Nepal in April

These are Buddha Eyes (also known as Wisdom Eyes), and they look out in the four directions to symbolize the omniscience (all-seeing) of a Buddha.


A 21 day trek over two 5,000 + meter Himalayan mountain passes left me in love with Nepal. Even more so, it left me in love with the gorgeous Tibetan villagers I met nestled into the mountains on the way. My friend and I walked from village to village, staying in tea houses and eating freshly cooked dal bat (rice adn lentils) from the indoor open fires. We followed rivers and passed through some of the highest peaks in the world, trudging through snow during early morning alpine glowing skies. The ancient villages are forever burned into my memory; the stone buildings, painted stupas, prayer flags and mani walls strewn through the land.

This is a place of beautiful spirit and loving hard working people, the Manaslu and Annapurna circuit opened my eyes to a truly precious part of this world.



Hills covered in prayer flags...


Shawtel and I try riding on top of the local bus from Gorka to Arughat



                                LarkeLa Pass 5,135 M


                               Loving the mountains





A Tibeatan woman who is very proud of her rice moonshine








Mt. Manaslu 8,156 m from the village of Lho


Lho Horse racers


A typical bridge crossing in Nepal




A woman in Lho at the Empowerment festival

I N D I A

VARANASI, INDIA... a city situated on the banks of the River Ganges. Varanasi is the holiest place in the world in Hinduism (and center of the Earth in Hindu cosmology). It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest in India.

Arriving in Varanasi I left the rickshaw near an alleyway and was told my guesthouse was straight ahead. I walked into the maze of old narrow alleyways past cows, shops, street food, temples, and so many people asking my way gaining varying responses. This city is probably the most unique place I have ever experienced. It is a place of pilgrimage for people all over India and the world. People come here to pray and to die and be cremated on or in the Ganges. Open cremation happens 365 days a year and sometimes 200 people are burned per day. It was hard to realize that I was seeing a burning body in front of me, as if it should be a bigger deal or people around me should be sad. The approach to death is so different here, and everything happens in the open.

A woman sends a prayer with her candle into the Ganges...





Morning on the Ganges...

Life on the Ice

In December I was given the enjoyable and lovely task of flying back to Lake Vida to take down the camp we put up in November! It was another helocopter ride through the dry valley's and a nights stay in a polar haven with a few great folks. We took the camp down to the bare bones and hooked up loads to hovering helocopters to wisk away back to McMurdo, leaving Lake Vida in it's pristine condition, for another 5 years.





The following photos encompass some outdoor trips, work and play from the season... I have gotten out into the field on some incredible helicopter flights, had some great hikes around McMurdo, enjoyedlocal skate skiing trips out on the sea ice and had the pleasure of being involved in McMurdo's up and coming music scene! The beauty of this place never fails to humble me and every time I look out across the sea to the Royal Society range I am reminded of what an awe inspiring land this is and how lucky I am to take it all in.















MAAG!

McMurdo's own Alternative art gallery! Christmas has a whole new focus here in Antarctica! Let us feast and make merry with crazy art projects and a fashion show!





















ICESTOCK 2011!!!

This year I had the pleasure of playing elevtric guitar for ANNIE AND HER GUNS, my friend Annie's band! It was really really cold outside and our fingers froze but it was so much fun to play for a bunch of happy people!!! There were tons of bands and we all danced our way into the new year!







The Women's Soiree

Annie and I played a few songs at the Women's Soiree, an annual event put on by the women of McMurdo to benefit a cause for women and children in New Zealand. We played for a big crowd, and a DVD of the performance is available for 10$!




running the Thanksgiving Turket Trot with the lovely miss Angie


Out dancin with my girls, three bands, lots of swinging around, and perhaps too much tequilla :)