Raw Versailles

First to answer some questions: The reason Chinese or Spanish gets a better response in Paris for me seems to be because Parisians are more likely to speak Spanish than English due to Spain being right there. As for Chinese, I just look for the closest Asian and hope they can at least understand it. Paris is a very cosmopolitan city: lots of different cultures.

Yesterday was raw day with Yin and Lauren.

Lunch: Beef tartar (they gave us each a plate with enough ground beef for two large American burgers). It had onions, herbs, capers, and citrus, but not very much of it. Yes we ate it all; Yes it was really good.
Foie Gras... also raw. Never had it before... it came with toast and the best balsamic reduction I've ever had.
We also had escargot... cooked. SO good.
Dinner: Oysters, mussels, clams, tuna, scallops, and brined shrimp. All raw. Delicious!

In the afternoon we hopped a train to Versailles. It was moving for me to see the setting of the French Revolution and imagine the peasants storming the palace. It was so unnecessarily lavish inside I felt sick. The gardens were nice though.
An interesting moment:
As we sat on the grass I noticed a group of men with cameras and shit eating grins following a slutty looking, suspiciously buff, high-heeled woman. Alright, it was actually a French dude and his bachelor party... drunk off their ass. Just then a family passed us, the mother momentarily blocking our view of the entertainment. She wore a long flowing chadri... only a rectangle exposed for her eyes.
I was momentarily overcome by the extremes in human appropriateness. The modest muslim mother and the crossdressing drunk both sauntering through the gardens of Versailles. I was most interested in the possibilities for how these two would regard each other. But no interaction occurred as they passed each other seemingly indifferent.
Still I can imagine the possibilities ("sex deviant!"... "prude!").

A few notes on my thoughts:
The justifications for any given action deviate greatly between the actor and the observer of the action.
While the ramifications of both are quite strong, neither is the complete and true motivation for the action.

I know this because my reasoning for my traveling (and anything else I do for that matter) is as elusive to me as to those who speculate about me. It is never one reason but a heirarchy of reasons.

To me, the complexity of a person or character is a mirror of the complexity of this heirarchy... as well as its ability to change.

I dont know fully what drives me, I do know who I am by my actions, I dont know who I will be... and neither does anyone else.

Make sense?

On another note:

I realized last night that I couldnt see the stars... its time for me to leave the city.

Below are some of Cody's Pictures from the Road Trip in Salta, Argentina.

DUI-M

Driving Under the Infuence - of Mate

Salta Overlook

The Gnomes live in those mountains!

Salt Flat Fun

Lunch

Hey, did anyone bring any salt? ... waiiiitaminute

Be the Salt Flats

Pink Thermos Balancing Act:

Daniel-son Style

You won't believe this

When we last left our hero he was sitting in an internet cafe in Paris trying to reach his lost friends, who were obviously the ones lost... as he knew exactly where he was.
Unable to contact them, he decides to chance at it and see just how lucky he really is.

And now the exciting conclusion:

I left the internet:
To stubbornly enjoy the day
I was hellbent!
I am solo anyway.

Where to thought me? The Louvre'll be neat.
In Line One I see a bag check ahead.
No sweat I know this drill:
Bag on the belt be sure to smile or wink at Miss Security,
In case she's feeling frisky?... ok, she's not.

Down I go beneath a pyramid of glass.
Wow, big room... lotta people to see...
The sign says tickets free.
But I didn't see it as I thought:
"Now where's that dead Virgin supposed to be?" *
So I wait for the ticket I didn't need.


Which put me in just the perfect spot
For hands to enter my left and right pocket.
One for my cigs and one for the wallet...
respectively.

I jumped I'll admit it...
a foot or two
and assummed a slight resemblance...
to that kid in gym that always was
surprised at being pantsed**.
But so would you...
so shut up.

I hear familiar laughing,
Turn... Yin and Tai are grinning.
GOT you!


A chance finding in Monstrous Paris City
I guess I am pretty lucky.

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* A reference to The Da Vinci Codes, which I somehow couldnt get out of my head at the Louvre, dammit all.


** To be pantsed is to have one's trousers abruptly and unceremoniously relocated around one's ankles. It can be observed mostly among middle and high school aged. The rather amusing result is an uncontrollable expression of shock and embarrassment coupled with frantic motions meant to restore said clothing to its proper place as rapidly as possible: a sort of red-faced jiggle-dance.

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I couldn't figure out how to work this French computer so some of these are just going to be sideways.

Sidewys Eiffel Tower

My Parisian Friends: Farida, Anna, and Mathieu

Look Familiar?

One of my favorites

FROM DUBLIN

For those of us with a cornier disposition

It begins

Inspiration: This was right before I fought the line for my free guinnes.

A beautiful sight

Things get interesting

So this is where the trip starts to get interesting: I no longer have any tickets or places to be. The road is wide open and i'm as free as they come. I have no idea where I will be in three days, and that's just my style.

Flying into Paris at night: there's nothing quite like it.

There's nothing quite like the airport losing your bag either. I just got it back today, I think it has a sticker on it for Japan... figures.

Little travel tip:

This lost bag popped my cherry, but I have been waiting for the day. I knew it would happen. So I always keep my basics in the carry-0n. You know... contacts, deoderant, toothbrush, cigarettes, condoms (bare necessities). Enough for a day or two, which is usually how long it takes them to find your bags. I was extremely lucky this time... Paris was the first destination on this trip where I actually had a phone number and address to stay. The rest of the time, I just hit the hostel kiosks.

In Dublin:

True to form, I can proudly announce that I hit the Jameson distillery and the Guinness brewery all in one day. I was toasted. Also had the chance to get out of the city (led by two slovakian ladies I met at a restaurant) and saw some Irish Sea... always nice.

By the time I got into Paris from the airport it was really late (delayed flight, lost bag). I met two Americans whose flight had been cancelled. They had ten hours to burn, so they were staying up all night walking around the city. I wanted to join them but could barely stand. I saw the city though, between hiking in search of open metros and chasing taxis I gaped up at the illuminated architecture. The streets were alive with intoxicated people... in love or in wine. Couples by fountains, women gliding through the warm night in their bright sundresses. The wind was cool off the Seine. Then I was treated to a tour of the city when my taxi drove me to the wrong address on the other side of town.

The next day the wedding party met up for drinks and dinner. Great to see everyone... Matt and Diana... we wish you could be here.

Today was Notre Dame... beautiful. I somehow lost my friends, so decided to find some internet and catch up on writing instead.

We'll see if i'm lucky enought to find them in Paris... if not I'll find a bar and go from there.

Interesting note: I have used more Spanish and Chinese on the streets of Paris than English... gets a better response.

Avalon House

Avalon House is the name of my hostel in Dublin.
My room has over twenty beds in it. That's a lot, even for a hostel.
I kinda like it, though. This morning, as i quietly crept into bed, the rain was really coming down.
Wind swept sheets of rattatat above...
a chorus of contented snores below...
the dawn light creeping through...
the windowlined tin roof.
My beat up body slept off the airport.

Today I hit the guinness brewery and possibly the jamesons distillery.
I may throw in a museum since the rest of the day seems to center around alcohol.

Either way, expect a drunk post later.
Cheers!

Nate's Steak and the Drag to Dublin

It's not enough just to buy tickets to get somewhere. When you don't travel on a set schedule it frees you up to experiment a little bit. And I do love experimentation.
On this past leg from Raleigh to Dublin, I tried saving money by doing a little mixing and matching. Good in theory, right? Actually the more I saved, the longer my actual traveling time. For example... yesterday I went from Raleight to Charlotte, to Boston, to Newark, to Dublin (switching airlines somewhere in the middle). I know, it doesn't make sense... burning more fuel and paying less for it. But hey, what really makes sense anymore?
To make things even more interesting, I woke up late (yes, still drunk) and had to pack in about 20 minutes.

If I may point out: some people will choose to call this irresponsibility... and that's fine.

I prefer to think of it as challenging myself: extra practice in not-taking-shit-too-seriously (also known as "fuck it"). Once things are out of your control, getting worked up doesn't accomplish anything, and I've found, things tend to work themselves out.

For example: Yesterday I missed my first flight. Somehow, don't ask me, the Saints of Nate were on their game and almost all flights on the East Coast got delayed due to weather. I made my connecting flights and here I am.

When to attempt this type of travel:
First, if you don't mind the physical strain of airport travel: in this case, sprinting, sitting, and standing for long periods of time with no end in sight.
Second, if you have a sense of humor and can joke when everyone else is pissed in the "pissed off people line" (yeah... you know the one I'm talking about).
And most importantly third, if you have the ability, after all is said and done, to admit that paying the extra money would definately have been worth it.

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My two days in the US were as refreshing as they were hectic. Of everything I had planned to do, I accomplished the usual Half. But it was the good Half.
I had the biggest grin on my face the whole time. There is something truly euphoric about going from Winter to Summer in a day. I soaked up every second.
Caught up with some friends: It was great to see every single one of you!
Dropped by City Beverage and was amazed and delighted to find on the menu: Nate's Steak.
Yes... there is a steak named after me. Thank you Chef!
Ever get something and then realize that you've always wanted it?
I think I can die happy now.
So everyone, if you're in the area, drop by City Beverage and try Nate's Steak! Inspired by my adventures in Argentina.
4810 Hope Valley Rd.
Durham, NC 27707
910-401-6500
www.citybeverage-durham.com

Video from the Road Trip

Pics from the Roadtrip

View through the howling wind tunnel


Ever set free a collective gasp? Close to the high pass, we clear a bend... no sign of life for miles. The lone herdsman watched our sedan inquisitively. The Llamas gazed regally down at us from the white snow bank. The barren mountainscape softened in the presence of her inhabitants, clouds of hot breath freeze in the air.


Closer to the top, a quiet moment. the silence of the mountains is deafening. Twilight and first star take us over the pass.


Top of the pass... drunk on the altitude... stars spin and fall out of the sky.


Hot Mate melts the cold.


The equivalent of 16,000 ft. in altitude


The Quilnes Ruins: The natural fortress is topped by the chief's palace with ramparts down each ridge. The villiage steps up the middle. Walking the old paths, gazing over the valley... I wonder what eyes watched the Spanish come across the plain so many ages ago.


Cacti Can Kiss


Lunarscape wide angle.


Testing the Water


Drop Trow!


Windswept.


Flying Nate


Cody on the dunes.


Sorority Squats


Lookout


Amigas


Miles makes a fire


Incredible layers of every color


sunbaked


Dry hot wind, big sky, long shadows... Happy Nate


In photos the backdrop doesn't look real, but it is.


The Ragtag Crew


Blues on the Wing.


Wide angle cactus.


Deserts are awesome


Chilin.


I had always wanted to climb one of those mesas that looked like it was about to fall over.


Dune trodder


Silver snake carves through the sand


Hiking to the natural bridge


Wading under the natural bridge... I am really cold right about now.



Miles, this had better be your new profile picture








This was the original color, not a bad rental actually.






The same car later... dirtier, just the way I like em.






Desert Sunset



We would stop randomly along the road to climb things, throw rocks... you know, the usual.








Crazy rock formations.





Ridge Hiker