February 2005 Archives

Aha! Damon, you've been found out. Or at least I assume so. There can't possibly be that many american soldiers stationed in afghanistan with a first name of Damon who would happen across this site AND be an avid read of cockeyed.com.

So now we have a last name, the tormenting can begin. Well once you're home in, what, two and a half weeks? Not soon enough I'm sure.

I am giddy with ill gotten knowledge. The best kind really.

I finally got word back from my temporary doctor (regular doc was out of town when administering tests). Everything is fine. Healthy as can be. So basically they don't know what the hell it was. I suppose that's okay since it's gone now (good call twig) but still kind of strange. I guess Cypro kills all. At least I found out that you can only just barely fit "Incan Gringo Death Rot" as a bowling name, though you have to leave out two spaces.

Worked my first 60 hour week - not going to be doing that any time soon - which probably feels worse for coming straight after two zero hour weeks. The one day off was productive though. Found out more about what it takes to be a groomsman, which is good since now I'm going to be a groomsman in a second wedding. Enjoyed some 6 pound pizzas from northlake followed by a flaming alcoholic birthday party which I was sadly too tired to enjoy propery (plus my drinks don't tend to catch fire). Vague plans were made for vagas some time in april.

And lest it ever be forgotten, kicking justyn's ass at bowling for once in my life was quite enjoyable. Hear that J? My 143 completely stomped your 142. Yeah. The subsiquent and more typical 112 loss to 155 was less enjoyable.

Anyway, work calls again. *sob*

As suspected the doctor said that I'll just have to feel like crap for another few days (up to a week) and probably just ride this thing out. Just for fun I guess I get to be tested for "gee-arr-dee-uh" (I have no idea how to spell that), parasites, worms, amoebas, "other parasites" (I swear that's what it says on the form) and whatnot. It was kind of amusing, the doctor kept apologizing for me being sick, as if he had anything to do with it. Perhaps when I go back today I'll check his office for voodoo dolls.

The flight back was interesting - an exercise in amusement and stress management. Get to the airport, the lady at the counter said "oh, didn't they tell you your flight is delayed 2 hours?" - haven't I heard this before?. I got up at 3:40 and thus am very tired so I sleep on the floor of a cold airport lounge for about an hour and a half. Once we start boarding the plane the moment I step on board a baby begins screaming uncontrollably (real ego booster there), however once I sit down she quites down and doesn't make a peep for the rest of the flight. The jetway is pulled back and the plane slowly starts to roll backwards. At this point the man one row up grabs the airsick bag and retches noisly into it a few times. Yeah this is going to be a fun flight.

Huston was a little better. US security found the horribly dangerous weapon that a 1.5 inch pair of scissors constitute burried in my toiletries bag (I forgot I borrowed them up on Cayambe) so did a hand search and generally molested my carry on bag. It was fine. While they were busying themselves with the minutia of my Ipod I glanced over and saw a group of men huddled in a circle. Prayer group I decide. They break and part so that John McCain can leave the center of the circle. It isn't actually the only republican I've ever considered voting for but it looks just like him. Anyway - the pious young men are standing now in groups of two or three chatting when a gorgeous dark skinned woman walks slowly by. They resist and resist and then each of them in turn grabs a quick glance or two then returns to their huddle. Mr. McCain gets a nice long look. Not leering or anything just appreciative. Some things are just hardwired eh?

So now I'm home and still recovering. Sherry should hopefully be making an attempt at cotopaxi today. They have a buffer day built in so that if the weather blows today they can try tomorrow. I hope it's better than last time for her, though it could really hardly be worse. For my part I'm definately dissapointed not to have had the chance to try it, though it is an awfully harsh experience, but I'm looking forward to hearing the tales when she gets back.

Sherry had a few things in her emails that didn't quite make it into here, so I may do some creative database editing to post her emails in where they belong in this little journal when I slice it off as a travel log. I definately want to keep her perspective.

Damn body, still on east coast time, waking me up at 2:00 am.

Thwarted.  Thwarted of my third summit by beings (are they alive?) too small to see.  Yup.  Incan gringo death rot is what you'd probably be tempted to call it.  It's what I'm tempted to call it.

A few days ago in Otavalo - thankfully the night after visiting Jose's tapestry workshop and the market - lots of little deadly buggers decided to set up camp in my system.  It's cost me a trip to the hot springs (damn) a training hike (meh) and so much strength that making it to the hut on Cotopaxi would be wishful thinking let alone summiting.

The guides, for their part, have been nothing but supportive.  Woke them up the first night to basically be told what I already should have known - start taking Cypro.  They were patient with me on the 3 hour drive back from Otavalo to Quito and then really became aware I wasn't doing this as some sort of strange prank.  Talking with Nelson this morning about Cotopaxi the conversation went something like this:

Me: I just don't have the strength to make a dent in Cotopaxi and it's starting to look like it'll be a long while until I do.

Nelson:  Don't discount human recovery man - we've got three days still till the climb and now that the Cypro has you cleaned up we should be able to rebuild you.

Me:  The Cypro hasn't done jack and it's been the required three days.

Nelson:  Really?  Yeah, you probably need to see a doctor or something.

So with that and a few other discussions I rebooked my flight from quito from the 13th to the 9th (tomorrow).  And let me tell you - trying to rebook a flight over a shitty phone connection between someone who speaks no spanish and someone who speaks poor english battling with a last name like "birkenbuel" can be like pulling teeth.  I ended up calling continental's 800 number from my cel phone just to make sure everything took.  Yeah, long distance on a cell phone from quito to the states while roaming in ecuador, that's going to be a fun bill to see.

Anyway.  Today is the first day in about 3 days I've had the strength and, uh, "stability" to roam outside of the hotel and type.  I was going to painstakingly peck out an update from my cel phone but I forgot the email authentication scheme I set up to post via email - made it too secure :)

Sherry felt bad but I told her that I'd summited one peak and thrown myself bodily at a mountain that would not be summited that day and I shared it with a friend so it was all good.  That and with now 5 continents under my belt and innumerable stupid health risks I really was due for something like this.

We'll see how trying to leave the country tomorrow goes, then trying to meet with a doctor as quick as I can.  It'll be interesting for certain.  I will certain remember this trip though :)

Shoutouts to people who will never read this:  Henry, the jokes make up for the snoring (barely);  Christina, always handy to have a doctor on hand, but please no more OBGYN horror stories;  Nelson and Jaimae, worthy of trusting my life with, I'll try the tabletop traverse when I get home; Papa Noel, coolest beard ever.

Well, we're now in Otavalo after our attempt on Cayambe (19,000 feet).  You'll note I didn't say successful attempt.  Sherry and I made it to a little over 17,500 - a few made it to just over 18k - and then the gale force winds, binding ice storm and 15 degree drop in temperature set it.  Really too bad too since the day before we'd been out training on the lower portion of the glacier (the "terminal morrain") in nice weather with clear skies.

When we finally got back down to the hut we me the group of people who had showed up the night before.  they said that they'd seen the weather forming and felt incredibly bad for those poor fools heading out that morning - that would be us.  One of the ladies sounded sort of familiar, like I knew the accent.  Turns out she's from seattle and works at REI - she was my outfitter.  So she said she was sorry about our lack of a summit but wanted to know if he clothes worked or not.  They did.

All of that has sort of served to cement a feeling of mine that I'm a dirt hiker not a snow/ice hiker.  we're having another "normal" summit of 17.5 in a few days with no glacier and I aught to enjoy it more.  We'll see what happens for the last climb.

So now we're here in Otavalo - home of a famous market or two.  If you show up to the animal market early you can buy yourself a lamb or pig or whatever.  If you show up really early you can sometimes buy yourself a child.  The normal market is full of random art, blankets and nicknacks and will probably be where we spend most of our time.

I have pictures to share of training and driving and what not but most are film and those that are not are forever thwarted by this country's lack of USB ports.  Now it's time for a nap though.  An 8 hour summit attempt starting at midnight on about 3 hours of sleep can sort of drain you.

Peace to my peeps yo.