SUNDAY PALEO / November 27, 2011

Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile. More on the trip this week. ANTHROPOLOGY

Study: Humans were catching tuna 42K years ago  
“The latest evidence comes from an excavation on the southeast Asian island of East Timor where remains of tuna and other deep-water fish were uncovered inside a cave. Using dating techniques, a team led by archaeologist Sue O'Connor of Australian National University determined the age to be 42,000 years old — making it the earliest evidence for ocean fishing.” – CBS News

From the Cave to the Kennel 
“This account is now falling apart in the face of new genetic analyses and recently discovered fossils. The emerging story sees humans and proto-dogs evolving together: We chose them, to be sure, but they chose us too.” – The Wall Street Journal

MODERN DISEASES

Chocolate May Cut Women's Stroke Risk 
“The new research is yet another study that shows the health benefits of chocolate, says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, a cardiologist and director of Women and Heart Disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. She agrees that picking chocolate wisely is important. "What we have been recommending is at least 70% cocoa," she says.” – MedicineNet

The Hidden Toll of Traffic Jams 
“As roadways choke on traffic, researchers suspect that the tailpipe exhaust from cars and trucks—especially tiny carbon particles already implicated in heart disease, cancer and respiratory ailments—may also injure brain cells and synapses key to learning and memory.” – The Wall Street Journal

 NUTRITION

Adherents to Paleo diet find weight loss success by eating like our ancestors 
"‘The evidence to support eating grains is underwhelming,’ says Michael Roussell PhD, a Livestrong.com adviser, citing a recent Harvard study that found that, contrary to what we've been trained to believe, simple sugars and refined grains are more detrimental to our health than animal fats.” – austin360.com

How to Eat More Vegetables 
“It’s been my experience that people rarely have trouble eating more meat when going Primal. Sure, former vegetarians may struggle with the transition, but the average omnivore usually welcomes the opportunity to indulge more often. Vegetables, on the other hand, seem to present more of an issue.” – Mark’s Daily Apple

RECIPES

Herbed Halved Chicken
“We served the chicken with roasted winter squash and I made a quick coleslaw with shredded green cabbage, diced apples, sliced almonds, with olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar for the dressing.” – Everyday Paleo

PALEO DIET RECIPES IPAD APP – A COOKBOOK FOR A MODERN PALEOLITHIC DIET 
“Recipes from the app are heavy on lean meats like fish and poultry, fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts and natural herbs and spices.” - Pursuitist

URBAN FARMING

URBAN FARMS, SUPERSIZED. LARGEST EVER ROOFTOP GARDEN TO BE BIG AS FOOTBALL FIELD 
"A trio of German entrepreneurs is hoping to convert an old industrial building in Berlin into the world's largest rooftop farm. Plans for the self-sustaining organic spread, which should be up and running by 2013, include a fertilizing fish farm on the building's top floor." – Worldcrunch

John Michael: Voyage by Sea

The boat we are on is a cargo ship retrofitted to carry passengers. Its exterior furnishings, the railings, staircases, and benches, are all built of cast iron and wood. “Be careful not to slip and bang your head,” the captain warns us as we board. He is a round man with a beard and a German accent. “We are taking you on a cruise,” he continues, his voice projecting over the heads of the passengers gathered around him, “but this is still a cargo ship.” “It makes you think that a boat is a very utilitarian thing,” my father comments, examining the trailers in the cargo bay as we ascend the stairs to our quarters, “or at least this one is.”

Only a few hours out of Puerto Montt, the last settlement before the slender strip of land that is Chile breaks into a scattering of islands stretching south, the sky turns grey, and a pale mist obscures the horizon. Rain spatters the windows of our boat, accompanied by a wind that blows the hats from passengers’ heads and sends them sailing aftwards. Whenever the doors of the lounge open now, a billow of salty air enters, chilling those seated nearby.

Whether it’s the hypnotic one-two beat of walking, the sudden lurch of a plane at takeoff, or the swerve of a car as it turns, each form of transportation has its own sensations. In calm waters, I feel the chug of the diesel engine, which causes the entire boat, from the bathroom mirrors, to the chairs in the cafeteria, to vibrate slightly. In rough waters it rocks, sometimes from side to side, and other times from front to back, moving to the rhythm of the sea.

While the surrounding islands, forested and silent, show no signs of habitation, the boat itself is filled with the chatter of passengers. The young gather in the cafeteria and listen to music as they play cards. Several older passengers sit in pairs, conversing sedately, while others sit alone, with a book or a diary in their hands. The ship’s crew, who wear blue coveralls, work in silence, except for occasional moments of banter that suggest the camaraderie they must enjoy behind the doors that read, “Crew Only Beyond This Point.”

As passengers are brought together by proximity and purpose, a boat can quickly become a community. Among the sailors crewing Magellan’s ships, which sailed these waters almost five centuries ago, their common goal was to circumnavigate the globe, a feat never before achieved. We are here for a less impressive reason: to be awed by the archipelago of southern Chile, and take pictures of its mountainous islands to accompany the stories we will bring home.

Perhaps this is why sea vessels are so prevalent among metaphors that represent our position in life. From the common saying, “Don’t rock the boat,” with its implication that we are in this together, to this poignant passage from the Great Gatsby, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past," the voyage by sea succinctly captures our journey through life.

Which makes me think of what tremendous endeavors these voyages were for ancient humans. They had no diesel engines, navigational computers, nor airtight hulls. With boats built by hand, they intrepidly faced the immensity of the sea, whose opaque waters might have contained anything, from the most unimaginable monsters, to the most unexpected treasures.

For many cultures, the boat became more than just a means of conveyance across water. Some northern European peoples set their dead adrift in ships that were lit afire before disembarking. In the Philippines, many tribes believed the afterlife was a paradisal island reached by sailing a boiling sea. If you had been wicked, your boat would tip, and you would be scalded eternally in the bubbling waters. What all of these represent, from the most common sayings, to the most sacred myths, is that the voyage by sea is a fundamentally human undertaking. We enter a boat, and then, upon loosing our moorings, we separate ourselves from the known world, becoming a cluster of people sailing across the waters, with only the mysteries of the sea below us, and the wonders of the sky above.

View of Puerto Montt & 32 person lifeboat

View along the port

November 11: On Navimag

By Dr. John

Breakfast at the bus station in Puerto Montt is a hit: Churrasco al Plato con Huevos. After a brief stop at the "internet caffe", we take a cab to the Navimag Ferries boat terminal. We realize we could have walked there by taking a left out of the terminal and walking along a curving road about the length of a block.

Navimag, I suspect, was created from the words "navigation" and "Magellan". We arrive early and and take seats in the waiting area as 196 people from around the world slowly gather in the station. The commonly heard languages include Spanish, German, English, and Swedish. At noon, we board Navimag.

A cargo and passenger ferry, Navimag is a common route from Puerto Montt to southern Patagonia. In addition to cargo, mostly vehicles, our boat carries 196 passengers and 46 crew. While many, like ourselves, are heading to Torres del Paine, others are off to other destinations such as Tierra del Fuego, the land of fire named during Magellan's voyage through the strait that bears his name.

Following a snack provided just after boarding, we walk on deck, take pictures, or settle in the pub. Dinner, served in two shifts includes salmon, bread roll, rice, small peaches, and mandarin. I pass on the bread and rice and fortunately my request for two salmon servings is granted. You can also get extra fruit. (Bring some packaged paleo goodies, declare them, they get in without problem.)

Boarding a Navimag Ferry

Internet cafe, bus terminal Puerto Montt

Churrasco al Plato con Huevos

John Michael at Terminal del Sur, Santiago

Terminal del Sur, Santiago

Book fair in converted rail station, Santiago

November 10: Arrival in Santiago, Chile

Cell phone image inside airport, Santiago, Chile

By Dr. John

The overnight flight is not crowded and sleep comes while stretched across 3 seats. Entering the country the following morning requires three forms and a fee. The Pago de Reprocidad (Entry Reciprocity Fee) is $140; a credit card works fine.

The Tarjeta de Turismo (Tourist Card) includes your name, passport number, and the reason for the trip: Vacation, Business, Conference, Health, and Other. I am not sure of the Health one, but hopefully it refers to outdoor activities.

The third form, the Welcome to Chile Affidavit, a declaration of what you bring into the country. Items for disclosure include fruits, vegetables, and meats including "fresh dried, dehydrated, frozen, and argo-processed". I declare a package each of SeaBear wild salmon, Five Star teriyaki ahi tuna jerky, and several Tanka Wild buffalo sticks and bars. I should have brought more.

My oldest son, John Michael, traveling from Buenos Aires were he has lived since January, is there to meet me. Stepping outside, we find Santiago bathed by a clear, sunny, cool day. A cab takes us to the central market repleat with fresh catch from the nearby fjords and the Pacific. Lunch of sole and salmon at the Galeon, recommended by the cab driver, is delicious. Bottled spring water, Vital, found at almost every stop, is clear and without aftertaste.

Following lunch, we find a nearby Internet caffe - there are many around, however, most don't serve anything. Often small electronic stores, they sell internet access in 15 minute increments. After sending e-mails notifying family and friends of our arrival, we walk in the town center and stop at a book fair held in an classic, converted railway station.

A cab takes us to the Terminal del Sur (southern bus terminal) for an overnight ride to Puerto Montt. The small snack or breakfast boxes mostly contain grains and are avoided. Simple lesson: carry on your Paleo treats and declare them.