Grand Canyon May 2010

Did I post a year ago May that I LOVE that the guys do their Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim hike each year!? Well - I do!

We headed out of Calama on May 13th arriving in Phoenix on the 14th and the next day we were flying to Rapid City where we were able to meet up with the friends there. Brad and Ann were great hosts!

(l-r) Ann, Danny, Miss, Brett, me, Larry and Brad.

After our short visit with the friends, we met the aunts Co and Marj and Uncle Richard for breakfast and then we headed for Harrison.

I made it over to Chadron to spend some time with Virginia and Jane Grant.

And then, it was time to return to Phoenix. We headed north the next day with the boys to the South Rim and the girls to the North Rim. Here are Sue and Allison relaxing on the porch of our Western Cabin after having unpacked the car - ahhh.

Thanks for the birthday champagne Joan - I'm so impressed that Sue and Allison didn't drink it waiting for me to come back!

The fellows made it out once again - good job!

We returned to the cabin with the fellows in tow and found out we had neighbors that were louder than we were. They were all really nice people so we joined forces. Turns out, one of the fellows in this group had worked for Cypress which was the mining company that was the original owners of the mine Larry is working at in Chile - El Abra! What a small world!

The fellows are always so good about going for a hike the following day. Gotta love being at the North Rim the second weekend it is open for the new season - we found snow!

I like this photo in that you can see North Kaibab Trail which is the trail the fellows arrive at the North Rim on and the trail we usually do to hike down to Roaring Springs.

And then it was time for the fellows to return to the South Rim.

And then it was time for us to leave as well.  Until next year...

A Santiago Get-Away

Nineteen months after having left Safford, our house there finally sold. However, the title company would not accept the closing documents notarized by a Chilean notary so we headed to Santiago to get those documents notarized at the American Embassy. Across from the Embassy was this shop:

And, since friends from our days of living in Cajamarca are now spending a lot of time in Santiago (both of the men are still associated with Newmont and the mine in Cajamarca) we were able to meet with the two couples again. So we rented a vehicle and of course - went wine tasting!

And our favorite wine-tasting destination - that would be Casillero del Diablo!

The grounds of this winery are pretty.

I think these are called "monkey" trees.

You can see in these photos the repair work being done on this building as a result of the March earthquake. We weren't able to visit one of the other wineries due to damage from the earthquake. 

 

Simon with his empanada and wine!

Billie with her, hmm, I don't know what she was eating and her champagne!

Mike with his empanada and wine.

Obviously Laurie and Billie were eating the same thing and of coure, her vino.

Evidently Larry was just drinking?? Wonder if Mike was looking at his Crackberry?

Our group photo - always enjoy seeing the Briggs and Hubbards!

We've been married for 28 years!

The pueblo of San Pedro de Atacama is about 60 miles southeast of Calama and is quite the tourist attraction. People from all over the world fly into Calama and immediately leave for San Pedro to visit the many destinations (many of which have appeared in my previous blogs) easily accessible from this small town with a population of around 2,000. Because of the world-wide tourist destination reputation, several spa-type resorts have been constructed in and around this small, and what appears to be primative, community.

On April 17th, Larry and I decided to check out one of these resorts, the Kunza, to celebrate 28 years of wedded bliss!

This was the entrance-- hmmmm?

And this was the door to our room - quite unique!

Not a bad location to enjoy a glass of champagne and the opportunity to escape Calamaland!

And we were able to enjoy a famous Valle de la Luna sunset.

I never tire of snapping a photo of Licancabur, the dormant volcano outside of San Pedro.

This is the street where there are many tourist shops and restaurants but quiet at this time -- always a lot of dogs here although they all seem friendly enough. I love the cart the fellow was pushing with the dog catching a ride.

I almost never pass up an opportunity to take a photo of La Iglesia de San Pedro de Atacama either. Photos of this church have shown up in previous blogs but as a reminder, it was constructed was around 1641 and was reconstructed in 1978.

This is one of the church's three doors.

I wonder where we'll be celebrating our 29th anniversary?