Category Archives: Travel

Sao Sebastiao Brazil summer festival south america
Brazil, Sao Sebastiao, Travel

São Sebastião | Brazil

São Sebastião: Second pit-stop on our journey to Rio de Janeiro

Per Be and Gabi’s recommendation upon us leaving São Paolo, we were on our way to Ilha Bela, a little island off the coast of São Sebastião, our jumping off point.  So, we bussed it over to São Sebastião from São Paolo and paid for a one-night room at some random little hotel off the main strip on the coast and headed out on the town.  Not the most bustling town but a nice change from the land-locked São Paolo.

Our hunger set-in shortly after arriving and therefore, went on a hunt for bites.  The main drag on the coast was too touristy and expensive for us so we headed away from the water and further into the town.  Turns out, for nearly nothing, you can find a hole-in-the-wall self-serve buffet with seriously some of the most delectable fish, beans and rice that beats any fancy restaurant.  THIS is what I was looking for.

That night happened to be a big summer festival concert by the water, so we briefly checked it out, threw in a couple fist pumps, then loaded up on more beers to bring back to the room and chilled.  Or so we thought.  Apparently, the parking lot right next to our poorly insulated room was the mecca for teenage frivolity, tumultuous engine revving and blaring music.  The party was pretty much inside of our room – as if the walls didn’t exist.   Tomorrow’s early ferry ride is going to feel awesome!

Standard
sao paolo brazil limetime hostel metro vila madalena angry birds soccer museum unique hotel
Brazil, Sao Paolo, Travel

São Paulo | Brazil

São Paulo: Where our Brazil trip begins

You know your trip is going to be amazing when you’re sitting at the Retiro bus station in Buenos Aires and the following happens:

1.  Someone tries to pull the “(tap tap on your shoulder) there’s ketchup on your shirt, here’s a tissue…your hands are free for me for me to take your unattended electronic device from your pocket? Don’t mind if I do” game but luckily, you know better and keep briskly walking because you’ve had a friend experience this first hand and was not so lucky.

2.  You fail to read the departure time on your bus ticket correctly and end up missing your bus to Brazil by a few hours (stupid military 24-hr time) thus feeling too embarrassed to return back to your friend Archie’s house and rather, decide to spend oodles of your pesos on a room at the Marriott Plaza because it just so happened to be across the street from the station.

Well-rested and ON-TIME for our departure the following day, we board our 30+ hour bus ride to São Paolo.  The city had exceeded my expectations and to be honest, I didn’t know exactly what they were.  We had no trouble getting around with their efficient metro system and we were able to get to our hostel, Lime Time Hostel without a hitch.

We had previously agreed on a meeting point to reunite with Trevor, our Buenos Aires roommate, at the Museum of Art (MASP).  Great museum!  Then dealt with some torrential rain, where we ducked into a cafe for half an hour and watched Trevor gleefully play (for the first time) Angry Birds.  Mind you, he has been living abroad for the past 5-6 years sans smart phone so his fascination with the game was so entertaining.

We were graciously hosted by Trevor’s good friends and São Paolo natives, Be and Gabi.  They were wonderful and took us to Vila Madalena, an awesome street full of more bars than the eye can see.  Be’s mom also invited us to lunch at their home the following day.  I can most definitely say that I LOVE Brazilian food, if that’s what I’m assuming Be’s mom had prepared. Nom Nom.  We also visited the top of the Unique Hotel (pronounced ooh-nicki) for some cocktails.  Felt a little under-dressed but I can’t say I cared too much after a few drinks.  It had the best view of São Paolo at night and it’s unique watermelon slice shape had me oohing and ahhing as we walked up.

A few more pit stops:  Soccer stadium – Estadio Municipal Paulo Machado Carvalho (clearly not my choosing but had an surprisingly interesting museum all about the art form of soccer – or fútbol – excuse me), the district of Liberdade (we would call it Japantown) and downtown.

Fun facts I learned while in SP:  1.  Brazil houses the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan, mostly concentrated in São Paolo.  2.  Brazilian children typically live with their parents until they’re married (Be’s mom couldn’t understand why American children are so quick to want to leave at 18).  3.  And the most amazing and fresh juice you’ll ever have can be found in the multitude of juice stands strewn about all over the city.

Two thumbs up.  Thank you to Be, Be’s family and Gabi for your immeasurable hospitality!

Standard
NYE 2011 Buenos Aires Argentina
Argentina, Culture, Travel

NYE 2011 | Buenos Aires

NYE 2011: HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM BUENOS AIRES!

How to ring in 2012:

Champagne? Check.

Sparkly sequin top? Check.

Friends? Check. (Thankfully or that would have been a sad NYE)

Enthusiastic countdown to midnight? Check.

New Year’s Kiss at “HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”? Check.

Party at an 11th floor apartment overlooking Buenos Aires? Check.

Friend passed out on the kitchen floor? Check.

Feel more and more confident speaking Spanish as more and more alcohol is being consumed? Check.

Watch the sun come up from the balcony? Check.

Walking home in broad daylight into 2012? Check.

Standard
Christmas on the farm hughes farm chivilcoy argentina sacrificial lamb horseback riding
Argentina, Culture, Travel

Christmas on the Farm | Chivilcoy, Argentina

Christmas on the Farm: Hughes Family Hospitality

My first Christmas away from home was spent devoid of the suffocating commercialism that we call the holidays; away from the pressure of buying obligatory gifts for white elephants, secret Santas and half relatives you’ve never met prior to Christmas.  Pessimism aside, I did miss being around my family but we were kindly taken in by David’s parents and his brother for the Christmas weekend and we totaled 9 foreigners, us 5 Americans and 4 Australians, who were introduced to farm living.

Being a guest on a 4,000 acre farm has its perks and drawbacks.

Perk:  Ample space to run around and be free as a bird

Drawback: It takes 8 minutes to walk from the kitchen to the picnic table outside, so you’d better not forget the forks!

Perk:  Delicious and fresh home-cooked meals

Drawback:   By fresh, I mean recently killed, right before your eyes and by home-cooked I mean potentially waking up around 9am to assist Mrs. Hughes in some cooking endeavors

Perk:  Horseback riding at sunset along the farm’s perimeter, watching the sky turn purple and pink

Drawback: Horseback riding at sunset along the farm’s perimeter, watching two of your friends fly off their horses in an all-out horse pursuit.

On Christmas Eve’s eve, we awoke early to find that the Gauchos on the farm had slaughtered the sacrificial lamb and we had arrived just in time to watch them skin and gut him.  Silence of the Lamb has taken on an entirely new meaning.  After an entire day of eating nothing but lamb and having plenty leftover, I’m sure I’ll steer clear for a while.  Christmas eve was spent helping Laura, David’s mom, prepare for dinner and a few things for Christmas lunch.  Mr. Hughes took us on a tour of the farm as we were pulled via tractor through the recently harvested wheat and barley fields.  We also learned a lot about the agriculture of soy and corn and clearly saw the passion Mr. Hughes carried for farming. The pool fulfilled our R&R needs and later, as the sun was setting, we embarked on a very brief journey on horseback through the farm. Brief due to  Nick, Kip’s nephew who rode for the first time, having difficulty controlling his horse as he was taken away at lightning speed through the wheat fields.  David chased him on horseback, later resulting in one disheveled, injured gaucho and one distraught gringo.  This was the end of our sunset ride.  At midnight, we all toasted by the fire pit under the stars to Christmas and to David’s birthday.

The following morning was Christmas and we were asked to be up bright and early to help with preparing the outdoor lunch tables before Christmas lunch was served and Laura’s sister and her family arrived to join us.  We ate, we sang, we drank, we indulged in the beautiful summer weather and us Americans skyped with families from back home to wish them a Merry Christmas and gloat about the warmth.  I couldn’t have asked for a more genuine Christmas experience.  Thank you to the Hughes family for making us feel at home!

Standard
Montevideo Uruguay
Travel, Uruguay

Montevideo | Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay: A Rough Start

It’s that time of the year again: visa renewal time. And you know what that means…a trip to Uruguay!  What better way to cross the Rio del Plata than on a nauseating boat ride to Colonia and a then a 3-hour bus ride in the rain to Montevideo.  I truly wish I could have given more credit to the city but Montevideo was slightly underwhelming.  Just another city, much like Buenos Aires but to a much smaller scale, with fewer sights to see, unsatisfying beaches and a less than helpful hostel staff to guide you through the eerily half abandoned city.  I’m sure it was also a factor of many things working against us.  The first day, it rained on and off and everything shuts down much earlier than in Buenos Aires, which we were not expecting and therefore were confined to our hostel most of the night.  The following day, getting antsy and annoyed, we decided to rent bikes and ride out into the pouring rain with gale force winds along the coast for about an hour until finally the rain let up, spending our last few hours in Montevideo cursing the city but at least soaking up what little sun we could.  The bus and boat ride back tested the limits of our stomachs and enforced our appreciation for solid ground. My sanity was kept intact thanks to the efforts of Erika, Daniel, Greg, Kip and Nick.

Standard
Tigre River la quinta san isidro buenos aires parilla
Argentina, Travel

Tigre River and La Quinta | Argentina

Tigre River and La Quinta: Vacations within a vacation

[Original Post: 11/29/11]

The days following Thanksgiving remind me of why I came to Argentina.  To regain my sanity and appreciate life.  We spent all day after Thanksgiving on a river boat, cruising the deltas of the Tigre River in celebration of Vero’s birthday. Natural Huckleberry Finns just floating down the river.  Amigos, sun, beers, a spectacular view of the river and an unshakable feeling of contentment were my surroundings.

And because obviously it would be unjust to end the fun there, the following day we carpooled over to the quaint little town of San Isidro, where our friend David’s grandparents own a gorgeous Quinta, essentially a wonderful weekend home, complete with a pool, parilla (grill),  tennis court, huge lawn to roll around in (for the dog, of course) and several hidden rooms, reminiscent of a house out of a Harry Potter movie.  His grandparents now live in Uruguay, so thankfully we had no one to disturb.  2 days of Quinta R&R, throw in some meat for an asado and 20 bodies in the pool and I’d call that party.  Fue buenissimo!

Standard
mendoza proposal argentina wine country malbec she said yes winery vineyard estance club tapiz
Argentina, Travel

Mendoza Proposal | Argentina

Mendoza Proposal: It All Happened So Quickly…

I won’t divulge too many of the intimate details that led to my hysterical breakdown as a response to being proposed to (it was a ‘yes’ btw) but I will leak the following:

1.  Kip surprised me on our second-to-last day in Mendoza by telling me to pack my things at the hostel.  He had someone pick us up to take us to a wonderful little estancia called Club Tapiz for a day of indulgence, vineyard-side.  I’m a simple girl, with simple needs i.e. a massage, manicure, pedicure, poolside lunch service and AC.  Thankfully, Kip delivered.

2.  Presumably, any normal girl would assume a proposal if her boyfriend requests a candle-lit dinner outside, next to the vineyard.  Welp, cross me off the ‘normal girl’ list because that truly was not my assumption.  I waited 7 years, I just figured I’d have to wait and wait and wait some more-  after grad school, after starting some business, after kids, a dog, a house – yeah I was thinking that far ahead.

3.  No matter how you foresee your reaction to a situation like this, when that moment comes, you never really have a grasp and in my case, you totally lose it. Yet, through the uncontrollable sobs and Kip’s horrified stare, I managed to muster up a “YES, OF COURSE!”.

And in true psychotic girlfriend fashion (now fiancé), I waste no time sharing every detail of the wedding I had already planned a year in the making. In my defense, it’s been 7 years. SEVEN YEARS!  I’m pretty sure he wanted to run right then and there but we just laughed and decided to slow it down a sec, considering we just got engaged 5 minutes ago.

The rest of the night was spent celebrating and skyping the good news to family and friends!

Standard
Mendoza Wine Country Argentina Malbec Mr Hugo's wine bike tour river rafting horseback riding
Argentina, Travel

Mendoza Wine Country | Argentina

Mendoza Wine Country

 

A week in Mendoza offered a week of relaxation, adventure and surprises.  Kip and I decided to splurge on our 12-hour bus ride with Chevallier and get seats labeled “Cama Ejecutivo”, which included leather seats that reclined 180 degrees,  a small individual television and headset, blanket, eye covers, wine service, wi-fi, chocolate and a pastry –  a dinner that was surprisingly too much to finish – and finally, coffee and juices for the morning. The U.S. could learn a little from Argentina about quality bus service.  Greyhound is a joke. We arrived to a sunny and humid Mendoza around 11am the following morning after an all-too comfortable bus ride through the night.  We stayed at Hostel Empedrado for the first night only (which was recommended to me by someone in my first hostel I stayed at in BsAs) since the first hostel we had booked didn’t have the first night available and found it very quaint and perfect for socializing.  While it is quite a few blocks away from the main plaza, it was still less than a 15 minute walk.  We met a few Brits here who we later randomly encountered again on the bus to go wine tasting and ended up forming a fun little group for the bike wine tour. All the more emphasizing why hostels serve such a great purpose! The next day we moved our things to the sister hostel, Hostel Mora, which is a bit more tranquil but just as beautiful and new.

Adventure:

Wine Tasting Bike Tour-  Ask any young person who’s been to Mendoza where and how to go wine tasting and they’ll all tell you one name:  MR. HUGO’S.  This little, yet wildly popular, bike company run by none other than Mr. Hugo himself has made a name for his himself in the traveling community.  Firstly, you need to take a 30-minute local bus ride out to Maipu but fear not, there’s only one bus number  and every bus driver knows where you’re going if you say Mr. Hugo’s.  It was the day after Halloween so our bus was filled with spirited foreigners dressed in wigs, capes and spandex tights which made me sweat just looking at them because it had to have been at least 85 degrees or hotter outside.  Once you arrive at Mr. Hugo’s, you’re somehow no longer in the quiet town of Maipu but in backyard tropical oasis, complete with free pitchers of wine, a bottle of water and party music to set the mood for an entire day of peddling. Starting before 12pm is key because not only are there lots of wineries to see but they’re fairly spaced apart even for biking.  It was suggested to us to go to Familia Di Tomasso first, which is the furthest and the nicest of the wineries and work our way back inwards.  We made it to two wineries and a tiny bohemian beer garden tucked far from the main road before surrendering to the heat  and drunken stupor, thus calling it quits.  Afterwards, more wine awaited us and at the end of the night, Mr. Hugo makes it a point to walk you to the bus stop and wait until the bus arrives. Great business etiquette!

The rest of the week was followed by river rafting and horseback riding in the Andes and venturing out to a club full of locals where a cover band played classic latin rock songs which we pretended to know.  The next post will contain pertinent information about what happens when a 7-year anniversary trip turns into an all-out proposal….

Standard
colonia del sacramento uruguay
Travel, Uruguay

Colonia, Uruguay

Colonia, Uruguay: con Mama y Papa

Colonia. Ah Colonia. A mild and tranquil oasis away from the bustling day-to-day of Buenos Aires.  Just a one-hour ferry ride across the Rio de la Plata and you’ve stepped foot into the territory of Uruguay.  The planning for the trip was fairly easy: 1. Go online, book the tickets through Buquebus 2. Go to the ferry terminal 3. Enjoy a coffee and brief conversation with a Colonia native and professional body builder along with his family while waiting for the arrival of our boat.  You know, the usual. The ride, comfortable.  The journey, smooth.  Customs in Uruguay, a breeze.  Now, how to get to our hostel without having to walk 12 blocks or grab a sparsely available cab?  Solution: rent a golf cart, naturally.  It’s airy, it seats four comfortably, quite easy to maneuver and ridiculously indiscreet but it gets the job done and the streets of Colonia are calm enough to feel confident that you won’t find yourself as road-kill.  The historical town of Colonia is considered a World Heritage Site, restored and preserved to its original 17th Century Portuguese architecture.  Its quaint, cobble-stoned streets and picturesque neighborhood is ideal for a one- to two-day, relaxing getaway but be aware of the prices as the closer you get to the center of the historic square, the higher the prices rocket. It’s tourism at its finest.  After spending more than we had liked for lunch on the first day, Kip and I decided to buy pizza from a local pizza shop and a couple bottles of wine for dinner to bring back to my parents at the hostel and it turned out to be much more pleasant of a meal knowing we had spent significantly much less than at lunch. The company was, of course, enjoyable as always!

The sites are limited but beautiful.  Being as small as Colonia is, everything you need to see can be done in a day:  The lighthouse tower, which you can climb up for a small fee, will give you breathtaking views of Colonia and the Rio de la Plata.  The Plaza de Toros, which is a 10-15 minute drive up the coast in our little ol’ cart, is the site of an old bullfighting ring which had been abandoned and is now closed off to the public but obviously is not regulated well by the looks of the disheveled fence prohibiting visitors.  The church and the drawbridge evoke images of the beginnings of a small village or town and the many vista points near the coast and beaches are perfect for photo ops.  All in all, it was a wonderful mini vacation from our vacation and I’m sure my parents enjoyed riding in the back of the golf cart while Kip drove! Colonia: two thumbs up.

Standard
sushi hostel arrabal malbec wine buenos aires argentina
Argentina, Travel

Argentine Sushi | A night of wine and Winehouse

Argentine Sushi – a questionable cuisine

After viewing two apartments today, snagging an interview on Monday for a camp counselor position in an English Immersion program and booking two more apartment viewings for tomorrow, I joined some of my hostel mates in splurging for some “sushi” (if you call cream-cheese filled rolls even that) tonight for dinner. Between 6 of us, we ordered 3 trays of 30-piece sushi and went to the corner store to buy 4 bottles of wine, Malbec being two of them, of course and went to town. I can’t even begin to explain how interesting this dinner was. For starters, there were at least 4 different languages being thrown around at once. There was a couple from Brazil, the guy was Japanese but spoke Portuguese, Spanish and English and his Brazilian girlfriend spoke Portuguese and Spanish but no English. There was the German girl, Carine, who spoke German with the girl from Holland, Wanda, but also interchanged between Spanish and English, which they were fluent in both. Then there was me and Leelah, from Missouri. We both spoke Spanish and English (although my Spanish was questionable), so you can only imagine the hodge podge of tongues being spoken at that dinner table. The funniest part was having to find out about Amy Winehouse’s death today in Spanish. I thought, at first, I was mistaken in what I had heard, perhaps they had wished she was dead? But it was confirmed with both enthusiasm and sympathy that the news was, in fact, true. The rest of the night was reserved for hustling in pool! I found it very useful that the Brazilian girl didn’t speak English because I was forced out of my comfort zone in order to make any attempts to converse with her.

Standard