REI's return policy

Not the best red jacket money could buy.

REI has a wonderfully generous return policy: if you are every unsatisfied with any product, for any reason, return it whenever.

That red jacket in the picture?  It was advertised as a "versatile wind and rain layer."  Well, it was a great wind layer.  But it wasn't very waterproof.  Even worse, one the rain soaked in the thing took forever to dry out.  No exaggeration - it would take a few hours of sitting around in a tent before the dampness was noticeably gone.

So I did what any rational person would do - I returned it.  REI kept up their part of the bargain and refunded the entire amount.

But here's the catch - 4 months later, I sort of deeply regret that decision.  Sure, I got some money back.  But through that whole experience that jacket became part of the trip.  It's like I gave away a photo album, or something.

So, oddly, I probably won't do that again.  Next time I'll love my red jacket, with all its endearing flaws.

Getting a Chinese Visa

Also brought to you by the Communist Party of China

China's bureaucracy exudes a terrifyingly efficient coldness from the get-go.    

I sort of dread the idea of going into any country's consulate, to do anything.  It's like going to the DMV, except a little bit more annoying and the stakes can be higher.  Things that come to mind are bureaucracy, long lines and weird hours.

China is no ordinary country though.  The minute you step through the door, something is wrong.  And by wrong, I mean right.  There are separate queues for separate issues.  There's even a numbering system so you can just take your number and patiently wait the grueling 5 minutes it takes for them to process the twenty people ahead of you in line.

The woman looked at my visa application, nodded, and said one word: "tomorrow."  Really?  That easy?  When I came back the next day my visa was ready.  The guy took my credit card, charged it without saying a word, and waved me on.  The entire process took about 30 seconds.

Swiss efficiency in a developing country with over one billion people.  That made me pause and think for a bit.

Go forward!  In an organized and efficient way!

Tying up loose ends

So I realize my blog posts ended way before my trip did.

I made it home safely to the States, and spent a hectic 7 days getting ready for the next part of the trip.  There were lots of last-minute shopping trips, visits to the Chinese consulate and aggressive trip planning.

Eventually I made it to Europe, a civilized break, for just over a month.  Then I headed East, to Mongolia and China to round out the trip.  China and Mongolia couldn't be different, and they were both very impressive in their own ways.

I'll make a real effort to post the rest of the pics over the next few weeks.  The opportunities for photography were still incredible, even if it wasn't from the saddle of a motorbike in South America!

El Che!

Forgot to post this a while back.  I was caught in the middle of a street protest in Bolivia and managed to snap a few pictures.

While the only people with Che t-shirts in the states are hipsters and fringe leftists (I don´t say that to be offensive... but it is only a fringe, isn´t it?), he is still kickin´in Bolivia.  I couldn´t catch the details, but basically a political rally by miners for a more left-wing local government.

Random Pics

Here are a few that missed the regular updates...

Chuquicamata open pit coal mine near Calama, Chile.  The world´s biggest open-pit mine.  It is about as deep as the grand canyon and a few miles across.  Those tiny little dots on the bottom are actually giant Caterpillar trucks.

Hard to grasp the scale here... each of those terraces is between 30 and 80 feet high.  You can just barely make out the construction traffic if you look hard.

Peruvian burger chain, Cuzco, Peru.  Lots of really interesting flavors.

Overwhelming gas station signage, Atacama Desert, Chile.  5 star bathrooms, see-saws, food, indigenous pottery, and they even have a blank box in case they need one more!

McColloso sounds more impressive than ¨waffle cone¨.  Santiago, Chile.