Bob and Nancy Morton - World Travels and Life Abroad

Rome, Italy -- Celebrating the 3rd Anniversary of our World Travel Adventure

2011-05-14T18:45:00.017-05:00

4/29 – 4/30/11) We were very lucky to find a great airfare from Antalya Turkey back to the West Coast of the States, with an overnight stopover in Rome. Naturally, we have have been to Rome before so it was nothing new for us, but still had a leisurely half-day to tour around the central historical area of the city, strolling past Piazza Venezia, the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum. Then we found a fairly good restaurant serving basic Roman fare, to celebrate the 3rd “Anniversary” of our World Travel Adventure. (Yup, hard to believe, but true … we left our life in Chicago 3 years ago, and after stopping in Dallas TX to take care of business, we crossed the border into Mexico on April 30, 2008 – beginning our long international adventure). (Sorry, Nancy forbid any photos of us in Rome due to our ‘travel look’ from having arisen early, and long day of travel and strolling, etc.).

NEXT UP: We're Back (in the USA) ... Will our Travel Adventure finally be coming to an end?

Our plan is to initially spend 4-6weeks in Southern California (Orange County), where Bob is pursuing some employment opportunities in Law Enforcement. If any pan out, we would obviously stay in the area and Nancy would then also look for a job. Otherwise we’ll probably once again head back up to the Pacific Northwest (Portland or Seattle) for at least the next several months; and, both of us intend to look for some kind of employment, to rejuvenate our productivity and also help to offset some of our expenses – especially, while staying in the far costlier USA. But we are blessed to feel that we now have the freedom (financial and otherwise) to take it or leave it, and stay or not stay, work or not work, and simply follow our dreams. We still like the idea of annually spending mid-October thru mid-February in Chiang Mai Thailand (and, then a few months after that perhaps in our next favorite place of Buenos Aires); and, then perhaps returning every year to the States at the same time. But, if Bob is successful in obtaining a new full-time position in Law Enforcement, we would obviously stay put save for annual vacations (at least until, our full Retirements in the future), and Nancy would also return to gainful employment.

ANTALYA, Turkey

2011-05-14T16:09:00.033-05:00

(4/3 – 4/29/11) This was our second visit to Turkey, the last time in Fall of 2002 on a ‘regular’ 16-day vacation while we were still living in Chicago. At that time, we flew into Istanbul stayed for 4 or 5 days, then rented a car and traveled down the Aegean coast with stops in Ephesus, Fethiye, Bodrum, the famous Blue Lagoon in Oludeniz, Pamukalle, and Kas. Then back to Istanbul. We always regretted running out of time to reach the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya.

Now, we finally had our chance since it was a short distance directly across from where we were last staying northern Cyprus. So we took a short non-stop commuter flight direct from Cyprus to Antalya, after finding a very reasonable 2BR apartment duplex rental in a nice residential neighborhood only 3 blocks from the famed miles long Konyaalti Beach. Of course, it was still a bit early and not quite warm enough for ‘beach season’ which would probably begin in earnest a few weeks after we would leave. But, then again, we’re not really ‘beach people’. However, it did make a wonderful walk to stroll along the oceanfront promenade that was just beginning to come to life with the opening of the beachfront cafes.

Antalya is truly a beautiful city, perfectly situated on a bay just around the bend from where the Aegean meets with the Mediterranean. The waters of course are crystal clear with a deep blue color, with a spectacular view of the surrounding Taurus Mountains. And, then there is Kaleici, the restored historical center of the city consisting of narrow winding streets situated on low lying cliffs overlooking the very pretty quaint Harbor leading out into the bay and Mediterranean Gulf. But the city spreads out in all directions, and is quite large for a ‘resort city’, with a total population actually now exceeding 1 Million people. Indeed, we were impressed with its diverse and bustling commercial activity, that would be very amenable for those seeking pursue new business opportunities.

Naturally, the City itself has several historical monuments and sights of interest, including Hadrian’s Gate (a/k/a the Triple Gate) constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century , the Clock Tower, Hidirlik Tower thought to have originally built in the Hellinistic period (300-150 B.C.), Kesik Minare (a/k/a the broken Minaret), and Yvli Minare (the fluted Minaret) decorated with dark blue and turquoise tiles which became the symbol of the City.

Within easy reach of the city for day trips are also several well-known archeological sites which we had an opportunity to visit, including the ancient city ruins of Perge, Side and Olympos (not to be confused with Mt. Olympus), the last two of which we found to be most impressive and worthwhile. Another beautiful day trip (actually merely on the northern outskirts of the City) is the Duden Waterfall park that is an excellent place to unwind and picnic.

As for the food, it is of course standard Mediterranean fare, largely consisting of Kabobs (chicken, lamb, kofte or beef), doner (wraps), fresh fish (usually grilled) pita, mesa dips and vegetable appetizers, Corba (soups),excellent fresh salads, and Lahmacun (crisp baked flat bread topped with various toppings of meats, veggies and sauce – sort of the turkish version of pizza), and of course baklava for desert. We do love it. As for drink, unfortunately the Turks have not in our opinion learned to make good wine (and if it will make them feel better, neither have the Greeks - LOL). C’est La Vie. Nobody’s perfect. But, we do like to sip their Raki as an aperitif or after-dinner drink, which is the Turkish version of the anise-flavored liqueur, similar to other countries e.g. Ouzu, Sambuca, Arak. As for value, unfortunately Antalya is no doubt affected by its resort status and prices are probably on par with Chicago for groceries and restaurants.

All in all, we were happy to finally have the opportunity to visit Antalya, and enjoyed our stay. We would definitely recommend it if you are in the region, but otherwise for us I don’t think we’d go out of our way to make it a must-go repeat destination like we do feel about Chiang Mai or Buenos Aires.

NEXT UP: We celebrate the 3-yr “Anniversary” of our World Travel Adventure, with an overnight stopover in Rome on our way back to the States. Our plan is to initially stay in Southern California, where Bob is making some job inquiries (in Law Enforcement). If they pan out, we will permanently settle back down and end our travels. Otherwise we may head back up again head back up to the Pacific Northwest (Portland or Seattle). After that, we'll see what's in store for us.

The Island of CYPRUS

2011-04-02T08:03:00.022-05:00

(3/1/11 – 4/3/11) As most folks are aware, Cyprus is an Island divided between two peoples. The Greeks control the south, and the Turks control the north. Technically both halves are independent sovereign entities, but in actuality each owes their allegiance if not financial viability to their ‘mother’ countries of Greece and Turkey respectively. Once united, in 1974 civil war broke out on the Island and the Island has been divided ever since. Though formal military hostilities have long since ceased, vestiges still remain visible, and each side still maintains numerous fully equipped and battle ready installations. But the border controls between the two halves has now relaxed and there is a very liberal free-flow of people from north to south with only minimal formalities. The southern Greek side is officially recognized by the UN, while the north is somewhat frowned upon. Personally, don’t take sides because we just feel it is an unfortunate dispute between neighbors, both of whom (Turkey and Greece) are very close American allies and members of NATO, and we have visited both ‘mother’ countries and feel warmly towards both peoples. Therefore, even though it is somewhat ‘controversial’, we chose to stay in the north, officially known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Our decision was based on research that indicated it to be the better value, and that it is less developed and less touristy which we prefer.

We flew into the southern city of Larnaka (on the Greek side) because their airport is internationally recognized and most international airlines arrive there. But, we immediately proceeded to travel due north by local bus to the central city of Nicosia/Lefkosia that is divided between the two nationalities. We then had to walk across the border and take different transportation for the remainder of our journey north, to the city of Girne a/k/a Kyrenia. (FYI – strangely, all of the major cities in the north are known by two different names). Our rental apartment was on the outskirts of the city about 10 minutes drive west towards the town of Lapte. The locale, if not ideal for us, was still very accessible to everything by means of the very frequent private transport mini-buses/vans known as Dolmush. We also had two good-sized and well-stocked supermarkets within walking distance of our apartment. Also located only 2 blocks walk from our apartment, was a nice beach on the Mediterranean coast along with several restaurants. However, this time of year is early Spring in Cyprus and still the off-season, and far too cool for beach lounging or swimming and other water sports. As we are not really beach-lounging type of travelers, that didn’t really matter to us (although we do lover our water sports, especially snorkeling and scuba diving when available).

What Nancy and I do love to do is explore, and take in the sites including natural, archeological, architectural (and, of course, Gastronomical). Unfortunately, on that score, we would have to rate Cyprus as ‘below average’. Although there are a few mountaintop castles, interesting old abbeys and churches, as some actual archeological monuments, compared to other places we have been (especially in both mainland Greece and Turkey), Cyprus is somewhat dull. We went to all corners of the north, including the western city of Guzelyurt/Morphou, the central capital of Nicosia/Lefkosia, our local north central city of Girne/Kyrenia, and the western city of Farmagusta/Gazimagusa, but in all honest found each only of real interest for a couple of hours walk. Of course, we thought the quaint Harbor in our own city of Girne/Kyrenia was pretty, especially as it abuts the ruins of the Kyrenia Castle. And, we enjoyed our walking tours of both side of the capital city of Nicosia/Lefkosia, especially the old sections. While Farmagusta with its walled central ‘old city’ was probably the most ‘archeological-worthy’ because of the concentration of and quality of the ruins and monuments within its confines. The only area of the north we didn’t have an opportunity to see, which we would have liked, was the far northeastern peninsula, which is said to be pretty due to its lack of development, but which proved to be impractical to reach and explore by public transport. We would have rented a car for a day, but inexplicably no rental agency in Cyprus (or at least northern Cyprus) will rent for less than a minimum 3-days, which we did not require.

Naturally we love the cuisine of Cyprus, which is a combination of Greek and Turkish Mediterranean, including the ever popular beef and lamb kabobs and donars (wraps), roast chicken marinated in tomato based herb, grilled fish, rice and meat stuffed Zuchinis or Peppers or rolled in grape leaves (Dolma/dolmades), and the obligatory variety of appetizers known as Maize (olives, cheeses, sausage, sliced or salted meats, artichoke hearts, etc.). But alas, it was not unexpectedly quite expensive here in Cyprus, so we rarely ate out, and Nancy as usual tried her best to make some ‘local’ type dishes. In sum, Cyprus is a fairly pretty Island, with wonderful people, but probably best left to the beach-loving tourists visiting for a week’s R&R, rather than explorers and adventure seekers (other than water sport adventures in the summer months). Certainly, it would not be a place we would consider for any long-term stays, nor even go out of our way for a return visit (unless you happen to be in the ‘neighborhood’).

NEXT STOP: The City of ANTALYA, on the southern Mediterranean coast of mainland TURKEY.

Chiang Mai, Thailand - REDUX (2010-11)

2011-03-10T06:59:00.022-06:00

(11/3/10-2/28/11) Our second stay in Chiang Mai more about mobility and living, than about adventure and discovery. And, that in a nutshell is what our travels have been all about – seeking a place or places we could call our new home. Nancy and I both agree that Chiang Mai fulfills all of our requirements (at least for seasonal living): perfect climate (for 3-4 mos. a year from mid-Oct. to mid-Feb.) – dry, temps. averaging mid-80’s during the day, and dropping to a refreshingly cool mid-60’s late night; natural beauty; friendly people; virtually no crime (in Chiang Mai); good selection of nice housing; very good low-cost health care; good (and healthy) food; and INCREDIBLE VALUE.

First of all, as noted in our earlier brief Blog entry, we found a much better Condo rental, with beautiful views of the hills surrounding the city from our oversized balcony. Centrally located and close to everything important, less than half the rent of our Condo last year, complete with beautiful lobby occupied by 2 restaurants, a small sundries store; laundramat, 24-hour reception and security, large swimming pool, and best of all one of the better equipped fitness gyms in Chiang Mai for only about US$30/mo.

Second, this time around, we rented a Motorbike (Suzuki 125cc automatic) for the full 4mos. of our stay (for only about $3/day, including full insurance). This really made a difference to us, to have complete convenient mobility. Not only did we become very familiar with every nook and cranny of the city, but really felt like actual residents, but it allowed us to eat with the locals at the street stalls nearly every evening, for healthy filling and delicious meals at the ridiculous price of about US$1.50/per person with beer. We were able to shop and run errands like any other local resident, and felt ‘at home’.

Of course, we revisited most of the same sites of interest, as our new pictures below will show. Since I wrote about these in detail in last year’s Blog, it would be redundant to comment yet again. Instead, we’ll just let the photographs speak for themselves in that regard.

We did do something new of interest, when we attended an invitation-only Wine Tasting, hosted at an upscale restaurant, which provided non-stop superb hot and cold appetizers throughout the evening while we tasted some above-average imported wines from around the World. We also had the opportunity to meet some very nice expats, mostly British and Australian; and, even had our photograph taken and published in the City’s english-language weekly. It was a real privilege for us to drink our fill of wine that night, since the rest of our stay we were limited to our favorite local beer (Chang), due to the mystifyingly high-cost of wines sold in Thailand (e.g. US$10-15 for a bottle of below-average table wine).

While last year’s stay was all about new exploration and adventure, most of our time this year was devoted to just every day living and bumming around on our Motorbike exploring the different neighborhoods and corners of Chiang Mai and its surrounding villages. However, next year when we come (and, yes, unless we settle down elsewhere due to a new job or business venture, we would intend to come back every year at this time), we have vowed to be more ‘productive’ with our time by taking up some new hobby or interest (e.g. Language Classes or other such education; perhaps Flight Lessons for Bob, and Cooking Classes for Nancy), and/or some volunteer work (eg. Teaching or tutoring English to school age children.)

NEXT UP: We left Chiang Mai on Feb. 28, and arrived March 1 on the Island of CYPRUS, where we will stay for a month thru April 2 in the small northern City of Kyrenia (a/k/a Girne), which is for now part of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Day Trip to Myanmar (a/k/a BURMA) - "Visa Run"

2010-12-31T22:31:00.008-06:00

Our obligatory "Visa Run" to the border to stamp out and back into Thailand, for a 60--day renewal of our Tourist Visa. Across the Friendship Bridge over the river on the Burmese side is a large crowded Market selling every kind of counterfeit designer label goods. 4-hr Bus Ride from our home in Chiang Mai.

PARADISE FOR A PITTANCE (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

2010-11-15T04:26:00.009-06:00

Some folks wonder how we can afford our World Travel Adventure now going on 2.5 years -- here's how: Rent for our fully Furnished Luxury Condo - $400/mo.; 4-5 course Dinner for 2 including 4 bottles Beer - $5; Motor Scooter Rental with insurance (for 3 mos.) - $3/day; 1 Hr Oil Massage whole body - $5; Men's Haircut incl. razor finish - $2. Any more questions?

Thailand also makes it very easy to obtain a Visa for long-term residence or retirement. If you are over 50, the only requirement for obtaining a 1-yr Retirement Visa renewable annually (for only approx. $67), is to deposit and keep US$30,000/person in a Thai Savings Account (or, have a verifiable Pension that pays the annual equiv.). And, for the time-being we have an even easier method of staying up to 4 mos. at no-cost: before coming we obtain a double-entry 60-day Tourist Visa from any Thai Embassy which has been promotionally free for the past 2 years (and, may remain so indefinately?). We only need to take a 4hr day-trip to the Laos Border, and stamp out, and stamp in again for free 60-day renewal (totalling 4mos.). For now, we find a 4-mo. stay between Nov. 1 - Feb. 28, to be the best time to visit weather-wise, because it gets very hot from March - June, and then its the Monsoon season until thru October. (Though we've heard it's actually not so bad during Monsoon -- raining heavily usually in the morning and early afternoon, and then clearing). So lots of westerners for obvious reasons do live here year-round.

The View from the Balcony of our rented Luxury Condo:

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

2010-10-31T08:33:00.028-05:00

(10/1/10 – 11/2/10). To be clear, Bucharest was never considered to be a place we might desire to live. However, timing and location conspired to make it a destination for a month’s visit, since it was still too early to head back to Thailand as intended because of Monsoon Season, and the remainder of our 90-day Visa to the EU (or, more accurately, the Schengen States) was insufficient. To clarify, although Romania is now a new member of the EU, it is not yet a part of the Schengen Agreement countries (allowing borderless freedom of movement among them) which (surprisingly) also still does not include the UK. Likewise, neither the UK nor Romania have yet adopted the Euro s their Currency, which was another ‘plus’ for our visit since the US Dollar has held its value against Romania’s Ron, unlike the British Pound.

Romania, and Bucharest especially, has recovered significantly over the past two decades since the revolution that freed the people from the dark years under the rule of former dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu. But, the economy still has a long way to go to before it reaches the standards of the westernized European countries. But, in stark contrast to the morose and depressed population we saw last year in nearby Budapest, we found the Romanians here generally to be open, friendly and helpful. Furthermore, for a country that has long been considered one of the poorest in eastern Europe, there appeared to be relatively few numbers of street people or other open evidence of poverty in the Capital. Similarly, at least on the exterior, the physical appearance of the City in terms of its architecture and design, is quite beautiful though we did notice that many of the lovely old European-style buildings have regrettably been allowed to decay on the interior.

Positive impressions aside, Bucharest is not really a place that holds a great deal of interest for a long term visit. Probably 2-3 days is really all I’d recommend to others thinking of coming, and then perhaps another week to travel the country if you had the time and means. So our Stay of slightly longer than a month was no doubt unnecessary and far too long, but as stated initially it served our purpose of a layover.Of course, we saw all the ‘top’ tourist sights, such as Ceauşescu’s monstrous (and wasteful) Palace of Parliament, the National Village Museum (consisting of a large outdoor area within one of the City Parks upon which sit a couple hundred actual old rural homes and farmhouses that were transported to the Capital for preservation), the obligatory Arch of Triumph, the National Palace and Art Museum, the Museum of the Romanian Peasant (containing an electic and interesting collection of Peasant artwork, clothing, and other traditional artificacts), the historic Center, and a dozen or so very nice Orthodox and Byzantine Churches. We also had an opportunity to experience some culture, by attending a classical music performance by the highly regarded George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra at Bucharest's Romanian Atheneum.

Of course, no visit to Bucharest would be complete without a visit to the nearby region of Transylivania. Enduring the long 3-hour train ride, we stopped first in Sinaia to see the spectacularly designed and furnished Peles Castle, which absolutely lived up to its reputation as being a sight not to be missed and one of the finest Castles in all of Europe. Then, we headed further on the next train to the highly regarded medieval-flavored Town of Brasov. Aside from its quaint village feel, and delightful town square, Brasnov is home to the largest gothic church in Romania, known as the Black Church because it was charred to a dark color during the Great Fire of 1689.

As for dining, like Bucharest generally, nothing very impressive to highlight. But, we did eat at a few nice restaurants that serve traditional East European stick-to-the-ribs food, not much different than we had in Budapest. Wines, too, are just basic drinkable table wine, and nothing that is going to win any international tasting awards.

All-in-all, our month in Bucharest was pleasant but not memorable, and it would be highly unlikely we would go out of our way to return again.

UP NEXT:
On the other hand, we are looking forward to a return to Chiang Mai, Thailand!

BARCELONA

2010-10-05T08:57:00.032-05:00

(8/1-10/1/10) This was actually our second visit to Barcelona, but the last time about 5 years ago was only for a whirlwind 5-day tour of the City (combined with stays in Amalfi and Sicily). We liked it a lot back then, and always thought it might make a nice place to live (or at least test out for a longer stay). The only thing keeping us from coming sooner was our fear of the expense, especially while the Dollar-Euro exchange rate remains poor. Frankly, the only reason we dared to come back at this time was because of our difficulties in finding an apartment in Seattle and finding the terrific airfare from Vancouver (non-stop). But, as it turns out our fears were for the most part unfounded. We were pleasantly surprised to find that for the most part, if you stayed away from the touristy restaurants and the like, that living here is actually a fairly reasonable value. Finding an apartment for a reasonable rent is probably the biggest hurdle, but we were lucky in that respect as previously noted in our Seattle Blog entry. Lucky again, we had one of the better/bigger and most reasonable Grocery stores located only a block away from our apartment, and most meats, produce, staples etc. were on par with or slightly less than one might expect in our former home in Chicago. And, for us, best of all, the selection and value of Wines here were as good or better than we previously boasted of during our stays in Buenos Aires. Likewise, the Metro/Subway system was as convenient and cheap as Buenos Aires; as was our find of a superb Fitness Gym.

Of course, we revisited all of the major tourist attractions that we saw during our first Stay, including: Antoni Gaudi's amazing moderniste architectural gem of the La Sagrada Familia Basilica, his equally amazing Palau Musica Catalana, the ‘Block of Discord’ and Gaudi’s moderniste residential designs Casa Battlo, Casa Mila (a/k/a La Pedrera). Strolling along La Rambla, wandering in the Barri Gotic (along with Tapa tasting at its many taverna during the evenings), the medieval Catedral de Barcelona, the Palau Reial, the Museo Picasso, the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya, hiking around the top of Montjuic, and likewise journeying by way of funicular to the top of Tibadabo to gaze at the beautiful city below, and leisurely strolls through the beautiful Parcede Ciutadella (which this time had its lovely Fountains working for us).

In addition, new for us this trip, were our day-trips to Sitges and Montserrat, and the amazing experience of the Le Merce Festival (See 3 Separate Blog Entries for these), and the not-to-be-missed (though somehow we did on our first visit???) moderniste Parc Guell designed by Antoni Gaudi of course. Also thanks to Bob's 'charm', we received a special invitation for private VIP Box Seats at the Palau Musica Catalana for a Saturday evening performance by Manuel Gonzalez, one of Spain’s leading Classical Guitarists.

Aside from seeing all of the Tourist attractions, as usual for us the most important aspect of our visit is simply trying to meld ourselves into experiencing daily living as a Barcelonian. We think we did that nicely, and found life here not only affordable, but comfortable and attractive, and in many ways quite comparable to Buenos Aires. So Barcelona will definitely be at the top of our list as a candidate for return stays if not permanent or semi-permanent living along with Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai (Thailand), and Portland. It may just be, that until and unless a job or other business opportunity anchors us to one of those locale (and Bob is making occasional inquiries as noted in our Portland/Seattle Blog Entries), we may remain on a ‘round robin’ among those cities along with an occasional new place that fits into our travel scheme.

NEXT UP: We left Barcelona on Oct. 1 and arrived in BUCHAREST (Romania), where we will stay in a rented Apartment until Nov. 2.

DAY TRIP TO MONTSERRAT

2010-09-30T02:48:00.008-05:00

(9/28/10) Our day trip from Barcelona to the Monastery of Montserrat was awe-inspiring as advertised. Set high up on the cliffs amid spectacular rock formations, we took a Cable Car from the base of the mountain up to the main square of the Monastery. Built around 1025, the monastery is home to a group of Benedictine Monks, and the Montserrat Escolonia choir school, said to be the oldest music school in Europe. We were fortunate that the timing of our arrival allowed us to enjoy the sole 10-minute daily performance of the Choir in the Basilica, which also houses La Moreneta, a famous wooden statue also known as the “Black Virgin” because the wood has darkened over the ages. Though legend has it the statute was carved by St. Luke and brought to Spain by St. Peter, carbon dating indicates its age to actually be about 800 years old. Because of its religious significance, we waited for nearly 90 minutes along with hundreds of pilgrims in a long line to see it and rub the Orb held by the Virgin Mary. Later we took a Funicular to the even higher cliffs above the Monastery and then hiked and climbed up a steep trail to near the very top of the mountain for a fabulous view of the Monastery from above. After returning down to the main square of the Monastery, we hiked along a paved trail lined with gardens and religious statutes for a birdseye view of the front of the Monastery from across another clifftop. Our excursion to see this one-of-a-kind religious site was definitely worthwhile and is highly recommended for anyone with an extra day of sightseeing in Barcelona.

La Merce Festival 2010, Barcelona

2010-09-29T08:36:00.009-05:00

LA MERCE FESTIVAL 2010, BARCELONA. (9/16-9/19)
What a wild non-stop 4-day party -- sort of like Pamplona's Running of the Bulls minus the bulls. All over the city, music and art, parades, the famous Human Towers, and nightly dancing in the streets amid Dragons sprying Fireworks on the frenzied crowds.

Click Play > to see: VIDEO of Dancing in the Streets with Fireworks:

DAY TRIP TO SITGES (outside Barcelona)

2010-09-14T09:30:00.001-05:00

(9/11/10) The quaint pretty beach town of Sitges is only 45mins. by commuter train south of Barcelona, and makes a wonderful day’s excursion. It is also a destination in itself for many European jetsetters desirous of a long weekend getaway on the Mediterranean coast. The town has some architecturally appealing buildings and quiet streets lined with spanish style tapa bars and seafood oriented restaurants. There is also a nice Cathedral, and of course a 2mile long boardwalk astride the sea, also lined with dozens of Cafes catering to seafood lovers. In addition to be a great weekend escape for Barcelonians, it would make a nice place to permanently reside if settling in Barcelona, since it is just a short commuter train ride between the town and the City center.

SEATTLE, WA. – Another Visit Cut Short

2010-08-18T08:48:00.012-05:00

(7/22 – 7/31/10. Seattle, WA., USA)
Our plan after Portland, was to stay in the Northwest, and head up to Seattle. Another City neither Nancy nor I had ever visited, let alone lived. We found a furnished short-term rental apartment on Craigslist, that was in the eastern suburbs about a 45min. bus ride into downtown. No problem for us, and it was a 2BR with balcony, complex swimming pool and party room. After some difficult negotiations, we reached agreement with the Owner for a 2mo. Rental. But, as has happened before to us during our travels, 2 days before we were leaving the Owner emailed to say he found another Renter (undoubtedly for a longer term), and reneged on our agreement. How sad how too many people have so little honor. But that’s life. As our Lease was up in Portland and we had no other viable alternatives at the moment, we elected to head up to Seattle anyway and purchased tickets on Amtrak for the 2.5hr ride. In addition to frantically renewing our search for an alternate apartment rental, we looked for more immediate temporary accommodations in a Hotel or B&B. Unfortunately, we discovered that this being the height of the tourist season in Seattle, not only were many places fully booked, but the rates were outrageous. Finally, settled on a small B&B in the Queen Anne neighborhood (a short bus ride or long walk into downtown), for an acceptable rate, albeit still well above our usual budget (for apartment rental). It did have free WIFI Internet, which allowed us to continue an intensive search for another apartment rental. But, as one might surmise, besides the fact that this again was the high season, short-term furnished apartment rentals are generally not voluminous. Over the next week, we just missed out several times on rentals that sounded good (even better than our original lost apartment). Frustration was mounting.

In the meantime, when not spending many hours of our day doing the Internet searches, we did have time to do some touring of the City. Saw many of the usual tourist attractions: the Space Needle; Pike Place Market; Pioneer Square; a Water Taxi cruise over to Alki Beach; the Olympic Sculpture Park; the architecturally stunning Seattle Library; and even the unusual Klondike Gold Rush National Historic "Park" (which is actually just a small building in downtown). Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to get out of the City and explore the beautiful surrounding areas, Puget Sound, the mountains, etc., which we understand is what really makes living in Seattle special.

Sadly, and to our utter dismay, after 9 days of staying in a B&B while leaving no stone unturned in our search, we were unable to find an available short-term furnished apartment rental. We even expanded our search to San Francisco, San Diego, Boulder CO, Vancouver BC, returning to Portland, and even our former home city of Chicago (came very close again more than once to renting something there, even one just a block away from my sister in Evanston), but alas it was not to be. Maybe just our bad timing in addition to budget constraints. Surely, if given another week or so, we probably could have found something. But, we our frustration of being ‘stuck’ in the B&B and striking out so many times, had reached our limits. Once again, we looked beyond the borders. Found an amazing one-way airfare from nearby Vancouver BC to Barcelona (and non-stop to boot) along with a very reasonable 2BR apartment rental from a Prof. At my alma mater, Univ. of Mich., through Sabbaticalhomes.com. So we hopped a short Amtrak ride from Seattle to Vancouver, and jetted on off overseas once more. FYI – We also lost out on an opportunity 'settle down' for awhile, because before we were ‘forced’ to leave, I intended to pursue full-time job with the City as a Parking Enforcement Officer – the pay and benefits was ‘decent” starting at $45K + benefits, then $53K for promotion to Field Training Officer; and, ultimately to a quite respectable $90K position as a “Manager’ – which I thought I would be uniquely qualified for – plus benefits. I have always had a keen interest in Law Enforcement, as evidenced by my recent stint as a sworn part-time Police Officer in Chicago’s northern suburbs. In any event, due to civil service constraints for the City position, the hiring process was an arduous 4mos. long; and due to our inability to find housing, we couldn't stick around to see the process through despite my sincere interest. Maybe next year.

NEXT UP: BARCELONA SPAIN

PORTLAND OR. (and surrounds)

2010-08-05T12:08:00.033-05:00

(5/11 – 7/22/10. Portland, OR., USA)
As many States as I’ve been in USA (almost every one) and as many places in the World I’ve visited, never before had I been to the Northwest’s Oregon or Washington. After spending 2 ½ mos. staying in Portland, I cannot believe it took me so long to see what may be the most beautiful part of the entire country. Granted we arrived just as summer was beginning and the supposed long dreary drizzly overcast fall/spring and winter months were coming to an end. But one has to wonder, if the ‘ole wisetale is true that Northwesterners merely made up that story to discourage the vast multitudes that would surely descend upon them if the real truth were known? Although we did see an unusual number of such drizzly days for the first 2 weeks after we arrived (they say it doesn’t usually rain too hard or too steady, just light rain and drizzle), once that cleared out it was clear skies and unending sunshine at a perfect temperature of mid-70’s to low 80’s during the day.

Initially after we arrived from more than 2years of living abroad, we were a little ‘giddy’ just to go shopping just for some of the simple American staples and favorite brands we could not find (or were far too expensive) outside the USA – e.g. strawberry licorice (believe it or not), underwear, hairspray, Aloe, vitamins, a backpack and carryon suitcase needed replacing, and even a good/cheap waterproof digital watch (sure we could find them abroad, but at a cost of $75-100 for the same watch that I bought in a Portland Walmart for only $14). Best of all the State of Oregon has no sales tax.

As always, for the first few weeks, besides shopping, we just wandered the city of Portland exploring every nook and cranny. Our immediate impression was how amazingly clean the city is (not just compared to some of the third-world places we’d been staying, but also to our old hometown of Chicago and elsewhere in USA we’ve been). The streets are kept immaculate, the air quality is awesome, and of course, even the water tastes so fresh. No wonder it is known as the most environmentally friendly ‘Green’ city in the USA. The second thing that strikes you is the liberal populace (at least in the central city), with an overabundance of young backpack adorned adventurers, not-too aggressive street people, a large vocal gay community, just generally ‘funky’ folks. The restaurants, brewpubs, bars and entertainment venues reflect this eclectic diversity. Commendably, the city is also very handicap-accessible, and this is reflected by the ever present number of disabled persons and elderly gliding around quite self-sufficiently on their motorized wheelchairs and special scooters. The fantastic public transportation system including electric trams criss-crossing the downtown and light-rail street cars stretching in all directions of the metropolitan area, make getting around a breeze for everyone, and of course have special motorized ramps and lifts for the disabled to easily get aboard. The City even offers free transportation on all of its street cars and trams throughout the downtown center. Finally, unlike Chicago, New York and other big city public transport drivers we are familiar with, here in Portland the drivers are friendly, patiently wait for people across the street or down the block to catch a ride, and offer directions and information with a smile. The City also extends a warm hand to all the bicycle enthusiasts with bike lanes trams that not only permit bikes aboard but have special ceiling hooks to stow them and all buses equipped with front-end bicycle holders.

The third striking feature of Portland is awesome natural visual aesthetics. To begin with there is the wide gently moving Willamette River that runs right through the center of the city, its 4 or 5 bridges crossing over at various points, and narrow green spaces and parks with nice asphalt trails for biking and strolling along its beautiful banks. Then there are the rolling hills just beyond the downtown center lined with many pretty Victorian style homes with fantastic views from their neighborhood heights. Lastly, you have Washington Park within the city borders itself, that holds within its confines the Portland Zoo, the world-renowned International Rose Test Garden, the similarly acclaimed Japanese Gardens, the Oregon Vietnam Memorial Monument, an Arboretum, and adjacent Forest Park with nearly 5000 acres and 75 miles of hiking trails through all different labeled sections of differing trees, including Sequoias and giant douglas-firs some as old as 750 years.

Finally, Portland’s attractiveness is also its close proximity to other areas of the State that permit some incredible day-tripping. First, there is the Pacific Coast and its coastal roads with views from above high cliffs looking down over pretty beaches, albeit mostly too cold for swimming but great for tanning and picnics. Then there is Mount Hood with its all-year snow-capped peak permitting the die-hard young snow-boarders to enjoy even during the summer months, complete with cute little bordering ski towns and chalets (see our photos in the summer snow). Last but most certainly not least (and understatement of epic proportions), is the absolutely jaw-dropping Columbia Gorge tour that begins with a ride down a country road that winds along the cliffs of the Columbia River obviously with amazing views down into the river gorge lined with endless forests and mid-river islands. Traveling further inland in a circular tour, you wind through a National Forest that passes one spectacular Waterfall after another, most even within view from the car and road itself, though all with hiking trails permitting 1-2hr easy-to-moderate difficulty hiking if one chooses (as we did a couple of times) for better views and pine-scented forest scenery. We’ve seen some really great Waterfalls around the World during our adventure, but really nothing like this with so many in one small easily accessible area. Best of all, each of these tours can be readily completed in a long full day. Talk about ‘weekend escapes’ for city dwellers. Wow!

Besides all of our wandering, hiking, touring, during our stay in Portland we were able to join an inexpensive but nicely equipped YWCA gym to workout every other day and get back in shape after a lapse in Mendoza. And I played several times at one of the legal Poker Clubs, allowing me to engage in some sociable live Texas Hold ‘Em play, after a long stint of internet ‘on-line’ play only. Downtown Portland also has a really nice large well-stocked Library which permits anyone (even temporary visitors) to join and get a Library Card to borrow books. So Nancy and I were able to obtain some novels from our favorite authors and catch up on some good reading. Lastly, now able to watch CNBC business news and shows including an old favorite, Jim Cramer’s Mad Money, I was inspired to renew some active investing and explore some new ideas, leading to what I believe may be a profitable technique I’ve just developed. So far, so good, but only been a couple of months … time will tell. Just might provide much needed ‘fuel’ to keep our adventure on track.

In sum, Portland has been a real eye-opener. After venturing round the World, I/we could definitely consider calling this our home --- or at the least, our summer home. Likely, we will return again next year, and maybe make year-after-year (or who knows, stay longer in the future, and see if it can serve as our new year-round home). Though we still do think highly of Chiang Mai Thailand where we are planning to return again for their dry season from Nov.-Feb. or Mar. And, then there is Buenos Aires our other favorite – although our current arrival in Barcelona might possibly eclipse now that we have surprisingly discovered it may not be as cost-prohibitive as we have always feared due to the poor $/Euro exchg. in recent years. That story is still unfolding.

NEXT UP: In the meantime, after our Portland apartment lease expired, we first spent 7 days in Seattle with the intention of staying the remainder of the summer. Never happened. Stay tuned for that episode coming up shortly.

Good-Bye Mendoza Argentina – Welcome Back to USA

2010-05-09T11:56:00.022-05:00

After spending the prior month and another 3 months last year in Buenos Aires, we definitely wanted to try spending some time in Mendoza, the capital of the Wine Country. We had spent 2 nights last year here on our way out of the country to Chile, but it was much to short of time to get the true flavor of living here. We had heard some good things, and wanted to see for ourselves. Yes, it is a really pleasant small city, certainly much more “Tranquilo” (i.e. mellow) than Buenos Aires; and, beautiful in its ‘country’ way. You barely have to drive 15mins. outside the provincial capital, to immediately know you are in the agricultural heartland of the country. Here in Mendoza province, of course, they mostly grow Grapes for wine making and Olives. Drive another 30mins. or so further, and you are at the footsteps of white-capped Mountains, and one of the premier skiing capitals of South America.

As an example of the area’s ‘mellowness’ – and, very strange for us – they take a real afternoon Siesta from 2pm to approx. 5pm, when just about everything closes up (i.e. all restaurants, stores, shops, even pharmacies and groceries). Then everything reopens until around 10-11pm; and, nightlife is quite active with the multitudes strolling about the main streets, including young children and lots of parents with baby strollers. Takes a bit of getting used to for us, especially the late night dining as most restaurants here do not open for dinner until at least 8pm. As expected, people here seem to be far more friendly and open than in the federal capital, Buenos Aires. Though the urban metropolitan area of Mendoza supposedly has close to a million people, the city itself is only about 180,000 and it has that ‘small town’ feel.

Naturally, we traveled outside the City limits on several occasions, to visit some of the better known Bodegas (Wineries and Vineyards), for some wonderful tours and tastings. Our big question is whether there would be enough other activities here to keep us ‘stimulated’ as a place to actually reside. Sure, there are lots of outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, climbing, and river rafting in the warmer months, and supposedly excellent Skiing in the Winter months, but cultural and culinary activities in Mendoza though quite extensive for the size of this small city, could never match that of Buenos Aires. However, I would highly recommend Mendoza for visiting, especially for long weekends if we were residing in Buenos Aires, as it is only an hour’s flight (or 12hr bus ride). And, we would love to try skiing in the mountains here as well, if we were ever here in the Winter snowy months.

NEXT UP: WELCOME BACK TO THE USA.
Not Chicago, however. Consistent with our continuing travel adventure and search for a new place to settle down, we are trying a city neither of us have ever been to – PORTLAND, OR. Our research indicates it is on everyone’s recommended “A-List” for one of the best cities to live in the USA. Going to spend at least 2mos. and perhaps longer; and/or in nearby Seattle thereafter.

CELEBRATING 2 YEARS OF TRAVEL/LIVING ABROAD

2010-05-01T11:18:00.024-05:00

(5/1/10. Mendoza, Argentina)

Yesterday we celebrated our 2-year "Anniversary" since we crossed the border of the USA into Mexico, and began our adventure of World Travel and Living.

To celebrate, took a bus to Lujan de Cuyo, the very heart of Wine Country where we enjoyed three private Winery Tours and tastings (Lagarde, Luigi Bosca, and Carmelo Patti). At Lagarde, we were even fortunate to have timed our visit with the arrival of their best crop of Cabernet Grapes and watched as they were loaded into the crushing machine.

During the evening, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at La Marchigiana (in downtown Mendoza), an Italian Steakhouse, where we dined on some delicious Canneloni stuffed with spinach, and main entrees of BBQ grilled Suckling Pig and Lamb. Yummy!

Buenos Aires -- Reprise ... then on to Mendoza (capital of Wine Country)

2010-04-11T10:54:00.008-05:00

(3/10 - 4/9/2010). Came for our Second Visit to one of our favorite cities. Not surprisingly, things are never quite as exciting the second time around. Nevertheless, we have a good comfort level here; and, Buenos Aires remains a City of many faces. So many neighbohoods present the opportunity for diverse entertainment and activities for every taste, even if it is not "new". But, this time around, we found prices had risen significantly in only a year's time, with food and grocery staples as well as restaurants perhaps 50% higher. So, one thing we can say for certain, Buenos Aires is no longer the amazing "value" it was when we first visited. That will certainly play a part in any decision we may ultimately make as to where to "settle down" on a more permanent (or semi-permanent) basis ... when/if we ever decide to slow down. We'll see. Of course, upon our arrival we visited our beloved Tony's Memorial site, and upon our departure sadly bid farewell once again. This time around, unfortunately there was no 'magical moment' when Tony's spirit made it self known. Nevertheless, we hope he knows we miss him and felt our love.

In the meantime, we decided to move on to Mendoza, the capital of the Wine Country (i.e. the Napa Valley of Argentina), for at least a month's stay. Blog Readers will recall that last year when we were on our way out of Argentina to Chile, we planned a stopover in Mendoza. But, our scheduled 12hr Bus Ride turned into the "Bus Ride from Hell", when bad fuel turned the ride into a 24hr marathon cutting short our visit by a day. What we saw of Mendoza, however, we liked. Now, we wanted to give it an in depth examination by actually living here for a month or so. So, we took another overnight Bus Ride on April 9, and arrived more or less on time yesterday morning, April 10. Our Bus ride this time was pleasant enough with no problems. I was even able to sleep in the fully reclinable comfortable chairs, after being served a hot meal of roast chicken and rice along with wine. Not bad for a bus. On arrival, our rental apartment also appeared to be a good find, roomy, well-lit, well-equipped and decently located. Since we are out of the big city and the surrounding area is some beautiful country side of highlands and vineyards, we hope to find some "wheels" to be able to get around the area a little easier than public transportation. That's all for now.
Sorry no Photos attached, in reference to our second visit to Buenos Aires -- didn't really see anything new, so refer to our photos from last year.

"Short Circuit" in Sydney Leads to Roadtrip Thru New Zealand

2010-03-21T12:59:00.027-05:00

(2/24 – 3/9/2010) After Vietnam, we had tentatively planned to go to China as it seemed the natural choice in terms of its close proximity in the region, coupled with its obvious allure as a destination. Ultimately, however several factors militated against it: First, we had been living “out of our suitcase” for more than 5 weeks in Vietnam and it was beginning to wear on both of us. Unfortunately, China would have to be the same not only because of similar impracticalities of renting an apartment as we encountered in Vietnam, but also because there would be so many places inside China we would like to travel to and see. Second, there would be the hassle of obtaining a Visa. It would take too long and cost too much to apply for one in Vietnam, so the next best choice was to fly to Hong Kong, where our research indicated a Visa could be obtained within a couple of days at a reasonable cost. However, as a destination Hong Kong we learned is INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE … even for just a few days visit. Third, speaking of expense, then we would have to contend with travel within the interior of China, which because of the vast distances and poor ground transportation options, would mean multiple domestic flights. Bottom line, after being worn down by Vietnam on all fronts, we chose to forego a visit to China at this time.

So, our dilemma, where to go next? Turn around and head back West – perhaps to Turkey or Greece? Bit too early in the climate category. Continue our path East, somewhere in the Pacific or all the way back to South America or even westcoast USA? Looking at the Map, Sydney Australia immediately came into focus. We had heard great things about it from others during our travels, as well as from our good friend Mike Shaker. So, desiring to leave Hanoi pronto, we booked a flight to Sydney without making our usual advance inquiries regarding accommodations. We assumed that being a large city in a western-oriented English speaking country, it would not be difficult to find a reasonable apartment for rent where we could stay for a couple of months. We could not have been more mistaken. Although we sent out dozens of email inquiries after booking our flight, all of the replies were negative. It seems that besides being "high-season", our scheduled arrival also coincided with Sydney's annual sailing Regatta and an international art and music exhibition. Apparently, a big deal there and everything was booked solid. So even before we left Hanoi, our plans had to change once more. Next best thing to Sydney -- we decided to book a short and relatively inexpensive flight to neighboring Auckland New Zealand. Surely, we could find reasonable accomodations there -- Wrong Again!

But we had another hassle/problem to deal with even before getting to New Zealand. After arriving at Sydney's Airport after an exhausting flight, we proceeded to the Check-In Counter, we encountered our next major problem/hassle. The Airline Rep. Refused to check us in without documentation of an onward flight from New Zealand, claiming that New Zealand Immigration Authorities would absolutely insist upon it when we arrived or we would be deported back to Sydney. Despite my protestations that we had heard the same ‘cock and bull’ at many other destinations during our travels and had never had a problem anywhere, the Airline folks said New Zealand was ‘different’ and ‘very strict’. So, I was forced to get out of the ‘miles long line’ at the Check-In Counter, get on the Internet and book another ‘one-way’ flight out of New Zealand (without really any intention of using it, since we had no idea how long we would stay in New Zealand, or where we would go after that). Of course, I paid 4times as much to book a “refundable” ticket, but ultimately still had to lose a $25 booking fee in the process. Not to mention, literally running around the airport to find a place to print the documentation, and barely getting back to the Check-In Counter in time to make our flight, with a little help from “express” passes given to us by the Airlines to get through Security, and Immigration Exit.

Of course when we arrived, we passed thru New Zealand's Customs and Immigration, no questions asked -- just as we have throughout our prior travels. So, the whole hassle at Sydney's Airport was B.S. just like I knew it was. Unfortunately, that was hardly the end of our problems. Now after nearly a full day of traveling, we then spent another 4-5hrs at Auckland's Airport on the internet and telephone, trying desperately to even book a reasonable Hotel for a couple of days while we continued our apartment search. Again, 'high-season" was the excuse, coupled with one festivity or another. We could find nothing better than a 1-star hotel for anything less than US$100 – far above our budget. We finally bit the bullet, and stayed at some dive of a Motel a few miles from the airport. Next morning, it was back to the Airport where we at least had internet capability not provided at our crappy Motel, and it was back to the drawing board. After spending another 4-5hrs of internet research and phone calls, we were feeling defeated and just about ready to give up on this part of the world, and just head on back to the Americas. But then a thought occurred to us, why not rent a car and just drive around the Island. Presumably, once outside the major city, at least Hotel accommodations should be a bit easier and less expensive. So, we spent another couple of hours trying to find a reasonable rental car value – another major hurdle, but somehow finally got lucky and found one we could rent starting the next morning for a couple of weeks.

And, so began our “Road Trip” around the north island of New Zealand. Truthfully, it was a whirlwind of images as we drove each day for most of the day from one destination to another. Unquestionably, New Zealand is a beautiful country, from pristine coastline lined with rocky cliffs, to miles of sandy inviting beaches, to rolling pastures greener than nearly any I have seen and most covered with thousand upon thousands of grazing sheep. Its people seem laid back, happy and friendly. But alas, nothing is perfect. The big “Flaw’ is this is one very expensive place to live (or visit). I’d say prices were on par with New York City, which for us is a major drawback, when living/traveling on a fixed budget. So, we sort of ‘lived out of our car’ it seemed for most of our visit. Searching long and far for reasonable Hotel rooms, and restaurants where we could eat without going broke. Naturally, we had to skip any ‘touristy attractions’, and just enjoy the view … much of it from our car window. Not quite sure how the locals can afford to live; and, we actually asked several exactly how – are they paid a higher wage or what? The answer was never clear, but they definitely denied being paid a higher wage. I suppose this would be a good place for us to live too, if we could get jobs paying us enough to be able to enjoy it. Then, of course, we would also have to contend with obtaining a resident Visa, something we understand is extremely difficult for USA citizens. Whatever, that’s for another time. Ultimately, we covered the entire north Island, from Auckland north thru Whangier and up to the very tip, and then south through Hamilton, New Plymouth, Taupo, down to Wellington, back up through Hastings and Napier Gisborne, and Rotorua. We had hoped to also travel by Ferry to the south Island, but not surprisingly it turned out to be cost-prohibitive – they wanted something like US$450 for roundtrip with our rental car. Sorry, but don’t really have much more details to provide, because as we said most of our visit was literally seen through a car window. So our Photos will have to mostly speak for our time in New Zealand. But, all-in-all it was a pretty decent Roadtrip.

Time to head back to the Americas – starting in our favorite City to date – Buenos Aires.

VIETNAM - Land of Two Faces

2010-03-12T14:25:00.022-06:00

(1/20 - 2/23/2010) For us, Vietnam would perhaps best described as the ‘Land of Two Faces’. The first face, manifests itself in its physical appearance and geography, because it is unquestionably beautiful. With its lengthy coastline and endless sandy beaches (mostly undeveloped) alongside the fabled South China Sea, its misty lush tropical highlands, its fertile delta cross-crossed with bountiful rice paddies, and its quaint ageless villages where the people live the same as their ancestors have for more than a thousand years, together with its enchanting yet mysterious northern cultural capital of Hanoi, it is absolutely a destination that should not be missed – at least once.

But then there is the ‘second face’, the face of its people. In stark contrast to its close regional neighbor of Thailand, where we found the people there to be incredibly gracious, gentle, warm and welcoming, unfortunately the Vietnamese are markedly the opposite. Certainly with some notable exceptions, we found the people here were generally very aggressive to the point of belligerence, and anything but welcoming to foreign visitors especially westerners. The locals were openly discriminatory and oftentimes display outright hostility towards foreigners. While some would erroneously claim this is just a little anti-Americanism left over from the War, that is simply not the case. The Vietnam War (or, as it is known in Vietnam, the American War), is really ancient history to most Vietnamese with the vast majority of the population under the age of 30. The Vietnamese were at war with the French immediately before that, and much more important to their psyche, were at War with China for nearly a thousand years, so our War was a mere blip in their history and really of very little consequence to shaping their societal norms. We also know that their attitudes towards western foreigners is across the board, and not limited to Americans (nor, the simple product of our own personal experience) from our dozens of conversations with fellow travelers from many other western countries who we met as we roamed throughout Vietnam.

As for our personal experience, perhaps contributing to our feeling was the fact that for the first time in our travels we were not able to rent an apartment and actually live among the population as co-residents. But that too, is really a product of a still very much closed Vietnamese Society, that makes it virtually impossible for an individual western foreigner to consummate any relatively substantial commercial transaction (such as renting an apartment). This is due not only to the language barrier as very few of the locals speak English, but also because of the total lack of legal protection afforded to a foreigner, coupled with the inclination of the locals to take advantage of a foreigner any way they can. So even if you could find an English-speaking Vietnamese willing to rent an apartment to a foreigner, you would be a damn fool to do so because you are undoubtedly going to get cheated or worse, and will have no legal recourse whatsoever. Therefore, we were relegated to seeing Vietnam as “Tourists” rather than temporary residents, and had to endure 5 weeks living out of our suitcase, constantly moving to one Hotel after another, unable to cook our own meals or ever relax and feel like we are at ‘home’. Certainly, that tended to grate on our nerves, and tainted our stay in Vietnam. But, in all honesty it doesn’t change the accurate description provided heretofore of the Vietnamese people and their relations with foreigners.

We began our visit to Vietnam spending nearly three weeks in Hanoi, the former capital of North Vietnam and the current cultural capital of the country. Setting aside the ill-will created by the locals, we actually liked Hanoi very much. As per its reputation, it has a certain European charm to it undoubtedly attributable to its former French colonial rulers. But then its mysterious Asian side becomes evident, most notably from the maze of long narrow tunnel like alleys, plied by its local populace on foot and amazingly also on motor scooters barely able to pass between the walls. There is a virtual hidden ‘city-within-a-city’ of shops and residences and who-knows-what-else within these tunnel-alleys, de facto off-limits to all foreigners (especially Westerners). But that does not detract from the city, rather it adds to its aura, and there are plenty of shops, restaurants and other venues of interest out in the ‘open’ for foreigners to see and visit. With its French influence, Hanoi is a true international destination with some first-class dining and entertainment for everyone to enjoy. The Old Quarter, which I have pretty much been describing, is where most visitors spend their time and its fun to roam the streets for days throughout the area, which has at its heart a large peaceful lagoon that you can peacefully stroll around. (For the faint of heart and to fellow animal lovers, my apologies for the picture of the skinned dogs but I wanted to show a part of Vietnamese culture so different from ours – some folks really do eat dog in northern Vietnam and consider it a delicacy).

Only about a 2hr drive from Hanoi, and therefore doable as a day-trip (though many prefer an overnight stay on a Junk boat), is the famed Hai Long Bay. We did the tour as a day-trip and it was more than satisfying. Joining us on the tour after arriving at the end of our 2nd week in Hanoi, was our now perennial visitor and close friend from Chicago, Mike Shaker. The Bay is absolutely not to be missed, its sheer beauty created by large rock formations that seem to simply burst from nowhere out of the water, covered in lush green vegetation and oftentimes shrouded in mist. Your Junk slowly cruises past the rock formations, as you enjoy fresh-cooked fish and other Vietnamese delicacies with a glass of wine. Later, you make a stop and wander through an awesome Cave complex, one of the larger we’ve ever been to. Truly a one-of-a-kind touring experience not to be missed.

Hanoi was without doubt the highlight of our visit to Vietnam (and, we believe our friend Mike Shaker would vigorously agree). However, we did venture south joined by Mike, opting first to take a short domestic flight to the central Vietnam mid-size city of Hue. We rented motor scooters and toured the countryside. Nothing particularly exciting either in Hue or around the countryside, but it was pleasant nonetheless.

We then charted a private Van to drive 5hrs to the town of Hoi An, and were fortunate to find a newly opened Hotel in the heart of the action that was really 5-star for Vietnam and still a great value at only USD $45/nite. Hoi An is quite small, but its central ‘Old Quarter” is quaint, safe, peaceful and a joy to stroll around, shop, drink and dine. It is also quite photogenic with a covered Bridge and a quiet river running through the center. We also rented motor scooters for the day in this town, and drove to an interesting archeological site known as Mai Son.

Unfortunately, we probably left Hoi An too soon, and even more regrettably drove (via another private charted Van) to south central city of Quy Nhon. Unbeknownst to us, the city was basically shut down on account of the Vietnamese/Chinese New Year, when apparently most of the country goes on vacation somewhere. This not only makes it very difficult to get good accommodations at a reasonable price, but as we also discovered most (all?) the restaurants close down (at least over the weekend) that we arrived in Quy Nhon. At least that is what we were told by Hotel staff and other locals. But, as we discovered for ourselves, the real (sad) truth of the matter is what they really meant is the restaurants are all (most) closed to Foreigners!

Taking a Taxi from our Hotel, against their recommendation, we drove to a part of town along the beach where there are many restaurants located, and found large crowds of Vietnamese enjoying their meals. When we tried to join in, several restaurants shamelessly (shamefully?) told us they were “closed”. At another, though we actually got seated, it was quite uncomfortable enduring the many hostile stares, some obvious unfriendly comments and talk behind our back. As for our dinner, well we never got past one appetizer and one beer each, as the wait staff then openly ignored us while we repeatedly went up to the owner requesting to order several dishes which never came, while later-arriving locals were promptly and continuously served unending dishes. This experience, of course, solidified our opinion of the Vietnamese feelings towards (Western) Foreigners. Quite outrageous in our opinion, especially when compared to similar festivities we attended in other countries such as our New Years Eve in Thailand, where we felt most welcomed to be a part of the celebrations.

Of course, we left Quy Nhon after only a 2 nite stay, and drove further south to the beach resort city of Nha Trang. Again, we encountered major difficulty (albeit expected now) in finding decent (or any available) accommodations (the one we found, and we were lucky to find any available, was substandard especially for our friend Mike who usually stays in 5-star facilities when on vacation). However, at least this City which caters to international tourists was otherwise wide-open, insofar as its restaurants, bars and other entertainment. Nha Trang is nice, if you are the beach-resort type, but otherwise it is quite pricey and has little to offer, save for good scuba diving and snorkeling coral reefs. After one day on an unexciting boat tour, we again rented motor scooters just to get out of town. Saw a few old temples and such, but nothing to write home about (or write about here!).

It was time for Mike to fly home, so he was heading back to Hanoi to catch his international flight to Chicago, and we had intended to head further south to see the Mekong Delta. Regrettably, we never made it to the Delta, because we ran into the same New Year’s difficulty. All flights south out of Nha Trang were sold out, and we only luckily found seats available to join Mike back to Hanoi. While we said our good-byes at Hanoi’s airport, Nancy and I went back to our favorite Hanoi hotel to ‘recuperate’ for a few days and make onward plans.

Although we originally had tentatively planned to travel next to China, we decided against it, since we would have had to continue living like Nomads in Hotels the entire time, the hassle and expense of obtaining a Visa into China, and the considerable expense of multiple internal domestic flights to see different places within the vast expanse of China. So, instead, we decided to fly on to Sydney Australia, where we assumed it would be relatively easy to find a rental apartment for a month or more stay. But, we were in for a surprise there too. Stay tuned for our next chapter.

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

2010-01-22T05:07:00.018-06:00

(11/20/09 - 1/20/10). We spent 2mos. in Thailand, limited to the middle-sized City of Chiang Mai, considered the capital of northern Thailand. Also well-known as the cultural capital of the country. The climate was superb, at least during our stay with daytime temperatures in the mid-70’s and nights going to a low approx. 60F, allowing us to sleep with the cool night air flowing through our open (screened) balcony door. We understand that it does get a lot warmer beginning around April (perhaps to a high of 90F), but still far below the sweaty southern City of Bangkok or the touristy beach area of Phuket. But, beyond the favorable climate, we were most impressed with the incredibly warm, gracious and friendly nature of the Thai people. Of course, we also love the food, which has the benefit of being very healthy too, consisting of lots of stir fried and sautéed vegetables, fish, shrimp, and just small amounts of meet mostly chicken and pork, and very little beef – and lots of rice. Another big “Plus” is that the cost of living seemed very cheap, matching or even beating the low prices we found in Buenos Aires.

As for our residence, we were fortunate to have found a short term apartment rental in a very nice newer condominium building, complete with beautiful swimming pool, exercise room and an 3-walled open-air common room. We had a Studio on the top floor, which was actually fairly roomy, and had a balcony overlooking the pool. The rent was probably a bit more expensive than necessary for Chiang Mai, but sometimes that’s the trade-off for our ‘short-term- rental needs. Were we to actually decide to live here year-round (or semi-annually), we undoubtedly could do much better in terms of value.

One of the big attractions for Tourists in Thailand are the numerous ornately decorated Buddhist Temples called “Wats”. There seem to be one every square mile in the City, and every village has at least one (most often located up some hilltop with a view overlooking the locality). They are indeed impressive, but after awhile one’s “circuits can be blown” by over-Wat(tage). (LOL).

Naturally, when you leave the City limits and venture into the countryside as we did several times on a rented Motor Scooter, it is quite a tropical country even in the north, with jungle foliage covered hills and mountains, beautiful flowers among them an amazing variety of spectacularly colorful Orchids, and the usual wildlife including exotic birds, reptiles, elephants, primates. And the Village people are always warm and welcoming wherever you go, even if they don’t speak English.

Thailand, and Chiang Mai in particular, will definitely be one of the “Finalists” contending for a place that we may ultimately choose to live on a permanent or semi-permanent basis.

NEXT UP: We venture to Vietnam for a planned stay of 2-3mos., beginning in Hanoi.

New Year's Eve in Thailand (Chiang Mai)

2010-01-02T15:28:00.002-06:00

This was the first New Year's Eve in awhile that we stayed out past Midnight, and it was worth it. What a blow out! Kind of like what I would imagine is a Thai version of Times Square here in Chiang Mai's central plaza. Zillions of people, all have a great time, food vendors, drinks, fireworks galore, and hundreds of Thai floating Candle Lanterns being launched into the sky non-stop throughout the evening. Best of all, it was warm enough to be in short sleaves (unlike Times Square - lol).

GOA, INDIA

2009-11-22T06:30:00.017-06:00

(10/22-11/21/09). Never a serious contender (or even on the “radar”) as a place for our future permanent residence, nevertheless we decided to visit Goa after seeing a show about it on the Travel Channel. Since it was getting cold and rainy in Europe (not to mention budget-busting expensive), yet still too early to move on to SE Asia (still Monsoon season), we thought Goa might be an interesting diversion. For those considering travel to India, be forewarned that obtaining a Visa in advance from an India Embassy is mandatory and will cost about US$100 pp. The standard Tourist Visa is valid for travel up to 6mos following issuance, and permits a stay in India of up to 90 days.

As will be evident from our Photos, Goa is a tropical beach resort area located on the Arabian Sea. Hardly representative of the rest of India, Goa was actually a former Portuguese colony, and only became a part of India in the during the past quarter-century. For this reason among others, it is unusual in its majority Catholic religious population and relative wealth compared with the rest of India. Nevertheless for those novice travelers uninitiated with the Third World (unlike us), it would still be ‘culture shock’. But for us, having visited such similarly poor and undeveloped countries as Nicaragua, Guatemala and even Ecuador, it was as expected. Livestock (especially Cows and Water Buffalo) roaming freely around the streets and beaches, hawkers everywhere selling their fruits, homemade snacks and schlocky souvenirs, beggar children and sad mothers carrying their newborns looking for handouts, public buses packed with sweaty unbathed bodies, public restrooms with no toilet paper or soap (some even consisting of a mere ceramic hole in the ground the floor surrounded by gross muck, local restaurants where hand washing by the staff or cleaning the kitchen once in awhile are stranger concepts -- are all part of the scene – even in ‘wealthy’ Goa. Yet, from what we heard from other travelers (as well as read or have seen on other Travel shows), you ain’t seen nothing until you’ve visited the incredibly overcrowded dirty and crime-ridden population centers in India’s largest cities of Mumbay (f/k/a Bombay), Kolcota (f/k/a Calcutta), and even Delhi – which we did not.

On the other hand, Goa is a popular Tourist destination, particularly among the British and more recently wealthy Russian travelers, and therefore has built a fair infrastructure catering to these foreigners. Along the beautiful silk sand beaches that stretch for endless miles, are limitless ‘beach shacks’ serving snacks and drinks, more upscale restaurants with menus including Lobster and Tiger Prawns, each providing Sun Beds or chairs and tables together with waiters ready to attend to the visitors’ every need. Likewise, new ‘luxury’ hotels. small resorts, and luxury condominium apartments with swimming pools, all built to accommodate relatively modern western standards, have become quite numerous. By Indian terms such foods, accommodations, and services would be quite expensive, but for Tourists these luxuries are very cheap when compared to their home countries.

Aside from the usual routine of suntanning, beach and swimming pool lounging which Nancy and I are not particularly interested in as we ‘get on in years’, or grossly overpriced touristy water sports provided at the beaches, unfortunately the Goa area does not really offer much else of interest to see. Our rental condo apartment was located in Candolim which is just south of the bustling central beach community of Calangute. Most days, we would hop a local public bus for the 4-5km ride to Calangute for a cost of 5 Rupies p.p. (approx. 12cents US), and then have a relaxing lunch of Jeera Rice and Roti/Naan along with a large Kingfisher Beer, at one of the beachside restaurants overlooking the sea; enjoying our view of the ocean and watching amusingly as the pale skinned foreigners foolishly broil into nice red lobsters ignoring the risk of Melanoma. We also frequently travel a little further north to our favorite nearby beach area of Baga, which has beautiful cove surrounded by low cliffs which also affords the option of hiking a dirt trail along the cliffs around to beaches even further to the north. We also traveled to the nearby village of Mapusa which hosts a weekly local Market, but found it to be much dirtier than we would like if we had been really interested in purchasing fresh produce, fish or meat for cooking. But that was really a moot point, since our rental apartment here in Goa was not equipped with a real stove or oven, leaving our only real option here to eat out every night for dinner. Naturally, we chose to visit Goa, because we both like Indian food, so this did not prove to be a big problem other than spending a little more than we would have preferred on meals even while eating at some of the more value oriented restaurants we scoped out. But we definitely did enjoy our traditional spicy Indian dishes such as Mutter Paneer, vegetable Byrani, Chicken or King Fish Tikka, Rogan Josh, tandoor chicken and kabobs, Naan, Jeera Rice, as well as some uniquely Goan dishes such as Sausage Chili Fry and Kingfish Curry Rice.

We also spent another day taking a local bus and ferry connection to the capital city of Goa State, called Panjim. For a state capital, the city is surprisingly small, walkable and populated mostly by low-rise buildings. Just a few kilometers outside the city, is the historical area known as Old Goa, which was the former capital under Portugese rule since the 1600’s, and has a pretty Cathedral and some half-decaying centuries-old buildings and ruins from that period. Not overly exciting, but about as much of a cultural experience as you will find in the State of Goa.

In sum, Goa was a relaxing and pleasant if not overly interesting or exciting place to visit, but definitely not one to consider for residence (or even a return visit). For Americans, I would not recommend anyone go out of their way to see travel half-way round the world just to stay in Goa. Of course, there is far more to India than Goa, and we do sincerely regret not traveling lightly enough to tour around the country to see Delhi and nearby Taj Mahal, perhaps even spend a couple of days in Mumbai, or travel to the north of India where the Tibetan influence is considerable. But, as we have said before, we are not traveling as mere tourists on holiday, with merely a backpack or lightweight suitcase; and even though we have downsized, we still have to drag with us 3 suitcases, 2 backpacks, a large computer briefcase with our invaluable Notebook Computer, our monetary lifeline of our only credit cards and ATM cards and travel documents. To have those lost or stolen while we make short unsecure visits to tourist destinations, not to mention incurring the budget-busting extra travel costs which we would incur to travel to and stay in multiple top tourist destinations, is something we cannot afford to do. Our purpose for now remains steadfast (with only certain exceptions, as admittedly was Goa), which is to limit our travel to places we actually might consider living where we rent an apartment for a stay longer than a mere holiday traveler, and generally try to spend our time living as we actually might if it were to be our home. Of course, if a historical or other tourist site is either directly on the way during our travel or is close enough to our rental apartment to see by day trip, then we naturally take the opportunity. But, otherwise, such sites will have to await a time when we have made our permanent relocation and our intended re-employment or other earnings opportunities, when we needn’t be concerned about depleting our savings nest-egg.

NEXT UP: S.E. ASIA, BEGINNING WITH THAILAND FOR 2-3 months. Our first stay will be in the City of Chaing Mai, where we have already rented a luxurious upper-floor Studio Apartment in the center of the city near the night market, with balcony overlooking swimming pool and view of the City.

BUDAPEST

2009-10-18T05:48:00.042-05:00

(8/21-10/21/09) As advertised, Budapest exudes Old World European charm. The wide lazy Danube River cuts right through the center of the city, naturally dividing what was originally two separate cities of Buda and Pest. The Pest side is home to the business and shopping center of the City, while atop the hills of Buda sits Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alongside the Danube, on the Pest side, is the spectacular Parliament designed to closely mimic London’s Westminster Abbey. From what we have seen on Travel Channel, Budapest also looks and feels quite similar to Prague.

Our rented Apartment was on the top (4th) floor of a courtyard apartment complex, with a view over the small street below. Not unexpectedly smaller than we have been accustomed to during our travels thus far, nevertheless the rent was at the top end of what we have paid. Unfortunately, the high rent merely reflects the unfortunate high prices found throughout Europe ever since the European Union was formed and the the Euro adopted as its Currency. While Hungary has not itself yet adopted the Euro, it is a member of the EU and in preparation for its anticipated Euro conversion, we understand it has "pegged" its own Hungarian Forints currency to the Euro. Bottom line, at this time, living in Budapest is definitely not a City we would call a "value". As a result, we severely curtailed our usual dining forays out choosing to cook more meals and avoiding other unnecessary expenses. We were, however, very fortunate to discover a local eatery only a block and half from our apartment that served up wonderful home-cooked Hungarian favorites with dozens of daily specials, including wild game, that was in fact quite reasonable. So, after trying a few different restaurants during our first couple of weeks, we finally gave up looking elsewhere and stuck to our local favorite we dined out usually twice a week. No problem, we really liked it and looked forward to our visits (and, the Staff got to know and like us too).

For our first 6 weeks of our Stay, the weather was divine. When we first arrived it was quite warm, but within a week or so tapered to beautiful Fall weather around upper 70’s during the day. And always, the Sun shined brightly as Hungary is known to have the sunniest country in all of Europe. This gave us plenty of opportunity for nice long walks, including a wonderful day hiking around the hills of Buda, with its upscale residential neighborhoods. We also liked to take walks along the Danube, and through the lovely gardens and park on Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube. Only during our last 2 weeks, towards the end of October did the weather turn predictably colder, wetter and gloomier – not all too different than Fall in Chicago. As its gotten colder, we have enjoyed riding the streetcars (Trams) throughout the City, having purchased Monthly Passes to hop and off at our leisure. This has given us a chance to thoroughly explore the entire City, including its outlying areas. Hopping aboard the Suburban Railway also allowed us to venture 20-30km outside the City to the recommended nearby river towns of Szentendre and Vac. Though each was quaint and had some picturesque architectural buildings and homes, the towns were also a bit too touristy for our tastes.

During our Stay, I/Bob also contacted and met with the woman that almost hired me as a Manager the year before we left Chicago. An ex-pat American, she runs a legal recruiting company headquartered in Budapest which serves the large corporate lawfirms in most of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia, and now she says is seeking to expand East to India and West to South America. Who knows, maybe in the future it could be a job opportunity that might be pursued. Either way, she is a good contact to have.

We also explored Budapest’s history, which is more often dark than enlightened. The Country’s central location in Europe has no doubt contributed to its unfortunate past, having been repeatedly invaded and conquered by many different peoples. Recent history includes its domination by Austria and Germany, and following World War II by Russia and the communist party’s secret police. As a result the people seem accustomed to heavy-handed governmental and police authority. Indeed, the Police here still dress and act in a way more reminiscent of the goons from the past. Of course, I had to see the famed Dohany Synagogue, the largest Jewish synagogue in Europe, which was quite an emotional site. It is home to the National Jewish Museum housing many Judaica ceremonial religious artifacts left over from the sad era of Jewish ghetto detention during the Holocaust, and finally has a Holocaust Memorial Tree which is a metal sculpture in its Courtyard with thousands of brass leaves commemorating Jews who perished. From a different era, we went to the Terror Haza (House of Terror), which was the actual home of the feared AVH Secret Police from the two-decades of communist domination and terror following World War II. Like I said, Hungary has a dark history and is only in recent times beginning to emerge into the light.

In sum, generally we liked Budapest. It’s a pretty city, with wonderful architecture, the Danube flowing through its center, lots of cultural activities, and decent climate. But, of course, for us the big negative at this time is the high cost of living. Would definitely recommend for a visit, but not for a place to consider living for now. (P.S. For fans of our friend Mike Shaker a/k/a Monk's Pub -- sorry, no visit here in Budapest).

COMING UP: Leaving Budapest on Oct. 21 ’09. Our travels continue eastward. We fly on British Air (via London) to Goa INDIA, arriving Oct. 22. Though not considered a real contender for our new home search, we saw it on the Travel Channel and it looked quite exotic and beautiful. And it doesn’t hurt that we have also always enjoyed eating Indian Food. Though our true intent is to move on to Southeast Asia, it is still too early due to seasonal monsoons. So we thought Goa would be a nice diversion, and we understand it is a good value. We will stay in Goa for one month, before heading to Southeast Asia starting with Thailand, in the northern highland city of Chaing Mai.

FYI – For those who might consider visits to either country, planning ahead is essential, especially for India. A Visa for entry into India is mandatory and must be obtained prior to arrival by applying in person at an Embassy. It is valid for up to 6mos. prior to travel, but your period of stay in the country is still limited to 90 days. Thailand, while not quite so strict in that it allows Tourists from most western countries (USA, Europe etc.) to enter the country without any Visa, the stay under the Visa Exemption is limited to 30-days and cannot be renewed. So, if one wants to stay longer in the country (as we do), you must like India apply in advance at an Embassy outside the country for a Visa. The standard "Tourist Visa" allows a stay of up to 60days and is also renewable for another 30days (for a total of 90 days maximum). Of course, I am referring to ordinary Tourist Visas, and not to any kind of longer term residency Visa or for folks intending to do business or work. Then, even more complicated Visa procedures apply requiring more detailed information and documentation (not to mention sometimes steep fees).

MADRID – OUR 2-DAY LAYOVER

2009-08-20T14:05:00.001-05:00

(8/18-8/20/09) It had been 16 yrs since Nancy & I last visited Madrid (when we spent a week). Of course, lots of changes but also much the same. Biggest change was 'sticker shock' --- damn Euro". Really only had a day and half, and first half day we were Jet-lagged, so after arriving in the morning we just spend a couple of hours walking around in a daze until we went back for a nap at the Hotel. Although I won’t say we awoke refreshed for the evening, we were anxious to once again experience our favorite part of Madrid – the famous Tapa ‘Pub-Crawl.’ For those unfamiliar, that just means we went to one of the neighborhoods loaded with quaint tavern eateries, where the purchase of a drink (our preference Wine, of course) is always accompanied by some small but delicious appetizer. Of course, some places are better than others in terms of what they serve, so the object is to keep moving on after each drink to a new Pub and hoping for the best. Either way, it’s always a blast and you can skip dinner since a night of drinks and Tapas is plenty to fill your tummy. One memorable experience for us, was to find that our favorite little Sherry Pub was still around after so much time had passed, and still quirky in that they ordinarily forbid the taking of pictures inside (who knows why?). But, because we struck up a nice conversation with a regular who was apparently a favorite of the bartender, he was allowed to take our picture there.

3 MONTHS LIVING AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD – QUITO ECUADOR

2009-08-15T11:29:00.052-05:00

PART II – The Best of Quito and Surrounds

(5/21-8/17/09) The first thing you notice about Quito is its natural beauty, situated in a valley between highlands and volcanic foothills. Given the amount of annual rainfall, the hills are continuously green. Second, and somewhat surprising, is the nearly perfect year round climate. Despite being located on the Equator, because of its elevation the temperature remains virtually steady averaging 70F daytime and 60-65F nighttime. Indeed, they say there are only two seasons in Quito – Dry and Wet. The "Dry" season runs from about June through September, though occasional short rain can be expected once or twice a week (again, keeping the foliage green). The "Wet" season, we hear, is not so bad either – merely consisting of steady (not monsoon) rains usually mid-late afternoon, with clear mornings and evenings. The other wonderful "bonus" of life in Quito, is the amazing diversity of topography located within in relative close proximity of the City. Within just a few hours driving time (or a short inexpensive commuter flight), one can venture to the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon rain forest, the high Andes Mountains, rolling countryside farmlands, and experience the different cultures of various indigenous peoples many of whom live the same way as their ancestors of hundreds of years ago.

Another benefit of such geographical diversity in this small country of Ecuador, is a cooks delight. The first time you step into a large supermarket or wander one of the many street markets, you will find an incredible selection of Produce that is available. Not only do they have the familiar fruits and vegetables offered year round which appear so much fresher, greener or brighter in color and huge in size, but then you discover scores of strange and exotic fruits and vegetables you have never seen before. Best of all, with few exceptions, the produce is also very inexpensive.

Naturally, since our first apartment was located in the old historic center of Quito, we thoroughly explored this area first. Initially, of course, we head straight to the heart of old town and Quito, Independencia Square/Plaza Grande. Here, you will find the Presidential Palace (Palacio de Gobeirno), the Cathedral, and the very pricey but fine Hotel Grand Plaza. Of course, the pretty plaza is always busy with a mix of persons, both local and tourists, some who come to sit and gaze at the procession, some who come to take their photos, and some who come to hawk all kinds of wares. On all sides of the square (even including street level rooms in the walls of the Presidential Palace) are shops of all kinds, and small mall attached to the Hotel Grand Plaza houses several restaurants including two on upper floors with views overlooking an interior courtyard.

One somewhat exciting experience we had during the first week or two of our stay, was the visit by controversial Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. We hadn’t heard he was coming, but happened to be strolling around the Plaza, when we noticed scores of police and heavily armed military security roping off the street sides around the Palace with hundreds of people beginning to line up. Obviously we knew something was afoot, though just assuming it was the Ecuadorian President arriving for his occasional residence at the Palace. After waiting about 20minutes, finally the motorcade began with dozens of official, media, and police/security escort vehicles. Near the end, the limousine carrying Chavez along with the Ecuadorian President slowly arrived, with both of them waving out the windows. Finally it stopped not 15feet from where we were standing and they both exited the vehicles waving and shaking hands, to the shouts and applause of the locals. Then they proceeded up the steps of the Palace to the center lookout, and continued to bask in the warmth of the adoring crowd. Clearly, to the consternation of Washington, Chavez is quite popular in Ecuador (as well as much of Latin America). We got a few choice pictures of the two Presidents. Much later in our stay, with a little help from Bob’s Associated Press "credentials" (shhhhh!), we were permitted to tour part of the Palace, and obtained an amusing picture of Bob pretending to be the President standing in the center of the balcony where the real Presidents had stood.

Among the best ways to get aquainted with the City, is to make a trip up to Cerro Panecillo, the Virgen of Quito statue, which stands atop the southernmost steep hillside. Providing excellent views of the old town and as far north as Carolina Park, the observation platform and grounds around the statue are well worth the taxi ride up. But, we chose to spend an hour or more hiking down from Panecillo, in order to further immerse ourselves in the local neighborhoods that line the hillside down to the colonial center. Another very similar experience, which we also did at a later time, is to go to the top of the eastern hillside above the old town, where there is a park called Itchimbia (or as Bob liked to say "itchy bumba"). Again providing great views of Quito from a different perspective, the park also houses an architecturally pleasing glass exhibition hall and a small restaurant serving sandwiches and some decent (albeit overpriced) local fare.

Speaking of local fare, particularly while residing in Old Town, where there are few if any (reasonably priced and decent) international fine dining establishments, we tried quite a few local spots featuring traditional Ecuadorian dishes. Most were open only for lunch, offering incredible ‘value’ meals called Almuerizo, which is an all-inclusive meal consisting of a starter Soup, an entrée usually of meat, chicken or occasionally fish along with rice and vegetable, a desert of small pastre or fruit, and a drink (usually fresh squeezed fruit drink) – all for only $1.50 average. Bob, especially, also liked to separately sample different local Soups at small streetside cookeries and in the Markets, including Locro de Papas (potato and cheese soup), Caldo de Patas (cowheel soup with mote), Sancocho de yuca (Vegetable soup with Yuca), and Cebellado (a fish soup with vegetables and potatoes). Unfortunately, despite a desire inspired by watching both Andrew Bourdain and Zimmern’s Bizzare Foods, we never got to try a specialty from the Ecuadorian countryside called Cuy (roasted farm-raised Guinea Pig).

And, speaking of money, it is worth mentioning that the official currency of Ecuador is the actually the $US Dollar. The country has no paper currency of its own, using only US Bills as paper currency, though they do have some of their own coins (including a $1 coin, half, quarter, dime and nickel), which circulate alongside US coins and Bills. For travelers from USA, that’s mostly good news because it eliminates the necessity of any currency exchange and the usual hassles and excessive fees. Even the ATM machines here all dispense currency in US Dollars. There is one ‘negative’ that we quickly discovered (since we had arrived carrying 5 or 6 US$100 bills we had received from our apartment Sec. Deposit refund in Guatemala), and that is that No One, No Shop, No Grocery Store, nor even regular local Banks or Currency Exchanges, will accept a bill larger than US$20. In order to change our $100 bills, the only place that would do it is the one Central Bank in Quito – out of the way, and of course, a wait in line. Another ‘quirk’, is that apparently Counterfeiting is quite a problem here. So, whenever you pay for anything in cash, whether it be a $5 bill or a $20 bill, everyone always closely examines the bill in the light to make sure it has the requisite security strip and embedded images. Likewise, if you’re smart, you will similarly examine any bills you receive in change.

Completing our ‘tour’ of the Old Town Historic Center of Quito, since it is the country’s Capitol, there are numerous other government buildings located in a few square blocks, including the Vice-Presidential Palace, National Police Headquarters, and several Ministries (although many others are dispersed in other sections of the city). In addition, there is the Central Library and Cultural Center, several Museums, and Churches including the famed La Compania with its ornate gold leafed sculptured facade and interior. A few blocks walk from the Center, you will find Plaza San Francisco, where stands the large Church and Monastery of the patron Saint of Quito. At the base of the structure, once again shops are located including one that contains very fine artwork in a mazelike cavern of connecting rooms.

Although we don’t tend to frequent many Museums, partly because these days most charge foreign tourists an extravagant extra fee for entry and also because we find many of the history-oriented ones to be a little boring (especially when they narrate solely in non-english language which we don’t understand). However, one Museum we did enjoy and would recommend, is the Casa de Cultura, which actually houses four separate museums under one roof, including a large offering of indigenous art, sculpture, and dress. And, unlike many other museums, this one did a nice job of providing english-language descriptions.

Nancy and I were happy to find a decent Fitness Gym/Club in Quito’s New Town, which we promptly joined upon our arrival. We had grown accustomed to a nice workout facility during our 3mo. stay in San Miguel and an even nicer one during our 3mo. stay in Buenos Aires. But ever since leaving Buenos Aires, including Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala, there were no Fitness Clubs with modern equipment and we passed. Though we do plenty of walking, hiking and even moderate climbing providing a fair amount cardiovascular exercise, muscle building and toning on modern machines was missed.

The New Town area of Quito, basically in the south central section of the City, is also home to the largest concentration of bars, nightclubs, touristy restaurants and numerous Hostels. We did find a decent Indian restaurant, which we ate at several times. We also tried a Mongolian BBQ restaurant, but were quite disappointed despite the fact that it did indeed have an authentic Mong. BBQ cooker, and was all-u-can-eat for only $5.95. The problem was owner had obviously not taught his local Ecuadorian staff how to properly cook on it – which requires high heat to sear in the juices of the meat and not totally boil away the various sauces the customer chooses. Instead, perhaps to try to unwisely economize on propane fuel costs, they would cook on low which not only took an inordinate amount of time, but when the dish was finally served the meat was totally dried out and all the sauce flavor lost. In addition, they did not offer all the traditional dry herbs and seasonings, which might have continued to impart flavor after the liquid sauces had disappeared. The real experience of New Town is to come later at night, especially on weekends, when the area really comes alive. All of the young college-age visitors (probably many staying at the dozens of nearby Hostels), flood the streets creating a New Orleans party like atmosphere that is vibrant and fun.

Following our apartment move, a whole new neighborhood opened up to us. Known as the Carolina Park sector, it is naturally dominated by the Park the largest in central Quito. Approximately 2-3 City Blocks wide, and about 15 City blocks long, the park is a great place to stroll particularly on weekends. There are a dozen or so Volleyball Courts, at least as many Basketball courts, several soccer fields, a hilly mountain bike track, an equally challenging in-line Skate Track, a Botanic Garden, a built-in canal park with rental paddle boats, and an unending parade of food hawkers cooking and serving everything from BBQ Kabobs, Ceviches, pork and potato/vegetable stews, and the usual assortment of sweets and fruits. In addition, kite flying is a popular pastime in the park.

Diagonally across the park from where our apartment is located is the Jarden Shopping Mall, one of the largest in Quito, containing 4 levels of the usual fine clothing, electronics, furniture and houseware stores, along with a huge food court with both fast food and several upscale decent dining choices. At the opposite end of the park, and a shorter walk from our apartment, is another somewhat smaller Mall known as Quicentro. Next to it, is Quito’s "Olympic Stadium", which is used for soccer matches, concerts and similar productions. And, all throughout the neighborhood, are scores of large modern upscale Apartment/Condo Buildings, such as our own, which also typically house commercial businesses and offices in their street level and lower floors. Of course, sprinkled throughout the area are many nicer restaurants, steakhouses and cafes, two of which we would highly recommend as our favorites in Quito. One, known as the Sur, is a Parillo Argentine-style Steakhouse Grill, with fantastic cuts of beef, lamb and pork, along with a good wine selection, fine service and nice ambience. The other is Il Risotto Italian Restaurant, which besides having a nice window view over the city, has a huge selection of entrees organized in the Menu by regional cuisine (e.g. Tuscany, Sicilian, Umbria, etc.). The grilled thinly sliced Octopus appetizer, and the black ravioli stuffed with fresh crab were to die for.

An easy day-trip by local trolle and bus, was a sight not to be missed by any visitor to Quito. Known as Mitad del Mundo, it is about 23km north of the city, and is the monument designating the equatorial line (i.e. the center of the earth). Although quite impressive, along with its surrounding tourist trap shops, restaurants and bars, somewhat amusingly it is in the wrong place. Originally, built before GPS was invented, the true Equator line is about a ½ mile away, where a much smaller and more humble monument and museum now mark the spot. At the true equator, it is possible to balance an egg on end, and witness other interesting anomalies permitted by the gravitational center the earth.

For us, no stay in any country now seems complete, without a visit from our good friend and fellow adventurer (at heart) Mike Shaker (a/k/a Mr. Monk, of Monk’s Pub in Chicago). Quito was no exception. Towards the latter end of our residence, Mike came for a week of usual jam-packed touring, fine-dining and wining, lots of laughs, and country-side adventures. At this stage in his life, Mike likes to say he "lives vicariously through us". Besides showing Mike all the typical tourist sights in Quito previously described and our 2nd visit to Mitad del Mundo, as usual Mike chose to rent a car for 3 consecutive days, so we could venture out of the City. On the first rental day, after some surprising difficulty finding the one and only highway north out of town (which happens to be the Panamamerica), we drove for about 2 ½ hours, until we got to large town of Otavalo. It is well-known as hosting the largest Saturday Market in all of Ecuador. Even though it was not a Saturday when we visited, it is still quite an active town, with a huge assortment of shopping stores, along with smaller weekday street markets and permanent markets. After strolling about town, we in fact ate lunch in one of the permanent Markets, having some well-cooked Ecuadorian dishes and typical Soup. After lunch, and a little bit of searching, we found the nearby Cascada de Peguche, which is a really spectacular Water Fall park, with a nice hike through some forested area to reach the base of the Falls. Well worth the stop.

On our second car rental day, we drove in the opposite direction, south of Quito. Once out of the metropolitan sprawl, the drive pleasant through rolling countryside and dairy farms. We drove past the well-known Cotopaxi National Park with its impressive and active Volcano, one of the highest in the world – we really didn’t have the time or desire to stop at the park as it really takes a full day of hiking to appreciate. We made it to the mid-sized town of Latacunga, which in my opinion, has many similarities to Otavalo in terms of its size and layout. However, I found that the people here seemed much more ‘indigenous’ and laid back than in Otavalo, probably due to the fact that it is farther away from the metropolis of Quito. As it was a bit farther a drive than the prior day, following lunch and after a brief stroll near the central square of the town following, we headed back to Quito.

On our third and final rental day, we again headed south, but left earlier (around 10am) and proceeded past Latacunga before stopping for lunch. Our goal, was to reach and partly traverse what is known as the Quilotoa Circuit, which is a popular tour through back country roads (albeit mostly paved), past numerous small villages and hamlets. We did reach the town of Pjilli, more or less the starting point for the Circuit, where we had lunch. Despite the ‘late hour’ (2pm or so), we unwisely pressed on. It was unquestionably a beautiful and even awe-inspiring drive, on winding roads up and down steep rolling highlands, that were completely parceled into farm plots tilled by local Andean folks living in small circular straw huts. About 3:30pm we finally reached the small Hamlet of Tigua, famous for its indigenous artwork. We did a little shopping, and finally decided it was time to turn around for the long drive back. Naturally, we didn’t get back to the metropolitan outskirts of Quito until after dark (maybe 7pm), and because of the contributing darkness got lost and missed our exit somehow, and had to travel through some questionable neighborhoods and Barrios, retrace our tracks, and ultimately got back to the apartment at about 8pm, tired, hungry and a bit cranky. But, a few quick showers, and we headed out to a fantastic dinner at the Sur, and we all were finally able to relax and enjoy after a very long and taxing day (albeit with some fantastic scenery none of us would have wanted to miss).

On our last full day with Mike, we decided to go up the Teleferico, which is the only Cable Car in Quito. It climbs the western highest slopes surrounding Quito, all the way to altitude of 4000meters (about 12000feet). Despite being sunny and warm at the base, when you reach the top, it is not surprisingly quite chilly and very windy. Mike’s choice of shorts were not such a good idea (LOL). But, we did enjoy spectacular views of the City and its miniature buildings, and took many photographs. We also watched as some young local daredevils rode mountain bikes down from the top managing not to kill themselves as they skidded over gravel and rocks.

Unfortunately for our friend Mike who would miss one hell of a grand meal, after he had departed we were invited out to dinner by a local friend, Marcello Aleman (the cousin of our Landlord). Marcello who was educated as a Lawyer, but who has been employed previously in marketing; now has his own Crisis Management consulting business, and apparently has done well with many clients from some of the largest Corporations in Ecuador as well as some governmental ministries as clients. In any event, Marcello wanted to surprise us so he didn’t tell us ahead of time where we would be dining. As it turned out, he took us to a place not yet well publicized, and nearly impossible to find unless you have been there before, known as Hacienda Rumiloma.

Amazingly, although it is really only a 15 minute drive from our apartment in Quito's city center, its like being in a whole new world yet so close to the busy metropolis. Located midway up the western slopes of Quito's surrounding volcanic mountains, the first thing you notice is of course the spectacular views down upon the city. If you come for dinner (as we did), the twinkling lights of the nighttime city are breathtaking. The grounds of the Hacienda are surrounded by pristine forest, which we were told have many trails for daytime walks and hiking tours. Although we did not stay overnight in the Hotel portion of the property, nevertheless we were taken for a tour of the newly refurbished rooms. The rustic wood beamed exterior, is easily matched by the extravagant yet tasteful interiors of the suite-sized guest rooms. Complete with copper bathtub, large showers, comfy king-size bed, antique wood furnishings, and even a wood-burning pot-bellied fireplace, there is no doubt that a stay at this awesome Hotel would be something to remember. Unbelievably, we were told that the original Hotel had burned to the ground only a little more than a year ago, and had been completely rebuilt in less than a year. After our tour of the property, our appetite having been worked up, we selected our window side table in the restaurant, with the views over the city. The newly hired Paris-trained Chef, made her introductions and recommended that we let her choose our appetizers and tapa-sized entrees, so that we could really experience her broad range of cooking styles. Following her advice, a non-stop meal of dishes were delivered, including cold avocado soup, duck breast, pork chops, seared tuna with wosabi dressing, fried camabera cheese, and a beautiful array of sweet deserts, accompanied by fine Chilean Wines. The meal was truly exquisite, and the new Chef is clearly destined to earn her Michelen rating. Following our meal, we were shown downstairs to the quaint and inviting Irish-tavern styled Bar, complete with huge open fireplace blazing away.

Accompanying throughout our meal and for drinks thereafter, was the effervescent hostess Amber, and her husband Ozzie. Born and raised in America, she spent about 15 years in Ireland, married into royalty, and hobbed-knobbed with European High Society. After her divorce, she married Ozzie, and Ecuadorian, who had inherited his property that is now Hacienda Rumilona. Now, besides running the Hacienda (with Ozzie), she does charity work for indigenous tribes in the Amazonian Jungle. Joining us at the restaurant and later for drinks in the bar that evening, were the Chief of one of the Tribes being hosted by the President of a large multi-national Resort chain working with them to develop a jungle lodge resort; and at a separate table the Ecuadorian Ambassador to Ireland with some friends. Quite an interesting evening – so much so, that we didn’t get home until 3:30am. Great memory to end our stay in Quito.

Final Impressions of Quito: Unquestionably it is a beautiful city to see and visit, with a generally warm peaceful and friendly populace. Contrary to some rumors we heard prior to our arrival, we found the City quite safe to roam, including public transportation. Would we consider living here permanently? Probably not. Why? Simply not enough to offer in terms of culture, or business/employment opportunities, compared to our favorite place thus far, Buenos Aires. And, frankly, even though Ecuador remains "Third World", we actually find Buenos Aires more affordable in most ways important to us. (ie. Apartment rent about same; food particularly meats cheaper in BA; and Wine … no comparison at all .. BA has some of the best wines in the world for incredibly cheap prices). Another "negative" about living in Quito … not previously mentioned … is that there is actually a serious Air Pollution problem, due to its locale in a valley and the far too congested automobile/bus traffic situation (with apparently little or no pollution control regulation). Perhaps we might have moved up Quito on our "list" of possibles, if we had seen more of the country. But regrettably, we did not have the opportunity to visit other areas of the country beyond the previously described day trips. We would love to have seen the Ocean and the popular beach-town destination of Manta, and Guayaquil the largest city in Ecuador which reportedly has a newly renovated and secure beautiful beach-front promenade. We also had hoped to spend time in the popular colonial town of Cuenca. And, a trip into the Amazon Jungle would surely have been memorable; along with a tour of the famous Galapagos Islands. Unfortunately, as we have tried to stress in prior writings and private communications, we are not traveling as "Tourists on Vacation", with money to spend frivolously. Rather, as we currently are not employed, we are living solely off limited savings and must carefully watch our budget. We cannot afford to simply leave our paid-for rented apartment, and spend time and money traveling to other parts of a country we visit, staying in Hotels at considerable additional expense. Rather, we take seriously our true purpose of searching for a new permanent home (or homes) abroad, spending time living among and as the locals do in a particular City or Town that we choose based on its long-term possibilities. (FYI – For those who strongly urged us not to miss Galapagos, we are well aware of how special a visit would have been. But, even though we are in Ecuador, the Galapagos is more than 600miles off the coast, and can only reasonably be reached by a not inexpensive round-trip Flight, and then can only be toured by an even more expensive Cruise Ship not to mention steep Entrance Fees, all-in-all definitely a separate vacation destination costing several thousand of dollars to do right!). Maybe, someday if/when we are residing permanently in South America and bringing in income, then we can take a real "Vacation" and travel to such tourist destinations.

NEXT DESTINATION(S):

We end (for now) our stay in Central and South America, leaving the Continent to finally fly overseas first to Europe and then on to SE Asia. We depart Quito the morning of August 17, flying to Madrid, Spain for a 2 day layover, before proceeding on to our longer-term destination of Budapest, Hungary. As usual, we already found on the Internet what we hope will be a nice 2BR apartment in the heart of Budapest, which we have rented for 2months. (Some may recall that a couple of years ago, I nearly landed a job there until negotiations fell through at the last minute. Though it was left on good terms, and I have already contacted my almost-employer, who has pre-invited us for Dinner already. So who knows where it may lead). Thereafter, we have already booked a mileage-award flight from Budapest to Goa, India (on the Arabian Sea, on the western Hindu-populated side of India). After that … not set in stone … but tentative plans to head on to Thailand and Vietnam.

3 MONTHS LIVING AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD – QUITO ECUADOR

2009-08-09T13:51:00.020-05:00

PART I – Our Arrival and . . . Another Apartment Horror Story

(5/21-8/17/09) On May 21, 2009, we flew non-stop from Guatemala to Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. Located only about 20km from the Equator, Quito is the second highest capital city in the world, at an elevation of approximately 2850meters (9350ft). The City proper has a population of around 1.5million, while the larger ‘metropolitan’ area population is probably twice that number. Quito spreads out from north to south in a valley between pretty green volcanic highlands in a relatively narrow but limitless length as far as the eye can see in either direction. As a result, it is fairly easy to navigate the large city, because there are really only 4 major arteries that traverse the city along its length, and upon which the local and express (Trolle) public transportation buses run. Starting with the Airport which is located in the northern section of the central City, traveling south you quickly pass the well-known Quicentro Shopping Mall and Olympic Stadium, then past the huge Carolina Park and neighboring upscale highrises, then about 2-3miles later you would enter what is known as New Town with its 4 or 5 square blocks of touristy restaurants and bars, and finally after another 2-3miles, you would get to the Old Town or Colonial Center of Quito at Independencia Square where the Presidential Palace is located, along with the main Cathedral, and the exclusive Plaza Grande Hotel with its $500/nt rooms with views over the square.

As usual, we found an apartment on the Internet, which was described as 3bedroom 2bath, with living/dining room, and fully equipped kitchen, in the Old/Colonial part of town, only about a 4-5block walk to Independencia Square. Initially, the only apparent ‘downside’ of the apartment’s locale, was that the ‘short’ walk to the center was actually a steep hill (down to the center, and a hardy climb back up to the apartment). Great exercise, of course, but for those of us who have arrived from normal elevations it is to say the least quite a strain on our poor lungs unaccustomed to the thin air. No problem – we’re young (at heart) and tough in mind (hard-headed?). Really, we were quite pleased with our choice of residence at the start, in a secure gated courtyard Condominium Complex, including a 24hr guard, all at a very reasonable negotiated rental rate (US$600/mo., including all utilities).

Soon, however, some unfortunate realities and problems would put a major damper on our stay. To begin with, and somewhat surprising, there is actually a very limited choice of dining options in the Old/Colonial part of town. Apart from 3 or 4 relatively expensive tourist hotspots around the main square, the only dining options were lunchtime oriented local diners, most of which closed by dinner time. Similarly, for groceries, there were only 2 small-medium sized stores, with limited selections of staples and even more limited selection of meats. The bulk of dinner restaurants along with the major Grocery stores known as SuperMaxi and MegaMaxi were all located miles away in New Town and the Quicentro area, requiring either a bus or taxi ride. And, compromising our usual mandatory requirement, we accepted an apartment without Internet or Cable TV (though, the owner did kindly install a limited access satellite receiver, but there were still only a couple of english movie/entertainment channels, and no news channels). But the lack of Internet access was the biggest problem – it meant no Vonage phone, and the inconvenience and added expense of having to use an Internet Café to even occasionally check emails). Nevertheless, none of the above ‘minor inconveniences’ would alone have spoiled our stay, until we had to deal with another far more serious at our apartment.

Our first brief encounter with what was to come, occurred immediately upon our arrival at the apartment, accompanied by the owner’s cousin who kindly picked us up from the airport. (Note: Our owner lives full time in New York, and rents out the apartment as an investment in between her occasional visits, and has her older Cousin who is a property owner and wife of a Developer, watch over her affairs). When we tried to switch on the lights, we found that the kitchen along with the entire 2nd floor of the apartment had no electricity. I promptly checked the inside Circuit Breaker box, but all looked ok. Stumped for nearly an hour, and growing increasingly frustrated, I finally speculated that the apartment must be have two central circuit breaker switches and one could be off. So, I went to check down in the central courtyard building circuit breaker boxes, but not surprisingly they had locks. Shouldn’t be a big problem, right? The Security Guard or someone in charge at the Condominium, surely must have key and should want to help us – at least, you would think so? But, when our spanish-speaking owner’s cousin and her assistant first asked the Security Guard for a key and assistance, they were told he did not have a key and no assistance was offered other than that they should call the Electric Company (yeah, right, how many hours or days would that take until they came – in the meantime, we’d have no hot water which worked off electric water heaters, no refrigerator, coffee maker, laundry machines, TV, or lights in our 2nd floor where are bedroom and main bathroom is located). After another half hour waiting, I went down to try to talk to the Security Guard (who of course didn’t speak english). Somehow, my increasingly angry tone persuaded the Guard to finally acknowledge that he did have a key to the main building Circuit Breaker after all. Opening the Box, he pointed to the apparent markings and what he said was our apartment’s Circuit Breakers (yes, I was right, each apartment had 2 switches) and they both looked on. But, I quickly spied the remainder of the other apartment switches and saw one that was definitely ‘tripped’ (in the middle-off) position. I promptly switched it on, and was reprimanded by the Guard who was indicating it was not our apartment’s switch. But lo and behold, Nancy shouted out our Apartment window, that the electricity was now working in our Apartment. (Obviously, the main circuit breaker switches were mismarked – gee, big surprise there). Ok, crisis resolved right --- wrong.

Over the next several days, our apartment’s electricity went off about once a day, requiring me to seek the Guard’s assistance to open the Box and turn on the electricity. But, so far, not that big a deal nor that big an inconvenience to spoil our stay. Ah, but that not so atypical Condo politics reared its ugly head. When our side of the entire building’s electric went off, and the Electric Co. was called out (only to discover it was simply the MAIN MAIN building Circuit Breaker switch that had now ‘tripped’, the Condo VP (a real A...hole), tried to blame us (and our apartment) for their faulty electric system, and tried to get us (and, then our owner’s cousin by phone) to pay the $40 fee for the Electric Co. men to come out. A big argument ensued between him and our owner’s cousin, with the Cousin finally agreeing to privately hire the same Electric Co. men to come and check out our apartment’s electrical connections. Sounds reasonable. But, in the meantime, after he hung up the phone, I watched as he went to the Guard and got the Circuit Breaker key, and then proceeded to walk away to his apartment. I shouted after him, that we might need to get in the Box if the breaker tripped again that evening, and he just gave me the brush-off wave. Luckily, no further problem that evening; but "the War of the Key" had begun!

True to her word, the Cousin arranged to have the Electric Co. men come back late the next day (of course, our ‘inconvenience’ had begun, now having to be present for their arrival). They changed the one main breaker for our apartment that kept ‘tripping’ with a newer better one that was unused in the Box, and then changed ALL of our inside apartment breakers with supposedly higher-rated switches. But, after the promised 1hr repairs, turned into 3hrs (5-8pm), and testing of the apartment continued to trip the main breaker, we finally grew tired and hungry (not having been able to even eat dinner), we told them they would have to come back the next morning. At my request, the Electric Co. men left me the master key to the electric box locks in case of any problem overnight.

Early next morning – JUST IN CASE, Bob was ‘smart’ enough to run into town to find a key copy place, and made a copy of the Master Key.

It was Saturday morning, and again we had to be inconvenienced, and stay around the apartment, for the arrival of the Electric Co. men, and wait and watch while they spent another few hours ‘repairing’ the electrical system. Supposedly they found a bad wire after an ‘explosion’ and major spark, and bypassed it with a good wire to the main box. After some further testing, it seemed to work ok. We had our doubts, especially when, turning the hot water heater control up and down, initially turned all the lights up and down. But, they left, and we kept our fingers crossed.

But, it was not to be. After another failure or two over the next couple of days, the owner’s Cousin in consultation with the owner, agreed to bring over her husband Developer’s personal Electrician to check things out. But after making the trip with the Cousin (and, again our having to be there), when he arrived and they asked the Guard for the key, he claimed not have the key and said the VP had it, and unbelievably said they should come back the next day. (Yeah right, like he and the Cousin have nothing better to do, then to come back again). Lucky for all of us, Bob pulled out his ‘secret’ Master Key, and opened the Box himself. (Otherwise, there would be no further repairs today, and Cousin and Electrician – and, us, -- would be inconvenienced yet another day).

When we opened the main Box, it was readily apparent to the Cousin’s sharp assistant and myself (both of us had closely monitored the original repairs), that ‘someone’ had changed back our apartment’s bad breaker switch to the old bad one. (We all knew that ‘someone’ had to be the Condo VP, who not only had the key, but despite being an Accountant had previously claimed to be a knowledgeable electrical repairmen whose offer to do the repairs was turned down by our NY owner). Ironically, we also discovered that the ‘someone’ had stupidly put the switches back upside-down so that the "on" was opposite position from all the other apartment switches. Unbelievable, Mr. VP was actually sabotaging our owner’s diligent attempts at her expense to repair the problem. Unfortunately, the Electrician did not again change the old switch again with the newer better main switch, and what I suspect to be the root cause of all the problems – since our inside circuit breakers had NEVER tripped, but only the main one downstairs.) However, he did change ALL the inside apartment Circuit Breakers (again), now replacing the ones the Electric Co. men had put in with yet different size ones, claiming they had got it wrong (I do believe he was more knowledgeable than the Electric Co. men, who were much younger and from watching them fumble and bumble, didn’t inspire much confidence). He also rewired all the Breakers to more evenly balance the electric load. However, suspicion remained that one problem was the instant-on Electric Water Heater was causing some overload – of course, if the building’s main electric system were up to par, that should not be a problem.

After he left, and it was obviously reported by the Guard to the VP that we had got into the with our own Master Key, Mr. VP now put on his own lock in place of the Electric Co.’s on our building’s Circuit Breaker Box. Naturally, the problem did not resolve, and actually grew worse over the coming days and week. This resulted in a couple of major confrontations in the Courtyard with the Condo Officers and Staff, when they refused to help turn our electricity on or open the Box for us. I finally, had to use my Master Key to open their side of the Building’s Main Circuit Breaker Box and threaten to shut off their entire building’s electricity, if they would not turn ours back on. It worked temporarily. That evening our NY Owner called (again) to speak with the VP and the Pres., and supposedly they were acting the way they were because they wrongly claimed we had been turning our Circuit Breaker Switch on and off "every 5 mins." and they feared this could cause a fire. Well, first of all, of course it wasn’t true. At most, we had turned the switch on once (maybe on one occasion twice) in any given day; and, second, it is absolutely silly and false that switching the breaker on and off (however often) could cause a fire or any damage. Indeed, when the Electric Co. men or the private Electrician had been undertaking their repairs and ‘testing’, they had switched the breakers on and off dozens of times in minutes without fear of causing any damage (let alone fire). In any event, we told our owner to tell the Condo folks we not only didn’t do that, but really didn’t want to touch the switches at all (and have them be able to claim we caused damage), if only they would do it for us if our electric went out. Our NY Owner supposedly extracted a promise from the VP and Pres. that the key would be left with the Guard or otherwise available and they would help us in the future with any further problem. (Yeah right, if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn!)

In the meantime, our NY Owner called in a favor at the Electric Co. and had them send two supposedly high-level Inspectors to come and look at the system the next day (and, at my request, to cite the Condo for improperly putting their own lock on the main box). Well, the Inspectors arrived next day as promised, and ironically (and even FUNNY, if it weren’t so serious), were unable to get into the main box because the Condo’s private lock was still in place. When they asked the Guard for the key, (as usual) he denied he had the key, looked at me and suggested I use "my key". I actually laughed aloud, and said I don’t have the key – it’s YOUR lock! After more arguing, and at least half an hour of time passed, finally the Guard "found" a key to the lock (claiming he didn’t know he had it in his guardhouse). Well, the Inspectors then just visually looked at the main box and our apartment, and concluded …. Nothing. No suggestions, no help, no nothing. In addition, with Cousin and her assistant also present and translating, when I pushed them to do something about the illegal private lock on the main Box (which had even initially prevented them from getting in), they just shrugged. Realizing they weren’t going to do anything about it, and concluding that ‘what’s good for the goose, is good for the gander’ – and, as usual, being one step ahead of Mr. VP and his 'soldiers' – I quickly pulled out my own lock from my pocket, and before anyone could blink shut the Box doors, and snapped on my own lock! Most amusing, was the look of shock on everyone’s faces, especially the Guard who stood a few feet away (holding the Condo’s lock in his hand). After a moment, the Electric Co. Inspectors actually sided with me, and told the Cousin that it would be okay if I kept my lock on to have access to our switch, until the problem were ultimately repaired. In the meantime, a little while later, the Guard and two of the cleaning women, were seen holding a hammer and pliers, obviously intending to try to remove the lock. I then had the Cousin then call the Pres. then on her Cell phone to tell her that I had the okay from the Electric Co. Inspectors to keep my lock on, and supposedly she told the staff to stand down (for the time being). But, after all that had gone on – would you trust them? I knew as soon as Mr. VP came home from work to the Condo, he would blow a gasket at my having ‘outsmarted’ him, and would try to remove the lock. So, in the interim, I went shopping for a virtually impervious titanium cased bolt-type lock, and quietly replaced my standard fitness club clock that I had originally used. Checkmate.

Notwithstanding the foregoing temporary resolution to the "War of the Locks", our electric problems continued, we could only literally take 2min. lukewarm/lukecold showers, and continually face confronting the Condo officers and staff if we tried to turn our electricity on. Our sympathetic NY owner, in the meantime, had very kindly offered to release us from our Rental Agreement if we found another apartment. We began our search, and were quite fortunate to find one of the rare short-term rentals available. Actually, it was a brand new beautiful 2BR 3BA high-rise apartment, located in the upscale premier Carolina Park neighborhood, filled with high-end restaurants and bars, 2 blocks from the MegaMaxi Grocery/Dept. store (the largest in Quito), and 2 blocks from the main red-line Trolle. The apartment is furnished with top-quality furniture, comfortable beds and high thread count sheets, unlimited central hot water (finally, we could again enjoy a nice shower!), two large flat-screen Plasma TV’s, and broadband internet! And, no more steep hills to climb. Paradise found. Of course, the rent’s a wee-bit higher, but after nearly 3 weeks of non-stop problems, we could finally begin to enjoy our stay in Quito, and actually have some free time to explore the City and surrounds.

(To Be Continued)

Antigua GUATEMALA

2009-05-20T16:02:00.024-05:00

(4/15-5/21/09) Although only an hour’s flying time from Managua Nicaragua to Antigua Guatemala, our TACA Airlines flight on the evening of April 15, was to say the least not uneventful. About 2/3 of the way, no doubt over thick uninhabited jungles judging by the lack of any visible lights despite a clear night, we could hear the engines powering up and then down repeatedly for no apparent reason. Then, the seat belt light came on. And, less than 10 secs. later we must have hit a major air pocket which caused the plane to suddenly bounce sharply. Nancy’s beer spilled all over her, and with no reassuring announcement from the pilot, both Nancy and I looked at each other and literally started saying our "Goodbyes" believing we were going down. Fortunately, it was not as bad as it seemed, but it sure seemed scary at the time. When we landed, quite unusually the pilots stayed locked in their cabin, no doubt not wanting to face the passengers who like us were none to thrilled with their flying skills (or ‘bedside manners’).

We were picked up at the airport by the developer of our housing complex, who said he owed a ‘favor’ to the owner of our rental home. Whatever the reason (more likely he wanted to ‘sell’ us a house, as later appeared), we were quite happy for the ride, which included a brief car tour of the town late a weekday evening before dropping us off. After our harrowing flight, we were very pleasantly surprised when we opened the doors to our rental home. The description and pictures from the internet ad definitely did not do it justice. The place was awesome – probably the best we’ve stayed in so far. With an open central courtyard with beautiful plants, flowers and vines, the first floor is an open veranda all around, leading to each of the enclosed rooms: First, the beautiful and spacious front den/living room, with not one but three cushy and comfortable sleeper couches, a wood-burning fireplace and a 42in. plasma cable TV. The combo kitchen and dining room each have domed ceilings with really nice mood lighting, and of course the kitchen was fully equiped with all of the newer appliances. The downstairs is completed by the two guest bedrooms, one of which as a queen bed, desk with internet connection and large color cable TV, and the other with two twin beds, and a full bathroom between them, plus and extra half bath adjoining. Then, you go up the spiral stairway leading to the 2nd floor masterbedroom with huge walk in closet and large bathroom. The laundry room is next door. And then the remaining upper floor, is a complete sundeck, with a view of the monsterous dormant Volcano (Volcán de Agua) that overlooks the town of Antigua.

The town of Antigua itself is quite similar in many ways to our impression of San Miguel Mexico. It is a fair sized colonial town with cobblestone streets and a beautiful central square and Cathedral. Also, like San Miguel, it is ‘infested’ with ex pats from the USA who have come to live here, which of course, means the prices in the town have risen for the occasion. On the plus side, the infrastructure has really been built up, with many fine choices for dining, drinking and shopping. The surrounding scenery is also spectacular, since the town is ringed by several volcanos, one of which called Volcán Pacaya is extremely active and tours are offered with a chance to walk over hardened but still warm lava, and close-up views of still glowing and flowing liquid lava.

Of course, our good friend Mike Shaker (a/k/a "Monk's Pub Mike") from Chicago visited us as usual (his 5th visit during our travels), and he rented a driver for a couple of days. One of those days, we drove about 2 hours to the town of Panajel and its famous adjoining Lake Atitlan, which Aldous Huxley described as the "most beautiful lake in the world." Formed thousands of years ago in the crater of a massive volcano and surrounded today by several other towering volcanoes, Lake Atitlán certainly is scenic. I’m not quite sure any of the three of us were quite as impressed as Huxley, but it was definitely enjoyable to rent a boat and tour around to several different lakeside villages and towns. On the second day of our driving tour, we went to the nearby well-known market town of Chichicastenango which is reputed to be the largest and most famous of Guatemala’s open-air markets, with hundreds of stands selling everything from handicrafts and flowers to household goods and furniture. Then we visited a couple of other villages nearby to Antigua, including San Antonio Aguas Calientes, which is inhabited by local indians known for their fine weaving.

On Sunday, May 3, Nancy and I experienced our first ever EARTHQUAKE. A strong quake with a magnitude 6.1 on Ricther Scale, struck nearby only 68km west of Guatamela City. Fortunately, it was deep underground, so no major injuries or damage. But, we certainly felt it (the whole house was shaking for about 20 secs., and Bob really thought it might collapse). Supposedly it was felt as far away as Mexico City!

During our stay in Antigua, our ‘developer friend’ also kindly invited Bob to join his Poker playing group, which included some well-known local entrepreneurs, most notably Mary Lou and Jay Rittinger. They are Archeologists who while digging around back in the 1970’s discovered a long lost Jade Mine, and surprisingly were able to lay claim to it and have become quite wealthy as a result. They are also ‘famous’ locally, and visiting dignitaries such as former President Bill Clinton and Harrison Ford (who Jay vaguely resembles in his Indiana Jones character from photos of the period especially with his ever-present jungle hat which Jay says he wore first!) have all paid their respects while being given a personal tour of the Rittinger’s Jade Factory and Museum. This Poker group became a once-a-week afternoon social gathering for Bob with some very nice upscale expats. (Update: Sadly, about a month after we left Antigua, we received word that Jay Rittinger had passed away after his lengthy battle with Cancer. He had been quite ill even during our stay, joining our Poker group in obvious pain in a wheel chair carried out from his Van by his private nurse. But it was still an honor and pleasure to have met and gotten to know him a little).

Our concluding impressions of Antigua (and Guatemala) are that it is an interesting place to visit, but we would never consider permanently residing here. Indeed, it was never a consideration, but we merely stayed here in passing awaiting our next destination to ‘dry out’ from its rainy season. The biggest problem with living here, is that Guatemala’s reputation as a dangerous and violent country apparently remains very much true today. While the town of Antigua itself appears to be a ‘safe haven’ due to the government’s interest in promoting tourism here, you are constantly reminded that this is only due to the multitudes of heavily armed (machine-gun toting) police patrols, and shotgun-toting private Security Guards that almost every shop in town has (even a Subway Sandwich shop, if you can believe that). Despite the heavy police and security presence in town, you are still warned by locals and all of the travel and tour books to keep your wits about you when walking outside the central colonial area; never to take the local inter-town Buses; and, that you must be accompanied by private Security when you venture anywhere outside of town, even for a hiking tour to the Volcanos. Frankly, we don’t really want to live in a place where we feel like prisoners afraid to venture beyond the pocket of safety offered by our beautiful but small colonial town of Antigua.

NEXT UP: We fly tomorrow, May 21, to Quito ECUADOR, where we are planning to temporarily reside for the next 3 months.

Our First EARTHQUAKE

2009-05-04T15:06:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, Sunday May 3, 2009, a strong Earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter Scale, struck 68km west of Guatemala City. We are staying in Antigua, which is about 45km southwest of the City -- so actually closer to epicenter of Quake. Fortunately, it was apparently deep underground, so no major damage or injuries were reported. But according to news accounts, it was reportedly strong enough to be felt as far north as Mexico City. And, here in Antigua, we definately felt it. Lasted about 20secs. Our whole house was shaking and swaying. A bit frightening for a "first-timer". Of course, Guatemala has suffered major Earthquakes several times in the past, which have indeed caused serious destruction. Generally speaking, Central America is a very geologically unstable land mass, which as previously noted is full of Volcanos and shifting tectonic plates.

Celebrating One-Year of World Travel and Living

2009-05-04T15:01:00.005-05:00

This Past Week, April 30, 2009, we celebrated our one-year Anniversary of international travel and living. A major milestone. Of course, our good friend Mike Shaker (owner of Chicago's famous Monk's Pub), was here in Guatemala to celebrate with us! We continue to enjoy our new life abroad, and do not miss the USA. Looking forward to our coming year of continuing new adventures in distant lands.

Granada NICARAGUA

2009-04-14T14:05:00.031-05:00

(3/14-4/15/09) On March 14, we flew from Panama to Managua International Airport; and, took an airport transfer van approximately 45 mins. to the colonial town of Granada. We never saw any "city" as we drove through the capital, because it is spread out style "Los Angeles" with virtually no high-rises. Any hint of a "downtown" was swept away by the last major earthquake in 1972 – one of several it is endured in its history. In fact, this small country is a geothermal ‘paradise’ centered over major tectonic plate fault lines, and more than a dozen Volcanoes, some still quite active and subject to frequent minor eruptions and the ever-present danger of a major eruption.We met up with our property manager, and he led our Van to our pre-booked rental home. Although it looked very nice from the pictures on the advertised website, we discovered upon our arrival that is was in a less-desirable and secluded neighborhood, and its open-to-the-outdoors downstairs living areas turned the home into a ‘hot house’. (Because it was open to the outdoors through the central courtyard, no air conditioning was even possible, and the two ceiling fans would do little to help). In addition, the advertised "internet access" was in actuality sharing the across-the-street neighbor’s wireless router – when you could get a signal, and when the neighbor’s children were not using up all of the available bandwidth themselves. Bottom line, we knew immediately that staying in this rental home was not going to be a very pleasant experience. Fortunately, the owner is a very reasonable and flexible fellow, who also happens to own another property in Granada, this one a Hotel/Condominium complex, with a beautiful swimming pool, complete with a "Tiki Hut" bar, ever-present friendly and helpful staff, and the camaraderie of mostly friendly/nice fellow occupants. So, with the owner’s permission, and only a modest additional rental fee, we made the switch to the 2BR 2Bath, LR/DR, kitchen, Condo (actually, the owner’s own unit, since he is back in the States at this time). Good move. Been very happy about our Stay here.

Granada itself, is a relatively small colonial town easily seen in a few hours walk, and is still ‘developing’ its tourist infrastructure. It is situated at the water’s edge of the huge Lake Nicaragua – the 2nd biggest fresh water lake in Central America – and unique in its freshwater sharks, sawtooth fish, and pre-historic gar, along with the usual Bass. Unfortunately, much of it is too polluted to make swimming safe let alone eating its fish. Much smaller than San Miguel (in Mexico), though with more restaurants, bars and ‘action’ than our first rental home in Jocotepec Mexico. Still, it’s a bit too ‘slow’ for my tastes (at least for a very long-term stay), but pleasant for a shorter visit. And, though it is just as HOT and humid as Panama City (indeed, we haven’t had a single drop of rain during our entire month’s stay, with daily highs that have hovered between 90 – 95F), nevertheless we have enjoyed far more than Panama. Why? Partly due to the smaller town versus large miami-like city of Panama, partly due to the comfortable and friendly Condo complex we wisely switched to, and partly due to more accessible eco-adventures and surrounding villages to tour.

Ever-visible from most of Granada looms the dormant Mombacho Volcano. A short ride on the locally known "Chicken" Buses for about 50cents, where you can be dropped off near the 2km dirt-road that leads to the entrance of the National Park Reserve. Then, you can either hike or take a "Tuk Tuk" 3-wheeler hooded taxi to the Park’s entrance and ticket office. The fee for the Park, includes a 45min. ride in the back of a large open truck up the long steep dirt road to the top, which passes through beautiful coffee plantations, and thick tropical trees and vegetation, where almost always you will see a family of howler monkeys up above you in the trees. Once at the top, there are 5km of hiking trails through even thicker jungles, with occasional Miradors (look-out points), with views of either Lake Nicaragua, Laguna de Apoyo (a clean and pretty volcanic lagoon), and volcanic fissures. The hike is really amazing, and you know you are truly in a tropical jungle; taking caution to avoid the real possibility of a poisonous snake or similar hazards along the way.

We also took the "Chicken" Bus to the nearby town of Masaya, which hosts a huge local Market, containing everything from clothes, to hardware, fruits and vegetables, arts and crafts, and of course ‘tipico’ food stalls. We spent several hours getting lost in the maize of aisles, before taking another Bus to even smaller towns that dot Mobacho Volcano’s hillsides. One in particular, Catarina, is renowned for its many horticultural nurseries, where folks from all over Nicaragua supposedly come to buy their garden flowers and plants. Up the winding road to the top of the town, you reach a Mirador with an amazing view over Laguna de Apoyo, where you can enjoy a lazy lunch at one of the many touristy restaurants. But watch your wallet, because in two separate visits it became evident that the restaurateurs (2 different ones) make a habit of significantly overcharging on the bill, and only after considerable argument do they finally acknowledge any ‘error’. Not to worry, just part of the local ‘charm’ .

We also spent a wonderfully pleasant day lounging and swimming at the Bearded Monkey Hostel with a private beach on the shores of the Laguna de Apoyo, complete with lounge chairs under shady tropical trees, inner tubes, plastic kayaks, diving platform, swimming platform, hammocks, etc. The Laguna is renowned to be the cleanest swimming hole in Nicaragua, and maintains a perfect temperature due to thermal volcanic vents that warm the otherwise frigid waters of this spring-fed lagoon. Surprisingly, the lagoon has no motor boats (apparently they are prohibited), and very little development despite its natural beauty. In the States, the land would be snapped up and developed in a second, and no doubt look like Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, albeit far more scenic.

Of course, our good friend Mike Shaker (of Monk’s Pub in Chicago), once again came for a visit (his 4th), this time no doubt out of a sense of ‘moral obligation’ since it was he who recommended we come to Granada. Actually, he and we, always have an amazing time when he visits. And, this time was no exception. Though Granada did not offer him the ‘dining experience’ he would have preferred, the day tours and adventures most certainly made up for that. Besides taking him back to the top of Mombacho for a repeat of our initial jungle hike, we had a blast when we all went Zip-Lining above the jungle canopy from platform to platform built high up into the top of the trees. Nancy definitely won kudos for her Tarzana antics, when she flew like a bird hanging stomach done one time, and then upside-down another. Neither Mike nor Bob could quite get up the ‘courage’ to do likewise (actually, the truth of the matter was, neither of our spines could handle hanging by a rope that way – very painful). Got some great pics, of all of us and even a short movie clip of Nancy doing her thing.

Then Mike rented a small 4-wheel SUV, and we took 2 good road trips. First, we drove north to Leon, about 2.75hrs, which is supposed to be the ‘cultural capital’ of Nicaragua, and where the University is located. Though its central colonial heart, contained some nice architecure and churches, none of us were too impressed. On top of all that, it is at a lower elevation than Granada, nearly sea level, and so is even hotter than Granada. On the day we were visiting, temperatures were about 105F. No thanks. Walked a few blocks, took a few pictures, had a nice lunch, and then it was "Hasta Luego Baby".

The other big road trip, was south about 1.75hrs to San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua’s best pacific coast beach town. Though there is a really nice bay and beach in the center of town, we were told to avoid swimming there due to pollution. So, we just strolled the walkways, and had a pleasant seafood lunch – made pleasant mostly by the view and the company – the food was at best so-so – at worst, some fear we all might get ‘sick’. Luckily, that didn’t happen. But, still a nice day.Our other big adventure during Mike’s visit, was a drive to the nearby Masaya Volcano, reputed to be the most accessible active volcano in the world. It did not disappoint. We were able to drive our SUV all the way up to the very top of the volcanic crater, through fields of lava from eruptions past. At the top, you could climb a steep set of steps up a dirt hill, for a view right down into the crater’s smoking hole. And, smoke it did. Every few minutes, wafts of thick sulfurous fumes would spew out of the hole, sometimes so thick you couldn’t see anything else. They also warn you to only visit for no more than 20mins. due to the lung irritation from the smoke. Further warnings advise you to be prepared for quick get away, if the Volcano decides to cough up more than just smoke, which literally can and does happen not so infrequently. You are even required to park you car facing outwards for easy exit. Though we couldn’t see it in the daylight, they say at night you can pear into the crater and see the glowing lava. Either way, it was a very cool (hot?) experience!

In sum, Nicaragua is a really beautiful tropical country, with some awesome natural wonders, definitely worthy of a recommended visit. Would I consider living here? No, but it was never on our agenda, and was only visited on a lark and the recommendation of our friend Mike, when we told him we were leaving Panama earlier than expected, and needed to ‘kill time’ before we go on to Ecuador where the rainy season doesn’t end until the end of May. Now, on our own initiative, we are leaving Granada tomorrow (April 15) -- not because we didn’t enjoy our stay but because we wanted to see something new, while still ‘passing time’ waiting on our next intended longer-term destination of Ecuador).

So for our next destination, we are heading to the nearby Central American country of GUATEMALA, to live for 5 weeks in the colonial town of Antigua until May 21. From what we have read and seen from photos, Antigua appears almost to be a ‘nicer’ twin of Granada. That is to say, it is a colonial town similarly located close by to the capital of Guatemala City, once again situated at the base of a beautiful Volcano. Of course, the tropical landscape is expected to be similar. But we say ‘nicer’ twin, because Antigua has been a foreign tourist destination longer, far ahead in tourist infrastructure such as restaurants, etc. So we expect much more from it. In addition, it is at a higher elevation than Granada, so daily high temperatures are supposed to be a far more comfortable low to mid 80’sF. Should make it much more enjoyable; and, allow us to get out a lot more without melting. We are also hoping the grocery shopping will provide better and more diverse quality foods than we could find in Granada, and with any luck at better prices. (I didn’t mention, that surprisingly, despite Nicaragua being extremely poor, we found the grocery prices to be relatively expensive????).

Click Play > to see: VIDEO of Nancy Zip-Lining thru the Jungle:

(FINAL) IMPRESSIONS OF PANAMA

2009-03-11T15:31:00.024-05:00

(2/14-3/15/09) Blood, sweat and tears. Well, actually, just the SWEAT. Panama is one hot and humid place. Of course, what should one expect from a tropical country located just a wee bit north of the Equator. And, it’s not a matter of picking a better time of year to visit/live here, because we planned our stay during the ‘dry season’, and most of the rest of the year you can count on lots of heavy rains. Of course, during dry season it also rains frequently, but usually only for short periods of time. That didn’t bother us much. But the heat, oh the heat. Very difficult to enjoy going outside during the day exploring what there is to see.

As for our explorations, well quite frankly, from our perspective Panama City and its surrounds are not all that exciting. The City itself begins to resemble Miami Beach more and more every day. The skyline across the entire bay consists of newer glass high rises. The area where our Apartment is located is pretty much in the center of the action right next to the main Cathedral and the busy commercial thoroughfare of Via Espana. There is certainly a lot of stores for shopping, though prices are very high and we don’t see much ‘value’ in buying anything. There are also many Casinos, no doubt servicing all the new (and much illicit) flow of money into Panama’s Banks ever since it became the new ‘safe haven’ after the Cayman Islands lost its status as the favored locale for offshore money in the Western Hemisphere. While Bob definitely likes access to Casinos, given his predilection for Blackjack and Poker, he found the Casinos here a bit on the ‘shady’ side for high-stakes play.

But, there were some sights worth visiting. Of course, we had to see the famous Canal, and so we went to the visitor’s center located at the largest and most important of the Locks known as Miraflores. Was interesting to watch the Super Cargo Ships slowly make their way through the Canal and into the Lock, and then be lowered into the next section. The Panamanians definitely have a good thing going, charging fees up to $250,000 for the largest container ships to pass through the Canal, payable in cash 48hrs in advance. Nice gig. Wish I had thought of that. Also went to see the Parque Natural Metropolitano, which is a Tropical Rain Forest actually located within city limits on the northern edge of the city. Not the most diverse or exciting Rain Forest, but notable for its ease of access to city dwellers. More exciting, was our visit to the Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo which is actually apart of the another larger Tropical Rain Forest called Parque Nacional Soberania, located about an hour’s bus ride outside the City. Here, you really got the feel of a tropical jungle, with a good diversity of plants, flowers, and wildlife – and, not just the few caged animals they kept in their modest so-called ‘zoo’. Saw many different species of tropical birds, along with a Sloth, and the screams of Howler Monkeys in the surrounding jungle.

Other sights of interest visited in city, were the old historic section called Casco Viejo, which is also where the President of Panama maintains his official residential ‘palace’. The Causeway, which is a stretch of man-made land that interconnects three separate offshore islands, to create both a vehicular and pedestrian parkway of 5km length, where some upscale restaurants and Harbors are located. But, for a real day-trip ‘getaway’, we took a 45min. Ferry to the nearby Panamanian island, Isla Taboga, also known as the Isle of Flowers (Flores) for obvious reasons. (FYI – this is "TabogA not to be confused with the more well-known TobagO of the sovereign nation of Trinidad & Tobago). They have some really beautiful colonial homes and newer modern very expensive oceanfront homes, in a maze of cobblestone narrow streets to explore. There are just 3 or 4 Hotels for those desiring to stay overnight, and a similar number of good eateries specializing in the locally caught fish and other seafood, plus a very nice beach.

While the country of Panama most certainly offers some amazing sights and activities, especially of the eco-adventure kind – scuba diving, deeper jungle and river tours of more distant tropical Rain and Cloud Forests located in the interior of the country, and hosts supposedly one of the most diverse variety of wildlife, birds and flora of any country in the Western Hemisphere, in our opinion that just makes for a wonderful place to visit on vacation but not as a permanent or semi-permanent place to call home. Though it is possible to ‘get away from’ the oppressive heat and humidity of the city by living in the relatively newer ‘retirement/vacation’ communities built in the highlands most notably in a small town called Boquete, the problem with that is it’s too far from any real culture, being a 6-8hr drive to the City. As for Panama City itself, where one would want to reside if at all, do to its access to at least some ‘culture’ and fine dining etc., is as previously noted to damn hot and humid (not to mention to wet most of the year), not to mention very pricey. The ‘value’ we had thought to find from our prior research, has apparently evaporated during the past 5 years, as the money has flowed into Panama and the unending construction of high-end high-rises continues unabated (wonder when their real estate ‘crash’ will inevitably occur?). In addition, public transportation is abysmal in Panama City, with no existing public rail transport, driving customs that are all but ‘suicidal’ when it’s not totally jammed during incredibly congested rush-hour traffic, and public bus transport that is privately run haphazard and disorganized. Though we have started to get the hang of traveling on the local and very cheap buses (25cents/ride) known as Diablos Rojos a/k/a Red Devils. Our Realtor, along with most tour books, warn foreigners never to ride in them. Although they are indeed frightening to use, it is really not because of fear of being targeted by criminals as some have cautioned, but because of the speed and recklessness with which they all drive. It’s really crazy, though fun to watch, not to mention hear – they are all actually old school buses that have been repainted with wild colors, graffiti, and other wild decorations (inside and out), but also with loud horns, sirens, and tall dual pipe Mufflers in the rear that create deafening thunder. And riding them, makes one really feel a part of the locale culture – if you have the cajones.

So, bottom line, Panama is definitely not going to be on our list of possible homes abroad, and we decided to move on after only a month’s stay. So as for OUR NEXT DESTINATION, which comes as much of a surprise to us as it no doubt will to our friends and family: NICARAGUA. More specifically, Granada Nicaragua, a colonial town located about 45 min. drive from the Capital of Managua. Our good friends, Mike & Orly Shaker had read some good things about it recently and mentioned it to us. Though initially very skeptical, I looked into it and discovered that they were on to something. Contrary to popular belief (by USA folks), Nicaragua resolved it’s civil war quite some time ago and has recently been investing in infrastructure and raising its standard of living. Several well-known USA magazines and newspapers have recently provided good reviews of Nicaragua. Even well-respected (and conservative) Travel Writer, FROMMER, says on his website that Nicaragua is "now one of the safest and most peaceful countries in Central America." So folks, don’t be so quick to pre-judge! Admittedly, however, we still don’t expect Nicaragua to make our list of possible new homesites abroad because the climate is too similar to Panama’s heat and humidity. Nevertheless, it was time to leave Panama and too early to head to a intended next longer-term destination in Quito and Cuenca Ecuador (rainy season there doesn’t end until end of May). So, we chose Nicaragua due to its close proximity to save on travel expense, and because we were able to find a very good value in a beautiful rental home located in the center of old section of beautiful colonial Granada. We also hear that in general it is VERY cheap to live here. So what the hell, we’re gonna give it a whirl – at least for a month. We’ve got a short flight booked from Panama City to Managua this coming Saturday, March 14; and, currently have our new home rented in Granada through April 15. Since it will still be too early to go to Ecuador, we’re not sure what we’ll do between 4/15 – 5/31. Possibly stay longer in Nicaragua or move on – time will tell. So long from Panama – next entry from Granada.

OUR ANXIETY RIDDEN ARRIVAL IN PANAMA

2009-02-15T13:51:00.018-06:00

(2/14-3/15/09) A week or two prior to departing Buenos Aires, we began researching places to stay in our next destination of Panama City (Panama). We quickly discovered that it was no easy task. Comparable residences as we had become accustomed to on our journey (2-3BR, 2-3Ba, LR, DR, well-equipped kitchen, Cable TV, Internet, etc.), were very expensive (most asking $2000 – 2800/mo), and really not a large supply of short-term rentals available. Many emails were sent, attempting to obtain discounts from the owners/agents, but most were rejected without any willingness to negotiate. Having already booked our non-refundable Air Tickets from Santiago Chile to Panama City, naturally we became more and more concerned we would have no place to stay. Even a day before departure, we still had no reasonable prospect so we began scouting both cheap hotels (even moderate-quality hotels were close to $100/night – far over our budget) and even B&B’s. But, were we to stay in either of those, it would be cramped (particularly with the amount of luggage we still have – 4 carrier-sized bags plus smaller bags), no laundry facilities and little if any room to spread and relax in privacy. Uggh. Nervously, we even began facing the prospect we might not be able to stay in Panama, and would have to find a connection to another possible locale – but future ideas (such as our next main intended destination in Quito Ecuador were not yet "seasonally" ready – i.e. still rainy season). As we were leaving Buenos Aires, one Panama apartment lead began to look possible. The Realtor emailed reply that owner was "reasonable and flexible" and that my discounted offer would probably be accepted. Supposedly, the owner originally was asking $1900/mo (though we never actually saw that Ad, as the Realtor had referred me to this apartment after I contacted them about another that was already rented; and, she only showed me some pics. with a brief description of amenities, and no mention of price). Skip past "Bus Ride from Hell" to arrival in Mendoza.

From our Hotel in Mendoza, I received email that my offer of $1500/mo had been rejected by owner (despite Realtor’s initial optimism), and that he wanted $55.55/day. (Unless they were using some strange math I don’t understand, I calculated that the owner was asking only $1666.50/30days). Still attempting in good-faith to obtain a good deal, while also offering something of ‘value’ to the owner, I countered with $50/day but offered to rent from him for 10wks (2 ½ mos). Again, the Realtor replied optimistically, that she thought my offer was a good one and the owner would likely accept. Wrong again. After arriving in Valparaiso Chile with only 3 days to go before our flight to Panama, the Realtor wrote back with the owner’s answer – again, he rejected our reasonable offer, and the Realtor again stated "the owner says the rent is $55.55/day and his rental rate stands!" So, we decided we better take the deal, but didn’t want to do it for more than a month at that rate (above our budget still), and hope later after we arrived in Panama we would find other alternatives and/or move on to a new destination then. So, I emailed back that I accept the owner’s asking price of $55.55/day and would rent for 31 days from our arrival on Feb. 11 thru March 14. Next day, Realtor replied that owner had accepted. Now, we emailed Realtor about arrangements to meet, pay our rent in cash in person upon arrival and obtain keys. Realtor courteously offered to pick us up at the airport, and said all was good, and she would send separate photo of herself by another email. First I didn’t receive it, then it came at 6pm night before our departure, just before getting ready to go out for dinner. Took showers, got dressed, and we were about to walk out the door of our B&B for our final dinner in Chile, and I checked my email one last time. Lo and behold another email from the Realtor. She says Owner has changed his mind, the rent is too low (even though this was his asking rent as had been repeatedly communicated to us!), and now we are told for the first time there is supposedly a partner, who hadn’t been consulted and he wants to use the apartment himself for next 20 days anyway. So much for the supposed "reasonable and flexible owner" the Realtor had originally described! Of course, I went ballistic, relying on my only "weapon" – threat of lawsuit against both Realtor and owner(s). I stated, that clearly there had been an express agreement to rent the apartment, at an agreed upon price for an agreed upon term, as plainly evidenced by the emails. I demanded they proceed as agreed, or we would hold them accountable for any additional expenses and inconvenience, etc.; and, expected them to meet us at the airport as previously agreed. No reply from them that evening or before we left the B&B early next morning.

Meanwhile, not previously mentioned, to add to our "anxiety" in traveling to Panama, we had other potential ‘problems’ on the horizon. When we booked our flight to Panama on the Panamanian national airline (Copa), in researching the fares the cheapest flight to Panama was US$650/pp, but we found another fare to Dominican Republic with a stopover in Panama City for only $500/pp. Naturally, with some trepidation about potential problems with luggage and immigration into Panama, we booked the flight to Dominican with the intention of simply not using the connecting flight to Dominican. But, we would have to deal with the issue of persuading the airline folks to check our bags only through to Panama. In addition, doing some research on immigration/visa entry requirements to Panama, we found that Panama is surprisingly strict (even with their long-time friend/benefactor of USA citizens). They only permit a 30-day Stay; with a discretionary extension of another 30-60days upon application after you arrive. In addition, they require all foreign citizens to show a return ticket for departure from Panama – they don’t want folks overstaying their visa! Well, we had no return flight, as we never plan that far ahead and don't know how long we will be in Panama, or for sure where we will go next. (I thought maybe now the connecting flight coupon might be useful if needed, to show the Panamanian authorities, and that we would use it to fly out at a later date).

Yet another "anxiety". Researching entry requirements into Chile, we discovered that the Chilean authorities were supposedly now imposing a retaliatory entry fee on USA citizens and some other countries (because we are imposing such a fee on our foreign visitors – part of the post-911 nonsense). So, the internet information was that they would charge USA citizens entering Chile a whopping $100/per person entry fee! Kind of steep price to pay for our visit for a measly 3 days. But then a ‘ray of hope’ in the travel blog information was found. Some folks said that if you entered Chile by Bus rather than arriving at the international airport, the fee would not be charged at the border. The 'good news’ was short-lived, however, when another Blog writer said that was true …. BUT, then if you leave by air flight the Immigration folks on departure at the airport will see that your Passport/Visa didn’t have the fee receipt, and they would charge you then. Well, when we got to the Border by bus into Chile, we held our breath to see if they would charge us the fee, and the first Blog writer was correct – no fee charged.

We get to the airport after two bus transfers, dragging our luggage, and first check in at the Copa Airline desk. We show the guy our ticket only to Panama, and he asks if that is our destination, and we answer affirmatively. But, then he looks it up on the computer, and says it shows us going to Dominican, and he wants to check our bags to Dominican. After some arguing, and his checking with a Supervisor, he finally agreed to check the luggage only to Panama. Ok, one problem solved.

Next, we proceed thru security, and directly to Chiliean Immigration Exit authorities. Nervously, we greet the Agent with friendly spanish greetings and smiles, and after the customary scanning and computer check of our Passports, stamp stamp stamp; "Gracias"; and, we quickly scurry away from his desk and towards the departure gates. NO EXIT FEE! Whoopee. Another problem averted.

Now, as we wait in the departure area for our flight, I turn on my Laptop computer to see if Wi-Fi is available, and I find access. I check my emails, and there is finally a reply from the Realtor (actually, now the head of the company, who says she is now taking over our dealings). After trying to distort the historical facts of our prior negotiations, she says the owner is now going to rent the apartment to us after all (Yup, my threat of legal action seemed to have their desired effect), BUT … now, for the first time they are demanding a Security Deposit – never even been mentioned previously – and in the exorbitant sum of $1000 (none of our prior short-term rentals, had ever required more than $500 Sec. Dep). Further, she says that their Driver picking us up at the Airport, will bring us directly to their Real Estate Office, where we will be required to sign a formal "Contract" in Spanish. Yah, right. No way! After all that has gone on in our dealings, we are supposed to trust them to put the correct terms in a Spanish contract. (And, after all the ‘terms’ that had been agreed to, were simply the rental rate and length of stay – not even the Sec. Dep. that was now being demanded post-hoc). We don’t respond, preferring to deal with the situation upon our arrival.

After a long day of bus rides and plane flights, that began at 7am, we arrive in Panama at 6pm. We get to the Panamanian Immigration Desk, and with baited-breath await our fate. Will we be admitted, or will they send us packing? Again, stamp stamp stamp, we’re in. No inquiry about our return flight info. Whew. Ok, now it’s on to the real problem to tackle – our rental apartment.

The Driver is there to meet us at the airport, and we’re on our way to the real estate office. When we get there, neither the original agent I had been communicating with nor the Owner of the company who had said she was ‘taking over’ were there. Instead to very young ladies who said they were assistants, were there to deal with the situation. They bring in the documents. First, they now want me to fill out a Credit/Rental Application, complete with SSN #, financial info., etc. I tell them "absolutely NOT", since we already had an Agreement and rented the apartment; and, I am paying Cash in advance for the rent (and Visa for Sec. Dep., as they had asked). I fill in only basic info on address in Dallas etc. Then, they plunk down a multi-page Contract in Spanish, along with a supposed separate "English Translation". We say we are willing to sign the English version (assuming it is accurate – haven’t looked at it yet). The Assistants say the English version is only "informal" and not for signing. I start to look it over. It is gibberish in many areas – not even making sense in English; and in other terms is simply erroneous (e.g. the rental rate is stated as US $722,000!). Well, I start to make a few corrections to the English version, and would be willing sign that, even though we continue to insist it is all so unnecessary, and that the Email exchanges provide ample documentation of the terms. Also, we point out that the apartment owners are USA citizens (we had previously learned they were Ukrainian Russians living in New York – uh oh, from what I’ve heard/read Ukrainians can be some ‘tough cookies’). They call the Real Estate Co. Pres. On the Cell phone, and she insists we must sign the Spanish Contract. After a long day's travel and with the time is now going on 8:30pm, and we still have no place to stay. Trying to reach a compromise, I say what if we sign both the Spanish and English. Again, the answer is "no". Of course, there is no way we can sign the Spanish Contract; can’t trust it’s accuracy, can’t trust the people, it would be crazy! The Assistants, who are genuinely sorry about the situation, apologize and say there is nothing more they can do. They’ll be happy to take us to a Hotel. We ask to talk directly the Real Estate Pres. On her cell phone. They call her again, and she says to them that we can call the apartment owner directly, and whatever he agrees to is fine. So, they get him on the Speaker phone, and in his russian-accented english, he tells the Assistant he doesn’t want to speak directly to us, that is what he has Brokers for, and then complains how the agreed upon rental price is "ridiculous" and he is only reluctantly agreeing to rent the apartment now as a ‘favor to the Real Estate Agent". Bob butts in over the speaker phone, and says "Hey, my friend, the rental rate that was agreed to was what he had asked for; and, that if he doesn’t rent to us it’s going to cost everyone a lot of time and money. Let’s work it out". He says over the speaker phone, I’m not going to talk to them, I’m hanging up; and, he does. Then he calls back; and, says get me off speaker, talks to the agent (where hear some loud voice). She hangs up, and not surprisingly says the owner does not want to rent to you.

Meantime, the Pres. Calls back on cell phone, she tells us we can just sign a simple English "letter’ of agreement with the simple terms. (Great, that’s what I was saying all along). But, we don’t know if she has heard the owner's latest tirade that isn't goingt to rent to us at all now. We just tell the Assistants get the letter written; Bob helps write it on the word processor. We want to just get out of the Office and over to the apartment, get the keys, and hope owner doesn’t stop us before we’re in. Another ½ hr goes by, many versions, and calls with Pres. And the owner keeps calling the Office too. Apparently, cooler heads prevailed, and apparently now the Owner is on board. Finally finished we sign; drive to the nearby Citibank ATM to get the cash; and, then on to the apartment. We arrive, looks good (just like photos) – no complaint there. But, now half past 9pm, the Assistants have to go over a 5-page single-line Checklist, of ALL the stuff in the apartment and the conditions, and have us sign off. This takes another hour. How ‘fricken’ ridiculous – what a hassle this has been. Finally, we get them out; and, have a drink of wine and go to bed. MAJOR CATASTROPHE AVERTED -- we have a (good) place to stay in Panama (at least for a month).

We are in fact quite happy with the apartment (of course, that was never an issue) – it is 2BR, 3BA, + study, large combo LR/DR, large modern equipped Kitchen with bar counter, covered outdoor terrace/deck with fabulous view of city and partial view of ocean; and, locale right in the heart of central business/banking/restaurant/ of the city. SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS.

Otherwise, we haven’t had much opportunity in past couple of days since we arrived to see much of City, beyond walks in multiple directions around the ‘neighborhood’, to see what is in the area in walking distance in terms of shopping, restaurants, etc. One initial first ‘impression’ – it is incredibly hot and humid here during the day (you really can’t walk more than a short distance in this heat). And, getting around will be a little more difficult – no real safe public transportation is available. You must take taxis to get anywhere beyond your immediate residential neighborhood. But, we hear they are at least fairly inexpensive – we’ll see.

More on Panama in a week or so, after we have gotten around a bit.

VALPARAISO CHILE – Odd, Unique, Quirky and Full of Character

2009-02-14T10:00:00.012-06:00

We planned a short visit of 3 nites in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Valparaiso. This small but bustling port city on the Pacific coast of Chile, is about one hour NW of the capital of Santiago. We were quite fortunate to reserve a private "suite" bedroom with private bath in the highly-rated Portabello B&B Inn, which sits high up on the hillside overlooking the Port. Valparaiso is definitely a "working-class" and sometimes ‘gritty’ and somewhat dangerous city in parts, but with incredible character and architectural oddities. Unlike many other spanish heritage cities, it was built without central planning, and its streets and houses follow haphazardly the difficult geography of twisting turning hillsides and coastline. Streets and pedestrian alleyways snake through the city, with beautiful queen-ann style victorian homes sprouting everywhere along the way. The City also boasts several Funiculars to help people traverse the steep hillside climbs. And, of course, great seafood abounds and is the meal of choice in this port city, accompanied by widely acclaimed Chilean wines. Truly, this is a unique and wondrous city more than worthwhile for a short visit.

MENDOZA – ARGENTINA’S WINE-MAKING CAPITAL

2009-02-14T08:58:00.007-06:00

After that long Bus-ride, we needed a good shower and good meal. Got both. Found a fantastic Italian restaurant a few blocks from our Hotel that had been recommended by a Canadian woman on our bus who lives in Mendoza, and this recommendation was confirmed by a listing in Fodor’s travel guide. Walking to the restaurant at "9:30pm", we couldn’t help but notice how light it was out still – when does it get dark around here (10pm?)? Walked into the huge restaurant and it was empty; but, staff said they were open. So we sat down, and immediately got pleasant and attentive service. Had marinated/grilled squid for appetizer, grilled Goat and an mozzarella-encrusted grilled salmon for entrée, along with a nice Sauvignon Blanc to drink. Meanwhile people started arriving during our meal and place filled up fast. Also, they were apparently conducting some kind of wine tasting, and near the end of our meal gave out free glasses of great red wine. Best of all, couldn’t believe how cheap the meal was (Mendoza is apparently far less expensive than even Buenos Aires – amazing). Next morning, we slept in a bit, but awoke in time for the included Breakfast. Then, on the direction/recommendation of a knowledgeable young lady who worked at the front desk, we took a local bus ride for 45mins. (and 50cents), to the nearby town of Maipu, where many of the Wine Bodega’s are located close to each other. There we rented Bicycles for about $10, and rode thru the countryside among the grape vineyards, from Bodega to Bodega tasting wonderful wines. During the day, we found out that we had passed thru a timezone, so Mendoza was an hour earlier, and we hadn't realized the night before. No wonder it had been so light out at "9:30pm" and restaurant had been empty until well after "10pm". Silly us. Anyway, had a Great day! In the evening we went to another really good restaurant, this time a quaint and quirky Spanish Tapa’s style place. Another wonderful and cheap meal! Next morning, it was back to our travels, catching an 8:30am international bus, west through the Andes Mountains (a bit hair-raising of a ride), across the border (and immigration) into Chile, arriving at our destination of Valparaiso Chile on schedule at about 4:30pm. This time, no problems with the bus ride – thank God!

BUS RIDE FROM HELL (Buenos Aires to Mendoza)

2009-02-09T07:01:00.004-06:00

We had heard from everyone and every source that the way to travel in Argentina is by Bus. We had even taken a short day trip previously on a "Semi-Cama" coach bus for a 2hr trip – and, it was very comfortable and reliable. So, of course, when we planned our Departure from Buenos Aires to Chile, our chosen method of transportation was by Bus. And, because it was a very long trip to Chile – 19-20hrs – on the way to Chile due West from Buenos Aires, we planned to stop over for two nights and visit the famed Argentina Wine Region of Mendoza, which is only supposed to be 11-12hrs by Bus. So we booked our bus tickets on the reputed top bus line, in the top 1st Class Executive Sleeper (cost about US$75/pp), and boarded at 7:45pm (Thurs. 2/5) to enjoy the ride, with scheduled arrival the next morning at 8:30am. Seats were comfy leather, full reclining, with Stereo music jacks, TV Monitors which played 2 Movies (Rush Hour 1 &2), and were even served a hot meal with wine. All was well until about 2am, when we felt the bus slowing down to what appeared to be about 30mph on a 4-lane express Tollway, with other vehicles flying by us at 60-70mph. The bus would also pull over about every 20-30mins., when it would die out, the driver would open the engine compartment and play back there for 5-10mins., and restart bus, resuming our slow pace. This continued through the night, until about 6am, when it pulled over and died out completely. Information was hard to come by, but we were told a substitute bus was going to come for us in about "an hour". In the interim they tried to repair our bus – we were finally told it was due to ‘bad gas’ which water had gotten into. Naturally, this turned into 3.5hrs, and the substitute bus was an economy class that had not even been cleaned, and was like a pigsty. But, at least we were moving again at a normal pace (albeit now about 7-8hrs behind schedule). After about an hour of travel, we pulled over to the side of the road again and the bus engine was shut off. Now what? After awhile we were told that we had to wait for another bus behind us experiencing same problems, and let their passengers transfer to our bus. So waited another hour until they arrived. Of course, there were not enough seats, and probably a dozen people had to stand or sit in the aisle. What a zoo. After another couple of hours, the bus stopped again. We were not told why at first or how long it would be stopped. Finally, they explained it was to get sandwiches for everyone – but, nobody really wanted this preferring to get to Mendoza sooner rather than later. This stop was almost another ½ hour. We finally arrived at Mendoza at about 6:30pm on Friday – an 11hr 1st class bus ride had turned into a 23hr prison ride. It was quite an experience. But a little good news – as we were leaving the terminal and almost out the door to a Taxi, one of the girls on our bus grabbed me and said they were giving refunds at the bus office. Yup, miraculously after a little bit of bureaucratic rigmarole, we were given a FULL REFUND. Not that we would have traded that for the incredibly uncomfortable lengthy torment of a bus ride, but it was some consolation. But, sometimes you just have to "Grin and Bear it"; as this is part of the 'cultural experience". LOL

TONY LAID TO REST IN BUENOS AIRES’ LOVELY JARDIN BOTANICO

2009-02-02T07:17:00.009-06:00

When our beloved cat Tony passed away in Mexico this past summer (See: 6/14/08 Post), we had him cremated and his Ashes have traveled with us since that time. We have been waiting to find him a suitable final resting place. The lovely city of Buenos Aires and its Jardin Botanico was chosen because of its natural beauty, peace and serenity. Significantly, the Jardin is an authorize refuge for feral felines, who happily wander the grounds and live a life of paradise. So as we prepare to leave the City later this week, we thought the time had finally come, and yesterday laid him to rest. The actual area chosen to spread Tony’s ashes was picked in part because several of the wild cats came over to be with us there seeming to tell us this was the right place. In fact, one somewhat Tony look-alike wondered through the area which I photographed, and then actually came over and sat on our laps for awhile. We loved our "furry son" very much, and hope this place provides him his own eternal paradise. (Pictures below show the wonderful spot where he rests). Because we miss him dearly and it is so difficult to say good-bye forever, we have kept a very small vile of his ashes so that perhaps a small part of his spirit can continue to share our travels and our lives. Or, at least we like to think so; and, that helps us cope with our loss.

“Monk’s Pub Mike” Visits (Again); plus a Day Trip to URUGUAY

2009-01-25T11:17:00.012-06:00

Our good friend Mike Shaker (of Monk’s Pub fame) comes for yet another visit from Chicago this time to our latest temporary home in Buenos Aires. It seems that a tradition is in the making – Mike gets a small taste of what’s it’s like to live our world adventure. Regrettably, his wife Orly was unable to join him once more due to the unavailability of anyone to care for their two boys for a week’s vacation. C’est La Vie. (Any wonder why we chose to ‘give birth’ to our furry son Tony, rather than a human baby? Case closed).

Mike stayed for week – actually cutting his visit short by a few days, due to the untimely passing of his bartender’s sister. But, as usual, that week was jam-packed with action, and much too much good food, good wine, and good times. We will need many days to ‘decompress’ i.e. recover, dry-out, rest.

Naturally, we showed Mike every interesting site, neighborhood, and tourist attraction in Buenos Aires, including: The Capital (Congress), the Presidential Palace, the central Cathedral, Plaza de Mayo, the grand pedestrian shopping area of Calle Florida, the famed Recoleta Cemetary where among others Evita has her final resting place, our own neighborhood of Palermo including the upscale huge indoor shopping Mall Alto Palermo, the Jardin (with its beautiful gardens, and scores of feral but friendly felines), the landmark Obelisk, the Supreme Court Building, Plaza Lavelle, the central Train Station Retiro and neighboring British Clock Tower and Falklands War Memorial, the architecturally wonderous old "Water Palace" building, a stroll thru the Aveninda Alvear neighborhood with its comparable ‘Rodeo Drive" shopping, the grand Hyatt Hotel, French Embassy, Brazil Embassy, and the sad Memorial to the destroyed Israeli Embassy, the famous Cafe Tortoni where everybody who's anybody has been (even Hillary Clinton's picture is displayed from her visit), a Sunday stroll thru San Telmo and its street market and art fair, the National Art Museum ("Bellas Artes"); and, even a relaxing day of cruising up the Tigres River, including a leisurely stroll and lunch on the main island.

Of course, every day ended with an amazing dinner out at various of our favorites, including what we believe to be the best steakhouse ("parilla") in Buenos Aires known as Lo De Paka, seafood at the Puerto Madiero, two visits to China Town, an excellent Indian Restaurant, and even a Korean restaurant, all accompanied by superb Argentine Wines.

Finally, on the day prior to Mike’s departure, we took the l hour "Rapid Ferry" (it really is fast – cruising at least 50mph), across the bay to URUGUAY to the small coastal town of Colonia del Sacramento. The town founded in 1680 originally as a Portugese settlement, and was declared a Unesco World Heritage site, and is a maze of cobbled streets and cute shops. The old section is fairly small, and therefore easily toured in just a few hours, leaving us time for a fabulous lunch in a shady restaurant located on the shoreline. Because of their proximity, it seemed that Uruguay, its people and culture, are quite similar to Argentina. Other than its far smaller size, slower pace and cheaper prices, you would really never know you’re in a different country. In fact, it feels like you merely took a ride into the rural countryside. But that IS a nice change of pace, and so easy for those living in Buenos Aires. As a ‘bonus’, your Passport is stamped upon ‘exit’ from Argentina, and then you get a totally new 90-day entry Visa, upon re-crossing back to Buenos Aires. Helped us, because we would have exceeded our 90-day permission, and probably be subject to a fine, otherwise.

As always, all in all, had a wonderful time with Mike and he is always a welcome Guest!

URUGUAY:

Day Trip to La Plata

2009-01-25T10:04:00.004-06:00

Couple of weeks ago, we took a 1hr Bus Trip to the neighboring town of La Plata. It's actually the 'Capital" of the State, while Buenos Aires is the capital of the country. Supposedly, it's renowned as an example of good City Planning, with square blocks and streets that are numbered in each direction. Wasn't real exciting to be frank, but did have a couple of nice sights -- e.g. the main Church Basillica. Only stayed long enough to walk around a couple of hours, and have a nice lunch.

Happy Thanksgiving from Buenos Aires

2008-11-27T12:05:00.017-06:00

Settled in well; all "domestic" stuff down pat and on a normal schedule. Found a great Fitness club with top-notch equipment and facilities to keep in shape and healthy, where we work out usually 3 times a week for a couple of hours. Been trying to ‘tour’ the City in sections every other day or so – it’s really huge and lot’s of different neighborhoods to see. And of course we’re slowly trying different restaurants on our weekend nights out. They have a Chinatown neighborhood here, where we found a couple of excellent (and cheap) places to eat our favorite food. We even found a Korean restaurant (outside of Chinatown) which amazingly serves the real stuff. (We love it – and, missed it since leaving Chicago – if you never tried it, it’s very different than other Asian food and very spicy). Not to be missed in Argentina naturally, are the steakhouses known as Parrillas which serve up some of the best steaks and meats in the world. Had some adventurous fun at one where we had the platter for two that has many different cuts from all parts of the cow (i.e. sweetbreads, kidney, liver, intestine, blood sausage, as well as the ‘normal’ stuff) – liked most of it, though some is a little strong/gamy. Went to the Port last weekend, and ate at a fine seafood restaurant; and, unlike Mexico they have fresh seafood (and safe to eat). FYI – Buenos Aires is situated on a large bay/inlet leading directly out to the Atlantic Ocean.

Somewhat surprising, it is much hotter here than we were originally led to believe from our planning guides. While we knew, of course, that we would be visiting during Summer here (Nov. – Feb.), we had read that average temps. would be in high 80’s. In fact, it’s already in upper 80’s and summer has just started, with hotter temps. to come. Now, we understand that temps. in upper 90’s and even 100F by January are normal. It definitely could get a little uncomfortable ‘touring’ around; especially on public transportation (the city buses are not air conditioned, and usually pretty crowded – i.e. sweaty people here we come). At least our apartment is air conditioned, so we are comfy sleeping and when we get home. We will probably do what many Buenos Aires folks do in summer time, get out of town when it gets really hot. We can visit the beaches in Argentina, about 3 or 4 hours south on the coast; or, take a Ferry ride across the Bay to Uruguay and visit their better beaches and the beautiful small city of Colonia; or, head to the wine country in Mendoza; or, the southern highlands/forest/lake region of Patagonia. Probably, do several or all such side trips. Our Monks Pub friend Mike is planning to visit (again!) in January, so we may save a trip or two to go with him.

Cultural interests in BA are limitless, with too many museums and art galleries to count; numerous theaters and concert halls, a large zoo (not gone yet), botanical gardens, etc. Street musicians are abundant (especially in summer of course) as shown in our photos. One interesting site we visited is the War Memorial to the approx. 650 Argentine Soldiers killed in the Falklands War with the UK. (See photo with Bob) The Argentines are still ‘pissed’ with Britain about the War and consider it a very serious matter; while most of the Western World thought it was a minor silly skirmish. (Never say that to an Argentinean, or you’re going to be in deep doo-doo).

Last evening, we even attended an Opera performance of Figaro, at one of the finer Theaters. The performance was 4 hours long (and, didn’t even begin until 8:30pm). We bought cheap seats (US$10 each) in the nose bleed section, where it was uncomfortably hot (no a/c up there) – but, nothing keeps ‘us down’ (or up) – so during intermission after only the 1st Act, we strolled down to main floor where Bob had scoped out some empty seats 4th row dead center on the aisle (probably best in the house) where we stayed for the remainder of the performance.

Today, being Thanksgiving (in USA), we are going to celebrate in an ex-pat Grill and Bar called Kansas, where they advertised a Thanksgiving dinner of Turkey with all the trimmings.

Anyway, so far, BA is everything we had had heard. Large, beautiful, safe, friendly people, lots to offer culturally, great food and wine, easy to get around, and exciting. Could possibly be a place we’d consider living on a longer term basis; albeit probably seasonally. Best time to visit/live here, would be the Fall and Spring seasons, when weather is milder and more enjoyable. (i.e. summer is a bit too hot; and, winter does get cold as well as rainy).

We Say Hola to SOUTH AMERICA -and- BUENOS AIRES

2008-11-12T13:37:00.017-06:00

(11/5/09-2/4/09) The drive back from Mexico to Dallas was uneventful, albeit exhausting and longer than we were led to believe. This was mainly due to the hassle at the Border -- first, we had to "cancel" our Mexican Auto Permit (required, or you get in big trouble if you ever want to return), and that was problematic both in finding the right place to do it and getting there (driving around Nuevo Loredo on the Mexican side of the border is neither easy nor safe), and then waiting in a long line of cars for one girl handling the cancellation on a Friday evening. Then, the line/wait for autos crossing the international Bridge to USA was unbelievable -- took nearly 2 hrs. By the time we crossed into USA and Loredo TX it was about 8:30pm, and we hadn't eaten since a quick lunch around Noon. Still we pressed on, not wanting to get stuck staying overnight again in Loredo (again, a trashy border town and not very safe -- worried about auto getting broken into). So we drove another hour, until we came to another town large enough to have a motel and a place to eat. Finally, had 'dinner' (a hamburger & fries) around 11pm, and got to bed at Midnight. Needless to say, we never made to San Antonio (and, the hoped for 'quick tour' of the Riverwalk).

Slept in a bit next morning, and renewed our drive to Dallas about 11am, and finally arrived back at 'home' in Dallas about 6pm on Sunday night. Went out for quick BBQ Brisket dinner with Bob's Aunt Pat. First major project while in Dallas, was to sell our SUV and only had 2 business days to do it (otherwise, would have to 'dump it' at CarMax and accept their customary low-ball 20c on the dollar offer). So right after returning from dinner, we checked our voicemail for messages regarding the sale of our SUV on Craiglist which we had listed just before leaving Mexico. Had 3-4 calls waiting, made 2 appointments for Monday back-to-back at Noon & 12:30pm. First appointment struck gold --made the sale for $300 less than listed (and only $100 less than goal) -- bottom line we paid $2600 6mos. prior when we bought it in Chicago; drove it down to Dallas and then all way down to Mexico, across Mexico to 2nd home, and then back again to Dallas, and then sold it for $2400. We'd say that's a miracle for our 1999 Ford Explorer with 140,000 miles on it -- we were basically just hoping it would just make it to Mexico (and if we were really lucky maybe back again without any major breakdown or costly repair). Only problem we ever had was minor -- the distributor cap had to be replaced a month we arrived in Jocotepec MX -- took a little over an hour and cost only $25. So, aside from gas, we got a '6-mo. rental', drove thousands of miles across international borders, including drives on dirt roads, cobblestone streets, and San Francisco-like hilly towns, for only $225. We'd say that's Pretty damn good (lucky/miraculous)!

Other projects while in Dallas, were to do some banking business, re-execute new Estate Planning documents for both of us (new Wills, POA's, etc.) valid under TX. law, and a little shopping for minor items. Biggest 'project' was yet another 'downsize' of our personal belongings -- which after giving/selling a bunch more stuff down in Mexico to our neighbors (e.g. 2 mountain bikes, boombox, all our CD's, lots more clothes), we still had a 1/2 full SUV. So, we gave away more stuff to Bob's Aunt, and mostly to Bob's Cousin Marty and his family (2 very large duffle bags full of clothes, electronics, appliances, etc., and even including the 2 brand new Yamaha sports duffle bags). Downsize was mandatory for the Airplane Flight to Buenos Aires, since we were only permitted to now take with us 2 Checked Bags each, and 2 small carryon bags without major extra charges e.g. $100 per 25kg of additional luggage. Note our carryons needed to include Laptop bag, and a medicine/bathroom stuff bag -- Bob's still a walking pharmacy with all the meds. he has to take). Another miracle -- we managed to do it -- i.e. our worldly belongings now fit in the 2 checked bags/suitcases and 2 carryons each. And, guess what -- when, we leave Buenos Aires in 3mos., we plan to downsize (one last time) to just one checked bag/suitcase each, plus the carryons; and, hope to then be able to fit it all into one large backpack each (plus carryons hopefully that can be attached).

The other important thing we had to do while still in Dallas was to cast our VOTE for President O'Bama, which we did in person while in Dallas (with our new TX voter regist. cards). We then ordered in chinese food, and watched the Election Night coverage with Aunt Pat.

Next morning (Wed. Nov. 5), we completed our packing, and took off from DFW airport on Mexicana Air, with a 4hr stopover in Mexico City. Flight from Dallas was sparce and comfy. Once in Mexico City, we snuck into the VIP Lounge for Mexicana, which was similar to Bob's VIP treatment in Las Vegas. Comfy padded leather lounge chairs and couches, big screen TV's, internet access, and free beer, wine and liquor (including top grade), plus hors d'oeuvres/snacks. Unfortunately, our 'luxury' was fleeting, because the flight from Mexico City was full booked, long and very uncomfortable. It was an overnight flight that left (slightly late) about 10:3opm, took 9.5hrs, and then unbeknownst to us Buenos Aires is 4hrs ahead of Chicago/Dallas time -- so we were both exhausted and jet-lagged, and very crabby upon our arrival at 11:30am.

But once again Karma, our high-rise Apartment turned out to be very nice, well-located only 1/2 block from what I would compare to living on Michigan Ave. right near Water Tower Place. The place is a good size 2br, 1.5ba, with large living room, DR, well-equipped eat-in kitchen, Satellite TV, balcony, a/c, laundry room, and good security. We're on the 4th floor, and yes it has multiple elevators. Grocery shopping is ok, lots of stores, but their 'city' stores for those familiar with that - e.g. mostly about size of Sandburg Village grocery store, with moderate selections. But, we were fortunate to have just located one huge store, where they do have a good meat and fresh fish selection (unlike most of the others).

Initial Impressions: First, it should be noted that despite their many prior travels together, it is momentous for Bob & Nancy to have crossed the equator and for the first time ever to have stepped foot in the Southern Hemisphere and to have added the new continent of South America to the travels. As for BA, as promised it is a very 'European' city, in its architecture and culture. People seem super friendly albeit not many speak english, and it seems to be a VERY SAFE city (FYI -- for all you skeptical Gringos, the statistics are that it is one of the safest cities in the world, with little violent crime). Interestingly, there is a big Italian influence here because supposedly there is something like a 1/3 Italian genes in population, so their speaking and gestures have a lot of Italian flair even though they technically speak (their own version) of Spanish. And, you would be hard-pressed to find a corner of any busy intersection that does not have a large Pizza/Pasta restaurant. Haven't had much opportunity yet to dine out (knowledgeably), but even so already impressed (plus what I've read in guide books). Certainly more international variety than Mexico, and we hear its up to first-world standards. But, best of all, we can already see that besides good food (and AMAZING steaks and grilled meats), good food and wine are incredibly cheap. Examples (converted to US$): We have been buying very good wines (for home) for less than US$2 per bottle. And, good quality ground beef for our spaghetti, cost only about $1.5/lb. Other stuff is cheap too: e.g. the subways and buses, only cost 30c US per ride. We also (already) found and joined an top-notch Fitness Club nearby with high-end equipment for only $55/mo. (they have something like 10 clubs around the city, which we can use too). Also, unlike Mexico, drinking tap water here is perfectly safe; as is eating fruits and vegetables without the hassle of chemical cleansing as we had to do in Mexico. But visitors beware: B.A. electricity is 220Volts not 110, in addition to using the same wierd 3-prong plugs like Europe. So, besides a plug 'adaptor', you need a transformer from 220-120volts to use any USA appliances, or you will fry them out and probably short-circuit all the electricity in your apartment (or hotel room if not floor).

Definately looking forward to exploring the City's sites and culinary experiences in the coming weeks, having now somewhat settled in and gotten the basic domestic stuff out of the way. Then, we'll have some photos to post as well.

BUENOS AIRES -- Nancy and Bob have arrived!

WE SAY ADIOS TO MEXICO

2008-10-30T10:51:00.006-05:00

After living here for 6 months, we bid adieux (adios) to San Miguel and Mexico. On Sat., Nov. 1 we begin our 2-day drive back to Dallas TX. We will try to make it all the way to San Antonio the first day’s drive (10-12 hrs), and spend an evening on or near the famous Riverwalk, which Bob has never seen (and Nancy hasn’t been back to in 25yrs or so). We will then stay once again with Bob’s Aunt in Dallas (i.e. our permanent new ‘home’ in USA), for a few days during which time we will cast our Vote in Dallas for the next President, do some banking business, update both our Estate Plans, and sell our SUV. Have to once more ‘thin out’ our already thinned worldly belongings, now down to 2 suitcases each for purposes of airline flight. Our previously booked next destination: BUENOS AIRES. Leaving on a flight from Dallas on Wed. Nov. 5 and arriving in B.A. on Thurs. Nov. 6, where we are booked to spend at least the next 3 months. We’re really looking forward to the excitement of B.A., with it’s international diversity and world class dining and entertainment. And, of course, being a huge city with enormous commercial potential, who knows Bob may find a new job or business opportunity that may keep us there on a long term basis. Otherwise, we intend to explore some other countries in South and Central America through at least next Fall (on the likely 'list': Montevideo UR., Panama City, Quito & Cuenca Ecuador, coastal Brazil, and perhaps short sightseeing visits to Chile and Peru). Then, next Winter perhaps Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam) may beckon us to visit. But, that’s all foggy and we are not making any definate plans following B.A. for the time being. Next update in a week or so, after we are settled in our new temporary home (balcony apartment actually) in B.A.

Mike Shaker Visits Us in San Miguel; We see a Bull Fight; and Festival celebrating San Miguel's Archangel

2008-10-11T12:19:00.026-05:00

Last weekend (Thurs 10/2 - Sun. 10/5) our good friend Mike Shaker (of Monks Pub fame), came to visit us for the 2nd time -- this time sans wife. After picking him up from the airport in Leon (about a 1 1/2hr drive each way), as soon as we drove into San Miguel, Mike needed to relax with a Marguerita. So, we took him to our fav Marguerita place, where they serve gigantic and delicious ones, with mucho high quality Tequila. Having duly relaxed, we drove home and let him unpack, and immediately trucked out to a new Thai restaurant to eat, joined by a couple of our friendly neighbors.

Next morning, just Mike & I went to the hot springs Spa outside of town, which he enjoyed a lot; and, then toured the town most of the day. For dinner, we went to our country hacienda spot, that serves up all homemade homegrown food, including homemade wine and grappa. A bit depressing though, as we were informed by the owner that her husband had passed away in Italy the past weekend, and they had just received the body and were in mourning (but for whatever reason still open for dining). We tried to make the best of it, and let the owner and her 16-year old daughter talk about him while we lent a sympathetic ear.

Tired and tipsy from a full day of touring, margueritas, wining and dining, we nevertheless dragged ourselves to the center of town to watch some of the weekend long festivities celebrating San Miguel's Archangel. As it turns out, this is the biggest 'blow-out' of the year (at least that we've seen). Crowds and festivities far bigger than even Independence Day. All day and night (starting on Thurs. when Mike arrived), there are continuous parades through the streets and in the town square (Jardin), including native dancers, acrobats, horseback riding, and of course lots of Fireworks. As we finally started walking back home after 11pm, we passed by one of the church squares, and were fortunate enough to encounter a group of caped singers who also passed out free Sangria to the crowd. Reminded Nanc & I of a University town we visited in Portugal where students dressed in capes and seranaded the town every Sat. night. We all had a blast.

On Saturday, after walking thru the beautiful central park and gardens, we went to our first Bullfight in Mexico (1st one of the season). As anticipated, exciting but far too gory and cruel to the bulls. After the bull is let into the ring, it is immediately stabbed by 4-6 colorful spikes (to get it mad and excited), then after a few plays with the Matador, a horsebacked and armoured guy, comes out with a spear pokes the Bull in he back a couple of time to draw some more blood, then the Matador plays with the Bull a bit more until its tired, and finally takes a sword and jams it thru its neck and as the Bull lays down they finish him off with a knife thru his brain. Finally, the Matador cuts off an ear as a 'trophy' and walks around the ring taking bows. And, believe it or not, this is "family fun" for the locals, who bring their babies, small children and Granny to watch and chear. After 4 bulls, we couldn't stomach any more and left (I think they planned on 2 or 3 more after that). Don't think we'll be seeing another one.

Our final evening, we took Mike to our favorite San Miguel restaurant -- the spanish one we had our Anniversary dinner at. As always, it was absolutely fabulous! We were fortunate he had his awesome braised Lamb dish, and Mike also had a really fantastic marinated filet.

As always, Mike was a pleasure to have as a Guest -- albeit exhausting from so much activity.

16th of Sept. - Mexican Independence Day in San Miguel

2008-09-27T13:24:00.010-05:00

We had heard the celebration of Mexican Independence Day - 16th of Sept. - was a 'big deal' in San Miguel. Truth be told, it wasn't. Quite dissappointed. We've seen more celebrating on 4th of July in USA. Though of course a national holiday, surprisingly many businesses were still open as usual; and, we just didn't see the kind of huge crowds we had expected. The only 'parade', was a score of marchers and and equal number of costumed horse riders, that kept riding around in a 4 or 5 block circle several times. And, then some late night fireworks that only lasted for 10 mins. or so. (Of course, the locals as usual constantly light off their own private skyrockets and aerial bombs, day and night during the week or so before and after). P.S. It's too bad that the San Miguel city council voted a few years ago to end another local tradition held on a different date -the local "Running of the Bulls". We heard had become a major blowout -- with something like 30-40,000 extra visitors flooding the town. Was obviously a great boon for the local businesses, but some of the people thought it had gotten too rowdy and out of control. Someday, we hope to make it to the 'true' Running of the Bulls in Pamplona Spain.

Day visit to neighboring Queretaro

2008-09-27T13:03:00.019-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, we took a little drive (only 45 mins) to the neighboring City of Queretaro, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Definately a pretty town, but architecturally not quite as spectacular as Guanajuato or even San Miguel. Nevertheless, for a city with a population now around 750,000, it's very clean, quiet and pretty much crime-free. There are many parks and plazas that are a pleasure to stroll. It's also a fairly modern city, with a good industrial base, plentiful employment, and a new international airport. Notwithstanding the foregoing pleasantries, it most likely is not a place we would decide to settle in. Not much else to say about it - just the usual "it's a nice place to visit, just wouldn't live there". No compelling reason, other than we just were not 'wowed' by it.

Guanajuato – A weekend Visit

2008-09-12T14:32:00.019-05:00

Located in the Mexican highlands about 1 1/2hr drive northeast of San Miguel and at a slightly higher elevation than SM, this town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. The town was built on the slopes of a steep gorge, so as you move away from the town center you must traverse narrow streets and pedestrian walkways that rise quickly. If you like walking and exercise you’ll like this town a lot. Seriously, it’s a really awesome place to visit; with striking architecture and unique tunnels that traverse the town, both for cars and pedestrians. It is easy to get lost among the twisting maze, but that’s really part of the adventure. If you arrive by car, as we did, best to simply try to park wherever you are lucky enough to find a legal space, and leave your car until you depart town. There is no way you are going to be able to find anything by car, let alone park anywhere near where you may want to go. In order to acclimate a little, it’s a great idea to take a ride on the Funicular located in the center of town, up the steep slopes to the El Pipila monument, where you will have superb views of the entire town.

Despite a slightly smaller population that SM, Guanajuato has a wide variety of dining and cultural offerings, home to three large Theatres, and scores of bars and eateries that host nightly live music in all genres. No doubt this is due in no small part to the fact that the town is home to some 20,000 students who attend the University of Guanajuato. One interesting and unique site to visit while in town, is the Museo De Las Momias (Museum of the Mummies). These human remains were first dug up from the local cemetery by local authorities in the late 19th Century when they needed to be relocated. They were surprised to find naturally well-preserved mummified remains, apparently due to the mineral content of the soil and dry atmosphere. In any event, the museum is both a wonder and spooky, at least to us Gringos. Mexicans have a different view of death, and celebrate rather than fear the spirits of the deceased. (i.e. The "Day of the Dead" is a huge national holiday every year the first week of November, where families everywhere picnic at the local cemetaries and pay joyous homage to their ancestors). All in all, enjoyed Guanajuato and would recommend it for a short visit.