Brazil: Rio de Janeiro

Oh man where to begin. Rio de Janeiro was a whirlwind. We only were able to stay in Rio for 3 days which is definitely not enough time! We packed our days to the brim with activities and made the best of it. I will need to return to Rio someday just so I can experience the area for a full week.

We began our Rio experience Friday night around 10PM when we arrived in the airport. After settling into our new apartment (and receiving heaps of Brazil spirit-wear from our host!) we took to the streets of Ipanema. We were about 2 blocks from Ipanema Beach and Rio was

definitely a change from our past home in Manaus. There was activity everywhere you looked. Our place was a TON bigger as well. We had a balcony that overlooked the streets and the mountains were in the background. It was gorgeous. Anyway, we went to a popular restaurant down the street and had a late night dinner around midnight. We then returned to our place to rest and prepare for FanFest on Copacabana Beach the next day!

  

Saturday morning was very quick paced. We hopped on the new metro system Brazil has and arrived at Copacabana at 10:30AM. We met up with Andre, our good pal from the jungle tour. It just happened to work out that he traveled to Rio after Manaus as well. We all walked toward FanFest with hundreds of people. It was insane. Before we walked in we had to go through security. This place wasn’t messing around. We then walked into the fenced area and glanced around at the marvel before us. There was a massive screen about 100 yards away and games and bars galore. As we

walked in a band was playing on the stage below the big screen. It was very fast paced music and all the Brazilians were dancing samba or just jumping around like lunatics. The energy in this one area was off the charts. It made me feel excited just to watch. We planned to get into FanFest at 11AM because we thought the game started at noon. Well, we didn’t take into consideration the 1 hour time difference. So instead of being 1 hour early, we were 2 hours early. It was kinda tiresome to stand around for 2 hours but thankfully the band was playing really energized music and the crowd was responding. It also turned out to be a good thing because by the time it was noon, people were cramming in like sardines. We definitely wouldn’t have gotten the spot we did if we came later. With 30 minutes until game time I could barely say I had 4 feet to myself. I situated a towel on the ground to claim some space but even that didn’t deter people from walking all over it. SO MANY PEOPLE. The game began and the place was electric. There’s something about being surrounded by sweaty hardcore soccer fans – nothing can beat it. The energy was contagious and our party sported the spirit-wear our host gave us. Thank goodness she did because otherwise we would have been outcasts. Every single person was wearing Brazil colors. Well, except for the Chile fans. But they all huddled together and created their own little island. I hoped to God they wouldn’t get beaten up. At halftime Dad and I left to go to the beach and get away from the huge crowds. I was feeling a little claustrophobic. Getting out of FanFest – oh geez was that an experience in itself. Just imagine you are standing on one end of a football field and want to get to the other but there is a sea of people who are sweaty and drunk. It was tough stuff. Thankfully, I tailgated an Argentina fan out of the place. He pushed through all the people and did the hard work for me. There were some points where I literally didn’t think we were going to make it out. The crowd was so thick at points that there seemed to be no exit. FINALLY, after about 15minutes of forcing a path, we made it out. Hallelujah! Fresh air and my own personal space! I was so relieved. We laid on the beach for a bit but I didn’t go in the water because evidently it’s some of the nastiest water in the Southern Hemisphere. Some of Rio’s sewage seeps into the ocean….so sad. We then took naps near a big screen on the beach while waiting for the game to end. We were awoken by the screams of Brazilian fans. The game had gone into overtime and penalty kicks were about to begin. It was entertaining because I could determine the score based on the cheers or sobs of the crowds. Then, the game winning PK was taken. Brazil scored and chaos ensued. I have seen some crazy scenes but this beat them all. Immediately the crowds jumped up and down and all their faces were full of happiness and excitement. I saw beers being thrown in the air, people kissing random strangers, and fans falling on the ground and creating dog piles. I’ve never seen so many make out sessions on my entire life. Oh and get this, one guy literally ran from one end of the beach to the other and chest bumped some random dude and continued to high five and hug other people. And all of these people welcomed the gestures with open arms. After all this settled down (which believe me took a long while), we headed back to our place to shower and then to Lapa for dinner and nightlife.
        We took the metro to Lapa and met up with Andre once again. Andre was super cool and I'm very glad he was able to join us in our adventures. He was very lively and always had fun stories or comments. We ate dinner outside in an alleyway that was streamed with flags from all the various countries around the world. It was a neat atmosphere and one of the things I liked most about Brazil was that nearly every restaurant had the option to sit outside. We had an incredible dinner (Brazil food never disappoints) and then searched for the infamous Rio party

scene. Well it didn't take too long to find it! We literally walked three blocks and the streets were MOBBED with people. And times 10 of what we experienced in Centro Manaus which means, thanks to my math oriented mind, it was like Bourbon Street in New Orleans multiplied by 1000. It seemed that whichever bar/club we picked we wouldn't be disappointed. I wanted to find one with live music where people were dancing samba or maybe salsa. We found one that was half indoor and half outdoor. We had to wait at least 30 minutes for people to leave so that we could be assigned a "table." They did this so that people didn't leave without paying the cover. We didn't mind waiting though because the streets next to us were hoppin’ with activity. A guy was walking around selling tequila shots and Andre edged me to get one. I was a little concerned about how he was selling it, maybe it wasn't the safest to drink, but then I saw that it was Jose Cuervo so it was legit. I took the shot and the guy didn't speak English so he started pouring me another one! No no no. I don't want to die tonight. Eventually a guy who spoke English acted as a translator and helped me out. My savior! After this, we were still waiting. So Andre bought us all beers at the stand nearby. Sure enough, soon after this they

 let us in. Oh but we weren't allowed to bring in outside drinks. Of course. I ended up sneaking it in anyway by just holding it at my hip but evidently the two guys got caught by the security guard. They were forced to chug them before entering. Ah, the perks of being a woman :) We were seated at a table and the guys ordered drinks while I continued to secretly sip my “beer from the outside”. The guys didn't really want to dance so I went without them to the dance floor and found a partner to dance with. It was so much fun! The band took a break shortly after that and I returned to my seat. We talked a bit and then the band started playing again. I almost convinced Andre to come out and dance with me but I think he needed a little more liquid courage. So I decided I would ask the lively group of Brazilians behind us if any of them were interested. As soon as I went up to one of the girls she got so excited! And she spoke English! Double win. Then all her friends crowded around me and couldn't stop asking me questions or just saying "Oh my gosh you're from America!? That's so cool!" Evidently, being an American automatically makes you popular and the best person ever. I'm not

gonna lie, I was enjoying the attention. Then all their guy friends tried to dance with me. Now I was feeling a little overwhelmed, but they backed off after the first 3 intense minutes. They were all super nice! And hilarious. They told me their names but there were so many that I don't remember any of them...then they wanted to take a photo with me. This was the 3rd time this happened in Brazil. I've come to the conclusion that all Brazilians secretly (or not so secretly) want to be American. After chatting and dancing with them for a while, I went back to my table. Andre mentioned that when I walked over to the Brazilian group, it looked like a pack of wolves attacking prey. That sounds about right haha. They were really nice and fun and I'm glad I got to meet them! We all left shortly after that. It was a great night!

Sooo the next day was rough. I had been working up a pretty nasty cold the past 3 days and so when I woke up I was congested that I couldn’t breathe. Not to mention since we drank so much the night before I didn’t get much rest. It was poor planning on our part but I don’t regret it :) This was the day that we went to the famous Corcavado Mountain which has the Christ Redeemer statue and a view of the Rio Harbor that is listed in the 7 Natural Wonder of the World. We woke up at 6:30AM so that we could be at the ticket booth at 8AM. People had warned us that if we went any later that the mountain gets so crowded with people that it’s barely worth it. We took a van all the way to the steps leading to the statue. We were walking up and all of a sudden I was struck with terror. For those who do not know, I’m terrified of heights. I don’t know why at this moment it all came rushing out of nowhere, but I couldn’t move. I started hyperventilating a little

and was worried I wasn’t going to be able to make it to the top! My dad stayed back with me as the guys continued to climb. I focused on taking really deep breaths and not thinking so much. After about 10 minutes of this I continued, very very slowly, to the top. From the top, the views are simply stunning. I cannot adequately describe how gorgeous the overlook is. Here are a few words I think could attempt to describe it: outstanding, incredible, breathtaking, pulchritudinous, awe-inspiring, beautiful, remarkable. There were tons of people soaking up the view too but thankfully there was still room on the platform to mosey around. By the time we left it was jam packed and I was feeling uncomfortable. I’m so glad we got there as early as possible! We left and ate lunch on the beach. At this time I felt like my head was going to explode. Climbing up to the statue had made my ears pop and they were stuck like that since I was so congested. I literally wanted to lie on the ground and take a nap. It was the worst I’ve felt in a very long time. I was definitely not being good company and I couldn’t even talk without feeling sick. We then headed back to the apartment where I collapsed on the bed. The guys went to Ipanema Beach but I had to skip out because I was sweating and could barely stand up. I was worried I had caught something serious. Thankfully, all this passed after I woke up from my 2 hours nap. Phew! I still felt uneasy but much better than I was 2 hours prior. We all went to dinner at a steakhouse restaurant called Garota de Ipanema which is where the

famous song The Girl from Ipanema was written. I had actually never heard of it but I believed them! Dinner here was fan-freakin-tastic and definitely on the list of best meals in Brazil. A match was being shown on tv (of course) and there came a point when it was so intense that absolutely no one was eating their meal. All eyes were glued on the tv. I miss Brazil and its passion for soccer… We headed home and Andre went back to his place in Copacabana. Finally we may get a good night’s rest!

Monday was our last day in Rio :( Next on our tourist list was to visit Sugarloaf Mountain. To get to the top of the mountain you take a cable car from a lower mountain next to it and to reach this first mountain you can either take a cable car or hike it. We opted to hike it. The hike was very scenic as the trail winded around and traveled right next to some gorgeous bodies of water. It was pretty flat in the beginning and I was beginning to wonder if we were in the right place.

 Then, the climb appeared. It was SUPER steep. One of the steepest hikes I’ve done for sure. It was a beautiful trail through the thick forest on the mountain. We heard that sometimes monkeys can be seen on the mountain but unfortunately we didn’t come across any. Shoulda stashed some bananas in our pockets to lure them out! We reached the top within an hour and the views were fabulous. We, however, did not look so fabulous. Sweatastic. We continued our venture toward Sugarloaf by finding the cable car terminal. When I came up to it I stopped in my tracks. Another day for Julie to conquer her fears...can she do it a second day in a row? I looked up to our destination and it was up in the clouds. I literally could not see the top because it was hidden by the clouds. This freaked me out even more. Eventually after much mental persuasion, I entered the cable car. I yelled, “I call middle!” No one challenged me. As we rode up, I made a point of looking through the photos on my camera to distract me. Even doing this I was still aware of how high we were traveling and was shaking. We reached the top and I had tears in my eyes. I was definitely more scared this time around than yesterday. But I made it!!! I was so proud of myself. I bought a celebratory Brahma beer to help calm my nerves. It worked! I’ve decided that next time I do something like this I’m going to have a beer beforehand. The views were outstanding. On one side of the mountain you could see a little harbor with hundreds of sail boats and on the other you could see Copacabana Beach. It was hard to determine which view was better between Sugarloaf and yesterday’s Corcovado. I gave Corcovado the 1st place award but Sugarloaf was a close second. From Sugarloaf you could also see all the favelas tucked away in the valleys. Definitely the places we avoided all trip due to their extremely dangerous nature. We enjoyed the views for about an hour and then headed back into the cable car. This time, I was able to stand on side and look out the windows! I attributed it to my Brahma. We returned to ground level and took a taxi back to our place. We then parted ways with Andre (sadly), packed our things, and prepared for our next destination – Ponta Negra!

Brazil: Manaus and the Amazon

Our first week in Brazil was spent in the gloriously humid city of Manaus. Since it’s located in the middle of the Amazon, every single day was above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the heat started as early as 8am. On an average day I had a several streams of sweat flowing down my back. My favorite part of the day was taking a shower. I will never complain about heat ever again! Manaus is isolated due to the surrounding rivers and the only way to get there is by plane or boat. They are currently trying to build a road so people can actually drive there during the dry season. We used our first day to get accustomed to the area and get a feel for the bus system. The buses drive crazy fast and make you fear for your life! They don’t even wait for you to pay before the driver decides to leave the stop. It was actually a neat system where you enter the bus and you are contained by a turnstyle until you pay the attendant. This allows the driver to continue with minimal wait times. So awesome! My transportation nerdiness is showing... Everyone always paid before they had to get off but I wondered what would happen if you didn’t end up paying. I guess you’re eternally stuck in the turnstyle portion of the bus. We explored Centro Manaus which was basically the only part of the city that had any major activity. In Manaus there was a massive language barrier. I would say 4% of the population spoke English. And when I say English, I mean completely broken English. Thankfully, people from other countries were there for the World Cup as well and they spoke English. I never knew how much I appreciated being able to talk to whoever whenever. I love meeting new people and so when I couldn’t carry out a conversation with the locals it was really depressing. Even though there was a language barrier we were still treated as celebrities. I’m not kidding. Many of the locals wanted to take pictures with us because we were American! One guy in particular, Simon, had showed us other pictures he had with Americans and there were about 6! Even as we walked down the street cars would honk at us and wave. I felt like a movie star :) Move over Jennifer Aniston! On our bus trip back to Andrea House (this is where we stayed for the week) some English speaking people jumped on the bus. We were immediately drawn to them because we could carry out a conversation. It turned out that they were Australians! Kerrie, Andy, and Brett. Super chill and awesome people who had just returned from a Jungle Tour. We became instant friends. We were all surprised that we were both going to the Dom Pedro area. Most people stay in Centro. Kerrie asks, “And whereee are you going in Dom Pedro?” “Andrea House” “US TOO!” It was a freakish coincidence and it was great because then we could ask them a bunch of questions about Manaus and how to get to certain places.


The second day was all about the USA vs Portugal match. Oh man was that an experience! So much patriotism for America and the stadium was huge! I felt like I was back at a Lane Stadium football game because of all the hype and cheering. When we pulled ahead of Portugal near the end the stands went completely NUTS. But then the unspeakable happened in the last 20 seconds and the match ended in a tie….let’s not talk about it.

We then took an overnight jungle tour of the Amazon Rainforest! This was a really cool experience. We saw the Meeting of the Waters which is where the Rio Negra meets the Rio Amazona but the two rivers do not mix. There is a distinct line between the two. One is a light brown while the other is more blueish brown. Each has its own density, flow, depth, and other defining characteristics.  After this, we rode in 1970 Volkwagon hippie vans, saw iguanas, experienced the very poor conditioned dirt roads that including hundreds of potholes, and rode in a boat to our destination. We were situated deep within the Amazon Rainforest. When we finally reached our destination, our tour guide says, “Ok you all have 2 hours before lunch. Why don’t you take a nice refreshing dip in the Amazon River.” I was a little hesitant considering what dwells in these waters, both species and bacteria alike. But we did it anyway. The next day, all the guys were fishing off the dock in the same location. I asked, “Whatcha fishing for?” “Piranha” WHAT?! So we were unknowingly swimming with piranha. The tour guide was probably using us as live bait…dang.  Anyway, the day we arrived we took canoes and visited a small farm to learn about the culture.  The canoes had motors but they resembled motors that you would remove from a lawn mower. Not too powerful and very loud. On our way back to the hostel, we came across the most gorgeous sunset. Every picture I took was beyond belief.

At night we went for a canoe ride to search for alligators! It was wild. The stars were absolutely gorgeous that night. Being so far away from any civilization made them all very visible. The whole sky seemed to be sheeted by white specks. The only time I’ve seen more stars was when I was in the Outback in Australia. It was breathtaking. In the Southern Hemisphere you can see the Milky Way and the Southern Cross. You could actually see the Big Dipper too but it was really close to the horizon. During our stargazing, the other canoe caught 3 baby alligators! When we got back to our place everyone took turns holding them. I was terrified.  The next day we did a sunrise canoe ride which was around 5AM (the sun sets and rises VERY early in Brazil. Sunset is around 5:30PM). After that we did a legit jungle tour. That was one of my favorite parts of our trip. The group dynamic was pretty eclectic.  We had the very energized people who do whatever they want and are from Colombia/Spain, then the Swedish couple who is very sweet and write everything down that they learn, then the guys from Sao Paulo (Brazil), a girl who left her brother to go on this tour, a couple that isn’t afraid to show PDA every second, and 3 guys from Switzerland who didn’t speak English and laugh a lot. There was also a guy from Britain who was a daredevil and bald. We also met a really cool guy named Andre from Wisconsin. He became the fourth member of our own personal group. After the jungle tour we ate lunch and returned to Andrea House.

The next day we went to the zoo and watched the Switzerland vs Honduras match. This game definitely wasn’t as thrilling but our seats were outstanding! We were right behind the goal to the right. We were definitely on tv a few times. It wasn’t a close up of us but you could see our American flag! After the game we went to Centro Manaus to experience the nightlife. We met up with Andre and the Australians and it was wild. It was like Bourbon Street times one thousand. They had military men standing on watch towers to use force if necessary. This is the night we discovered the deadliness of the Caipirinha – Brazil’s well-known alcoholic beverage. This thing was STRONG. I would compare it to a Long Island Iced Tea but with more alcohol. Here’s how it’s made: place ice in cup, add heaps of sugar, add several lime chunks, dump in a massive amount of alcohol. I’d say at least 5 shots worth. Let’s put it this way, my dad had a fourth of it and was feeling realll good. And by that I mean I basically had to watch over him haha. When taking the bus back, Kerri and Dad decided to create a new sport called bus surfing. Basically you stand in the aisle and try not to use anything for support. This is especially tricky when the crazy bus driver takes sharp turns. It was very entertaining and all the Brazilian passengers were laughing.

Thursday we watched the USA vs Germany match at FanFest on the beach. That was pretty fun. Not too many people were there but after the game ended, we all went to the beach. The water was really interesting because it was a blackish red color. The Rio Negra is named adequately. On this night we went back into Centro and ate a delicious meal to celebrate our last night in Manaus.

Brazil Countdown!!

7 days until departure! And I just realized I'm landing in Brazil EXACTLY two years after I landed in Australia. I arrived in Oz June 21, 2012 and arrive in Brazil June 21, 2014. Crazy how life works like that.

For those who do not know, I will be traveling to Brazil next Friday to watch two matches of the World Cup!! I'm super stoked that one of my dreams is coming true and can't wait to watch USA play Portugal and Switzerland play Honduras! Both of these games are in Manaus which is located near the Amazon Rainforest. We plan to explore the Amazon for a couple days between games. As of now, the tours are very hard to book so fingers crossed we can find one! After a

week in Manaus, my party (my dad, and his friend's son, JT) and I are flying to Rio de Janeiro! Here, we will explore the city and do typical tourist activities such as viewing the Christ the Redeemer statue, taking a cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain, visiting the beaches, and of course, seeing what the bar life has to offer. This area is known for having a high crime rate which scares me a little bit. I keep reading articles about how careful travelers need to be since the World Cup is sure to bring lots of hustle and bustle to the area. Here is an excerpt:

"In Rio de Janeiro, motorists should be especially vigilant at stoplights and when stuck in traffic. Carjackings and holdups can occur at intersections, especially at night. Incidents of crime on public transportation are frequent, and at times have involved violent crimes. When traveling by yellow taxi, tourists are recommended only to use taxis openly displaying company information and phone numbers as well as red license plates. Tourists are also advised not to use public vans. Visitors should also remain alert to the possibility of manhole cover explosions."

Ok, no big deal. Just watch out for EVERYTHING. I'm a little more nervous than I was to travel to Australia (which had the ten most poisonous snakes and five most lethal creatures of their type - the funnel web spider, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, paralysis tick, and stonefish) because people are a whole new animal. They are ruthless and will stop at nothing if they are desperate. Animals are avoidable for the most part. Anyway, knowing that I'll be with my dad and JT makes me feel much better about the situation. I'll be sticking to them like glue. The place we are staying in Rio is further from the center of the city and not near the favelas (slum areas) so we should be safe and secure there. Pictured below is a view from our future balcony! http://www.vrbo.com/3711115ha

After visting Rio for 4 days, (the Harbor in Rio is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World by the way! Just found that out about a month ago when reading National Geographic) we will be renting a car and driving to a village in Marica, Brazil. This is a place nearby that offers a more "local" feel of Brazil away from the crime scene. We are staying in a rental house called Casa Azul (http://www.vrbo.com/440514). The beach is a short walk from our rental house and "the locals are very friendly and love to see tourists in our little village". There's also a local fruit/vegetable stand and fresh produce is delivered daily by the local farmers. Sounds like my kind of place :) Here is what the view will be from our private pool of our rental house:

I'm hoping to also do some scuba diving while we are here. It's one of the activities offered so I will be bringing along my dive log and certification card just in case. All these places were actually a reasonable price since we used the website VRBO. Especially split 3 ways. All the listings are rentals by the owner. Plus it's more home-y than a hotel room. I would highly recommend this site if you're ever planning to travel! Lowest prices on the internet. This is shaping up to be a grand adventure and I can barely contain my excitement! 

Kelly's Knob - Bypassing the View

        Have you ever had a specific plan that went completely awry but because it went so wrong the experience was even greater? Well this applies to the first time I hiked Kelly’s Knob last spring (April 2013). My friend Christian and I decided to drive out to this hike located off US-460 and we wanted to hike the entire trail instead of just one side which is generally how people tackle it. So our plan was to drive separately, park one car on the south end, and then drive together to the north end. Sounds foolproof right? That’s what we thought too. Turns out we were completely wrong. And it was fantastic.
        The morning of our adventure had arrived and there was one thing that already threw us for a loop – one of Juan Carlos’s tires had been replaced by a spare the day before. The thing is, with a spare tire on, you’re only allowed to hit 55 mph max. Well, US-460 has a 65 mph minimum speed limit…this was going to be interesting. I wasn’t going to let this stop us from going so we decided to continue with our plans. As we departed my apartment complex, everything was going well. However, I was very nervous to hit 460. We eventually merged onto the major roadway and I hesitantly hit 55pmh and held it there. Cars were zooming passed us. It was really embarrassing. I wanted to rev up to 65mph so badly but I knew that it could result in my car being on the side of the road. I decided to be patient, which is a trait I often struggle with, and be the tortoise of road. Thank goodness Christian was following me and giving me support because I was getting tired of people giving me weird looks as they drove by. I became one of those drivers that I always complain about. It was horrible. There was the occasional honking as well. I just kept telling myself that this happens to people who have a spare on all the time and not let it get to me. Then, my tire light came on – meaning the tire pressure was not what it needed to be. FFFFF. I decided to ride it out until we reached the road we needed to turn on. Thankfully, we made it onto the side road and since the parking lot for the trail was not much further, I decided to continue driving. This provided another problem because we could not find the parking lot for the life of us! We kept doubling back to see if we missed it. Finally, we stopped at a church that was labeled close to the trailhead and asked where the lot was. The lady was very nice and enthusiastic to meet hikers. She told us that the lot was just down the road but many hikers just park in their lot and suggested we do the same. We took her up on her offer and then checked my tires to make sure they were ok. The tire indicator must have malfunctioned due to the spare tire because each tire was fine. PHEW! We parked Juan Carlos at the church and then departed for the other lot together.
        You’d think that this trailhead would be easy to find considering it is a more published hike. We followed our directions but came across an unsuspected fork in the road. Straight ahead was a dirt path that led into the woods while a paved road was to the left. We figured since nothing was mentioned about a dirt road that we turn left. Well that assumption was incorrect. We drove for a good while and realized the road name was still the same so we figured we were on the right track. Eventually, after driving way longer than the directions entailed, I pulled out my GPS to see what the heck was going on. Our little blue dot was telling us that we were going in circles. Being very confused, we drove up to a large house and asked for help. The local told us not to fret, many people pull into his driveway for help. Such a great guy. I wonder if he enjoys the constant company. He told us to go back the same direction we had come from and to travel on a dirt path. AHA! Therein lies our mistake. We traveled back to the path (de ja vu) and drove onto the unpaved trail. About 20 yards in, we saw a sign for Appalachian Trail! Woohoo! However, the trail was nowhere in sight. Another sign popped up with an arrow so we continued on. This road was very iffy. There were ruts and fallen trees all over the place. Not to mention no guardrail. That put me on edge. Eventually, we came across two cars parked in a small clearing on the left of the road. We looked to our right and Voila! Kelly’s Knob trail. However, the clearing on the left was only big enough for two cars…we decided to continue driving and that was a bad idea because it went downhill and the road was very narrow so to turn around would be near impossible. After about a minute of driving we ran into some people loading cut trees into the back of their truck. At this point we needed to figure out how to return to the trail behind us. We contemplated turning around very carefully but soon negated that idea because we would fall off the side of the mountain. So Christian worked up the courage to drive in REVERSE up the mountain in his little Honda Taurus. It was a slow process but we made it back to the top! We turned around in the small area in the clearing and parallel parked on the side of the road. FINALLLY we could begin what we came for – the hike!
        We began climbing up the mountain and it was SUPER DUPER steep. Oh my goodness they should have bright neon warning signs for this stuff! I was not mentally prepared. It was probably the steepest incline I’ve experienced on a hike since Tinker Cliffs. It only lasted for about 0.5 miles (THANK GOD) and then it started to flatten out. The trail was very pretty because the flora was growing right up along the path. As we hiked, the area started getting clearer but there were no signs indicating we had reached the top. And there was no view. We trekked on. After about another mile I started getting worried that we missed it. It was only supposed to be 1.5 miles from where we parked. We discussed going back and seeing if we surpassed it, but we then decided that there would have been a clear-cut sign. About another mile later we came across a shelter which is located after the view on the map….WHAT! This was terribly upsetting. Sure enough

we had passed the view. We looked in the Traveler’s notebook at the shelter where hikers can write notes or thoughts and someone else had passed the view as well. I believe it said this verbatim: “Where the hell is Kelly’s Knob? We completely missed it.” We contemplated turning back and finding it but that would have added an extra 2 miles to our hike…we weren’t feeling it. We continued the rest of the hike and actually came across some beautiful scenery that made up for it. We walked along a tranquil stream and came across

a very serene and secluded lagoon. Little waterfalls were being created from the rock formations – it was wonderful. During this hike, there was still snow on the ground from a recent snowstorm which made the trail all the more beautiful.
        We eventually reached some open farmland and had to climb a few wooden staircases in and out of people’s property. The hills were cascading upon each other and you could see for miles. The only way it could have gotten any prettier was if the grass was green instead of brown. The trail continued through some farmer’s land and I was wondering how this was okay with the owner. I guess the trail was there first? We finally reached the church parking lot and our adventure came to a close. Well, not quite. We still had to retrieve Christian’s car form the starting point which was on that gravel road from earlier. Juan Carlos with a disability was not happy. He struggled a little to get up the hill while avoiding the potholes. In the end, we made it safely and returned to Blacksburg.

        After this trip I vowed to return so I could actually see the view! Since that day, I went back with a few friends and located the outlook. The sign wasn’t very apparent so I can see why Christian and I missed it. The view was spectacular! I actually didn’t think it was going to be very good since it’s a shorter hike and no one really speaks of it. Mission accomplished.

 

FloydFest 12 - Rise and Shine

       This will be my longest post by a long shot. FloydFest was the single most amazing event I’ve ever been to. I felt like the festival was created specifically for me. From camping, to bluegrass music, to local vendors, to yoga sessions, to speakeasies, to different concerts in different locations every hour - the list goes on and on. There was seriously music in earshot starting from 9AM to 3AM every day. It was the most incredible thing. FloydFest is tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains – basically secluded from the rest of humanity. It was like we were all living in our own little world and every single person, and I literally mean every single person, was excited and shared a passion for the event. The atmosphere was electric and not even a downpour on Friday night changed that.

       I attended this festival with my friend Jessie and we actually were able to go for free! We were officers for the Sustainable Land Development Club at VT and we (plus 3 other members of the club) were given the task last Fall semester to create an organized site map for the entire festival! About 6 months of hard work later we produced something we were very proud of and Josh (the manager of the festival) was extremely pleased with it and offered us free tickets. HECK YEAHHHHH! I’ve never been more thrilled to say I’m pursuing a career in engineering. Things we design become REAL. So cool.

Found the map we created on the last day of the festival!

DAY 1 - Thursday
       Right from the beginning I knew I belonged at this place. Every single car was unloading mounds of camping/hiking gear and everyone looked like a pack mule. Jess and I realized we
actually packed very light in comparison. There were wagons, dollies, and tattooed people

everywhere. I was getting more excited than I already was which was near impossible by this point. We waited in line for the gear shuttle and after about an hour some of the people around us stated that we could probably surpass the line to the regular bus since we had such a small amount packed. We contemplated it and since the line seemed to be moving pretty slowly, we asked a guy who was working the lines what he thought we should do. He said we could fit on the other bus for sure and that we should go for it. So we did. And people cheered for us. It was hilarious. We carried our stuff in the most effective way possible – backpacks on both our front and back. We looked fabulous. As we waited in the much shorter
         
line we had some fun conversation with the people around us. Everyone was just so darn happy and excited to be there that even waiting in line wasn't a big deal. Eventually we packed onto the bus and our destination was coming into view. It was the best set-up in the world. The mountain peaks were surrounding the festival, making it look small in comparison. It looked like a mountain resort. We unloaded and our search for the perfect campsite began. It was very difficult to stay on task because there was just so much to feast our eyes on! We tried not to get distracted by all the enticing vendors. Including PICKLE vendors. This place just kept getting better and better! We made it to the woods area and there were tents and hammocks

 galore!! Every direction you looked there was a sea of tents with hammocks intermittently spaced within. They were of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. It kinda reminded me of the Great Barrier Reef in terms of variety and vibrancy.
       We actually ended up pitching our tent in the Family Camping area which I was a little worried about because I’m not a huge fan of hearing rambunctious children. People who know me know I can barely stand kids in the first place. But it was a great location - a short walk to the Porto Johns and the main area where all the commotion took place. It ended up working out really well because we had no annoying kids around us. We only really came in contact with one (who was well behaved and whose family would become our saviors later on). Once we located a spot we liked, we brushed all the tree limbs and pine cones from the area and pitched the tent. We then strung up our hammocks next to it. It was a little slice of heaven.
       After setting up, we explored the festival grounds. It was coming alive with people and performances were scheduled to begin at 4PM. We perused the vendor tents and listened to the first performance on the main stage - Spirit Family Reunion. They were AWESOME! I

couldn’t believe I was going to be experiencing this music for the next 4 days! Unreal. It was funny because during the performance they said, “You guys look really clean! Last year we played at the end and we saw some rough people out there.” 15 showers for the whole festival will do that to ya! After they were through, we browsed more vendor tents. We then came across a community Hula Hooping area with hoops provided. Jessie quickly learned that Hula Hooping is not a forte of mine but I was determined to learn before the weekend ended! Next up was the beer garden. I had never been to one before and oh man it was GREAT. Not only were there friendly drunks stumbling around ready to have full out conversations with you, but there was also fantastic live music. We bought some nice sangria and enjoyed the scene. We stayed there for a bit and then went to the main stage to watch Gogol Boedello, a band I had never heard of before. They were CRAZY! And by that I mean I absolutely LOVED them! They had so much energy and the place was dynamic. They played strong upbeat music that got the whole crowd dancing. Some guy even started crowd surfing. I was really jealous because that’s something I have not yet crossed off my bucket list. He rode the crowd for ages! I think he went around for a whole song. Longest. Crowd surf. Ever. After this performance, the Lumineers stage crew started setting up. We had about an hour and we were REALLY close to the stage so we decided to stay and hold our ground. However, we

were so busy that day that we didn’t take time to buy dinner. We made a game plan: Jess would go grab some food to bring back while I guarded our spot. I had to fend off a few people and I was getting worried I was gonna get too squished and that she wouldn’t be able to find me. Eventually, I heard my name from a distance and frantically looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of Jessie. And like magic she popped out from between two people with a plate of deliciousness. SO happy. A nice tall man helped her find me. We were all set for some Lumineers action! The lights went out and the most eerie raising of chandeliers occurred. Then. They entered. It was EPIC. They were INCREDIBLE – sounded exactly like their CD. And we were so close to the stage! The whole thing was unbelievable. One of the members made things entertaining by jumping around, throwing drumsticks and maracas, and hitting lots of stuff. He reminded me of an energetic monkey. An attractive one at that. After the concert was over it was around 11:30PM. But the night wasn’t through yet. There was this thing called Silent Disco starting at 12:30 which is where you are given headphones and listen to the music and

dance. So basically, as an outsider you cannot hear a thing. It’s genius! And ridiculously comical. Blacksburg needs it. So we relaxed in our hammocks for a bit until it began and oh man was it a treat. Watching everyone dance to no music was the craziest/most humorous thing I’ve ever witnessed. It was SO much fun! Definitely satisfied my dancing bug. We got up on stage for a bit too. After about an hour we were completely exhausted so we decided to head back to our home. Plus, we planned to get up for morning yoga! I was excited. I slept in my hammock which was extremely comfortable though it was a little chilly at night. Either way, our first day was a HUGE success and it was only the beginning! We also determined that FloydFest had a very distinct smell – the smell of marijuana. Literally couldn’t go one hour without smelling or seeing it haha. Headlamps to bed!

DAY 2
       This day was jam packed with activity. I’m going to shorten it as much as possible. In the morning, we bought coffee and did outside group yoga. That was a brilliant way to start the day.

We then hiked Moonstomper Trail which was a 1 mile loop in the woods around the festival grounds. We popped out at the end of the trail near Hill Holler stage and watched a group called Paper Birds. We then went back to our abode to relax and eat lunch (PB&J all the way!!). It was really nice to just swing in the hammocks for a bit. The weather was perfect. Soon after, we decided to shower figuring the line probably died down by this point. There were only 15 showers for the entire festival. Just imagine that for a second. We lucked out and only had to wait 15 minutes. These showers were awesome! They were really nice which I didn’t expect at a festival. That 10 minute shower was the most heavenly thing oh my lordy. We then signed up to run a 5k Sunday morning. Could this place get any better?? After this we went to the Libations tent and ordered some beers (while also getting VICIOUSLY attacked by monster Japanese beetles). We watched Bombino (a low key band) at the main stage and just laid on the ground and enjoyed the simplicity of everything. There was an upcycle T-shirt workshop occurring at 4:30PM in a different area of the festival so we headed there after the concert. It was really neat and thanks to Jessie I got a super awesome OBAMA shirt to cut and make my own. This was the first time I had done one of these workshops and I’m so glad I now know how to do it! I have so many large shirts that I wish would fit. Next to this place was a space designated for people to swing in hammocks. They had about 30 hammocks set up and anyone could jump in one and relax. Community hammock swinging, I approve.
       Up next was Rising Appalachia at Hill Holler stage. They were AMAZING. They even had a
            
woman do silks. It was mesmerizing. Shortly after this we went into the beer garden again (one of my favorite places at the festival, it had such a fun atmosphere). I even got to charge my phone and camera which were just about dead by this point. We then went to watch the John Butler Trio at the main stage. We didn’t stay too long there and met up with Jessie’s friend, Taylor, who actually worked one of the vendor tents during the festival. We went back to his tent and chilled a little bit and then around midnight we headed to Hill Holler stage to watch Citizen Cope. They were AWESOME (do you sense some repetitiveness in my opinion of these bands yet? I LOVE THEM ALL). This was a crazy concert and we got there early enough that we were in the front row of people! Jessie even sat up on stage near a speaker. It was surreal. Then this random drunk girl was grinding up on us and we told her to hop up on stage so SHE DID. Too funny. THEN, a guy backstage grabbed her and removed her from the stage. I guess she took that as a “Oh you must like me” because then she stared making out with him hahaha. Anyway, the music was great and the main singer barely moved his lips. I was entranced by how he was able to sing with his lips together. It started drizzling by the end of the concert even though there was a 0% chance of rain. When we returned to our site, we took down the hammocks and prepared for a storm. I didn’t have a sleeping pad for my sleeping bag so if the floor got wet I was screwed. Well guess what happened? Yep. Completely soaked the next morning. Things weren’t looking so good.

DAY 3
       This had the potential of being the most terrible of days. We woke up in a pool of rain water....our tent had become completely soaked through and through. We hadn't set up a proper rain guard like many of the other tents in the area and only relied on the fly that was a attached to the tent. The tarp we placed below the tent floor was creating a channel for the water to collect underneath us. It was absolutely horrible. Our tent was flooded and we needed to figure out a course of action. The camp store was to open at 8AM so at 7:45 I headed over there to buy as many tarps as I could without breaking the bank. I arrived 2 minutes before it opened and the place was mobbed with people. Tarps were being sold like hot cakes! The store had run out of their largest tarps but thankfully two smaller tarps remained. I bought them both and returned to our site. Jess and I struggled to come up with any ideas that would benefit our situation. I think we were both fed up at this point with the whole ordeal. As we were dancing around our tent with a tarp in our hands, trying to figure out the best tactic, a miracle happened. A neighbor of ours, Mike, walked over to us (it's still raining at this point btw) and asked if we needed any help. I wanted to scream YES PLEASE HELP US WE'RE SO MISERABLE! But instead stuck with the simple "Yes, that would be great." He guided us and gave us so many options - most of which included using his stuff. His campsite was completely dry and looked
like a mansion. He could be a professional camper. We ended up using an extra tent of his and he helped us cover it with a tarp so that no rain would get inside. Mike literally helped us for two hours in the rain and didn't stop until we were completely satisfied. He was a saint. We offered to buy him dinner because we had to repay him somehow. He refused of course but later we bought him and his wife tickets for the beer garden. He deserved SO much more than that. He completely turned our day around. Who knows what would have happened if he didn't show up. He even let us put all our stuff under his area to keep it dry and said we could leave it there as long as we wanted. I was just completely baffled by this guy's generosity. If all humankind acted like Mike....oh man what a concept. After all this craziness occurred, Jess and I went back to sleep in our new DRY tent. It was AMAZING. We woke up
around 1PM and restarted our day in good spirits. Smiles were seen all around the festival grounds and I’ve never seen so much mud in my life. Even walking 100 feet was a challenge. Flip flops were lost in the depths of the soil and war paint was splashed across each person’s legs. It was very entertaining to watch everyone maneuver around the place. It was like watching a bunch of drunks trying to walk. We were wearing our hiking sandals but eventually gave in and took them off completely. That made things so much easier and it felt like a massage for our feet. Throughout the afternoon we watched a couple little concerts in the pouring rain and collected free stuff from the vendors. Despite the weather conditions, the place was still hopping with people. And oh baby was the beer garden jam packed! I guess everyone was drinking their sorrows away. The wine vendor stated that it was the most he's sold all weekend. Pretty hilarious.
       The rain had stopped by 4PM and everyone looked great - mud covered and drenched. I was amazed at how everyone was still able to have smiles on their faces and enjoy the day. It definitely helped me to stay positive. In the beer garden we bought a bottle of wine to split while watching the weirdest string band I've ever seen. When I think of string bands I think more mellow music or beats that get you jiggy. This band was SCREAMO CITY. It was a little too much. I wondered how they were even admitted into the festival. Adds some variety I suppose. After this we went to a yoga session...drunk. It was the most comical thing and very ironic. Fun times. Then, we watched Rising Appalachia again since we liked them so much the day before. Their music really gets you on your feet. A guy was walking around with a bag of gummy bears so I eyed him down until I worked up the courage to ask for some. He was like "I saw you eyeing me and my bag and was wondering how long it would take you to approach me" haha. Cool dude. Jess and I then ate some delicious pizza and tots for dinner. Throughout this whole event, I didn't really realize when I was getting hungry because I was too excited all the time; my fervent thoughts cancelled out everything else. I've never experienced that before. I mean come on, I LOVE food.
       The Brandi Carlile concert was next on the list and oh. my. god. She was absolutely amazing!!! I hadn't heard much of her before so I didn't know what to expect but her songs seriously touched my soul. I know that sounds really cheesy but seriously, I felt changed after this concert. And she's a fabulous performer. She was so appreciative of the crowd and was

genuinely happy up on stage. I love when people appreciate every little thing. At one point during the concert, she told us to turn around and look at the most amazing sunset. We all just stood in awe of the beauty of nature. It was mind blowing. She is my new favorite artist and I definitely will see her in concert again. After she was through we had about an hour until Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performed. We once again were very close to the stage (seemed like we had a knack for this) and decided to stay in place. They arrived and man, there were so many different instruments! I dub them

the winner of fitting the most possible musicians on stage. Most of the band looked high and the concert was very relaxed. At one point the main singer entered the crowd which was pretty cool. Their famous song, Home, was requested by the crowd throughout the night and the main singer eventually got fed up and reprimanded us "Stop requesting Home, we will fucking play Home. Listen to our other songs - they are good too." I don't blame him for getting upset. The crowd was being rude. I wish I got it on video. When they did play Home, there's a section of the song where he would generally tell a story with Jane (main lady singer) but this time he asked people in the crowd if they had something to say. The microphone was passed around and it was really cool. During the concert he even had an

audience member step up on stage and play the melodica that he brought. He also did this again with a guy and his harmonica. It was neat how much he included the audience. Xavier Rudd was next to perform at 1:30AM. We were dead tired by this point - our legs were giving out from battling the mud walking and it was getting pretty cold. But it was completely necessary to listen to him. He was fabulous! He was from Australia so he played didgeridoos and other unique instruments. He was so talented and his music was bumpin. It reminded me of the Blue Man Group. He seemed like he was calling down some spirits or something; very in tune with nature and the earth. When it was over we washed our legs and feet off, had some tent conversation, and collapsed in our sleeping bags. Absolutely AWESOME day despite how it began. Though, I wouldn't have had it any other way. It made the experience all the more memorable.

DAY 4
       We decided to leave in the morning so we could return to Blacksburg at a reasonable hour. We packed up our tent and gave it back to our savior. Mike's act of generosity reminded me of something I heard from an Appalachian Trail thru hiker a few weeks back. He called random acts of kindness Trail Magic. Such as a driver picking them up off the road to transport them to the nearest town, or someone supplying them with food when they ran out. So I therefore will deem Mike's kindness FloydFest Magic. And the thing is, he helped a lot of other people too! He truly is a saint. We stood in line for some delicious coffee and then dropped by Taylor's food truck to say goodbye. He mentioned that the Alpha Lot was closed due to the extreme mud conditions and they only tow people out. Our mouths dropped and we didn't know what to do. We talked to a lady at administration who said they were suggesting that people stay an extra night. The festival was scheduled to continue in order to accommodate people. She made it sound like that was the only option but then eventually stated that we could go if it was an emergency. We told her we already packed up all our stuff and needed to get back because we had work the next day. She replied that it would take many hours and if we were willing to wait in line then we should go for it. Jess and I looked at each other and both agreed that we wanted to get back. Plus, we figured the mud would only get worse since there was a 40% chance of rain that day. We collected our things from our site and said goodbye to Mike and his family. I wanted to give him the biggest hug. He really made an impact on me. As we were walking toward the shuttle line, the pickle vendors were giving away FREE pickles. Day made. I no longer cared how long we had to wait - I was content with my pickle. The line weaved in and out of some camping areas but it really wasn't that bad. I think we waited and hour and a half tops. We waited longer than that Thursday morning. When we all got onto the bus, everyone cheered but the battle wasn't over yet. We arrived at the parking lot and it looked like a giant pig sty. I wanted to wait for a tow truck (staff members mentioned that the tow trucks were on FloydFest's tab and not to let them charge us. Super nice of them). To exit the lot from our space, we had to make a left turn in some heavy duty mud, continue straight in more deep mud, and then turn right onto gravel. There was no way. Thankfully, a neighboring car was also a manual and they had a game plan. They were gonna wait for a nearby car to move from a grassy area at the left turn, then they were gonna drive on that section so that there was a smaller chance of getting stuck. We followed them and it was smooth sailing until we reached the straightaway. Cars were stuck wheel deep everywhere. However, I have never seen such supportive people in my life. Everyone was helping to push cars and move wooden planks in front of the tires to provide stabilization. Once the way was cleared, I revved up the engine, and didn't release the pedal at all. Slowing or stopping meant sure death. Mud was flying EVERYWHERE! Including into my car because I had the windows down...whoops. I tried to hold the driving wheel steady as we spun in different directions. After much struggle, we successfully made it through the mud and released celebratory cheers and fist pumps. People nearby were laughing and clapping for us. It was EPIC. We then exited the lot and gave each other celebratory high fives. What an adventure! It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

       I really did not want to leave. Some things I participate in, once I reach a certain point, I’m kinda done with it. I felt so alive and happy at this place. It literally could not have gotten any better. I’m even ok with the rain that poured down on us. It made the experience what it was. And one of the greatest parts of the whole thing was that we got to meet so many different people! Everyone was so friendly. Conversations have never been so easy. The amount of generosity outpouring from that place was absolutely astounding. And shoutout to you Jess for being the perfect companion throughout the adventure :) Time to count down until next year!