Super Sweet Blog

Topkapi Palace

2010-05-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

Did all of the requisite tourist things -Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Running out of time to post but here are some pics. More later...

Istanbul

2010-05-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

After stopping over in Munich with a quick visit to the Spaten Haus, we made our way to Istanbul and onto our hotel which is very very random and small...

Day 1 included hiking up to the Galata Tower Westopped for a quick water break and to look around not seeing the massive group of german and italian tour groups. by the time we got to the front, the line was way too long to get to the top. Since it wasn't a 3 star site we decided to skip it.

Found a great place for lunch and then walked down the main shopping drag.
We met up with Araceli and after drinks on the rooftop, made our way to dinner that was featured on Anthony Bourdain. The restaurant resurrected all of the recipes from the Ottomans and prepared the dishes that way. If I was stuck in the middle ages, I'd definitely be an Ottoman

Vacation 2010

2010-05-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Heading off today to Turkey and Greece for a much much needed break. Hopefully you'll follow my trip this year and like what I have to say!

Other tourists

2009-05-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

OK forgot a few things.

So on the Lima tour there was this guy traveling by himself from the US. Part of our tour consisted of catacombs, which were used more as a cemetary. In the meantime, they excavated and they just have tons of bones. So this guy thought it was so funny to go up to everyone and say - think of how much soup you could make with these bones. Umm, no one laughed. It was so strange

After lunch, Ann and I decided to spend our last couple of hours going to these ruins up the street from our hotel. The only way to see these ruins is to take a tour so they asked if we could wait a few minutes for the English one. So of course we did and it was us and this old couple from Miami. It is like they stepped off the Love Boat. He had on the dark pants with the jacket and the very colorful hankerchief in the pocket. She had the puffiest stiffest hair all dolled up with her linen pants and flashy silk tank top and jacket. They were a piece of work. He would ask ALL of these questions that the tour guide could not answer about beans, plants, the number of people, tools, etc. It was a riot.

Now our taxi is going to be here in 15 minutes so we can be to the airport 3 hours eary. Its a rule. There is a german family in the lobby getting professional pictures taken. I think there is going to be a wedding. It is so random.

Oh and final observation. There are a ton of gringo guys here with peruvian brides. It started with the french canadian on my flight and lima is just chock full of the gringos and peruvian brides.

Lima Tour

2009-05-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

OK I think this might be the last post. This morning after a wonderful breakfast at our hotel, we went on a Lima city tour. It was looking a litte ominous as the bus picked us up and we picked up three other couples who were older than my parents and only spoke Spanish. But then we met up with the other groups and got on the big English bus.

We went to all the neighborhoods seeing the olive groves, ruins, the museum that houses all of the pre-columbian art and gold, the St. Francis church and monastary and the catacombs beneath as well as the main square and changing of the guards.

The strangest part were all of the kids. There were school kids everywhere and they kept wanting our signatures. Then all of the sudden, the Asian tourists on our bus started signing the kids arms. So then they would come up to us holding out their pen and arms. It was weird... "Katty y Ana" signed some arms and books... Again, so strange.

Adios de Peru! Off to lunch and then the airport!

Angels and Demons

2009-05-15T11:51:00.001-07:00

After walking around Miraflores and checking out the sites and the mall, I was at a loss of things to do. Ann stayed in the hotel and I decided to go see a movie and then grab dinner. I got to the movie theater and between the timing and my lack of translation skills, I had 2 choices. Hannah Montana movie or Angels and Demons. There were other ones playing, but I had no idea what the movies were since I couldn't translate.

Other than the overwhelming smell of cologne in the theater, Angels and Demons was not bad. Much better than the Divinci Code...or it could be because it was in ROme and I knew all of the sites...

First time flying?

2009-05-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

What a strange flight today!!!!

So we get to the airport 2 hours early and pay our fees to get on the plane. From there the characters came in. There were the very loud old Americans traveling in a group. There were the backpackers. There were the locals. Then there were the requisite Asian tourists and one really embraced the Andean culture. Her hair was in 2 buns like pig tails held up by what looked like straw, but upon further inspection was a scrunchie like thing made of rubberbands? Then she had on her pins she got as well as wrapped herself in the traditional Peruvian blanket. (please note that the tourists were not young, trendy Asian, but older)

So we are one of the last people to board the plane because we are in row 3 and they board from back to front. We had an aisle and middle seat. We get in and the Andean Asian tourist is sitting in Ann's seat. Then there is an older Peruvian/Andean woman sitting by the window. So turns out that the Peruvian woman is in the wrong seat and doesn't understand to move so the flight attendent took charge and we figured it out, but he was very concerned with boarding and yanked Ann's backpack off to get us seated. Now the fun started.

First the Peruvian woman is sitting at the window seat and all of her luggage is at her feet. None of it fits underneath the seat in front of her and none of it is in the overhead storage. I guess this is not a problem on LAN Peru with old people because she was never asked to move it. So then she could not figure out her seatbelt. After about 15 tries she got it. THen she saw me reading my book and freaked out and could not find her libra. The belt then came off and the searching started. Dios mio she finally found it. The belt then went on and we are getting ready for take off. The reading then starts. She read her prayer book outloud. We are then in the air and the pilot comes on with his announcement. So she turns to me and starts talking asking me all of these questions. I had NO idea what she was asking me so I just shrugged and looked dumb and pointed to the flight attendent. Then it was snack time. On LAN Peru, you get a snack box and a drink. So Ann and I put our trays down, but Peruvian woman doesn't. She gets her snack and puts it on my tray. Then she gets her coke and again puts it on my tray. I almost started laughing because that has never happened. I've shared a middle tray with someone if there is no one in the middle seat, but I've never had someone just use my tray without asking. So Ann is laughing and I am trying not to and just reading my book.

The reading continues and we are coming into Lima.
What happens? A cell phone rings while we are in air.
Who's is it? The old Peruvian woman's.
What does she do? Answers it and has a conversation after fumbling with it. FOr the record it was on a string around her neck
What happens next? We are still landing and it rings again and she answers it and has a conversation.

It was the most random flying experience I've ever had.

Where did my soles go?

2009-05-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the last day in Cuzco. I decided to exit the hotel a different way and go down the street instead of around the corner - scandalous I know. I stumbled upon a church built on top of Incan ruins. The Dominicans preserved this and turned it into a museum of sorts. So I was all excited because | had to buy this tourist pass for 130 soles which is about $35-$40 and it was supposed to get us into all of these attractions... Well after Pisac I couldn't use it so I had to whip out my wallet. I really need one of those international student cards...

From there I followed the Incan walls to the main square, with a detour at the Andean craft village. After making one woman's dreams come true with a bag full of purchases and a promise to come back (she was going to give me a free gift if I did), I headed towards the square. I then reached into the wallet again for the tour of the cathedral. Of course I got the headset so I knew what I was looking at..I am such a dork. After that, I thought, why not spend more and go into the Jesuit church. They already got 4 years worth of my family's money for tuition in college, what's another 10 soles?

I then met up with Ann and the shopping started/continued. Upon returning to the Andean art village, I was greeted with smiles and many holas and given my free gift. We then made our way to the hills of San Blas where the artisan's work. A few alpaca goods and jewelry stores later, I called it a day in terms of the shopping that is.

I guess if I am not good at climbing a mountain, I am at least good at stimulating the economy of the surrounding areas

Climbing a Mountain

2009-05-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

What a miserable experience. This confirmed that I do not enjoy nature all that much. I am willing to try things, but I guess I don´thave to do them again. Ann and I got tickets and after our tour made our way over to HP to climb it. Mistake 1 was that we didn´t refill our water because it was across the way and we didn´t know if we could make it back in time to get in line. So we each started with a half of bottle of water.

Here is the mountain behind us when we were tired, but still excited...

Everyone said, oh this is so easy. I guess it was easy if you had 1. ever been hiking before and 2. been mountain climbing before. Being that I had more or less done neither of those things I thought it was super hard. It basically consisited of a trail and then climbing rocks and steps that were at times almost complete vertical climbs. My foot hates me right now. I don´t think that climbing a mountain when recovering from tendonitus is a good thing :)

After much stopping and resting on my part, we made it to the top. You could say that it was worth it because it was so peaceful and the views were amazing. I am so proud to say that I did it, but I am an idiot because by the end I was so dehydrated that I almost got sick and I am 90% sure I re-injured my foot, but oh well. When am I ever going to get a chance to do this again...

So lessons learned
1. buy hiking boots - new balance cross country shoes are not the same
2. take a backpack not a messenger bag
3. take alititude pills
4. take water
5. it is ok to let people pass :)
6. make sure you don´t have a fresh manicure

After the mountain we made our way to the entrance where we got water and rested. That is when the afternoon clouds rolled in and we could see the rain coming. Around 3 we made our way back to Aguas Calientes, got our stuff and made it to the train and then back to Cusco. Along with most of our train, we went to McDonalds (I know SO BAD) because they were the only place we could find with food we could get fast. Showering never felt so good.

OK off to explore more of Cusco! If you are reading this - happy birthday to Kate and Joe!!!

Machu Picchu

2009-05-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

After a rainy afternoon and early eveing that included red wine and red meat, we made our way back to our hotel and waited for Pablo to show up. Supposedly we were on his tour. I was v. skeptical because the whole we will get you a tour, no worries was not flying with me. But he showed up and we knew we had to be to the bus stop by 5:10ish to get in line for the buses to MP. About 5:25 came and the buses all came into town and we slowly started getting on them. We then made the 30 min trip to MP winding up the mountain. Yeah walking to MP looked like hell. Samantha Brown is full of shit. There is no way she climied that thing and then looked how she did on camera.

These are the mountains around MP at dawn.

From there we stood in line and got in. It was amazing, but we didn´t have time to stop and take it all in as we were in a foot race to get to Huayana Picchu (HP) to be one of the first 400 pèople there to get a ticket and be able to climb it. Success as we were 355 and 356. More on this later...

We then wandered around and watched the sunrise over MP before our guided tour.

Met up with Pedro and went on a tour. I am so glad we did that because he took us all around and over everything explaining how the town was laid out and what everything that we were looking at was. It was a gorgeous day- hot, sunshine and limited bugs. I did have to break out the hat though, the sun was so strong. Baseball hats and me just don´t work. The tour ended at 10ish am and then it was off to climb HP.

Aguas Calientes

2009-05-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

This is going to be brief because my time is running out and there might be a dog fight (literally) at the computer next to me.

It is a very rainy afternoon in a town wiht nothing to do. We started the day on an early 3 hour train ride to AC. THe ride was gorgeous and the scenery is great. It was a bit tough to go to the bathroom and balance coffee though. No one met us from our hotel, but we found it and put our backpack down. During lunch we debated trekking up a mountain. Then we realized that it required climbing ladders and there were parts that were dangerous. So we quickly abandoned that plan and walked to Macchu Picchu instead.

We didn´t go in because our tickets are for tomorrow, but we were able to go to the museum and botanical gardens on the grounds. As we were walking back the thunder started. We made it back to town and inside before the huge downpour.

Now it´s time for drinks and dinner before our 5AM start in Macchu Picchu for the sunrise.

Jesus´ Grandma

2009-05-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

After napping in Cuzco, we went out for some drinks and dinner. We spent some time at a pub where this guy was on his first day of work. He was Irish so we were chatting and asked how he came upon the job. Yeah he had been there 2 days and didn´t want to go back to be on the dole.

From there we went to this great organic restuarant, Green. The waiter asked our names and when Ann said hers, his response was, "Like Jesus´ Grandma?" Si

Pisac

2009-05-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Ann and I are at a hoppin Internet cafe- phone center - day care - pharmacy which is the place to be on a rainy day in Aguas Calientes.

Yesterday we went to Pisac for the big market day. We hired Herman to be our driver and we went everywhere. We stopped for many photo opps. We also stopped at a ceramic school-market where we got to walk around for a bit. THen it was off to the llama and alpaca farm. We got to feed the llamas and alpacas and I didn´t quite understand all of it with my limited grasp of Spanish, but some are better for meat and some for the fur. We then saw how the yarn is made and died and the fabric woven.

From there we kept on our journey to Pisac. We stopped for photos of the condor in the mountain. I will post pics later and you can see if you see it. I get it, but Ann can´t see it.

Can you see it?

Then it was off to the market. It was huge and pretty much the same stuff - blankets, hats, gloves, jewelry, stones, statues of incan warriors, etc. From there we hiked the Pisac ruins. It was harder than I thought it was going to be and there were a lot of resting spots. Herman somehow got in and met up with us and we were climbing to the top to see the temple, burial area, original Pisac, etc. Again, have no idea what I did or said, but he thought I was crippled. All of the sudden, I had to hold his hand the whole time, go slower, etc. I just needed to stop smiling and saying OK

Cuzco

2009-05-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

Cuzco is great. The main square almost reminds me of something from Europe as opposed to SA. Please feel free to agree or disagree all of you who´ve been here. We had a snack and sipped pisco sours on a balcony overlooking the Plaza and walked around the city.

We then went to the San Blas neighborhood and had a great dinner. For the record Alpaca fur is much softer than Alpaca meat. I decided to try the ham, cheese and currants wrapped in Alpaca and then cooked. Ann had her favorite Peruvian meal - steak with the veggies, fries and rice.

It is now Sunday morning and after breakfast we are off to Pisac for the markets and some ruins and then we are going to see where the day takes us. Then tomorrow is our 6:20am meeting with this woman to get us to the train for Aguas Calientes.

More soon! Happy Mother´s Day!!!

Airport Security

2009-05-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

Lima has a shockingly efficient airport. It is clean, there are shops, there is food, the lines make sense and everything goes very fast. Highlights of the Lima airport include the restaurant "Manos Morenas" or brown hands. The symbol is a black woman from slave times... It is Chinese food. Hmmm....

Security in Lima was also really good. While they weren´t looking for shoe bombs, they did make sure to confiscate all hacksaws, box cutters, knives, etc and display them in a clear box. Whew!

The flight was great and then we landed in Cusco where I manaaged to misplace my luggage ticket so that was drama. Then we started talking to our taxi driver who was going to take us to the hotel. We had reservations at Ninos 2 not Ninos 1, which is the nicer one. He told us the hotel was really dangerous so we listened and chose a new hotel. So while I am contemplating where we are going to stay, he and Ann are chatting and we end up at a travel agency. I guess everything in Cusco is closed on Sunday so we had to get all of our tickets. Whether or not we got taken is tbd, but we did end up with train and bus tickets to Aguas Calientes (town near Macchu Picchu) a hotel, entrance fees and a sunrise tour of it. We also got a room for the entire time we are in Cusco at a brand new hotel that is decent, the right price, in a great area and clean. Although we realized last night as we didn´t sleep that it is noisy...

Driver in Lima

2009-05-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

Roberto picked us up promptly at 10am to get to the Lima airport. He was´t as chatty as the night before...could this be why?

After finding it in the back seat by my feet, we politely declined using him at the end of our trip :-)

Lima for 12 hours

2009-05-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

We spent some time in the Evil Empire of Canada and survived on Tim Hortons. Let me tell you those tidbits are tasty. What is a tidbit? It is the Canadian version of donut holes. For the record, yes there were Indians working there and they had no idea what I asked for when I ordered 4 donut holes for Ann and me. I was corrected and told they were called Tidbits in Canada

Kate, you would love Air Canada. It is nonstop Celine Dion and eh? all around. Ann sat next to some lovely ladies who ended each sentence in eh and I sat next to a French Canadian who was on his way to visit his Peruvian wife. He was very Fox River Grove as his favorite place was TGI FRidays and wished Canada had one. Score one for the USA. Then the Canadian couple in front of us had 7+ bottles of wine each and made friends with the creepy Canadian hippy who found true Peruvian love (mail order bride) on the Internet...

Our driver Ricardo was great and had a sign wiht our name spelled right and then forced us to practice Spanish with him. Ann told him Madonna was 15 in Spanish. We have a lot of practicing to do. Although his taste in music is great - Spice girls, Madonna, etc.

After good nights sleep and a major fascination with watching people catch buses we are ready for Cusco. Oh and the buses don´t stop. You watch for the man holding a sign out the door and if that is your bus they slow down and the man snatches you and pulls you in. Ann is already writing her letter to the CTA to bring this practice to the 22.

Hopped up on the most amazing coffee now and we have to check out and get to the airport. More from Cusco and pics will be uploaded.

Twas the night before vacation...

2009-05-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

I finally finished all of my work, got through my list, programmed the Tivo, and now it's just packing, laundry and cleaning!

I hope you enjoy my new FB profile pic courtesy of Sara. If you aren't on FB, then here it is!

Peru - Here I Come! Now - What to Pack

2009-04-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

Ann and I are off to Peru. However, we are going to Peru by way of Canada. Don't ask. We are going to mainly be in Cusco with a few days reserved for Lima and the outlying areas.

Now the big questions are:
What to Pack?
Where to stay?

Pack
I know I am going to need some kind of rain gear and I am back to scouring the LL Bean Site. Who knew that 14 years after the high school backpack, I'd be back wanting something from LL Bean. But I think I found the raincoat.

Sarah just got back and told me to bring a hat. Ugh - that is one accessory I don't do well with. Oh well. Any suggestions I am always open to them.

Finally I want to only carry on and I think that means a backpack... Now where to get one of those...

Stay

With a month left, we have to find a place to stay in Cusco. Any recommendations are very welcome.

Long time, no Blog

2009-04-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately there were no big international trips in 2008. However, 2008 saw my first time to Nebraska and a lovely time in Sea Grove with my family. I hadn't been there in ages.

2008 marked the beginning of a new job where I am traveling a lot for work. I've been able to get back to Amish country, see the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, make it back to Cincinnati and get out to San Diego a lot. So I am earning those miles and waiting to cash them in for the next big trip.

I was able to take a mini-break and get to Cabo. I've been there before and it is still gorgeous with perfect weather. I can see why celebrities always go there. One of the fun adventures was Deep Sea fishing.I never thought I'd go deep sea fishing, but there I was and I caught a marlin and a red snapper. It was amazing.

Next up - in about a month heading to Peru. Looking forward to it.

States Visited as of 2007

2007-12-20T09:53:00.001-08:00

Countries VIsited as of 2007

2007-12-20T09:11:00.001-08:00

Pictures

2007-12-09T10:02:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to the pictures from the trip. I tried to label them the best I could.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=73509971503.820123495503.1197389923800&page=1

Valparaiso

2007-11-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was Valparaiso day and I was sicker than a dog. However, we were able to power through and go to Valpo.

We took a taxi to the bus station and got our tickets, but the bus was leaving from a different terminal. To get there we had to walk through a mall and then down the street 4 blocks. That quick walk definitely made me forget my illness.

The bus was great and we got on our way. Shocking - we got American TV on the bus - 24 on the way out there and That 70's Show.

Valpo was adorable. It didn't remind me at all of Indiana. We took funiculars up to a few of the neighborhoods and had a lovely, long lunch overlooking the ocean and the city. We also went to another Neruda house. It was such a hike from the funicular and it was literally like 45+ degrees the entire way up. Once we got there it was in the middle of a field trip so we waited a bit until the kids cleared out. We met this guy from Costa Rica and he is going to BA for a few weeks. He studies linguistics and he answered all of our questions about the different accents and slang and what not.

We all just sat there talking and these 2 girls walked up. They had a school project where they had to do surveys for something. Anyway, the 3 of us had to answer questions about age, how long we were in Chile, if we bought stuff, what he bought, how much we spent, etc. Then we had to get pictures taken with all of them. It was kind of random and strange.

The Neruda house in Valpo is amazing and there are more fun collections. We started to walk down and took the wrong street and it was so steep. We ended up missing the whole funicular or ascensor and walked down the whole mountain.

After that we took a taxi back to the bus station. This taxi picked us up and there was already a guy inside sitting in the front. So he drove away from the bus stop and then dropped this guy off. Then he got out of the cab and fixed something on his light above. Finally he turned on the meter and we were on our way.

I would highly recommend Valpo for anyone coming to Chile. It is great.

Como Se Dice "Bear 411?"

2007-11-28T17:43:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night after a dinner of beer and apps we went to the main square where the crazies come out at night. We went and got a bottle of wine at the outdoor cafe and there were a lot of tourists around. We recognized an older couple from shopping earlier in the day.

So we were hanging out watching these street performers and they had no talent except that they were literally crazy. One had a tambourine and just started shouting nonsense. He was not singing, just shouting and then asked for money. The next one came in a purple satin with white tassels all over. He had a horn that he would blow that made one sound. He would walk around, blow it, shout something and continue.

So they walked around asking for money and the one was a little aggressive, but harmless. Well this man came up and decided to be our savior and get him away. Turns out it was this older man and his "friend." He was from South Carolina and his guy was from Georgia. We ended up joining them and they were so nice and funny.

They are looking to buy property down here and retire. They really liked the lake district and are looking to move there. In my mind they are opening a bed and breakfast.

As we were walking back to the hotel Ann didn't realize they were gay even though Fred, from Georgia made a comment about how "out" he is. Jeffrey, Dan - I am sure you would love to stay at the B&B.

The Virgin

2007-11-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

We went to the top of San Cristobal mountain to see the Virgin that looks over Santiago. We met this man and his grandson and he walked us around the entire mountain showing us the different neighborhoods in Santiago and where the rich v. the poor lived. It was nice to have a native explain to us what we were seeing.

Kate - I got a few great pictures of mullets and rat tails. As soon as I can get everything up and running I will post them on the blog.

We then decided to walk around and grab some beer before heading down. 2 beers and an appetizer plate later we made one of the last cable cars down the mountain.

Pablo Neruda

2007-11-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

We went to see Pablo Neruda's house in Santiago and it was great. Admittedly I don't know much about him, but his homes and collections are fascinating. He collected everything - ship stuff, paintings, oversized shoes, plates, art, glasses, etc.

He believed that if drinking water out of colored glasses it tasted better and if he didn't like someone they got clear glasses.... I am thinking of starting that tradition.

He also believed that every house needed at least one bar if not more.

Samantha Brown

2007-11-27T16:10:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the craft market in Santiago. Samantha Brown of Samantha Brown Passport to Latin America did this. She made it look like it was totally in the country and it would take a miracle, a hired driver, etc to get there. Yeah it's in a suburb and you can take the subway to the bus to the village.

Anyway it was kind of fun and v. relaxing. There were indian artisans, jewelry makers, etc. all around and you could go in and out of their shops. There were also a lot of random things to buy and random people there.

So you could buy parrots, doves, roosters, chickens and peacocks. Wait until you guys see my new pet. The peacock is great and will totally match my living room. You will love him. You could also buy huge pieces of furniture, pots, clothes, etc. It was so random. Some of it was great and some was total shit.

Then there were some strange people all around. There was this family - we think they were from San Diego/Orange County or Florida because they had money and were tan, but super trashy (no offense Christian). They also didn't have the Texas accent. So the mom and dad were being lead around by this native woman. Then we finally saw the son and his Chilean bride or girlfriend and we pieced together that it was the couple and each of their parents. I am telling you the girl was wearing one hell of an outfit to be walking around an artisan village with dirt walkways. It was these little tight brown pants and a brown lace top. However instead of wearing a cami or tank under it she opted for the bra only. Then she had the heels to top off the entire outfit. They were a piece of work going into store after store deciding what looked cheap and what looked nice... We also saw a few Asian tourists which was surprising because we haven't seen many yet.

Santiago

2007-11-27T05:33:00.000-08:00

So we went for a walk last night and when we looked at our book we realized that we saw everything already....It is all very nice though, but not as charming as BA. However, the main square is amazing. There are people everywhere. In the middle is a huge hugh fake christmas tree decorated with the coca-cola logo. It is beautiful and really captures the spirit of the season. I think I am going to redecorate in coca-cola. Then there are street performers, a place for fortune tellers, artists, etc. It is pretty great to walk around.

Then there is a street that is blocks and blocks of mall. You can walk from one end to the other and only go outside when crossing the street because you are in a series of malls the whole time. The malls also have CRAP. One of the most popular stores is Pasion. It is like dirty Victoria´s Secret.

We also had a hard time finding an ATM that worked. We realized it has to say red bank in order for an international card to work. So we tried those and it turns out some only take visa and some only take mastercard. It was a bit of a process.

Our hotel is interesting. It is nice enough and kind of dated. Our bathroom is straight out of a horror movie. I call it our hostel bathroom because the florecent light blinks and buzzes until it settles into its eerie hum and bad lighting. However the tv is funny - they were showing the movie Love Potion Number 9. We had breakfast today and it was like a school cafeteria where there was food out and you got your tray and piled it with what you wanted. There were the following to choose from
Overcooked brocolli and cauliflower
Fruit salad
Orange, Pear and red juice
Rolls
A plate with one piece of ham
A plate with one piece of cheese
Instant coffee or tea

So strange and the overcooked veggies really gave it an interesting scent.

OK off to the craft village like Samantha Brown Passport to Latin America. Tomorrow is Valparaiso and then the trip is almost over :-(

Los Andes

2007-11-27T05:19:00.000-08:00

One aside before I get started - Mendoza had the most international crowd - Americans, Canadians, Ice Land(ians or ers), Saudi Arabians (she looked irish though and was kind of scary on our wine tour), Australians, Italians, Spaniards, etc. It was a little surprising.

Anyway..

It was time for another 7 hour bus ride over the Andes. I was a little worried about getting sick, but it turned out to be a great trip. Ann used her new copper wrist bands and I guess those worked out too.

We left Mendoza a little late and grandpa behind us was getting v. impatient wanting to know when we would be on our way. There were also a lot of soldiers on the bus. They were old soldiers, not cute ones. We each got coffee which I thought was going to be an utter disaster. We got our cups and then the man came down the aisle with the kool-aid style pitcher of hot coffee with no lids. I thought for sure he was going to spill it. But he ´was good and not a drop spilled.

We then got a movie - Die Hard 4.0 dubbed in Spanish. Being that I havent seen any of the other ones, it was hard to want to watch this.

We then met this surfer from Oregon whose mom owns a farm-bodega in northern Mendoza and he was nice enough but a little strange. I still wasnt quite sure what his deal was, but he helped us at customs.

The mountains on the Argentina side were gorgeous. They were very desert like and there were dried river beds, a ton of colors, etc. Every one in a while there would be the higher mountains with snow on them.

On the way up, I couldn´t hold it any longer and had to go to the bathroom. I took my tissues and purel and made my way to the back of the bus. I am shocked I didnt pee all over myself. The bus was twisting and turning and I was holding on to anything for dear life. However I made it and was v. sanitary and grabbed a soldier but made it back to my seat ok.

We dropped the soldiers off in the middle of the mountains at some base or something and then made it to the border.

The border was a process. First we got sandwiches and orange pop. Grandpa couldn´t figure out how to get his open. It was kind of cute and the Oregon guy helped him. Then we had to get out and bring our visas and passports and stand in this one line. Then we had to go to another line to get our tax free purchases stamped. Then we had to go to another line to get another stamp. Then we could change money, go to the bathroom, get drinks, etc. but had to stay on the Argentian side of the breezeway.

After that we all had to get on the bus and then drive 20 feet to the middle of the breeze way. We then had to take all of our stuff off and go stand in a line while our stowed luggage was xrayed and smelled by a drug-fruit-veggie dog. The bus then had to be smelled by the dog - storage, engine, seats, etc. Finally our stuff had to be smelled by the dog and then we had to put it through an xray machine. We were then able to get back on the bus and go down the mountains.

The chilean side of the andes is GORGEOUS and much steaper and more difficult to navigate than the Argentinian side. We also saw these people biking up it. That would be my idea of hell. UGH.

We then made it to Santiago in one piece, got our stuff and made it to the hotel.

Ann´s Diet

2007-11-27T05:14:00.000-08:00

So Ann has really embraced the culture of meat and wanted me to let you know about her diet now

Wednesday dinner - huge steak and meat empanadas
Thursday dinner at a seafood restauarant - Steak and potatoes
Friday lunch - ropa vieja
Saturday lunch - pork sandwich
Saturday dinner - meat and corn empanadas (different ones) and steak and potatoes
Sunday lunch - bodega - meat empanadas, thymus, sausage, steak
Sunday dinner - steak and veggies

It is only now in Chile that she is not eating red meat as much. I am sure any iron deficiencies she may have had before are all now gone.

I want a Bodega for Christmas

2007-11-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

If anyone wants to get me a present and needs to know what to get, I would like a Bodega in the Mendoza province.

This morning we started our wine tour at 9am. I guess it is never to early to drink wine. Our hotel arranged a tour for us and we were the only 2 on the tour the entire day. We had a huge van, a driver - Paladio, and a guide - Paula. They drove us to Maipu where we went to 4 vineyards. We had to go past the Walmart to get there so if you are ever lost - just go past the Walmart.

First here is what we learned. Mendoza is a desert. They have canals built throughout the city and the vineyards and use melted snow to irrigate the city and the vineyards. Every street has huge trees to provide shade everywhere. It is lovely. So in the vineyards they build series of canals to irrigate the grapes and the olive trees.

The first vineyard was Carinae. It is a small botique vineyard that is owned by a French couple. They started the vineyard a few years ago and it was great. They export Carinae and El Galgo.

The second was Cave de Don Arturo. Their property was gorgeous and their wine caves were pretty cool, but the wine was not as good. Here we met up with the other tour and recognized a bunch of people from our hotel. They were on a budget tour that only went to 2 vineyards. They export and it's called Cave Don Arturo.

The third stop was to La Rural. They are a huge winery with 4 different brands. They also have a wine museum with artifacts about wine making from the very start of the vineyards in South America. Our guide was hot and did a good job of explaining everything. The wine there was also really good. They make Ruffini if you go to Sams or Binnys

Finally we went to lunch - me, Ann and Paula. We went to Familia Zucchari which is one of the biggest vineyards in the country. They make St. Julia brand. Omg, we had the craziest lunch.

First we got white wine and bread and all of the different olive oils they made. Then they brought empanadas - cheese, meat and onion. It was fantastic. Then it was time for the grilled vegetables and salad. Don't worry - the wine was refilled and refilled. Then it was time for the BBQ. We got red wine and meat. The first meat course was 2 types of sausages and this thing... So I thought it was real meat, but it tasted kind of strange. At first I thought it was just fatty, but it wasn't. Paula also really couldn't translate. The waiter then helped us and turns out we were eating some kind organ found near the heart.... yeah...

Then it was time for round 2 of meat. We had steak. It was delicious. And the red wine was flowing. Then he came around and asked us if we wanted round 3 of meat - ribs, chicken and pork (I think). By this point we were stuffed and did not want anymore meat, but these old ladies at the table near us got all 3 rounds...

Finally it was time for the dessert wine and the creme brule and vanilla ice cream. It was so so so good, but seriously it was the biggest lunch ever.

It was a great tour and worth every penny. I have brochures if people want them and everything is so gorgeous. There are vineyards and then the Andes as a backdrop.

Again, I would love a Bodega for Christmas (hint hint)

Aconcagua

2007-11-25T15:24:00.000-08:00

Our hotel is really nice and it is called The Aconcagua. While we have great water pressure, turn down service, cable tv, etc. we do not have wireless and so I am using the computer on our executive floor.

This is great, except the keyboard is super confusing. I have no idea how to use the at sign. See I can't even begin to type it because all morning I tried and tried. When I finally had to copy and paste an email address, the power went out in the room - hence no postings for awhile.

However, there are fun things like the ñ and
¿Que?

The weather is fantastic and today were were able to lay out by the pool which is on the third floor. I love it and wish we could stay here a litle while longer.

Oh and the cable is nice - we have Gossip Girls, Legally Blonde, Glitter (yes it was on this morning and I was laughing so hard). Also the singer, Mika is HUGE down here. Everywhere we go - bars, restaurants, cars, buses, clubs, stores, the mall, etc. they are playing Mika. Even on VH1.

Mendoza

2007-11-25T15:19:00.000-08:00

I wish we had more time in Mendoza - it is the most adorable town. We walked around it after resting, sunning and showering on Saturday. It has the cutest squares and the most gorgeous weather.

After the bus ride, the sun and walking around, we were exhausted, but we went to a great dinner. It was so nice to sit outside and hang out. It makes me wish that it was warmer in Chicago so we could eat outside....aah summer.

Mendoza is surprisingly international. Outside at dinner there were Americans, British, Italians, Australians, etc. I guess everyone comes here for the wine and the hiking. I would highly recommend it.

Most Interesting Thing

2007-11-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

Michael wanted to know the most interesting or surprising thing - for me it's that so many people down here have mullets and rat tails. No joke. I am shocked and we see it everywhere

Oops!

2007-11-25T15:07:00.000-08:00

We missed our bus on Friday in BA. Ann and I both forgot to print out the information. We thought the bus left at 8:45, but it left at 7:45. I was not a happy camper, but we talked to the people and were able to get on a bus leaving later that night. However, it messed up our reservations in Mendoza for the wine tours.

So we are stuck in this sketchy bus station with later tickets. We ate a little and they told us there would be minimal food for 16 hours. Not knowing if we stopped or what, we stocked up on water and cereal bars.

The luggage is checked and we get in the first class. It was not that bad. The seats reclined most of the way back and then a foot thing came down so that you could kind of lay down. We pulled out around 10:30 knowing we wouldn't be to Mendoza until 3 the next day. And that is 3pm, not am.

We went through a shanty town on the way out of BA and then stopped almost right away. We realized that is how the bus ride was going to be the entire time. Oh well.

Here are some things about the bus
1. Movies. In first class we got movies. First was The Hot Chick in spanish. Who knew Rachel Adams was in that? Then we got a Steven Segal movie - Shadow Man - in english. It was the first Steven Segal movie I've seen and I don't think I need to see another. Then was this movie called Walking Tall or something like that, but it was a sequel. I didn't even know there was a first one. That was in english as well. Finally it was Fun with Dick and Jane in Spanish.... v. strange choices. No wonder people think Americans are freaks.

2. The bathroom was the most disgusting thing ever. Enough said.

3. There were stray dogs at each bus stop without fail.

4. We went to the bathroom at a stop and the bus started to leave without us. We had to run after it.

5. When you buy a sandwich off of a random woman it tastes really good especially if you don't think about it being pork that has probably been in the danger zone for hours.

All in all, after all of the stress of missing the bus, the trip across the country was not that bad. I probably slept about 9 hours....Ann slept about 3. However we made it to Mendoza in one piece and were able to check into our lovely hotel.

The Black Eye

2007-11-23T04:01:00.001-08:00

We met this woman, Fiona, who is British and an editor at Elle in the UK. She is staying at our hotel and passing through BA on her way home from trekking and camping throughout Patagonia. We all went out last night.

First we went to this out of the way, very local seafood restaurant which was amazing. Then we decided to go out in our neighborhood. We went to this club, but it wasn't quite a club. The main floor was a little lame, but you could go upstairs and it there was a rooftop bar and lounge area with a mini dance floor. The bar was covered and then the seating was half covered, half outside.

We got some cocktails and found a seat. There was this local couple sitting near us and they got what we thought was bottle service and Speed. Speed is the local equivalent to Red Bull. They finished one bottle and ordered another. I could not believe how much vodka they were drinking. We even commented to the guys sitting near us that we couldn't believe it. One was British and the other Finnish. So we all were curious about the drink and finally asked them.

Turns out the drink was white wine and Speed. So of course we had to start talking to them about the drink and they gave us a glass to share. It was the MOST disgusting drink I've ever had in my life. There isn't a name for it except vino blanco y speed, so we called it The Black Eye because the woman had the biggest black eye. I guess if you drink too much of that bad things happen.

We then got back to the hotel, got our bottles of water and started talking to Javier who was working the front desk. He was telling us how delicious vino blanco y speed is and how everyone drinks it. I couldn't believe it. We then tried to tell him not to order it in the US porque speed es una droga ;-)

Protest!

2007-11-23T03:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Ann and I went to the Plaza Mayo - pronounced Platha Majjo down here - and there was another protest. I think there are a few each day. This one was complete with loud booming noises.

We then went to see the mothers who have marched each Thursday for 30 years in protest of their children being taken away. It is a sad story of 30 years ago when a huge group of young people who were against the government were kidnapped and never seen or heard from again.

Also we learned that many people think there could be a military coup next year because of the incoming president. Most do not like this woman and see her as another Evita. They speak of coups like it's no big deal...

Happy...

2007-11-22T05:30:00.000-08:00

...Thanksgiving!!

Happy Birthday Sara!!!

Let us know if there are any good "Black Friday" deals!!

Abuela y Abuela

2007-11-21T20:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight we were total grandmas (no offense Mom and Dad and other readers) and went to a Tango show. It was a "espectaculo" complete with dinner and a show. We wanted to go tonight and this is one that was playing that Agostina recommended.

We got their late because our taxi let us off in the wrong spot. We gave him the streets, but it was wrong and about 10 blocks away. Oh well! Then I guess you were supposed to have reservations, but we didn't. So we got there late without reservations, but we were able to get in if we were willing to share a table. We didn't care so we paid and went in. We ended up sharing a table with John and Dee, a retired couple from the States who've lived in Mexico for the past 7 years, but speak no Spanish. They travel and rent apartments in various countries for a month at a time. So they are about to finish their month down here. By the end of the dinner we had their contact info and an invitation to Guatelajara.

The tango show dancing and music were great. It makes me want to learn how to dance. However, there was singing.... It was interesting to say the least. My favorite is Ricardo - the Phantom of the Tango. Enjoy!

Agostina

2007-11-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

We met our personal shopper, Agostina today. We met at a mall somewhere in BA. We had to take a subway and it was kind of on the outskirts of town where not a lot of tourists go. We had some time before meeting her and the neighborhood is all about tango. You can buy tango shoes, dresses, etc.

Agostina was so funny and told us how if you don't have a boyfriend in Argentina it is customary to dress like a whore. She also told us how the Europeans she takes around like the stores that sell "trashy whore" clothes. It made us laugh.

Turns out she is a teacher in the inner city schools and they are not allowed to wear jewelry to teach in since the kids don't have much. She also took us to different neighborhoods and made sure everyone gave us the tax free stuff.

We shopped for about 3 hours and she is going to call around and send us an email with suggestions for tango shows tonight that won't be too much of a rip off. She is also going to give us lists of stores that sell good jewelry and bags.

If you ever come to BA I would highly recommend getting in touch with Agostina and going shopping.

Cemetery Characters

2007-11-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

We went to the cemetery today and it was really interesting. We were given a map and started walking around. There were some v. interesting tourists and feral cats in there.

We first ran into this older, hippy American woman who was so confused. She was so intent on following her map and one grave was mismarked and you would have thought she was lost in the middle of a city with no money and no clue how to get home. She approached us and asked if we spoke English. So we answered her, looked at the map and pointed out that while grave 104 did not match up, the grave next to it did and she was on the right track. Then we saw this grave and she proceeded to tell us how it was a grave of a girl who was in a coma and died, but then ended up being buried alive and clawed at the glass. Somewhere she had read about this... Anyway the date then said the girl died in 1970 and she convinced herself outloud that it was not the right grave because in 1970 they would know if someone was dead or alive...

We found the graves of the Duarte family and Evita. It's a super narrow path and we had to wait in line and then people took pictures and what not. Well there was this woman who walked right up to the front and just kind of stood there. So when people would line up the pictures she would shift and no one could take pictures. It was kind of funny. She may have been with the German/Dutch crowd.

Finally we were getting a little too much sun so we stopped by a grave to put on some more sunscreen. This Swiss tourist complete with hat, walking shorts, hiking boots, backpack, camera, and across the body wallet stops by. He proceeded to tell us all about how he got bug bites everywhere and showed us his arms and legs. I think he thought our spray sunscreen was bug spray. He probably thought we were rude because we didn't offer him any.

Crystal

2007-11-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

I wish I could write something exciting about the nightlife so far, but it was a Tuesday night and there is just not much going on. Well perhaps if we were into the club scene there could be something, but it was just kind of an average Tuesday night. We went to a restaurant that was somewhat crowded for dinner. The food was good and cheap.

We then went to a bar and it was kind of confusing. There was a party downstairs, so we went to the loft upstairs. We ordered drinks and they brought us a plate of meat, cheese and tomatoes with little bread balls that looked like doughnut holes. Then brought us our drinks. When we were getting ready to leave the woman who was waiting on us came up with her sister and one of their friends and started talking to us in spanish so so fast. We weren't quite sure, but I think that we were their first customers or something so they took a picture of us. I still don't know exactly what happened, but perhaps we will be on a wall at Crystal in Palermo.

Don't Cry for Me...

2007-11-20T14:29:00.001-08:00

After surviving the Trash Blanc - good one Sara and be careful Kathy (they are a little stinky ;-) - we made it into the city. Admittedly besides the personal shopping and Evita, we really weren't too sure what to look for in Buenos Aires.

We took the subway to the city center and tried to get money, but no one will take Ann's Visa travelers checks - oops. So we are still reliant on my $40 in pesos. However, who knew that could buy so much - taxi ride from the airport with tolls, tips, diet coke, subway tickets, etc. with room to spare.

We parked with diet cokes in the Plaza Mayo and enjoyed the weather. It's sunny and in the 80's here. Already we are getting color just by walking around outside (sorry Beth!). We saw the Casa Rosada made famous by Madonna ;-) as well as the rest of the stuff by the square. Shockingly (!) there were pigeons. I have no idea how these gross birds end up in major cities on almost all continents. Of course it can't be a cute animal, but a pigeon - gross.

We also walked down Ave Florida which is the enclosed shopping street. Walking from end to end is like having Deja Vu. Every few blocks there is a window display of Christian Dior, a Lacoste and someplace called Havana. It was strange, but super crowded. Ann overheard these 2 men talking about us wondering if we were American or German. I thought that it was a good sign that this is the 4th continent (NA not included) where someone thought I was German. We didn't stick out too bad.

We ended up in Retiro at the American Express/Accenture office to visit Beth and Kathy's coworkers and get some cash. Don't worry about the security there because to go to the bathroom we needed to submit our passports, get our pictures taken, get a guest pass and pass through security - it was great. Sara - we also found JWT in case you needed to transfer ;-)

Just took a v. long nap to try and rev up for tonight. Our room is cute. It's a little hostel-like, but adorable and the people are really nice. The neighborhood we are in is where all of the good restaurants and night life are. Just getting ready to shower and hit the town.

I am trying to upload pictures, but the internet connection here is spotty at best. So keep looking back and there will be pictures to go with this rambling journey.

Also thanks for the comments!!!

Hola

2007-11-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

We made it to Argentina. The flights were so terrible. I would highly recommend never flying Delta. The way to Atlanta was the smallest grossest flight. This baby puked everywhere and it was that terrible baby-formula-puke smell and the plane was so hot that it just permeated everything. BLAH!!! My PSA is don't feed babies before boarding planes. Gross.

Then we had a lot of time in Atlanta where we met up with our cousin, Lauren, who was on her way down to Alabama. It was nice seeing her and I will post a picture when I have a little more time.

We then got on one of the first 767's ever made and crammed into our little seats. We were surrounded by the most obnoxious French family. If you wanted to know what white trash is in France, they were sitting behind us. Then in front of us was the Jesus Christ Church of the Ladder Day Saints missionary kids. They all had to wear suits to travel - sucks. Then I got confused because all of their names were Elder. Took awhile to realize Elder was their rank. Anyway, 2 ambien later I slept about 5 hours or so.

We just got to the hotel. Freshening up the best we can in sinks and changed our clothes. Now we are off to figure out how to get money, grab some food and then check back in so we can nap.

Ann commented that so far Buenos Aires is like Madrid meets LA. We'll take some pics and let you decide.

Adios!

Twas the Night Before...

2007-11-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

Ann came over to do laundry and we agreed that we would get the taxi for 10:15 so we could have plenty of time to catch our 1:00pm flight. However, Ann realized that our flight is actually at 11:45am. Oops! At least we caught it the night before and we didn't miss our flight.

Just about finished packing and now I just have to figure out what carry-ons to take and what kind of books and magazines I want to read.

As you can also see, I did find time to put up my Christmas tree. Most people would be running last minute errands to get things like books, toiletries and other last minute things. My errand today was to get ornament hooks... Hope you enjoy the tree. Admittedly the picture of the tree is so that I can figure out how to post a picture ;-)

It's Started

2007-11-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

Usually when I go on a trip I send massive emails, but I figured I should try to embrace the "World Wide Web" (as my least favorite newscaster on NBC in Chicago insists on referring to the Internet) and start a blog. So here it goes.... I don't leave for another week or so, but I figured I could start one and go from there...