Sharry Miller

Packing for Peru

It's been almost a year and a half since I wrote a post I called Packing for Bhutan. Not surprisingly, my thoughts then were very similar to my thoughts now as I pack to leave for Peru later this week, and for much the same reason. I need to be prepared to spend time at high altitude in another major mountain range. In Bhutan, we never exceeded about 10,000 feet in the Himalayas. This year,... Read more →

Winter Dreaming

Winter has finally descended upon Valdez. Now, some might say it's been winter for months: only 5 1/2 hours of daylight, cold temperatures, howling winds. Winter in Valdez, however, is all about snow, and until recently we really haven't had any. Two years ago, weather.com declared Valdez to be the snow capitol of the U.S. Last year, we cemented that reputation by getting over 420 inches of snow, near record levels. This year, however, is... Read more →

E-Relationships

When I was a toddler, I made my mother cry. I took a pair of scissors to a pink doily and cut it into shreds. The doily had been a gift from my mother's childhood pen pal in Sweden. ***** A couple of months ago, I started playing Words with Friends. At first, my only opponents were a small handful of locals I see around town. Recently, however, I started a game with Ellen, a... Read more →

Leaving Asia

April 28, 2012 (sort of) Usually, when I come to the end of a trip, even a wonderful mid-winter vacation in Hawaii, when it's time to go home, I'm ready. I think part of my attitude is that just knowing it's time makes me look ahead to the next step, anticipating the flights and drive home, and in my head I'm ready to be there, even if my body is still craving the sun. This... Read more →

The Tiger's Nest

April 27, 2012 - Bhutan Today was the absolutely perfect end-of-trip day. We didn't pedal a stroke, but I worked my butt off nonetheless. The goal for today was Taktsang Palphug Monastery, the Tiger's Nest. To reach the monastery, we drove to the end of the road we cycled to yesterday, and then climbed 3,000 feet straight up to 10,200 feet where the Tiger's Nest perches on the cliff face. Darn that persistent haze hanging... Read more →

To the End of the Road

April 26, 2012 - Bhutan I'm going to quote directly from the beginning of my journal entry for this day, as it not only sums up today's ride, but most days' rides. Thirty kilometers today, out of Paro as far as you can drive to the west, and back again. In typical Yeshey/Rinzin fashion, we were assured there were no hills, but the second half was one long climb. My granny gear and I are... Read more →

Headwinds, Of Course

April 25, 2012 - Bhutan Bhutan and Alaska have at least one thing in common: there are very few roads going anywhere. It's inevitable that if you're going to travel around a small area for very long, you're going to keep going back over the same routes. Our group has been doing that with mountain passes. Today we drove back to Dochu La, the pass with the 108 chortens. This time, we rode down it... Read more →

Hiking, Biking, and a Birthday

April 24, 2012 - Bhutan "Beaver one, beaver all, let's all do the beaver call!" Fifteen grown women stuck their front teeth out and made little chewing noises. By the end of the song, our honoree, Judy, was looking at us like we were crazy. Perhaps we were, but how often does a girl get to celebrate her 74th birthday in Bhutan? We were ready to go all out to make Judy feel special. Judy... Read more →

Momos, Butter Tea, and Yaks - Oh, My

April 23, 2012 - Bhutan My legs and lungs keep getting stronger, but they were thoroughly stressed by trying to ride up hill on a full stomach, not to mention on a day that was, for me, too hot. I'm always eager to try local delicacies, but, oh my, this was too much. After a very pleasant ride along the Dang Chhu, we arrived at the cafe/shop owned and operated by Rinzin's wife (hmm, I... Read more →

Rafting Father River

April 22, 2012 - Bhutan I made my first real mistake of the trip today. I've been pleasantly surprised by how well my shoulder's done considering rough roads we've been riding. I haven't suffered anything but minor aches easily handled by aspirin and valerian. Paddle boating, however, was not the right thing to try. We had a nice ride this morning, but I'm not sure how long it was. For a numbers-conscious rider like myself,... Read more →