A Walk in the Woods - The Title - Chapter 20 - #18

"I had discovered an America that millions of people scarcely know exists. I made a friend. I came home... So Katz was right after all, and I don't care what anybody says. We hiked the Appalachian Trail."(pg 274)

These are the last words of A Walk In the Woods, and perhaps, the most entertaining and moving. Prior to this, Bryson describes the many beautiful aspects of the woods that few people even know are right outside their door. Having had a similar experience in New Mexico, I can definitely relate to how he feels. When I walk in the woods, I do not simply see trees, but I have this feeling of adventure and curiosity, and most of all, appreciation. I think A Walk In The Woods is a fabulous title because it draws attention to the fact that people can have a similar experience by simply walking in the woods. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in the outdoors of America.

A Walk in the Woods - connection to Che- Chapter 20 - #16

It is interesting to read books like The Motorcycle Diaries and A Walk in the Woods. They are similar in numerous ways. For example, both books are narrated by the author. In doing so, the author conveys the impact the various experiences they have had on their life from a personal point of view. In the Motorcycle Diaries, Che is influenced by the many poor people he meets on his journey. In A Walk In The Woods, Bryson is describing what has influenced him through the beauty he witnesses. Also, both books go into detail about the people they meet. Bryson decribes the many intersting, stupid, and intelligent people he meets that essentially make the jouney so intersting.

Write Your Own Do Now

After reading the Motorcycle Diaries, and watching the documentary, do you think Che made the right decision in joining the Cuban revolution? If not, write an alternative to what Che should have done after his experiences in South America. Also, comment on why you think people (primarily Latin American) idolize him.

I chose this topic because, as a reader, I was forced to think about the person Che became during his adventures in South America. After reading detailed descriptions about his experiences, I constantly questioned the route he took in terms of helping these people afterwards.

A Walk in the Woods - American Chesnut - Chapter 10 - #15

"But until quite recent times - painfully recent times - one thing remained in abundance that preserved the primeval super-Eden feel of the original forest: the massively graceful American chesnut"(pg 121)

In chapter 10, Bryson comments on one of the most beautiful trees that was once in the Appalachian mountains. Many times Bryson will go off onto a science or history lesson about the environment (which can be very interesting). Bryson usually comments on how some unique aspects of the trial are diminishing due to disease and negligence. The American Chesnut, as Bryson explains, was once one of the most abudant and amazing aspects of the trail. However, recently an Asian fungus eradicated the American Chestnut to extinction. This fungus killed four billion chestnuts on the Appalachian in only 35 years. Bryson draws attention to how we should be grateful for what the Appalachian has to offer.

"... when I tell you that there wasn't a day in the Appalachian woods when I didn't give passing thanks for what there was."

A Walk in the Woods - Murders along trail- Chapter 13- #12

When Bryson and Katz take a short hiatus from hiking during the beginning of Summer, Bryson draws attention to the fact that two women were murdered on the Trail very close to the location and time they themselves were hiking. Bryson seems very saddened by this, finding it hard to look at photos of the woman on one of the trail notices. I think Bryson has only a short discussion on this topic because he does not want to discourage people from hiking on the Appalachian Trail. In fact, I might have omitted some of the detail he goes into. It is very disturbing, and scary (the brutality of the murders is horrifying). Overall, I think it is important he mentioned it because it is reality, however, I think he could have had a shorter discussion on it, but it part of his experience -a walk in the woods.

A Walk in the Woods - The Chase - Chapter 11 - #13

Katz, Bryson's traveling companion begins to talk with and get to know a woman at the laundromat. Bryson descries the woman as over 200 pounds and ugly. Katz inform Bryson that they have a date, and he wil not be eating with him tonight. Shortly afterwards, a dejected Katz strolls into the resturant informing Bryon that he is being chased by the husband of the woman he was supposed to go on a date with. The rest of the night at the hotel, Katz keeps his eyes out the window to make sure that the man dosent come into the motel. He is truly terrified becuase he knows that men in hte South always carry guns. My advice to Katz would be identical to the advice Bryson gave him - stop talking to fat ladies in laundromats.

A Walk in the Woods - An observation - Chapter 6 - #5

In about the middle of the book, Bryson and his buddy go into the town of Gatlinburg Tennessee. They have been hiking for several weeks, and just left Great Smokey Mountain National Park. While in the town, they decide to get something to eat, then go into a store because Katz needs a strap for his backpack. There, Bryson comes upon a map of the entire Applacian Trail. He notices where they are now in comparison to the rest of the trial. They have only completed a tiny amount of the entire trail. Then Bryson makes the comment "One thing was obvious. We were never going to walk to Maine".(pg 105) This part of the book moved me because for the first time Bryson admits that they will not be completing the entire trail. I feel upset because I really want them to complete the trail, but at the same time I agree with them. I knew that they were not moving fast enough to make the seasons coordinate with their hiking. It was ineresting to think about how many experinces they had already went through, yet they had only completed a fraction of the trial.

March 17- Columbia & Venezuela

ether, howling like one possessed, acrid smell of gunpowder

In this section, Che is essentially explaining how he is changing and what he is going to become. Ethers are chemical compounds that are known to be very pleasant smelling. The change is very attractive when it starts - maybe this trip lured him. z
"I don't know how to explain it - as if everything solid melted away into the ether..."

At the end of this chapter, Che uses vocabulary such as "howling like one possessed" and "acrid smell of gunpowder". It is evident that he wants to fight for change. He ends this section with references to war and wolves. He says he has a new sense of energy and hope. the little paragraph that describes this change has a very socialistic attitude.

A Walk in the Woods - Mary Ellen (intersting charater) - #17

In Chapter 5, the two men meet Mary Ellen (probably not the real name of the person they met) who turns out to be a very goofy person. This is how Bryson introduces her: "I have long known that it is God's plan for me to spend a little time with each of the most stupid people on earth, and Mary Ellen was proof that even in the Appalachian woods I would not be spared. It became evident from the first moment that she was a rarity." I have never read a book where the author has characterized somebody so crudely and honestly. Mary Ellen follows them for a couple days. Soon afterwards, they make a plan to escape from her presence. After finally escaping her, they are almost remorseful they left her alone on the trail. Overall, I liked the detail and characterization Bryson gave Mary Ellen.

A Walk in the Woods - The magic of Woods - #10

In Chapter 4, Bryson introduces how he feels, in general, when he walks in the woods. First, the woods make you feel vulnerable. They are unique in that trees surround you from all directions. Bryson comments on how if you are in the dessert, or a prairie, you can see the big space around you, but in the woods, you feels like you are in a "vast, featureless nowhere". (pg 44) In the summer of 2007 I went on a ten day backpacking trip with my Boy Scout troop to New Mexico, so I can connect with Bryson. When you spend so much time exclusively in the woods, you begin to notice how alive and wonderful it is, but also how intimidating it can become (especially at night). Even Daniel Boone said the Appalacian mountains were "so wild and horrid that it is impossible to behold them without terror".

Theme #6 Introduction

I found the sdst very helpful because it begins with the attributes of a thesis statement. Then it has a checklist of questions you can test with your thesis to see if it is on the right track.

After leaving medical school to go on a great expedition throughout Latin America, Ernesto saw many aspects of society relating to poverty and government that dismayed him, which eventually encouraged him to become a contentious revolutionary figure - Che.

Peru Diction Quiz

Che begins his journey in Peru by attempting to get rides on various trucks. They almost get into a TIRADE with one of the drivers when he requires them to pay after they loaded all their belongings on. They are also upset by the way the MESTIZOS are treated. Che makes reference to how they are carried in the truck like cattle on the INERMINABLE truck rides. After getting off a truck, they are forced to walk in the cold, SWATHING themselves with thin blankets. Che then enters Manchu Picchu, where he describes the unique architecture and IDYLLIC setting. They eventually get to the ancient town of Cuzco, where Che admires the ingenuity of the people that once lived there. For example, the fortress of Cuzco, a RELIC of this civilization, was built so that it could control the two steep valleys. It was also designed very well to protect from invaders. After leaving Cuzco, they decide they would like to visit a leper colony. They wanted to discover the disease that is BEFALLING these people. When they arrive in the colony, it is obvious that the lepers are not receiving adequate medical attention, and are living in ABHORRENT conditions. They simply do not have the tools to perform surgery that could help the lepers, which EXACERBATES the situation. They leave this leper colony and go to a town and see a bull competition. Towards the end of Peru they see another leper colony. The INDGENCE here is similar to the other leper colony. He gets to know both a doctor and a dentist there. Alberto, Che’s friend on the journey who is also a biochemist, proclaims himself a doctor and an expert in leper colonies. He is a bold INTERLOCUTOR. During this part of the journey, Che is suffering from his athsma due to the massive amount of mosquitoes that bite him.

A Walk in the Woods - An old friend - #4

While contemplating his walk in the woods, Bryson realizes that he will be traveling alone. He fears that if or when he runs into trouble nobody will be there to help him. He decides to write on his Christmas cards that year that he will be traveling the entire Appalachian Trial, and would like somebody to come along with him. Of course, nobody wants anything to do with this cumbersome adventure. Then, about a month before leaving, an old friend, Stephen Katz, calls to inform him he would like to participate. Bryson comments on how he went with Katz on an adventure around Europe years earlier, but has since lost touch with him. Bryson admits "In the twenty-five years since, I had run into him three or four times on visits home but hadn't seen him otherwise". (pg 19) I find this a surprising aspect to the book. Why would he loose virtually all contact with someone after traveling with Europe with him? Although Bryson does explain the various drug/job issues Katz had, he does not connect how the European trip will be at all similar to this trip. You would think Bryson would go into detail on how Katz acted or what type of person he was on their previous advenutre.

March 9 - Essential Question #2

While Ernesto was living in Argentina, before he left on his trip, he had a goal of becoming a physician. He did not become a physician before he left on his trip. Throughout the book so far, Ernesto has made it clear that he wants to help people that are suffering due to the government. For example, when he meets the woman who has severe athsma, he feels very frustrated that this woman has to suffer when prior to her illness she was very hard-working. He makes it clear that he would make changes if he were in charge of the government. In the documentary we watched, Ernesto goes as far to help cause this change by leading a revolution in Cuba. In his journey so far in the book, Che has little impact on the people compared to what he does later in his life.

A Walk in the Woods - Buying Expensive Gear - #3

The narrator to the book, Bill Bryson, is a very interesting character. The book starts off with Bryson describing the various scenarios one will face on the Appalachian trail. He recalls ridiculous stories that include owl attacks, snakes in your sleeping bag, Lyme disease, lighting strikes, etc. While l these stories could have actually happened, it is definitely not a daily occurrence on the trail. Bryson immediately shows that he is a funny character through the embellishment of these stories. Later in the chapter, Bryson decided that he is going to hike the Appalachian trail, so he goes to a local outfitter. There he discovers very quickly that equipment for hiking (specifically backpacking) is very expensive. Having backpacked myself, I can definitely relate to this. For example, because you want to keep everything light, you are encouraged to buy a light sleeping bag. These are always expensive, and in addition to the sleeping bag you must also buy the pouch that it comes with. The 250$ backpack does not come with the necessary straps, nor is it rainproof. Bryson makes an comment on how the backpack developers may have wanted to design the backpack so you could take it outside. Bryson shows his displeasure in the store. Overall, I think I will see this ignorance continue throughout the book, onto the trail.

Chile

"It is at these times like this, when a doctor is conscious of his complete powerlessness, that he longs for change: a change to prevent the injustice of a system..."

This is Che's reaction to the condition of a woman he is treating in Chile for asthma. He feels very strongly about how this should not be allowed to happen. She was previously a waitress who earned enough money to live, now she is "surrounded by an atmosphere of barely disguised acrimony."I think this had a tremendous impact on the person he was to become in terms of shaping his political ideals. He wants to change life in a way so that a woman like this would not have to suffer and would be able to receive sufficient medical treatment.