Jon 'n Eric's European Adventure

The Trip of a life time

2009-04-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Several months have passed since our epic journey. I am often in disbelief when I reflect on everything that happened over our adventure. Here's a short recap of our trip:
-Sailed across the Atlantic on a 49' Catamaran
-Enjoyed the posh life of the Mediterranean, and wined and dined in some superb restaurants (thanks to our good ole Skipper!)
-Biked across France
-Camped in castles
-Ran with the bulls in Spain and fought off pick pockets
-Enjoyed many stages of the Tour de France
-Climbed around on the Alps and massive glaciers
-Drove around the entire country of Iceland
-Ate Popsicles with the Prime Minister of Iceland (who I think was recently impeached!)

It was a dense several months.

Eric is now off in LA living with the rich and famous working in Hollywood.

(The above picture is in a row boat we stole for a gentle row around a castle in France)

I am in Raleigh, NC working in commercial real estate development. It seems like there is hardly a day when we don't think back on the many adventures those exciting months held.Quite frequently we would stumbled upon such beauty as the below picture. We were driving through a black desert when a dune dipped down just enough to give us a glimpse of these ice bergs and glaciers. The trip seemed characterized by unexpected surprises, and usually always greater than we could have imagined.There are just a few random pictures from the trip

A few Icelandic waterfalls

(Notice our tent, very small on the shore bottom right)

(Our view camping on night. Its hard to sleep when you look out over that all night. You just don't want to close your eyes.)

Enjoy the rest of the blog. If you have any questions for us shoot us an email:

Jonathan j.dunning.jenkins@gmail.com

Eric eric_mackintosh@yahoo.com

Our visit to a foreign planet

2008-08-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

We are convinced Iceland is not another country, it is another planet.
Driving along in our SUV named the Polar Bear, Drew, Eric and I continually find ourselves buried deep in a terrain completely foreign and different than the geography we were just in a few minutes ago. There are mountains covered in waterfalls everywhere...everywhere. The largest glacier in Europe, lava fields, hot springs (Iceland has so much thermal energy boiling under it, it would not surprise us if the entire country just exploded one day), lush green fields, rocks covered think with moss, vast black sand beaches, rock faces that look as if it were impossible for them to form naturally that way...the list goes on and on.

We have trekked off to so many waterfalls and beautiful terrain. I think our favorite though, was talking to a local who gave us secret directions to a natural hot spring next to a river, nestled in the most breathtaking valley, with more waterfalls flowing off the mountains than we could count.

(Above is a picture that doesn't do it close to justice)

The country is littered with off road trails, and consequently, a huge number of the largest jacked up trucks I have ever seen. Iceland begs you to explore and trek off on to rough paths and into no-mans-land. The country´s main road which circles the whole island, actually turns to a dirt road for large sections.

(This is a picture driving down the main road. There are always sheep!)

Last weekend we attended a huge fish festival in a small town that turns from1,200 people to about 30,000 for the festival. The festival is all about friendship and fish, so consequently, there is as much free fish and sea food as you can eat, and people all over the town opening up their homes. The best part of the festival for us was that I really think we may have been the only people not from Iceland there, and most definitely the only ones from America. It was so ´Icelandic!´

We had a few goals on the trip and one was to meet the Prime Minster, or President of Iceland. Not likely of course, but a goal. We found out where both of them lived/worked and we were (naturally) turned away at both places. We were only turned away though, after literally walking right up to the President´s front door of his house and the maid answered. But yet, here we are in the middle of this fish festival in a small town and who walks literally right up? The Prime Minister of Iceland! I saw someone else shake his had while he walked by, and I didn´t know who he was, but after randomly shaking this strangers hand in a suit, we found out that he was the Prime Minister! Our trio and the Minister had a nice chat, and I went back to up him afterwards and talked to him a bit more while we enjoyed Popsicles together. True story...me, the Prime Minister, and Popsicles.

We also stalked, flanked, and caught a sheep which was one of our goals as well. Those guys are fast over Iceland´s rough terrain!

Now in just a few days we head home. So hard to believe. We will put up another post or two, and Eric will definitely be putting more rad photos up when we get home.

Jonathan

We´re in Iceland!!

2008-08-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

Paris

2008-08-03T07:55:00.001-07:00

We were welcomed to the city of love by my x-bosses, friend's, daughter. This was the only housing this trip we actually had worked out in advance. Helene lives in an apartment as close as you can get to the Eiffel Tower with a perfect view. Her parents house, where we stay, is outside of Paris and in beautiful country side. So we get the perfect balance of the heart of Paris and then being able to relax in country later.

Helene has taken such good care of us. She has prepared many meals (the first night we picnicked right next to the Eiffel Tower), given us maps, phone cards, a cell phone, a car, the list goes on! There were many fun evenings with her and her fiance, and other members of her family. We got to really experience Paris with real Parisians.

Of course we did all the typical things you have to do in Paris as well: visited the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triumph, ate at delicious restaurants, and of course (the city of love), had a short romance with the sweet french girl from the bakery.

We fly out in just a few hours to Iceland, where we will join up with the Drew the Man Irwin!

-Jonathan

Relaxing in Style

2008-08-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

After the bicycling up that blasted hill, which Eric so loves (and by the way, on the way down, I took a corner too hard and ate it going super fast. Now I have some lovely rode rash, but it was worth it), we again found ourselves so blessed by friends we have made on this trip. Pat, who we sailed here with, has a second home in the Alps, about 80 kilometers from Alpe d'Huez in Bourg St Maurice, and she let us take advantage of it for a while. So after sleeping in fields for a little, we again found ourselves in great comfort in a 3 bedroom, properly equipped apartment. We spent a few days relaxing and hanging out with some of Pat's great UK friends. We almost missed our train out of Bourg St Maurice leaving a small party with our new friends, finding it so hard to pull away.
*Pat you are the best!!! Thank you so much!*

Being close to the border, we hitchhiked through Italy back up to Chamonix, where we met up with one of our friends, got her to get her car, and headed back into Italy for some Italian dinner. It is such a nice concept to be able to just hop across the border to Italy for the day.

Jonathan

Alpe d'Huez

2008-08-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

While Jonathan was playing in the sand in Spain, I was in the mountains taking care of some serious bike riding.

Call me what you’d like, but I enjoy riding my bike up big mountains. So upon leaving Pamplona, I decided to ride back over the Pyrenees Mountains into France. After pulling my trailer over the mountain range with surprising ease and time to spare, I turned my attention to some of the toughest climbs in the Pyrenees. I rode over the Col du Tourmalet two days in a row, enjoying the transition from the valley road by the river, up through the wooded areas, then above the treeline into the high meadows and bolder-fields, then up to the cliffs and literally into the clouds before reaching the top, before screaming back down again. It was great fun in the Pyrenees, but all the while I had a single goal in my mind: Alpe d’Huez.

Alpe d’Huez is the stuff of cycling legends. One of the most grueling climbs of the Tour de France and certainly the most famous, every climber in the world dreams winning atop this fabled mountain. I remember being in the middle of the Atlantic day-dreaming about the climb, my boat-mates calling me crazy.

13.8 Kilometers
21 Hairpin bends
3,350 ft elevation gain

Over the years the Alpe has become a proving ground for amateur cyclists, and during the summer months, the twisted road plays host to a constant stream of riders racing against the clock, many of whom require 2hrs to reach the top. By now, the place has become a cycling Mecca.

By the time Jonathan and I reached the bottom, my legs were absolutely spent from Chamonix, and I was in no shape to slay my dragon. Over the next two days, we watched the Tour de France come and go, and I had a great time running alongside the leading riders (I even made it on international TV!). Another day and several dozen bananas later, it was time for me to make my own assault, and by this time, I was ready. What I didn’t expect, however, was any company from Jonathan. He had spent the last two months expressing his distaste for any kind of uphill riding (using adjectives such as stupid, pointless, and the like), and literally laughing at the prospect of riding up the likes of Alpe d’Huez. But the night before I was to ride, he had a sudden change of heart and announced that he would ride as well!

I awoke the next morning feeling nervous with anticipation. My official goal was to ascend in the time of an hour and a half, but deep down, I really wanted to be on the quick side of 1’15”. I started off fast, on a pace that I could barely hold. The steepest bit is at the bottom, and I struggled to crest the knuckle before hitting the wall. I knew I had to concentrate and keep my body right on the limit, but none past. As the road wound farther up the mountain, I nearly cracked with 2Ks to go, but somehow managed to keep it together.

I made it. So did Jonathan!

The times:

Jonathan Jenkins: 1hr 20min

Eric Mackintosh: 1hr 03min

Lance Armstrong: 37min 36sec

-Eric

Chamonix

2008-07-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Alpine Adventures

2008-07-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Chamonix is a small town nestled deep in the alps and is the birth place of some of the worlds most legendary climbing. Obvisously this was too much for us to pass up.

We stayed with some incredible locals. Our friend we stayed with, Dennis, holds world records for skiiing, and every year, someone he knows dies in the mountains. This is a town of true adventurers.

Talking with some of the girls we stayed with, they warned us it was too dangerous to go up without a guide. Once we found out guides were too expensive, the girls begged us not to go up alone. The next morning we went up alone.
Sometimes it was scary, but always it was dangerous.

The first day we almost didnt make it off the mountain.

The next day when we went up, Eric fell, caught himself with one arm, narrowly escaping the depths of a cravasse.

This night we stayed out in the wild and pitched our tent on a glacier. The storming weather made us set up tent earlier than we had planned, and that night the fierce winds kept us up a lot of the night, re-staking our tent and trying to keep it from being blown apart.
We can try, but it is almost a futile attempt to explain how much we loved climbing the ice and being on top of snowy peaks.
Jonathan

camping in strange places.

2008-07-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

A night with Gypsies

2008-07-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Backing up a little...
About a week ago, we were with our large travel group of 6 people and we landed at the Train Station in Toulouse. We got there late at night and could not get out of town to find some nature to camp in. So, we had to take to urban camping and look for a spot to sleep in this large French city. The canal ran right down the center of town, and there was a large slew of gypsies sleeping along the canal in tents. Perfect! Around 11pm we found an empty spot of grass between large groups of gypsies and started on our dinner. We stuck out quite obviously to the gypsies and soon had a Moroccan join us on our blanket. He spoke no English, but communicated that he will help protect us. Of course this was unsolicited but we didn't think much about it. Later some others came over to talk to us about Obama, and the one gypsy started to push them away. No matter how much we tried to tell him they were fine, things escalated. He felt it his duty to 'protect' us. Soon gypsies were rolling around fighting all around us, pulling out beer bottles to hit each other and punching and tackling. Oddly enough, each side was fighting 'for' us, but regardless, being that our group contained two girls, we felt it more safe to camp another place. Our Ritz Carlton for that night ended up being under a bright covering at the train station.

-Adventures in the Alps to come soon...

Jonathan

Crash Count

2008-07-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

Updated crash count:

Jonathan: 2
Eric: 1

Over the bars, crushed helmet.

Not to worry, I'm still smiling.

-Eric

Barcelonic High Times

2008-07-15T03:37:00.000-07:00

Great week in Barcelona with Brian. We stayed in a happening hostel right on the main strip and encountered sooo many English speaking travelers. Brian and I ran Barcelona. Getting massages on the beaches from Thai ladies, selling tickets to a club on the streets we were given for some cash, parting in the clubs and somehow I got us into the VIP section sipping on champagne...The list goes on and on. Our favorite friends were our Aussie girls and Team Belguim.

The Aussie have been hooking us up on this trip! Our Aussie girls cooking for us and such and just being rad fun, meeting another Aussie couple, who offered Brian and I a ride trying to get across france back to Eric (it was quite a scene fitting four of us, four bags, and my bicycle into a compact Mercedes!), then another set of Aussies took Brian and I around to see the tour on the top of a mountain stage!

Last night I met back up with Eric and his crew of 7. We met a lovely french family, who open there garden for us to sleep in. After enjoying dancing and festivities for Bastile day last night, it was so great to wake up to a large breakfast spread for the lot of us!
Today the massive group splits up and heads different ways.

A crazy building we snuck into.
Amazing Barcelona Architecture
When in Rome do as the Romans! Brian and I on the beaches of Barcelona.

Jonathan

Adrenaline

2008-07-09T01:26:00.000-07:00

Walking down a crowded street around 11pm and feel a hand reach in my pocket. I quickly grabbed the wrist of the attempting pick pocket and in a sec he disappears in the tight crowd. Not long after though Eric points him out, and I take off after him. We did not meet a single person during San Fermin that did not personally know someone who was not victimised by theft. I catch him pick him up by the shirt (a smaller guy in his upper 20s) and start to bring him to the police. With the help of two of his friend who show up (much bigger than him, who luckily did not end up putting up to much assistance for there friend), he shakes out of his shirt and begins to run again. This time when I catch him I pick the thief up in a choke hold and begin to carry the fighting man to the police. Again his friends help him get free and he takes off shirtless frantically through the crowd. Eric starts to catch up with him and steer him towards me, while I run to the far side of the crowd. There I meet him in a whirlwind and flipped him upside down slamming him into the ground. Before I could get a good hold on him again, he bounded through people, and after knocking over people disappeared through the crowd. Hopefully the whole encounter will at least slightly discourage his pick pocketing. Opening ceremony

Bull Run and Bull Fights

Running with the Bulls is one of the biggest adrenaline rushes in the world. Thousands of other men running down the road next to you in terror from the sound of hooves getting louder at an enormous pace. You are half in fear of the bulls, half in fear of the panicking crowd pushing and shoving. If you go down in the run, you stay down. If you attempt to get back up, you will be trampled and cause a huge pile up. I ran with two of my friends with down the packed road as fast as we could with pure elation and yet great fear and worry.

We made it "safe" into the bull ring, and now they put away the running bulls, and let the hyped up mass of men have their own bull fights as they release 6 bulls on at a time into the ring. After keeping safe enough distance for the first 2 bulls, I decided that I was not going to let myself regret not going for it. I ran at and swatted at the bull trying to keep enough distance. The bull put his head down and then scooped me up, hitting me in the rear, and threw me high into the air. If the adrenaline and excitement weren't enough to satisfy already, the thousand in the fighting coliseum erupted with cheering and applause.

This picture shows when the next bull would be released into the ring, a group of us would get on our hands and knees, cover your head, and the charging bull would emerge charging out of the dark tunnel and leap over/on us.

Too much was going on the take many pictures this week. The above ones were from the internet just to give perspective. Here is our only one!

It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. It FAR exceeded what I expected. Such excitement. Thank the Lord I made it out all safe.

For Eric, he maybe used more wisdom and decided the bad would out weigh the good and did not run.

Now I am in Barcelona with new friends and Eric is riding to see some of the Tour De France with a few guys. We will meet back up in one week in France.

Bulls and Thieves

2008-07-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

7-6-08

We are in Pamplona, Spain for the legendary San Fermin week long festival. Many people know this as the Running of the Bulls.

Today was the kick-off and the craziness will not subside for 8 more days. There are thousands of people here, and I would say the word most often fitting to describe everything is pandemonium. At the opening thousands of peoples crowded into a small square in front of city hall. Crowded is an extreme understatement, there were many more thousands who could not fit into the square, but were pushing to get in like a football team with the strength of an army of people. When it hits noon people spray Sangria and Champagne everywhere. Because of this glass covers the road, not a few bottles, but everywhere and all broken up. I was right in the center, and being that I was not drunk like 90% of everyone else, I was trying my hardest to stay off the ground and keep my feet from getting sliced up too terribly. It was like a ferocious mosh pit with no room for even your chest to move out and back. After the pack started to move out to the other streets, I threw away my shoes (white shoes I had bought for the festival...everyone wears all white and red) which where now covered in blood from my feet and ankles.

The first bull Run is tomorrow. I will watch this one and do the next.

Jonathan

7/7/08

Well unlike Jonathan, I've been trying to stay out of as much trouble as possible, and have done no bleeding yet. It is absolute insanity, but loads of fun.

Being that we're on a pretty low budget trip, we haven't been staying in a hotel or hostel here in Pamplona, but have been camping in the park with hundreds of other travelers from the world across. With this comes lots of fun and other advantages, but also some drawbacks. The word from the curb is to watch your stuff SUPER closely because there are plenty of vultures lurking and we'd heard stories of people getting passports stolen, etc. We even heard of a pair who put all their valuables in their sleeping bags with them during the night, but awoke to find their bags slit and their possessions missing.

Today while we were chillin in the park, a Spanishman approaches and says he just saw three guys take a bag out of a circle of friends we'd met as they snoozed, take some stuff out, and throw the bag in the trash. The bag was sure enough found in the trash, valuables gone. Two of the perps had split, but one is pretending to sleep not far away. The police are supposedly looking into the situation, but we aren't seeing any evidence of this, so Jonathan forms up a posse and goes over to confront the posing sleeper.

Jonathan throws the empty bag onto our new friend and demands if he speaks English and if he recognizes the bag. The guy denies everything, but Jonathan and crew aren't giving up so easily, and ask the guy if he'd like it if random people went through his bag. This is exactly what proceeds to happen, and upon opening the bag, the booty was revealed: a cache of apparently stolen goods. Also a big kitchen knife, assumingly for slitting bags open. With weak excuses to explain all this away, the guy became more and more trapped, right as his two compradres were approaching.

Jonathan ends up confiscating the knife and sticking it in his sash (part of the typical festival garb) like a pirate while dealing with the trio until the police arrive. In the end, and all three men were arrested, and evidence taken. For sometime afterwards, murmurs were heard throughout the camp of the tall, knife wearing American who took down the thieves.

Never a dull moment!

Eric

Cycling Food

2008-07-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Dinner for Eric and Jonathan after a long day in the saddle

Ingredients:

One loaf of bread

10 hot dogs

And one hunk of cheese

Each!

(all melted over an open fire of course)

After 125Ks yesteray, we didn't look at the maps long before crashing out.

2008-07-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Fun in France

2008-06-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

We love Castles!!
hitchhiking on a lightly traveled mountain road = a beautiful hike on a lightly traveled mountain road

Andorra and a private Chalet by the River

2008-06-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

Our 'plans' for this trip consisted mainly of no plans just 'Be Flexible.' We were going to be heading west these past few days but from meeting locals and finding things out, we have been changing plans and have stayed longer.
Two days ago we hitch hiked to Andorra, a tiny county under 200 sq miles with just over 70,000 people, on the French and Spanish border. Where we were in the country was about 6000 feet in elevation so we left our bikes at a friends house in France and used our thumbs to reach Andorra. After a night in the mountainous, snow capped, duty free country, we went back to France. We took a different route over the Pyrenees mountains back and when our last ride left us at the peak of the mountain, we did not get another ride (nor see more than a few cars) for the next 5 hours. Eric and I descended the mountain's switch back roads for all the hours mostly in silence in awe of the beauty of the walk. Luckily, it was not a walk we minded.

When we got back to the bikes, our English friend, Collen, offered us his chalet near his house to stay in. The chalet is set next to the river at the bottom of a extremely deep gorge. So again, we gladly changed plans a little and we stayed here a few days.
Biking through a gorge.
Just after our last ride from Andorra before we started hiking down.

Jonathan

photos

2008-06-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

Camping in Castles

2008-06-25T03:50:00.000-07:00

Excellent view from our bedroom this morning in the tower of a castle. We camped out here after stashing our bikes and climbing up the mountain.

French Countryside
The raddest Castle ever, this one fully restored and quite impressive. (Two days ago)
On the climb to camp in the castle, I found a small opening in the rock wall. Jumping in we discovered in to be a caveren! The difficult decent was made slightly more cumbersome, but more fun as well, going down the steep, wet, dark walls with camera gear! Eric got some sick pics though that will hopefully be up soon.

Along the Canal

2008-06-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

We are loving France.
A lot of fresh bread and other baked goods.
The roadsides and villages are just what was expected and very...well...French.
We have been riding along the Canal Du Midi. Sometimes the roads are great, sometimes we should only be attempting the road with a well equipped mountain bike. Going down a steep, very rocky decent today, I popped a tire.
What looks like a brigde behind our camp site is actually the canal over the river.

We found a small castle tucked away in a vineyard today and ate tiny apricots till I was going to explode.

Last night was a Nation-wide, French music festival. From the ancient fortified city of Beziers we saw probably 7 different bands of all sorts.

Thanks Dad for the camera!

Jonathan

Off the boat, on the bikes

2008-06-21T10:50:00.001-07:00

Off the boat, on the bikes.

France is rad!

Eric

Castles, Cliffs, and Crashes

2008-06-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

We landed in Vilamoura, Portugal on the 7th to be greeted by Pat's family spraying champagne all over us. The next day Eric and I headed off on the bikes for a 5 day trip along the southern coast of Portugal. After so much planning for riding it was great to have everything work and us really find out we can do it. We rode a total of about 300km from Vilamoura to the far South Western point of the European continent and back.

The far point (and most of the southern coast, the Algarve) is famous for the huge cliffs bordering the ocean. Naturally, Eric and I set up tent right on the edge of the cliffs at the south-western most point of the continent. Talk about an epic view from your camp site!

The next night we camped at Ponte de Lagos along the Southern coast. We camped on the beach of a cove surrounded by the high cliffs. Lagos cliffs are much more diverse and not just sheer drop off. They have so many caves, land bridges, and islands. We explored these cliffs for endless hours, sometimes climbing, sometimes swimming to be able to get to new spots.

The last town we went to was Silves where we checked out a castle. We camped out in an orange grove that overlooked the castle. It was the garden of Orange gluttony. I had as many oranges in 12hrs as most people do for several months!

We are now back on Mojomo sailing in the Med. Sadly, Pat is no longer with us and has went back home with her family. So now it is just the 3 of us guys. Last night we stopped off in Marbella, the posh of the posh of southern Spain. It was the land of beautiful people, Ferraris and Lambo's, and people spending money just to spend it.

We will continue along the coast of Spain and in a few days get to Palma.

Jonathan

Crash Count:

Jonathan: 2

Eric: 0

And we'd like to keep it that way.

The first crash occurred on the very first day of our Portugal tour, not 10 Ks in. I am leading on a downhill and am dodging some crappy pavement sections. All of a sudden, I hear a great sliding/grinding noise from immediately behind me. Not good. I keep cool, come to a stop and then turn around. I see Jonathan, on his feet (happily), with bike and bags strewn all over the pavement. He was fine, and the bike required only minor tweaking

Campiung and Biking now!

2008-06-11T05:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a few quick pics from my `normal person´ camera. Eric will get more up eventually.
First night of Camping. On the cliffs on the south western most point of Europe.
Our lovely mode of Transportation.
Our second camp site.

-Jonathan

We made it!!

2008-06-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

We are now on mainland Europe, specifically in Portugal!!

Now we’re off on the bikes for a few days, then back on the boat for more sailing.

Here’s a link to Mojomo’s blog with our route across the Atlantic:

http://blog.mailasail.com/mojomo

Cheers!

Eric and Jon

Photos!!

2008-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry I don't have photoshop, or else I could process RAW files, tweak levels, and such to show you a proper photo, so these JPGS will have to do for now :)

Eric

From the Azores to Portugal

2008-06-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

38’48 N 21’11W

We are now back aboard Mojomo heading for Portugal. We arrived at the Azores Friday morning and left Sunday. ETA for Portugal is Saturday evening.

The Azores were incredible. Friday morning it was so great to see the shape of mountains form during sunrise on the horizon. It was culture shock to be on land and interact with other people besides our small crew. We had some of the best food of our lives as sort very classic, and very posh restaurants.

Eric and I went on the best run of our lives about 2 hours after arriving. Cliffs bordered the coast as when ran around the edge of the island through all sorts of tiny roads. Eventually we ran through the remains of an old amphi-theatre made from volcanic rock on the edge of a cliff and then turned around at the end of a huge rock jutting out around a crevasse the waves were crashing up into.

A few hours after arriving Matt came back from the dentist (he had to get a tooth pulled!) he announced with a mischievous grin, “Hey guys, I just rented a big black Mercedes limo with a crazy driver to take us around the island for a few hours!” And indeed he was crazy, which made the evening even more epic. Besides showing us all the sights of the island, he also shared with us the uses of refrigerators, and the fact the his dreams frequently predict the future (he has seen several earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in his dreams just days before the actually happened).

The new section of the island recently formed by volcanic eruption 50 years ago was very interesting, along with some other epic views, but what really blew Eric and I away was the volcanic crater on top of the island that originally formed the island years and years ago. About 2000m across the top and 400m deep, it was extremely lush and terrain like I had never seen before. As we came to the edge, we simply were at loss for words. There was a trail along the top, and a very haggard one that lead down into it. Unfortunately, we did not have the spare hours to hike down, but Eric and I want desperately to come back to it one day.

Friday evening there was some festival and we went to see a very ’European’ band play an assortment of all kinds of instruments. I joined in the crowd and danced around for a few hours before Eric and I finally went back to the yacht at 1am, which we found out the next night was extremely early!

Jonathan

Land Ho!

2008-06-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

38’35 N 28’36 W

I was on night-watch hours before we were to hit the Azorian Islands. We were charging into 15 knots of chilly head-wind and crashing over decent sized seas with the knowledge that as we neared land, we would likely encounter ill-lit fishing boats and all kinds of other floating debris that could do our boat damage.

My eyes squinted and strained into the dark distance. Wind and sea-spray pelted my face. The ghostly figures of sea gulls were all the time swooping around the boat, barely seen. Since the radar doesn’t do you much good when the waves are bigger than most of the small boats you’re on guard for, I was left to wonder: “What is that faint light in the haze? A boat? Some low-hanging star? Or is it just my imagination?”

The sun came up soon enough, and after navigating around some beautiful cliffs, we landed on the island of Faial at a port called Horta. What a cool place! The first time we stepped on land after being at sea for two weeks, I got what I guess to be the opposite of sea sickness. I went kinda dizzy for a moment and had to crouch down to make sure I wouldn‘t fall. Who woulda thought?!? It felt great to be on solid land though.

Horta is a very popular way-point for sailing yachts, but the marina it’s self is not that big, and it‘s governed by a first come, first serve policy. So when it fills up, boats are forced to dock onto other boats and climb over one another to get to land. We docked onto a boat occupied by a nice Australian lady called Pipper, and then another boat filled with Germans docked onto us!! I guess it’s common practice to board other people’s boats with or without permission, but I found it all a bit crazy/odd. There were some extremely nice yachts there, and because of the aforementioned policy, Jon and I got to board some!

The next two days were filled with beautiful sights, great food, and interesting people, which made the stop super memorable.

Eric

Geared up like Rambo one day, making bread the next

2008-05-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

Position 37:12N 35:02W, 300miles west of the Azores, North Atlantic

Half from the nervousness, half from the excitement, adrenaline wakes you up and makes you come to your senses extraordinarily fast when someone yells "Reef!" into the cabin. "Reef!" is what the person on watch yells out when the wind starts gusting too high for the amount of sail you have up, and a reef needs to be put into the sail (making it a smaller sail) in order to reduce the risk of the boat flipping over. When the wind blows strong like this, it makes all very exhilarating, yet gives you more uneasiness at the same time.

During the night watch shifts we are geared up like Rambo. A harness is worn at all times and strapped unto something wherever you go on the boat. On your wrist is the light beacon, and strapped onto your harness is the GPS locator. It gives you some sense of security, but as Eric says, when you sit on watch for hours on end through the night, you can help but think that if you went overboard while everyone else slumbered below, it would seem like you would be gone forever all too quickly.

You are on watch for 3 hours and then off for 6 hours. Every fourth day it is your turn to be "Mother" and you have no watch shift but are responsible for the cooking and cleaning. Eric and I are learning some more domestic arts as well and often make fresh baked bread from scratch! As we have been introducing each other (Matt and Pat are from the UK) to more things from each others culture, Eric takes on the burden of helping them get acquainted with fine American cuisine. Yesterday he made Peanut Butter and Jelly, and earlier made some good ole' fashion Jello.

We should see land on Friday! We will spend a few days at the Azores and then head out for probably another 6 days until we get to Portugal.

Jonathan

Silly rabbit, Trix aren't for sailboats!

2008-05-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

34.35 N, 43.56 W

I wouldn't say the ocean is angry; but I wouldn't call it all too obliging either. I don't so much pick up the feeling of murderous rage, I rather liken it to an over-the-top super-diva who knows she can get away with being difficult. And proceeds to take full advantage of that privilege.

The seas have become much rougher in the past two days than they were in the first five. The Mojomo pitches to and fro, and I subsequently pitch to and fro inside the Mojomo. Nothing too violent, but my hips have taken a bit of bruising from banging into furniture. And I've hit my head on more things than normal. Let's just say I'm glad I haven't brought my grandmother along (I love you Grandma!).

Every time a wave comes up and smashes the against the underside of the hull it sounds like thunder and sends a shockwave through the whole boat. It's a bit un-nerving being alone on the night watch when you can only see darkness but the boat is lurching underneath you and the wind is whistling through the sails (don't worry mom, we have loads of safety equipment on board, both high-tech and low-tech).

It's the little things that get you, like not being able to eat your morning cereal at the table on deck, because as soon as you raise the spoon to your mouth, all the milk blows away.

It sure is beautiful though. Jon wasn't kidding about the color of the water. Never seen blue like this.

Don't tell anyone, but this is my first time on a sail boat!

Eric

BTW - Sorry about the egregious lack of photographs as of yet. As it turns out, there are very few Wi-Fi hot spots in the open ocean.

Thanks to my sister, Holly, for posting our writings to the blog from the text-only messages we are able to send her over the satellite phone.

Stir Crazy!

2008-05-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

May 22

We are now about 700 miles from the Caribbean in the Atlantic and hunting for wind. We catch a little here and there and are now heading farther north in an attempt to find some. Maybe another 10 days until we get to Horta in the Azores and then another 900 miles till Portugal.

Eric has started to become a little stir crazy and tried to run laps around the boat. He earlier tried to jump off the boat to save an old bucket that accidentally fell in the sea in response to the Captains sarcastic reply "Yeah Eric, go get that bucket." Luckily he had to take his sun glasses and hat off so we had time to refrain him from plunging in.

Tonight the sky is covered with clouds making the horizon invisible. The watch through the night will be slightly more unnerving as you stare out into the night with the ability to see nothing.

A few nights ago Eric and I went out into the night life for my 21st Birthday in St. Martin, where I proceeded to narrowly escape getting in a fight. sticking up for a few girls who a guy started to harass. Not long after the severely intoxicated guy was thrown to the street trying to fight multiple bouncers at once. It made for an interesting 21st.

We will be able to update occasionally during the voyage as previously unexpected. We can send out (not receive) emails through a Satellite.

Jonathan

And now, word from our Skipper:

Matt here:

Is there a more pretentiously-writen blog than this for crissakes? Jeez, whilst typing this they are arguing about the exact syntax of the sentences above. I don't think that's the important stuff at all. The main things you need to know is the very odd way in which their transat trip came about - only possible by the internet. We've (okay, mainly I have) broken lots of rules, such as that you should *never* sail long distances with people you haven't met (but it's worked so far, and quite brilliantly) and that a transat skipper should only take crew who have least reasonable experience on the water. But Eric and JJ have filled in the blanks swiftly, and with a smile. Tonight, JJ has been giving Eric dancing lessons, with Pat as dancing partner. Another great day. Oh, and finally, the answers you really want to ask but JJ and Eic will never get round to answering 1: No, there's nothing "going on" between me and Pat - my wife and her husband just don't much fancy the ocean sailing thing, and 2: No, there's nothing "going on" with Eric and JJ either, they're just good mates on an only-slightly-planned adventure.

(And the bickering between Eric and I is mainly me being "I don't care about the stikin sentence structure" and Eric reading over my shoulder wanting everything "in print" to be proper. After a short dwell with revolvers Matt conveniently had, we solved all problems. -Jonathan)

Why are there birds 700 miles out to sea? -Eric

Endless Blue

2008-05-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

May 21

Eric and I float lost in a world of blue, hundreds of miles from the nearest land. Before this voyage, our understanding of the color blue was so inadequate. The deepness and richness of the color of the ocean will never be properly portrayed by pictures or films. Only here, where our crisp white sails are the only thing that slices through the endless blue can you understand.

Yesterday we stopped the boat and Eric and I quickly made our exits and dove overboard. The water is crystal clear and entirely void of anything except the strong rays of sun which penetrate deep into the unknown. We dive as deep as our ears can stand the pressure; columns of light shine straight down like pillars holding up the ever-shifting floor upon which our boat sits.

We had our first successful pirating expedition which yielded us the makings of an exquisite lunch, later to be prepared by Matt. On the tip of the horizon we saw the catamaran carrying two Frenchies sailing toward us. With climatic music blaring from the speakers, we raised the Jolly Roger, and circled our new acquaintances. They threw us some Mahi Mahi they had freshly caught and soon disappeared again.

Jonathan

A New Land

2008-05-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

The adventure has begun! The Flights were rubbish, but the destination is epic. We fly not only from the states to the islands; we fly to adventure.

Our fellow pirates, Matt and Pat, are great. This is a huge relief knowing that we will be living in extremely close quarters the next few weeks.

The Mojomo is fabulous. A beautiful yacht which will make our crossing stylish. Fully equipped and stocked, it exceeded our expectations.

It may be 3+ weeks before we post again...

Weight-cutting mission!

2008-05-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

I’ve been so consumed by my preparations to tour Europe on a bicycle, I’ve barely so much as even thought about the sailing bit. And I’m on a weight-cutting mission!

The other day, I packed up my all my gear into my bike trailer and attempted a solo bike-camping excursion into Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains. I soon discovered with great certainty that this whole “touring” thing is much different than any biking I’ve ever known.

I am a pretty light dude who’s used to riding a pretty light bike. I’m used to having a ton of control over my machine and being able to put my skinny racing tires wherever I want them; no questions asked. This is very different than that. Towing 35lbs[?] of gear in a 13lb trailer will turn a once acutely maneuverable racing bike into a squirrelly, three-wheeled death-cycle with a will of it’s own.

Hills that were once barley a blip on the radar for my spry legs now deliver more lactic acid than I’d care to admit. My aluminum frame flexes and shudders under the newly added weight. As I endure the incline, I cant help but think “Aluminum frames aren’t supposed to flex and shudder. Aluminum breaks.”

I now find myself trying to decide what items on my packing list I absolutely need for this adventure and what items I do not.

I hope I make the right calls.

Eric

Preparations

2008-05-07T19:48:00.001-07:00

Eric is in LA and I am in Pittsburgh. Excitement builds as we attempt to ready ourselves for a trip sure to be characterized by the unexpected.

We try to pack and plan for maximum flexibility but only time will tell what pays off.

On May 14th we fly to St. Martin and meet our two, soon to be inseparable, other shipmates. A few days later we set sail into hundreds of miles of empty blue Atlantic aboard a 50ft Catamaran.

Jonathan