On April 14, Wednesday, 2010, the world awakened to the news about the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano which was dormant for about 200 years. As ashes, fumes, and lava fill the air, it caused chaos all over the world when all jets and airplanes were grounded in the surrounding areas. Travel planes for thousands were disrupted and airliners lost millions due to the recent havoc.
Today, flights resume in Europe as authorities confirmed the safety of the air-crafts after almost a week of chaos. Perhaps it will take days or even weeks to recuperate as airliners struggle to reconcile the effects of more than 95,000 canceled flights. Time will tell and time will heal.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Desert in its fullness Part 2
Here, I will continue my previous blog from yesterday. Friday evening we drove through the Panamint Mountain Range to get to Death Valley. The road was steep and curvy. The drive was scenic and serene. Our first stop was Stovepipe Wells visitor center followed by Sand Dunes where we watched an amazing sunset. We drove to our hotel at Amargosa Valley, NV. The Longstreet Inn and Casino is where we lodged for the following two nights. It was just by chance, Ajo found this Inn near Death Valley which was not publicized at many of the Death Valley visitor sites. God's guidance was the reason we were able to get their last available room that day.
Next morning we rented a Jeep from Farabee's Rentals opposite Furnace Creek Inn at Death Valley. First time ever in our life, we were going off road and it was quite exciting. We rented a silver Jeep, Wrangler which was equipped to do off roads in Death Valley. Our destination was "Racetrack Playa" where they have the moving rocks. Due to road constructions, our trip took little longer than expected. We had full tank of gas, our trusty GPS, and food in the car.
The true fun began at the start of Racetrack Valley Road and it was just 28 miles of true adventure. The road was long and bumpy but I would not go back in time to change anything about the trip. Our 28 miles was just a narrow dirt road with loose gravel, washboard and rocks. We were able to go 20 -30 mph most of the time. We took videos, laughed, and took pictures. At the same time, we kept ourselves hydrated. "Gatorade never tasted so good", Ajo said. I totally agree. At Tea Kettle Junction (6 miles from playa), we met Bill from CT, who rented a similar vehicle from Farabee's and was on his way as well to explore the racetrack playa all by himself. That is truly adventurous.
Racetrack playa did not captivate me from a distant but as I got closer and closer, I realized that it was truly a gem in the desert. We were actually standing on the floor of an ancient lake and it was vast and endless before our eyes. Then we moved on further down the road to see the moving rocks. The tracks which the rocks traveled are obviously apparent but how the rocks move is the unsolved mystery. It was a really windy day at racetrack playa and Bill humorously said, "It's obviously the wind". My hat blew off and as a good husband Ajo ran across the playa chasing my hat around and finally got a hold of it.
Our return was equally fun and exciting. We enjoying pink, purple, and yellow wild flowers in the desert on our way back. I remember the "shirtless" man on the road back who brushed against our Jeep's side view mirror and Ajo did a hand gesture saying "Thank you" or "That's OK" . Fun times!. We returned to stovepipe wells to pump gas and to take a small bathroom break.
We continued to see the pup fish at the salt creek. This pup fish is found only in the salt water creek at Death Valley and nowhere else on earth. What a gem in the desert!. On our way back Furnace Creek, we took a quick stop at Zabriski Point just after sunset. We dropped off the rental Jeep and returned back to the hotel. The sky was clear and stars furnished the skies that night. I parked off pavement to have Ajo watch the stars from outside while I gazed at them from the car.
We were exhausted and slept that night peacefully. More to follow.
Next morning we rented a Jeep from Farabee's Rentals opposite Furnace Creek Inn at Death Valley. First time ever in our life, we were going off road and it was quite exciting. We rented a silver Jeep, Wrangler which was equipped to do off roads in Death Valley. Our destination was "Racetrack Playa" where they have the moving rocks. Due to road constructions, our trip took little longer than expected. We had full tank of gas, our trusty GPS, and food in the car.
The true fun began at the start of Racetrack Valley Road and it was just 28 miles of true adventure. The road was long and bumpy but I would not go back in time to change anything about the trip. Our 28 miles was just a narrow dirt road with loose gravel, washboard and rocks. We were able to go 20 -30 mph most of the time. We took videos, laughed, and took pictures. At the same time, we kept ourselves hydrated. "Gatorade never tasted so good", Ajo said. I totally agree. At Tea Kettle Junction (6 miles from playa), we met Bill from CT, who rented a similar vehicle from Farabee's and was on his way as well to explore the racetrack playa all by himself. That is truly adventurous.
Racetrack playa did not captivate me from a distant but as I got closer and closer, I realized that it was truly a gem in the desert. We were actually standing on the floor of an ancient lake and it was vast and endless before our eyes. Then we moved on further down the road to see the moving rocks. The tracks which the rocks traveled are obviously apparent but how the rocks move is the unsolved mystery. It was a really windy day at racetrack playa and Bill humorously said, "It's obviously the wind". My hat blew off and as a good husband Ajo ran across the playa chasing my hat around and finally got a hold of it.
Our return was equally fun and exciting. We enjoying pink, purple, and yellow wild flowers in the desert on our way back. I remember the "shirtless" man on the road back who brushed against our Jeep's side view mirror and Ajo did a hand gesture saying "Thank you" or "That's OK" . Fun times!. We returned to stovepipe wells to pump gas and to take a small bathroom break.
We continued to see the pup fish at the salt creek. This pup fish is found only in the salt water creek at Death Valley and nowhere else on earth. What a gem in the desert!. On our way back Furnace Creek, we took a quick stop at Zabriski Point just after sunset. We dropped off the rental Jeep and returned back to the hotel. The sky was clear and stars furnished the skies that night. I parked off pavement to have Ajo watch the stars from outside while I gazed at them from the car.
We were exhausted and slept that night peacefully. More to follow.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Desert in its fullness Part 1
Last weekend, we were truly blessed to visit Death Valley National Park, a park shared by Nevada and California. True beauty in the dirt is what this park is about. When we started our journey on April 9th, 7:30am from Reno, NV, never in my wildest dream did I think that this would be one of the best trips we have made so far. Sometimes, big surprises come to us in the most unexpected places. Incredible experiences, memorable times, and unique adventures - that was Death Valley for me and I can say it was the same for Ajo as well.
Waking up April 9th, Friday morning was truly a challenge like it has been for all our trips in the past. It was harder to get going that particular Friday morning since I had work the previous two days, I went to bed about 1am or so and had absolutely no packing started. Ajo did not sleep that night since he had a homework assignment due the following day and after finishing his assignment, he lingered on till the morning researching about the trip and doing random things.
I woke up at 5am and we managed to leave by 7:30am. We carried ample amount of water, drinks, and snacks for the road since we weren't quite sure what the desert had to offer us. We started our trip on US 395 North and continued. After taking a short nap in the car while Ajo was driving, I took the wheels from him to let him rest and catch some sleep. After sleeping for 45 minutes or so, Ajo woke up energized. We drove through Bishop, Lone Pine and then made a quick stop at Mt Whitney area to revisit the stature of the highest mountain peak in the US outside of Alaska. It was incredible to see the snow capped rugged mountain peak from the start of Whitney Portal Rd and it brought back memories from our trip on August of 2009.
Since we were going to stop by Vegas for a night, we reserved our hotel room prior to entering Highway 90 to Death Valley. Highway 90 to Death Valley has no cell phone reception, no gas stations and no sign of life except for the rare oncoming traffic every 10 miles. We stopped on Highway 90 to find a popular U2 album iconic tree, "The Joshua Tree". As a kid, Ajo loved the songs in the album and years later he was truly excited to remember his childhood memories. The iconic tree had fallen over and died years ago but fans had retrieved the spot and placed tributes in the very exact spot. It was truly an adventure to find this place in the middle of nowhere.
We started our hike into the desert abyss with our trusty rental GPS, a backpack with water, and above all with our trust in God. After about 1/2 a mile, we found it, there it was lying flat on the ground proudly with a dead bark and dry roots. Around the tree lie memories and monuments created by fans all over the world which makes the tree alive even today. We had accomplished something at that moment and it was too surreal for me at least. We had taken up an adventure and followed though and it was our first time and perhaps it would be our last. Regardless, it felt great to be out in the desert on a late afternoon with our faith in God. At a distance I was able to spot the roof rack of our Toyota and I have to say that it did give me a sense of comfort. We walked back to the car and resumed our journey into more new discoveries. More to follow on my next post.
Waking up April 9th, Friday morning was truly a challenge like it has been for all our trips in the past. It was harder to get going that particular Friday morning since I had work the previous two days, I went to bed about 1am or so and had absolutely no packing started. Ajo did not sleep that night since he had a homework assignment due the following day and after finishing his assignment, he lingered on till the morning researching about the trip and doing random things.
I woke up at 5am and we managed to leave by 7:30am. We carried ample amount of water, drinks, and snacks for the road since we weren't quite sure what the desert had to offer us. We started our trip on US 395 North and continued. After taking a short nap in the car while Ajo was driving, I took the wheels from him to let him rest and catch some sleep. After sleeping for 45 minutes or so, Ajo woke up energized. We drove through Bishop, Lone Pine and then made a quick stop at Mt Whitney area to revisit the stature of the highest mountain peak in the US outside of Alaska. It was incredible to see the snow capped rugged mountain peak from the start of Whitney Portal Rd and it brought back memories from our trip on August of 2009.
Since we were going to stop by Vegas for a night, we reserved our hotel room prior to entering Highway 90 to Death Valley. Highway 90 to Death Valley has no cell phone reception, no gas stations and no sign of life except for the rare oncoming traffic every 10 miles. We stopped on Highway 90 to find a popular U2 album iconic tree, "The Joshua Tree". As a kid, Ajo loved the songs in the album and years later he was truly excited to remember his childhood memories. The iconic tree had fallen over and died years ago but fans had retrieved the spot and placed tributes in the very exact spot. It was truly an adventure to find this place in the middle of nowhere.
We started our hike into the desert abyss with our trusty rental GPS, a backpack with water, and above all with our trust in God. After about 1/2 a mile, we found it, there it was lying flat on the ground proudly with a dead bark and dry roots. Around the tree lie memories and monuments created by fans all over the world which makes the tree alive even today. We had accomplished something at that moment and it was too surreal for me at least. We had taken up an adventure and followed though and it was our first time and perhaps it would be our last. Regardless, it felt great to be out in the desert on a late afternoon with our faith in God. At a distance I was able to spot the roof rack of our Toyota and I have to say that it did give me a sense of comfort. We walked back to the car and resumed our journey into more new discoveries. More to follow on my next post.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
My other blogs.
Few weeks ago, Ajo and I started two new blogs. Perhaps that could justify my lack of blog post here in my personal notebook. Our two new blogs are through word press.
1) My personal Blog
"My Notebook" will stay on blogger and I will be penning my thoughts here from time to time. My husband influenced me to start this blog last year in September and I am glad he did. Here my thoughts come alive and my words are never obsolete. A blog which I started for myself with no great expectation of audience or readers. If you stumble upon my blog, I invite you to read, comment and offer suggestions.
2) Our Shutter Sounds
A blog to express our love for photography, travel, and much more. My husband and I will be sharing our favorite photos and travel experiences. This will be a lifetime treasure of memories and adventures.
www.ourshuttersounds.wordpress.com
3) Fruitfulness
A blog dedicated to write about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my favorite and the most valuable one. Ajo and I will share a bit of our life and about the Lord we came to know individually and hand in hand. It is a challenge to write here and I pray for God's guidance to keep us going.
www.fruitfulness.wordpress.com
1) My personal Blog
"My Notebook" will stay on blogger and I will be penning my thoughts here from time to time. My husband influenced me to start this blog last year in September and I am glad he did. Here my thoughts come alive and my words are never obsolete. A blog which I started for myself with no great expectation of audience or readers. If you stumble upon my blog, I invite you to read, comment and offer suggestions.
2) Our Shutter Sounds
A blog to express our love for photography, travel, and much more. My husband and I will be sharing our favorite photos and travel experiences. This will be a lifetime treasure of memories and adventures.
www.ourshuttersounds.wordpress.com
3) Fruitfulness
A blog dedicated to write about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my favorite and the most valuable one. Ajo and I will share a bit of our life and about the Lord we came to know individually and hand in hand. It is a challenge to write here and I pray for God's guidance to keep us going.
www.fruitfulness.wordpress.com
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Cross, the symbol of GRACE
Today "Good Friday" is celebrated around the world. Services are monotonous, people are unchanged, and life remains stagnant. This is "Good Friday" for most of us. Separated from His love but yet close to all the religious rituals. Year after year, the same vicious cycle continues where spirituality for a day or two or even three is satiating for people who claim to be Christians.
If cross is truly a symbol of grace, you and I should be celebrating the importance of the cross not just once a year on a Friday, instead every day and every minute. A cross becomes meaningful when we fully understand "Who" and "For whom". You already know the answer, its "Christ" for "me". The meaning of cross in three words, "Christ for me".
If cross is truly a symbol of grace, you and I should be celebrating the importance of the cross not just once a year on a Friday, instead every day and every minute. A cross becomes meaningful when we fully understand "Who" and "For whom". You already know the answer, its "Christ" for "me". The meaning of cross in three words, "Christ for me".
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