the trip proved:  "Adventure is the cure".  Chaba laba chala!!!  As the sign says, we've inherited this land from our grandparents and are borrowing it from our children.  Let's do what we can to conserve...please.

Photographs courtesy of Cuan Coetzee

Ahh...Patagonia. Truly a heaven on Earth. Words won't do her beauty justice. Rafting on the mighty Futaleufu River, kayaking the Espelon, rock climbing and repelling her canyons, mountain biking her relentless terrain...Patagonia is an outdoors (wo)man's dream. Paradise found. Staying in true rustic luxury at H2O Patagonia was a treat beyond expectations, way above and beyond anyone's dream of capturing the essence of Patagonia. The guides, chefs, accommodations, safety, adventurous spirit, smiling faces, hot tub soaks, pisco sours cruising down the rivers after a day of inconceivable fun, gourmet 5 star cuisine for every meal paired with exquisite wine...and the chocolate treats! Three of us went down for a vacation into the wilderness and drank the essence of what nature has to offer. Literally. The water was so clean we could drink it straight from the river...and it was hard to avoid it as a ball of white water lurked above as we plunged to the depths of the class V rapids!! Our steersman, Brian, was completely in control on an ever changing terrain. Our safety kayak and cataraft were adeptly handled by Pilado and Nate. Cuan soared down the river ahead and photographed our amazing venture. Capturing our excursions on film and our hearts with his wit and charm, Cuan is a first rate photographer with and uncanny sense of artistic flare! Fabio, thank you for always accommodating our tastes and for introducing a cuisine all of its own, a gem, a masterpiece at every meal. The H2O Patagonia experience was Truly a dream come true for the adventurous spirit with a side of swank!

Gateway to Olympieion...Chills pervade me even writing those words.
The Temple of the Olympian Zeus. It felt as though the ground was
pulsating with energy, representing an utmost respect for the best of
the best athletes.

Layers of Life...
What I found most intriguing in Athens, Greece was the dichotomy of
the ancient and modern living harmoniously. The ancient structures
stand among modern apartments and hustle and bustle. Seeing through
the history...to give us the present-literally and figuratively.
Although many people travel to these parts, I felt the need to share
for those who have not seen some of the oldest, most beautiful and
meaningful pieces of architecture in the history of well, the world!

The underground discoveries were particularly fascinating... the
baths beneath the Acropolis Museum!

I was stunned when I caught a glimpse of the Acropolis from afar.
When I could move, I hiked my way up the steps to the theaters and of
course to the Parthenon and Temple of Athena. Marvelous. Majestic.
Breathtaking. Modern buildings are crumbling, and even warfare
couldn't fully take down the Acropolis. Brilliant!

So...this is where it all began. The marathon craze...490 BC, the
ancient site of the Battle of Marathon, where the Greeks defeated the
Persians, giving us the democratic societies of new. I ran the
Athens Classic Marathon October 31, 2010. I have done a lot of
memorable things in my life and I must say this is on the list of the
most amazing sporting events. Will I remember that the course is
uphill for the middle 20 miles? Probably. Will I remember the crowd
cheering? Probably. Will I forget the deep feeling of amazement when
I ran into the ancient Olympic Stadium with the ancient Olympic Rings
staring me in the face? Couldn't if I tried. That feeling is going
with me into several lives to come! I cried tears of joy, alongside
every other person beside me at the finish line. One man was
bowing. It was the 2500th anniversary of the original running.
Chills pervade every ounce of my body just thinking about it! A
truly momentous race with 13,000 people joining the locals on the
streets from Marathon to Athens on a glorious day of honor...

I really really had to pee...

About two hours after a breakfast with copious amount of water to rehydrate after an eight mile jog and a cup of hot Vietnamese tea, I really really had to pee.  The problem was, I was on a small wooden boat motoring on a small tributary of the Mekong Delta. I was accompanied by a darling of a man who was taking me mountain biking along the delta, a trip I arranged through Phat Tire Ventures. Under normal circumstances, a 'pit stop' would have seemed ludicrous.  However, at this point I was thinking with my bladder versus my brain.  I politely asked if there was anywhere to stop and to my surprise, indeed there was! We pulled up to a dock in front of a bright blue house along the tributary, and parked under a gorgeous array of fruit trees.  A young girl promptly waved us hello under her pink sun umbrella and was soon joined by her most accommodating mother--accommodating me to the use of a bathroom (in the blue house)!  Relief at last!  To my further delight, the young girl and her mother shared their fruit and gave me a tour of a local home.  Warmth exuded from every corner of the yard and home...reminded me of the time I was running with x-country teammates in high school, had to pee, stopped at a woman's home and asked to her use her facilities.  We were all treated to apple pie before leaving...