Day one was really just about the drive. We had to hustle because of a 10:30am lokadot demo (went great!!!) I had to give to a potential major business partner, and then a 1:30 appointment at the Ford dealership to get the "Dark Knight" (our new 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid) inspected. Luckily the dealership waiting room had wifi, and we could remain productive during the 2 1/2 hours it took for the inspection. (passed) Then we hit the road after a short WaWa stop for gas, coffee and a toasted italian hoagie. I meant to take the 287 to 87 to 84 etc. westward route, in order to avoid the 95N traffic, but I missed the turn-off at Metuchen NJ. Worked out fine though since we were late enough to miss the crux of the evening traffic and surprisingly flew right through NYC no problems...just horrible roads (in terms of pot holes, patches, etc.) We had a surprisingly nice dinner at a roadside restaurant in CT called "99". We arrived in Dennis Port, Sea Winds II around 11:20 or so, and with the key code already provided, we were able to get in as if the place had always been ours. And what a fantastic place!!! We are on the 2nd floor, and have a direct, expansive view of the ocean right out of the living room. There is a fully equipped kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a furnished loft, dining area, living area, and all the creature comforts. Plus, whoever cleaned this place was absolutely amazing...every tissue paper, paper towel, cloth towel, etc. is thoughtfully, artistically folded/fanned, and the place smells and looks absolutely immaculate. So beautiful. And a gas fireplace that kicks out the heat. We turned it and the baseboard electric heat on, and were toasty within moments. We spent some time in front of our computers reviewing/responding to emails, did some light reading, then went to bed.
Day two was beautiful weather, sunny mostly clear skies, warm (er) in the upper 40's, though pretty darn windy. I had a 9am telephone appointment with another potential vendor/partner, then some emails and work to quickly rip through, but then we were off to find the "7 Beans" cafe for coffee...found it on Yelp, had great review. Unfortunately, the first one was non-existant, and the second one was recently shuttered. So, we ended up at the "Rte 28 Diner" which was AWESOME! Our waitress, and the owner, all showered us with attention, chatter and recommendations. They knew everyone in the place on a first-name basis (except us of course). Vee had a toasted blueberry muffin and freshly prepared oatmeal, and I had 2 fried eggs over medium, has browns, wheat toast, a side of some kinda tastey (supposedly spicey) portuguese inspired sausage like patties that were pretty good, and a "short stack" (2) gifreaknormous pancakes. All delicious, so full.
After breakfast, we headed back to the house, took a walk on the beach out front, but just about froze our ears off. We walked through a few enclaves of (resident only!) cute little, I mean tiny, cottages, and found some great conch shells on the beach, though left them there in tact just as we found them. Then some more work at the house. After a few hours, we decided to do some exploring, and drove up to Dennis, the old village. We toured the very nice Cape Code Museum of Art ("the only art museum in the country founded by artists..." - or at least that is what the guy behind the counter proudly told us...) and saw some really nice work. Afterwards, we bumped around the area, looking for something else to look at, and ended up in a fantastic little cafe and bakery called the "Underground" where we had a really nice conversation with the proprietors, 2 capps, and a delicious cinnamon-sugar donutty-muffin kinda thing, and bought an olive loaf of bread. They told us all about their famous "dirty salty potatoe bread" that will be ready tomorrow morning at 10am and will sell out if we don't get there early...we'll see...but their pastries sure look amazing! We got a few more ideas of things to do, so drove to and climbed up the Scargo Hill Observation Tour for some great views and pics of the Cape, then dove over to Corporation Beach, and took a nice long walk along the water. On the way back to the house we stopped for a few odds and ends, wine, cheese, water, etc., then back to do some more work, nibble, then maybe watch a movie, read, have fun. More tomorrow!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Cochabamba Bolivia - 2010 - Chris
So, a little bit more about why/how the family is coping with the loss of Chris. Basically, bluntly, it is because Chris is very obviously still here, so more on that now...
• I personally have not seen him (spirit/apparition), but Sandra has a few times here in the house soon after he transitioned, though not recently. But in their dreams (very very vivid ones, with scenes that are amazingly interactive, and with happenings that seemingly could only result from Chris' involvement in them), Vanessa, Fernando, Lillian and Vee all have seen him. But dreams are not the kind of "proof" most would give any weight to. Chris' presence is clear from other things he does...like, turning on the radio at different times of the day depending on who is in the house, and even occasionally changing channels. Does this radio have a timer?...yes, but, no one has ever programmed it, nor does anyone know how. And, like I said, it turns on at different times, depending on who is here, and only mostly recently started doing this after Chris' transition. Though something similar happened with this same radio soon after Fernando's father ("Don David") transitioned a few years ago, except that it happened in the middle of the night, and at that time, Chris was the one who was most skeptical of what was going on, and what it meant (or didn't mean), and told everyone to ignore it and that it was nothing. It stopped after a few nights, but only after Sandra saw Don David here in the house and he told her where his ID was so that Papi could find and use it in the legal case against the woman who is falsely claiming to be Don David's wedded widow. But most recently, the radio goes on while we are all at the table for breakfast around 9:25am +/- When Mami and Papi were with us in Philadelphia, the radio would go on at night when the girls would came home from college, and sometimes in the afternoon when Aunt Carmen was here keeping an eye on the house..freaked her out of course, but now it has become a welcome comfort for the whole family, as it is Chris' way of just saying hello.
• One of most vivid recent examples was last week when Papi was gathering documentation necessary for transferring/closing Chris' bank accounts, and he found a college ID of Chris from about 6 years ago that was badly damaged with the lamination half-peeled off and his picture badly faded, etc. but that he needed to use to help prove Chris' existence/ownership/etc. After showing it to the rest of the family, and all wondering whether the ID was going to be of any use, he put it on the nightstand beside him that night when going to bed, and when he woke the next morning, the ID was in perfect condition, with the picture perfectly restored, and the lamination like new. Papi showed me the new ID. The girls verified having seen the wretched condition of the ID before it was miraculously restored. Obviously, no one in the family snuck into Papi's room during the night, took the ID somewhere to have it fixed, and returned it before him waking up. The only explanation anyone can think of is that Chris did it.
• And then two more happenings, again involving music, and electronics, which Chris loved! 1.) The girls have a CD player, old-school, with manual push-buttons, power, etc., in their bedroom. One time a week or so ago, while Vanessa was having a dream with Chris in it, she went to hug him in her dream, and the CD player in their bedroom turned itself on, waking her up at some un-Godly hour, and the CD had been "skipped"/"reversed" to a particular song that was one of Chris' favorites. 2.) Chris had an MP3 played (a "Rio") that we gave him a few years ago. While Mami and Papi were in Philly with us, Vanessa plugged the Rio into the home stereo system so she could listen to the music she liked while she was doing homework in the office area downstairs. She was listening to "her" (ie "pop" and "electronic/dance") music, when in the middle of a song, it cut off, and skipped to the music that Chris liked (ie, "rock" and "metal"). So, slightly annoyed, Vanessa went over to the Rio, changed it back to her music, sat back down in the office, and it happened again. More annoyed, she went back to the Rio, changed it back to her music, sat back down in the office, and it happened again, this time she let it go, realizing that it was probably just Chris.
• I personally have not seen him (spirit/apparition), but Sandra has a few times here in the house soon after he transitioned, though not recently. But in their dreams (very very vivid ones, with scenes that are amazingly interactive, and with happenings that seemingly could only result from Chris' involvement in them), Vanessa, Fernando, Lillian and Vee all have seen him. But dreams are not the kind of "proof" most would give any weight to. Chris' presence is clear from other things he does...like, turning on the radio at different times of the day depending on who is in the house, and even occasionally changing channels. Does this radio have a timer?...yes, but, no one has ever programmed it, nor does anyone know how. And, like I said, it turns on at different times, depending on who is here, and only mostly recently started doing this after Chris' transition. Though something similar happened with this same radio soon after Fernando's father ("Don David") transitioned a few years ago, except that it happened in the middle of the night, and at that time, Chris was the one who was most skeptical of what was going on, and what it meant (or didn't mean), and told everyone to ignore it and that it was nothing. It stopped after a few nights, but only after Sandra saw Don David here in the house and he told her where his ID was so that Papi could find and use it in the legal case against the woman who is falsely claiming to be Don David's wedded widow. But most recently, the radio goes on while we are all at the table for breakfast around 9:25am +/- When Mami and Papi were with us in Philadelphia, the radio would go on at night when the girls would came home from college, and sometimes in the afternoon when Aunt Carmen was here keeping an eye on the house..freaked her out of course, but now it has become a welcome comfort for the whole family, as it is Chris' way of just saying hello.
• One of most vivid recent examples was last week when Papi was gathering documentation necessary for transferring/closing Chris' bank accounts, and he found a college ID of Chris from about 6 years ago that was badly damaged with the lamination half-peeled off and his picture badly faded, etc. but that he needed to use to help prove Chris' existence/ownership/etc. After showing it to the rest of the family, and all wondering whether the ID was going to be of any use, he put it on the nightstand beside him that night when going to bed, and when he woke the next morning, the ID was in perfect condition, with the picture perfectly restored, and the lamination like new. Papi showed me the new ID. The girls verified having seen the wretched condition of the ID before it was miraculously restored. Obviously, no one in the family snuck into Papi's room during the night, took the ID somewhere to have it fixed, and returned it before him waking up. The only explanation anyone can think of is that Chris did it.
• And then two more happenings, again involving music, and electronics, which Chris loved! 1.) The girls have a CD player, old-school, with manual push-buttons, power, etc., in their bedroom. One time a week or so ago, while Vanessa was having a dream with Chris in it, she went to hug him in her dream, and the CD player in their bedroom turned itself on, waking her up at some un-Godly hour, and the CD had been "skipped"/"reversed" to a particular song that was one of Chris' favorites. 2.) Chris had an MP3 played (a "Rio") that we gave him a few years ago. While Mami and Papi were in Philly with us, Vanessa plugged the Rio into the home stereo system so she could listen to the music she liked while she was doing homework in the office area downstairs. She was listening to "her" (ie "pop" and "electronic/dance") music, when in the middle of a song, it cut off, and skipped to the music that Chris liked (ie, "rock" and "metal"). So, slightly annoyed, Vanessa went over to the Rio, changed it back to her music, sat back down in the office, and it happened again. More annoyed, she went back to the Rio, changed it back to her music, sat back down in the office, and it happened again, this time she let it go, realizing that it was probably just Chris.
Cochabamba Bolivia - 2010 - First week - Some soccer, family rituals, "Day of the dead" and Papi's birthday
Written Thu Nov 4 2010...
Saturday Oct 30 2010: Saturday we were in "La Cancha", most of the afternoon, looking for stuff for our apartment, etc. La Cancha is basically a huge marketplace in the city where you can buy everything except what you actually want (hahaha)...craziness...but it's where you go because of the wide selection and low prices because if you buy things elsewhere, you'll pay twice as much due to the legitimacy of those non-la cancha businesses and the taxes they pay. La Cancha is basically a huge, dirty, dusty, smelly, crowded black-market for anything from appliances and furniture, to food, clothing, toys and electronics with everything in between. Later that night, we went to a wedding for the son of a merchant that Fernando is friendly with, so we all got dressed up, danced, ate and drank until nearly midnight, and the cake still hadn't been cut, so we ended up sneaking out early...everyone was just too tired (and maybe bored?). To give you an idea of scale, there were 480 people invited, and it was a two day wedding with sit-down meals, drinking, dancing, appetizers, more dancing, music, etc. Needless to say, though we were urged continually by the parents of the groom, we did not attend wedding day #2 on Sunday.
Sunday Oct 31 2010: Sunday we hung out in the morning, then went to a Wilstermann (local professional team) soccer match, which was great fun with a exciting 3-1 victory, and then afterwards we all went out for hot dogs and burgers at "Frankffurt" a local favorite post-match restaurant.
Monday Nov 1 2010: Monday was a little break from family stuff, other than meals, which is when the whole family comes together for breakfast, a big lunch, and then teatime at night and sometimes even later evening snacks out or in the house. It is both wonderful, and disruptive. We are still in the house with the family, and adjusting to participating in all these daily communal eating rituals, but once we are in our own apartment, obviously we won't be as involved, but instead may occasionally host, or occasionally come back to the house for meals, especially lunch, and more likely on weekends. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights, I worked until about 3 am, after putting in full work days in addition to all the family commitments.
Tuesday Nov 2 2010: Tuesday was "Day of the Dead", or what Halloween used to, or is supposed to be...a welcoming/remembering/
Wednesday Nov 3 2010: Papi's birthday was yesterday, so Aunt Carmen, Uncle Cidar and cousins Marcel and Carlos were here in the afternoon, and then the whole family (minus aunts/uncles) went out for a special dinner last night. Poor Mami is sick on her stomach today from something she ate, but otherwise we all had a great time feasting on all kinds of grilled meats and a huge side/salad bar and pitchers of freshly-blended peach juice to drink. Vee and I had a nice but busy day all day running around getting internet setup, getting electricity set up, buying stuff for our place, etc. Then, another late working night/morning, as per usual.
So, just thought you might this stuff interesting if anything, and would give you an idea of what's been going on here. All good. My health has been good with no major allergic outbreaks. And we'll likely be moving into our apartment this weekend after alot of cleaning, etc. Our wonderful new friends and neighbors/renters in the Murano, Jon and Fernanda are all moved into our place and settled. Here, it's really nice being with the whole family, and even Juber and I have been connecting better than in the past. The girls are awesome, very busy with college studies, exercise classes, social outings, etc. Papi is busy with work stuff and helping us getting set up and driving the family everywhere they need to go. Mami is busy with work and keeping the house in top-top shape and cooking huge, fresh, wonderful meals each day. Juber just finished his work project in Sucre and is looking for new work, possibly in Santa Cruz.
One last little story you might enjoy...earlier this week, Vee and I took a taxi from the city center back to the house. It was fairly windy. As the taxi went under an overpass/bridge, the car's hood flew up and smashed the windshield, though not completely. Luckily no cars were beside us and the driver somehow managed, blindly, with the hood pressed completely up against the windshield, to pull the car over and got out and slammed the hood back down to its closed position. Slowly, with flashers on, he continued driving us to the house. When we got there, Vee paid him with a twenty-note (20 Bolivianos, like 20 dollars in the US...except that 1 USD = 7 BO) for our agreed upon fare of 10 BO. Well, the driver wouldn't give Vee her change of 10 BO and told us that it was because if we wouldn't have asked him to drive us, the hood wouldn't have blown up and smashed his windshield, and that we should feel sorry for him and help pay for the damages. Can you believe it? Never mind we could have been killed in the accident had circumstances been otherwise, and in any other developed country, his car wouldn't even be allowed on the road. Anyway, for what amounts to a dollar and half USD, Vee relented, it was a lost cause, and he kept the double-fair. Funny.
Saturday Oct 30 2010: Saturday we were in "La Cancha", most of the afternoon, looking for stuff for our apartment, etc. La Cancha is basically a huge marketplace in the city where you can buy everything except what you actually want (hahaha)...craziness...but it's where you go because of the wide selection and low prices because if you buy things elsewhere, you'll pay twice as much due to the legitimacy of those non-la cancha businesses and the taxes they pay. La Cancha is basically a huge, dirty, dusty, smelly, crowded black-market for anything from appliances and furniture, to food, clothing, toys and electronics with everything in between. Later that night, we went to a wedding for the son of a merchant that Fernando is friendly with, so we all got dressed up, danced, ate and drank until nearly midnight, and the cake still hadn't been cut, so we ended up sneaking out early...everyone was just too tired (and maybe bored?). To give you an idea of scale, there were 480 people invited, and it was a two day wedding with sit-down meals, drinking, dancing, appetizers, more dancing, music, etc. Needless to say, though we were urged continually by the parents of the groom, we did not attend wedding day #2 on Sunday.
Sunday Oct 31 2010: Sunday we hung out in the morning, then went to a Wilstermann (local professional team) soccer match, which was great fun with a exciting 3-1 victory, and then afterwards we all went out for hot dogs and burgers at "Frankffurt" a local favorite post-match restaurant.
Monday Nov 1 2010: Monday was a little break from family stuff, other than meals, which is when the whole family comes together for breakfast, a big lunch, and then teatime at night and sometimes even later evening snacks out or in the house. It is both wonderful, and disruptive. We are still in the house with the family, and adjusting to participating in all these daily communal eating rituals, but once we are in our own apartment, obviously we won't be as involved, but instead may occasionally host, or occasionally come back to the house for meals, especially lunch, and more likely on weekends. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights, I worked until about 3 am, after putting in full work days in addition to all the family commitments.
Tuesday Nov 2 2010: Tuesday was "Day of the Dead", or what Halloween used to, or is supposed to be...a welcoming/remembering/
Wednesday Nov 3 2010: Papi's birthday was yesterday, so Aunt Carmen, Uncle Cidar and cousins Marcel and Carlos were here in the afternoon, and then the whole family (minus aunts/uncles) went out for a special dinner last night. Poor Mami is sick on her stomach today from something she ate, but otherwise we all had a great time feasting on all kinds of grilled meats and a huge side/salad bar and pitchers of freshly-blended peach juice to drink. Vee and I had a nice but busy day all day running around getting internet setup, getting electricity set up, buying stuff for our place, etc. Then, another late working night/morning, as per usual.
So, just thought you might this stuff interesting if anything, and would give you an idea of what's been going on here. All good. My health has been good with no major allergic outbreaks. And we'll likely be moving into our apartment this weekend after alot of cleaning, etc. Our wonderful new friends and neighbors/renters in the Murano, Jon and Fernanda are all moved into our place and settled. Here, it's really nice being with the whole family, and even Juber and I have been connecting better than in the past. The girls are awesome, very busy with college studies, exercise classes, social outings, etc. Papi is busy with work stuff and helping us getting set up and driving the family everywhere they need to go. Mami is busy with work and keeping the house in top-top shape and cooking huge, fresh, wonderful meals each day. Juber just finished his work project in Sucre and is looking for new work, possibly in Santa Cruz.
One last little story you might enjoy...earlier this week, Vee and I took a taxi from the city center back to the house. It was fairly windy. As the taxi went under an overpass/bridge, the car's hood flew up and smashed the windshield, though not completely. Luckily no cars were beside us and the driver somehow managed, blindly, with the hood pressed completely up against the windshield, to pull the car over and got out and slammed the hood back down to its closed position. Slowly, with flashers on, he continued driving us to the house. When we got there, Vee paid him with a twenty-note (20 Bolivianos, like 20 dollars in the US...except that 1 USD = 7 BO) for our agreed upon fare of 10 BO. Well, the driver wouldn't give Vee her change of 10 BO and told us that it was because if we wouldn't have asked him to drive us, the hood wouldn't have blown up and smashed his windshield, and that we should feel sorry for him and help pay for the damages. Can you believe it? Never mind we could have been killed in the accident had circumstances been otherwise, and in any other developed country, his car wouldn't even be allowed on the road. Anyway, for what amounts to a dollar and half USD, Vee relented, it was a lost cause, and he kept the double-fair. Funny.
Cochabamba Bolivia - 2010 - Travel from Philly to Cochabamba
The storms in Philadelphia delayed our departure a day because of what would have been a missed connection in MIA, and then getting out the next day was full of delays as well. We sat on the tarmac for a while in Philly, I think because of that terrorist plot in London that had some kind of a Philly connection, I don't know, there was no explanation. And then in Miami, after boarding, we all had to be evacuated from the plane because of "a burning smell and smoke"...turns out the wiring for one of the TVs in the cabin went bad, and so after a quick tv/wiring replacement, we all re-boarded, and left a few hours late. No problems otherwise in Bolivia with customs, flights, airports, etc. despite some fairly strong turbulence coming into and out of both Santa Cruz and La Paz. Papi picked us up in what was a beautiful summer afternoon in Cochabamba.
It was just the two of us and Papi for a little while because Juber was still in Santa Cruz (he arrived Monday morning), the girls were at college, and Mami was working. We got to the house and played with Pitu (my girlfriend, a sweet and playful Chow) in the back yard, then Mami came home and we hung out for a little while, then we picked up the girls and all had a delicious pizza dinner out together downtown.
It was just the two of us and Papi for a little while because Juber was still in Santa Cruz (he arrived Monday morning), the girls were at college, and Mami was working. We got to the house and played with Pitu (my girlfriend, a sweet and playful Chow) in the back yard, then Mami came home and we hung out for a little while, then we picked up the girls and all had a delicious pizza dinner out together downtown.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Punta del Este
I was not disciplined enough to blog on a daily basis during this trip, so this one will be a quick retrospective. All in all, we had a fantastic journey, and each day seemed to have its own defining moment or two.
Buenos Aires is absolutely huge. There aren't skyscrapers like in Manhatten and Chicago and the Asian cities, but just lots and lots of really massive, tall buildings and even more 50's-style skinny semi-high-rise apartment buildings as well as plenty of impressive ultra-modern new construction. We did alot of walking, exploring the fantastic night-life in the Recoleta neighborhood where we had dinner at a micro-brewery, as well as the impressive recently established Puerto Madero area along the water where we shared an ice cream at one of the omnipresent Freddo's. With the city being so enormous, and our limited time there, we thought it would be wise to do a bus tour, and thus got to experience a number of other neighborhoods including La Boca, Retiro, Palermo, San Telmo, and of course El Centro where our hotel was. We walked across the widest boulevard in the world (Avenida 9 de Julio) a number of times, and walked Avenida Florida many times as well with it's famous Pacifico Gallerias mall and shopping district. One night, we ventured out for a Tango dinner show at "Señor Tango's" and not only was the food fantastic (Argentinian Bife Chorizo for me and Trout for Vee), and the venue, service, and costumes spectacular, but the Tango show was absolutely extraordinary...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! The city is a glutten's paradise with eaterie after eaterie, block after block. However, as has been my experience thus far in S.A., the regional beer breweries have monopoly control of their respective markets and thus, there is no beer selection: Pilsen and Quilmes are it; and in Uruguay, it's only Patricia, Zillertal and Pilsen. On the downside, the city has absolutely heart-wrenching slums, and is quite dirty. The people we encountered everywhere were for the most part very polite and friendly, and took very good care of us.
Montevideo, a 45 minute flight across the river from B.A., has a more romantic feel to it, being more prominently waterfront on the mouth of the same Rio de la Plata. It is located in yet another time zone though, making it two hours ahead of Cochabamba, Bolivia, and one hour ahead of Buenos Aires. The neighborhood where we stayed is called Pocitos, and is a special place for us, since this is the city where Vee spent the first year and half of her professional career abroad, and also the place where we "met" through the Internet. Pocitos is beautiful with it's tree-lined streets, mid-rise apartment buildings with long rectangular terraces, and corner shops and cafes. The action though, is on the beach, where there was no end to the fútbol, and volleyball games in the sand. We walked all over the city, down the main avenue with shopping and street vendors, to the market area, and visiting some of the wonderfully green little plazas with fountains and sculptures. Many of the people in Uruguay, and Argentina for that matter, carry a thermos of máte (a tea-like drink) under their arm while sipping it through a metal straw in the bulbous "mug" that they're holding. One night we had a delicious waterfront dinner at a place that Vee used to frequent with her fellow consultants, and another night, we ate at the place that was her favorite restaurant while she was working there. The people of Uruguay are fantastic, as they were always very attentive, friendly and would even speak English with us when they found out we were visiting from the U.S. It is a VERY windy city though.
Lastly, Punta del Este, Uruguay, was our final destination, a 2 hour bus ride up the coast from Montevideo, and my (our?) favorite of the 3 cities. The beaches were neverending in all directions, the water on the Atlantic side was a beautiful blue green, the reddish-brown rocky coves were awe-inspiring, and the progressive architecture of the surrounding homes, resorts, condos and apartment buildings was extraordinary. There were plenty of restaurants to choose from, and lots of surrounding "pueblos" to explore, which we did on a rented "moto". One night, we got caught in a horrible rain-storm, and attempted unsuccessfully to wait it out under a little kiosk, but had to eventually make a mad dash for a fancy restaurant across the street, arriving soaked through, but happilly attended to regardless, and were treated to an exquisite meal (...and a dry shirt). Another night, we just drank wine and ate cheese and chocolate, and watched the sun go down on the beach. Another night, we walked the port/marina area and had a delicious (but way overpriced) seafood meal. The weather was sketchy but for one day, where we spent the whole day cruising the coastline on our rented moto-scooter and exploring little coastal nooks and crannies. The other days, we spent our time walking the downtown area, etc. We discovered a few places serving our favorite "Illy" coffee so of course we had to partake a few times. Again, the people were fantastic, everywhere. Especially the guy at the front desk of our hotel, of Russian descent. The hotel was a wonderfully intimate place, and despite being a descent hike from downtown, was only a block from the beach. The problem with PdE, is that it is too far away from everything, and too expensive and involved to travel to. And, so I understand, in high-season, it is absolutely mobbed and pretty nuts. We were lucky, as it was still not high-season and thus everything was quiet and just how we like it. A wonderful place we'd enjoy visiting again, hopefully when we can get there and return home more directly and less-expensively. Absolutely beautiful, but not a year-round destination due to it's latitude.
Buenos Aires is absolutely huge. There aren't skyscrapers like in Manhatten and Chicago and the Asian cities, but just lots and lots of really massive, tall buildings and even more 50's-style skinny semi-high-rise apartment buildings as well as plenty of impressive ultra-modern new construction. We did alot of walking, exploring the fantastic night-life in the Recoleta neighborhood where we had dinner at a micro-brewery, as well as the impressive recently established Puerto Madero area along the water where we shared an ice cream at one of the omnipresent Freddo's. With the city being so enormous, and our limited time there, we thought it would be wise to do a bus tour, and thus got to experience a number of other neighborhoods including La Boca, Retiro, Palermo, San Telmo, and of course El Centro where our hotel was. We walked across the widest boulevard in the world (Avenida 9 de Julio) a number of times, and walked Avenida Florida many times as well with it's famous Pacifico Gallerias mall and shopping district. One night, we ventured out for a Tango dinner show at "Señor Tango's" and not only was the food fantastic (Argentinian Bife Chorizo for me and Trout for Vee), and the venue, service, and costumes spectacular, but the Tango show was absolutely extraordinary...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! The city is a glutten's paradise with eaterie after eaterie, block after block. However, as has been my experience thus far in S.A., the regional beer breweries have monopoly control of their respective markets and thus, there is no beer selection: Pilsen and Quilmes are it; and in Uruguay, it's only Patricia, Zillertal and Pilsen. On the downside, the city has absolutely heart-wrenching slums, and is quite dirty. The people we encountered everywhere were for the most part very polite and friendly, and took very good care of us.
Montevideo, a 45 minute flight across the river from B.A., has a more romantic feel to it, being more prominently waterfront on the mouth of the same Rio de la Plata. It is located in yet another time zone though, making it two hours ahead of Cochabamba, Bolivia, and one hour ahead of Buenos Aires. The neighborhood where we stayed is called Pocitos, and is a special place for us, since this is the city where Vee spent the first year and half of her professional career abroad, and also the place where we "met" through the Internet. Pocitos is beautiful with it's tree-lined streets, mid-rise apartment buildings with long rectangular terraces, and corner shops and cafes. The action though, is on the beach, where there was no end to the fútbol, and volleyball games in the sand. We walked all over the city, down the main avenue with shopping and street vendors, to the market area, and visiting some of the wonderfully green little plazas with fountains and sculptures. Many of the people in Uruguay, and Argentina for that matter, carry a thermos of máte (a tea-like drink) under their arm while sipping it through a metal straw in the bulbous "mug" that they're holding. One night we had a delicious waterfront dinner at a place that Vee used to frequent with her fellow consultants, and another night, we ate at the place that was her favorite restaurant while she was working there. The people of Uruguay are fantastic, as they were always very attentive, friendly and would even speak English with us when they found out we were visiting from the U.S. It is a VERY windy city though.
Lastly, Punta del Este, Uruguay, was our final destination, a 2 hour bus ride up the coast from Montevideo, and my (our?) favorite of the 3 cities. The beaches were neverending in all directions, the water on the Atlantic side was a beautiful blue green, the reddish-brown rocky coves were awe-inspiring, and the progressive architecture of the surrounding homes, resorts, condos and apartment buildings was extraordinary. There were plenty of restaurants to choose from, and lots of surrounding "pueblos" to explore, which we did on a rented "moto". One night, we got caught in a horrible rain-storm, and attempted unsuccessfully to wait it out under a little kiosk, but had to eventually make a mad dash for a fancy restaurant across the street, arriving soaked through, but happilly attended to regardless, and were treated to an exquisite meal (...and a dry shirt). Another night, we just drank wine and ate cheese and chocolate, and watched the sun go down on the beach. Another night, we walked the port/marina area and had a delicious (but way overpriced) seafood meal. The weather was sketchy but for one day, where we spent the whole day cruising the coastline on our rented moto-scooter and exploring little coastal nooks and crannies. The other days, we spent our time walking the downtown area, etc. We discovered a few places serving our favorite "Illy" coffee so of course we had to partake a few times. Again, the people were fantastic, everywhere. Especially the guy at the front desk of our hotel, of Russian descent. The hotel was a wonderfully intimate place, and despite being a descent hike from downtown, was only a block from the beach. The problem with PdE, is that it is too far away from everything, and too expensive and involved to travel to. And, so I understand, in high-season, it is absolutely mobbed and pretty nuts. We were lucky, as it was still not high-season and thus everything was quiet and just how we like it. A wonderful place we'd enjoy visiting again, hopefully when we can get there and return home more directly and less-expensively. Absolutely beautiful, but not a year-round destination due to it's latitude.
Friday, December 8, 2006
Bolivia - Beautiful Graduation Amidst a Hellstorm
In 1990, when my senior high school graduation ceremony was cut short by rain, it was if nothing else, a memorable occasion. Last night was Vanessa’s graduation (Vee’s youngest sibling/sister), and the storm that engulfed that ceremony made the recollection of my own graduation rain storm seem like a light summer drizzle.
Things were going wonderfully, with the parents ceremoniously walking their proud newly graduated sons and daughters down the center aisle to accept their diplomas, have their tassel flipped from one side of their cap to the other, frozen momentarily for the obligatory snapshots, and then directed to have a seat next to their other cap-and-gowned pals. We the friends and family members were comfortably seated in rows of white plastic chairs happily chatting away, people-watching, popping up and down and moving around to navigate the best angle for our digital cameras and video cams. It was a very pleasant atmosphere outside beneath the sturdy yellow steel-pillar and silvery corrugated aluminum roofed canopy where during the school day, the students probably played futbol(soccer) or baloncesto(basketball).
Then, the dark night sky began to flash. The soothing breeze soon intensified into gusts of wind that blew the decorations hanging from above back and forth while the curtains behind the stage whipped at the legs of the administration folks seated there. And, like a bugle call to a cavalry charge in battle, a piercing crack of thunder announced the onslaught of a storm sweeping in from the peaks of the Andes above. Only moments later, just as the caps were being tossed into the air, all hell from above broke loose.
The wind grew stronger still, and the rain that initially, somewhat harmlessly, pelted away at the metal roof quickly turned into sheets of frozen buckshot that blasted away at what now seemed like a flimsy layer of aluminum foil over our heads. The ferocity of the storm continued to build and with the graduation ceremony now officially over, the graduates, the audience and the white plastic chairs formed one clotted mass of confusion and bewilderment with nowhere to go, trapped by a canopy of ice and rain. The water began to break through the roof and drove the mass of people and plastic into slightly more defined smaller herds huddling to stay dry. By then, an inch or two of water was washing over the concrete floor and many of the “mujeres” began to stand on top of the chairs while the wheels of solution-engineering turned in the minds of the “señores” who were trying to formulate escape routes for their families.
Gradually, packs began to break away from the crowd, making desperate runs for the relative comfort of the vehicles parked outside campus on a steep slope pointing skyward. We finally decided to make a run for it and were immediately drenched as we navigated icy concrete and mud-slicked rocky sidewalks covered with sleet. Rivers of rainwater gushed down the hillside through crevices and spilled into the street where people were cramming inside the rapidly opening-and-slamming doors of foggy SUVs, pick-ups, Bugs, and Brasilias. With the rivers of muddy water came rocks, walls of them, blocking roads and re-routing water and debris to make every way out impassible. The narrow road where 9 of us were stuffed into Papi’s brand new white Montero was jammed for over an hour before cars finally begin picking their way down the hill. The first road we took was blocked by rushing water and newly dislocated layers of rock that tumbled down from the mountains in angry torrents of mud and sludge. The 2nd and 3rd roads were blocked too. Papi was communicating intermittently with Chris and Juber via cell phone to see what kind of progress they were making in their truck.
Finally, after numerous attempts at various routes, we made it out and eventually home. Lines of industrial looking trucks were queued where previously passable roads had existed, and people stood around outside, displaced, trying to make sense of what was happening. Upon arrival at the Delgadillo home, there was no electricity, so we burned candles and huddled together sharing delicious food that Mami had cooked, and drinks of whiskey, dulce de leche liqueur, and white wine that Juber and Papi were jovially serving up. At 1 in the morning, Papi safely delivered Vee and I to our condo where the elevators were non-functional but all else seemed intact. The rain had stopped, but the foreboding approach of morning lay ahead, and we knew that when the sun came up, the true destruction of the storm would be revealed. Exhausted, we slept.
In the morning, we learned through the online version of Los Tiempos that so far, 4 people have been killed, and numbers more are missing. It is being said that last night’s storm was the worst here in twenty years, and the third worst in the last 50. And of course, it was all perfectly timed to coincide with the South American Community of Nations Summit that Evo Morales is hosting next door at Hotel Portales where the most important leaders and ambassadors from all of South America and abroad are congregating. The city is awash in water, mud and rock, while hundreds if not thousands of workers hired to clean it up are busily trying to get things back into shape for the important visitors who will be here the next few days. Vee tried to go to the gym, but it was flooded. The nice restaurants on the boulevard where foreign dignitaries will be wanting to dine this weekend are attempting to dig out from the mud. It was only a few days ago where the same scene unfolded, and that was a far less violent storm. Let’s hope the worst is over. Tonight, for Vanessa’s graduation “prom” party, we are keeping our fingers crossed for clearer skies…conejitos!
You can see pictures from graduation here. And a few shots of the area around our condo the morning after here.
Things were going wonderfully, with the parents ceremoniously walking their proud newly graduated sons and daughters down the center aisle to accept their diplomas, have their tassel flipped from one side of their cap to the other, frozen momentarily for the obligatory snapshots, and then directed to have a seat next to their other cap-and-gowned pals. We the friends and family members were comfortably seated in rows of white plastic chairs happily chatting away, people-watching, popping up and down and moving around to navigate the best angle for our digital cameras and video cams. It was a very pleasant atmosphere outside beneath the sturdy yellow steel-pillar and silvery corrugated aluminum roofed canopy where during the school day, the students probably played futbol(soccer) or baloncesto(basketball).
Then, the dark night sky began to flash. The soothing breeze soon intensified into gusts of wind that blew the decorations hanging from above back and forth while the curtains behind the stage whipped at the legs of the administration folks seated there. And, like a bugle call to a cavalry charge in battle, a piercing crack of thunder announced the onslaught of a storm sweeping in from the peaks of the Andes above. Only moments later, just as the caps were being tossed into the air, all hell from above broke loose.
The wind grew stronger still, and the rain that initially, somewhat harmlessly, pelted away at the metal roof quickly turned into sheets of frozen buckshot that blasted away at what now seemed like a flimsy layer of aluminum foil over our heads. The ferocity of the storm continued to build and with the graduation ceremony now officially over, the graduates, the audience and the white plastic chairs formed one clotted mass of confusion and bewilderment with nowhere to go, trapped by a canopy of ice and rain. The water began to break through the roof and drove the mass of people and plastic into slightly more defined smaller herds huddling to stay dry. By then, an inch or two of water was washing over the concrete floor and many of the “mujeres” began to stand on top of the chairs while the wheels of solution-engineering turned in the minds of the “señores” who were trying to formulate escape routes for their families.
Gradually, packs began to break away from the crowd, making desperate runs for the relative comfort of the vehicles parked outside campus on a steep slope pointing skyward. We finally decided to make a run for it and were immediately drenched as we navigated icy concrete and mud-slicked rocky sidewalks covered with sleet. Rivers of rainwater gushed down the hillside through crevices and spilled into the street where people were cramming inside the rapidly opening-and-slamming doors of foggy SUVs, pick-ups, Bugs, and Brasilias. With the rivers of muddy water came rocks, walls of them, blocking roads and re-routing water and debris to make every way out impassible. The narrow road where 9 of us were stuffed into Papi’s brand new white Montero was jammed for over an hour before cars finally begin picking their way down the hill. The first road we took was blocked by rushing water and newly dislocated layers of rock that tumbled down from the mountains in angry torrents of mud and sludge. The 2nd and 3rd roads were blocked too. Papi was communicating intermittently with Chris and Juber via cell phone to see what kind of progress they were making in their truck.
Finally, after numerous attempts at various routes, we made it out and eventually home. Lines of industrial looking trucks were queued where previously passable roads had existed, and people stood around outside, displaced, trying to make sense of what was happening. Upon arrival at the Delgadillo home, there was no electricity, so we burned candles and huddled together sharing delicious food that Mami had cooked, and drinks of whiskey, dulce de leche liqueur, and white wine that Juber and Papi were jovially serving up. At 1 in the morning, Papi safely delivered Vee and I to our condo where the elevators were non-functional but all else seemed intact. The rain had stopped, but the foreboding approach of morning lay ahead, and we knew that when the sun came up, the true destruction of the storm would be revealed. Exhausted, we slept.
In the morning, we learned through the online version of Los Tiempos that so far, 4 people have been killed, and numbers more are missing. It is being said that last night’s storm was the worst here in twenty years, and the third worst in the last 50. And of course, it was all perfectly timed to coincide with the South American Community of Nations Summit that Evo Morales is hosting next door at Hotel Portales where the most important leaders and ambassadors from all of South America and abroad are congregating. The city is awash in water, mud and rock, while hundreds if not thousands of workers hired to clean it up are busily trying to get things back into shape for the important visitors who will be here the next few days. Vee tried to go to the gym, but it was flooded. The nice restaurants on the boulevard where foreign dignitaries will be wanting to dine this weekend are attempting to dig out from the mud. It was only a few days ago where the same scene unfolded, and that was a far less violent storm. Let’s hope the worst is over. Tonight, for Vanessa’s graduation “prom” party, we are keeping our fingers crossed for clearer skies…conejitos!
You can see pictures from graduation here. And a few shots of the area around our condo the morning after here.
Sunday, December 3, 2006
Bolivia - Wilstermann Campeones!!!
Today, was the futbol Super Bowl of Bolivia. The Wilstemann, of Cochabamba, beat an excellent team from Potosi, 2 goals to 1 in a dramatic final full of scary injuries, a few yellow cards and lots of emotion. Vee's father and brother Chris tried to buy tickets for the game, but it was sold-out, so we all got together to watch it at D'Kaffe downstairs. This is the first championship the Wilstermann have won in about 10 years, and the city is celebrating like mad. Outside, I hear the cars passing beeping 3 times for "Wil - ster - mann" and everyone is wearing their team colors of red-white-and-blue, including Vee and I of course. We are so excited to have been here for such a huge victory and to have experienced a few of the games this season "en vive" against Santa Cruz, and La Paz. Now, if we could only get those Philadelphia Eagles to follow-up with an NFL Super Bowl victory...
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