Apadrina un nen ...

Apadrina un nen ... el deficit fiscal no es suficient per tirar Epanya endevant ...

Need a new laptop?

Need a new laptop? just go wait at a gate at your airport.
It appears out of a study that lots of people losse, forget or get robbed in the airport.
For example, in Schiphol Amsterdam, 750 laptops per week are lost or stolen.
London Heathrow is the best place to get a new laptop ... 900 per week disapear.
But even beter, LA LAX tops the ranking with an amazing 1200 per week!
I was there just two weeks ago ... didn't pay attention! Damn!

If you read dutch ... http://www.bright.nl/op-schiphol-750-laptops-per-week-kwijt

Cesc

OpenSER becomes Kamailio Project

Just forwarding some information from an open source project I was involved about SIP (VoIP, Voice over IP).

=======================================================
OpenSER becomes Kamailio Project

OpenSER project and the community around it have grown considerably in the past three years. Because of its extensive development and high adoption rate, conflicting interests related to the OpenSER name and similar trademarks emerged.

Consequently, we have been forced to find a new name for the project that stands on itself and represent the project in its future expression.

Starting with version 1.4, OpenSER is called Kamailio. Existing OpenSER users can keep on enjoying the benefits of the best open source SIP server available on the market under this new name.

All project infrastructure like the website and mailing list will be in the future accessible under the kamailio.org domain, but we will keep the old one functional for a transition period to make the switch as easy as possible for you.

Kamailio is a hawaiian word. Kama'ilio means talk, to converse. It was chosen for its special flavour. It is hopefully easy to remember and the meaning fits well with the project purpose. We hope you like it too!

For more information visit:
http://www.kamailio.org (former http://www.openser.org)

The Primos Team @ Holland

Eps!

Pos aquest finde, ja quasi 100% recuperat de les 3 setmanetes de trote ... visita del "Primos Team", format pel Quico i el seu cosi, i com no, el meu cosi.
Com es pot veure a les fotos, ens hem fet un fart de visitar Amsterdam, museus i carrers amagats, descobrint coses que no haviem vist mai.
I un dia, fent un cafe, vam estar xerrant amb un parell de cosines hungares rosses molt simpatiques, pero ja era hora de marxar.

Hasta luec!!

Cesc

LA Quick Tour ... i tornada!

Escrit 12/07/2008

Be, doncs aixo arriba a la fi. Escric des de l'aeroport LAX, esperant l'avio. El Cristian hauria d'estar fent el mateix, xo com no agafem l'avio des de la mateixa terminal, doncs jans hem despedit.

I que hem fet avui? Molt important ... La maleta. Sort q em deixen facturar 2 bultos i sobrepes, si no mal rollo :)

I despres? Hem fet un tour extra rapid x alguns highlights de LA. Foto amb el cartell de Hollywood (una de les grans icones del segle XX). I tb un passeig xl passeig de les estrelles (comensa amb estrelles i estudis de cine i acaba amb sex-shops i homeless). I despres, visita a "La Mission" de LA, la part mes historica de la ciutat (x cert, gran lloc x jalar menjar mexica de veritat, inclos tacos, carnitas, orchata de llet d'arros o unes bones tortitas). I ja de cami a l'aeroport, volta xls barris hyper mega pijos de Beverly Hills 90210 i Bel-air. Wow!

I res ... Q m'esperen 11 hores d'avio :(

Cesc

Well ... this is coming to an end. I'm writing from LAX airport, waiting at the lounge for my flight. Cristian must be doing the same, but because we fly with different companies, we are in different terminals ... we already said goodbye!

And what did we do today? Very important .... pack the suitcase! Fortunately we can check-in two suitcases and some overweight ... otherwise we'd be screwed :)

And then? We did a quick tour to LA highlights. A picture with Hollywood's sign at the background (an icon of the 20th Century). A walk on the Walk of Fame (which starts with starts and cinema studios and ends up with sex-shops and homeless). Then, for lunch to LA's Mission, for a real mexican treat (tacos, carnitas, tortitas and orchata of rice milk) and the most historic part of the city. And on the way to the airport, a tour through the mega posh neighborhoods of Beverly Hills 90210 and Bel-Air ... quite amazing.

And that's it ... now just 10 more hours in the plane and home!!

[Cesc and Cristian, with Hollywoods sign ... an icon of last century]

[Walk of Fame ... in front of the Chinese theather]

[LA's Mission ... historical center]

Catalans a California

Escrit el 11/07/2008 (penultim dia de viatje!)

Avui ha estat un dia intens i de contrastos. No cal dir que ens hem fotut una bona raccio de milles, de forma q igualarem dema les 1000 milles (1600 km) q vam fer a Alaska!

Hem comensat esmorzant a Morro Bay, estuari i poblet pescador. I despres directes a la super maca i encantadora Santa Barbara. Aqui hi ha una "Mission", on missioners "espanyols" "educaven" als indis locals. I es que California era fins el 1821 espanyola, despres mexicana i fins a ser dels Usa el 1846. Just abans de comensar la febre de l'or.

I lo dels catalans? Doncs el fundador de moltes de les misiones de California va ser el Pare Junipero Serra, de Mallorca.

Ah, i jo m'he banyat x 1er cop al Pacific, a Santa Barbara ... S'estava be, fins i tot aigua tebiona :) i sense tiburons!

I despres ... Be, una paradeta tecnica a un outlet, x acabar de fer reventar la maleta, i cap a Los Angeles. Be, a l'aeroport, q es on tenim l'hotel. Pero hem nat a supar i prendre algo a Santa Monica ... Molt d'ambientillu hi havia.

I res, dema visita llampec a LA i a agafar l'avio a mitja tarda. I diumenge tarda ja a casa ... Hilversum i Viladecavalls/Bcn respectivament :)

Fins aviat!

C&C

Today has been an intense day, full of contrasts. Of course, we had our daily ration of miles, in a way that we will match the 1000 miles (1600km) that we drove in Alaska.

We started with breakfast at Morro Bay, estuary and fishing town. And then, to Santa Barbara ... super cute and enchanting. Here we visit one of the spanish "Mission", where spanish missioners "educated" native indians. Remember that California was spanish territory til 1821, then was part of Mexico and became a part of the USA in 1846 ... one year later, the Gold Rush began!

And what about the catalans thing? The founder of most of the missions in California was Father Junipero Serra, original from Mallorca.

Ah! And I took a swim in the Pacific ocean in Santa Barbara ... it was great ... water was even not cold ... and no sharks! :)

After Santa Barbara, we drove direction LA, but with a pit-stop at an outlet in Camarillo on Highway 101, just to burn the rest of the credit card and fill in the suitcase :) And then, to the hotel in LA, which is located next to the airport. Just drop the stuff and drive to Santa Monica for dinner and drinks. It is friday, so there's quite a lot of movement around. But we are beat ...

And ... tomorrow a short visit to LA and ... back home! Around 5PM we have both the flight which will take us back home: Hilversum and Viladecavalls/BCN.

[Santa Barbara Mission]

[Taking a swim in the Pacific Ocean at Santa Barbara]

Sequoia National Park

Escrit el 10/07/2008

Despres del desgast fisic d'ahir, hem dormit com angelets ... 10 horetes ben merescudes. I ja veient el nostre desti final (Los Angeles), hem fet un detour d'uns 300km per visitar els arbres gegants (sequoies) de Sequoia National Park.

Hi ha molts tipus de sequoies, xo les del parc aquest son especials xq nomes creixen naturalment en aquesta zona, a una altitud determinada ... I son grans i massissos. I poden ser moolt "iaios". El mes famos, el General Sherman Tree, fa 11 metres de diametre, es tant alt com l'estatua de la llibertat i te, creuen, uns 2200 anys!

El bosc sembla encantat. Les sequoies creixen entre els pins (tipus redwood, sugarpines i ponderosa) i s'alcen grossos i majestuosos. Pero tb son delicats ... La majoria moren caiguts xl seu propi pes. Aixi hi ha coses curioses com un tunel foradat a una sequoia o un altre q fa de pasarela caminable.

Ens hem parat a sopar a Visalia, a fer un rodizio brasiler (carn, una mica mes de carn, i llavors mes carn). Molt bo ... Ara, quina calor q fot aqui! Com ahir a Fresno. Aixo de la vall central de California es insuportable ... Sort, q dema ens banyarem a la platja de los "Vigilantes de la playa" ... Ja us explicarem :)

Cesc
PS - Nota mental publica ... q guapes les "Park Rangers" americanes (Ranger Melissa de Denali; Ranger Amelia i la Ranger sensenom de Sequoia) :)

After yesterday's physical effort, today we sleep like babies. 10 very deserved hours. And now that we already have our final destination (LA) in sight, we still make a small detour (300km) to visit the giant trees at the Sequoia National Park.

There are many types of sequoias, but the one in this park are special because they only grow naturally here (something to do with climate, rain, altitude, ...). These trees are huge and thick ... and can get to be very old. The most famous, General Sherman Tree, is 11 meters in diameter, as tall as the Statue of Liberty and is, they believe, some 2200 years old.

The forest is enchanted. Sequoias grow among the pines (redwoods, sugarpines and ponderosa types) and they grow magnificent and big. But they are also delicate ... most of them die fallen by their own weight. This way, curios tings like a tunel drilled through a sequoia or another which is a walk-way.

We stopped for dinner at Visalia, to eat a brazilian rodeo (meat, some more meat and then some more ... all you can eat). But men! it is hot in here ... just like Fresno. This weather of the central California valley is real bad :) Lucky us, tomorrow we'll be swimming at the "Baywatch" beach ... we'll tell you!

PS - Mental note: US Park Rangers women are real hotties (Ranger Melissa in Denali; Ranger Amelia and Ranger Jane Doe in Sequoia) :)

[Entrance of the park]

[above and below ... General Sherman Tree]

[above and below ... fallen sequoias!]

Hem fet el cim! Half Dome!

Escrit 10/07/2008

6:00am, comencem el trekking del Half Dome: 25 km, 1500 metres de desnivell fins arribar al cim, a 2695 m. Teoricament no es recomanable ferlo en un sol dia, xro es pot fer. Una de les gran excursions dels USA! Les dues primeres hores s'han passat rapid perque encara feia fresca i em passat les Vernal i Nevada falls, dues cascades impressionants. El cami ha continuat pujant fins arribar a la base de la muntanya, tot aixo sota un sol lacerant a 30 i pico graus. Per acabar, els ultims 400 metres es fan amb una inclinacio de 45 graus, ajudant-te per uns cables. Durissim! Pero a merescut la pena; un cop a dalt les vistes eren espectaculars.

La part dura es la baixada, amb constant descens i un sol de justicia. X sort hi havia el riu Merced, on ens em refrescat. Despres d'11 hores de caminar, podem dir que em fet el cim!

Reventats xro contents conduim fins a Fresno on fa un calor de mort i dormim en un motel, esperant anar dema a veure les Sequoies!

C&C

6AM, the trekking to the top of the Half Dome starts. 25km round-trip and 1500 meters of altitude gain to the top (2695m). They recommend to sleep half-way, but we prefer to do it in one day. This is one of the great treks in the USA. The first 2 hours go fast ... it is still cool weather. We already passed the Vernal and Nevada Falls, impressive both. We keep going up, all the way to the base of the dome, under a hitting sun at 30 degrees. To finish the effort, the last 400meters are done using some cables, as the wall is too steep (45 degrees, see pic). It was hard, but once at the top, it was worth it. And from the top, the view is extraordinary.

The hardest part is going down, with hard and steep downhills and the sun hitting fully. And we run out of water ... so it becomes harder. Even we have Merced River next to us, water needs to be purified and we don't have the gear to do so. But after 11 hours, we are back ... and we've made it! Summit!

Really beat but happy, we drive to Fresno where a heat wave is killing us. We sleep at a hotel, waiting for tomorrow to see the Sequoias!

[last 200 meters, up using the cables]

[that's how you do it!]

[Cristian, arriving at the top ... tired!]

[Cesc and Cristian, top of the half dome, thanks to a fellow climber]

[going down ... much easier :D ]

[serious ... so steep is the wall ... that's why you need cables]

Problemes tecnics ...

Estem tenint problemes tecnics amb el wireless ... perdoneu les interrupcions.

C&C Serveis Informatics

Disneylandia! Ay, vull dir Yosemite

Escrit 09/07/2008

Ahir la nit supertard vam arribar a Yosemite National Park. L'allotjament (Curry Village) es una cabana amb terra de fusta i la resta de lona. Ah! I una caixa anti-ossos x guardar el menjar :) I sabeu la gran millora de California respecte Alaska? Es fa de nit! Ahir a Alaska vam tenir 4 hores de penumbra ... Avui mes de 8 vuit de negra nit! El Cristian ho agraeix molt ... Gracies Governador Schwarzeneger!

Yosemite es un parc creat per un glaciar, que va escarbar una vall enmig del granit. La vall esta plena de cascades, parets verticals (El Capitan) i cims massissos com el Half Dome.

El dia ha estat relaxat. Hem fet el mes destacat del parc ... Yosemite Valley, Glaciar Point (un mirador), la paret vertical de El Capitan i les cascades (Yosemite Falls i Bridalveil Falls). I el Visitor Center, amb museu i audiovisual inclos (val la pena, x info sobre el parc ... Tb pots mirar a Wikipedia!).

Des de Glaciar Point hem tingut una gran vista al parc i la vall, i ens hem fet una foto amb el nostre objectiu de dema: el mitic Half Dome, una muntanya massisa q sembla partida en dos.

I a dormir d'hora, que dema sera dur. Si sobrevivim l'experiencia, dema tindreu un nou missatge al blog. Stay tuned! A la mateixa Bat-hora i al mateix Bat-canal!

C&C

Problemes tecnics

Estem tenint problemes tecnics: ens costa trobar cobertura pel mobil i per internet. Ho solucionarem en breu!

C&C, servei tecnic

We are having some technical problems ... it is being difficult to find cellphone coverage and internet. Hopefully, it will be solved in short!

C&C, Technical Service

Dia de viatje: d'Alaska a Yosemite

Escrit el 07/07/2008

Avui es dia de viatjar. 300km de cotxe x Alaska, 4.5 hores d'avio fins a SanFran i x culminar, 4 hores de cotxe fins a Yosemite National Park, on dormim en unes tendes/cabines ... Ja explicarem k tal. Xo tot i aixo, hem vist un "moose" a Anchorage passejant per un parking d'un centre comercial. I desde l'avio, es veu California i SanFran downtown coberta de fum, pels focs de Big Sur ... Entre d'altres.

Hem pensat k, ara k tenim el viatje x Alaska fresc, podem escriure 4 coses/recomanacions.

Juneau (icefield) va estar molt xulo, es a mes dels glaciars, un paisatje diferent de la resta, molt boscos. Pero arribar-hi costa temps i diners, i a Alaska hi ha altres glaciars ... S'haurien de comparar.

Anchorage ciutat s'ha de fer de passada, ara b, el Anchorage Museum i el Heritage Center son obligatoris!

Obviament, Denali s'ha de veure. I el bus, fins a Wonder Lake! ... No et deixis espantar x les 12 hores de bus, passen rapid i es quan veus les bestioles, ja q els conductors tenen "vista de lince". El rafting va estar be, i si tens cotxe, hi ha molts llocs makus x dormir (pe Perch lodge o Creekside). Si tens temps i/o ganes de mes aventura, pots portarte la tenda (compra-la a Annchorage, igual q tots els queviures) i fer 2,3,4 dies d'autentic camping/aventura. Ara, requereix certa logistica i entre mosquits i ossos, no es apte x a tots els publics.

L'ultim que hem fet es Fairbanks ... potser la part mes fluixa d'un tour a l'estiu. La resta de l'any es un lloc ideal x veure l'aurora boreal (les llums al cel).

Ens han quedat molts llocs x fer. El mes recomanat es la peninsula de Kenai, al sud d'Anchorage ... Amb la perspectiva del temps, potser hauriem d'haver canviat x Fairbanks.

Una altre gran aventura, x a gent curtida, es anar al nord de Fairbanks, fins al mar artic, a Deadhorse. Necesites llogar un 4x4 especial, ja q les companyies normals no t'hi deixen anar. I de cami, entrar als parcs d'alla (pe Gates of the arctic), nomes accessibles x avioneta i fer uns dies d'acampada/supervivencia. Ha de ser espectacular!

Esperem que t'ajudi a planejar el teu viatje! I per preguntes/questions ... Email!

SCT (SantaCanton Tours)

Today is a day to travel. 300km by car through Alaska, 4.5 hours flying back to San Francisco and then, 4 more hours drive to Yosemite National Park, where we'll sleep, in some tents. We'll tell you about it. But still in Alaska, we've come across a moose in Anchorage, lurking in the parking lot of a shopping mall (see photo). And from the plane, we saw the fires in California, which cover Frisco with smoke.

What we've thought is that now that our trip in Alaska is fresh, we can comment on what we think of it and what we like and don't like.

Juneau (Ice Fiel) was great. Not only the glaciars, but only the rain forest landscape, a very different landscappe compared to the rest of Alaska. But getting there took time and money ... and there are other glaciear fields in Alaska. Maybe could have avoided it ... but no regrets.

Obviously, Denali is a MUST. The bus to Wonder Lake ... also a MUST. Go all the way, don't get scared by the 12 hours ... they go fast and the further you go, the more animals you see (thank the drivers, they'll show you the animals, they have a great eye). The rafting was a great activity, and not very expensive. If you have a car, there are great places to sleep (i.e Perch Lodge o Creekside). If you are looking for more adventure, take a tent (buy in Anchorage, just the food) and do a few days of backcountry. It requires a certain amount of logistics and due to mosquitos and bears, it is not for everybody.

Last we did was Fairbanks. With hindsight, probably the weakest part of the tour ... in the summer. The rest of the year it is an amazing place to view the Aurora Borealis (the night sky lights).

There are many places we did not visit ... alaska is huge. The most recommended is the Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage. We should probably have gone there instead of Fairbanks ... but yeah, no regrets.

Another great adventure, for those looking for more, is to go north of Fairbanks ... all the way to the Arctic Sea at Deadhorse, following the Dalton Highway. You need to rent a special 4x4, as normal rental companies don't allow you to take their cars there. On the way, you can go to Gates of the Arctic park, only accessible by plane and backcountry for a few days there. The real adventure!

We hope this helps you plan your Alaska trip. If you have questions ... email us!

[moose in a parking lot in Anchorage]

[Frisco under the smoke of the fires]

Rafting al riu Nenana (Denali)

06/07/2008
Despres d'una passejada x la vila de Fairbanks, em agafat l'autopista direccio cap a Denali. Abans ens em parat al poble d'Ester (Valverde), on, inversemblantment, no la coneixien.

La activitat del dia ha estat anar a fer rafting per riu Nenana, al costat del parc d Denali. Aquest riu es l'afluent mes virulent del Yukon ;), amb rapids de categoria 3 i 4 (el rafting de Sort te categoria 1 i 2, x ferse una idea). Lo millor es qe ens han posat davant del raid, mig capitanejant el grup. Una experiencia brutal!

Per acabar el dia em conduit fins a Talkeetna, a 100 milles d'Anchorage on dema agafarem l'avio cap a San Francisco. Sopar i repos en un local on feien jazz de poble. Per cert, k Talkeetna es un lloc molt pintoresc ... 800 habitants i amb carrer principal i tot, no ta mal x Alaska. I el lloc on estem ... hem fet el check-in i pagat a la panaderia de la planta baixa, rodejats de croissants i chocolate brownies ... :) vuras tu dema l'esmorzar!

C&C

Today started with a walk around Fairbanks town. The, we start driving south again, final destination Anchorage Airport. First stop was at "Ester" town ... we asked if they knew our friend Ester, but they never heard of her ... strange!
Today's activity was white water rafting down the Nenana River at Denali National Park, which is one of the wildest afluents of the Yukon River ;), with rapids of category 3 and 4. The best is that we got to captain the boat, as we were the most experienced on board (excluding the guide, of course :D ). Cesc was 1st captain, Cristian was second :P

To finish the day, we went to Talkeetna for the night. It is 100 miles from Anchorage, where from our plane departs tomorrow direction San Francisco. We have dinner at a nice local restaurant and then went to the local bar for some Jazz ... great! Did we tell you Talkeetna is a really pintoresc place? 800 inhabitants and even has a Main street, not bad for Alaska. And our hotel (Talkeetna Roadhouse)? we'll, we've checked-in at the bakery on the ground floor, surrounded by croissants and chocolate brownies ... my mouth is watering again! You'll see tomorrow what a great breakfast!

[Fairbanks downtown]

[Ester's village]

[Nenana River white water rafting]

[our car ... full of mosquitos]

[Jazz in Talkeetna]

Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs ... i baretos cutres

05/07/2008

Entre la son i problemes tecnics, tenim intrnet intermitent ... Xo avui enviem tot l'atrassat.

Avui, dissabte, ha estat dia relaxat. Hem agafat el cotxe direccio uns "hot springs" (aigues termals). Xo de cami hem parat a visitar una seccio de la "Alaskan pipeline", la tuberia que porta el petroli tret del mar artic, al nord, fins a Valdez, al sud, a 1500km. Aprox 1 milio de barrils diaris. Tota una obra d'enginyeria!

I despres, doncs a les termes aquestes, a Chena ... (Llo Challenge, xo a Alaska :D). I l'aigua esta hyper calenta ... I amb la calda q fotia (25 graus), pues ens hem kdat xafadets :) Ah, a la tornada hem fet mini-visita als highlights de Fairbanks: pioneer park (super mini parc d'atraccions, xo un museu d'avions interessant), i el museu de la Universitat d'Alaska.

I res, despres de sopar, una visita a un bar local, k com els d'ahir, pos diguem k ... Be, no diguem massa :) Molt de la zona, molt americans, gent molt pintoresca, molt d'Alaska :) Per si mai us trobeu perduts a Fairbanks: restaurant x sopar (Portabella) ... I els garitus de copes, a escollir: midnite maid, kodyak jack (amb toro de rodeo) i barracuda. The real american experience! :)

Una abrasada,

C&C

Due to lack of sleep and technical problems, we have internet access only sporadically ... But today we sent all the delayed material.

Today, saturday, has been a relaxed day. We drove to Chenai Hot Springs and on the way we stopped at the Alaskan Pipeline. This pipeline travels north to south, bringing the oil drilled in the arctic sea all the way to Valdez in the south of Alaska, some 1500km (1000mi), sometimes underground, sometimes over ground, and often through permafrost (frozen ground). Some 1 milion barrels a day. A great feat of engineering!

So, the Chenai Hot Springs ... extremely hot water ... which on a hot day like today (25 degrees C) was not the most appropriate thing to do ... we are really beat :) On the way back we visited some Fairbanks highlights: Pioneer Park (mini theme park, with a great aviation museum) and the Alaskan University Museum.

And then dinner and then a tour of the local pubs and bars, which, like the ones from yesterday, were ... ah! forget it! :D Very local, very american, very apart people ... very Alaska! Some names, just if you ever find yourselves lost in Fairbanks: for dinner, Portobella) and for a drink, Midnite Maid, Kodyak Jack (included rodeo bull) or Barracuda. Real american experience! :D

A hug!

Bye Denali, Hello Fairbanks

04/07/2008

Despres de la tunda d'autobus (que va valdre molt la pena), avui hem fet una bona dormida ... fins i tot el Cristian que esta tenint "problemes" amb aixo de les 21 hores de sol ha dormit d'un tiron :)

I res, avui hem fet un trekking x Denali, a Savage River ... K porta a Stampede Trail, on passa la peli d'"Into the wild". I ens hem trobat amb el mateix pavo de la universitat de fairbanks que ahir, i l'hi hem tornat a contestar l'enquesta :) diu que no enten com la gent resisteix vivint alla dalt ... A -40c!

Despres de despedir Denali ens toquen dues hores de cotxe fins a Fairbanks, la ciutat/capital de Alaska interior, 30mil habitants. L'allotjament es a un B&B, amb l'amo trotamundos millonari en bancarrota septuagenari d'Illinois: John Davies.

I nosaltres q esperavem festa grossa amb focs artificials ... Ens hem quedat amb les ganes: es fa fosc a les 12:30, tecnicament el dia despres ... ;er tant, no hi ha focs! :(

Cesc & Cristian

After the long bus ride (it is really worth it!), today we slept in a bit. Even Cristian, who's having some problems getting used to the 21 hours of sunlight has slept like a baby!

So, today we did a small hike in Denali's entrance, Savage River. This valley leads to the Stampede Trail, where the "Into the Wild" movie takes place. Oh, we came across the same guy from the University of Alaksa at Fairbanks ... and we filled in the same questionnaire as yesterday :D He says he doesn't understand how people live up there in Fairbanks at -40 degrees in the winter :)

After saying goodbye to Denali, we have a couple hours drive to Fairbanks, the major city of the interior, with some 30K inhabitants. We stay at a cute B&B, where the owner is a bankrupt millionaire 70-year-old original of Illinois ... John Davies.

And as said, today is Independence Day ... we were expecting some fireworks and a big party ... but none happens. Sunset is at 12:30, so fireworks would be rather senseless :(

Denali - bus, McKinley ... i ossos!!

03/07/2008 (revetlla del dia de l'independencia)

4:40 del mati toquen diana. A les 5:30 arranca el bus que, 6 hores i 150km despres, ens deixa a Wonder Lake, als peus de la plana de la montanya mes alta dels USA: Mount McKinkey (6100m). Paisatge sub-artic i tundra, gel i neu al rerafons. Nomes 1 de cada tres dies fa bon temps, i nosaltres hem vist ahir i avui la montanya sense nuvols!

De cami, rollo safari dins un bus ... Cada animalo es mereixia una parada x fer fotos ... aixi hem vist, per fi, ossos!! I un llop jalant-se una llebre ... Tb hem vist caribus, falcons, alces, aligues dorades ... I mes ossos amb les criatures! :) Ah! I uns de Manresa! Que petit es el mon!

I res, dema ultimes hores al parc i anar tirant nord, cap a fairbanks a celebrar el 4 de Juliol, dia de l'Independencia.

C&C

4:40 in the morning and the alarm goes off! At 5:30 the bus leaves ... a bus which, 6 hours and 90miles later, drops us at Wonder Lake, all the way into Denali, an at the base of the tallest mountain in the USA (Mount McKinley, 6100 meters). A sub-arctic landscape and tundra, ice and snow in the background ... beautiful. We've been fortunate ... only 1 in 3 days is good weather and we got a good view yesterday and today!

The bus ride is some sort of safari. The bus driver is great at spotting animals and he stops for us to take pictures. And so, we've come across a ... bear! at last! :D And a wolf with food in the mouth ... and of course, mooses, caribouss, eagles ... and more grizzly bears. Ah! we also found some people from Manresa (my home town) ... what a coincidence!

And tomorrow ... some more hours in the park and then drive a bit more to the north ... to Fairbanks, just in thime for 4th of July, Independence Day.