Jungle Ice Cream. A Memorable Scream for Ice Cream.

 

Imagine being in a jungle. It is hot and humid. You are sweaty. To tell you the truth, ice cream isn’t even on your mind. Then someone asks, “What do you remember about going to the city?”

 

I've spent time in 3 or 4 villages in the Amazon Basin in Brazil, near the equator. The villages were all along the Negro River, a major tributary to the Amazon River. The people living along the river are referred to as 'River People.' Life is made up of houses on stilts, canoes and paddles, families and village members inking out a living from the river and the jungle around them.

 

Many ‘river people’ are Christian. But there are many villages that have little or no religion. For medical attention villagers go to Manaus. They buy whatever they need and sell whatever they can make or trade. Obviously, the influence of Manaus, and the growing wealth of Brazil is impacting the ‘river people’ and the indigenous. Their villages generate electricity a few hours each day so they can watch soccer, and other entertainment and keep up with news on satellite TV. They have cellphones, even if cell coverage is limited. Many teens have cell phones that provide endless hours of gaming and make nice photos.

 

A couple of us were talking to some kids on my second visit to the region and someone asked one boy, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Given their access to media, some responded they wanted to be entertainers, sing all over the world and make lots of money. Others simply wanted to go to Manaus to work and make lots of money. Some of the younger children simply wanted things, jewelry, clothing, and motor cycles and cars. Never mind that there are no roads in the jungle, only the river.

 

The surprise that day was this small boy wanted to eat something he had eaten on one of his trips to Manaus, but couldn't remember what it was called. We played 20 questions. You know, what color was it? Was it a meat or a plant? Was it hot or cold? Bing! It was cold and white. Finally we guessed. It was ice cream. It was a memorable scream for ice cream. You know the old line, “I scream; you scream; we all scream for ice cream.” I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist this childhood chant.

After talking about this experience with my travel-friend Steve, another American, and how we take some of the things we have for granted, we got to wondering. I thought the idea was mine, but Steve, my travel mentor believes he put it into words before me. “Why don't we go to a village and make some homemade ice cream for kids” we said! The idea was electric. We decided the next time we went to Amazon we were going to do this.

Well, planning for and preparing to make homemade ice cream in the jungle was a beginning point for our next trip. First, we needed to consider the ice cream maker or “freezer.” It needed to be the old fashioned hand cranked kind, because we couldn’t count on having electricity. Also, one freezer would only make about a gallon of the pearly stuff. We might need more than one freezer. We would need rock salt. And what about milk? Then we thought, could you even get these things in Manaus? What about eggs and cream? We needed to consider keeping these items refrigerated. We needed a recipe that was fool-proof in the hands of a couple of guys who seemed to be in-charge, me and Steve.

Once I got home, I asked my wife about ice cream recipes and she came up with the one we regularly use at home. It did not require eggs or whipping cream, but it did require canned evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla pudding mix. It was a tasty recipe from my experience, and not hard to freeze, even though I had always used an electric freezer when I made it.

We decided to remove as many obstacles out of the equation as possible. We would need only two things on the river: whole milk and ice. We would take everything we needed with us. That included (for each freezer):

 

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz. can)

1 can sweetened condensed milk, i.e. Eagle Brand (12 oz. can)
1 large package vanilla instant pudding mix (i.e. a 5.9 oz. package)
Vanilla extract to taste (at least one tablespoon).
Whole milk (to fill freezer). A typical freezer will make about a gallon of ice cream.

Additional items we thought we needed:

Whisk.
Spatula.
Rock salt (1 box per freezer). Rock Salt typically comes in 4 lb. boxes.
15 lb. of ice per freezer and an igloo to keep it.
Long-handled, sturdy spoon for dipping ice cream.
Chocolate syrup and nuts as optional toppings. Hershey’s Chocolate comes in 12 oz. cans.
Small cups and plastic spoons.

 

The photos included are of our team making ice cream and the children eating it. Sure, some of the river people have had ice cream in Manaus. But none had ever had it in the jungle, miles up the river from the city.  And then there were some who had never had ice cream at all.

 

What was the motivation behind this crazy plan? Simply put, it was to make a memory, to do something that would be significant for someone that they might long remember. These are things that aren’t easily done. In doing it you say, not in words, but with your action, “You matter.” “We love you.”

 

The thing that jumps out now to me, I don’t say “You matter” enough.

 
Scripture has many examples that say, “You matter.” Here are a few:

Scripture

Matthew 26.6-13 – When Jesus was in Bethany, a woman came, broke open a container of expensive perfume and put it on him. Some complained that it was a waste. Jesus told them, “She has done a beautiful thing. Whenever the Good News is told, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Acts 3.11-12 – When the beggar (who could not walk who used to sit at the gate near the temple was healed) clung to Peter and John, all the people around them were astounded. Peter and John explained to them, “We didn’t heal this man. This man was healed by God in the name of Jesus.”

Acts 11.23 - When Barnabas arrived at Antioch and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve of the heart. Together, Paul and Barnabas spent a year with the Church at Antioch.

Acts 14.21-22 – After helping people in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch become believers, Paul made efforts to strengthen their faith by encouraging them to continue in the faith, telling them, “You will have many problems on our way into the kingdom of God.””

Romans 12.10 – Outdo one another in showing honor.

The Fiery Gizzard Trail. Beautiful and Rock Hard.

The Fiery Gizzard Trail (FGT) is one of the toughest trails I’ve hiked in a long time.  It is said that Backpacker Magazine has rated it one of the top 25 hiking trails in the United States. My 2 old hiking buddies, Luke and Greg did this trail with me on Veterans Day (November 11) of this year. If you have been following the news on this and its related trail, Dog Hole Trail (DHT), the State of Tennessee and the landowner have not been able to work out terms or come up with enough money to make the land purchase. The trail is scheduled to close to hikers on December 1, 2015. It was reason enough to spur us on, to experience the current trail configuration (FGT, DHT, Raven’s Point & FGT), to enjoy the view from Raven’s Point, and spend time together. We enjoy picking on one another.

 

Luke and I met Greg in Murfreesboro at 7 am and drove to the Fiery Gizzard Trailhead in Tracy City, Tennessee.  The trailhead is located on the southeast side of the town. We arrived at the trailhead about 9 am, change into shorts and boots, and after a couple of photos took the challenge of this trail. I suppose I should admit, we may have been a bit under-prepared mentally, because we had failed to note what others have written about this trail, “The section which starts at the Grundy Forest Natural Area Picnic Shelter and climbs the plateau to Raven Point is perhaps one of the most rugged and difficult trails in Tennessee. The terrain in the gorge is steep and extremely rocky.” Fortunately we made a loop-hike to Ravens Point, using Dog Hole Trail (a 2.8 mile trail), and the 5 mile section of trail described above, after our return from Raven Point.

 From the Grundy Forest Natural Area picnic area and parking lot (trailhead) we hiked the Fiery Gizzard Trail to Dog Hole Trail, a mile and a half (1.5 miles) from the trailhead. Along this section we hiked over several hiker bridges and at 1.3 miles took a short side-trail to see Sycamore Falls.  It is a twelve-foot high waterfall with a nice swimming hole. It was too cold to take a swim, but we did manage to photograph it. It was here that I fell. It had rained for several days prior to this hike. Rocks were wet and leaves concealed the slipperiness of them.

At mile 1.5 of the Fiery Gizzard Trail we came to the Dog Hole Trail. Taking this trail provided us with a loop-hike experience.  We hiked out of the gorge, past a “Dog Hole” coal mine to the gorge rim. It is about a half-mile from the bottom of the gorge to the plateau top.  There are two pipeline crossings (Natural Gas Pipeline) in the area. Dog Hole Trail runs along the east brow of the plateau and is a pleasant trail, with a few stream crossings and even a couple of plateau views (to the west). At 1.2 miles on Dog Hole Trail we hike past a side-trail to Yellow Pine Cascade and at 1.9 miles past another to Werner Point Overlook. Trail guides advise hikers to stay on the trail.

 

At 2.8 miles Dog Hole Trail ends, meeting Fiery Gizzard trail. The junction with Fiery Gizzard Trail provides two main choices. Initially, hiking north leads the hiker traveling south to Foster Falls (and an area known at Foster Falls Small Wild Area). The trail heading south leads north in a short distance and then into the gorge. There is also a short trail to a campsite. We take the Fiery Gizzard to return to the trailhead, but before it drops into Gizzard Cove (gorge), we encounter a half-mile side-trail to Raven’s Point. We hike the side-trail to the overlook.

 

We arrive at Raven’s Point Overlook at noon. The view to the south of Gizzard Cove is spectacular. Directly below the bluff are trees in beautiful shades of yellow and orange. I suppose I should mention it was a beautiful day with temperatures in the sixties. A perfect, late fall day for hiking.

 

 

We take a few photos of the views from the overlook and a few vain photos of ourselves enjoying lunch at Raven’s Point. We are there about 40 minutes. We know we need to hustle back because daylight hours at this time of year are few.  We calculate we need to be back at the trailhead by 4:30 pm if possible.

 We hike back the half-mile to the Fiery Gizzard Trail and almost immediately descend steeply into the gorge. The trail is very rocky and rough. In places there are rock fields so large it is impossible to identify a trail without the aid of blazes on trees. You hike or scramble across these “rock gardens” to a tree with a blaze and look for the next tree with a blaze.  Sometimes you hike on a bit further looking for the next blaze. It takes considerable time to transit this portion of the trail.

Somewhere near the end of this section Luke lost his footing on the muddy trail and fell head-long on to nearby rocks, nearly into Fiery Gizzard Creek. He lost his glasses for a time.  We were careful about helping him up, in part because he weren’t sure how injured he was and in part for fear of stepping and breaking his glasses. Leaves made the task more difficult. Blood was evident, but not so plentiful as to be of great concern. He said he was alright. We cleaned, dressed his wounds and hiked on. When he got home later in the evening, the injury warranted a stitch. I don’t know if he saw any heavenly bodies when he fell. For me he did the thing in slow-motion.

 Approximately two-miles from the trailhead we come to an area known as the “Fruit Bowl.” It is a file of house-size boulders with a stairway leading down among them. They are covered with moss and seem to put life into perspective. The cove in this area was beautiful. There are hemlocks, ferns, and flowing water. Given Luke’s injury, I might add, rock hard.

 

 

In another half-mile we come to the junction with Dog Hole Trail, completing all the “new” trail we will have hiked on this adventure.  We hike past Sycamore Falls and over the trail bridges and arrive at the trailhead at 4 pm. We celebrate the accomplishment with pizza at a local restaurant.

News reports suggest the State Department of Environment and Conservation will be relocating portions of these trails to state owned property, largely in the gorge in the coming years. Before you go, check with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for any relevant closure and relocation information on these trails. Then, prepare yourselves mentally for this 10.3 plus mile hike. Be advised, it is beautiful, especially in the cove and it is rock hard.

 

Scripture

Psalm 18.2 - The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield, and horn of my salvation.

Romans 9.31-33 - The Law is like a rock field. We stumble across it. The sure way is to walk by faith.

1 Peter 2.8 - Christ is the living stone, the cornerstone of the building.

Chimney Tops Trail. A Hike with a Scare Factor.

On Monday, September 14 my brother Richard and I hiked the Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We met at 8:45 am at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. We left his car at the Visitor Center and drove south on Highway 441 approximately 7 miles to the Chimney Tops Trail trailhead (TH). The parking area and trailhead are on the right as you head south. We arrive at the TH about 9:15 am. The elevation at the trailhead is about 3500 feet. The climb to the pinnacle is about 4,800 feet, an overall gain of 1300 feet, depending on how high you ascend the first pinnacle.

The parking lot is just a bit more than a pull-off, so it is limited in the number of vehicles it can accommodate. It was good idea to leave one car at the visitor center, even though there were only a few cars there when we arrived. At 2:15 pm that afternoon there were cars waiting to take our spot. It confirmed the many hikers we saw in the afternoon. We put our hiking boots on, take a few photos and begin hiking at 9:30 am (all times hereafter are EDT).

I begin in shorts and fleece jacket; Richard wears jeans and a jacket. Temperature is in the low-sixties. We first cross Walker Camp Prong, and then Road Prong over two more footbridges. In total we cross four footbridges, climb a few rock stairs and reach the junction of Road Prong Trail and Chimney Tops Trail 30 minutes later (10:00 am). The trail signs indicate this is .9 miles from the TH. If you take Road Prong Trail to the left you can reach the Appalachian Trail. We take off our jackets. We also meet a couple from New York hiking up and talk to them for 30 minutes. We take photos of ourselves and the trail sign.

 

We resume hiking at 10:30 am. It is a beautiful, sunny day. I am glad I am only wearing shorts and a long-sleeve shirt. [Note: The time on my Nikon D300 is 4 hours off EDT and the time on my Nikon AW100 is one hour off.)

At approximately 10:45 am we encounter Lyon’s Turtleheads (wildflowers) and I take photos. We continue hiking. We encounter many long staircases. The second half of the hike is much steeper than the first half. The elevation climb is over 900 feet over the course of a mile, a steep section of trail.

 

At 11:20 am we enjoy a trail view of Sugarland Mountain. It runs along the trail to the west of us. A few minutes later (11:30 am) we arrive at the base of the first pinnacle. Several other hikers hike a third of the way to the summit of the first pinnacle. The section has foot and hand-holds. One couple ventures a bit further. I take several photos. To the east is Kephart Mountain and Mt. LeConte. We’ve been told the views from the top of the pinnacle are 360 degrees and includes Mt. LeConte.

It takes us 2 hours to hike the 2 miles and reach the base of the first pinnacle (9:30 to 11:30 am). There are “Advisory” signs warning hikers of the dangers climbing the rock pinnacles. It was obvious why there are many injuries on this portion of the “trail.” We spend 45 or 50 minutes at our “approach location” to the summit for lunch and watching others attempt the second third to the pinnacle. We see no one go on to the summit, an estimated 100 yards from the trees at the base of the summit standing guard.

 

Richard and I venture 30 yards, or the first third of the ascent to the summit of the pinnacle but no further. From there the slope becomes much steeper and slate rocks are much smoother. It would be a scramble to the top of this rock outcropping. While we eat our lunch of power bars, M & Ms, and drink water, we think back 50 years when we had both hiked the Chimney Tops before. Neither of us remember actually hiking to the summit and neither of us thought we had not. We were in our early 20s. Nothing would have stopped us. We were confident we had done it then, but this was now.  Maybe there was another trail at the warning sign that allowed hikers to summit the pinnacle. Perhaps, that trail had deteriorated. We didn’t know. The day is beautiful and the view would be wonderful, but the risk for injury just seemed too great for a couple of geezers. We have balanced the scare factor with the thrill of a view and consider ourselves winners (anyway).

We depart our “approach location” to the summit around 12:15 pm. It was a good morning.

 

The steps down are hard on some knees and Richard slows his pace up a bit. I find a patch of Purple Turtleheads and a few Pale Touch-Me-Nots in another place and take many photos. They are beautiful. In late May and June, we are told the trail is alive with Flame Azalea, Rosebay Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Bee Balm, Wild Geranium and other wildflowers.

 

We reach the junction of Road Prong Trail and the Chimney Tops Trail at 1:30 pm.

At 2:00 pm we reach the third foot bridge (third from TH). We reach the TH at 2:15 pm. It is considered a “Moderately” difficult trail, but if the trail were much longer and the grade more like the second mile, it would be classified as “Strenuous.”

It takes us 2 hours (12:15 – 2:15 pm) to reach the TH to Chimney Tops. From there we go to an early celebratory dinner out of the park.

Scripture

Exodus 19.3 - God brought Moses to Himself at Mt. Sinai.
Isaiah 40.4 - Every mountain and hill will be made low when man sees God's salvation.
Matthew 4.8 - Jesus was tempted on a very high mountain.

The Secret Ingredient to Coke. The Mystery Solved.

Last week I was reminded of a great mystery, the secret formula of Coca-Cola. I was with my two grandsons in Atlanta, the home of the famous drink. My grandsons, Shepherd, age 8 and Leighton, age 6, Mimi, who is ageless, and I went to the World of Coca-Cola Museum. It was much more than I thought it would be. It featured aspects of the soft-drink industry that I am sure my grandsons might not have thought about, like the bottling process, the history of the product and the secret formula embedded in its very history.

The museum includes a vault where the formula is kept, an interactive area with green bottles, questions about the taste of Coke, the problem of imposters and fakes, and a 4-D Movie that builds on the "secret" theme. The guys enjoyed the bumpy ride the movie gave them and all the hype, but they weren't much interested in getting a photo with the Coca-Cola polar bear. He is big. Scary to a couple of little boys? I don't know.

It was a well spent day (actually a half-day). And afterwards we went back to the hotel so they could swim. That evening we went to an Atlanta Braves baseball game. It was late when we crawled into bed. I heard nothing about the secret coke.

Well, the next morning, it was a surprise to me, when they both simultaneously announced to me, "We know the secret Ingredient" as we were waiting for the hotel elevator. I responded, "What are you talking about?" They said, "Coke. We know the secret Ingredient." I asked, "What is it? Most of my responses to these two guys is usually "What" because they asked me at least 100 times a day, “Do you know what?" And I ask, “What?" So this was a variant on my typical "What?" I actually was able to ask, "What is it?" In near unison, they said, “A big, dead rabbit." What? I asked them again. They repeated, “A big, dead rabbit.”

It was out of the clear blue. They had somehow discussed this among themselves and agreed on a solution to the great mystery surrounding Coke. Was I ever surprised! How did these two sleuths come up with that solution? I asked, "How do you know that?" By that time the elevator doors  

popped open, there was a nice gentlemen waiting on us to enter. Three seconds into the elevator my two guys asked him, "Do you know the secret ingredient?" I had to inform the man that we had been to the Coke Museum the previous day and that these two fellas had figured out the secret formula to Coke! They quickly told him. I think he was just as dumbfounded as I was. It is no longer a secret! When you know something, it's hard to keep a secret. How is it that the folks at Coca-Cola have kept it a secret for over a hundred and twenty-five years? Oh, I guess it has something to do with profit and who it might benefit.
 

Sorry, Coke, your secret is out of the bag (NOT).

Scripture speaks of the mystery of God but, unlike Coke goes to great lengths to tell the story in ways we might understand God’s love for us. The underlying principle is simple enough, but revelation of it was complicated as it was lived out in the lives of the many characters in scripture. They were, like us, filled with a human element.

Scripture:

Luke 24.44-48 – Christ opened their minds to understand the mystery in scripture.

Ephesians 1.9 – Christ unveiled the mystery of God’s plan.

Ephesians 3. 4-5 – The mystery of God’s grace and His Messiah was revealed to His apostles and prophets.

1 Corinthians 2.13 – God reveals spiritual things to spiritual people.

Colossians 1.26 – God’s Word remained a mystery for generations but it has now revealed His saints.

Colossians 1.19-20 – God in His fullness dwelled in Christ to reconcile us to Himself.

John 20.31 – What Jesus did is written down so you might believe He is the Messiah, the Son of God.

John 3.16 – God’s Son came into the world, not to condemn it, but to show us God’s love for man, and that by believing in Him, man would be saved.

Romans 15.7-9 – Jesus came to man to confirm God’s promises and God’s truth to us.

Ephesians 2.8 – By our faith we are saved by God’s grace.