Product Review for Tom

first camp-shoes
Originally uploaded by Joey Cone.

Hybrids, in an attempt to kill two birds with one stone, often end up severely injuring both birds without any fatalities; the Keen shoodles I bought for this trip are being put to the test. I wore them on my trek in the Andes, and had no problems...one bird down. The enclosed rubber toe saved my ugly digits from bloody stubbings countless times. I climbed and decended very steep inclines, traversed rock gardens and crossed rivers, and never had a problem. My only complaint would be that occasionally little rocks get stuck inside, and because of the form of the shoe, it´s difficult to do the "walking kickout". They dry out quicker than I had thought they would, and with a pair of socks (if you don´t mind looking like a BYU geek, or an hardcore granola) they´re very good for walking.
Yesterday I wore them to the beach, but this time, I think the stone hit the bird a little off center. I might have to buy some cheep flip flops since I´m headed to Guayaquil and it´s carnaval time on the beach!!
on a scale of 1 to 10 I give them an 8.5, reserving anything higher for equally functional shandles that don´t give you such wierd tan lines.

Trekking the Cordillera Blanca

Self Portrait
Originally uploaded by Joey Cone.

Went trekking for 3 days in the Cordillera Blanca. It means White Mountain Range, or White Mountains...funny coincidence, but the White Mountains I come from in Arizona don´t have quite the vistas these do. I think the total was about 25 miles in 2 and a half days, but the second day we walked SRAIGHT UP the side of a 60 degree incline. We walked up one valley where mountains shoot up like pop-up book figures for the Gods, then we hiked up one of said mountains and came down the other side in another high-mountain valley. The mountain pass we went on was 5,200 meters...somewhere around 15,000 feet...shorts and ¨sandles¨. I went with this random German guy named Christian and a local Guide/Cook who´s name might be sailor...but I´m not sure. It was a good group, we had a good time (I even got to roll some rocks). From this internet cafe, I´m headed to Sailor´s house to hang out and watch Touching the Void! ha ha.
Check out this link for a few pictures from the area and the Trekking.

Vagando

To ¨vagar¨ means to wander, as near as I can tell. So I thought it appropriate that Ando Vagando (I´m out here wandering) should be the new address of my travel log. Check it from time to time to see what´s going on with my little tripping experience. I´m getting kicked out of the cyber-cafe now, but I´ll write tomorrow about roads that buses should never travel on, and the double decker buses that travel them through Andean clouds.