Through The Lens

Crazy Winter Weather

2008-12-28T17:35:00.001-08:00

The Pacific Northwest recently experienced nearly two weeks of below-freezing temperatures and wind storms, combined with the most snow we've seen since 1996. We finally had a white Christmas, though.

The Sammamish area, east of Seattle, got hit with some of the worst conditions.
First, we felt the chilling 14-degree mornings. Schools closed due to a "threat" of snow (no actual snow on the ground) the Wednesday before winter break began and stayed closed after the snow finally came Thursday, Dec. 18.

The snow days made for some nice sledding and leisure time. Most people had a perfectly legitimate excuse to work from home or simply not go in at all.

It's now 43 degrees and wet. All the slippery snow is slush, but it's nice to have the roads back and drivable again.

Here's the view of Beaver Lake Friday, Dec. 19, after the initial snow.

See the Sammamish Review and Issaquah Press Web sites for more snow photos and video.

www.sammamishreview.com

www.issaquahpress.com

— Christopher

Cool experience at a state football championship

2008-12-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

Check out my new multimedia work from the 2008 Washington state 4A Football Championship game between Skyline High School and Issaquah High School.

This video is the first for the Issaquah Press and I got to be the guy to make it.

Skyline won 20-15 and completed its second straight undefeated season. This was its second state championship in a row, as well. Last year, the Spartans won the 3A title game against O'Dea.

Stories and photos from the game are available at:

www.sammamishreview.com

and

www.issaquahpress.com

— Christopher

Cool travel video

2008-11-14T13:25:00.000-08:00

I want to go here right now:

Ibo Island - Sand Spit from Free to Adventure on Vimeo.

Travel Video

2008-11-13T17:28:00.000-08:00

Just found a funny clip from the Travel Channel. Thought I'd share it.

Anthony Bourdain ATV Wipe-Out from TravelChannelTV on Vimeo.

Not sure I'd want to eat at this restaurant. A little odd for me.

Anthony Bourdain - "Hospital Chic" from TravelChannelTV on Vimeo.

Dramatic Weather in East King County

2008-11-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

The clouds finally lifted a bit today and allowed people in flood-prone areas of eastern King County to clean up after the rivers crested earlier today. I happened to be driving home from work when the majestic clouds opened up over downtown Issaquah.

This is from the Highlands area on the Plateau.

More that I never published

2008-11-03T22:37:00.000-08:00

These photos come from my take on the Ruth Mountain trip in early August. Most of them are from the summit at 7,100 feet. The sunset photo is from our camp about 300 vertical feet from the summit.

Above is a spot on Icy Peak, where we stopped to fill our Nalgenes with snow melt straight from the snowbank. After six hours of tough climbing, that was the coldest, most refreshing break.

Photos that never got posted

2008-11-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos that have yet to make it on this blog only because I was too tired or too busy to post.

The first ones are from the Wooden Boat Festival in September...

Hang gliding off the Butte

2008-10-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Redmond, Wash. resident Tom Johns is gets a running start to launch himself off the top of Chelan Butte Oct. 12 in Eastern Washington. He said he has been hang gliding for years and has participated in day-long races. Chelan Butte has been an incredibly popular launch point for avid flyers over the years. Gliders take flight off the mountain and gain lift from the thermals coming off the ground, according to Johns' wife Lori Johns. People have been known to catch thermals and wind currents all the way to Oregon, about 150 miles away.

— Christopher

Photojournalist Wins TED Prize

2008-10-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

A photographer friend of mine from Western Washington University posted this video to his photo blog recently. World-famous photojournalist James Nachtwey is one of those photojournalists who inspires anyone who seriously wants to become a professional visual journalist. I studied Nachtwey's work as a student and continue to use some of his ideas in my work.

You can also click the title of this entry to see the presentation.

-- Christopher

Lake Chelan for a Weekend

2008-10-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long periods without material. I am not doing as much serious travel as I was last year. Despite recently finding legitimate jobs that we both love, Julie and I have still done some short trips out and about. The hope is to keep material coming. Mostly a photo or two at a time as we travel around our home, beautiful Washington state. Not going to run out of blog postings anytime soon. If you still check this, keep reading and viewing from time to time.

We recently spent the weekend in Chelan, where our family has a condo on the lake. I grew up going to the lake and spending time in town and at Chelan Butte. The drive to eastern Washington from Seattle is magnificent — I've rediscovered the absolute splendor of it after being away in other parts of the world over the past few years. The apples are the best in the world — it is the apple capital of the world, really. Some are the size of your head — almost.

Apples for sale in crates at a small Saturday market in Chelan. Locally grown apples run about $4 for a 5-pound bag. Quite a deal.

Manson, Wash. resident and long-time farmer Juan Laberrigue, 62, smiles as he prepares to close up shop on a late Saturday morning in October. He sells pumpkins and apples on the weekends and has been farming for 40 years.

2008-08-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

I recently spent two exhausting days experiencing the beauty and splendor of the North Cascade Mountains. It was my first climb and it was to the summit of Ruth Mountain.

Elevation: 7,100 feet.

The above photo is of the view we (my brother, David, my cousin, Phil, and I) had from our camp. After hiking four miles on a relatively easy forest trail, climbing up a dried-up waterfall trough and traversing a mile or so of snowfields, we found the flattest spot at the top of the snow bank to pitch the tents.

Oh, what a sight. The breathtaking vistas, combined with the satisfaction of much-needed rest, nearly bring an exhausted, relatively out-of-shape climber to tears. It's all worth it when you get to see the sunset and experience the calming silence at this elevation. Below is the view of Mount Shuksan (foreground) and Mount Baker at sunset from teh other side of our camp.

After a rejuvinating night's sleep, we awoke to this, looking northeast from just below the Mount Ruth Summit.

That morning, we summited (above photo) in 18 minutes from camp and then moved on to Icy Peak (below, from Ruth summit), which was another four hours of trekking. We didn't quite make it up the summit — too many vertical snow banks in our way and not the right gear to scale them — but it was still fun refilling our water bottles with pure snow-melt straight from underneath a small glacier.

This rivals my Inca Trail experience as the toughest thing I have done physically, but it was all worth it.

— Christopher

2008-07-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

LA BELLA STRADA ART FESTIVAL: AUG. 9-10

Christopher will be participating in the upcoming Allied Arts La Bella Strada Art Show Aug. 9-10 in Bellingham, Wash. The event will feature restaurants from around Bellingham, a chalk art festival and a wide range of professional artists from around the country.

Enjoy the Bite of Bellingham and peruse the plethora of artist tents along Cornwall Avenue (downtown Bellingham). The fastival runs Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Be sure to look for Christopher Huber Photography. He will have matted and framed pieces from his travels in Alaska, Washington and Latin America.

Prices are reasonable and the prints are archival quality. If you can't make it to the festival, but would like to see Christopher's work, visit www.chuberphoto.com. High-resolution digital copies of photos are available for $10 each and checkout is easy through PayPal.

2008-07-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

We got the chance to spend some time in downtown Seattle a couple of weeks back. It was for my brother's graduation ceremony — he graduated from the University of Washington with a biology degree and they held the commencement on Lake Union. The facility is part of the Center for Wooden Boats. Dozens of privately owned sail boats and large "project" boats are moored next to the building. This photo is of the side panels of the largest boat being restored there: the Wawona. The ship was finished on September 12th 1897 by master shipbuilder Hans Bendixen and was the largest three-masted schooner ever built on the West coast of North America, according to seanet.com. Built for the Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Company of Eureka California, Wawona is 165 feet long with a 36 foot beam and a depth of 12 feet 3 inches.

Below is the porthole of a private boat that is for sale for $140,000. The hull and floor are made of teak.

The Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival, put on by the Center for Wooden Boats, runs this weekend, July 4-6 in Seattle from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

2008-06-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

Living next to a beautiful park is a wonderful thing. At the end of spring, the huge, old trees that line the park blossom and fill the area with color, especially against the (not so common this year) blue sky. Next time you take a stroll through the park, look up and appreciate the change of perspective.

Old fashioned randomness

2008-06-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Pretty random, how I made this picture. It was the only shot I took this way, but with more experimentation, I think some great, rustic medium-format photos could come from this method.

All it takes is your digital camera and an old, cheap and easy-to-find medium-format camera. Compose the shot in the film camera, hold your digital camera in line with the viewfinder and shoot. It may take some tweaking to get your desired style and texture, but should prove to be quite fun, especially when you don't have to shoot with film if you don't want to.

— Christopher

The overlooked details in everyday life

2008-05-31T19:07:00.001-07:00

After somewhat of a drought, I have decided to publish photos from everyday experiences, interspersed with recent travel photos when possible.

Just one of those details you might not think are worthy of a photograph or any thought, for that matter. Use your imagination to construct the rest of the image.

— Christopher

Ahh, the market...

2008-04-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

Indeed, one of the finer, or at least one of the richest, experiences you can have as a foreigner in Cusco, Peru. Anyone who spends any time in the old Inca capital must forgo the tourist mainstream and slip into the awfully pungent yet eclectic and colorful atmosphere of El Mercado de la Merced, the Merced Market, named for the neighborhood and 14th Century catholic church nearby.

This market is one of, if not the largest open-air markets in the downtown area and is packed full of hundreds of farmers, craftsmen, small Andean women who bring their textiles from the mountains and shaw men selling herbs.

Booth set-ups like these are placed sporadically throughout the maze of raw meat, groceries, juice tubs, soup kitchens and wheels of fresh goat cheese. The vibrant colors are quite eye-catching.

— Christopher

Stone corridors part of a master plan

2008-04-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

Narrow. Straight. Towering. Bumpy. Old. These words describe the maze created by the ancient streets and alleys the Spanish constructed after the conquest in Peru roughly 500 years ago. However, much of the original Inca stone walls and street block layout in this former Inca military, religious and agricultural center remain the same.

Today, the streets form fifteen square blocks (canchas) that comprise the city. According to local guides, the city was originally laid out, somewhat abstractly, in the shape of an ear of corn, with an irrigation canal as the stem.

— Christopher

Ancient Ollantaytambo

2008-03-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Locals walk along a Spanish cobble stone street, lined by some of the oldest Inca walls in the Sacred Valley of Peru. The ancient fortress city of Ollantaytambo was the site of one of the final standoffs between the Inca people and the Spanish during the conquest.

Rustic Bicycle

2008-03-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

Although there is relatively a lot of traffic in the Sacred Valley town of Urubamba, you still see many bikes parked along the curb. People duck into small, hidden doorways on their bikes or they might just dump them on the secluded, dusty sidewalk for convenience. Sometimes, like I observed on numerous occasions in Costa Rica, you may see a teenager balancing their younger sibling, who is sitting between the seat and the handlebars, on the crossbar.

This image is everywhere in Peru. Especially in my favorite place — The Sacred Valley.

Downtown Cusco at Night

2008-03-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

The walk up the hill from the Plaza de Armas, along Calle Suecia, brings you to one of my all-time favorite viewpoints. On one side, you have the sprawling ruins of Sacsayhuaman (sexy woman), and on the other side, you have this.

At night, the bustling city, which is nestled in a bowl between mountains at approximately 11,500 feet above sea level, is aglow with the lights from the cathedrals and main thoroughfares. I could spend a lot of time here, as it is far enough removed from the noise of cars and barking dogs to observe in relative silence.

This particular photo is taken from a Catholic church perched atop the hill the entrance to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman. Stone and concrete benches are placed throughout the ancient Spanish courtyard, and on any given night you will find at least a half-dozen high school-aged lovebirds cuddling while taking in the view.

Fascinating Cusco Doors

2008-03-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

The more you walk around the oldest continually inhabited city in South America, the more you learn about its past through the doors — the wear and tear, the dirt, the multiple coats of thick paint, the colors, and even the surrounding walls.

Below: Probably one of the oldest Spanish doors I have seen in Cusco.

Below: This door is to a fancy Cusco restaurant in the Plaza de Armas.

Cusco, Peru: Doors

2008-02-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

During our four days in Cusco, Peru in early January, I made pictures of various doors throughout the city. As we wandered through the alleys and streets, the color, the age and the different styles of doors grabbed our attention. Many are probably from the Spanish conquest — the 500-year-old church doors, at least. They are so vibrant. And, collectively, they tell a story of the city's past.

Catching Up with Travels in Peru

2008-02-22T18:32:00.005-08:00

After taking a bit of a hiatus from travel blogging and work in Costa Rica, I would like to catch up with some visuals from a brief stint in Peru after Christmas 2007.

The Hubers recently found work in Whatcom County, Washington. Living in Bellingham, Chris is working as the sports and education reporter/photographer/editor for the Ferndale Record-Journal, while Julie is working as an instructional assistant for the ESL program at Burlington-Edison High School.

That's an excuse for not blogging as of late. However, we have not forgotten about the unending demand for user-based and -generated information and media (YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, etc.).

First things first...

Travels in Peru

The world-famous Inca ruins of Machu Picchu ("Old Mountain" in Quechua) is now a wonder of the world.

Just Chillin'

2007-12-18T18:41:00.000-08:00

A man stands in a storefront in downtown San Jose, Costa Rica. Evidence of the trademark "Pura Vida!" (Pure Life!) lifestyle throughout Costa Rica is the sight of (mostly older) men standing in doorways or in front of stores for hours on end. Many of those I met were old friends who hang out every day together and simply love to chat with people passing by.

Local men stand in front of a small general store in Boquete, Panama. For anyone, local or gringo aside, who is friendly and willing to chat, they will talk your ear off, giving tips for traveling in the area or stories about Boquete life in the past.

— Christopher

Pigeons Everywhere

2007-12-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

Pigeons take flight over people relaxing in the Plaza of Culture in downtown San Jose, Costa Rica. I have to be ready for whatever happens, so I always leave my camera on. I was able to catch the pigeons take off en masse above all of the people lounging in the plaza during the lunch hour because my camera was hanging from my shoulder. This was shot while walking through the city on my way back from an assignment. All I did was turn around and pull the trigger.

Pigeons surround a couple sitting in the Plaza of Culture in San Jose. Once the birds find someone with food, they all swarm to the source.

A father watches his daughter feed some pigeons in the Plaza of Culture in San Jose.

— Christopher

Homeless in San Jose

2007-12-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

From time to time, I snapped shots like this while walking back to the office after an assignment. People sitting or sleeping in doorways and under roof overhangs is a common sight. This area had virtually no pedestrian traffic, so it is a quiet place for some to rest. During the rainy season, any type of cover will do for those with no place to go.

— Christopher

Costa Rica Street Photography

2007-12-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

The next few posts will be of everyday scenes from my experience working in downtown San Jose, Costa Rica. Most, if not all, of these photos are candid shots that were taken from about hip level while simply walking through the city — slice-of-life moments. The goal is to capture people in a state of mind that is not influenced by their knowledge of camera or photographer.

In this photo, a man stands under a train tressel bridge near the Tico Times newspaper.

— Christopher

La Sabana Park

2007-12-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

La Sabana Park is the largest park in San Jose and is located on the West side of the city. It provides a pleasant setting for runners, friends taking a stroll and for those taking it easy on their lunch break. Surrounded by the loud, busy highways that lead out of the city, La Sabana is a center of quiet and calm for those who want to read the paper, feed the birds, or just sit.

The Basilica

2007-12-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

Our Lady of Los Angeles Basliica is located southeast of San Jose in the old capital city of Cartago, Costa Rica and is one of the most visited sites in the Central Valley. Since being partially destroyed by an earthquake, the basilica, which was built in 1639, was restored and constitutes a unique mix of colonial and 19th century Byzantine architecture.

This Basilica is also home to Costa Rica's second largest pipe organ.

Circus Festival in San Jose

2007-11-19T07:27:00.000-08:00

Performer Rodolfo Castillo, 27, of San Jose, balances a juggling club on his chin while attempting a time record Sunday at the Circus and Alternative Arts Festival in San Jose. The three-day festival ended Sunday with juggling, balancing and various other competitions.

— Christopher

Ping Pong At Lunch

2007-11-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a good old game of ping pong at lunch time. After shooting photos of Veritas film school students on a movie set, I got Chinese food for lunch. In the back were three ping pong tables. This man looked like he plays here every day. He had this intense look every time he hit the ball. He didn't give me his name.

— Christopher

Monteverde Weekend 1

2007-11-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

Julie, left, and Randi Hutchins, a student teacher from Colorado, read outside of our cozy little cabana that we stayed in for the weekend at Monteverde. From the room, on the property of Cabanas La Predera, you can see the Gulf of Nicoya in the distance on the Pacific Coast (see reflection in left window). For only $55 per night for four people, the stay was just what we needed: peace...and...quiet. Not to mention walking trails through the woods, two wonderful family dogs and beautiful gardens all around.

The outside of our place at Cabanas La Pradera in Monteverde, Costa Rica.

The four of us had plenty of space between the two bedrooms — one with three beds and the other with a queen — two bathrooms and the full-size kitchen.

Las Lajas, Panama

2007-11-05T08:22:00.002-08:00

Words can not adequately describe the Las Lajas experience...

Panama: Part 2

2007-10-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

On the first day in Boquete, Panama, Tico Times reporter, Manuel Valdes, and I spent about 7 hours exploring, interviewing sources and meeting local residents (ex-pat and native).

First stop: Paradise Gardens, owned by British ex-pats Paul and Jenny Saban. They started developing the property two years ago so they could turn it into a sanctuary for the endangered animals they rescue and breed. Today it is a thriving botanical-like garden with various species of macaw, owls and monkeys, not to mention the tent with dozens of species of orchid.

As soon as we arrive, Maysie, a 6-month-old howler monkey, greets us on the porch. She is friendly and full of energy, pouncing on our heads if we get too close.

We walk a little farther down the path and find more baby monkeys (without diapers on). The macaws and cockatoos start to squawk. The Sabans provide a home for hyacinth, scarlet (below) and green-wing macaws, as well as a few types of cockatoos, like the molackan cockatoo (above).

I get the stare-down from the green-wing macaw (above).

The Sabans allow visitors to meander through the property for $5 per person. Paul says they may get about 20 people per day during the peak travel season, which starts in January, but they also work with local schools to educate students on wildlife conservation.

— Christopher

Panama: Part 1

2007-10-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Finally across the border into Panama, it takes another hour to get to David. However, we have to stop once or twice more for police and guards to check our passports and documents — the ones they checked at the actual border. Gotta be sure those innocent looking Americans aren't up to anything like smuggling an unclaimed duffel bag of greater than $10,000 into Panama, right?

From David we catch a Boquete-bound bus from the other side of the same central bus station at which we were left by the Tracopa bus. It's only $1.40 per person — they use dollars and balboas — for an hour-long ride into the mountains on probably the longest and straightest two-lane road we'll ever see. Something interesting we notice here is that, possibly because we're out in the countryside, but possibly because we're out of Costa Rica, the houses are not connected, there are no 8-foot fences with gates, and they actually have property — large front lawns with grass. Even in David.

Riding this bus takes me back to elementary school. It's an old yellow school bus that was converted to a commuter bus by installing a rear door and hand rails in the ceiling. It feels, sounds and smells like an old Blue Bird school bus back home.

We ask the driver where to get off just in time for our stop near the roadside Mexican restaurant. Our hostel, Valle Primavera, is just down the street in a quiet part of town about an 8-minute walk to downtown.

It gets dark at around 6 p.m., so when we get to our room the geckos are out. They're all over the porch light cover and a few are in the room and on the bed. We have seen only a few types of gecko in Costa Rica and Panama — nearly 1,200 species of gecko exist in the world.

A cozy bed and a cute critter are a nice welcome to Panama after 9 hours on a bus.

Road to Panama: Part 3

2007-10-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

In the fertile Southern Zone of Costa Rica, the road is lined with enormous pineapple farms. They seem to reach the base of the mountains.

It's time for lunch in Buenos Aires, Costa Rica. We get a half-hour to rest and eat in the mid-day sun. Typical buffet options are rice, black beans, pineapple or watermelon slices, chicken or beef, vegetable salad or potatoes. It only costs about $3 for a plateful and a drink.

Julie chats with friend Ian Phelps during the lunch stop in Buenos Aires. Only about four more hours until the destination — Boquete, Panama.

We arrive at the Costa Rica-Panama border after about six and a half hours on the bus, only to stand in three different lines for about an hour. One to leave Costa Rica. Another to buy a tourist visa for Panama. And one more to enter Panama. Apparently the system has not yet been streamlined. Maybe it's an excuse to get foreigners to buy more snacks and things from the poor vendors. While in line, a woman forces you to pay for a $1 sticker, which she fastens to one side of your tourist visa, only to have the immigration officer rip that half off for her records.

Almost there.

Road to Panama: Part 2

2007-10-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

Bus passengers take a break at a rest stop in Costa Rica along the Interamerican Highway en route to Panama Oct. 12.

The bus takes us from San Jose and winds through mountain passes and through river valleys along the Inter-American Highway. We pass by numerous villages and homes with small family-run stores that offer snacks for travelers, but this one has ample room for the 40-foot tour bus to park and let us off. We stretch, take a bathroom break or buy a snack and are on our way as fast as we got there.

Corn, peppers and tomatoes at the rest stop along the Interamerican Highway en route to Panama. Most of the stores and fruit and vegetable stands one may encounter display their produce in bins out in the open. Many vendors hang bananas and bags of onions from the ceiling.

— Christopher

The Road to Panama: Part 1

2007-10-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Early-morning start: This past weekend, Chris, Julie and fellow Global Student Teaching student and Wisconsin native, Ian Phelps, took a nine-hour bus ride from San Jose, Costa Rica to Boquete, Panama. The purpose was partially for Tico Times work and partly for vacation. The bus left around 7:30 a.m.

It's important to buy snacks and drinks before squeezing ourselves into the 55-passenger motor coach for half a day. Therefore, a balanced diet of Gatorade, coffee and cookies would have to suffice until lunch.

Above, Ian stocks up at the Tracopa bus station in San Jose.

Old or abandoned buildings are scattered throughout San Jose. The ride out of the city takes half an hour to 45 minutes because of urban sprawl and traffic congestion.

By the time we've settled into our seats and prepared for the long journey, the scenery changes. Most of the rest of Costa Rican landscape consists of small towns and coffee and fruit farms. We do, however, travel through a large river valley and a mountain pass.

Costa Rica's First Referendum

2007-10-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

Residents of Puriscal, Costa Rica sit along the sidewalk downtown. Oct. 7 in this rural town about an hour from San Jose, like most towns across the country, felt like any other Sunday. The only difference was that many of the residents went to the school to vote for or against CAFTA after church.

Here, a woman searches for her name in the voter list at the polling station Sunday in Puriscal. More than 1.4 million Costa Ricans turned out to vote for the free-trade agreement with the United States. That is more than 60 percent participation in the first referendum in the nation's history.

Puriscal resident Jose Adrian Delgado, 42, places his vote Sunday at a polling station in Puriscal. About 7,200 residents voted in this rural town outside of San Jose.

— Christopher

CAFTA Vote Sunday

2007-10-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

A driver sits on the roof of his car while others stand in the middle of Second Avenue in downtown San Jose Costa Rica Thursday to watch a rally for the "yes" campaign. People for the approval of the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) blocked the main street for more than an hour around lunch time to voice their favor for the free-trade pact that will be put to a vote Sunday in the country's first ever referendum.

The gathering, which some simply considered a traffic nightmare that worsened the already messy transportation situation in the city, was a last-ditch effort by the "yes" campaign to swing opinions and rally voter turn out.

Student body president Ricardo Solis is the leader of an anti-CAFTA campaign at the University of Costa Rica.

Recent poll results released by Costa Rica's La Nacion newspaper Oct. 3 revealed that 55% of the more than 1,200 Costa Rican polled were against CAFTA, while only 43% said the will vote yes. Many attribute the declining support for the agreement to the recent scandal involving leaked emails between high-ranking government officials who proposed questionable campaign tactics.

— Christopher

Scotiabank, San Jose

2007-10-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

A window washer dangles nearly ten floors above Paseo Colon while he cleans the Scotiabank building Tuesday in downtown San Jose, Costa Rica. Scotiabank is now the largest private bank in Costa Rica after recently acquiring and completing an integration with Corporacion Interfin in San Jose.

— Christopher Huber

Calm in the Orosi Valley

2007-09-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

Children play in the street and business goes on as usual Thursday in the quiet, rural town of Orosi, Costa Rica. The Orosi Valley, in the county of Cartago, is a lush, fertile area full of coffee plantations and various other crops. Some consider the Orosi valley the most beautiful valley in Costa Rica.

Two girls try to gain their balance on a bicycle while riding down the street in downtown Orosi.

Anti-CAFTA in Paradise

2007-09-27T21:54:00.001-07:00

As the Oct. 7 referendum approaches, anti-Central American Free-Trade Agreement (CAFTA) sentiment is spreading to the hills across the Costa Rican landscape. It quite literally is written in the land in a town called Paraiso (Paradise).

— Christopher

CAFTA Graffiti

2007-09-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

A man walks past a wall near the Legislative Assembly building in downtown San Jose, Costa Rica Tuesday. Many walls around the government buildings are covered with mostly anti-Central American Free-Trade Agreement (CAFTA) messages — this one stating "Mesoamerica (Central America) in a fight."

Costa Rican voters will decide the fate of the extremely controversial trade pact with the United States in a referendum Oct. 7.

Cemeteries

2007-09-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Tres Rios Cemetery with the city of Tres Rios in the distance. Cemeteries throughout Latin America consist of tombs built above ground. Hundreds of the tiled tombs are adorned with flowers, crosses and statues of Jesus or the Virgin Mary.

Rows of tombs in the Tres Rios Cemetery in Tres Rios, Costa Rica.

— Christopher

La Feria de Tres Rios

2007-09-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

A woman totes a cart filled with fruit she bought at the feria (farmers' market) Saturday in the San Jose suburb of Tres Rios, Costa Rica. Hundreds from the surrounding neighborhoods flock to the center of town to buy and sell fruit, vegetables and arts and crafts. Young boys are seen pushing wheel barrels down the street to to carry home their food.

A vendor sits at his booth along the street Saturday in Tres Rios.

Among the produce and arts and crafts sold at the feria are various types of fresh pressed or squeezed juices. This juice vendor actually has a sugar cane press, which is right next to the containers of juice, that they use to extract the sugar for the drinks. Guarabana juice is a popular refreshment throughout Costa Rica.

A customer, left, inspects some produce while the vendor arranges his products at the feria in Tres Rios Saturday. Among the plethora of fruit and vegetable vendors are a handful of vendors who sell flowers.

A man sets up shop away from the main crowd, but near the central park, to sell bananas out of the trunk of his car Saturday in Tres Rios.

Cartago Ruins

2007-09-21T18:21:00.001-07:00

These church 100-year-old church ruins draw tourists to the city of Cartago, about 24 kilometers southeast of the Capital city of San Jose, Costa Rica. Before construction was finished, church was destroyed in the 1910 earthquake. This is where, last Friday, president Arias, news crews and hundreds of residents gathered to participate in pre-Independence Day festivities. That included the torch bearer lighting the cauldron at the main steps of these ruins.

— Christopher

Rainy Season in San Jose

2007-09-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

Workers try to install a drainage pipe on a second-story gutter Sept. 16 in downtown San Jose as torrential rains turn the streets into rivers. The rainy season is here and recent downpours have caused serious damage across the country, including sinkholes and major flooding.

— Christopher

Day Trip to Irazu

2007-09-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Julie, Chris and David spent the weekend bumming around — we actually only work 40 hours a week or less, now. On Sunday, we took a bus from Tres Rios to Cartago and waited at the 500-year-old church ruins for the bus to the top of Volcano Irazu. The bus took us up through the hills and past small farms overlooking Cartago to just over 3,400 meters (11,000 feet). From there, we spent about two hours walking around to view the two craters.

As we approached the fenced-off edge of the walking area, the faint odor of sulfur wafted up from the base of the crater below. To one side was an open field of black volcanic sand. To the other side a fence, and then, a drop off.

Down below lay the calm green water of the lagoon 300 meters (almost 1,000 feet) down. This is the largest crater, which is more than a kilometer across.

It was cloudy, and a bit chilly at that altitude, so we meandered along the fence, waiting for a break in the clouds or looking for any new views down into the crater before heading to the cafe for a snack and a "cafe negro." Before entering the cafe and gift shop, we stoped to take pictures of the tentative, but friendly coatis.

They were searching for food in the parking lot, the garbage cans, as well as any hands extended with bits of food. The five of them moved like they were on a mission, moving like agents searching a home for evidence. Coatis are actually a lot like racoons — they're related — but they have the ablity to hang from or support themselves with their tails.

We finally made it to the cafe and gift shop to rest and kill time before the bus left for Cartago. It's not that we would have bought trinkets or anything if the prices were good, but it was the most expensive gift shop I have ever been in. We drank our coffee and ate our snacks. Then we sat. Waited. Talked. Watched the clouds roll by. And then, we walked around the parking lot for a bit and got on the bus to return to town. It was a fun trip, one of hopefully many more here in Costa Rica.

— Christopher

Independence Day Celebrations in Cartago

2007-09-15T20:15:00.001-07:00

Demonstrators chant against the the approval of the Central America Free Trade Act Friday during pre-Independence Day celebrations in Cartago, Costa Rica, east of San Jose. Costa Ricans will vote in a referendum Oct. 7 to approve or reject the controversial trade pact with the United States.

Costa Rican president Oscar Arias watches pre-Independence Day festivities Friday in Cartago, Costa Rica. He later gave a speech, highlighting Costa Rica's 186-year Indepencence from Spain, as well as the upcoming CAFTA referendum, Oct. 7.

— Christopher

Downtown San jose, Costa Rica

2007-09-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

This downtown pedestrian street runs for about four blocks through the center of San Jose´s governmental complex and near the National Museum. I take the bus to work every day and walk through this to get to the office of the Tico Times.

Temperatures stay between 75 and 80 here in winter (it is early winter right now), and every other day, more or less, we have torrential rains for an hour to two hours.

- Christopher

Downtown Juneau Views

2007-08-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

The golden dome and cross of the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Juneau, Alaska shimmer as Mt. Jumbo looms in the distance. This 113-year-old church is the oldest continually functioning orthodox church in Alaska. This church played an important role in building a relationship between the native Tlingit clans and the settling Christian community beginning in the late 1800s.

— Christopher

Daaaaaaa.....BEARS, da bears, da bears......

2007-08-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

You just gotta love the bears......

Black Bears Stealing the Show At the Glacier Visitor Center

2007-08-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

A female black bear catches a sockeye salmon in Steep Creek near the Mendenhall Glacier. She soon disappeared into the bushes to share it with her two young cubs.

The black bears (some cinnamon and some black in color) have been stealing the show lately for all of the cruise ship tourists who visit the glacier. We can count on their appearance pretty much daily on the Steep Creek trail near the visitor center. Some days there are five and most of the days, the mother black bear brings her two one-year-old cubs to the creekside to feed on the spawning sockeye salmon. People love it.

— Christopher

Mt. McGinnis: Steepest Hike Ever, But Breathtaking View

2007-08-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

I got off early the other day and decided I would finally scale one of the area mountains that I have wanted to for some time now — Mt. McGinnis. The trail gains nearly 3,500 feet in five miles and was one of the steepest, most difficult hikes I have done (not counting the Inka Trail in Peru). The very tip was clouded over, so I stayed only about 300 feet below the summit to rest and set up for the panoramic shot. I met my friend and coworker, Dan, at the top and we took in the stunning vantage point. All of my muscles ached for at least a few days.

From left to right: A view up the Mendenhall Glacier from the back side of McGinnis; center, the terminus of the glacier flows into Mendenhall Lake and points toward the valley, where most of the 31, 000 residents of Juneau live; to the right in the distance is Douglas Island and Auke Bay.

This is a view from the Mendenhall Valley, where we live. On most days, we can see part of the mountain, and rarely is the summit clear of clouds.

— Christopher

Interested in Photos?

2007-08-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

We have had a number of people who expressed interest in Christopher's Alaska photos. If you would like to purchase signed 5X7($6) or 8X10($8) prints, rather than purchase the digital copies online, please contact Christopher at photogchris@yahoo.com to request the print(s) you would like and form of payment. Postage is included.

All of the photos from this blog are available.

Cheers

Bears at the Mendenhall Glacier

2007-08-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

A two-year-old cinnamon black bear lies in wait after being chased up a tree by a sow. The mother bear was fishing with her two one-year-old cubs when this young male interfered in their activity near the Steep Creek Trail in Juneau.

As tour guides, Julie and I visit the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center at least three or four times a week, usually more like six. Viewing the glacier is less interesting as the summer goes on. But now that the sockeye salmon are running (to spawn) in Steep Creek, the black bears are out in force. This is a recent development out here in the last week or so. I have seen the mother (sow) with her two year-old cubs feeding on salmon twice in as many days. This happens directly below the elevated boardwalk on Steep Creek. Today the mother chased this young male up into this tree to protect her cubs and then calmly meandered out of sight, only to return to the trail, walk right underneath us (me and about three dozen visitors) and catch an unsuspecting salmon about 30 feet in front of us in the stream. Pretty cool stuff. And, just think, I get to see this nearly every day.

— Christopher

2007-07-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Beads of water accumulate on a blade of grass during a rainy Juneau day.

I was already soaked today while riding home from work, so I stopped to photograph the rain drops accumulating on the plants and blades of tall grass along the bike trail that we ride home each day.

A transient orca surfaces for air while traveling through Stephen's Passage near Juneau, AK.

Julie and I went whale watching with one of our tour groups. They found a group of these orcas that does not travel with the rest of them. Apparently they had just killed a sealion when our boat arrived in the area.

— Christopher

Summer Dogsled Camps in Juneau

2007-07-21T11:38:00.001-07:00

The dogs at a summer doglsed training camp near Juneau, AK await being chosen for the 14-dog team to pull a 10-person cart. About 120 dogs — some of which will run the famous Ididerod sled race through the Alaska interior — live at the camp during the summer tourism season.

Most of our drivers don't get to do this trip. They gave me a van and I followed another driver up into the hills near Thane (three miles south of Juneau), where we passed by the ruins of the Alaska-Juneau Mine. The road opens up into this valley about 800 feet above sea level, where people experience the summer training camp for dogs and mushers who will run the Ididerod this year or next.

— Christopher

Glaciers and Clouds in Juneau, AK

2007-07-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

A view of the Taku Glacier from helicopter. The Taku is the largest glacier in the Juneau Icefield at more then 30 miles long and five miles wide at its terminus.

Early evening clouds hang over Juneau's Auke Bay and the Coastal Mountains of Admiralty Island.

Only God could make this

2007-07-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

After work we spent about four hours fishing and sitting by the fire on the beach at False Outer Point on Douglas Island last night, 7.7.07. The sun set like this for nearly two hours and did not fall behind the mountains until around 10:30 p.m. the eagles came out and tried to catch jumping salmon right in front of us near the beach.

Our ride to work in Juneau

2007-07-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Julie and I bought bicycles as soon as we arrived in Juneau to work for the summer. In stead of buying a car and paying exorbitant prices for gas, we ride eight miles along the Old Glacier Highway to work every morning, and back again in the evenings. Save money, get daily exercise, experience God's early-morning creativity with the sun through the trees and the mist. This turned out to be a beautiful day, by the way.

— Christopher

Alaska Wildflowers

2007-06-23T22:21:00.001-07:00

Wild lupine near the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center. I have found purple, white and pink lupine along the roads and throughout the forest in Juneau.

— Christopher

Whale Tails

2007-06-10T00:43:00.001-07:00

Juneau has some of the best whale watching excursions in the world. Humpback whales migrate from Hawaii to Alaska each summer to feed on small fish and krill near Lynn Canal and Stephens Passage, which are between Juneau and Skagway. Today I got to go on an Evening Quest whale watching trip with passengers from the Carnival Spirit. Allen Marine crew take us from Auke Bay to North Pass, near Shelter Island and Admiralty Island. With temperatures in the 70s in Juneau Saturday, the early evening ride was perfect in jeans and a T-shirt. Humpbacks typically eat one ton of food per day and they usually feed on their own, so as to not get in each others' way. One only sees the whale's fluke (tail) when they do a sounding dive -- a deep dive to around 200 feet below the surface.

-- Christopher

The Mendenhall Glacier

2007-06-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

The Mendenhall Glacier flows 12 miles from the Juneau Ice Field at around 5,500 ft. above sea level to its terminus at just about sea level in the Mendenhall Valley. This glacier is one of the most easily accessable glaciers in the world and is Juneau's most visited attraction. Lately it has been reflecting more blue from deep within the crevasses. This is due to the fact that blue is the only color wavelength that can bounce back out of the extremely dense ice. On more cloudy days, the glacier is more blue because the clouds filter out the harsh sunlight that penetrates the ice and makes it more white.

Some people use the Juneau Ice Field as an example of global warming due to the fact that many of the 38 large glaciers in the area are melting -- the Mendenhall is losing 300-600 ft. of ice off its terminus every year. However, two of the largest glaciers in the Juneau area, the Taku and Hole-in-the-Wall glaciers, are getting bigger. That means enough snowfall is accumulating on the ice field to create glacial ice in place of the ice melting away from the terminus.

-- Christopher

Bald Eagle Released Near Mendenhall River

2007-05-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

A female Bald Eagle was released May 28, 2007 after being taken in by a local family in February. The Juneau Raptor Center held a release gathering for the bird and said she was in captivity because she was so sick that she could not fly. They expect her to do fine now. A few fellow drivers and I were staging our motor coaches near the Mendenhall River between duties and observed a gethering of people at the park there. All of a sudden a we saw this eagle swoop out of the parking lot and circle around the bridge to the tree in the photo. She stood there for a while as a heckling raven prodded with his beak at her.

-- Christopher

God's Country

2007-05-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

Juneau supposedly had its most rainy summer on record last summer. The downtown area averages about 100 inches of rain per year but had much more than that last year for the tourist season. Adding to that, 200 inches of snow fell this winter -- twice what they usually get. In the first two weeks with cruise ships in town, we have already had six days in a row of sunshine and temperatures in the high 60s/low 70s in Juneau. Locals say that's more than all of last summer.

As I rode my bike home from a long day at work, Twin Lakes, on the mainland Juneau side of the Gastineau Channel, were calm while the sun set. The mountains of Douglas Island, West of downtown Juneau are reflected in the lake.

-- Christopher

Juneau Wildlife

2007-05-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

The Juneau area is in the middle of the Tongass National Rainforest -- the largest temperate rainforest in North America at 17 million acres. It is home to many black and brown (grizzly) bears. This two-year-old black bear recently awoke from hibernation and began foraging near the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center on a busy day. He ended up spending a good 20 minutes in the tree, eating and checking out the visiting cruise ship passengers.

-- Christopher

Alaska Tourism

2007-05-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Nearly 1 million cruise ship passengers will pass through Juneau, Alaska between May 7 and September 27, 2007. I get to show some of them around this beautiful state in a 40-foot motor coach.

I just started my second season as a driver/guide for Holland America Tours/Gray Line of Alaska. Julie joins me in June after graduating from Western Washington University. Julie and I got our Commercial Driver License in 2005 and worked for the company that summer, covering all of the highway tours in the Anchorage area. In 2006, I spent the summer as a photo intern for the Skagit Valley Herald in Mount Vernon, Wash. Julie was a counselor for the YMCA. We decided to move back to Juneau because we knew that we would get good hours and also be home every night, rather than being on the road for hours on end. Either way, we're here for the good money from the crazy overtime hours -- we work upwards of 80 hours per week -- and to meet new people. The money is going for our travels abroad to South America this September.

--Christopher

Bilingual Public Education

2007-04-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

Caption: West View Elementary first-grader Rachel Omdal writes part of the morning message in Spanish on the board in Valerie Lopez’s classroom April 12, 2006 during their homeroom time. The students are a part of the dual-language enrichment program implemented in the 2004-2005 academic year by the Burlington-Edison School District.

I recently completed another feature story about a dual-language program in an elementary school in Burlington, Wash. It was a follow-up to the original story written in 2006.

Writing these stories taught me a lot about the education system: educators are working really hard to teach cultural appreciation and produce multi-lingual citizens and the students truly grow in all aspects of their education. It's nice to see that educators have acted on research that has said for years that students learn a second language much easier when they are in elementary school.

Of course, there are problems such as underfunding and lack of immigrant parent participation in their child's education, among others. They are getting better, though. But these programs are spreading throughout regions with growing immigrant populations and will hopefully become even more popular nationally.

According to the Center for Applied Linguistics, there are 338 Two-Way Enrichment programs in K-12 schools. There are actually many more than that, many schools have just not yet registered. These programs continue to get media attention and seem to have great success. In my experience, the program (in its third year) is certainly breaking cultural barriers, improving students' skills across the board -- in both languages -- and involving parents in their child's education.

If you're interested, read the first story in Klipsun Magazine at WWU (click on the title of this entry) and then look for the next one sometime (not sure when they will publish it) in ESL magazine, www.eslmag.com

- Christopher

Skagit Tulip Festival 2007

2007-04-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

On April 11, we spent the day in the Skagit Valley and wandered around Tulip Town to see the tulip fields. The festival lasts through the end of April and draws visitors from around the world. While visiting, one can parouse the tulip fields on foot, take a tractor ride for $1 and view the newly installed peace garden, which was started in the Netherlands and is now installed in 16 cities around the world.

Here We Go...

2007-04-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my first blog. Over the next year or so, I will be working and traveling outside of the continental U.S. I will be working in Juneau, Alaska with my wife, giving tours to cruise ship passengers and driving a tour bus. In September, we are headed to San Jose, Costa Rica to live with a local family to become fluent in Spanish and pursue my freelance photojournalism career and for my wife to teach Spanish in an international school. Then we will fly to Peru and live in Cusco, exploring and getting to know the innerworkings of life high in the Andes.

I intend this blog to be my connection to all those interested in our adventures. I will post whenever I can, likely as a photo blog, to give viewers an idea of the people we meet, the work we do, and the places we see.

Thanks for viewing.

Christopher Huber