Brasilia

A work trip brought me back to Brazil, this time to its capital, Brasilia, to present at a side event as part of an assembly. The city was planned in the 1960's to be seen from above with the future in mind. It's shaped like an airplane with government ministries running along the plane's body, and apartments along the wings. I was staying somewhere off the plane's nose, along the shores of an artificial lake and next door to the president's palace. The hotel's claims to fame, in addition to its unique architecture, was that the German national team stayed there during the World Cup (I was excited, but deemed it too soon to bring up with any Brazilians), and that many of the "Car Wash" corruption deals were executed here. Personally, my favorite parts were their lobby and swimming pool.

The Golden Tulip's lobby

view from the lakeside

The assembly kicked off with an event at the radio tower, placed on the highest point in the city and along the plane's body, suggesting the importance of technology to their future. The football stadium was not far from this importance, naturally.

View from the Radio Tower down the "plane's" body

the football stadium

Opening event at the RedLAC Assembly

Remarks by the US Ambassador to Brazil

RedLAC is a group of climate funds who have the cool/challenging task of generating funds and then distributing them to create and strengthen protected areas, among other things. I was there to present a reporting tool we developed through the Firecast project, taking NASA's satellite date and tailoring the information into a format that the funds could easily use to monitor their portfolios and see how to allocate funds for things like fire suppression. A really useful tool, but at the end of a long day of presentations I think we were equally excited about the appetizers. Hopefully with a few main funds starting to use this, by the next assembly the other funds will start to show interest, too.

The main sessions

The final day of the Assembly was a field trip to the Cerrado, the natural scrubby woodland in the region that's mostly been converted to cropland and pasture. A landowner had decided to create a private reserve so that locals and school groups could see what the land looks like in its natural state. We rode to the trailhead in open trucks before hiking through the area, stopping at a few natural waterfalls to swim in the pools of cool water below and when our guides wanted to point out some of the interesting plants and their traditional uses.

view of the Cerrado

At the trailhead

One of the natural swimming spots along our hike

Back at the main house, I befriended a woman in the group from Guyana named Pat as we waited in line for the buffet lunch. Bonding over our mutual love of mangoes, she talked about how she'd climb the trees when she was younger to pick the fruit and noticed several ripe ones on the large trees around us. Asking our guides if we could harvest a few, I was delighted by the miscommunication with the owner when he came back with a bag full of mangoes he'd picked for us. Mango picking would have to wait,but I learned to eat mangoes Guyana-style--biting into the skin and peeling it off with your teeth. Even messier than usual, but so delicious!

Bonding over mangoes

On our final day I took a last trip to the handicraft market and the mall to pick up some souvenirs, including some nature-inspired Havianas with dragonflies on them that supports one of the funds. Growing up in the land of shopping malls, it was interesting to see how Brazilians do them. Unfortunately, navigating it took a little longer than planned so we didn't make it to the cathedral before it closed, but here's the view from the outside. I believe the design was inspired by the crown of thorns Christ wore on the cross. A little disappointing, because I'm told the view inside with the stained glass is stunning.

In front of the catedral

Next time!

Ziplines with "Little Billy"

Papa Koenig turned 75, and I was able to be home for the celebrations before heading to San Diego for the annual GIS conference. Just like his 70th we went zip lining, this time closer to home. It was so much fun we may not wait until he's 80 to go again!

Biltmore or Bust!

In keeping with tradition, this year's Memorial Day weekend jaunt with Kara was to Biltmore, North Carolina. The largest house in America, it didn't disappoint. It was stunning! Adding to the fun was an exhibit they had throughout the house of costumes and wedding dresses used in period movies, and an exhibit in their museum of the Vanderbilt weddings. The grounds were massive, and designed by the same landscape architect who did Central Park. I may have enjoyed the rose garden the best, but there were many different types of gardens to enjoy and the weather was perfect.

My favorite-smelling rose in the rose garden

the kitchen

You know they're planning to stay awhile when George Vanderbilt monogrammed his house in stone!

Staying in Asheville, we also enjoyed the food scene there for dinner, and took some time on Sunday to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. They had a concert for Memorial Day weekend at their visitor's center, and we took a short hike to Craggy Gardens and enjoyed the rhododendrons. 

Craggy Gardens

Craggy Gardens

Craggy Gardens

Dining in downtown Asheville

Even the drive back was picturesque!

These poppies were a great reminder of Memorial Day

Cousin Weddings and Side Trips

When the girl cousins gathered to do the flowers for Hayley's wedding in 2014, we had so much fun we decided we'd do it again for the other kids. At the time, I don't think I realized how quickly my cousins' kids would find their sweethearts, but in rapid succession I had the chance to return to Utah to see family and help with flowers. A few of those involved some fantastic side trips.

It started with Makenna and Zander's wedding in December, 2015 on my way home for Christmas.

Makenna's bouquet

Taking a break at Taste with Beccy and Celeste

Makenna's reception

And continued that spring with Hannah, Nathan, and Anna's weddings. Before Hannah and Bob's wedding in Logan, I was able to visit a DC friend and stay in their hotel in McCammon, Idaho. They've transformed a historic brick building into The Harkness Hotel, and it was so cool to see their dreams become a reality--not to mention soaking in the nearby Lava Hot Springs under a clear night sky.

Chillin' in The Harkness Hotel's lobby

Congrats, Hannah and Bob!

Cake flowers

Hannah's reception

Bride's bouquet from Nate and Michele's wedding

Less than a month later, I was back for Anna and Chandler's wedding. This time, the side trip started in Arizona with a bucket list: the Grand Canyon. I grew up in southern California, minored in Geology at BYU, and yet somehow never manged to make it there. The National Park Service Centennial was the perfect excuse, and with a pair of friends from Vienna and DC it didn't disappoint. Our first day was spent hiking along the South Rim, and my friends were great sports as I geeked out on the geology ("it's the the Vishnu Schist!"). The sunset was gorgeous on the red rocks as condors soared on the uplifts. The next day was the big hike. We didn't have time to hike to the bottom, but still managed to hike over a thousand feet down the South Kaibab trail to Cedar Ridge. Looking up to the rim, it felt like quite an accomplishment, but even from this viewpoint the canyon floor was far below. Taking our time and having the proper gear, I was surprised I didn't feel exhausted by the time we finished, and enjoyed the rest of the day as we visited the Village and made it out to the Desert Watchtower in time to experience a powerful thunderstorm. Driving north the next day continued to give a sense of its scale, and hopefully this won't be the last time I visit.

View from the South Rim with Jen and Amy

sunset on the South Rim

view from Cedar Ridge on the South Kaibab trail

Our hotel was near the Grand Canyon Railway

Pre-wedding pedicures

Working on bridesmaids bouquets for Anna's wedding

Visiting the new Provo City Center temple

Each wedding was exhausting and wonderful, a great time to see family and to celebrate it growing. And after so many visits, it was odd to leave not knowing when I'd visit Utah again.

Manaus Day 6: Workshop, Day 2

Not only was today the last day of my trip, it was also the official reason why I came, as I presented my initial results for their feedback. Our project was to use existing datasets to identify areas important for food security, including non-timber forest products, across the Amazon basin. It was great to have engaged participants who gave a lot of knowledgeable feedback, including proposing a different methodology. Combined with a great facilitator, the day flew by. Unfortunately my post-workshop celebrations were cut short, though, as a map request from our division head before his next trip meant I worked right up to our leaving for the airport.

All our handicraft shopping brought an interesting challenge as we checked in: what to do with my colleague’s bow and arrows. Not surprisingly, they weren’t keen to let him take traditional weapons on the plane as carry-ons, and they seemed too fragile to stick in our checked bags. Thanks to some socks for padding and a lot of plastic wrap, I’m pleased (and surprised) to report that it returned to the US intact and we made it through customs. Our pre-workshop trips helped me appreciate where we were, but our nighttime return flight means while I appreciate it, I still can’t wrap my head around the sheer vastness of the Amazon.


Update: you can read about the analysis and see my maps of this project at http://bit.ly/2kKgj6Y and http://arcg.is/2ceXN3t

Manaus Day 5: Workshop, Day 1

After all the vacationing, today we got down to business with the first day of our workshop. Sitting in a conference room doesn’t really compare with boating through the jungle, but it was interesting to meet the stakeholders and experts from other NGOs in the region. And dinner was at another restaurant by the Opera House, allowing us another chance to see the historic old city.

Workshop mode

Manaus Day 4: Field Trip!

Today was set aside as a pre-workshop field trip, and for the attendees with less time they really got some of the highlights while giving us a slightly different experience than the weekend. The day started with a quick trip to the fish market to help us appreciate the variety available locally before taking a boat to the Meeting of the Waters. Just downstream of Manaus, the root beer waters of the Rio Negro meet the muddy waters of Rio Solimões to form the Amazon River. Different pH levels, oxygen levels, and possibly different temperatures, the crazy thing is that they don’t mix for several miles, flowing side by side in the same channel (presumably at the same velocity).

The Meeting of the Waters

Motoring back up the Rio Negro, we stopped at a hut where a man had captured local wildlife for tourists to see up close. It’s not really something I support, especially as one of the critters was a large snake, but I had to admit it was pretty cool to see a sloth up close.

Sloth!

Our next stop upstream was an indigenous village. The tribe had chosen to move closer to Manaus to allow tourists to visit as a source of income while attempting to preserve their culture—a tough balance. We climbed up a few flights of stairs from the river bank to their village and were greeted by some of their men before entering a dimly lit large wooden building. The villagers were all in traditional dress and performed several dances for us, including us in one by the end that was basically holding hands and walking in a circle in time to the music. Afterward we had a chance to buy some of their handicrafts and try a traditional delicacy of roasted insects—both of which I declined. Instead, I wandered out back to see some of their structures and their pet macaws.

Indigenous person

From there we went to another facility for more ”swimming” with pink dolphins (i.e. standing on a submerged platform), but unlike the other facility this was just for our group. It was still impressive to see these creatures up close, and once again I tried not to think about what else was swimming in the dark waters that I couldn’t see. After watching them be fed raw fish, we had fish for lunch ourselves but cooked with delicious sauces and accompanied by rice and beans. Just as our lunch wrapped up, the heavens opened to a terrific downpour that was amplified as it hit the tin roof over our heads. It gave us a chance to linger a little longer at this place to enjoy their hammocks and wait for the rain to die down a bit before taking the boat back to Manaus.

More pink dolphins!

Lunch + hammock + downpour = great excuse to relax

Eventually we left, keeping the clear rain tarps down on the boat. The combination of the heat, the boat’s loud motor, and the endless green scenery made it easy to nod off a bit on the ride back, so I’m not sure how long it was before we docked at a classy hotel upstream of the city. The elegant lampposts were an interesting juxtaposition with the jungle as we climbed the stairs to the hotel’s entrance, and I felt a little underdressed as we entered the lobby. This was the kind of place with its own helipad, but I assume they’re used to tourists returning from jungle excursions in violation of any potential dress code.

The drive back to our hotel was uneventful with one happy exception: shortly into our drive, we passed the Manaus LDS temple. This temple had a sort of mythical status to me before this trip, as I remember hearing about a temple in the middle of the rainforest with its own dock, where patrons arrived by boat. It looked fairly typical for a temple from the road but after scanning the riverbanks the whole trip it was nice to finally see it, even if we didn’t have time to actually stop there. Our day concluded at an Asian restaurant near the hotel, a reminder of how connected our world really is sometimes.

Manaus temple!