Just got back from a trip to Yosemite. The drive there - nearly unbearable. My back - in agony. My stomach - fragile. The weather - cold and rainy. The scenery - inspiring.
Day one, I woke up nauseated. Ingrid and I hiked around the valley floor. We saw few people but incredible views - waterfalls, rivers, massive granite cliffs, meadows, birds, and deer. By mile eight, my back was nearly in spasm. We rested, stretched, then went to dinner at the Yosemite Lodge. The Yosemite Lodge has a fairly extensive gluten-free menu (a condensed version of their normal menu). The food - overrated. My Caesar salad was extraordinarily average and my ribeye was tough and poorly seasoned. I went back to the tent nauseated. More stretching, in bed by 8.
Day two, I woke up nauseated. We hiked up the mist and John Muir trail. Our goal - Nevada Falls. We made it to Clark's Point, some 2 miles from Nevada on account of my back. In the valley we went to the Ahwahnee Dining room for lunch. This was supposed to be an amazing restaurant. I had fried calamari and a club sandwich. Both had too much bread and were poorly seasoned. The club sandwich was like eating lard. The price - exorbitant. I went back to the tent nauseated.
On our way home today, my back remained in agony. I remained nauseated. However, an interesting segment on NPR (This American Life) caught my ear. The piece was about parasites. After discussing the effects that some parasites have on insects and fish, the piece switched to an interesting segment on the potentially beneficial relationship between hookworms and autoimmune diseases (Celiac Disease, Allergies, Asthma, Crone's Disease, etc.) in humans.
I could not do justice to the NPR piece, so please click here to hear the fascinating piece.
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