THIS IS WHAT ADULTS DO

List: Asia Memories

2008-12-05T18:03:00.005-06:00

I wrote this list while the memories were still fresh. That's the problem with experiences--if you (or specifically, if I) don't write them down immediately, everything fades into a dull grey from which significance disappears

- wax apples
- Asian pancakes filled with cabbage & thousand island dressing
- vending machines
- Ding Tai Feng
- Jendow Veggie Buffet
- scooters
- new highrises in shenzhen; old China in the underwear lines
- arcades
- Home Inn (lodging suites)
- Guangzhou shopping
- fish skins, vinegar, peanuts, chives
- Xinshijie Shopping Centre
- Wuhan busses
- Songshuyu
- Muguaxueha
- foot baths & massages
- Zhou Hei Ya (duck wings)
- sleepy Kunming
- dinner, show, & pissy dancers
- second cousin's Ford
- fungi hotpot (shrooms?)
- XiaoWang in the airport
- Lijiang old town
- fear/anxiety/etc.
- Haba Village and bitterly cold in snow
- snowing in mountain passes
- dirty bus; 101 Dalmations bus seat covers
- Shangri-la not so Shangri-la
- [fake?] North Face gear
- fever
- sleeping bags need to be light and negative 17 degrees centigrade
- recovery in internet cafe
- oxygen bottles
- Haba Village, redux in lush green
- climbing crew: YiYue, XiaoYang
- beasts of burden
- XiaoJiuZi: guide extraordinaire
- FREEZING NIPPLES; SLEEPINESS; WANTING TO DIE
- summit above the clouds; accomplishment; surreality; reality
- sliding down mountain (do not try at home)
- taking five hours to descend on rocks
- freezing in sleeping bag
- Tibetan mountain dogs (2x white; 1x black)
- sore-everything
- angry drivers want to beat us up
- Shangri-la, redux
- delicious baozi for less than 1RMB
- yak hotpot
- Meili Xue Shan covered in clouds
- trekking, again to Upper/Lower Yubeng
- self-sacrificing teacher
- German dude
- more trekking
- fear of falling to my death off a cliff
- water buffalo crossing
- beautiful Yubeng River Gorge
- Beijing service (HeiDiLao hotpot)
- Silk Road requires better bargaining skillz
- The Egg is beautiful; The Bird's Nest is Ok
- Dartmouth Beer Pong prodigy
- old vs. new; poor vs. rich; fuck you
- art in Factory 768
- to do: Planet Earth while stoned

Not covered in this list: Shanghai + Korea

Hot Diggity Doug's

2008-11-24T12:19:00.002-06:00

My arteries got a work out this weekend. After numerous failed attempts, I finally made it to Hot Doug's. The 40 minute wait in the sub-freezing temperatures was more than worth it.

If you are ever in Chicago, this is an absolute must. Bring lots of cash, and probably call ahead to make sure they're open. The insane popularity of this place means Doug can pretty much close shop whenever he wants for however long he wants and there will still be a long line of suitors waiting anxiously for his return.

Waiting in line for our dogs.

Famous duck fat fries (Fri. and Sat. only!)

My dog: brandy infused Portuguese chorizo with saffron rouille and boucherolle cheese

Other notable mentions:

cilantro-chipotle smoked chicken sausage with mole and cotija cheese
onion pork sausage with bacon-garlic mayonnaise, duck grand-marnier pate, and truffle-balsamic cream
antelope sausage with cassis creme-fraiche and Danish fontina cheese
chardonnay and jalepeno rattlesnake sausage with ancho-lime mayonnaise and smoked gouda cheese

And of course, there is a wide selection of your 'regular' dogs served up Chicago-style or any way you like. Drool. A whole world of encased meats is waiting for you!

Back in the USA

2008-10-28T21:51:00.003-05:00

In Chicago. Note: Don't wear floating, loose tops when flying; or if you do, prepare to be "randomly searched" at every possible place. Homeland Security guy told me so when I was poopooing getting searched for the umpteenth time.

No matter what the streets in London say, always look both ways.

Mind the Gap

2008-10-19T17:51:00.003-05:00

In London. Thank you Oyster Card. £4 for a one-way trip is anything but pleasant. £1.50 is a lot more reasonable. £20 for a $5 Thai Green Curry is also unpleasant. No more group dinners for me. Drunkorexia here on out.

Pre-Kensington Roof Gardens

During Kensington Roof Gardens

Day after called for serious hangover food (and hair of dog in the form of Magners)

(Ok. I really don't ONLY have Asian friends, I promise. I can't help it, though, if they're just the coolest ones. Heh heh. Am definitely considering moving to London. All the cool people are here! Boohoohoo.)

I ate Thumper

2008-10-12T12:05:00.007-05:00

At the local large grocery chain (Carrefour, E.leclerc, etc.), you can find: rabbits and horses. In the fresh meats section. That is, dead and ready to eat. Oh those French.

I had some rabbit tonight. Surprise, it tasted like chicken! If no one told me it was rabbit, I would have assumed it was extra tasty chicken. I think I'll pass on going out of my way to eat a hunk of Mister Ed though.

Official list of meats that taste like chicken but better:

Rabbit
Frog
Guinea pig

Upcoming: My Dopplr is poorly managed. I finally head to Bordeaux on Tuesday. I am not currently "home in Chicago"--still in Toulouse.

Although I'll be heading into strict oenophile territory, I really miss these German radlers! (Some organic radler beer served at a vegetarian restaurant, Berlin, Germany)

Incidentally, the Barcelonans drank them too under different names. The Barcelona brewery, Estrella Damm, actually makes its own version of the much enjoyed lemon+beer mix. Really, it's awesome. I'm going to start mixing bitter lemon soda with beer all the time now. (Panda enjoys some lemonised Estrella Damm with tapas at the cerverzeria, Barcelona, Spain)

Food is good

2008-10-11T17:33:00.004-05:00

I love baguettes. Yummy, yummy baguettes. All day long. Yum, yum, yum.

At first I thought these were oddly shaped limes... until I opened one! I can eat through a whole box of clementines in a couple of days, no problem. It's a good thing these were quite affordable in Spain. €0.99/kg.

My little French cousin, Thomas, in front of some tartes. J'aime beaucoup les tartes!

Since my last update, I made a little trip to Biarritz (France) and San Sebastian (Spain). The Atlantic looks infinitely more charming than my last memory of it in Atlantic City. Perhaps it helps that these cities aren't tainted with dilapidating casinos and the crackhos who love 'em. I mean, hos are great but the ones in the AC.... eh... eh.......

America is numero uno

2008-09-30T16:26:00.007-05:00

[Hi, hello, apologies. I'm getting lax with the blogging because quite simply blogging here kind got boring now that Facebook is pretty much every possible blogging, photo sharing, video sharing web 2.0 website rolled into one. But, I will try to persevere! Keep on bloggin! Blah, blah, blah.]

Partying with Spaniards is effin' exhausting (perhaps slightly less exhausting than the Argentinians). One night a week is all I can possibly handle, and now I am back in the south of France.

So, back to the subject of this post re: America is numero uno.... while in Barcelona, a group of us went to one of the popular clubs, "Razzmatazz"--well, it was one of the stops of that night's tour. Despite its unquestionably lame name, the place was one of those huge multi-level, multi-room establishments, and it was absolutely bursting at the seams with people looking like they stepped out of an American Apparel advert. And you know what all those multitudes of people were giddily dancing away to? American indie rock, bay-bee. I was feeling quite smug with a healthy dose of American arrogance as I leaned into my Aussie mate and screamed, "Everyone wants to be American," over the roar of the music. He gave me a "whatever" look (but he knows I am right, heh heh).

Anyway, they can make fun of the falling financial markets all they want, but no matter how hard they want to deny America and American culture, it is effin' pervasive.

Aside from partying, there is much to see and do in Barcelona (such as see Jason Schwartzman eat and not do anything about it).

The fountain is magic thanks to me. ("Magic Fountain", Barcelona: choreographed fountain entertainment like the Bellagio, but better)

Steph & I outside the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's famous temple. Also, this is why people bring tripods instead of asking a passerby to snap a photo--chances are the passerby is an idiot and clearly this called for PORTRAIT as opposed to LANDSCAPE framing. Gaw-duh. Incidentally, if you ever see me passing by and want a photo taken, I actually know how to do it properly.

And no trip to Barcelona is complete without overdosing on seafood in the form of fried tapas or paella. "Black rice" paella--rice is black from squid ink! Yummay.

Pandas don't mix with movie stars

2008-09-25T16:41:00.004-05:00

I think I sat next to Jason Schwartzman in Barcelona at a teeny tiny tapas bar. Actually, I am 99.9% sure. That, or his more attractive doppelgänger. Then again, my memory of Schwartzman is forever etched as the nerdy kid in "Rushmore". He certainly looks very handsome in his more recent IMDB photos--and also at the bar.

This marks the second time I have failed in connecting with the stars while on the European leg of my trip. The first time was my almost best-friending James Franco in Berlin thanks to Eliot... that's another story.

(Am totally kicking myself for not going to say hello)

In Toulouse and resting

2008-09-22T15:00:00.001-05:00

I'm in Toulouse with family now. My second cousin lives here with her family. Her eight-year old son, Thomas (en francais, Toe-ma), speaks French fluently, can count in English, and is able to to even manage some mandarin, but with a French accent. It's one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Imagine mandarin with a French accent--seriously, it's hilarious. Also when he speaks, he sounds wise beyond his years if you ignore all the childish giggling.

I've decided that the thing about the French language is that even when a child speaks, they sound indefinably old. Perhaps this is why the French aren't a particularly funny people--even when they're young they sound--and subsequently are--so serious. Of course, this is all purely speculation on my part based on a sample size of one. So uh, yeah.

Life in the south of France is lovely.

Oh, since my last update I did a quick tour through Pisa, Monaco, and Nice before gunning for Toulouse. I meant to visit Aix-en-Provence, but sweet thoughts of kicking back and relaxing in a family home in Toulouse were too strong.

With Steph... it's the Fake David!!! (Florence)

It's the leaning tower! (Pisa)

Blah blah. Ok, so heading to Barcelona for a few days on Thursday. Woohooooo. Tapas, sangria, siestas on the beach here I come!

On books and how they're crappy

2008-09-22T14:38:00.008-05:00

Hostel book exchanges will occasionally have something good. More often, however, it'll be the airport paperbacks you're too embarrassed to be seen reading. Example: Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella.

After reading that unoriginal drivel--breezed through its 400 pages in a day on the train--I have only one conclusion: anyone can get published.

Currently I'm working through what the kids are calling the latest young adult reading phenomenon: Stephanie Meyer's teenage vampire series beginning with Twilight. Oh. My. God. Seriously, it's shit. The characters are beyond insipid. Every freaking line of dialogue is altered with a, "she grimaced" or "he grinned". The main character is like an anti-social, too-cool-for-school ninny who's fallen madly in love with a vampire boy who wants to love her back but is fearful of his blood lust (hilarious, right?). I mean, it's pretty much Nora Roberts for kids. I'd take Sweet Valley any day. Or hell, just get thee to literotica.com already, sheesh. I miss Harry Potter and his crew!

There is definitely a huge difference between bad art and good art. Now to get some of my own bad art published. Heh heh. (Need to write it first, I guess).

Oh, and Atonement was really excellent! I've not seen the movie and don't plan to and now I certainly feel like I'll never need to. There is no way to match the excellent structure of the book and its pacing in a film. Well, maybe if Robert Altman (RIP) directed it.

List: Books 2008

2008-09-21T09:01:00.003-05:00

Books I've read or reread, 2008 edition. The list is REALLY short as I've not really been reading while travelling. Mostly my free time is spent catching up on current events (oh, so far behind!). But, I will continue documenting my books... * denotes it's highly recommended (which isn't to suggest that the ones without *s are no good--they are.) ~~strikethrough~~ denotes I couldn't finish it (these are probably no good)

The Red and the Black by Stendahl
The Wars Against Saddam: Taking the Hard Road to Baghdad by John Simpson *
Sweet Valley High: Ms. Quarterback by Francine Pascal (haha)
Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant *
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote *
Letters to a Young Contrarian by Christopher Hitchens (last few letters are v. good)
~~Catch-22~~ ~~by Joseph Heller~~ (classic or not, it ain't for me)
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote *
JPod by Douglas Coupland
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
~~The Long Tail by Chris Anderson~~ (one paragraph thesis is more than enough)
Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse
Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella (awful chick lit)
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Entire Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer (awful YA for market research--heh heh)
The Crazed by Ha Jin
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There by David Brooks
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga *
CURRENTLY: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
CURRENTLY: The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

Updates to demonstrate the blood is still running through my veins.

2008-09-14T16:15:00.003-05:00

Having a lovely, albeit unusually wet, time in Florence (Firenze). As such, haven't been much in the bloggin' mood. Saving the rest of Italy for another trip. Heading to the Tuscan countryside tomorrow for a day trip before departing Italia for the south of France. Nice is calling. /end quick update.

Spreadin' my Nu-t-ella, ella, ella

2008-09-09T17:32:00.007-05:00

While admiring my miniature single-serving containers of Nutella (perfect for travelling) this evening, I had the brilliant idea to parody Rihanna's "Under My Umbrella" with something far more clever relating to Nutella. But before getting all crazy rewriting lyrics, I did a quick google and discovered--to my dismay--two YouTubers who already had this stroke of genius. (Here and here)

Damn youz!

Anyway, too bad none of them know how to freakin' pronounce NU-tella!

Get with the program doods: it's NU-tella not NUT-ella.

(Upcoming itinerary: Leaving Dubrovnik in the AM and heading back to Split. Taking the ferry to Ancona, Italy on Thursday.)

Back to the tropics

2008-09-07T17:40:00.003-05:00

In the "Pearl of the Adriatic" at the moment: Dubrovnik, Croatia. Not much time to update. Photos will suffice.

(Trogir, Croatia)

(On the ferry to the island of Vis; view of Split)

European identities

2008-09-01T05:32:00.009-05:00

Europe is very old and very white. It's not the new world where pretty much everyone is from everywhere. In Paris, I have a couple of non-white friends who, while they freely say they are French, always add to it with, "Oh, but I am Madagascarian" or "Oh, but I am half Lebanese" or whatever as the case might be.

Personally, I've never felt the need to add an addendum to the response, "I'm Canadian." Of course, that doesn't mean people won't further ask, "Oh, but what's your ethnic background?", however they usually do this out of curiosity and not as a way to demonstrate how I am not a real "Canadian". You can tell it is an awkward question for them to ask based on how long it takes for them to formulate a politically correct way of phrasing the question and how embarrassed they are to ask it--or at least, I've felt this is the case. Point is, I don't just offer up the Chinese part of my identity because I do identify myself more as a Canadian. And usually, when in North America, people just accept the answer.

I will have to see how my relatives in Toulouse identify themselves. Wish I had some Asian friends in Paris to interrogate!

Oh, et je suis malade. Quel dommage. Je pense qu'il a commencé à Berlin où j'ai mangé des barre-arachides. Comprends? C'était stupide. Toutes les personnes savent ces arachides sont malpropres. Je ne sais pas si le mot "malpropres" est approprié ici. WHATEVER!

Oh, French doesn't have a translation for "Whatever" exactly. But some variations: "On se branle"... hehe. Sam, if you're reading this: it's so you!

American Apparel for the WORLD

2008-08-29T10:25:00.007-05:00

Now that information and popular culture spreads so easily over borders and onto our computer screens, everyone in the whole wide world looks like they stepped out of an American Apparel advertisement.

I am sick of it. Admittedly, I sometimes look this way as well. But only sometimes!

Je suis à Paris! Ce soir, je visiterais Le Louvre parce qu'il est gratuit le vendredi soir pour des jeunes et jolies filles comme moi--teehee. Ah, alors; c'est gratuit pour les hommes aussi.

Foods of the Czech Republic

2008-08-25T17:07:00.005-05:00

Eating (and drinking) much? Oh yes. Animal lovers may want to avoid this post as the food staples are: HUGE hunks of meat, potato dumplings, and cabbage. Photos from Praha.

Firstly: REAL Budweiser. Drinkers of the American crap have no idea what they're missing. For more info on the brewery and the imbroglio over the Budweiser trademark, head to good ol' Wikipedia.

Half of a roast duck, some potato "dumplings", cabbage

Potato dumplings stuffed with ham, bacon, etc. with cabbage.

Roast pork "knuckle" -- the fatty knee of the pig. It is served with some mustard and a few greens for colour.

Pork ribs with some tangy sauce, mayo, and garlic bread.

Cannabis Ice Tea is big; obviously, only the tourists are buying this stuff out of curiosity.

I <3 Czech "dumplings" and cabbage.

Note: cabbage makes you seriously gassy.
Note 2: The Czech Republic is still relatively cheap! Head there whilst they've still got Kcs as the currency of choice.

Wien, in brief

2008-08-23T18:14:00.008-05:00

Still in Berlin... enjoying myself immensely with the knowledge of the local chow and booze courtesy of Eliot and co. But, again, feel like I need to quickly review before we get too far ahead. This instalment: Wien (aka, Vienna).

Wien's public transpo: very clean and efficient--unlike someee cities we know. Ahem.

All the streets are super cute even if recently rained upon. This is a photo from the tram stop (Line D) on Porzellangasse where I was staying.

So while in Wien, I saw a lot of museums--I mean a LOT. The Leopold Museum, however, was my favourite as it houses the largest Egon Schiele collection in the world. I LOVE Egon Schiele.

(Example of his work. I particularly love his sketches as he does excellent figures from varied perspectives. And also, I--much like Schiele--don't particularly care for drawing hands and feet. Many of his sketches and works will surreptitiously avoid those parts of the body.)

Aside from the Schiele collection, the Leopold and MOMUK museums in MuseumQuartier do an excellent job of tracing the Vienna School of early 20th century art. Good stuff.

View of Wien from Belvedere Palace/art museum. The Belvedere houses the one painting adored by young, femme collegiates the world over: The Kiss. Yeah, I'm not such of fan of it, but seeing it up close I must say: it's spectacular. Just don't ever own a poster of it. Please! I beg you!

Stephansplatz Cathedral in the centre of the city. Gorgeous gothic structure and inspiration for artists the world over. Again, it's not hard to see how artists get their inspirations in Wien.

Panda climbing the Stephanplatz tower.

View of Wien from the top of Stephansplatz Cathedral. Also, notice the gorgeous tiled roof of the cathedral in the foreground.

Schönbrunn Palace. Mind you, this was only a summer home. Ah, to be a Royal.

Lastly... I was really craving Asian food and stopped here not noticing its logo. Yeah, clearly Austria didn't get the memo.

Oh, and there was my Sacher torte photo from earlier... the recipe is still going to get posted, eventually!

Ok and gutenacht!

Romania, in brief

2008-08-22T18:03:00.011-05:00

Hi. Currently enjoying Berlin, but I kind of wanted to do a photo/info dump before I got too much further ahead in my travels. These photos are fairly unremarkable; that's what happens when you've got no one to pose with/for--lots of photos of buildings!

Looking through my photos, I kind of wish I took a few more in Bucharest. Truth be told, I was kind of frightened of the place and didn't want to draw extra attention to myself by pulling out my camera. Of course, perhaps I am being too quick to judge and frankly all the locals I spoke to (with the exception of one crotchety old man and some younger hoodlummy-types) were all beyond friendly and helpful. It's definitely a place I think would be fun to explore with a local, but as a single, female, Asian traveller, it was kind of like... uh, yeah. Plus, the stray dogs there definitely did not come from the same strain of friendly strays found in much of South America. In fact, was chased down by one--

And so, the only real photos I have of Bucharest involve the Palace of Parliament: Ceauşescu's vision come to reality--almost (still only 90% complete!). Apparently he had the idea to bulldoze what was historic Bucharest and replace it with this monstrosity after a visit to PyongPyang. Dictators are all the same, huh?

So some trivia about the PoP: it is the second largest building in the world based on square footage (Pentagon is the largest). It's got chandeliers, marble, and handwoven carpets up the wazoo!!!!! Construction began in 1983 and is made almost entirely of Romanian materials. Ceauşescu never actually got to use it before he was executed for all his shit in 1989. And lastly, walking around the perimetre of the PoP property at a reasonable pace took 40 (FORTY!!!) freaking minutes in the barely tolerable heat & sun & no trees. Yeah, it's pretty damn big.

Near the Palace of Parliament there were tons of tires on the street. Odd.

Wall surrounding the Palace of Parliament.

Here she be! It may not look that big, but once you're inside--holy crap. Like every room we visited had a square footage over 3,000sq. ft. That's like every room is bigger than my entire freaking house.

A view of more parliementary buildings from the balcony of the Palace of Parliament. I am not sure why they didn't centre this; I mean, putting some flag posts in the middle would have been fairly simple, I feel. (And yes, I was standing in the middle of the balcony).

Outside of Bucharest, Romania is entirely different--though still kind of obviously home to that tacky Eastern European taste (oops! No offense! heh heh). For example, Braşov and nearby Raşnov both have Hollywood-esque signs for their town names. Here is a photo I took standing behind the Braşov one.

The Transylvania region of Romania is definitely worth seeing, and as I mentioned previously, it would be great to rent a car there and drive through it because: there are tons of small towns off the beaten track; everyone out there is exceedingly friendly and hospitable; there are also a lot of great mountains for trekkers and nature lovers; and the architecture is unique with its Saxon influences; oh, and the pizza is surprisingly tasty.

Peleş Castle near Braşov is off the chain! Ok, I've never actually used that expression before and never intend to again. But yah... no photos of the interior b/c you had to pay to photograph (as is typical in Romania, it seems). If you can only visit one castle in the area, skip the "Dracula Castle" (Bran Castle) and visit this one! Bran Castle isn't even Dracula's real castle, anyway. It's all just a tourist trap.

All right. That's enough of my informative update. Good night from Berlin (where I almost met James Franco--HOT--but that's another story.)

Vienna, Prague, and onwards

2008-08-19T22:25:00.004-05:00

Last I updated, I was in Vienna having some world-famous Sacher torte:

Yes. They are really deserving of their fame. Initially, I was highly disappointed by my seemingly small slice of torte. Clearly, I would not be getting a dessert the size of my head like I would have been at TGIFs for the €4.80 ($7+) I was paying. But, by the time I finished that thing off, I really could not have taken another bite. Mmmm... torte dreams in muh head.

So when I was at the gift shop of the Schönbrunn Palace and saw a recipe book for Sacher Hotel, I naturally took photos of the cake recipe. The disclaimer in the book says, of course, that the REAL recipe is top secret but that this one would be as close as you could reasonably get. That tart flavouring? Apricot preserves apparently. I thought it was cherry when I had the torte at the hotel. I'll post up the recipe soon (or never, as I am a bad, lazy blogger).

Now I am in Prague in an empty room at the Yasmin Hotel (cute place; horrible, snooty service) that two of my other friends had sprung for (thanks Brad + Ronnie!). Empty room as they have just departed for their early flight to Amsterdam! Meanwhile, in a few hours, I will be checking out and into another hostel before leaving for Berlin the day after. Such is temporary life of the backpacker.

So, thoughts on Prague: lovin' it! In comparison to Vienna, Prague is almost as pretty but seems to be infinitely more lively. Whilst in Vienna chiIlling at a cafe/bar, a cute waiter/bartender chatted me up and gave me the lowdown:

"Vienna is beautiful, but I hate living here. Aside from buildings and museums, the people are rude, the places are tame, and it's expensive" - or some such phrasing.

And I must admit, I did get that feeling while I was there. Of course, I didn't really venture out to enjoy Viennese nightlife as I was too tired from exhaustive museum hopping during the days.

/Begin short update

2008-08-15T12:16:00.004-05:00

Arrived in Vienna earlier this afternoon. Beautiful place. Makes me wonder if European cities are just adult fantasylands; they all seem unnaturally pretty. Unfortunately came just in time for the thunderstorms. Had my first real meal in ages (as opposed to the fruit and chips I'd been eating the last couple of days). €2 sammich at the train station; for €2 euro, that thing was awesome--first cheap thing I've encountered in Europe, frankly. Paying through the nose for my hostel. Booking a flight to Toulouse via Paris ASAP so I might enjoy free lodging once more. Planning to be in Prague 18th-22nd; Berlin 22nd-27th; Toulouse thereafter.

/End short update

Picturesque Braşov

2008-08-13T09:00:00.006-05:00

This afternoon I was sitting in the courtyard of the nearby St. Nicholas Church thinking, "Ahh, so this is that provincial life of which artists write and paint about." I can't wait to see the French countryside.

The feeling I have of Romania here in Braşov could not be more disparate than the one I had upon arriving in Bucharest. I don't feel like uploading my photos so you can visit this guy's flickr album to get a sense.

Tomorrow I do a lightning speed tour of the nearby castles and fortresses before heading off on the night train to Vienna. Skipping Budapest for the time being as there is some music festival there causing all prices to be exorbitantly high.

Tips for Travellers: if you come to Romania, I highly recommend renting a car and driving through Transylvania. There are too many places you just can't easily see without your own set of wheels.

Next up: Vienna, Prague, Berlin...

Hostel Tina, Bucharest--well meaning but fails

2008-08-12T03:07:00.006-05:00

What the heck, MAN. My "hostel"-keeper and his mom left for the day. He said he'd be back by 10am so I could leave this wretched place, but he's not back yet! It's already 11:10am! I have things to do! GAH. So my Bucharest experience is summed up in this coral-coloured leather living room set, stale pretzels, and rowdy dogs.

I just realised I am in the birth country of the beloved ISC.ro. Scrabble fans, rejoice. Now that I am here, it's not surprising that ISC should have been formed here. Aside from being outside the HASBRO sphere of influence, a lot of people here speak English surprisingly well.

Meanwhile, I am annoyed.

23 hours later (Istanbul to Bucharest via train)

2008-08-11T15:41:00.007-05:00

The Bosfor Express from Istanbul to Bucharest cost me 82 Turkish Lira and my sanity. Well, actually, it was better than I expected despite being disgustingly hot during the day and 4 hours longer than anticipated; but, when you've been on a train sweating profusely for 19 hours, an extra sweaty four don't seem to make much of a difference.

The main errors of my trip was that a) ate a farewell plate of kofte earlier in the evening causing some unpleasant stomach rumblings; b) aunt flow came in her full gory glory (ha, tmi!)

Then there was the inexplicable rat-tat-tatting at all hours of the night: first by angry customs officials while crossing the Bulgaria border; then randomly every couple of hours by the train-ticket checkers. We were all sleeping blissfully soundly when they'd come barging in demanding to see our train tickets. Literally, this kept happening every couple of hours all through the trip so consecutive hours of sleep were hard to attain.

Shared my 6-person sleeper cabin with 3 other tourist girls so all was good on that front. The two Dutch girls shared some bread crumbs with me after I'd finished all my pitiful rations for the trip. For that I was quite thankful.

Bulgarian countryside - sunflowers galore!

It's muh foot on the window.

Crossing the Danube (Bulgarian-Romanian border)

And thus: I am in Bucharest and can't wait to get out. My "hostel" is in a residential apartment building; it's run by a single dude and his mom. Tonight, I am the only guest. Finding the place--a non-descript communist era apartment bloc--was pretty much impossible especially when it was already dark outside. Also, I came face to face with Bucharest's stray dog problem as one nearly chased me down while I hunted for my hostel. Finally, a kind older man helped me to the apartment.

From what I've seen, the city is bland. Ceauşescu certainly did a good job of ridding the city of all character. Tomorrow, I will do some laundry here at the "hostel", take a quick peek at the Palace of Parliament, and get myself on a train to Braşov and the rest of Transylvania!

In the word's of Ceda mimicking the Count (a la Sesame St.):
One brothel, ah ah ah
Two brothels, ah ah ah
Three brothels, ah ah ah...

(The "BORN INTO BROTHELS" joke lives on.)

I scream, you scream, blah blah

2008-08-09T12:14:00.004-05:00

I take back all the vitriol I spewed with regards to Turkish ice cream (dondurma). I had one scoop today in a cherry flavour: heaven! Gave Argentinian helados a run for the money, no doubt.

FYI: dondurma is made from goat's milk and has a slightly stickier texture than traditional ice cream. It's almost like mashed up frozen tapioca.

Bipolar travel; last day in Istanbul

2008-08-09T04:49:00.010-05:00

The girls have all left, and now I am booked on a 19 hour train ride to Bucharest departing Sunday, August 10th at 10:00pm. Although going via bus is cheaper, more comfortable, and faster, they don't run on Sundays. Lack of planning = screwed Pandas.

So, I am waiting nervously to see what this train is like. I imagine it can't be far from the long distance busses in China. It'll be like reliving Pop's and my bus trip from Shangri-la to Kunming all over again--multiplied by two:

(The old man squeezing into his "bed" on board the overnight busses in Western China. Even I, at 5'5", barely fit into the bed.)

So we go from the VIP floor of the Hyatt to 6 person "kuşet" sleeper trains to Bucharest. "Only toilet", said the ticket sales clerk.

Walking back from the train station just now in the midday heat, I suddenly remember that trains likely do not have air conditioning. Some quick googling upon my return to the hostel confirms my suspicions. Shit! Let me go back to the Hyatt!!!!

More panoramas courtesy of Ceda

2008-08-06T04:13:00.008-05:00

Thanks to Monkey, we are blogging from the VIP eighth floor of the Hyatt Regency, Istanbul. Life is good.

While I can rough it like the best of them, living in the lap of luxury definitely has its perks... like toiletries.

Panorama lounging in the Hyatt pool

Panorama jumping on the Black Sea (in Siles, beach town outside Istanbul)

Panorama mirroring of our HERO in the Topkapi Palace

Istanbul and its people are wonderful. Chinese people need to take service lessons from the Turkish. Werd.

And Turkish men are hoooooot! Mmmm.

Getting technological in Topkapi Palace

2008-08-03T02:06:00.006-05:00

Ceda's camera does photo-stitching realllllly well.

So Istanbul is absolutely gorgeous. Cities, unlike women, seem to age quite well. Other cities: talk to me when you're a couple of millennia old.

Hello from Turkey!

2008-08-01T01:36:00.003-05:00

Ceda and I are in Istanbul. It's beautiful here.

Badly taken in front of the Blue Mosque.

And now it's time for breakfast at the Spice Bazaar.

Home, sweet [temporary] home

2008-07-27T16:07:00.005-05:00

I am back in Chicago for a few days before I leave for Istanbul. Totally forgot how awesome this neighbourhood (Damen & Division!) is this time of year. There is my lovely, quiet tree-lined street just steps away from one of the nicest strips of restaurants, bars, and shopping in the city. Currently, the city is in love with al fresco dining, and unlike New York where al fresco gets in the way of the walking, the sidewalks here are extra wide! Home, sweet, home... for a couple more days.

Yesterday's al fresco lunch at Jerry's gourmet sammich shop where both the sammich and beer menus are miles long. I had the "Herman M." sandwich. Debated which Herman M. it could be. Leaning towards Herman Miller over Herman Melville as Melville ought to be tuna hah. Perhaps it's some unknown Herman M. all together.

Sandwich: ham, prosciutto, apple, brie cheese, honey mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion on multigrain with a sides of mac & cheese + cold, spiced apples. Cold Lagunitas Sirius cream ale. Yummmmy.

(Oh, and yeah;; sorry about my lack of Toronto updates. Got caught up in family affairs with no time or energy to do much.)

Toronto: Part #1

2008-07-19T01:54:00.005-05:00

Toadie wanted me to write about the seedy underbelly of this fair city. This is the first installment of a multi-part series.

Toronto receives heat-advisory warnings when the temperature barely topples 30 degrees centigrade (86 F). Clearly, there is a conspiracy afoot to get Canadians up-in-arms over global-warming. Even Mother has taken to a home compost heap of sorts.

(More investigative reporting to come. Har. Har.)

On berry picking and etc.

2008-07-19T00:42:00.006-05:00

It is late. I am awake. If it is possible, my mouth still burns* from savagely eating some home-made chocolate-dipped frozen bananas--but that was hours ago.

Today I went raspberry picking with Mother. Our bounty came up to $12-some odd dollars. A large batch of fresh raspberry coulis is in store for us tomorrow. Exciting lives, no?

Photo caption: I will steel ur razzberriez.

* Burn is starred because what word better describes a "burn" induced from intense cold? I'm looking at you, English majors.

Remember this?

2008-07-18T09:55:00.001-05:00

This commercial is one of my favourites of all time. It's also funny to think that back in 1997 when this aired, all of the stuff featured was so cutting edge; I could hardly even imagine any of it actually being applicable in my actual life. And yet here we are.

Oh, and I also looooved "The Secret World of Alex Mack", naturally.

Industry rewarded

2008-07-10T11:15:00.002-05:00

80% done.

Ok, this new blogger beta editor is really sucking in terms of uploading & positioning photos.

Back to issue at hand: still need to hang frames, get an antique mirror, make armchair and footstool covers instead of merely draping. The end.

Travel Confirmation

2008-07-08T22:47:00.001-05:00

DEPARTING:                     ARRIVING:ORD       07/30/2008           AMS       07/30/2008          07:50PM                        10:40AMAMS       07/31/2008           IST       07/31/2008          12:00PM                        04:20PMDEPARTING:                     ARRIVING:LGW       10/28/2008           DTW       10/28/2008          12:45PM                        05:35PMDTW       10/28/2008           ORD       10/28/2008          07:01PM                        07:25PM

Industry

2008-07-02T06:03:00.005-05:00

7am and I'm awake! Doesn't it feel great! I have decided to undertake a home renovation project. My childhood room is saying buh-bye to the ABC wallpaper of yore and hulllo to a pale olive green! It's a great colour for rooms... although, it might not jive with my furniture (an entirely matching set of rose coloured wood furnishings--I was a kid, man... taste was still in its infancy). Perhaps this industrialism will encourage Mother to be proactive about the other much needed home renovation projects. For example, the bathrooms and kitchen here are firmly stuck in an unattractive part of the 80s.

Never you mind the messiness of the room. In fact, the furniture was just rearranged to allow for that delightful little reading nook. In rearranging the furniture, I realised it was time to get dirty and just redo the walls as well. So here we are.

Literary Confession

2008-07-01T09:20:00.005-05:00

I love to read historical fictions about people from humble roots scheming, conniving, and seducing their ways to the top. I don't care if the main character is male or female, but such a story arc remains much enjoyed by me. This is my preferred version of "Chick Lit"*; no thank you to the Sex and the Citys and Devil Wears Pradas of the world.

Examples: Vanity Fair, The Red and the Black, Bel-Ami, The Crimson Petal and the White

If you have some recommendations that fit my criteria, please let me know. Much appreciate your assistance.

* Chick lit is kind of a misnomer not to mention it's offensive. But you know what I mean.

Canada's birthday

2008-07-01T09:13:00.001-05:00

My sleep schedule has been abnormally normal since returning to this side of the Pacific. Of course, it's jetlag, but it does a person good to fall asleep by 10:30pm and wake up by 7:30am. I hear the birds chirping contentedly outside my window, and the sun is shining, and there's that nice morning calm and tranquility and dewy, fresh air; if only life could continue like this indefinitely.

I started my search for a "job" yesterday. I'd like some temporary work or a volunteer position, but alas, idealist.org is just not that helpful in Canada. New York gets all the hits. Anyway, I'll keep looking--or go to Europe. Whatever fits its way into my life first, I guess.

In the meantime, I've also hit up the local library. Haven't gone to a library in ages and like, wow. It's almost too good to be true to get access to all these books--for free! The selection at the local library is pretty paltry, but I did load up on a couple of Canadian authors. Reading JPod is making me nostalgic for Vancouver (and the office. Ok, not really. But kind of).

Oh, and happy Canada Day! Looking forward to barbequed chicken wings tonight!

Oh Canada

2008-06-28T21:42:00.004-05:00

5 movies later (Horton Hears a Who; Penelope; Charlie Bartlett; Bernard & Doris; Definitely, Maybe; Mad Money*), I landed safely in Toronto. No sleep but lots of enjoyment from AC's remodeled cabins with personal touchscreen monitors. Non-stop Shanghai (PVG) to Toronto (YYZ) is where it's at!

* Diane Keaton is seriously annoying. The quirks that made her cute in Annie Hall have made her an easily frightened and often screaming woman in her recent movies. Seriously, her acting is the SAME in every movie!!! Totally over her.

Nevermind

2008-06-26T20:48:00.004-05:00

Nevermind! Heading back to Toronto today after all. After deciding on taking the job and calling to make my flight change, I discovered costs are prohibitively high to fly back at the end of August (eyeroll, Olympics, eyeroll). Can't change departure country, sadly.

That added on to the annoyance and cost of needing to get another visa for entry back into China makes the idea kind of not worth it. While pay is high, I'd be only working 15 hours/week for the first three weeks thus making the airfare thing problematic.

So... back to the original choices of what to do next. And off to do some frantic packing!!!

UPDATE: I can FOIL

2008-06-26T12:45:00.001-05:00

I can FOIL and reverse-FOIL again.

SAT Prep Offers BIG MONEY!

2008-06-26T11:13:00.005-05:00

As part of my year on the road, I decided to take a job--maybe. I've been offered a position at Jess's SAT prep school to teach SAT Math in Seoul for the remainder of the summer (through August 22). I was pretty much set on taking the position until I had a sudden gnawing fear that I won't be any good. It's especially unnerving because I will not be able to receive proper training as the official training camp for teachers was early June. Frankly, I haven't done actual math (finance math doesn't count) in five years.

Just now I was looking at some sample SAT math questions, and it dawned on me: I don't know how to use FOIL anymore. Like, wha? A polynomial? Oh right... x-squareds and whatnot. At least Mr. Pythagoras can take a breather--the Pythagorean Theorem was stored in my permanent records. You'd think though that after using FOIL non-stop for pretty much all of high school, it would've made it into the vault. Clearly, first, outter, inner, last never had much use in daily life. At least Pythagoras came in handy when solving little puzzles on my podmate's MENSA 1-a-day tear-away calendar back when I was a working chump. I guess a^2+b^2=c^2 was pretty easy to memorize anyway.

Now, problem is, I needed to make a choice about this position like... ten minutes ago. Shite!

Craving borscht and other stories

2008-06-23T11:42:00.002-05:00

And beyond the barbed wire fencing in one of the most militarily fortified borders of the world, is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea... aka, North Korea. There is a little "fake" town amidst those mountains designed to show the South Koreans that the North is just dandy. Population in said town, zero. You can view it from binoculars in the DMZ.

Uh, can we say, "YUM"??? Seaside towns have the seafood advantage. (Northern S. Korea)

Jess demonstrates her military prowess at a war museum in the DMZ. (Rifles are really heavy.)

Korean countryside is lovely. And cruising on bikes like this makes me feel like a fop. I ought to be wearing a top hat.

Jess's parents currently reside in a little seaside town (whose name escapes me) where homemade seawater tofu and potato pancakes are the must-eats. MMmmmmMMm.

Arriving or leaving Seoul en bus.

Love of the cabbage extends beyond kimchi. Get some authentic Russian food from the Ruskies themselves in Seoul. (Loves me some borscht)

Tired feet. But of course, you can guess which pair comes from boring ol' USA and which pair comes from Seoul.

Seoul Review

2008-06-22T11:15:00.010-05:00

Back in Shanghai and into the mouth of the Dragon. I literally mean mouth because walking off the plane this evening was like walking into a steam room. Hot and humid and highly unpleasant. That's payment for living in a fairly exciting city, I suppose.

But 'nuff about Shanghai, let's see some Seoul!

Friday nights at Dongdaemun's multitudes of shopping complexes and food bizarres is an absolute must. Fridays also play host to pop rock performances left and right. These kids were pretty catchy with quite a hefty following of teeny-bopping admirers. Don't blame the girls though; these guys were pretty cute, and there's something for everyone! Check out Mr. Nerdy McNerdpants in the middle there.

Chowing down with Japanese tourists in one of the street food stalls in Dongdaemun. Yum, yum, yum, nosh, nosh, nosh.

Dongdaemun actually refers to this thing. The East (Dong--same as in Chinese) Gate (Mun, like men in Chinese).

But it's the all-night shopping that keeps people there until 5am (as Jess and I were). The seriously good shopping from the wholesalers located in off-the-strip warehouses is open from 10pm-5am Sunday nights through Friday nights. They take, to Jess's and my chagrin when we returned on the following night, Saturday nights off.

Staying there til the wee hours of the morning didn't pose too much of a problem as we were driven by the adrenalin rush of getting AWESOME clothes for CHEAP*. Also, the sugar in these tasty cream puffs will keep anyone awake for hours. Custard filling squeezed in upon order and purchased en masse in COEX. Delicious.

(*Compare $50 with £465. This, folks, is how luxury goods companies can rob a person blind)

Back on the first trains at 5am with the very, very tired. (This guy kept bouncing between Jess's and the other dude's shoulder/lap.)

And, apparently, the very, very drunk.

Alternative ways of passing the night: Walker Hills Casino and 24h bathhouses.

Walker Hills Casino for foreigners-only is the most peaceful, serene casino I've ever seen. We were intending not to gamble but to loiter and blend in with the crowd while ordering free booze from scantily clad waitresses. Unfortunately, due to the brightly-lit atmosphere where no one said a word and scarcely a ka-ching of the slots were heard, we were forced to part with our cash. Of course, smart betting and a little bit of luck meant hours of entertainment and booze and only $10. Totally worthwhile. By 10pm, people started filtering in to create a more lively atmosphere, but seriously, it was like a morgue in there with its white, flourescent lighting hehe.

Bathhouses are a Korean institution, or so I'm told. These apparently double as cheap hotels for thrifty travellers or drunk businessmen who need a place to sober up before the ensuing work day. And it's like a little mini-city in these bathhouses too! Everything from cafes to cinemas to internet bars to massages are available within the confines of the bathhouse and all charged back to your handy little key--your sole possession as you pass the hours in bathhouse-issued sweatsuits (akin to a convict's attire) with a little pink towel around your neck. And it's pretty hilarious, but everyone sleeps (or tries to sleep) on the tiled floor of an open area that doubles as a yoga-classroom in the daytime. Ah, Seoul. I miss it already.

Food Lover's Paradise

2008-06-17T00:15:00.003-05:00

Asia is a food lover's paradise. I've never understood those people who refuse to try new things or are turned off when meat isn't in a convenient "fillet". Because lord are they missing out! Asian food of all stripes is just: So. Good. (Getting bored of my raving about the food here yet? Or just getting hungry?)

So dear Jessica has been taking me around Seoul and its surrounding areas gobbling up everything we can lay our grubby little paws on. Unfortunately due to her job, we don't have time for much else aside from eating. Also in her fridge is the best--the absolute best--bread I've ever tasted. It's from Tokyo Boulangerie and unfortunately not found elsewhere! Oh, to be in Tokyo simply for this bread! As Jess said, "Damn those Japanese. They really can improve on everything." So true.

I wish I could post some photos but for some unknown reason my camera is no longer connecting to the computer via its USB cable. My mouse still connects so it may not be a USB port problem but a camera/camera cord problem (?). Who knows. It's frustrating though because I sure do wish I could share my bounty with the lot of you... from Shanghai to Seoul to the DMZ to Tokyo Boulangerie bread. Yum.

In lieu of new photos, I'll post these old photos (again, from Beijing). Delicious zhajiang mien from the ever-popular (and so cheap) Lao Beijing! I think these bowls cost around Y8? I can't quite recall. Regardless, it's under $2.

Chinese zhajiang mien is served unmixed. Wheat noodles are topped with cucumbers (and here also some pickled daikon radish and other veggies) and then "jiang". In Beijing jiang is typically a soybean paste sauce. Other places some mixture of hoisin sauce is used. While I prefer the latter, Beijing's soybean version is also quite tasty.

Mix it up and eat!

All righty then. Laptop battery is about to conk out with no sign of an outlet anywhere. That's how they prevent undue loitering at coffeeshops, I suppose. Of course, it wouldn't be such an issue if my battery had more than 50minutes of life in it (Grr).

Live from South Korea!

2008-06-14T08:35:00.003-05:00

Currently in a South Korean sea-side city. Took a visit to the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone) and saw North Korea! It made me sad. Well, not so much in the mood for blogging right now. More to come... although not very frequently as my host doesn't have internet back in Seoul! Hehe. That's all right. It's giving me time to catch up on books of which my host does have plenty.

Europe planning, briefly

2008-06-08T11:54:00.004-05:00

I am planning my Europe itinerary. Start in Istanbul, Turkey on August 1. Then I need to make a decision: East vs. West

Option 1: Turkey -> Greece -> Italy -> France -> and so forth
Option 2: Turkey -> Bulgaria -> Romania -> Hungary -> and so forth

I am leaning towards Option 2. Besides, all roads will lead me to France and the UK regardless. Ideally, I'd even be able to spend at least a month in France and brush up on my French which would mean rushing the rest of it. Argh, planning travel is the worst part of it. I am really, really not a planner.

ORD or YYZ -> IST (August 1), LHR -> DFW (November 15 in time for Thanksgiving and the 1 year anniversary of my joblessness!) or something like that.

Alternatively, scrap all of this Europe stuff and volunteer somewhere for 3 months. Decisions, decisions!!!!

Beijing (May 15-30, 2008)

2008-06-08T04:43:00.005-05:00

Forbidden Palace as seen from Tiananmen Square.

Tiananmen Square.

Guarding the Palace of Supreme Harmony, or whatever. I forgot everything I heard on the audio-taped guide through the Forbidden Palace. That place is freaking huge! And the Emperor's room is surprisingly tiny, in comparison. This lion's a femme. She's got a cub under her paw.

Beijing is not a pedestrian-friendly city.

Ernie's bros.

Art in Factory 798 District.

I kind of read a lot into this photo although, as far as I could tell from this series, no such intentions were from the artist. Anyway, to me this kind of sums up China's growing capitalism, continued exploitation from the West, and if those sunglasses were rose-tinted, it'd be a perfect symbol for the people's ignorance of what they're missing.

Dad's last meal, more or less, in China... TGIF! The servers had more pieces o' flare than in the US. That burger tasted damn good. You do start missing burgers.

Inside the Performing Arts Centre, aka, The Egg. It's a beautiful structure. The only one of all these recent new buildings (ie. the Olympic buildings) that I actually admired. Look at the different types of rock/marble they used for the floors. A lot of Benjamins went into this thing.

Itinerant workers building up China's future Olympic legacy.

China is a land of contrasts. What you don't see from this photo is that beyond this make-shift metal gate is a shanty town of itinerant workers from the countryside. They eat instant noodles squatting by the side of the roads and work tirelessly to create an idyllic town for Western eyes come August. Facades are going up everywhere, and where there isn't time to fix up a facade, there are new walls covering the dilapidating hutongs. I don't know why the government uses its money this way; they're not fooling anyone. China is still, very clearly, a developing country.

It's getting there though. Slowly. Just hope for ever-better leadership in the future.

View from the Bund

2008-06-08T04:34:00.003-05:00

Produced in Powerpoint.

Except it actually looks more like this. (Although, my camera lens was clearly distorted in taking this photo)

In Shanghai and having a panic attack

2008-06-01T12:22:00.006-05:00

2005 feels like it was multiple lifetimes ago. My self-defined "time-off" is halfway over, and I haven't exactly had any epiphanies in the way I'd hoped. Meanwhile, time is still forging ahead at warp speed, and I'm just along for the ride. This is the quarter-life crisis. "Welcome to the club," he said.

Wait, so like, how old were you when you got your life together, anonymous reader?

The worst is, it's not really the "getting my life together" that I want and fear not having. It seems instead to be the fear that at some point, I'm going to have to. No more travelling around the world with little regard for my health and finances! And unfortunately for me and my sex, there is a deadline to our frivolity.

(No, biological clock isn't ticking... exactly. It's just like ambient noise in the background--really annoying ambient noise reminding me that I need to start looking into anti-ageing beauty products.)

Beijing: Land of abundant, cheap eats

2008-05-27T02:36:00.002-05:00

A part of me is in love with this city. This part of me is also a sinner guilty of gluttony. Besides having every type of Chinese food imaginable, the recent years of Chinese borders becoming more porous have also invited a wide array of foreign foods into the fold. And when considering these eats whilst earning a salary (/unemployment check, whatever) in US dollars--even though the dollar ain't what it used to be--it's all damned cheap and delicious.

Case in point: I just had half a Beijing duck with all the fixins for Y29. That's like $4.15. Then I followed with a bunch of lamb kebabs at Y1 a piece. I don't care if street meats are a recipe for disaster; I'm armed with Immodium. I wonder how it is that the girls here are generally stick figures. How can they deny themselves these simple pleasures that this city has in such abundance? Sigh. Oh, and home beer delivery at Y2 for a 600ml bottle. Score.

Stomach aside, the rest of me is really not that fond of this city. It's too large, flat, dirty, and ugly. Communist bloc architecture? Not so hot. Also, this city is definitely not pedestrian friendly. None of China's larger cities seem to be. Someone ought to sack the people in the city planning departments for prioritizing the car-owning minority over the walking majority.

Yunnan is for lovers [of trekking]

2008-05-21T10:22:00.000-05:00

For those of you who aren't all that impressed with Yunnan's bevy of commercialized Old Towns, I highly recommend this itinerary. May '08, the Old Man and I decided to do a tour of this beautiful province mostly by foot, and the sore muscles were well worth it.

Click the links for more information and pictures on the respective destinations. Also, all prices were from my experience in May '08 and are surely subject to change.

Fly into Kunming, Yunnan's capital, and enjoy a couple of relaxing days at the Hump Hostel. It's centrally located with cheap private rooms, clean facilities, and a rooftop terrace overlooking the main square. (120Y for private double/triple)
From there, somehow get yourself to Lijiang. Most people take a bus to Dali first, but from my understanding, it's just one big commercialized Old Town. It used to be a hub for artists and musicians, but no more! I'd recommend skipping it. WARNING: Taking the overnight bus is beyond uncomfortable but also a fraction of the cost of flying. Your choice.
There are a couple of sights in Lijiang. You can join a tour group and visit Yulong Xue Shan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain), but it's really just for sightseeing and not so much for active trekking. You can also visit Lugu Hu (Lugu Lake), but in the wise words of Doris when asked how Lake Titicaca was, "Seen a lake?" The primary reason to visit Lugu Lake is to get a taste of the Mosuo matriarchical society who resides there.
In Lijiang, grab a bus to Qiaotou at the head of Houtiao Xia (Tiger Leaping Gorge). You can either do the two day trek in Houtiao Xia to Haba Village or you can just hop on a bus/hitchhike/hire a private ride to the village. (The Old Man and I skipped out on hiking Houtiao Xia due to time constraints, but it turns out there's a better hike to do anyway).
Once in Haba Village, I recommend staying at the popular hiker's retreat, Haba Snow Mountain Inn (Y20 for dorm, Y100 for private room and bath). At the Inn, you can also prepare yourself for ONE FREAKING AMAZING CLIMB to the top of Haba Xue Shan (5,396m). Hire a guide (Y100/day), donkey (Y150/day), rent crampons, ice axes, tents, and sleeping bags for the 2 day climb up to the summit.
Once done with your amazing time at Haba, take the morning bus (8am) out of Haba Village to Zhongdian/Shangrila/Xiangelila. Enjoy the sightseeing along this ride--it's gorgeous! You can even see the popular tourist destination, Baishuitai (limestone terraces), from the window of the bus.
In Shangrila, you can find a million hostels and inns in Old Town. We stayed at the first one we saw called the God of Wealth Inn (Y100 for private double). It's a lovely place with rooms surrounding a cute courtyard, private bathrooms, free internet, and it's very cheap--much cheaper than the popular ex-pat places found on hostel booking sites. Recommended, but get a room on the second floor.
There is quite a bit to do around Shangrila. I much preferred Shangrila's comparatively uncommercialized Old Town to that of Lijiang's. Take the #3 bus for Y1 to get to Songzanling Monastery at the outskirts of town. Hire a taxi (Y50) to take you to the fields where yaks and cattle graze on flat plains with a backdrop of snow mountains. Walk around Old Town and join in on the nightly dancing in the Old Town Square.
From Shangrila, take the bus to Deqin. While it's only 100km away, the mountain roads make this a 5hr bus ride. There isn't much to do in Deqin but from there, take a short chartered ride (Y30) to Feilai for a sight of Meili Xue Shan (6,740m).
People go to Felai for the sole purpose of getting a glimpse of Meili at sunrise, without clouds. Meili is considered a mystical mountain and due to weather patterns in the area, it's rare to be able to see this mountain range in its full glory, unobstructed by clouds. Climbing the mountain is forbidden due to one particularly nasty tragedy in 1991, but many religious Tibetans annually circle the mountain (15-20days) for spiritual reasons. You can likewise partake in the trek but there's also a shorter version, which we did.
From Felai, grab a chartered ride to Xidang Village (Y130). Here you can hire a guide and/or donkey to get you to Upper or Lower Yubeng Village. The only way to get to Yubeng is by foot/donkey and requires climbing 1,100m to get over a mountain pass.
In Yubeng (either Upper or Lower; they're about 40min away from each other by foot), you can trek to the base camp of Meili's summit, visit Glacier Lake, see some little tiny waterfalls (sacred for spiritual reasons). All three things require a guide (Y100/day). If you're fast, you can probably visit two of those destinations in one day.
While most people return to Xidang by going the way they came, a much better alternate route takes you to Ninong Village. Again, any guide will be able to lead the way. This 30km hike is mostly downhill (phew) and it's absolutely amazing. The trek takes you along the Yubeng River Gorge, which we were told is infinitely more beautiful than Tiger Leaping Gorge. This trek is definitely not for those who are afraid of heights. Scary stuff up there.
30km later, you're back in Xidang where you can grab a chartered ride back to Felai... and eventually, back home!

All right. So there's my highly recommended itinerary for trekkers! You can't find it in Lonely Planet, that's for sure! It helps to be able to speak a little bit of Chinese to do it all as no one speaks English in northern Yunnan... and frankly, most don't even speak mandarin. Feel free to email me with any questions!

Photo Update: Kunming

2008-05-21T07:26:00.002-05:00

Ernie loading up on Da Bai Tu (Big White Rabbit) candies in Kunming

Insects are tasty. Tempura-style silkworms and bees. Crunchy. In Yunnan Province there is a popular saying that Yunnan has "shi ba gui" (18 oddities). They're little rhymes including, "lao tai po pa shan bi hou zi qui" translating to, "old women climb mountains faster than monkeys" and "san ge chong zi yi won zai" translating to, "three insects fill one dinner plate" --relating to the fact that Yunnan's bugs are HUGE. The ones on this plate are tiny but I can attest to the hugeness of the cockroaches. Saw one outside on Hump Hostel's terrace--nasty little bugger.

(My pinyin is really bad. Oops.)

Beijing is awesome

2008-05-15T07:17:00.004-05:00

Ok. So like it's been a long time (8 years) since I've been to this city so a lot has changed＆it's awesome.

Currently waiting for a fantastic meal at a hip restaurant where, while you wait, free manicures, refreshments, shoe-shines, and internet are offered. Now that's service！

Lonely Planet sucks

2008-05-14T11:00:00.002-05:00

After finding a discarded Lonely Planet on China at the hostel in which I'm currently staying, I've decided it totally sucks. Of course, we already probably knew that, but if you've got no other recourse, sticking to a lame-o guidebook is probably your best bet. Well, except in the future I'll start using wikitravel.org more.

Anyhow, I'll be posting a sweet guide to Yunnan Province once I've got some time. Trust me, if you're going to be coming to Yunnan anytime soon (and I highly recommend you do because this is a great place to visit), you'll want to take a look at this guide I'll be prepping. :D

Safe and whatnot

2008-05-13T10:05:00.003-05:00

The earthquake in Sichuan occurred while I was cluelessly shopping in Shangri-la's Old Town. Supposedly tremors were felt, but the group of us experienced nothing and didn't even know of what happened until someone sent a worried text. Tellingly, we are fine. Our thoughts are with those who are affected by the disaster.

On the way up Haba Snow Mountain, approx. 5,100m above sea level and going up

2008-05-11T08:24:00.007-05:00

I've been away on another multi-day trek (around Meili Snow Mountain) and thus still have not updated on that grand trip up Haba. However, I bring you this photo of yours truly (I'm the one in the grey) courtesy of one of the members of aa52.com--the climbing club with whom we were so graciously acquainted. You can see more photos from the climb on his blog, here. It's all in Chinese, so uh, yeah. Scroll down a bit. I'll update more later.

Headed back to Kunming tomorrow evening and then it's off to Beijing!

Chinese Nationalist growing--but definitely not due to the Olympics

2008-05-05T07:51:00.002-05:00

As the West continues to deplore China, its Communist practices, its human rights abuses, its Tibetan-oppression, its production of lead-tainted products, and whatever else negative, I can't help but feel a great sense of Chinese accomplishment as I am here today. Of course, this country has its problems, but ask anyone--literally, anyone--and they can all nod in agreement when talking about how much lives have improved. Western media has you believe that the Chinese laobaixing (country folk) have a tough road to hoe. Of course, some certainly do. As there are starving people in America, there are also starving folks here... but it's not all bleak.

As my Dad keeps saying when he gazes upon the vast metropolises of today's China, "When I left 20-some years ago, my monthly salary was Y60. Hard to imagine, huh?" Even after factoring in inflation, today's China is unarguably a lot richer. When we visit extended family and friends--middle class Chinese--in their city apartments, we often say that their "xiao huan jing" (or immediate environment) is better than we have it back in the States. For one thing, their homes are all fancifully renovated and decorated with many more luxuries than our middle class homes in the US. It's the "da huan jing" (large environment), including air pollution (and awful public bathrooms--hah), that is the main difference. Pretty much any middle-class Chinese can afford a car these days with the Chinese-built ones costing as low as Y20,000. That classic image of Beijing's streets filled with bicycles is now completely outdated; it's the cars that cause the congestion these days. I was even surprised by how few bikes I saw, even in the poorer cities. But we all know that city folk are doing ok--what about the countrymen?

The countryside is definitely poor by US standards, naturally. But everyone's carrying a mobile and everyone's got electricity, though it can get a bit wonky as we experienced in Haba Village. On our trip up Haba Mountain, we first stayed in a ostensibly poor family-home on the outskirts of town with dog-earred posters of Chairman Mao glued to the walls. We ate in the kitchen/living/sleeping area with the farming family and talked about how things have changed. They laughed when we asked if those fields they were planting outside were enough to feed their growing family. "It's for the animals to eat!" they say. "We buy our food!" Subsistence farming? Not so much, it turns out. Next we moved to the Haba Mountain Inn in the middle of the village with all sorts of people from all walks of life ready to climb the mountain. We immediately became fast friends with a group of fellow climbers also staying at the Inn. When learning that we came from the US, they were all curious to think about what we thought of modern China. Turns out, the three of them--in their 30s and 40s--all grew up in the countryside, farming outside of Kunming. Today, they're equipped in western climbing gear ready to partake in a sport that only those who don't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from can bother with. One said, "I ask my mother about today's China and she said she couldn't have even dreamt of it--of how things have changed, have gotten better. 20 years ago, we couldn't even get food! Like hell would I be climbing mountains!"

As China continues to grow develop, lives will only continue to get better. However, there is still a huge threat in this development: the income gap continues to widen. While the poor have their basic necessities met and have rising standards of living, the super rich are in an entirely different stratosphere in terms of material things, but more importantly, in terms of the opportunities provided them. In the West, there are also super rich and super poor, but if you're super poor and willing to work hard, you will be able to pull yourself up. In China, this is just not the case. Education is the main difference. Educating a massive billion-strong population to the same degree is just not possible at the moment. We can only wait and see how China will adjust to this growing crisis in the future.

So yes, Chinese government has its share of problems including its horrid media censorship (blogspot is blocked, AGAIN! grr). But ask anyone if they want "Democracy Now!" and they respond with a laugh. It's a slow process, and the people here want to keep it this way. Could any of today's progress have been possible had they gone the way of Russia with glasnost and perostroika and suddenly, bam, Russian "democracy"? Nope. The country would be a lot worse off if that's the route it took.

Thus, China grows. And the West will continue to reprobate her as she does. Historically, there has always been a great fear of rising powers. When the US grew in the early 20th century, Europe was up in arms. When Japan grew after the War, the US was up in arms. And so today, as China looks like she will become a global power, the rest of the world is up in arms and "China Threat Theories" will become ever more popular. For one thing, would the West really care about the Tibet situation (I'm still unsure what to think of it myself) if China wasn't the party involveed? What if Tibet was a territory being claimed, rightfully or unrightfully, by Tanzania or something? We hardly even heard news about Rwandan genocide, so nevermind a few oppressed monks if that were the case.

Anyway, point is... forget the Beijing Olympics. Ask most Chinese and they agree that government hype over the Olympics is totally out of control and unnatural--not to mention stupid as it draws unnecessary attention from the West. The government wants to use the Olympics as a vessel of Chinese nationalism, but it's not necessary. People here seem to be quite proud of all their country has achieved and don't need that symbolic Olympic torch to prove it.

On a semi-related sidenote, environmental practices here are also changing, I am happy to report! There is still a great deal of waste, but "huan bao" (or environmental protectionism) is on the rise! More and more groups like the environmentally-conscious climbing group we met while climbing up Haba Mountain are popping up. A country can only start to care about its environment once it has the economic criteria to do so, and today's young generation is proving this as just about everyone climbing Haba abided by the classic "Leave no trace" philosophy of US outdoor enthusiasts. Even in the countryside, I was surprised to see how many solar panels were sitting atop shanty huts.

All right... /end really long post. :D

The thing about squatting bathrooms

2008-05-04T03:00:00.009-05:00

As most of you know, bathrooms around the globe vary from area to area. China is quite famous for it's squatting lavatories. I'm fine with popping a squat and have been known to do it in many a public place (ie. 3am, drunk, under the el or 4pm, sober, in the middle of nowhere) so it's not so much the squatting that bothers me. More specifically, it's the fear of slipping and sliding into said toilet that frightens me.

Often times in public places these bathrooms aren't exactly clean. There are usually puddles of water (perhaps urine?) all over the place and I've already slipped a few times--though thankfully not into the actual toilet. My fear of these bathrooms is rooted in reality.

Plus, which way are you supposed to face anyway?? I've been told to always face outwards, but also to always aim your butt above the actual hole. Anyway... whatever.

So even with the dirtiest of western style bathrooms, the risk of falling into the actual toilet is minimal. While you won't exactly lose a leg slipping into a squatter, the thought of it is disgusting. Most middle class homes these days have the sitting toilet--and for this I am thankful.

One thing to note: dirty squatter toilets are preferrable to a nasty sitting toilet with no toilet seat and a rim that's covered in excrement. Digging your own hole in the ground behind a tree is preferrable to both.

Oh, and I just got back from climbing a 5,396m (17,704ft) mountain. And yes, there was some bano libre action all up there, man. I'm tired. I will post about that little trek once I get some photos uploaded. Yes, I know--I am an amazing example of physical fitness. Hehee. In the interim, if you want a visual, it was kind of like this (minus all the frou-frou video editing and cheesy photo takin; images from the Haba hike start at the 6minute mark):

(incidentally, the old man and i will be tackling the Tiger Leaping Gorge hike shown in the video next. will be easy in comparison)

Onwards and upwards (or not)

2008-04-28T02:58:00.007-05:00

There is more snow here than in Whistler. What is going on with the weather? This time of year only the peaks of the highest mountains should have a dusting of snow. Not so for us. Original plan to hike up Haba Xue Shan/Haba Snow Mountain (5,396m) here in Yunnan is postponed until the weather gets better--if it gets better. Also will need to buy more equipment as my pitiful jacket and pant combo that got me through Peru's coldest trekking is definitely not sufficient here in these conditions. Hoping it gets better within the next few days as the Pops and I are currently seeking some respite in Shangri-la (paradise my ass). It's hardly any warmer here at 3,600m.

So yes, there are a few days missing in my travelog here. I'm now in Shangri-la.

(Eden, if you're reading this, you would have surely killed me on the bus ride from Haba Village to Shangri-la this morning if you thought that bus ride to Tumbes, Peru was bad... man.. heehe)

Inaccurate Economics: Dogs as a proxy for a country's economic development

2008-04-19T08:38:00.004-05:00

Standard methods of measuring a country's development aside, stray dogs kind of work*. China c. 1960 didn't have too many strays running about as people were too gosh darned hungry to be working animal rescues (Great Leap Forward--huge famine--blah blah). Thus, stray dogs are in people's tummies. On the flip side, once a country has reached a certain level of development, there are few strays to be seen as they become menaces of a poop-free society. Thus, stray dogs are in the dog pound.

My parabola's slope is too big. Oops.

* It doesn't really work as there are too many counter-examples hee.

Lifestyle observation

2008-04-18T13:12:00.002-05:00

I've stayed at numerous hotels and homes in my stay here so far. Verdict: people here love their ultra firm beds. Bad news for side-sleepers like me.

On the road to Shennongjia

2008-04-11T10:18:00.003-05:00

We are headed to Shennongjia, a forest preservation area that is famous for being relatively unexplored and undeveloped. It's also famous for some Bigfoot legends.

Outside of the cities, China's countryside is quite lovely. These yellow flowers are currently in bloom. You see pastures and pastures of this stuff making for lovely kodak moments. Unfortunately, the rain seems to be travelling with me as well. Hoping for clear weather tomorrow, our second day of the two day drive from Wuhan to Shennongjia.

Along the way, we have naturally been stopping for good eats. There were so, so, so many fantastic dishes at today's upscale lunch spot. I won't be uploading it all at the moment but for now I bring you this: fried scorpions with peppers! Look closely and you can see the little scorpion bodies. Verdict: Crunchy and perfect spiciness! Like delicious miniature, fried soft-shelled crabs! Yum!

I really have nothing against eating insects--especially when fried. It's the various kidneys and livers that I have no interest in trying.

Chinese are making their own red wines! This one tastes like two buck chuck... and note: "Constantly drinking this wine is good to your health".

Playing some mah jong on a sweet automatic mah jong shuffling table. The game is fun but shuffling takes for freaking ever. This table is GENIUS!

And that's it for tonight's update from the only star-rated hotel for miles around in some small village in the middle o' nowhere. So long internet! (Incidentally, this hotel's toilets are excellent and the seats are even heated! I must pay patronage to that sweet bucket now. Oh heavens the toilet issue has been magnified 10-fold from South America. It's a rare opportunity to have one like this available!)

A day in the life of a lazy traveller

2008-04-08T08:41:00.003-05:00

Currently in Wuhan, China--the primary city of central China (pretty much like Chicago in the US except a million times larger). Today I... slept in; got a full body spa treatment and facial; had my nails manicured; ate lots of dumplings; and shopped.

Ah, China. Ain't life grand when you've got American dollars and can divide everything by seven? It used to be grander when you could divide everything by ten.

With that said, China is a whole lot more expensive than it used to be, and I really don't know how a lot of the locals afford it. Short answer: they don't. It's a world of change out here. Sometimes I'm loving it and other times I'm hating it feeling like I'm taking advantage of the disadvantaged...

One thing relating to the environment here: yes, it's true; it's crazy polluted. But god damn, there are over one billion people in this developing nation going through its industrial and technological revolution simultaneously. Of course it's polluted! One thing is damned sure though, nobody here is as wasteful as anyone in the US. Despite how much the West moans over the environment, few put their money where their mouths are. A/cs are still kept high, lawns are still kept unnaturally green, and nobody's really driving in the carpool lane.

Admittedly, a lot of the "conservation" in China is not really conservation but more like total lack. Nonetheless, people here live a relatively simple, energy-efficient lifestyle. Thing is, there are still a billion of em.

Fattest Person in Asia

2008-04-07T04:33:00.007-05:00

I am the fattest person in Asia. I've never felt so fat in my entire life! In the States I'm like, you know, healthy and depending on where I am, rather thin. Here I am seriously HOOOOOGE! Sigh.

And being here isn't helping when you're eating this everyday because everyone who works with/for your uncle wants to do some ass-kissing (my pin yin sucks):

"Song Shu Guay Yue" - Squirrel "Guay" Fish; this technique of preparing the fish is called squirrel because, according to mom, it's like a scared squirrel with its fur all up? Maybe the Chinese name for porcupine is also song shu. I have no idea.

Roasted/Fried young chicken (with head).

"Mu Gua dun Xue Ha" - Papaya with Steamed Snow "Ha" (~~which is something that used to live in the sea before it became food? Maybe? I'm not sure... My mom isn't good at translating~~ - My mom has no idea what she's talking about. It is actually "the reproductive glands of the snow frog, dried, rehydrated and double-boiled with rock sugar, [and it is] a unique culinary invention that was previously only eaten by emperors. The hermaphrodite snow frog's sperm and ova form a glutinous and opaque dessert after cooking. It sounds weird and feels like tapioca in the mouth, but with a slightly salty after taste." Source, Taipei Times). Anyway, reproductive organs or not, this is my favourite sweet-soup. It's also popular with the wimmin-folk as it's supposed to have beautifying qualities. Whatevahs.

So that's like lunch (plus five other dishes). Then you head out on the town to do some shopping and browsing and there are places like this Zhou Hei Ya ("Zhou's Black Duck") where you can get some snacks:

Duck wings, necks, body cavities, and other strange body parts for sale. All totally tossed in the spiciest, tastiest sauce you'll ever have.

Yeah... so like I'm the fattest person in Asia.

Tumblr is a no go; Update from the PRC

2008-04-03T09:48:00.005-05:00

But blogger & blogspot is working fine! Google and the government must have had a little conversation about such matters. As such, I'm relocating again. Followers of this blog--what few of you there are--must really hate me.

So I am currently in the PRC--Shenzhen (the first of China's special economic zones), to be exact. This city is very new. One thing that struck me about Taipei is how old and delapidated most of the buildings are. Here in Shenzhen, everything is pretty much under 20-years old and totally spanking new with some crazy architecture to boot. Of course, as with all Chinese, there is underwear hanging in all the fancy condo balconies. Sigh, Chinese.

I arrived this morning and did some shopping. I must say, I'm a little disappointed with the shopping here (ie, the main reason I'm here). While shopping, I also visited the first McDonald's in mainland China (to use the bathroom). If you gotta go pee, it's best to find a reliable chain like McD's to do it. Other places... eh...

Ok. That's enough for my lame update. Uh, more to come later? I'm boring.

Testing RSS feeeeds

2008-03-31T11:07:00.002-05:00

Testing testing... do you read me, Tumblr?

China's great firewall is looking to cause me some annoyances...

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Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Suspendisse sed ligula. Sed volutpat odio non turpis gravida luctus. Praesent elit pede, iaculis facilisis, vehicula mattis, tempus non, arcu. Donec placerat mauris commodo dolor. Nulla tincidunt. Nulla vitae augue. Suspendisse ac pede. Cras tincidunt pretium felis. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Pellentesque porttitor mi id felis. Maecenas nec augue. Praesent a quam pretium leo congue accumsan.

Toronto, Vancouver, March 2008

2008-03-25T02:10:00.000-05:00

Toronto, 2 weeks from "Spring". Me vs. snow. Snow 1, Me 0

Uh, yeah.

Vancouver, on the other hand, is a lot more temperate and pleasant. This is the view from any-ol city street. Can we say, "Gorgeous"?

Mother wanted me to stay at a hostel. Is this what you wanted, really? Hmm?!

Sea to Sky Highway to primo ski-country. It's magnificent.

Blogger v Tumblr

2008-02-16T15:59:00.004-06:00

Does Blogger work in the PRChina? (Short answer, no, but is there some proxy I can use to blog?)

Now, does Tumblr work in China?

I´ll have a backup in case. Visit the TUMBLR!

New Travel on Horizon

2008-02-14T11:13:00.003-06:00

Day (whatever): Currently in Buenos Aires and heading to Puerto Iguazu tonight by bus. Blah, blah.

But the important news is I´m heading to Asia very, very soon. Here is the schedule:

Return to Chicago February 27.
Stay the weekend.
Head to Toronto March 3.
Stay for a bit.
Head to Vancouver March 13.
Split time between Vancouver and Whistler (hoping snow will be ok, but I hear Whistler has had amazing snow this year)
Head to Taipei March 26.
Spend week there.
Head to Beijing April whatever.
And somewhere a few months later... have a return flight to Chicago.

See ya kids! That means YOU, Yuhwen & Jessica & everyone else in Asia.

Back in Buenos Aires; Gabe is my hero

2008-02-10T11:58:00.000-06:00

Day 39: Currently in Buenos Aires. Arrived this morning at freaking 5:30am. That's all right because I'm in a freaking awesome 4* Hotel! Thank you Gabe. Thank you Tryp Buenos Aires. Thank you, thank you.

This is my (well, Gabe's) exact room. Uh, can we say YAHOOOOOOOOOO!

So this is my second time playing Julia Roberts a la "Pretty Woman". First time was with Eden when she was staying at the Hotel Colon. Picture: me, bedraggled and smelly arriving at a lovely hotel. Doorman eyes me up and down as he hesitantly opens the door for my nasty self. Concierge stops mid-sentence on the phone. Receptionist's mouth is agape.

"Uh, can we help you?"
"Actuallyyyy, I have a reservation!" Oh snap.

Ok, well it doesn't go quite like that. Everyone is exceedingly friendly. Nasty girl (moi) ends up giving a nice tip. Everyone wins.

Two nights at the Tryp! WOOOOOOOOOHOOO! Let the shampoo and conditioner and shoe-shining kits flow!

Plans keep changing--so it goes, alone

2008-02-08T16:40:00.000-06:00

Day 37: Currently in Puerto Madryn. Was supposed to be on a bus to Bariloche but decided to change my plans (again) at the last moment. Paid a cancellation fee and booked a bus ticket mañana for Buenos Aires again. I decided it was a waste to only give Bariloche 2-3 days. Next time, next time!

Anyway, so Puerto Madryn is a little ocean-side town close to some serious close encounters with natural marine wildlife. It´s quite fantastic, really. Here are some photos. Blah, blah.

Penguin photos taken at Punta Tombo. All others taken on Peninsula Valdez. Missed a trip to Punta Ninfa. It´s like Peninsula Valdez (minus the sea lions), but the added benefit is that you can really get literally next to an elephanat seal. Just be careful. Rent a car for a few days and drive yourself. It´s much better than a timed van-tour. Just be sure the rental agency takes credit card.

I am making this face because that little penguin just took a spurting shit.

Kicking some penguin ass.

More Magellan penguins! Yay!

Penguin ass.
I love penguins.

Eyal and Séverin. Empty beach.

More of the gang on the beach. We were attempting to get realllly close to a flock of flamingos. Unfortunately, we failed miserably. Well, pretty beach nonetheless.

Ah, sigh.

This (what the hell is it called again???) Gua...something was so friendly! Such nice fur! Now I´ve seen all the four animals in that llama family: Llama, alpaca, vicuña, and this gua..ersomething

L-t-R: Paul, Séverin, Jorden, Eyal, mutt. The four of us rented the car that got into a little car accident. We originally thought we´d have to pay $4,000 pesos. Ended up being $200 pesos. PHEW! Seriously... I was about to flip out when the stupid rental agency would not take my visa. I almost strangled Paul for getting us the one damned rental agency that doesn´t take credit card (you know, CCs cover rental damages). Thankfully, it was only $200 pesos at the end of the day.

What happened was this: unpaved road, idiot driver going 120km passed us, pebble went ker-plunk against the windshield, and etc. You get the idea. That was my second time in a police station in South America. Note for Eden: police station in Punta Piramides, Argentina infinitely better than in Tumbes, Peru... for instance: instead of a typewriter that he tapped away at, it was a computer. Same routine. Lots of typing. Not much action. Ultimately, our visit helped nothing. Ha

Cliff. Below cliff, elephant seals being lazy bums.

Hello there Miss Elephant Seal! How are you doing? Enjoying the sun??

Sea lions! Omg, they are adorable (the pups and the womens... the men are only ugly-cute). They were having a frolicking good time. We came up here hoping to view an orca coming onto the beach for some sea lion meats. After speaking to the ranger, it turns out this mostly happens in March and April. The last sighting was February 1 but our day was way too windy and unlucky. I am definitely going to come back in the hopes of viewing an orca-beach attack! Apparently this is the only place in the world where the orcas perform those beach-killings.

The whole gang, including me in the same clothes as always... but with a new bag! Heee.

So anyway, as I had been bragging in previous posts, these guys are fantastic! Séverin and Paul are cousins from Paris who´ve been out here for 10mos. They´re Spanish is good enough to pass for native Argentinians. Hanging out with them gave me a good lesson on both Spanish and good old French which I have woefully been forgetting over the years. They also complimented me on my good French accent. Merci, merci!

Then there are the Israelis, Jorden and Eyal, who are just the sweetest people e-var! They´ll be my hosts in Tel-Aviv one of these days, yessirrreee. Hopefully we can meet up again in Mendoza, but it sounds like they´ll be spending a good month down at the end of the world (tip of South America) trekking (sans guides!). I am very envious; they´ll be seeing some amazing sights few ever get to see.

This leads me to my next topic: next trip down to South America! There is so much to see and do and my short 2 months (which I once thought would be more than enough) has proven to be just an awful pittance! I am planning on coming back next year or the year after for a month JUST for southern Argentina. I think my Pops will enjoy this itinerary too since he´s been raving about going ice-trekking and whatevs.

So yes. That is the plan.

Man, there is just so much to see in the world. It´s a pity we have to spend so much time working our dull jobs. I truly am grateful for this opportunity, but it´s not something that´s so unique to my situation. If you can, I highly recommend doing something like this--but there is no reason you can´t! Just save up a little bit a cash and hit the road! Rewards abound.

Other tip: don´t stay in El Retorno Hostel in Puerto Madryn. It´s soooo dull. That´s all.

¿SHE´S OK, OK?

2008-02-07T18:04:00.000-06:00

Friends, friends, I am fine. I haven´t updated because I´ve been crazy busy meeting new people and abusing some penguins and sea lions (SO CUTE!!!!).

Travelling solo has turned from scary burden into wonderful experience. The last few days I´ve been hanging out with some wonderful Israelis and Parisiens. We´ve gone through some ups and downs including a minor car accident (and the huge bill that follows) and some serious awesome wildlife encounters. Ah, such is life! I also have invitations to homes in Paris and Tel Aviv now. Score! Haa.

Tomorrow I head to Bariloche. Again, seriously busy days as I need to pack everything in Bariloche into 2-3 short days! Sigh. There I will hopefully meet up with another Parisien I met here... and together ride off into the mountains atop powerful steeds! Heehee.

Ok Seriously though: I highly, highly recommend travelling solo now! It´s amazing! You meet so many fascinating people! Everyone who´s here has some interesting background--no one is just boring Joe Schmoe who worked in a shoe factory or whatevs.

In fact, I am loving it so much I am considering extending my stay for another month until the END OF MARCH!!!. Haha. We´ll see about that.

Sorry couldn´t post a more substantial update. I have a date with some men from a rental car agency... a date I´d rather miss (sigh, ah well!)

Argentina is awesome!

2008-02-03T19:45:00.000-06:00

Ok, about to have dinner (current time: 9 46PM). I´m getting used to this dinner at 10 30PM lifestyle! For one thing, it´s still sunny outside! Ah, gotta love being near the south pole.

I have had a change of plans (again). I am going to go to Bariloche after all. Details to come.

Populated with Ashton Kutchers

2008-02-03T06:50:00.000-06:00

Day 32: Currently in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Tired. Need to siesta. Yes, siesta and I have come to an understanding and mutual appreciation.

The title of this entry refers to the fact that so many dudes in BsAs looked like Ashton Kutcher, in varying degrees. Short Ashton Kutchers, fat Ashton Kutchers, unshaven Ashton Kutchers. This may or may not be a good thing. For me, it's a bad thing. I can't disassociate Ashton Kutcher with the annoyingly idiotic character he played on "That 70s Show" and as such, the whole AK thing does not appeal to me. Hah.

So I left BsAs yesterday and am now in this pleasant seaside town of Puerto Madryn. I have no plans today as I just desperately need to shower and nap. The bus brought me in far too early and my hostel bed is still occupied, leaving me to wait it out at the Locutorio. Sigh.

Frankly, I am very much looking forward to my week here in PM. It will be relaxing and slow. I foresee many afternoons spent on the beach reading. Stendhal's The Red and the Black has proven to be excellent vacation reading.

Then it's back to BsAs on the 9th or 10th to meet Gabe and eat more... you guessed it! STEAK!!! I do miss my salads though. It costs the same (or more) for salads than for steaks. Ridic, huh?

Deliriously in love: where steak costs as much as chicken.

2008-01-31T15:32:00.000-06:00

Day 29: I am currently drunk in Buenos Aires. I am in love. This city is so effing fantastic!!! That is all I can say, really.

I arrived here last night and bunked with Eden in her 4* Hotel Colon. Oh, how nice it felt to sleep in a room with complementary towels and soaps and fluffy pillows. Sigh. I am just a spoiled kid at heart.

Anyhoo, I am seriously madly in love with this city. I am almost regretting leaving this charming place come the 2nd (heading to Puerto Madryn, Argentina). Ah, but I will be back. No doubt about it. (Gabe, you love the steaks. Well, let me tell you, these fuckin steaks man--they are ridic. That is all I have to say about that.) I am quite seriously considering buying an apartment here. Yes, it was love at first sight.

Guess how much that steak cost! It was the size of our heads. Our lunch consisted of one huge-o steak, two delicious bottles of wine, many side dishes.... how much do you suppose it was??

Man, I am so deliriously happy (wine happy). I am sad Eden has finally left for good. Boohoo. Regardless, we had an excellent run. Loves ya, E!

On Saturday, I head to Puerto Madryn. The weather forecasts inform me that it´s lovely there. We shall see. Regardless, Buenos Aires. Oh sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Well, I will be back... very soon. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEHEE.

¨On the road again¨

2008-01-29T15:24:00.000-06:00

Day 27: Still in Salta and heading by night bus to Buenos Aires in an hour. The weather is driving me away from this city, and likely also away from Buenos Aires when I get there. Weather updates of Puerto Madryn in the south inform me that it´s nice and mostly sunny there. Most importantly, however, no rain in the forecast! No rain, sea lions, penguins, and possible whale sightings? I am so there, even if it means pretty much half a week of my life spent in busses.

Anyway, I arrive in Buenos Aires tomorrow (21hr bus ride) and will hopefully be able to meet up with Eden one last time before her flight back to Chicago. Steaks you can cut with a spoon & bottles of malbec are on the menu!

This blogging thing gets tiring so you will have to do with a paltry update, in photo form.

I love desert scenery. Photo taken outside of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

Up high in the mountains outside of San Pedro de Atacama, there are gorgeous lakes with crystal clear waters. It reminded me of Banff, Canada but sans evergreens and plus desert grasses.

Strangest sandwich ever; Salta. Feeling like a fatty, I ordered a sandwich of lettuce, tomato, onions, eggs, peppers, and rocquefort cheese off the ¨light¨ section of the menu. I was expecting something along the lines of an egg salad sandwich with some extra veggies. This is what I got. I mean it was fine, but like... whoop dee doo. I ate it and looked longingly at my neighbours enjoying their delicious, warm sammiches with gooey quesos and steaks.

It has now dawned on my why I´m spending so much. I quite honestly stop every chance I get at some cute little bistro, restaurant, cafe, panderia (bakery), etc. to chow. I love food-travelling. I especially love it when I´m actually losing weight. This is thanks to trekking and endless walking to the next food-destination!

So far I have learned empanadas in Argentina are baked in a wood fired ovens. Wonderful! The ones in SPdA were fried. Very unhealthy but very, very delicious. I love empanadas!

A little glimpse at Salta´s architecture. I am really bad with shots of the city so like yah. There aren´t many. :(

Anyway, this Argentinian culture takes some getting used to. Every non-lunch meal I´ve had since arriving I´ve had pretty much alone--as in, alone in the restaurant. Last night I had dinner at 830pm all by my lonesome in a huge restaurant. People here eat crazy late; I just can´t get used to it! How do they eat so late and not get fat!?

And fat, they definitely are not. The only size pants I can find are like 23. Maybe, if you´re lucky, you can get into the plus sized section with some size 25s. Hoping BA has more selection for fatty North Americans like myself.

Finally, I wanted to add, I´m a Canuck! People hate Americans! Haha. Since travelling, I´ve suddenly become crazy about stating that I am Canadian and thus completely neglecting to mention my home in Chicago. It seems people are hesitant to talk to you if you mention you´re from the States whereas if you´re from Canada (or some other non-US, western country), immediately comes the Bush-bashing and immediate comraderie. Just my limited experience, so far.

Not down with siesta

2008-01-28T15:08:00.000-06:00

Ok. I did not realize siesta time was taken so literally in Argentina. There is nothing open. Sometimes from the hours of 10am to 5pm. I am not down with this. I need jeans. And an adaptor. And an empanada.

Other realizations while travelling:

My next job needs to pay at least as well as my last. This means I probably have to work in finance (moan) again. Travelling poor-girl style is ok but boy do I want a big ol´ bathroom with 5 different sized towels and an entire range of self-cleaning products. Eden is living it up in her giant suite in Buenos Aires and I´m being harassed by fellow dorm mates in Salta. Not cool. Definitely treating myself one of these days.

Hey Gabe, you said you had coupons for like fancy hotels right??? Heehee.

On language barriers:

My spanish is getting better, no doubt, but I just cannot understand people here! I can read it well enough and ask for the basic things I need, but people speak sooooo fast! It´s impossible to make heads or tails of a word!!! Maybe in another month.

No need to call the authorities--I am safe!

2008-01-28T13:41:00.000-06:00

Day 26: Currently in Salta, Argentina. I arrived late last night. One thing to note for travellers: the city appears to be exceedingly safe! In every other city in South America, as soon as you enter a bus terminal, a million sketchy cabs (US euphemism for illegitimate cabs) immediately solicit your business. Here, it´s like any American airport! Good old Argentina. There´s a queue for cabs and everyone proceeds one by one to get on legit cabs. Very impressive! I arrived at my hostel safe and sound without much ado.

So Salta is a lovely city--or at least, it appears like it could be if it weren´t for the damned non-stop torrential down pour. I am currently seeking refuge in this internet cafe (slowest computers evah), completely and utterly drenched. I also did some accounting and I am currently way over budget at about $70/day (not including airfares). I don´t know where the money went but I am definitely not going to last very long on my travels at this rate. One thing is for sure, Salta is infinitely more affordable than San Pedro and we´re back to the 3-$1usd exchange rate which I find much more preferable than $460-$1usd in Chile. (DAMN IT USD! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER! ANOTHER INTEREST RATE CUT! AHHH! As each day passes, everytime I withdrawl money, it costs more USDs. Ugh).

I was originally planning on spending some time here in Salta but given the rain, I think I´ll get out of here early. I´m going to look into getting a night bus out of here to Buenos Aires tomorrow and in the meantime find indoor activities to do. So sad. No horseback riding yet :(

I will also add that the bus ride from San Pedro to Salta, while incredibly expensive (far more than the quoted $45USD in my guidebook ed. 2008), was gorgeous and also quite comfy. It´s absolutely true that the busses in Argentina are the best in South America. They´re so good in fact that I´m looking forward to a picturesque ride from Salta to BA tomorrow or whenever I leave (17+ hours woohoo!).

Anyway, I was going to post a more substantial update but the slow internet and my laziness is preventing me from doing so. Next time, folks. Maybe. Here are a few photos from the bus ride SPdA to Salta.

Desert.

Salt Lake. (No Salar d´Uyuni, Bolivia but I did get a taste of what it´s like. Gorgeous stuff, huh?)

From desert to mountains. Enter the clouds. Enter the non-stop rain in Salta.

Travel Tips, What to bring--another edition:

- In my attempt to pack light, I heeded the advice of websites to only bring one pair of outdoorsy pants and some tights. Boy do I regret not bringing jeans! They may be heavy, hard to dry, and all in all a pain, but seriously I really want to look somewhat normal for just one day! Sigh. Now I pass every store arching my head trying to get a sense of a jean selection.

- Also in my attempt to pack light, I did not bring flip flops as websites suggested just to get them here and toss them as they get wrecked. Should have brought my Reefs. Not only are they more comfy, they´re quality and hard to wreck. Besides, the flip flops I´ve purchased so far are pretty fugly and not as cheap as you´d think ($6 in Ecuador, $1.50 in Peru=two ugly pairs of flip flops).

Other Things, Postcards:

- I know I said I would send postcards to some of you. Yes, I still have your addresses, but like... where are the post offices? Plus I don´t know the Spanish word for post office. I actually have the physical postcards to send too!!! They´ll come, eventually. No, seriously. If you never sent me your address and want a postcard, email me doods.

Desert town, US prices

2008-01-26T15:38:00.000-06:00

Day 24: Currently in San Pedro de Atacama, still. Eden and I separated this morning (byee!! sniffles). Tomorrow I'm heading by bus to Salta, Argentina. Unfortunately, there isn't much choice when it comes to busses to Salta from this town so I'll be arriving late in the night. This means, if you don't get an update from me by Monday, contact the authorities! A fake taxi has kidnapped me!

Ok, I'm to lazy to post a full report at the moment of the last couple of days. Suffice it to say, there has been some amazing scenery around here. That said, I'm glad to be getting out of this expensive town!!!! US prices, no gracias! (Of course, the prix fixe dinners here for about $11USD are a pretty sweet deal).

Here are a couple photos to whet your appetite for my full report:

Vicuñas in the distance. I kept thinking of how nice a vicuña coat would be. Apparently they aren't able to be domesticated and only produce about 100g of hair per year/2 years! This is why your vicuña jacket is crazy pricey.

E & I on the Valle de Luna tour. There are some better photos with cooler scenery but I was loathe to wait for my stupid camera to load up in full on the computer here.

Sunset over the Valle de Luna.

Flamingos!

Eden adds me to her death list

2008-01-24T19:57:00.000-06:00

Day 22: Currently in San Pedro de Atacama. We arrived earlier today by bus and are ready to get the hell out of here. This little tourist haven has US-prices (just about). We did manage to book a couple of trips for tomorrow--to the El Tatio Geysers and to the Valley of the Moon. The big news today, however, is that I have had a change in plans. I will not be going to Bolivia at all. Mom, you can breathe easy now. After Eden leaves me on the 26th, I will stay here and visit the local Chilean (and much smaller) salt lake: Salar de Atacama. Then, its off on another long distance bus to Salta, Argentina on the 27th. I´m a little disappointed, but not much. This isn´t the best season to visit the Bolivian Salar d´Uyuni anyway so that--and Bolivia as a whole--will just have to wait for the next time I´m in South America. Details on the new plans and what this bird will do by herself in Argentina to come...

First, a review of Arequipa and Colca Canyon:

Day 17: Eden and I are in Arequipa enjoying delicious, delicious crepes! As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Zig Zag creperie on Santa Catalina is YUMMMMY. In our time in Arequipa, we basically ate there every meal.

Day 17: At the creperie...

Day 17: I also mentioned that while in Arequipa, we visited this convent whose name escapes me. It´s definitely worth the trip even if it´s a little pricier than one would expect. Eden paid for my ticket as a birthday gift. Thanks girl!

Day 1 of Colca Canyon (Day 18): We woke up at 2:30am in order to get our asses downstairs by 2:45am for our 3 day trek through Colca Canyon. From our hotel, we´re taken to the bus terminal and stuffed in a local bus. As you can see, people get all up in your biznezz on the local busses in Peru. Standing is mandatory. The bus ride to Cabanaconde (starting point of the trek) is about 6hours. I sleep most of the way. Eden, apparently, does not. She is pissed.

Day 1 of CC trek: We descend into the Canyon from Cabanaconde. Here, Eden attacks our guide, Roy.

Day 1 of CC trek: Here is Elinor (Elle) our new best Aussie friend and the other member of our CC hike.

Day 1 of CC trek: Our first night is spent in the Llahuar Lodge where two rivers meet. This is the ¨Llahuar Route¨into the Canyon, and we would later learn, Llahuar is also the harder route of the 3d/2n options. This first day was pretty easy as it is all downhill. Thing is, downhill literally kills my knees. I have bad knees. I fall quite a few times coming down b/c the roads are filled with rocks and my knees are weak. All in all though, no serious damage. Eden, however, is definitely ready to kill me for signing her up for yet another few days of hellish trekking. While in the photos Llahuar seems like a quaint little place to spend a night, the accomodations made us think of what it must be like to live in Vietnam as a poor rice paddy farmer. No electricity. Dirt floors. Bamboo shacks. At least there was a flushing toilet.

For dinner we have fresh trucha (trout) caught by Roy from the river. Eden is not amused. Elle and I love the fried trout and gobble ours up, bones and all.

Day 2 of CC trek (Day 19): We begin a 800m climb out of Llahuar at 6:30am and head to the ¨Oasis¨. The 800m up is followed by another 1,000m down. It seems like such a futile climb as the net result is us back where we started (even lower than where we started). Eden is definitely pissed.

Day 2 of CC trek: We are at the top of our 800m climb. Take a right for Llahuar. We go the opposite way.

Day 2 of CC trek: From the top of our little climb, we can see the Oasis down below. See the zig zags in the mountains? Those are the ways in and out.

Day 2 of CC trek: The downhill seems to take forever. We pass a river and finally make it to the Oasis. We take a dip in the cold water and relax in the sun.

Here at the Oasis, we also run into a group doing the traditional CC trek. Their first and second day were both downhill--unlike our second day which included a climb. This other group is kind of weird though. It included: Annoying German Girl, Strange Slovenian Guy, Snooty Belgian Couple. Eden, Elle and I resolve to beat the meek looking Belgians going up the canyon for the following day.

Day 2 of CC trek: Again, accomodations may seem nice in that photo of the pool, but rest assured, it´s another bamboo shack with dirt floors! This bamboo hut was nicer than the one at Llahuar Lodge. Eden sobs on her bed and damns me to hell.

Day 3 of CC trek (Day 20): We begin trekking at 3am! The moon is peeking out over the side of the canyon as we embark on our 1,100m climb out of the canyon.

Day 3 of CC trek: Slowly, light is filtering in!

Day 3 of CC trek: Sunlight! And we made it to the top of the canyon in an amazing 2h 30minutes! And we totally kicked Belgian ass!!! Woohoo.

I am seriously proud of myself because a) I hardly needed to rest. Compare that to Salkantay which was also an 1,100m climb where I needed to rest every 5 steps; b) I carried my pack all the way up (hiring a mule was an option); c) I felt like I could go on for another 1,000m if needed! It´s just amazing how quickly the human body can adapt to harsh conditions.

Day 3 of CC trek: You might be wondering why we had to wake up at 3am to start the final hike. Well, it´s because that way, you could make it to Cruz del Condor around 8am--the ideal time to spot condors. Alas, there were no condors--only local women peddling their wares. Eden is again, pissed. ¨Fuck the condors,¨ became her mantra.

We head back to Arequipa on another horrible 6hr bus ride and intended to party the night away with Elle. Unfortunately, we were all effing exhausted from having woken up at 230am and from the hike that we all pooped out by 9pm and headed back to our hotel after stuffing ourselves full of crepes. Too many crepes.

Day 21: Elle and the two of us separate. Eden and I catch the 730am bus out of Arequipa to Tacna, the border town with Chile. See ya Arequipa! See ya crappy Arequipeña beer! Day 21 is a wasted day as it is spent entirely on travel. Tacna, Arica, and onwards to San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 22: Another overnight bus takes us deep into the Chilean deserts by morning. People actually live in those huts out there. What the hell do they do out there????

Day 22: TODAY. We are in San Pedro de Atacama, as mentioned earlier. One thing that San Pedro does have is delicious empanadas!!!!!! Off the main Plaza there is a little marketplace. In the middle of the market place is an empanada stand (Empanadium) run by a cute little old man. He makes everything from scratch!

Seen here is my second empanada of the day: Quinoa, queso, chorizo, and mixed veggies. SOOO GOOOD. Eden and I will probably have empanadas again tomorrow.

Now, the new plans: Go directly to Salta. Do not pass Bolivia. Do not collect $200. In Salta, I plan on doing some horseback riding, mountain biking, and all in all relaxing. Then, I will need to figure some way to get to Puerto Madryn along the southern Argentinian coast. There, I plan on scuba diving with the sea lions, orca watching, and waddling with some penguins. Thanks very much Elle for the tips on what to do!!! Then finally, I´ll head back to Buenos Aires by February 10th in order to meet up with my fellow Canadian friend Gabe. Then it´ll be Iguazu Falls, Mendoza wine country, and finally Santiago & Valparaiso before heading back to Chicago.

First sighting of a Mercedes in South America

2008-01-23T15:32:00.000-06:00

Day 21: Currently in Arica, Chile. We have just crossed the border and are now waiting for our bus to San Pedro de Atacama at 10pm. Another whole day of travelling as we left our hotel in Arequipa at 6:40am this morning and won´t arrive in San Pedro until 10am tomorrow. This border crossing was infinitely better than the Peru-Ecuador one... and yes! First sighting of a Benz! Granted, it was a Benz circa 1990, it was still a Benz!

The Colca Canyon hike was... well, looks like we managed to find and book the harder of the routes yet again (Salkantay is, apparently, the hardest of the common routes to MP). Of course, it´s amazing what the human body is capable of. To think that a week ago I was dying with the uphill climbs! This time around, even in altitude, Eden and I both were rocking it on the trek. Suck it, Belgians! We also befriended an awesome Aussie now living in London, Elinor! (Details to come).

Now for some stereotypes. Don´t get offended! Hah!

Germans: crazy, robotic trekkers who are built like hawses; sometimes very annoying. This does not include the Germans on Salkantay!
French and the French-speaking Belgians: Snooty mcSnootersons!!
Swiss: highly friendly, diplomatic people.
Americans/Aussies/Canadians: ie, the three amigas on the CC Trek; loud and obnoxious in restaurants; totally entitled and expecting everyone to speak English; bitches, in general.

Ciaoooo, ciao!

Happy birthday to me! And shopping advice.

2008-01-19T19:29:00.000-06:00

Day 17: Currently in Arequipa, Peru, and it´s my freaking ass birthday! And I celebrated by booking myself on another hike! Woohoo.

Today was a great day. We arrived in Arequipa at 6:30am on the overnight bus from Cusco. We immediately made our way to our original hostal (Hostal Casona Blanca) of choice but found it full, boohoo. No problemo, off down the street to another Hotel (Hotel Arequipa Center) that costs the same. Typing this up in our Hotel lobby with free internet while the receptionist is blasting freaking RAMMSTEIN (!!) on super high volume (wtf???). They seem to like Rammstein down here. Our guide for Salkantay, Julio, also wanted to hear some Rammstein during our campfire night. Anyway, I can´t recommend this place too much as it has no charm, but it is cheap (s/ 35/night), clean, and has cable tv--not that we need it.

After settling in and showering, we hit the streets and find a wonderful creperie that is recommended in both our guidebooks: Zig Zag on Santa Catalina St. Highly, highly recommend going here. It´s so cute and the crepes are sooooo freaking delicious we ended up having dinner there as well.

After breakfast, we head to this huge convent here in Arequipa. It was completely shut to the outside world for 400 years before finally opening up to the public in 1970. We take a guided tour and it was interesting, informative, and I certainly enjoyed it (pictures later). Definitely take a guide with you-they´re free, you just have to tip them.

Other things accomplished today: we booked our bus tickets for the 23rd heading to Tacna, a border town with Chile. We also booked ourselves another hike--the Colca Canyon hike via the Llauar (sp) route as opposed to the traditional route. We booked with EcoTours which was a little pricier than we anticipated but hopefully their service makes up for it as it does come highly recommended by tons of people and guidebooks.

Of course, the van is coming to pick E and myself up at.... (drum roll, please) 2:45am! That means, the current time of 8:57pm is way (way) past our bedtime. I´ll be heading there soon, trust that. Tomorrow´s hike is 3d/2n deep into Colca Canyon, so once again you will all have to live without my delightful blog entries. In the Canyon, we´ll enjoy some hot springs, condor sightings, and some gruesome hiking. I think I have been bitten by the hiking bug. It´s masochistic but also fantastic.

Anyway, I think Arequipa is now my favourite city in Peru. It´s small, but not too small. There are nice churches and plazas and friendly citizens. There are also great restaurants all within walking distance in the primary ¨tourist¨ area. And best of all, there isn´t someone harrassing you to look at a menu or get a massage every other step you take (as in Cusco).

Now for the SHOPPING TIPS & what you should bring!

- If you want to buy nice alpaca stuffs, buy it in Arequipa. Avoid buying anything in Lima or Cusco. Also, visit a few places and compare prices before settling on anything. E and I could have bought 2x the number of scarves for what we paid in Cusco.

- If you want crappy alpaca stuffs, buy it in the markets in Cusco. It may be a little more pricey than in Arequipa but you get great selection there.

- Bring as many tampons as you think you will need. A 10 pack of crappy Tampax runs $5 here.

- With the exception of top grade hiking gear (shoes, really good waterproof jackets, etc.), you can buy everything else you need for the hike at significantly cheaper prices in Cusco. I got a day-pack there for s/55 and it´s a North Face knock-off (probably just a factory imperfect item... they have NF factories in Peru, no?) that does the job just fine. Also, trekking pants in Cusco run about s/30 ($10) whereas the crappy pants I bought in Chicago were $55, and they don´t even convert into shorts. Psshaw.

That´s it for now folks. Gotta get me to bed.

The road paved with horse(ahem)

2008-01-18T08:37:00.000-06:00

Day 16: Currently in Cusco, Peru. Just returned last night from the 5-day Salkantay Trek. I realize now my original post made the trek out to be far easier than it actually is. For one thing, the vertical climb was from 2800m to 4600m (in less than 2 days) with a final climb up to Machu Picchu itself. Hard. More on that later... We will be leaving tonight via night bus (Cruz Del Sur) to Arequipa, Peru to hike Colca Canyon (2x deeper than the Grand Canyon).

But now on to recapping the Salkantay Trek:

Day 1 of trek (Day 11 of trip): We wake up on January 13th at 4am to go to the bus station where we will travel with the rest of our group to the starting point of the Salkantay Trek. The bus ride is slow and uncomfortable with tons of passengers standing and getting all up in your business (public, non-tourist busses are like this). Finally, a few hours later, we are in the town of Mollepata. We finally start our first day of trekking at 9am.

My thoughts while trekking on this day:

¨Everyone only talks about how great these treks are. No one mentioned
they´d make you want to jump off the side of the cliff.¨

¨This must be what it feels like to be on one of those
death marches.¨

¨I hate this. What am I doing here?¨

Five more effin days. Eden and Bill pretty much felt the same way. You see, when you´re not accustomed to altitude, you literally cannot breathe when climbing. You have to stop every few steps to rest while your heart is beating through your chest and your pulse is thumping in your neck. To make matters worse, everyone else on the trek are like freaking superstars.

Allow me to introduce:

The Germans (Christine and Mattias). They recently did a 10 day trek in Nepal.
The Swiss (Alexa and Sascha). They hike all the time in the Alps.
The Americans (Doris and Leslie). They take trips all over the world for the sole purpose of hiking. Next stop for them, Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Everest base camp.
The Other American (Robert). He´s the only one without extreme hiking experience, but he has run a marathon.
The Guide (Julio). He´s a superman guide. Duh.

As you can imagine, Eden, Bill and I rounded up the rear, probably a whole 5 miles behind everyone else.

On this first day, we climbed from 2800m to 3500m. We hiked from 9am to 5pm with a one hour lunch break. We camped on this first wet, cold night at the base of the Salkantay Pass, another 1100m above. Aside from uncomfortable, extremely difficult climbing, the lodging (crappy tents that Bill, Eden, and I had to share even though we were promised 2 to a tent) and bathroom facilities (beyond nasty hole in the ground with a dirty toilet sans rim) and our soaking wet selves (it rained non-stop in the afternoon whereupon I discovered my waterproof Patagonia jacket is not actually waterproof) left very much to be desired. We are told at dinner that Day 2 will be even harder still (the hardest day, in fact).

Photo from Day 1. I don´t have many photos because I was too busy trying to catch up to everyone else. No time to pull out the old camera.

We are almost about to reach our campsite for Day 1. You can sort of see the snowy peaks of mountains behind the clouds.

Day 2 of trek (Day 12 of trip): We wake up at 5am in order to get an early start hiking up to the Pass. We are expected to have this 1100m climb done in about 3 hours. Julio, fearing Eden, Bill, and I won´t be able to make it, hires a horse to walk at the rear in case we faint while climbing up.

Going up was just one of the most miserable experiences of my life. It was freezing cold, windy with icy rain falling. To make matters worse, you couldn´t even enjoy the view because it was so cloudy.

Eden and Bill seemed to improve significantly on this day and I am literally miles behind everyone else, slowly putting one foot in front of the other as I climb to the Pass. It never seems to end. Once you clear one cliff, there´s another one even higher up. Somewhere along this climb, Julio is waiting for me. He and I continue slowly up together for the final meters. Thank goodness, because I was about to die of loneliness and misery. I make it to the pass in about 3.30 hours, which is far better than I was expecting. Nonetheless, everyone else is already long gone.

Climbing up. Julio waits as I drag myself up there.

At the Pass. I am seriously miserable. And look how nasty and muddy the ground is. Non-stop rain I tells ya! Thank goodness for my poncho. Plus, the clouds and fog made it impossible to see the top of Salkantay Mountain :(

Once we clear the Pass, I find Eden, Bill, and Robert waiting. We are a group again and begin the neverending descent. The lot of us assumed we´d be having lunch just after the Pass. Instead, we hiked non-stop from 7am to 3pm before finally getting a break and lunch. 8 freaking hours. We slogged through disgusting muddy, horse and donkey dung filled roads. Literally every other step was a pile of dung. Our shoes and socks and everything got soaked. Walking with wet feet is just awful. After lunch, it was another 1.5hr hike to our final campsite. The worst was over. We made it, without using a horse!!! HOOORAYYY!

I sleep well but we wake up to a wet tent and damp sleeping bag. Rain from the night had seeped into our tent from the ground. Eden took the brunt of the wetness. We are pissed. But it´s a new day. There are hot springs on Day 3! Maybe a shower!

Day 3 of trek (Day 13 of trip): This day is mostly downhill. Going down is far easier on the lungs and heart. I had no problems with keeping up although that much downhill climbing is really hard on the knees. There are two hot springs (one in the morning and one near our campsite at night). Some of us decide to enjoy the first one while the rest continue on ahead (including Eden and myself). We walk with Julio and learn about the flora and fauna. Now that our altitude is a lot lower, the plantlife is jungle as opposed to barren, snow and ice from the day prior. There are tons of orchids and butterflies and other wildlife. No monkeys though--not low enough.

Group photo! Right after this photo, it started to rain again (as you can see, the clouds are rolling in). Can we have one freaking day without rain????

From L to R: Me, Eden, Bill, Leslie, Doris, Robert, Alexa, Sasha, Christa, Matias

Day 3 also had lots of rickety, dangerous bridges that needed crossing. Looking awful. 3 days no showers and only 1 pair of pants.

The rain meant once again, the roads are muddy and awful. I managed to keep my socks mostly dry for most of the day until we came upon one area of the path where a landslide had wiped out a crossing right over the roaring river. We need to scale a rock wall to get to the other side. Julio gets right into the water with shoes and all trying to figure out a way for the rest of us to pass and to brace our falls should we have fallen. If someone had fallen in and landed in a bad way, it was very possible to have gotten pulled by the river into the rapids. Apparently, this had happened before on one of Julio´s tours.

One by one, we cross. I am fourth in line. Two of the people who had gone ahead of me fell into the water because the rock ledges they were clinging on to were not as secure as expected. Alexa is soaked from her navel down and Matias´s pants are drenched. I manage to get across with only a soaked foot.

I couldn´t take any photos because once we had passed, we were urged to continue on ahead in case another landslide or rockslide hit the area where we were standing.

Thankfully, everyone made it across more or less all right. That night, we arrive outside of Santa Teresa. Some of us go to the hot springs (HUGE pools!) in order to somewhat clean ourselves. The hot springs feel grrrrrrrrrreat. Also, for the first time since departing, our campsite on this night actually has a real bathroom instead of a filthy hole in the ground. There´s no electricity so it´s pitch black, but at least there´s a clean-ish toilet! Finally! Bowel movements! Hah.

We also set up a campfire and sit around drinking beer and trying to sing along to Julio´s guitar playing. He´s great at it, but none of us know the lyrics to anything. We couldn´t even muster a complete ¨Hey Jude¨ or ¨Let it Be¨.

Day 4 of trek (Day 14 of trip): We hike out of Santa Teresa and head for Aguas Calientes--the primary tourist city outside of Machu Picchu. It´s a fairly uneventful (though long) hike. Most of it was along a railroad. One interesting experience was crossing the river on one of these rickety old cable cars.

Uh. Yeah. No mechanics. Just man power.

We make it to Aguas Calientes without falling into the river and all is well. This night, we actually get to stay in a hostel with hot showers and a real bed!!!!! Omg, omg. Awesome.

Day 5 of trek (Day 15 of trip): We wake up at 3:30am in order to start up towards Machu Picchu by 4:30am. It´s a miracle, but we still all have energy to hike up from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. No one wusses out to take the bus. It´s quite a far walk and 500m climb from AG to MP but we made it in great time! Even Julio, who had such little faith before, was proud at our time of 1h20min.

We make it in time to see the sun rise but alas, there is no sun rise because it´s too foggy. That´s what you get in the rainy season. Ah well. We take our tour of the city with a crappy guide and finish around 9am. In MP, there is another mountain available for climbing called Waynapicchu (max 400 ppl per day can climb it) that is supposed to offer specatular views. I am freaking tired so I decide to opt out--not to mention, I lost the rest of the group when I had to leave the tour to use the bathroom (only 1!! and it´s outside of MP!!!). So yeah, no WP for me this time. Next time maybe. But, congrats to Eden & Bill for doing it!

I end up finding the Swiss who also opted out of the WP climb and toured the lost Incan city some more.

That´s a sheer cliff we´re sitting on, by the way.

A classic shot from the guard tower. There´s Waynapicchu in the back.

And there you go. That´s pretty much it. Overall, the trek was definitely awesome--even in the rainy season! It started out miserable and I felt suicidal (and also homicidal) but it was such a great experience. The people in our group are also just fantastic, and hopefully we´ll have made some lasting friendships.

TRAVEL TIPS (for trekking):

- Lots of socks. Lots and lots of socks. We only brought 3 pairs each due to some lack of communication (that´s a whole other story). Thank goodness there was a place to buy socks in Santa Teresa because man, that woulda sucked having to put on wet socks again.

- Bring lots of cash. Lots and lots of cash. Even though everything is supposedly included, you´d be amazed how much you spend. Also, bring soles--not dollars. I don´t know why I only brought dollars. Most people will not take them or exchange them. Mostly you´ll use the cash on the pricey waters along the way. Also, tips for porters and cooks and guides total up to be quite a hefty sum (you can always tip in dollars, at least).

- Waterproof things are usually not actually waterproof. I guess Goretex jackets are the way to go (or a cheapo poncho). Definitely, if you´re going in the rainy season, get truly waterproof shoes. Go to a specialty store for best products. Shoes and jackets are mucho important! Even if it doesn´t seem to rain much in Cusco, it rained a whole damn lot on our trek.

- Unless you definitely want to do the Classic Inca Trail, definitely always book your trek once you are in Cusco. It´s about half the price. Also, shop around. It turns out most of the tour companies just collaborate and end up grouping various people together. Some of the others on the trip paid less than we did, for instance.

OTHER TRAVEL TIPS:

- Highly, highly, highly recommend Hostal Marani in Cusco. The Swiss told us about it. We stayed there last night. For $15 a night, you get such a clean, nice room and great shower. Sooo worth it.

Chewing it; not snorting it

2008-01-12T09:10:00.000-06:00

Day 10: Currently in Cusco, Peru. Elevation 3,080m. Starting 5 day trek to Machu Picchu tomorrow. Doing an alternative trek called Salkantay that sounds pretty awesome. Also, it has really good reviews. We booked through our hostel (Hatun Tumi) for $250pp including everything except tip. We will be trekking from our current elevation to a height of over 4,000m. AHH climbing in altitude!!!! Feeling more or less ok but uh... you know.. issues with the bathroom. Eden has had a horrible bout of food poisoning. The rest of us are just hoping for the best. Immodium has become an absolute necessity.

Finally! I have successfully uploaded some photos!

Day 6: On the bus from Cuenca to Huaquillas. Angry & cold & cool scenery. Sums it up.

Day 6: In Tumbes, Peru after crossing the border (ugh) in Huaquillas. On a rickshaw. See Bill in mirror.

Day 6: Eden´s fake Peruvian money acquired in Huaquillas, Ecuador. Which is real? Which is fake?

Day 7: Day 7 blended into Day 8 by being on a 22 hour bus ride. In contrast to our route in Ecuador, northern Peru is just one big desert / or one big beach since it goes to the ocean. The photo is taken from the double decker bus. I sat in the very front which was nice for its panoramic views. However, it was way hotter in the front even with the a/c. For future rides, I think I´ll stick to the back of the bus.

Day 7: Another shot of the giant beach that is northern Peru, in panorama. First time I´ve seen 2 lanes on a cross-country road. Taken from the bus, again.

Day 7: Finally arrive in Lima. Photo taken a couple of blocks from our hostel up on the cliffs of Miraflores.

Day 8: In Lima, Peru at a restaurant in the Barranco area. I had a seafood soup with tons of sea urchin. Expand photo for sea urchin detail. We think this is also the meal that got Eden sick. :( Ceviche is good but comes with risk.

Day 9: Morning of day 10 we leave via plane for Cusco/Cuzco, Peru where we will embark on some serious trekking. View from the plane as it descends to land in the mountains. There are some serious crevaces seen here.

Day 9: Bill and I check out the local Cusco marketplace while Eden recovers in bed. We also pick up some COCA LEAVES!!!

Hah. 1 sole for a small bag of the stuff. Wonder how much cocaine that has... HMM. Anyway, coca leaves up here are a remedy for just about everything. I chew some for altitude sickness and bring it back to Eden for her stomach. Taste like tea leaves or any other herbs, really. Apparently it makes excellent tea.

Day 10: We went to bed really, really early on the 10th to get rest and also for Eden´s sake as she was bed-ridden. As such, we also wake up really, really early. Bill and I took a walk from our hostel to the Plaza de Armas that is still fairly empty at this early hour. We also stop for breakfast at Victor Victoria. Note: great & cheap bfast foods in Cusco! Check it out if you´re here.

Last update before leaving tomorrow morning (4:30am) for 5 days (4 of which will be shower free--ugh).

Day 10, continued: After breakfast we find Eden feeling better back at the hostel. Together, we visit some local shops, have a delicious and strong cappucino, and tour a couple of the cathedrals in the Plaza de Armas. One is a jesuit church and the other a catholic cathedral. No photos were allowed inside, regretfully... but they are both huge and beautiful.

The Catholic cathedral.

Eden and myself... view of the Plaza de Armas and Cusco from the top of the Jesuit church.

Flowers in the marketplace.

Local women with their llamas... and cellphones? After taking this photo, they proceeded to chase after me for moolah.

So... tomorrow morning, off to Machu Picchu. Then after that, we have had a little change of plans. Due to Bolivia´s newly enstated visa requirements for US citizens, Eden will not be able to enter Bolivia with any guarantee. Instead of trying to get in, we´ve decided to reroute our original itinerary as I definitely don´t want to cross the border into Bolivia and stay in La Paz alone--lots of horror stories there. The downside to this, no extreme bike ride down the world´s former most dangerous road in the world. 38miles (or km?) downhill from one of the highest points to the Amazon basin, outside of La Paz, Bolivia (the world´s highest capital city).

New itinerary: Instead of heading from Cusco to Arequipa to Puno and into Bolivia up by Lake Titicaca as originally planned, we will now go from Cusco straight to Arequipa (skipping Lake Titicaca all together b/c it sucks from the Peruvian side, apparently), and then we will head to Chile from Arequipa. From there, we will separate in San Pedro. I will head north into Bolivia (I am Canadian and can enter Bolivia without much ado) with the safety of a tour group to visit the Bolivian salt flats.

Eden will continue south either to Santiago, Chile or straight to Beunos Aires, Argentina. After the salt flats, I´ll be in Uyuni, Bolivia and then head to Tupiza, Bolivia and spend some time pretending to be Butch Cassidy riding horses in the landscape remniscent of Monument Valley, AZ, I am told. Lastly, I will somehow get to Beunos Aires without committing suicide on the multi-day bus ride. Perhaps I´ll just suck it in and take a flight from Salta, Argentina to BA. We shall see...

TRAVEL TIPS:

- ¨Backpacking¨ is kind of a misnomer. Eden, with her rolling backpack-style bag, has been very successful while Bill and I moan under the weights of our extremely heavy backpacks. For the most part, you leave your ¨backpack¨ at the hostel and take a daypack on treks and whatnot. The only time you need your full backpack is when transferring from city to city, hostel to hostel... and the roads are paved.

- San Luis water is preferrable over Cielo water here in Peru. Cielo tastes like Evian, which I hate. San Luis is good ol non-mineral, purified water, a la Dasani (sweet, sweet Dasani). Also, it´s a Coca Cola company.

- Bring a daypack (small backpack). You will need it for your Inca Trek and likely for many other multi-day tours and activities.

Damn you computer! And thoughts on Lima

2008-01-10T21:43:00.000-06:00

All right, so I have been trying to upload this set of photos forever all to no success. So no photos. Still in Lima. Hanging out at the hostel. Leaving tomorrow for Cuzco, Peru by plane. That bus ride could have been over 24hrs (vomit).

Lima is quite nice where it´s nice, but overall, I did prefer the feel of Cuenca. Here, parts of the city are almost exactly like you´d find in the states. Examplë: the large ocean-side mall where we got our dinner and gelato last night. Also, the prices here--with the exception of housing--are sort of comparable to the States. Of course, you´d be hard pressed to find the octopus, conch, and sea urchin soup I had for dinner tonight for only 17/s ($6). Let me tell ya, this soup had tons of sea urchin which I love and costs a fortune in Chicago. With that said, I don´t think people who live in the midwest are designed to eat this much seafood. Am feeling a little nauseated at the moment.

So then, Lima´s nice parts (Miraflores) is too much like other US cities for me to find this place that interesting. As for the rest of the city, cabbies and restaurant proprietors alike warn against heading there as a tourist. I think these cautionary warnings are a little overboard but nonetheless, we didn´t have time to visit Central Lima this time around.

Thus far, my favourite part about all of this is meeting fellow travellers. There was the Californian surfer dude in Ecuador, and now these last couple of days at our hostel, there´ve been some interesting characters. There´s an Irish lad (Shane? Seamus?) whose every other word was ¨fuckin´¨. He seems to be about our age and quit his job 5months ago, took his savings, and hit the road. He´s heading to Colombia tomorrow since it´s the only country he can afford now, he claims. Also, there´s a French lad here who´s a bit odd. He likes to belt out American pop songs with his headphones on in his French accent.

Likes: Irish accents are sooo hot. So are French ones. German ones too. Accents in general, pretty much. South American ketchup. Jugo de Frutas (fresh!). Sea urchin.

Dislikes: The many, many stray dogs make me really, really sad. There was a really adorable one today near the restaurant--looked like a doberman mix--that was wandering around the streets lookin for food. He chased after a rickshaw when it got near him which was pretty funny.

Currently wasting money on: Pedi and mani combo for 25/S! It was too hard to resist despite the fact that we are going on a freakin multi-day hikes where showers (forget about nail polish remover) will be few and far between.

Hostel recommendation in Lima: Friend´s House, 368 Manco Capac, Miraflores. Dirt cheap. Good location. Free bikes even if they´re totally shitty. Free internet. Hot water aplenty.

Eden es stupid

2008-01-10T07:55:00.000-06:00

Day 8: Currently in Lima, Peru. It´s such a lovely city when you´re in the ritzy part of town. I do, however, feel like one of those fat Midwestern tourists who don´t know how to cross the street like you see on Michigan Ave. in Chicago. Ah weellll....

The trip here from Tumbes was long (18 hours became 21 hours) with horrible bathrooms and spectacular views. The bus ride itself wasn´t so bad. We rode in an Ormeños royal class bus which means fully reclining beds for comfort.

Here are some photos:

(actually, no.. because google did not auto save like promised and i am loathe to upload these photos again and they won´t link directly since it is a protected album... blah blah blah. UGH.)

Bus rides, bathrooms, border crossing, counterfeiters, and the tales that follow

2008-01-08T13:25:00.000-06:00

Currently in Tumbes, Peru. Waiting for our bus to leave at 6:30pm. In internet cafe that smells and looks like a dirty bathroom. My stall is blue with chipped paint and grime in the tiles. No photos as no accessible USB port here. Use your imaginations.

After I last left you... not much happened. We did laundry at a local lavanderea (sp) in Cuenca where it was only $4.20 for them to wash and dry and FOLD 2 huge loads of laundry. Totally moving to Cuenca. Later last night, we took the Crespo family to one of the super fancy restaurants in the city. Still, super freaking ass cheap by American standards. $30/person and you can eat like a king with the best wines offered. Most of us ordered the Argentinian steaks. Chicago steaks step aside... heh

This morning´s bus departed from Cuenca, Ecuador to Huaquillas, Ecuador at 5:45am. The lot of us (now excluding Mike) crawled out of bed exhausted before the sun had risen and headed to the bus terminal.

You would think that in an early morning bus ride such as this one, there would be peace and quiet on a bus. But no... instead, it´s loud mariachi music and Spanish hip hop the entire 5 hours from Cuenca to Huaquillas. The three of us take different rows of the bus and attempt sleep--myself to no avail.

Missing sleep, however, did allow me to gather in the gorgeous views from the bus. Cuenca is a city up high in the Andes and Huaquillas is a border town along the coast. Thus, the ride takes you from the mountains´ heights and freezing temps into a sweltering tropical coast of banana plantations and shanty towns as far as the eye can see. I have a few photos but of course, none quite capture the mountains´ true majesty.

Halfway through our bus trip, I really need to pee. Despite drinking next to no water for this very reason, my bladder... well, it seems that my bladder has it in for me, but anyway... On this particular bus, you need to ask the co-operator of the bus to unlock the bathroom for you. I go up, use hand signals and poor Spanish to let him know necessito el baño! He gets up, and we jostle our way back to the bathroom. For some reason, the bus at this particular juncture of the trip is especially bumpy. Inside the tiny little bathroom stall that´s about 1 sq. foot (no kidding), I attempt to hover above the tiniest little toilet hole EVER as the bus is making me crash all over the place. I am quite sure I got pee all over the bathroom, but I didn´t stay in there to examine the extent of my damage. As I exit the bathroom stall, the bus co-operator is sitting outside waiting and laughing at me. Back at my seat, I wet-wipe myself to death. 99.9% of germs killed (we hope)!

Our bus pulls into Huaquillas in the mid-day sun. We´re directed to exit and find our own ways across the border. One particular english-speaking gentleman on the bus is being extra friendly and helpful so we follow him into town.

At this point, it gets pretty confusing as you need to find a rickshaw to take you to the border or walk your way there in order to access the ¨connectivos¨that are officially on Peru´s side of the border. On our way to the connectivos, our friendly guide is informing us that we need Peruvian Soles because Tumbes is a small town and they don´t take USDs. As we follow him, a number of sketchy lookin´guys come out of the street hawking their awesome exchange rates. 325 Soles for $100!!! Eden, a foreign exchange trader, is like finding this awesome bc she last remembers the exchange rate being 298S=$100 or something. We stop to inspect the moneys.

I was almost about to exchange $100 worth but gut instinct told me to keep on moving. Also, the mid day sun was killing me and I just had to get to the shade. I walk off yelling at Eden and Bill to leave... unfortunately, Eden must not have heard me because she exchanged $60 worth.

Sure enough, once on the Peruvian side, it comes to light that her money´s fake. Friendly dude apparently not so friendly for no reason--damned thieves! (Eden really has not had such great luck this trip... haha. She probably has ring worm too but that´s another long story).

Trying to get from the border to Tumbes, Peru was also crazy. We knew from our guide books and from the Crespo family that the 25km ride should cost no more than $5 total for the three of us. As we walk to the connectivos, we are pulled aside into an alley where we are promised connectivos. Again, I´m worrying that we´re going to get jumped by a mob in the alley and start to back away... but Eden spots the cars and for a price of $6, we can get to Tumbes--or so we think. We know the trip should be around $5 and are just relieved they aren´t overcharging by too much. After taking us to immigration, suddenly, the connectivo driver is telling us it will cost $25. The $6 was only to cover the ride to customs. (Which, even though my spanish sucks, is definitely not what was originally agreed upon.) After much arguing in jilted Spanish, I just start to pretend no entiendo! Thankfully, he didn´t drive us into an alley once we arrive in Tumbes to rob us... he drops us off at the bus stop expecting $25. Eden in her angry face gives him $10 and we walk away. He doesn´t complain much. I wonder how many people he fools with the old bait and switch like that.

Anyhow, after all that, we did get our bus tickets to Lima... ¨Royal Class!¨ We should be (if we weren´t ripped off again) having our 18hr bus ride in comfort with fully reclining seats, bingo, movies, and food. Of course, whether or not you should eat the food is another story all together.

NOTE TO TRAVELLERS: If you can, try to catch an international bus that goes straight from Guayaquil to Lima or Machala to Tumbes. Unfortunately for us, neither of these options fit well in our schedule so we just had to wing it and hope for the best. But seriously, if you can avoid crossing the border alone (as in, without the aid of a bus company), do it. It was one stressful, harrowing experience.

Onwards to Lima! (Ignore my Dopplr)

Quickie!

2008-01-07T13:54:00.000-06:00

Day 5: Very quickly now... we have just come back from a trip to Ingapirca which is an Incan ruin near Cuenca. The ride there was, as expected, very uncomfortable. The objective in this country, it seems, is always to squeeze as many people as possible into the tiniest of cars.

The ruin itself is not very large and our trip could have turned very sour had we not found an English speaking tour guide who happened to be leading some Hollanders around. We could have had our own guided tour but alas, our poor planning led us to rely on our host, Diego´s many many connections. Private car ain´t so bad--if only it werent so small!

Currently feeling very stressed as I have to figure out a way to get to Lima. Me and only me. Eden and Bill did not bother learning any Spanish at all before coming (AHEM!), Mike is going to be taking off in another direction, so that leaves only pauvre moi to take the load. Already, I have had much trouble trying even to just make a call to Peru. I think the itinerary will be to head to the border town of Huaquillas (sp) and then take a long 18 hour (although luxurious) bus ride from Tumbes, Peru to Lima.

All right.. and now I leave you with some other photos:

Bird´s eye view of lovely Cuenca from our tour bus ride around the city.

Riding in the back of a bus is completely natural.

Andres, Eden, and Anthony (Maria Belen´s cousin and owner of the disco)

Ingapirca ruins

Bill, Eden, Moi, Mike at the ruins

Eden and Mike on the way to Cuenca from Guayaquil when we still had seats to sit in.

The adorable Isabella Crespo at the family´s gorgeous farm house (where we just ate guinea pig... yum!)

Thing I miss the most about the State´s so far: bathrooms! The bathrooms at our host family´s house here in Cuenca offer all the conveniences and luxuries of the west but the only downside is that the water flow here is just not comparable.

Also, always remember to collect some toilet paper before entering a stall at public restrooms. I´ve already made that error a few times. I think Eden has just been making herself susceptible to urinary cancer by holding her biznezz in for as long as humanly possible. Hah!

Hola from Ecuador!

2008-01-06T18:18:00.000-06:00

It has been near impossible to get on the internet here because we´ve been running around like crazy! So here´s the run down (blog is poorly written, not very funny, but is very informative!):

Day 1: Eden and I get screwed by American Airlines and are sent off to catch a flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador via Continental. Thank goodness neither of us checked bags because I would probably still be on the same pair of underwear right now had we done so. We arrive in Guayaquil finally around 1:30am. Mike and Bill (see Eden´s blog for description of who they are) are already there. Carlos, one of Mike´s host family´s friends is there at the airport to pick us up. Good thing too because Guayaquil is one scary looking city. First thing that happens after leaving the airport: Eden takes a fall. Good sign of things to come, eh? We spend the night in Mike´s host family (the Crespos) pied-a-terre in Guayaquil.

Day 2: No stay at all in Guayaquil. We immediately head to the very lovely city of Cuenca by bus. Everything is fine except a quarter of the way there, the freaking ass bus breaks down in the middle of the Andes. Mike has the genius idea of switching buses as another passing bus collects a few of the stranded passengers. Unfortunately, no speaka Spanish and thus, we did not realize until it was already too late that the bus was standing room only.

How much longer to Cuenca, Mike? Oh, an hour.

We end up standing for freaking over 3 hours as buses are sooooo slow. We all scowl at Mike the entire ride.

When we arrive in Cuenca, the first thing I see coming off the bus are the two hottest women in the bus terminal (and frankly, in Ecuador so far). Everyone is staring at them as they walk past and of course I just assume they´re there for someone else. The next thing we know, they´re approaching me and asking if I am Mike´s friend (Mike is still collecting his bags). Holy crap.

When Mike told Eden about the host family we would be staying with, he failed to mention that they are elite Ecuadorian society (an ex-president is in the immediate family). They proceed to chauffeur us all around the city and be exceedingly hospitable. We go out to eat (yum, ceviche! Huge plate with beer for $4!!!!!) which is also the first time we have eaten in about 40 hours. I suppose aside from the diet of parasites and diarrhea, there is also just plain ol´ starvation.

That very night, Maria Belen (the older daughter) insists that Eden, Mike, and I join them at the disco, which incidentally, Maria Belen´s cousin owns. The place is packed and although neither Eden nor I were in any mood to drink, one tequila shot led to another to 10 or 20 more. We lost count. Oh, and did I fail to mention that the only clothes Eden and I packed were hiking clothes? Thus, picture us in the super cool disco, dressed in weather-proof pants, fleeces, and cross trainers. Very uncool. The girls kept looking me up and down in the bathrooms like, wtf, mate? Anyhoo, despite my horrible attire, I did get asked to dance on quite a few occasions. Men in Cuenca are pretty damn hot. Hoohoo, still got it.

We go home in the back of Maria Belen´s boyfriend´s truck, rolling around like drunken fools. Pass out. The end. (In photo, me, Eden, Maria Belen, her bf Daniel)

Day 3: wake up early and get chauffeured to take a bus ride around the city of Cuenca. It is a beautiful, old city with lovely architecture.

That afternoon, Maria Gusta (Maria Belen´s mother) tells us her father invited the lot of us up to the ranch in the mountains where we will eat guinea pig.

Yes, your childhood pet is my food. Being an adventurous eater, I am quite eager to try the guinea pig (cui in Spanish).

We drive up to the ranch which is an active dairy farm complete with a ton of dairy cows imported from good ol´Wisconsin (they must be happy here). The farm is 90 hectars and the scenery is absolutely stunning--up high in the beautiful Ecuadorian Andes. It seems like Maria Gusta´s entire family is there and ready to partake in CUI!!! YUM! Oh, and also, the entire family is stunning! Everyone is seriously GORGEOUS!

View of the farm and surrounding landscape.

The farm help prepping the cui.

Roasting on an open fire.

Verdict on the guinea pig: Too much work for such little meat! Haha. Basically, the skin is what is sought after--as well as the claws. It tasted pretty much like chicken, but more tender and delicious. I wonder how many people buy guinea pigs from the pet stores up in the states only to breed them and eat them? Hmmm... I will probably be eating this again as it is quite popular in the Peruvian Andes and Bolivia. Eden, on the other hand, would sooner die.

At the dinner, we also meet another American. Maria Belen´s cousin´s boyfriend whom she met while at an Ecuadorian surfing town. He is a typical blond California surfer dude with slow, halting speech. However, he is also equipped with a dual math and physics degree from UCLA. He is also class of 2005 so I wonder if I can facebook him. Anyway, the kid is seriously cool if flaky. He has been traveling in Ecuador for 2 months and already, his Spanish is near fluent. In fact, I assumed he was Ecuadorian upon first meeting him. He tells us tales of his learning to hang glide (and nearly die) with an old man on an antique hang glider in a tiny town in Ecuador. He tells us of a mayor inviting him to dinner which turned out to be a little more than dinner (or attempted, at least). He tells us also of working in an Ecuadorian restaurant for $5 a day just for the hell of it. Seriously, cool kid. Hope to meet him again some day.

We return home to Cuenca and sleep. I do not sleep well as I am already homesick (wtf???) and the tequila from the night prior was still not sitting well with me.

Day 4: Early risers. The incredibly hospitable Crespo family take us to pick up some supplies at the local mall where everything from the states is freaking expensive. I end up spending $15 on a small bottle of sunscreen while Eden, who had lost an entire bag earlier in the trip, had to pick up well over $100 worth of crap. $74 for a freaking memory card! Food here is cheap, but as expected, the imported goods are muchos pricey. Maria Belen and her boyfriend then take us up to the Cajas--one of the national parks in Ecuador--in the afternoon. It is about 2,500meters above sea level and freakin´cold. Unfortunately, the weather wasn´t so great but lunch was. The ¨lagoons¨up there (basically lakes) are filled with trout (trucha) and the locals make one hell of a good trout fillet. Lunch at a fancy schmancy place with appetizer, fish, and desert was only $10 per person. Totally made up for my $15 sunscreen.

Up in the Cajas, we see some llamas (alpacas? whats the diff? is there one?)

We also hike around this beautiful lagoon.

Weather wasn´t so great, but you can see that this place is just amazing. I love the Andes!

So let me tell ya, it is EFFIN HARD HIKING UP IN THE HIGH ALTITUDES! Literally, you are winded going up hill after about 5 steps. I recently hiked in Phoenix and while I wasn´t an all-star, I certainly wasn´t passing out with my heart beating through my chest. Holy craps... I wonder how soon we´ll get accustomed to this elevation and how we´ll do when we hike the Inca Trail and Colca Canyon in Peru. Dear God... save me!

We return home from the Cajas all muddied up and have some hot cocoa and sandwiches courtesy of Maria Gusta. And now we´re in the internet cafe taking forever to type an entry because a lot of shit has gone down, yo!

Again, I apologize for my lame, boring writing style but it´s just too hard trying to be witty when you´re typing this much (although you should read Eden´s blog bc she is a fantastic comedic writer and I´m sure her blog that she´s currently typing next to me will be hilarious).

All right... and onwards to Lima on Tuesday!

I obv have many more photos to share but it takes for freaking ever to upload them so yòu´ll just have to wait til I´m stateside!

Multimedia message

2008-01-03T12:53:00.001-06:00

Stranded in memphis. Going to houston now. Arrive in guayaquil at 2am if we are lucky.

Comrade Eden's Blog!

2007-12-29T13:19:00.000-06:00

Eden will now also be blogging the trip side-by-side with me (because we are huge dorks). Visit her at: Eden's Escapade to the Equator. Our respective blogs will no doubt be filled with vitriol towards the other person as the time wears on. Hah!

It's really funny so I recommend you read it :P

Backpack meets shallow city girls

2007-12-29T04:18:00.000-06:00

I can never sleep before impending travel. Also, my right leg is in pain due to the muscle atrophying from the last 10 days of complete disrespect for any sort of healthful eating or activity, I think. (The impending travel is referring to my return to Chicago--not yet leaving for South America).

Conversation with Eden, the travel buddy:


    Eden:  There is a guy in Ecuador named 'party boy' who
           will be hanging out with us a couple days
    Panda: (Laugh) What? Uhmm, doood, we will look like
           such crap.
    Eden:  Um. Yes.
    Panda: Plus I'll be super fatty since I have just been
           stuffing my pie-hole non-stop this past week as
           I've been using the "I'll just lose the weight
           there" excuse.
    Eden:  SAME!
    Panda: One tapeworm away from our goal weight! 
    Eden:  Seriously. Are you even bringing make-up?
    Panda: I guess now I'll have to!

Into the backpacking bag now goes the make-up bag: Burt's Bees, eyebrow pencil, mascara, eyeliner, foundation, blush, and one shade of eyeshadow. Totally reasonable.

Fret not Boyfriend if you just read this. "Party Boy" sounds like a total douche anyway! Teehee.

Christmas's all around us...

2007-12-26T00:13:00.000-06:00

"Love Actually" is one of those Christmas movies I watch every year even though it's not a particularly good movie, and I can't stand the look of Underbite Girl (Kiera). Nonetheless, it's somehow become my "Miracle on 34th St".

"I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toesssss... Christmas's all around us, and so the feeling growwwwsssss..."

Now that that's over, time to dismantle all that holiday cheer. It's kind of sad, no? I sure do like Christmas decorations.

In case you haven't noticed, I am starting to use Google's Picasa Web Albums service. Flickr is a lot prettier, but Google--bless your taking-over-the-world soul--is already part of my flesh and blood! Plus, the Picasa program is actually really fantastic. Highly recommended, 5 stars! Everyone should start uploading photo albums--that means YOU, MOTHER!

So, once I'm on the road, I will hopefully be able to share my travels and photos with with relative ease.

Insert here!

2007-12-23T00:09:00.000-06:00

My Pops gave me this Chinese book of the top natural phenoms the Middle Kingdom in anticipation of my eventual pilgrimage back to the motherland. It's all in Chinese and being illiterate, I just flipped through gawking at the photos of the lovely natural sites--very lovely indeed.

Of course, I wonder what the editors were thinking when they juxtaposed these two little photos... Hmmm! Curious photos, no?

UPDATE: Everyone I've interrogated or shown this to has been unfazed by the images. They're like, "it's not really sexual". HELLO? ARE YOU BLIND?

Mobile: Cost of Living

2007-12-21T19:18:00.001-06:00

Holy crap! 8 pieces of dry cleaning for $18 (including 4 sweaters)! Its $8 a sweater in chicago.

Cream of [Insert] without the calories

2007-12-20T11:55:00.000-06:00

I've made variations on this a few times now, all to great success. This is such an easy recipe and will satisfy all creamy-soup cravings without hurting the scale.

These proportions make 2-4 servings depending on how much soup you like!

Ingredients:

3c. of your veggie of choice, cubed (potato, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.)
1/2c. of chopped onions (and shredded carrots opt.)
1-2c. of broth (depending on how thick you like soups; I prefer using 1c.)
1-1 1/2c. of skim milk
2tbsp. flour
salt/pepper
other spices you like
olive oil for sauteeing
shredded cheddar/mozz (optional)

Directions:

Sautee onions in large pot for a few minutes. I also like to add shredded carrots for colour and additional vitamins, but it's not really necessary.
Add your veggie of choice, broth, spices, salt and pepper. Don't worry if broth doesn't immerse all veggies--there should be enough to just barely cover everything if you use 1c. of broth and more if you use more. Bring to boil then lower and simmer. Simmering times varies depending on vegetable. If using potato, it might take 30+ minutes for everything to become tender. With broccoli, 10 minutes if more than enough.
In another bowl, prepare milk & flour mixture. Add to the pot once veggies are tender. Stir and continue cooking until soup thickens.
Once done, you can use a blender to liquify the soup even more if you don't like chunks. I prefer cutting the veggies small enough so that they kind of disintegrate on their own while still keeping some chunkiness.
Lastly, add as much or as little cheese as you want and serve!

Seriously, this is such a great cream-of recipe and so healthy & easy! I will make some right now.

List: Books 2007

2007-12-19T20:21:00.001-06:00

Books I've read or reread, 2007 edition. The list is pretty short since I've not read much this year though that seems to be changing.

* denotes it's highly recommended (which isn't to suggest that the ones without *s are no good--they are.)
~~strikethrough~~ denotes I couldn't finish it (these are probably no good)

Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
Memories of my Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
~~Neuromancer~~ ~~by William Gibson~~ (perhaps unfair since I took an 8 month break and couldn't get back into it)
The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch
My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut *
Elizabeth Costello by John M. Coetzee
The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
Harry potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamonby Jorge Amado
The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez *
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami *
Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima
Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster by Dana Thomas *
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman
The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
For the Relief of Unbearable Urges by Nathan Englander

The Great Escape

2007-12-16T14:58:00.001-06:00

While Chicago was suffering a white-out, I was enjoying the pleasant winter-desert air. Arizona certainly is one of my favourite states. From the mountains up in Flagstaff to the arid deserts of Tucson, there is so much variety! There is also some of the most amazing natural scenery in the US including Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Sedona's red rock mountains... etc. Anyway, this brief trip was spent in the Phoenix area, which is pretty boring but its proximity to nature hikes and the awesome beds of the JW Marriott Resort & Spa made the trip totally worthwhile. The parentals should really move from Dallas-suburbia to Phoenix-suburbia if you ask me.

So what did I do while away? Mostly I gorged (In-n-Out for lunch, surf and turf for dinner). Also did some hiking, hit some golf balls, and watched Law and Order: SVU (heh heh).

Clockwise starting Top-L: View of urban-suburban sprawl (boo) from the top of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix (hike & climb was pretty tiring but so satisfying! My butt's still sore!), Me defacing nature, view of a white Chicago on the way back, and Saguaro cacti!

Also really wanted to make the drive to Sedona (only 2hrs) but it's a little chilly at that elevation and I only had a sweatshirt. Ah well... here is someone else's photo of Sedona's juniper trees & red rocks for you to enjoy:

Mobile: burgers, fries x2

2007-12-15T12:33:00.002-06:00

Yay. Phx has in-n-out!