This is an image of a Nepalese girl who lives in Lukla, Nepal. She is ADORABLE and perfect for this challenge!
Check out other fine works of art via Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge
Weekly Travel Theme: Bridges
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Up close and personal with a bridge held together with what seemed like Paper Clips!! It took every ounce of strength I had not to look down! Love the Weekly Travel Theme’s from Where’s My Backpack!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward
I recently had the privilege of trekking to the first Mt Everest base camp in Nepal. It was one of the most amazing adventures I have ever experienced, in part, due to the group I travelled with. There were 12 of us (from 19 to 60 years of age) who made the trek together with fierce determination to make it to 17,500 feet. Despite a few minor mishaps with altitude sickness, we all plowed forward and made it all in one piece with an immense feeling of accomplishment. These photos below were taken by my friend and fellow traveler, Rick Burns and represent my view of ‘Forward’ for the photo challenge this week!
Please see the WordPress Photo Challenge: Forward for a peek at other great talents!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Kiss
I typically do not capture images of people smooching – kinda grosses me out to be honest……but I did manage to dig up my version of animals kissing! This image of 2 zebras was taken at the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, Africa. I think this is much more appealing and meaningful ;-).
To view other amazing talent please see the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge main page.
The Indescribable Adventure to the Everest Base Camp
Hello from the Life Bus!! After about a month of being away, FastPam is slowly getting back into the swing of daily life. Had no flippin idea how much of a life change it would be after spending 3 weeks in a 3rd world country in the middle of no-where with a bum tooth. I went from focusing on peaceful daily survival in the middle of the Himalayas to planning weekly business trips with a client in distress and scheduling a root canal. Where do I start? I have gone round and round with how to describe this completely AMAZING adventure and for me, the best way to share the trip is through the images I produced. In a nutshell, I spent 3 days exploring Thamel, Kathmandu and about 15 days on the main trail up to the first Mt Everest Base Camp (17,500 feet) – Into Thin Air actually means something to me now. If you have not read the book, I highly recommend it. There were 12 strangers who hiked over 60 miles, climbed ~9,000k feet and came out in one piece with a greater appreciation for life and for each other.
An amazing group of people, bluebird-sunny days, minimal shower opportunities, shoddy power, no TVs, constant black fingernails and boogers, sherpa squat toilets, frozen underwear and socks, yak dung fires, blankets that smelled like bellybutton lint, a helicopter evacuation, and views of the most amazing mountains in the world contributed to one of the greatest adventures I will most likely ever experience in this lifetime! I hope you enjoy viewing the adventure through my eyes. As you can see, my favorite part of the trip, were the people we encountered along the way. Thanks to REI Adventures for a trip of a life time. If you are interested in the detailed trip itinerary, take a look on the Travel with REI section of the REI website.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Home
3 years ago over Christmas the Life Bus took an amazing journey to Tanzania. Pam, Greg, Emily, Todd, and I climbed Kilimanjaro, experienced the wildebeest migration along with numerous other spectacular animals on safari in the Serengetti, and spent a week on Zanzibar. I became fascinated by the Masai culture which manages to maintain many traditional customs while living side by side with the modern world. On our drive from Arusha to the Serengetti, we had the opportunity to stop at a Masai village. Despite the fact that this community probably sees its fair share of visitors, there was nothing that felt touristy about the experience. It was, however, an incredible opportunity to actually step into (crawl into is really more what we did) one of the mud hut homes of the Masai.
The women traditionally are the ones to build these homes. The huts are made of dung, sticks, grass, ash, and really anything else they can find. These homes are intentionally simple as the Masai have been a nomadic culture. That, is of course, changing to some degree. The homes are very small, approximately 9″ x 12″ x 5″.
We were invited inside and the reality of how small the space is became very apparent. Within this space the family does everything: cooks, sleeps, and socializes. The sleeping area consists of a small alcove off to the side. The cooking area dominates the small space. The smell of smoke inside was so thick I wasn’t sure how they are able to breath. There was one funny moment while we were in the hut. While sharing stories about Masai customs with us, our Masai guide took out his machete and waved it in the air. We were all crouched shoulder to shoulder in this tiny space. For an instant, my eyes got quite large. Emily and I were quickly assessing the exit plan. Unfortunately, I don’t remember what he was trying to show us in that moment. The machete had my full attention.
I am choosing this as my selection for this week’s photo challenge because I continue to remain thankful to travel for opening my eyes as to how others in the world live and the places they call home.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Illumination
So I don’t seem to have a terribly large amount of pictures demonstrating the concept of illumination. The ones I do have, however, I think really portray illumination beautifully!! Let me know what you all think! The first one is from a sunset picnic dinner Todd and I took on Rialto Beach while camping in Olympic National Park. I love the luminosity of the light in this photo. I was certain this was the moment we were going to get engaged. Everything was perfect. Alas, I had to wait another year and a half for him to pop the question. The second picture is from our first campground on the Serengeti. I totally felt like we were in the movie Out of Africa. This was such a great camping experience. A minute earlier a massive elephant had walked right by the front of our tents. I love how the lanterns illuminate the background and our tents. The final photo is another one from Olympic National Park. This was the view from our tent at our campground on the Ho River Trail. I love how the sunrise illuminates our campground. Click on the images individually to enlarge each one of them.
Thanks so much for taking the time to have a look!!!
Ruby Snaps: Magical Cookies from Salt Lake City
I’ve established pretty well, I believe, that I really love good food and finding interesting food venues whenever and wherever I travel. For the last year or so I have been traveling frequently to Salt Lake City for work. In one of my first trips to SLC I was tooling around the downtown area when a little, brick, cookie shop called Ruby Snap Cookies caught my eye. Having a mighty large sweet tooth I had to stop and check it out. I was smitten at first bite. Since this first encounter I have purchased enough Ruby Snaps to feed a small village. Whenever I’m in town I have to make to make several pitstops to satisfy my Ruby Snap cravings. I also started purchasing these cookies to bring to my client accounts. You would be amazed at how many doors were opened or relationships forged as a result of me presenting my clients with these cookies. Ruby Snap Cookies
These cookies are moist, flavorful treats in traditional and unique flavors. The cookies are named after 1940’s girls’ names reminiscent of those images painted on the sides of fighter planes. Penelope is the best peanut butter and chocolate cookie you will ever try, Vivianna is mango and chocolate, Margo is a chocolate cinnamon cookie with a molten milk chocolate center, and Judy has velvety orange cookie dough topped with cream cheese frosting.
You know that five second rule with food? For these cookies I would extend it to the five minute rule.
If you can’t get yourself to SLC to enjoy these freshly baked treats, don’t panic. The good news is that Ruby Snap does have a website where you can order frozen cookie dough in numerous flavors.
When riding around on The Life Bus, you always need to have some good sweet snacks close by.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Delicate (2)
Here are a couple of photos which capture the concept of delicate for me!! Hope you enjoy them.
The first one is from the glaciers of Kilimanjaro. I think of these as delicate because their future appears to be very precarious and it is believed that they will be completely gone within the next 20 – 30 years. Despite their massive appearance, their existence is really in a very delicate balance.
These photos come from a beautiful snow day at the magnificent Chautauqua Park in Boulder, CO. This park lies at the foot of Boulder’s famous Flatirons. In Colorado, big snows are usually followed by magnificent blue-bird days. Delicate icicles and ice formations like these typically don’t last very long in this intense sun. 
This last photo is from Arches National Park in Utah. This is a photo of the very thin Landscape Arch. I am amazed by these formations and the geological forces that it took to create such amazing natural wonders. 
Top 10 Essentials for Surviving Everest Base Camp
3 days to go before I set off to Kathmandu for my epic trek up to Everest Base Camp. Packing for a trip like this is intense as there are so many unknowns – Will it rain or snow? How cold will it be? Not to mention I have a 30 lb weight restriction for my checked bag on the flight from Kathmandu to Lukla – the starting point for the trek. Of course I have all of the gear I need to make it through the next 3 weeks, but thought it was worth mentioning a few of those items that will allow me to survive the trek without a hitch!
Top 10 Essentials (in no particular order)
1. -20 sleeping bag – Temps could be freezing at 15,000 feet and above. This bag, in addition to a nightly hot water bottle should do the trick!
2. Ciproflaxin – Also known as Cipro. Every time I go on one of these trips, at least one person comes down with an intestinal issue and what a drag it is. Keeping my fingers crossed I don’t draw the short stick this time….
3. Down Pants – Bought a good pair on sale from Mont-Bell this year. I most likely will not hike in them, but I do think they will come in handy post trekking while we are all shivering around the dinner table.
4. Nook – Finally broke down and bought one. Books are so heavy and with a weight restriction, I thought this was a good option – I got one with the backlight so I could read in the darkness of my tent.
5. Camera (of course) with a few extra batteries/memory cards and 3 different lenses (50, 24-70 and 70-200). I will also have an extra Point and Shoot for those days I don’t want to haul the big DSLR around.
6. Freshette – What is this you ask? It is an AMAZING gadget for women as it allows us to urinate standing up! It is the best invention. No more sitting on unsanitary toilet seats or having to squat in precarious situations – don’t leave home without one!
7. Hand Warmers – To go inside my mountaineering mittens. If my hands are cold, I might as well go home. Cold hands to me are like death and I will avoid them at all costs!
8. Sunscreen – I learned from an earlier trip, sunscreen/lip protection 3 miles + above sea-level is critical. One year, my lip got so burned, I couldn’t drink hot drinks for a week. Every time my lip touched the side of a hot mug, the pain was unbearable!
9. Gummi Bears – This is one of the simple pleasures I am bringing with me….can’t help it – LOVE them and figure they will bring me comfort in times of need. Gotta have simple pleasures!
10. Good bath salts, body lotion and a razor for AFTER the trek. The first thing I am going to do when we finish up is take a long, hot bath. I long for it already!
What am I missing??