Day One Hundred and Thirty-Three: Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
The Pisa chronicles continue: Bizarre and beautiful preserved animals at the Natural History Museum housed outside the city at Certosa di Calci. Delightful visits to the “laboratories” of companies dedicated to the art and pleasure of high quality desserts: De’ Coltelli gelato and DeBondt Cioccolato artisan chocolates. Perfectly melded tradition and gastronomic ingenuity at ZenZero Pizza. Ted: “Today in Pisa, among other things, I tasted Lime-Ginger Gelato, local hand-crafted Spelt Beer, and black truffle + bacon + quail egg pizza. Not to mention pistachio-Gelato sandwiches, fine chocolate tasting, granita with cream, and baked garbanzo bean (cecina) w/ roast beef sandwiches. I am one lucky duck.” Speaking of Lucky Ducks: This UO Alumnae was featured today on the Architecture & Allied Arts site. It’s true…after all those dreams, we’re living in grand reality and so thankful for the ride.
Day One Hundred and Thirty-Two: Monday, May 14th, 2012
A full day that went a little something like this: Train from Bologna > Firenze > Pisa. Check bags in storage. Bus to the Leaning Tower for a two-hour tour with our friendly Walks of Italy guide. Visit the Cathedral and the Cemetery, climb the famous Steps for the view from the top. Bus back to the station. Grab bags. Meet up with local friend, Kinzica. Head home in time for homemade porcini pappardelle then explore the other side of Pisa and surrounds. Hidden staircases and crazy pigeons. Rooftops. Sunsets.Aperitivos, craft beer, and seafood. Old cities. New friends. Lifelong memories.
People to Remember: Kinzica and Alessandro: we met Kinzica at TBU in April and were so glad to connect again on her home soil. She and her boyfriend, Alessandro, have been so warm and welcoming, and we hope to one day return the hospitality in Oregon.
Day One Hundred and Thirty-One: Sunday, May 13th, 2012
Rainy in Bologna. It felt almost like Portland, except the buzz online said that Portland was basking in sunshine. Tried for the little French cafe with its reputation reminiscent of Amelie, but no such luck finding the place open on a weekend. (Still haven’t figured that one out. Though Guy Patterson’s dad may be proud.) Instead, packed up life at the Blogville apartment and prepared for the coming week of hopping around. Took Ted on a date to a perfectly charming hole in the wall on a little crooked backstreet; dinner without a written menu, good conversation over local wine, the perfect farewell to our temporary hometown. Also: Mother’s day Skype sessions. Great to talk with our moms and see a few familiar faces on the screen!
People to Remember: The kind restaurant owner: funny glasses hanging around his neck, halting words and thick accent, smiles and pride beaming from the kitchen.
Day One Hundred and Thirty: Saturday, May 12th, 2012
Day trip to…Verona! (Wanted to say “Day trip two to…Verona!”, but I thought that sounded cheesy, so I left it out.) Honestly, though, the trains here make it so easy to zip around visiting cities and their sights. Less than an hour from Bologna, and there we were. About a year ago, during movie night with the gals at our apartment complex, I watched the super-super-cheesy movie, “Letters to Juliet.” Little did I know that a year later I’d be visiting the very spot. Truly though, Ted and I both spent many happy school years studying Shakespeare with good friends and great teachers; it’s been a treat to see the land of plays come to life.
Day One Hundred and Twenty-Nine: Friday, May 11th, 2012
Day trip to…Milan! Skipped fashion and went straight for architecture and art with Walks of Italy. Made it to visit Saint Ambrose Basilica and San Maurizio al Manastero Maggiore (the gorgeous “Sistine Chapel of Milan”), then walked through the double-sealed corridor to see Da Vinci’s Last Supper. An unexpectedly moving experience.
Day One Hundred and Twenty-Eight: Thursday, May 10th, 2012
Spent the day on food and opera and architecture in Parma, Italy and surrounds. Oh heavens, what a trip. Visited Guiseppe Verdi’s birthplace, lovely historic opera houses, and Verdi’s lovely self-designed landscape at his country home. The Parmesan cheese production here is legendary. Old tools and equipment on display. Centuries of fine-tuned methods. (We thought a lot about our milk farmer, Charlotte, back in Oregon; we must spend more time on cheesemaking when we get home.) And then the pork products: incredible cured, aged Culatello meat and accompanying wines at the Spigaroli family’s 700 year old Antica Corte Pallavicina castle. Dinner to end the night at Al Cavallino Bianco.
Day One Hundred and Twenty-Seven: Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
Signed our confidentiality papers and stepped foot onto the Lamborghini production line out in the countryside of Sant’Agata Bolognese. Eye opening factory tour; really great to see human beings working on fine-tuned details. The craftsmanship = impeccable. Their museum was a kick, too. Beautiful models on the floor and on the walls. Bus ride back through the green fields and into the city of Bologna. We’d be lying if we said that all this fun didn’t take it out of us. Confession: two hour afternoon nap.
People to Remember: Alice and her friend Emiliano: we met up for dinner and drinks and shot the breeze about sports and photography and Patagonia…
Day One Hundred and Twenty-Six: Tuesday, May 8th, 2012
Incredible. One of those overused words, but today it really does fit the bill. You’d have to see it to believe it, so here it is: twoOregonains at Lamborghini Driving Academy 2012. And here. And here. And here. And more coming, too, on the blog. My best tweet from the day? “The only thing that could possibly be as cool as Ted getting schooled at #lamboacademy would be me at CIA training camp with Sydney Bristow.” And that’s pretty much the truth. Extreme International Adventure. Cutting Edge of Danger. Hero at the End of the Day.
Day One Hundred and Twenty-Five: Monday, May 7th, 2012
Spent the day amping up for the Lamborghini Driving Academy 2012 welcome evening. What a kick-off, complete with classmates from around the world, cocktails and aperitivos, driving theory lessons, and mouthwatering dinner prepared at a fabulous Trattoria hidden away in the hills at Savigno (Città del Tartufo). Ted signed the paperwork to sit behind the wheel at tomorrow’s on-the-track event… The nerves and excitement might be too much to bear. We’ll see if he gets any sleep!
Day One Hundred and Twenty-Four: Sunday, May 6th, 2012
Sunday morning off to a good start: our housemate Niccola made lovely coffees for the crew as we spent the day recuperating from a busy week. Said our farewells to a few Blogville housemates Tom from London and Jess from Florence, and welcomed new arrival, Mr. Turtle, world-traveling-Aussie-extraordinaire. Finished out the night with a game of Canasta (see day eighty-seven and following for cruise-ship flashbacks) and another of Ted’s amazing Italian meals… One hyphenated word: fried-Parmesan-cheese.
Day One Hundred and Twenty-Three: Saturday, May 5th, 2012
Started the day with a wander through Bologna’s weekend market. Note: buying fresh flowers is the best sort of thing to do with Euros. Nick (Blogville mastermind) invited the entire gang of travelers out to the coast to become better acquainted with his proverbial (and near literal) back yard. (It was actually his mother’s front yard, but who’s keeping track?) Two Euro gelatos three times the size of tourist portions made a perfect lunch. Spent a leisurely afternoon in Cesenatico, a town famous for Leonardo da Vinci’s port canal design. Ted found another chance to eat deep fried shrimp after spending a solid hour on the pier watching sailboats and fighter jets put on a candid show.
People to Remember: Nick’s mom Karin, girlfriend Roberta, and hometown friends Davide, Martina, Mattia, and Giulia – all quintessentially Italian and genuinely cheery to meet. Alfredo the slobbery basset hound really stole the show, though, and now Ted’s convinced he wants one as a puppy upon return home.
Day One Hundred and Twenty-Two: Friday, May 4th, 2012
Quite the foray to Forlimpopoli, Forlì, and Bertinoro. Dipped our hands in egg and flour for pasta making lessons at Casa Artusi’s culinary school. (See slightly embarrassing video of us geeking out over cute little noodles!) Visited the Wildt Exhibit at Musei San Domenico. Drank beautiful Albana white from Celli Winery, and returned to Bologna by the light of a gorgeous sunset. The busy days keep coaxing us into adventure; hard to keep up with sorting photos and stories…
Day One Hundred and Twenty-One: Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
Quiet day in Bologna. Ted and I enjoyed roaming the streets together, ducking into shops in search of new jeans. Mine are just about threadbare at this point. (Hey, travelers are hard on their four pieces of clothing.) Success? Ted: one. Bethany: zero. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy…but, it’s a university city, and it seems like there could be more places to look later on this weekend. New housemates Tom and Jess arrived today. Tomorrow: tagliatelle pasta making!
Day One Hundred and Twenty: Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
Blogville Press Conference: The Emilia-Romagna Tourism Board hosted 25+ tourism and journalism professionals at our Bologna Blogville Apartment. We were honored to join the panel of travel bloggers involved in partnering with the region to promote lesser known sides of Italy. Last night with one of our new best travel buddies and apartment roomies, Angie. The downside to travel is meeting so many lovely people and then parting ways… Good news, though! Heard word that our friends Jenna and Evan visited our favorite baker in Buenos Aires today (see day #74). The world is big, but the world is so small.
Day One Hundred and Nineteen: Tuesday, May 1st, 2012
Fast cars, ancient history, slow food: Ferrari Museums, Modena, and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar tastings today. Blown away by 300 kilometer an hour vehicles, ancient stone work, and 250+ year old artisan vinegar aging barrels…
People to Remember: Alessio, our guide who is living his dream: working for Ferrari after visiting the museum seventeen times on his own before eventually being hired as an employee. Talk about passion and knowledge!
Day One Hundred and Eighteen: Monday, April 30th, 2012
Unexpected afternoon of relaxation today in Bologna at Terme S. Petronion Atalgik Spa. Something akin to a water aerobics, physiotherapy, and health center complete with steam room, sauna, and – most importantly – kickboards. Physical unwinding and emotional encouragement after spending time in great conversation with Angie (fellow traveler, writer, and Blogville housemate). Plus, Ted is a rockstar and took the MacBook to the Apple store and got a replacement battery. Hello, revived machine! Tonight: feasting on local salami, bread, olives, artichokes, and cheeses with newly arrived housemates Asgeri and Nicola, catching up on chats with my dear friend Jenna who is currently traveling in South America, and marveling at how well God weaves stories and lives together…
Day One Hundred and Seventeen: Sunday, April 29th, 2012
Work today: catching up on emails and posts, battling with wifi troubles and shifting gears on the chronology of blog posts. Glad for parting conversations with Kash and Jodi as they head off to their next adventures; what an unexpected surprise to spend time with such lovely people here in Bologna. Ted whipped up dinner and we feasted on Italian food…in Italy. How picture perfect is that?!
Day One Hundred and Sixteen: Saturday, April 28th, 2012
First day out and about in Emilia-Romagna: visited Castello Estense in Ferrara, rode bikes and broke our no-gelato streak in “little-Venice” (Commachio, Italy), feasted on bowls of deep fried shrimp and anchovies (Ted earned the title “shrimpface“), and spent the afternoon meandering through the Po Delta wetlands. Evening rest-up session. Terrible tourist pizza experience ameliorated by a successful hunt for Jodi’s gluten-free gelato and a nighttime roam of Bolgona’s bustling streets. What a privilege to be at home in this pleasant city.
Day One Hundred and Fifteen: Friday, April 27th, 2012
Wide awake at five in the morning to catch our train to #blogville a.k.a. our new home base in Bologna, Italy. For the next stretch of time, we’ll be living in a downtown apartment in the heart of this Northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna… We zipped up the tracks for a few hours, snoozing in between station stops. Upon arrival we began the art form of settling in: Ted made the bed and worked on laundry, I straightened the dishes and fiddled with the pantry. (More beautiful meat, cheese, pasta, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and basil plants: all provided by our host!) Enjoyed a mellow evening, dining on delicious home cooked food with apartment-mates Kash, Jodi, Angie, Vago, and Jane.
Day One Hundred and Fourteen: Thursday, April 26th, 2012
It’s official. One week in Italy without gelato. (Unbelievable for a girl who not once, but twice, shamelessly bought €10, 10 flavor cones in Rome.) Instead, we’ve been feasting on the most incredible produce, wine, meats, cheeses, pastas, and desserts. No appetite left for gelato, if you can believe it. Today, Walks of Italy sent us on an all day affair at Il Fontanaro Agritourismo in Paciano. Cooking lessons, harvesting fresh herbs and fruits from the garden, Umbrian wine introductions from a master sommelier, olive oil tastings and small scale production tour, history of local honeybees, and an afternoon meal in the garden glasshouse… Norah Jones and near nap time on the ride back to Santa Maria. Dinner and behind the scenes with the chef at San Crispeno / Assisi Wellness Spa & Resort (see day #109).
People to Remember: Lucia and Alina, two beautiful women of Italy devoted to their land, their family, and their life’s work.
Day One Hundred and Thirteen: Wednesday, April 25th, 2012
Morning bus ride to Narni. Full on medieval town shining in costume and color. Impressive Umbrian hospitality and regional pride: over one hundred volunteers from the city prepared and served our conference group lunch following a warm welcome, medieval demonstration, and city tour. Bittersweet to part with our TBU friends at the close of the afternoon. Travelers scattered in all directions: North to Pisa, Milan, Bologna (where we head Friday), South to Rome, and off to far corners beyond Italian soil. We returned to Santa Maria with friends Meg and Tony (see day #51). Dinner meetup in Assisi with Giordano and Laura (day #109). Much laughter and food talk… G&L told the four of us, “We’ve never before met Americans who talk so much about food!” We’ll take that badge and wear it with pride.
Day One Hundred and Twelve: Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
The skies made good on their threat of rain but didn’t dampen our spirits. We followed our guide down trails at the Alviano WWF Nature Reserve, viewing birds of Europe and Africa and catching snapshots on iPhones. Lunch at renown Sala della Comitissa. Seven courses, six wines, three+ hours of personalized dining. Each ingredient is sourced carefully, locally; every dish handmade. No menus, simply seasonal food at its finest. Afternoon tour through the hilltop Etruscan city of Orvieto. Impressive Duomo and frescoes. Wish we could’ve stayed longer, but whisked away to LaPenisola for regional olive and wine tasting followed by another multi-course meal: first plate served at 10pm. Went to bed too full to imagine eating one more bite.
Day One Hundred and Eleven: Monday, April 23nd, 2012
First day exploring Umbria, Italy on our post-conference tour. Really, we were both so surprised to discover a countryside that reminded us both of home in Oregon. Rolling green hills, vineyards, John Deere tractors… Morning visit and tasting at Monte Vibiano Winery; Ted loved taking a turn driving an electric farm cart around the property. Unforgettable lunch at one of the region’s fine agritourismos – serving organic foods tended completely from soil to table. Afternoon tour of Città della Pieve and viewing of original Perugino works (!!). Mels Belles would be proud.
Day One Hundred and Ten: Sunday, April 22nd, 2012
Helpful sessions, tasty Italian food, and cappuccino/hot tea pick me ups at coffee breaks. Ended the day over red wine and conversation with pleasant company; couldn’t ask for more.
People to Remember: Too many to count. Twitter friends now linked with real life smiles. More new faces to find online. And of course Patricia and Leonello, our B&B hosts…
Day One Hundred and Nine: Saturday, April 21st, 2012
Beautiful day: more time with new and old travel friends, an afternoon tour and massages (our backs are crying thank you, thank you!) at Assisi Wellness Li Dimore di San Crispino. Lovely place; no wonder Dolce and Gabbana and Giorgio Armani designers have come here to escape and work through design charrettes. Dinner and an evening with renowned photographer Steve McCurry at Hotel Brufani Palace, in Perugia.
People to Remember: Giordano and Laura and their stories of life and food in Italy and around the world...
Day One Hundred and Nine: Friday, April 20th, 2012
TBU Day One: Blogging conference; no time for blogging. Catching up with a few favorite smiling faces, traipsing along the streets of Assisi, feasting on beautiful artisan meats and cheeses, watching a medieval flag twirling performance, dining with new friends, and making our way blinding through a dark field on the way back to the B&B…
Day One Hundred and Eight: Thursday, April 19th, 2012
Goodbye, Spain! Such a treat to have spent the past two weeks with familiar friends from home. Packed our bags again, played a farewell round of putt-putt golf with M&T, and hopped a flight from Malaga to Rome. I will say, Vueling provided one of the better in-flight magazines I’ve ever browsed; it almost made up for the 3.5″ of legroom. Our shuttle from Rome to Assisi turned out to be a full-size bus, equating to half a dozen seats per person for the eight of us on board. Made it to our bed and breakfast in the countryside. Tomorrow: Travel Bloggers Unite.
People to Remember: A different sort of remembrance this time. Today we learned that a kind and loving friend from home passed away suddenly, and we’re remembering his family, friends, and faith community in our prayers…
Day One Hundred and Seven: Wednesday, April 18th, 2012
We split for the day; Ted stayed back at the resort to rest, and I jumped in the passenger seat as Mike and Tracy and I headed down the highway for Gibraltar, Tarifa, and Cadiz. Squinted our eyes at the road maps, drank coffee to the sounds of Superman in Spanish, polished off the catch of the day, watched ships off the West/Atlantic coast (sounds funny, growing up near the Pacific), squirreled the car down windy streets, and made it back in time to finish season two…
Day One Hundred and Six: Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
It’s ladybug season in the south of Spain. “This one’s five years old,” the little girl said. “It has five spots.” Went for another “Real English Breakfast” this morning; all the places here in Calahonda cater to Brits on holiday. Snagged a hair cut this afternoon. The travel ‘do was getting mangy. I like the ease of the short style, but I keep waking from dreams of it being long again. What’s that silly saying? “You can have everything, just not all at once.” Ted’s still resting. I’m doing my best to keep him sustained with the lemon ginger tea and milk and muesli from the store. His sore throat settled into his chest, and he’s feeling chilled. Chin up, at least we’ve World War I dramas to take our minds off the trouble.
Day One Hundred and Five: Monday, April 16th, 2012
Ted’s feeling under the weather, so M&T went to Rhonda on their own and the two of us stayed back at the resort to rest. I used the cafe wifi long enough to post the latest photo collection from the trip. We’ll only admit to six episodes of Downton Abbey today; mainly because the seventh was started after midnight.
Day One Hundred and Four: Sunday, April 15th, 2012
A day of rest. Naptimes and reading. The guys made dinner for us girls and then pulled out disk one of Downton Abbey from the rental bag. Mike and Tracy were good enough to re-watch the show (since they, along with the rest of the Western World, have already seen every episode), and three hours later Ted and I had made a small dent in catching up on pop culture. It’s probably not safe to start this kind of addiction on the road. (Incidentally, the opening scene was on April 15th, 1912 – one hundred years ago to the day.)
Day One Hundred and Three: Saturday, April 14th, 2012
Day two at the Alhambra. The Rain in Spain is falling mainly on us, and unlike the crowds, we Oregonians are doing fine without umbrellas. Residents are grateful for relief from the drought. We wandered the crooked streets of Granada and snatched wine and sandwiches from the corner store before afternoon coffees, hot chocolates, and bakery specialties. The evening drive to Marbella wound us through olive country: grey leaves and gnarled wood over rolling hills of red. Evening swim and sauna with a group of Finnish folks on holiday at the resort. Ted and Mike spent two hours hunting down dinner in a town that closes on Saturday nights (!?).
Day One Hundred and Two: Friday, April 13th, 2012
Woke to a 5am alarm; the four of us piled into the car, set off on the highway, and made it to Granada, Spain by 1pm. My history of landscape architecture classes buzzed to life as we walked the grounds of the Alhambra. Mesmerizing water courses. Intricate craftsmanship. I couldn’t help thinking of my professor, Kenny Helphand, and of my studio-mates Brynn and Jay who visited this beautiful Spanish citadel in previous years. A Moroccan feast for dinner, and a wander home up crooked streets to the sights of illuminated towers and the sounds of joyful troubadours.
Day One Hundred and One: Thursday, April 12th, 2012
A quiet day on the coast of Spain. Afternoon sangria and a taste of homemade limoncello. We drove to another series of ruins down near the sea and happened to meet a collared-shirt wearing long distance trekker coming up from the south. Ted invited him to join us for dinner, and a few hours later, we found ourselves eating seafood and swapping stories of trekking, picking up hitchhikers, and staying in touch with friends from home.
People to Remember: Jason, who left Michigan for Normandy, France in June of 2011 and trekked the entire Atlantic and Mediterranean coast from there to here with nothing more than a 12lb. sack. He’s on his eleventh pair of cheap tennis shoes, he caries his two walking sticks, a tarp for shelter, and a tablet with solar charger. He trekked the Appalachian Trail and he started north from Mexico on the Pacific Crest Trail and stopped off in the Sierra Nevadas just shy of reaching Oregon. He plans to make it from here to the Pyrenees by May and then cut back across to the Atlantic to see what adventure is around the next corner…
Day One Hundred: Wednesday, April 11th, 2012
Ten times ten days. Not sure if that sounds like a lot or a little, but it’s felt like the world. Spent our one hundredth day of travel with Mike and Tracy on their visit to Spain. Woke up in an architect’s house (we love airbnb.com!); ate a breakfast of champions, then off to Park Guell (this time sans the downpour from day ninety-five) and a long afternoon exploring La Sagrada de Familia. Mom was right; Gaudi’s project is stunning. His creative responses to influences of nature and faith are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Generally, I don’t care much for his aesthetics, but wow. Those columns! (I think one of his quotes went something like this: “This tree outside my workshop, this is my master.”) At the rest-stop half way through the late afternoon drive from Barcelona to Peñíscola, Mike met a local wine distributor and was given a bottle of red. We shared it with joy over para llevar pizzas and discussed imaginary dinner party roundups. Mike won the most laughs for his table of legends including Antoni Gaudi, the Apostle Paul, Sean Connery, and Michael Landon. Meanwhile, Ted won ridicule for his choice of anchovy toppings. Salty fish aside, what a treat to spend our hundredth day on the road marveling at incredible design and enjoying the company of wise and hilarious friends from Oregon. We are blessed.
Day Ninety-Nine: Tuesday, April 10th, 2012
We returned to Barcelona via a visit to Tarragona, one of the oldest cities in all of Spain. Home to Roman settlers over two centuries before the birth of Christ, the city eventually grew to hold a beautiful cathedral complex (c. 1154) located on the site of an old Roman temple. We wandered the streets and ordered cafe con leche from the coffee house near the university. I ate a bikini for lunch (yes, it’s true) while the rest enjoyed bratwurst and omelets (not together; that would be questionable). The cathedral housed a beautiful art collection. Tracy especially loved this 15th century painted/carved wood piece. As a side note, it’s funny to return to Western art history in such a snap; a strange sensation on the heels of our time in Latin America. Fast forward past our group’s 70 euro parking ticket: with Mike as driver and Ted as navigator, w arrived (for the second time in a week) in Barcelona. Tonight, beelines down the map routes. A visit to Iglesia de Santa Maria del Mar. More coffee in the plaza. Tapas and eighties music (and faux eighties music…you should have seen the silly grins on our face when Electric Youth’s “A Real Hero” came across the speakers). Ted and Mike ventured back out in the midnight rain for beers and cigars. Tomorrow: day one hundred on the road and the much-anticipated visit to La Sagrada de Familia.
People to Remember: the fellow who served us lunch and spoke bashful (but terrific) English…and Catalon, and Spanish, and French that he learned in immersion school and practiced with the local Senegalese immigrants.
Day Ninety-Eight: Monday, April 9th, 2012
A quiet day for one half of twoOregonians: I stayed back to work on playing computer catch-up after nearly three weeks of being off wifi for the ship crossing, etc. Ted had an adventure, joining Mike and Tracy for a day of exploring northward up the Spanish coastline. They found their way to an ancient castle, and rumor has it they hiked the hill and scrambled over ruins in Toms shoes and sandals. Hardcore, this bunch!
Day Ninety-Seven: Sunday, April 8th, 2012
Easter Sunday! Beautiful sunshine over the Mediterranean waters. Explored the ancient castle on the nearby peninsula. Such a history: 13th century Moorish citadel, inhabited and modified by the Knights Templar then later by want-to-be-pope, “Papa Luna,” and eventually visited by Charlton Heston and Sophia Lauren for the filming of El Cid. Spanish families out in droves. Kiddos and teenagers. Rental bikes and restaurants popping at the seams. The four of us shared a pitcher of Sangria and an hour of people watching. Mike found a hidden bit of rocky shoreline and we sat for another hour in the afternoon sun. Early 10pm dinner at Cabo Wabo complete with lively crowds watching the Madrid/Valencia soccer match.
Day Ninety-Six: Saturday, April 7rd, 2012
A shorter day in Barcelona before heading south to Peñíscola with Mike and Tracy. Ted and I enjoyed a bit of wandering while M&T went on the walking tour. Popped into bookstores, visited La Catedral and admired the gothic architecture and white geese, and sat in the sunshine on the waterfront. We’ll be back in the city again on Tuesday/Wednesday. Jammed our bags into the rental car and set out south… Ted played navigator, Mike drove, and we made it 95% of the way before resorting to asking the local fire station for directions to a mystery road. Ask and you shall receive…a fireman escort. No flashing lights or red truck, but the kind guy did lead the way in his little car for several kilometers before pointing us to our final turn and driving off into the sunset. Arrived as night fell on the coastal town, dropped our bags, and went in search of paella.
People to Remember: The bow-tied book store owner exclaiming with passion his praises for “incredible!” gardens in India, calling home for his wife to help him remember a name of a hotel, and running to the back of the store to look up the English word for “cabbage.”
Day Ninety-Five: Friday, April 6th, 2012
Arrival: Barcelona, Spain. One last meal of eggs benedict, pineapple juice, and a morning cappuccino on the ship, and then we carried our bags back to reality on shore and were promptly flagged by customs for a thorough search. Imagine: cinch bags and compression sacks undone and rummaged through in a tiny room…welcome to Europe! At least they didn’t confiscate my Bolivian chocolate… Connected with our apartment host, dropped our bags, hiked the hill to Park Guell in time for a massive rainstorm on a sea of umbrellas, went for a walking tour at the recommendation of Claude and Marie, then joined the crowds in the streets for the Semana Santa/Good Friday procession. What a contrast between snap happy camera bearers and the deeply introspective, mournful women dressed in black and carrying candles down the streets, making way for the statue of a dead Christ in Mary’s arms. The city streets buzzed on. We connected a few hours later with our friends Mike and Tracy who arrived from Oregon, and the four of us set out for an evening of tapas and gelato in the Gothic Quarter.
People to Remember: Keith and Taunesha, travelers from Oregon on the walking tour.
Day Ninety-Four: Tuesday, April 5rd, 2012
Final full day on the ship. Spa soaks and farewells to new friends. We enjoyed our last on-board dinner upstairs at the Polo Grill overlooking the stars and the still water…
People to Remember: Our waiter, Wilner from the Philippines, who shocked us with his incredible knowledge of the Portland Trailblazers’ players and coaches and news from the nineties until now. He leaves the ship to fly home this weekend; he’s been working out at sea for six months and his wife’s having their second baby girl in just a few days.
Day Ninety-Three: Wednesday, April 4rd, 2012
Left the Atlantic Ocean and entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar. Surreal to be floating our way between the landmasses of Africa and Europe, both easily visible over both sides of the ship…
Day Ninety-Two: Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
Port call: Casablanca, Morocco. Black and White visions melted into colorful real-life in this coastal region of Northeast Africa. The little outpost of covert gambling and prop planes made famous by Humphrey and Ingrid is now the fourth largest city on the entire continent and home of the world’s largest man-made port. Accompanied our friends Claude and Marie on shore – thankfully, they both speak French and Claude speaks a bit of Arabic. Wove our way through the streets and stalls of the Medina and went as far as the door to the Grand Mosque (second-largest in the world after Mecca). Enjoyed Moroccan mint tea. Happened across the cheesy Rick’s Cafe that some enterprising owner opened near the tourist route. Returned to the ship for dinner: Ted ordered three of the five appetizers on the menu (but skipped the soup and salad – so maybe it evened out?). The best by far: my order of escargot smothered in butter and garlic. One shared bite with Ted and he decided to add the fourth appetizer to his order. Movie night back in our room: His Girl Friday. They don’t make Cary Grants like they used to.
Day Ninety-One: Monday, April 2nd, 2012
Port call: Canary Islands. (That sounds so much more romantic than “Arrecife, Lanzarote.”) The first steps around the city revealed blue and white drenched in fleeting golden-morning rays of sunshine. Few birds: no canaries, just a pigeon or two and the slim white stork-looking thing poking his way along the rocky shoreline. Hiked to the far end of the pier, watched a few men fishing. Peered out at the baby-blue horizon that faded seamlessly into the sky. (No, stork and baby mean nothing. The words just came out that way.) Walked the city streets for a few hours, found a few nice bottled beverages for a steal (including pink champagne to replicate the drinks from An Affair to Remember), and made our way back to the ship in time for departure and an afternoon nap on deck looking out across the flat blue seascape. More afternoon Canasta. Passing conversations with ship crew about their soon-coming vacations. Wow, have they earned it. They work so incredibly hard and provide outstanding service. It’s like having a ship full of Gaskins. (Beverley Nichols, anyone?) Thinking with wonder about how this long-dreamed-of voyage is only three short days from being over.
Day Ninety: Sunday, April 1st, 2012
Pulled an all-nighter. Terrible sleep schedules. The NCAA games ended in the wee hours of the morning, and we thought we might as well stay awake until morning coffee. Small price to pay for a sunrise view over the Atlantic. Attended the morning church service led by the on-board magician (though maybe they should advertise that their magic shows are run by the on-board pastor?); watched another culinary demonstration, sat for morning tea with Betty, and then retired for a nice, long nap. Afternoon Canasta with Claude and Marie, dinner on the back deck watching dolphins jump in the calm waters. Tonight, we’re watching An Affair to Remember. Cary Grant, glamorous ship scenes, and room service soon to appear with late night snacks and ice cream.
Day Eight-Nine: Saturday, March 31st, 2012
Slept till noon. (Though, with all the recent time changes, it still feels a bit like nine or ten…) Lunch in the grand dining room; afternoon post card writing and photo sorting on the tenth floor. Wondering about the differences observing 180+ degree views of vast horizons from the comforts of an elegant sitting room as opposed to a 360 degree view from the deck of a fifteenth century tub of wood tossed in the empty seas. Ted played Canasta with Claude and Marie while I slept in effort to run away from a nasty head and eye ache. Dinner: Ted went for peking duck; I tried the Cape Verdian Wahoo – fish that sounded better on the menu than it tasted in real life…but hey, it’s an experience! Tonight, Ted’s watching NCAA March Madness Final Four games via on board satellite TV, and we’re re-watching Revolutionary Road on DVD. The movie brings sobering flashbacks of trip-planning years and fears…
Day Eighty-Eight: Friday, March 30th, 2012
Port call: Mindelo, Cape Verde, Island of Sao Vincente. Hired a guide and driver to take us on an eye opening three hour drive around the small island. Years of drought and a weak food system have taken their toll: the land is dry, industries seem withered. We took a surprise swim in the teal island waters and made it back to the ship in time for afternoon tea. Watched the islands fade away behind us as our ship continued chugging north through blue waters. Evening hot tub soak under white lights strung above the pool deck and the half moon hanging high in the sky.
Day Eight-Seven: Thursday, March 29th, 2012
Third straight day at sea; no land in sight. Room service breakfast of freshly baked croissants and pineapple juice perked us up enough to sit through the on-board spiel about future sailings with our cruise line. Fun to daydream about voyages through the Black Sea or the South Pacific, but prices snap us back to reality. We’re in the middle of a two-week daydream, and we’ll soon be roused and back to living on a modest travel budget. Highlights today: the grand afternoon event where we were treated to classical music and requisite cruise line ice sculptures in addition to daily high tea on the high seas. Our hopes for classy card playing are alive again after the fizzled Bridge experience: Claude and Marie taught us Canasta. Tomorrow: Cape Verde. I remember singing the name of the islands during countless Africa Geography Songs repetitions. They sounded so intriguing. Tomorrow, we’ll set foot on land.
People to Remember: Rita and Felix and their stories of life in Ireland, the Philippines, and Delaware.
Day Eighty-Six: Wednesday, March 28th, 2012
One week on board and not even half way through the sailing. Truly we are in the middle of the ocean. Today: 764 nautical miles off the coast of Natal, Brazil and 712 nautical miles from our next port of call, Porto Grande, Cape Verde. Riding the stationary bike in front of a floor length window, I pedaled for several miles toward the blue horizon, trying in vain to offset the intake of calories. The food on this ship: beyond every expectation. Today’s cooking demonstration by Executive Chef Renald Macouin of France and Toscana Chef Parmaissur Mahapratabsing from Mauritius made me miss my little Portland kitchen once again… Ted spotted a dolphin doing backflips above the ocean. Tried returning to writing this afternoon; relaxation has certainly knocked me off my rhythm. Afternoon tea…an early dinner…another slightly ridiculous evening show…followed by room service cheese plate and tea for two. We’re watching Into the Wild tonight, thinking of Paul Pastor, Darian Pike, and our other brave-hearted adventuring friends. Seeing footage of Oregon fir and pine trees growing on green hillsides made me almost choke up a little bit… Second time change in a row. Lost an hour last night, and we lose another tonight. Still making up our minds about the pros and cons of ship-lag over jet-lag.
People to Forget: The impatient, demanding couple sitting at the neighboring dinner table who could only leer at our plates and eventually bark at the waitstaff: “Wie wuld lyke auer deesirt now and naut for brickfest!”
Day Eighty-Five: Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
Much too much to eat. This past week added up. Skipped breakfast, rested late, emerged in time to see the beginnings of the equator crossing ceremony and then ducked downstairs in favor of lunch over sea-creature-kissing exercises. (Crossing that invisible red line on the cruise ship is apparently excuse for a very disturbing geriatric hazing practice involving annointings by pink-tinted water and line-ups for the privilege of smooching a fake fish.) Spent the afternoon cleaning up my computer hard drive; photos are eating up space! Delicious dinner, though company was dour for the first time on the trip. It’s challenging to listen to comparisons and complaints when they’re coming from people seemingly blind to their own privilege. Gracious gratitude goes so very far. Back in our stateroom, we completed Master and Commander, watching Russell Crowe sail his way around South America. The rocking of the scenes on TV paired with the rocking of the ship made for a bit of vertigo, but other than that, we’ve escaped sea sickness thus far.
Day Eighty-Four: Monday, March 26th, 2012
Port stop: Natal. Last day on land in South America. Stepped off the ship, wandered past the line of fifty or so folks waiting for cruise shuttle rides to the shopping center, and ventured toward the nearest busy street to flag down a taxi. Our independent tour covered less ground, but turned up more memorable moments. Visited the 400 year old fort on the coastline, stopped to fish with the locals (Ted proudly caught two eels and one baby fish!), downed three coconuts (such a refreshing drink), and stopped for a few bottles of wine to take back to the ship. Read our books on the top deck. Watched as we left port, ducking underneath the harbor bridge and making our way onto the open seas. We invited Betty and her husband Wells to share afternoon tea. Oh, the stories! Betty’s traveled the world. She started at forty years old and hopped a flight to Nepal. Since then, she’s bicycled her way through Europe, and New Zealand, hiked Kilimanjaro in the 70s (as one of two people on the mountain!), and used her Air New Zealand employee perks to travel to Tahiti back in the days when other travelers complained about how spoiled the atmosphere had become “since the advent of air-traffic to the islands.” Finally did it: nasty sunburn from our position near the equator. Good thing we’ve been carrying the aloe since Bolivia. Fascinating conversation on this ship: a boat full of doctors, lawyers, professors, and other educated professionals. Amazing what we stand to learn by being humble and asking questions.
People to Remember: Vicki from L.A. She has first hand experience at the top of the successful heap (practicing Entertainment Law in L.A….past head lawyer for the Screen Actor’s Guild; I can only imagine!). She met her husband years ago and sings praises of the relationship that saved her from successful loneliness. Ray and Rita from Scottsdale, Arizona: investment funds manager/economics teacher and a retired middle school teacher with lovely stories of children and grandchildren.
Day Eighty-Three: Sunday, March 25th, 2012
Port stop: Recife. My lovely friend Jenna lived and volunteered in Refice in 2004, and I’ve been anticipating a visit to the city. Difficult to be patient through a day tour galavant around trinket shops and tourist spots, but we enjoyed the people in our group. Dined on sun-dried meat and coconut milk stuffed pumpkins while looking out over the city skyline from Olinda. Our generous Servas host, Tiberio, and his girlfriend Camilla, met us for an evening bite out at a spot popular with local young people; we shared Filet com Fritas – delicious beef and onions with fries, tomato salsa, and manioc flour. Interesting conversations about Tiberio’s work as a lawyer and professor assisting with non-profit work in Brazil. He’s been instrumental in working on changes to Brazilian law to allow for World Vision’s micro-finance development projects in Northeast Brazil.
People to Remember: Eric and Leslie, two dentists from South Carolina who are traveling and enjoying retirement but plan to keep their licenses active and give back to their communities over their coming years of good health and free time.
Day Eighty-Two: Saturday, March 24th, 2012
Morning breakfast found us seated at a table just across the way from two delightful new friends. I geeked out at the Executive and Executive Soux Chef’s onboard demonstration: good food and celebration of good life. Lunch after a soak in the hot tub. Afternoon sunbathing, reading, and more relaxing. In the spirit of the 1940s telegram, Ted sent off dinner invitations via ship notecards to be delivered to a few fellow cruisers’ staterooms. Enjoyed another multi-course meal in the Grand Dining Room, this time in the company of Ann and Costa, Dennis and Joan. Evening magic show: think GOB Bluth meets Lassie. Such an odd mix of experiences: luxury, fine dining, grand comforts – yet we are the odd ones out, cocking our heads at the sometimes bizarre entertainment, wondering if we should disguise ourselves with grey hair dye, and questioning how much happiness money can and can’t buy.
Day Eighty-One: Friday, March 23, 2012
First port call: Salvador, Brazil. Connected with a terrific couple of local young people through Servas. Debora, a journalist, and Icaro, an architect. We made our way off the boat, bypassed the tour group lines and taxi drivers, and headed for the Mercado Modelo (the main market building a few hundred yards down from the docks). A splendid stretch of hours walking the streets with our new friends, learning about the history and architecture, Brazilian poets, musicians, sculptures, artists, and photographers, and the current political unrest and efforts to challenge government to be more on-task. Dinner at a THITW place…authentic manioc root dishes and lively conversation.
Day Eighty: Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
“Look at all that serenity.” Woke up to the early morning sunlight peeking through the window. Ate breakfast in the breeze. Attended the morning Bridge lesson. (Brothers, remember that quote from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty? “Let’s play some bridge…”) After one lesson, we’re grateful for a history of Hearts and confused by the nuances of this new game…good thing to know we have two and a half weeks to think about getting better. Attended the afternoon meet and greet for the Cruise Critic Roll Call group; put faces with screen names and met some lovely fellow travelers. Enjoyed a full schedule during our day at sea: afternoon tea, the Captain’s cocktail party, and dinner hour in the Grand Dining Room.
People to Remember: Betty, a sweet woman who worked for Air New Zealand many years ago as a ticketing agent in Los Angeles. Her favorite route to fly for free as a perk of the job: L.A. to Honolulu on Friday nights and the easy return on Sunday evenings. Claude and Marie from Montreal sharing stories from their current trip around the world and long history of international escapades.
Day Seventy-Nine: Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Ted spent hours on the phone with United. Again. Shuffled between helpful agents and maddening phone systems. Finally sorted the ticket details and headed for the docks in Rio, wound so tight we felt about to pop. Such bliss to check in on the ship, receive our key card, and be ushered off toward a free lunch. (No such thing, we know. But it feels pretty close.) Afternoon doze on the sun deck. Ice cream and sparkling water. Arrived for our first night’s dinner after pulling away from port; imagine our surprise when the sommelier appeared with a bottle of wine sent to us by a neighboring table! Tiramisu so decadent we couldn’t finish our portions. Humorous: our presence on the ship seems to have dropped the median age by at least three decades. Oddly enough, Ted’s review of the DVD library seemed to indicate otherwise: Alias Season One, The Mighty Boosh, and Flight of the Conchords. We played the part, though, and checked out Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, letting charming Jimmy Stewart dazzle us in black & white.
People to Remember: Sharon, Hugo, Ken, and Faith who recognized us from the blog. Judy, the on-board history lecturer and Ted’s fast friend on the upper deck. All the Canadians on board! Elaine and Darleen, our coffee companions from Victoria, British Columbia. Josette, a friendly painter from Montreal and our kind wine benefactress.
We’re sailing the ocean until April 6th. Stay tuned for entries once we’re on Mediterranean shores…
April 6 Barcelona, Spain
April 5 Sailing
April 4 Sailing
April 3 Casablanca, Morocco
April 2 Arrecife (Lanzarote), Canary Islands
April 1 Sailing
March 31 Sailing
March 30 Cape Mindelo, Cape Verde
March 29 Sailing
March 28 Sailing
March 27 Sailing
March 26 Natal, Brazil
March 25 Recife, Brazil
March 24 Salvador, Brazil
March 23 Salvador, Brazil
March 22 Sailing
Day Seventy-Eight: Wednesday, March 21st, 2012
Since it’s 3:17am as I write this, I’ll go ahead and call it the 21st. One last Daily Travel Journal update for the next few weeks. We’re departing later today on our much anticipated voyage across the ocean. Since booking in December 2010, we’ve worked through the patience, patience, patience – now, the payoff! I’ve finished up a selection of pre-scheduled blog posts (here’s to hoping the spam-bots don’t go nuts while we’re away from the computer), and it’s time for R&R. Cannot wait to be sailing toward the sunrise for the next 16 mornings…
Day Seventy-Seven: Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
We might as well call it a holy grail experience for the effort that it took to visit: Sitio Roberto Burle Marx. We spent over three hours working our way toward this outlying country estate via public transportation. The payoff: a small, appointment-only tour of South America’s most influential Landscape Architect’s private garden and residence, now preserved and run as a living collection of incredible native and exotic plants, beautiful hardscape and design, and preserved buildings. Returned to the city for late afternoon in Ipanema and Copacabana, and made our way back to the apartment for an evening of preparation for tomorrow’s big departure.
Day Seventy-Six: Monday, March 19th, 2012
Spent the morning interviewing a terrific 81 year old fellow who has been working with community programs in Rio for the past 50 years. We also received from him a terrific lesson on the history of Brazil, the Flavelas, and the current situation moving toward the Olympics and World Cup. Connecting with real people in real places doing real work: what a difference between these experiences and others we’ve had where we’re simply passing through as momentary tourists. Afternoon: headed to Sugar Loaf Mountain. Ted keeps slipping up and calling it “Sugar Plum Mountain.” It kills me. Bossa Nova music at a bar down in Ipanema, and a second night at Zaza Bistro…this time for their tasty desserts. Honestly, such a charming restaurant. Amelie meets Rimsky’s meets fine dining.
Day Seventy-Five: Sunday, March 18th, 2012
Brazil border crossing number two. Up for an early flight to Rio de Janeiro. Beautiful day in the city. Staying in a lovely apartment just a few minutes’ walk from the Corcovado Train Station. Made an afternoon trip up to the Christ the Redeemer Statue and read/skimmed the gift shop copy of a fascinating history book about the construction project. Ate dinner at Zaza Bistro Tropical; back to “one of the top meals of the trip” statuses.
Day Seventy-Four: Saturday, March 17th, 2012
Put those Brazilian visas to work and crossed the border to see the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. Incredible. Absolutely surreal. It’s difficult to take in something that magnificent, difficult to fully appreciate it. Majestic. Truly. Spent the evening at the hostel; watched Ted again enjoy swimming in a pool. If I didn’t know better, I’d think something about waterfalls has cured Ted of his hatred of swimming… Got a kick out of watching the Black Cappuccino Monkeys playing in the trees. Funny to remind ourselves after growing up visiting the zoo that seeing these animals in the wild is actually a new experience. Asado and Samba show at the hostel.
People to Remember: Jeremy from the U.K., and fascinating talks about the Falklands. Jackson and Nicole, two newlyweds from Australia three weeks into their long adventure around the world. Diego, our laid back tour guide and his stories of kayaking the river… Joe, the traveling Californian working at the hostel, sharing Toms Shoes history and selling dinner tickets.
Day Seventy-Three: Friday, March 16th, 2012
Too amazed for words at Iguazú Falls. Tomorrow we return to see the Brazilian side. Ted says, “Top five days of the trip.”
Day Seventy-Two: Thursday, March 15th, 2012
Arrived in Puerto Iguazú. A few snafus with the air conditioning on the bus and the transfer to our accommodations, but a bright blue swimming pool and tropical flowers greeted us on arrival at 3pm, and we hopped right in for a swim. Note: first time I’ve seen Ted in a pool since he was 14.
Day Seventy-One: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
Last day in Buenos Aires. Coffee and treats with Kaylea at Zorzal Mane (it had been on the list since day one in the city…good to finally get to it on day thirty!). A long walk down the canals and into the Plaza de Mayo. Lunch and a final walk down Peru street. We said goodbyes, split ways from Kaylea (who flies back to Oregon on the 15th), and took our packed bags to Retiro Station to board our overnight bus to Puerto Iguazú. Seats that recline to 180 degrees and personal TVs in the seatbacks? Yes, please. A midnight watch of “Slumdog Millionare” while driving down the highway? Double yes, please.
Day Seventy: Tuesday, March 13th, 2012
Oh, the travel and technology dramas. First: after more than a week of calling United Airlines without getting through (Continental systems merger to blame), we finally hunted down a physical address for United in Buenos Aires and taxied (the Subway was down, of course) to the Hotel Panamericano’s ground floor United Office. No bueno. They couldn’t do anything to make adjustments to our mileage RTW tickets. They did supply two telephone numbers: one that went to a car dealership in Mexico City (um, thanks?), and one that went to an English speaking United ticketing agent based out of Argentina. Score. Problem solved. Next: Busted iPhone needed a factory restore last week. No AT&T sim card meant a dead duck. Today, a friend in the city offered a card loan, and iPhone to iPhone resuscitation was successfully performed. Then, the FedEx’d sim card from home needed to be picked up at the FedEx warehouse all the way on the outskirts of the city. A fifty minute taxi ride later, the phone worked, the sim card was in possession, and we were set to make a successful departure from BsA.
Day Sixty-Nine: Monday, March 12th, 2012
Bittersweet to be sorting through departure plans even while we’re still discovering new favorites in the city. Booked our bus tickets onward to Iguazú Falls and booked lodging in Rio. We invited friends to join us at the neighborhood restaurant where evening meals of trout, steak, and rabbit made for a beautiful table, and we returned to the apartment to finish out the wine and share the fabled cake of Buenos Aires (see days 43, 56, and 67).
People to Remember: My online friend Stephanie and her Buenos Aires expat boyfriend Chance; great company, intelligent conversation about Argentine politics, mail delivery (or not), the soy industry (oh dear…), and living in a city that references “ten o’clock in the afternoon.”
Day Sixty-Eight: Sunday, March 11th, 2012
Accompanied Kaylea on her art-buying errand in San Telmo, dashed downtown for a late afternoon visit to the Recoleta Cemetery and Floralis Genérica, watched the sun sink, drank another bottle of agua con gas at the corner cafe, and made it home on the Subte in time for sushi from buenosairesdelivery.com.
Day Sixty-Seven: Saturday, March 10th, 2012
Amazing how a full day starts after noon. Coffee and a trip to the bakery to place an order for our farewell dessert. (I may go through minor withdrawals once we leave Buenos Aires and cannot lay hands on the most delicious cream, meringue, and dulce de leche cake on the face of the planet. I’d consider importing for birthdays.) An afternoon meal at Gibraltar Pub: dark wood paneling and soccer on TVs to set the mood for the night’s adventure. Ted, Kaylea and I snatched up tickets for the Racing-All Boys match and went along with a group of five other fellows from England and two British expats who now lead soccer tours in the city. Riot police, netting around the away-team fans section, a moat around the field: these communities are passionate about their game. Hours of chanting, cheers, and celebrations for the winning home team: 3-0, Racing. We moved on to our midday activity, an 11pm performance of “Ojos Cerrados, Teatro Sensorial” at Teatro la Comedia. Incredible sensory experience: imagine dreaming in a waking state, blindfolded but acutely aware of sound, taste, touch, and smell. Simply amazing. Evening beer and food at Buller (predictable, we are), and a tumble into bed to finish an Argentine day around 4am…
People to Remember: Our futball fellows: Dan, Sam, Jonathan, Adrian, Alex, (!can’t remember!), and Alex two.
Day Sixty-Six: Friday, March 9th, 2012
Coffee, bicycles, and beer. A second trip to Tortoni’s, this time to share the experience with Kaylea. We placed our order and people watched. The din of Spanish conversation resonated through the aged building adorned with marble and wood, stained glass and framed art. Touristy, yes, but for the ambiance and the super-speedy coffee services and perfectly sweet medialunas (moon shaped crescent rolls), we couldn’t go wrong. Our field trip for the afternoon took us by a visit to the Rio de la Plata by way of the bike trails criss-crossing the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur’s 865 acres of protected (man-made) wetlands. Foreign blooms and wild bird-songs, sparkly purple bike frames with cushy leather seats, and views of city skyscrapers softened for an hour by green and white stretches of pampas grass waving in the wind: a perfect escape after three weeks in the big city. The evening? A return to Buller Brewery near Recoleta Cemetery for a tasty reminder of Portland’s micro brews.
People to Remember: the grinning old man plunging papas fritas in a vat of oil, serving cones of fries and entire rolls of paper towels at the stand outside the Reserva Ecológica.
Day Sixty-Five: Thursday, March 8th, 2012
Late to bed, late to rise. Our friend and house-guest Kaylea adventured out toward Palermo, putting yesterday’s subway lessons to the test. Meanwhile, Ted and I worked on the less glamorous tasks of travel: tickets, destination arrangements, emergency-iPhone-revivial attempts, wrapping up our taxes… Evening: the ultimate treat. A closed-door-dinner hidden in a nondescript apartment building in our neighborhood. Delicious, homemade, locally sourced vegetarian Indonesian food shared with a table of locals and transplants from around the world… I do drag my husband and friends into pretty random situations. Thankfully, this one was a winner!
Day Sixty-Four: Wednesday, March 7th, 2012
Full day spent zipping around the city: first, the El Galpón Organic Market in Chacarita to stock up on veggies, yogurt, and handmade ravioli; later, out the train line to the north of town to visit local clothing design shop, Mercado, in Martinez; and finally to a Milonga tucked away in a sports club where we took in the Tango scene until the wee hours…
Day Sixty-Three: Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
Kaylea’s here! Our spunky friend from Oregon arrived on the doorstep at 9am with a smile and bright-orange carry-on luggage, fresh from overnight flights through LAX and Lima. She and I met in New Zealand in 2004, and memories of adventures over the years in the Kahurangi National Park, the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area, and the Woodburn Outlet Parking Lot are soon to be joined by tales from Argentinian cafes, bakeries, tango halls, and ecological reserves. Watch out, world. We’ve expanded to threeOregonians for the week!
Day Sixty-Two: Monday, March 5th, 2012
Coffee, bakery, ice cream. These daily budget entries are starting to sound like a broken record. Put on our raincoats and swam through the city to take in the La Bamba drum show. Returned home in a drizzle, walked toward the white twinkle lights, and found ourselves in the sweetest little restaurant. Upholstered easy chairs, chandeliers, and just-right red wine.
People to Remember: Our waiter: frizzled hair pulled back in a pony-tail, scruff on the cheeks, patient eyes, and impeccable timing.
Day Sixty-One: Sunday, March 4th, 2012
Computer marathon session. Trip planning, post-writing, photo-sorting. Spent the afternoon with our new friends Leanne and Leah (see Day 53), enjoying sidewalk cafe culture, walking the San Telmo street fair, watching their dachshunds take in the tango.
Day Sixty: Saturday, March 3rd, 2012
Rise and shine in time to meet the sun at its zenith. Midday visit to another local produce market: this one, an easy walk from our apartment. The collection of stalls didn’t boast organic produce or grass fed meat, but the crowds of locals gave us a genuine sense of the neighborhood’s food culture. We took a number at the cheese counter: “40.” I thought we’d grabbed a ticket from the wrong dispenser when a moment later I heard them call out “82!” Nope. We soon realized we’d be waiting until the numbers cycled up through 100 and back to 1, and all the way back to 40. Good cheese is a popular purchase. Attempted an afternoon call to United Airlines to set dates for later flights. Good news? They’ve formed a new dedicated RTW-ticket call line. Bad news? Today was the first day of the new post-Continental-merge system, and the lines were jammed. Take a number. Try again. Hope the payoff is as satisfying as a good Roquefort.
Day Fifty-Nine: Friday, March 2nd, 2012
Call me a grandma: I do love a good tea house. I can’t remember how I learned of Las Violetas, but on a rainy day in Oregon, the idea of a visit lodged in my mind, and today it finally came to be. Ted ordered caviar and tuna, I ordered tea and croissants. We made dreadful fun of each other and enjoyed the treats while watching waiters in white waistcoats exchange secret handshakes. (True.) After riding a jam-packed, wood-paneled-circa-1950s? Subte car on the way to the cafe, we opted for leisurely stroll and fresh air above ground on the way back. Ted chanced a local barbershop. Let’s just say hair grows. (And now I’m doubly frightened to have someone chop away at my locks.) Evening: tickets to the surreal Hombre Vertiente show featuring aerial dance and performance art. Something like Cirque de Soliel + Honey, I Shrunk the Kids + high powered backyard sprinklers from summer days of old. Oh, and a rave thrown in the mix. Topped off the night with a sampler serving of six local brews: Ted’s betting we’ll be back for another stout before this city stay is over…
People to Remember: The evening’s featured performer, Sabastian Prada, and the kind German couple offering directions at the venue.
Day Fifty-Eight: Thursday, March 1st, 2012
These calmer days are soothing; less about thrilling adventure and more about calm and steady existence. Trips to the laundromat. Walks to find ice cream. Comparison shopping between the green mer-dragon and the local bakery. No rush. No demands. Deadlines and tasks entirely self imposed. Our circadian rhythms are off-beat, but the new song isn’t half bad.
Day Fifty-Seven: Wednesday, February 29th, 2012
Hosted our second #RTWdinnerparty! Love meeting friends online; miss dining with dear friends at home. Spent time toying with travel whimseys, cooking up ideas, scheming about the future, and wandering the halls of Malba: Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires.
Day Fifty-Six: Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
A day in the life: homemade meals at our sweet little apartment, a jaunt to the coffee shop to read, computer sessions to arrange the next leg of the journey; catching up on postcards, eating another piece of the neighborhood baker’s amazing dulce de leche & meringue cake, finishing books and starting new ones… These are the days we were dreaming of all those years ago.
Day Fifty-Five: Monday, February 27th, 2012
What do you know? Another holiday in Argentina. Their Flag Day. I never did get to the bottom of the question about the Argentinian version of Betsy Ross. (I’ll admit, though, I didn’t even Google it.) We reigned in all spending, gave ourselves a one hundred peso allowance ($22.97) for the day, then split ways: Ted for the coffee shop to type and me to the city green-spaces to people watch and take photos. My inner landscape nerd had been excited ever since learning that Buenos Aires has a park named after my birthday: Parque Tres de Febrero. Bethany’s spending for the day in pesos: 5 for the Subte + 16 for the Japanese Garden + 18 for fresh squeezed fruit juice + 14 for ice cream (53 total); Ted’s spending: 17 for coffee + 10 at the bakery + 7 for pasta and onions to round out dinner at home (34 total) = 87 pesos ($19.98). Packed lunches, pre-paid apartments, and easily amused travelers make for a pretty affordable Argentinian holiday. The thunderstorm that hit the city by nightfall made for even more free entertainment: electric blue flashes across the entire nighttime sky, a midnight adventure in the rain, and a cheesy picture to show the grandkids.
Day Fifty-Four: Sunday, February 26th, 2012
Woke to a broken air conditioner. Earned a sunburn and an excuse for raspberry ice cream after awkward graveyard gawking at La Recoleta Cemetery. Enjoyed Palermo’s finest street eats, people watching, bargain hunting, and wine tasting on a perfectly temperate weekend afternoon. Picked up a dress for the hot weather and the cruise ship. After nearly two weeks in Argentina, we ate our first steak dinner. Spent time with our friend Alale (see day forty-three), and bumped into #teamBA on the streets. It’s lovely to meet familiar faces on foreign city sidewalks. Watched the Oscars dubbed in Spanish, cheered for Bret McKenzie, and felt a little surge of Portland pride as Esperanza Spalding took to the stage to sing “What a Wonderful World…”
Day Fifty-Three: Saturday, February 25th, 2012
Wandering streets, snapping shots (Ted grabbed the camera and took this favorite of four old men in the park). Correspondence and trip planning catch-up sessions. “The Party That Wouldn’t Happen” with #teamBA…also known as “chasing down a Carnival Celebration that Buenos Aires planned and advertised then cancelled and failed to tell us.” Hat Party! (See day forty-eight.)
People to Remember: Leah and Leanne, Beatrice and Javier, and the retirees in Parque Lezama.
Day Fifty-Two: Friday, February 24th, 2012
Day of rest: a.k.a. computers, books, and cold beverages.
Day Fifty-One: Thursday, February 23nd, 2012
DIY architectural walking tour complete with photos and tip-toes-through-the-shadows of the crumbling, empty, historic Majestic Hotel, followed by a pleasant evening at home, hosting a dinner party for traveling friends. Pasta, veggies, broiled-figs-with-blue cheese, and the local bakery’s blissfully irresistable dulce de leche/pineapple/peach/meringue dream.
People to Remember: Mike and Stephanie, Tony and Meg: Twitter friends turned #teamBA pals.
Day Fifty: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
Market day. Yes, we purchased raw milk in an Absolut vodka bottle. Considering we have nasty plastic bags coming out our ears despite best efforts at shoving reusable bags toward every vendor who will oblige, it’s nice to see one solid recycling effort succeeding. Three generous slabs of cheese, one huge loaf of bread, aforementioned raw milk, raw butter, and a dozen farm fresh eggs: $18.37. Cheaper than Portland…aaand, their public art museum: free! Free and beautiful. We spent our afternoon at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes admiring their lovely 19th century collection of Degas, Goya, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Renior, Van Gogh, and more…including this incredible piece. On a different note: sorrow in the air tonight as 200+ people are in grave condition and 49+ have died after a horrible train wreck at one of the city’s transit stations. Our thoughts and prayers are with the recovering survivors and grieving friends and family…
Day Forty-Nine: Tuesday, February 21st, 2012
Last day of a four-day holiday weekend in Buenos Aires. Eerily quiet streets. Wandered a bit and rested at home. Ted managed to find an open laundry mat, I managed to sweep the parquet wood floors for the first time in a week… The joy of having a temporary home on the road is so sweet, chores and all! Also: downtime at the computer means more pictures and stories coming soon.
Day Forty-Eight: Monday, February 20th, 2012
Thanks to the marvels of Twitter, we met up with a new friend to play cards on a rooftop under the open sky. A tweet asking for help with the rules of cribbage turned into me volunteering Ted as teacher. Four new friends counted “fifteen-twos” for the afternoon and sat discussing soccer, street crimes, and house prices in BsA and the US until the sunlight faded. At the end of the evening: an invitation to a 30th birthday party where we’re required to “wear a hat.” Guess my shopping yesterday was fortuitous.
People to Remember: Ande and Arial.
Day Forty-Seven: Sunday, February 19th, 2012
Living for the month in a little place just blocks from Plaza Dorrego means easy wanderings: Sundays in the square feature the unfolding of street stalls much like you’d find if Portland’s Saturday Market procreated with The Antiques Roadshow. Kitschy jewelry side by side with ancient silver cigarette cases and mismatched teacups. Made-up tango dancers working the crowds. Starbucks on the corner clinching the deal and turning hardcore travelers back into tourists. (Guilty.) One of us bought and wore a hat, and it wasn’t Ted. Found our neighborhood ice cream shop. Listened in on drummers beating a pulse into the streets. Retreated to our little abode and caught up on Skype with family and pictures for blog posts…
Day Forty-Six: Saturday, February 18th, 2012
Second Organic Market foray of the week: this time, after books and coffee at the cafe, we took the Subte to Retiro and then the Mitre Train out to the end of the line and lastly hopped the Tren de la Costa to the San Fernando stop, where we came upon Sabe la Tierra. (It all sounded like Greek to us, too, until we made our way through the lines and ticket purchases and seats and train tracks… So it is, daily making the foreign familiar.) Less fresh produce than we’d hoped for, but we lucked out on fabulous gourmet sandwiches, craft beer, and iced ginger-cardamom-kombucha. Hopped back on the train, rode a little farther north to the city of Tigre, spent an hour on the water cooling off and imagining life in a little ramshackle home on the delta, indulged in ice cream, then made the long return trip home in time to rest up before visiting the San Telmo streets for Carnival and reading in the cafe until 2am.
People to Remember: Vilja, our charming Finnish conversationalist at morning cafe. Bright eyes, bright stories. Confirmation on the things that truly matter…
Day Forty-Five: Friday, February 17th, 2012
Quiet day on the home-front spent working on the ugly side of travel: unraveling the deeper issues beneath rough patches of interpersonal dynamics on the road. Snappy, defensive statements, and passive aggressive tugs-of-war rendered nearly all decision making efforts a complete bust. Partly blamed on 24/7itis and partly blamed on selfishness bubbling to the surface now that there’s space and time for issues to burn, it’s a painful grief to be so utterly human on the road. It’s also an invaluable invitation into introspection, communication, and growth if we can harness well the learning opportunity. Highlights of the day: splitting ways to cool off (Ted to a cafe with a copy of Borges and me to the air conditioned apartment – P.S., did I mention I don’t do so well in 100% humidity?), then reuniting for conversation, cervezas, and the beginning of a fresh start in Plaza Dorrego.
Day Forty-Three: Thursday, February 16th, 2012
Perhaps the city should be renamed Calientes Aires for the summer? It is so flipping hot. The forecast today: “Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Hot. Heat index near 105F. High 98F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.” Ted’s in heaven; I’m in…? Delicious Argentinian ice cream makes it bearable, though. I’ve fallen head over heals for dulce de leche anything, and after picking up a few more groceries last night, we stopped by the bakery and grabbed a delicious pineapple and dulce de leche cake covered in fluffy cream and meringue bits… It only remained intact for about three minutes following consumption of Ted’s delicious dinner. Other highlights: found an English bookstore!
People to Remember: Our friend Alale (see Day Twenty-Five) is staying in the city, too. We met up for ice cream and books. So pleasant to spend time with a friend.
Day Forty-Two: Wednesday, February 15th, 2012
Made our first trip on the Subte (BsA’s notorious, ancient, un-airconditioned subway system): paid a visit to the organic market across the city, and stocked up on fresh veggies, bread, cheese, milk, and eggs for our new home. Setting up shop again feels so great! Minor downsides: no kitchen towels, no proper knives (yes, we’ve been preparing entire meals with a single steak knife), and no air conditioning in the kitchen. Upsides: storing leftovers in a private fridge, keeping fresh basil in a glass vase on the counter, unpacking clothes and hanging shirts from hangers, staying up late, and sleeping in without scheduling worries… It’s good to be in one place for a while.
Day Forty-One: Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
So, those classic plane crash scenes: LOST, Cast Away, etc.? Yes, those. Think that; 12-15 seconds of psychological torture. I’m not usually one to be panicky on airplanes, but when snapped out of a nap by the plane jolting violently, jumping (or was it falling?) through the air, throwing the woman in the aisle to the ground, and then sending sensations of weightlessness through my body, my stomach turned and my mind flashed with memories of the 2010 news story of crazy turbulence and the flight that disappeared en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris… The oxygen masks never dropped, but the crew and passengers were all quite shaken. Rough turbulence about an hour later on the descent into Buenos Aires. Apparently, the crazy hot weather plays games with little paper airplanes in the skies. Fast forward: landed, took a taxi to San Telmo, met our lovely landlord, received the keys to our charming little apartment, visited the first of many cafes we’re sure to love, went to a comedy club with new friends from South American Explorers, and settled into our first night in the big city.
Day Forty: Monday, February 13th, 2012
Crisp day at the Perito Moreno Glacier. Thundering cracks and rumblings. Blue, blue ice. Dinner at Pura Vida Resto Bar. Live music, wholesome food made fresh to order…pumpkin stuffed with delicious beef stew, cheese and sweet potatoes, onions and peaches for me and hare stew with Argentinian wine for Ted… Last night in Patagonia.
People to Remember: Our two smelly but kind fifty-something northern-Italian-cyclist hostel dorm roommates who would exclaim, “buon giorno” at all hours. Our park bench neighbor, the retired German who used to work for Lufthansa when they flew direct to Portland…
Thirty-Nine: Sunday, February 12th, 2012
Fitz Roy peaked from behind the clouds to say farewell this morning as we boarded our bus. Easy arrival in El Calafate and a leisurely Sunday of rest. Also, $2.98 spent on two empanadas, one buttery crisp chocolate chip cookie, and one pecan pastry beats $24.20 spent on mediocre tourist trap restaurant fare. Can’t wait for that kitchen in Buenos Aires. Also: Happy birthday, mom!
Day Thirty-Eight: Saturday, February 11th, 2012
First and only full day in El Chalten. We’ve made a very quick visit to this little Swiss Village of the Patagonian Alps. We spent the hours hiking to Lago Torres in Parques Nacionales Los Glaciares. Literally – a National Park of Glaciers. The giants of frozen water absolutely cover the landscape, resting on top of mountains, sliding through valleys, feeding blue, blue lakes…. “Amazing” and “Scenery” must soon be struck from the vocabulary. They’re not nearly helpful enough in describing this part of the world. Patagonia is so vast, so empty of humans, and so full of wonder. Ted toughed out the last of his hiking for this part of the trip. His back is still giving him much trouble, and we’ve decided to bag the last night of camping and hiking and return a day earlier to El Calafate, using the time to rest. We switched our bus tickets to 7:30am tomorrow morning… Wifi is still beyond slow, but we’re resting our digital hopes on our Tuesday arrival in Buenos Aires. Our apartment is supposed to have a good connection…fingers crossed.
Day Thirty-Seven: Friday, February 10th, 2012
Another day, another bus or two. This time to cross the border into Argentina, pass through El Calafate, and arrive in El Chalten. Top moments: a decent-coffee pitstop at a cafe named Borges (entirely unrelated to to the author, sadly) and an amazing sunset over Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy.
Day Thirty-Six: Thursday, February 9th, 2012
Last day on the trail. I woke early at 3:45 to return to Las Torres for sunrise. A cloudy eastern horizon made daybreak a bit anticlimactic, but a silent few hours in the middle of the wilderness are very good for the soul, colored light or not. I returned to camp, we packed up, and a few hours later we were down at the base of the mountains, splitting a massive burger at the posh hotel. What a jump between worlds.
People to Remember: Ian and Rocio, an incredibly kind and friendly Chilean couple we met on the trail. They invited us to join them back in Puerto Natales for beer at a local microbrewery, which turned into beer and food, which turned into terrific hours of conversation about life, family, work, and Chilean slang. Ian is a communications consultant focused on international development and Rocio is an Architect with experience in community resource projects; we were so impressed with their kindness and excitement for life. Connections like this are exactly what makes travel so impactful: in each of these conversations, our lives and our outlooks are changed, forever, for the better.
Day Thirty-Five: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
A short, sweet day. Slept in, packed up easily, moved camp just a few hours down the trail to Campamento Torres, left our heavy packs and made an afternoon hike up to Mirador Las Torres. Such cooperative weather with a gorgeous view of the three towers.
Day Thirty-Four: Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Ted’s thirtieth birthday. (!!!) A shorter trekking day. A cozy little campsite at Campamento Chileno and a splurge on dinner served at the Refugio. So nice to be served pumpkin soup, meat, veggies, and apple cake, to sit at a table in a warm dining room, and to walk away without once having to light a camp stove or rinse a cooking pot. The staff gave Ted a pisco sour for a birthday treat, and we finished off the previous nights red wine that we’d transported in the good ol’ Klean Kanteen…
Day Thirty-Three: Monday, February 6th, 2012
It was a Dickens of a day: the best of times and the worst of times. Twenty four kilometers. Amazing scenery. A return from Grey Glacier and an eventual end in Los Cuernos. Ted injured his back, and we were so snappy with each other by the end of the trail that we could barely cooperate enough to make camp and eat dinner. Sigh. Good thing the Refugio sold red wine. We made the best of the crummy evening and vowed to start fresh the next day.
Day Thirty-Two: Sunday, February 5th, 2012
Arrived midday at Torres del Paine, paid our park entry fee, stepped on the boat to cross Lago Pehoe, and made our way toward the West side of the park. Eleven kilometers of trekking through much of the burned out area that suffered worst after the December 27th forest fire; crazy rain and wind. Arrived at Grey Glacier and set up camp. Bonus: hot showers. Really, really hot showers. Not what we were expecting.
People to Remember: Anna and Alexander from Switzerland, David (from Chile) and Devon (from Colorado), and so many other kind and interesting people on the trail…
Day Thirty-One: Saturday, February 4th, 2012
Bussed from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales, attended the Erratic Rock 3 o’clock Talk (held at 4pm due to the rugby game broadcast) to glean info on visiting Torres del Paine National Park, bustled our way around town to buy groceries and rent supplies to round out our camping gear, and hit the sack to rest up for five days, four nights on the trail.
People to Remember: Erratic Rock staff from…Salem, Oregon. What a small world.
Day Thirty: Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Twenty-eight. Headed to the airport bright and early to catch our flights to Patagonia. I couldn’t be more grateful for the rich life I’ve lived up until now. What a gift… I used to tell Ted that I’d be happy going on a date to the airport in Portland just to people watch and dream about travel. I got a little taste of that this afternoon: we spent our layover in Santiago drinking coffee, watching travelers, and making plans. Our flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas stopped briefly in Puerto Montt, making it a tally of three takeoffs and landings for the day. (Also, a gift. I love flying.) When we arrived in Punta Arenas, our kind B&B hostess picked us up at the airport and whisked us off to the best birthday surprise: a fabulous stay at a beautiful spot nestled in a beautiful beech forest, complete with dinner of wood-fire grilled lamb, Chilean sea bass, steak, and chicken, a gifted bottle of red wine, and an upgraded room to boot! It will be incredibly difficult to top this February 3rd.
People to Remember: Adolfo, our Chilean Beaver friend. I’ve also dubbed him the Nate Currier of South America. Such a friendly guy; he did his masters studies in fisheries at Oregon State University in the 80s, and we had great fun talking college sports, Hood River, Mt. Saint Hellens, The Country Fair, and the Willamette Valley. He works in the commercial salmon farming industry and was just returning from business in Rome and Denmark. Fascinating conversation about the industry’s future in answering to rightful criticisms, improving, and going forward in a sustainable manner. Also: Pamela and Luis of La Casa Escondida – kind and generous hosts for our first night in Patagonia.
Day Twenty-Nine: Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
An entire day of wifi and Patagonia planning. Took a break to walk the neighborhood and visit the markets. Ted bought too many olives. I bought more donuts. What can we say? Evening = ice cream to kick off the beginning of summertime birthday festivities!
Day Twenty-Eight: Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
Yay! Awoke to news of the arrival of our sweet little nephew, Carson Rydmark. Congratulations to Josiah and Gabby and the whole bundle of new aunts and uncles and grandparents now in the family. Bussed our way as quickly as possible out of San Pedro de Atacama. Blinding desert tourist trap. Arrived less than two hours later in the northern Chilean city of Calama. Ted’s eyes lit up as we ducked off the main square and looked over a cafe menu; just as quickly, hopes were dashed as the two kind old ladies tinkered with the espresso machine, unable to prepare cappuccinos or iced coffees. The smiled and shrugged. We ordered a fruit smoothie. Found a hole in the wall hostel with the best wifi in weeks (i.e., it worked in the room and didn’t cut out every eight minutes). Ted found fresh made donuts around the corner…
Day Twenty-Seven: Tuesday, January 31th, 2012
After four days of salt, sweat, and tears in the Bolivian wilderness: hot showers and recovery in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. Electrical outlets = happy electronics. Wifi = happy updates from home. (Can’t wait for news from the hospital; Ted’s brother and sister-in-law are welcoming a little guy into the world, and any minute now we’ll get to proudly bear new titles of “Aunt and Uncle”)…
Day Twenty-Six: Monday, January 30th, 2012
Flamingos. Lots and lots of flamingos. Also, lots of rain. Night two of spare dorm style accommodations (as included in the trip package…) No electricity. No running water. Crying voices in the wee hours of the night; shamefully rough circumstances for the families living on the fringes in the middle of nowhere.
People to remember: our Korean karaoke and Bolivian Idol friends. (Drew, you would be proud.)
Day Twenty-Five: Sunday, January 29th, 2012
Rubbed the sleep from our eyes, ate breakfast at a Uyuni dive playing Michael Jackson on repeat. Loaded the bags to the top of the Toyota 4×4 to begin a three day drive to Chile, and spent the first stretch of hours exploring the Train Cemetery (my prediction: a soon coming Bus Cemetery for all the clunkers that should be taken off the roads), the Salar de Uyuni, and the long road to San Cristobal and beyond on the way. Lightning storms for added adventure.
People to Remember: Our tour mates – Pablo and Roderigo from Brazil, Saerom from South Korea, Alale from Spain/Iran, and our driver, Edgar.
Day Twenty-Four: Saturday, January 28th, 2012
A final review of the Campground Master Plan that we worked up for our Workaway hosts followed by a drop in visit to a Bolivian wedding complete with hired band from Peru. One final meal and hot chocolate at the property in Jupapina and then a long, poorly-ventilated, multi-stop overnight bus ride to Uyuni.
People to Remember: Our dear host family, Rolando, Emma, Bell, and David (and Karen, too!).
Day Twenty-Three: Friday, January 27th, 2012
One final morning of filling holes, planting slope-stabilizing groundcovers, and putting the last touches on the Master Plan. An evening meal with Emma and Rolando and fascinating conversation about their history of community-minded work in La Paz over the past years.
Day Twenty-Two: Thursday, January 26th, 2012
Work. Wifi in town. An evening with Women Who W{h}ine in La Paz.
People to Remember: Fiona, Karen, Karin, Marcella, Sonia (of Knitting Peace), and so many other fine ladies… Also, our heroic taxi driver who forded raging flooded roads to reach Jupapina.
Day Twenty-One: Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Ted worked all morning in the rain, planting trees and patching up busted irrigation trenches; I finalized the campsite development Master Plan and related sketches. Hot milk + melted chocolate followed by an afternoon of reading by the warmth of the clay wood stove recharged tired batteries. A 34 minute effort to connect to wifi and the half-loaded-page result reminded me that we weren’t in North America anymore…
Day Twenty: Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
The two of us joined forces for a second day of manual labor, filling a few smaller holes then ending with a three hour session to patch up the 6 foot wide x 30 foot deep cavern that appeared overnight. It would be a lie to say we weren’t a tad bit worried about slipping in: “Many fall down, and few return to the sunlit lands…”
Day Nineteen: Monday, January 23th, 2012
First day of work on the Bolivian property: I worked on site analysis and schematic design options, Ted helped fill massive erosion holes caused by the previous night’s rainstorm. We joined our British flatmate Karen’s holiday BBQ in the afternoon… Never an end of delicious food. An evening meeting with our hosts to review the early phase landscape plans assured us that we were headed in the right direction.
People to remember: Rod Lucas’ Irish expat counterpart.
Day Eighteen: Sunday, January 22th, 2012
Treated to a lovely sleep-in, quiet morning of reading, drinking tea, breakfasting on yogurt, mango, and locally made granola, and an afternoon Bolivian BBQ complete with thunderstorm and guacamole. I may or may not have used the remaining piece of the Cocoa Nibs & Uyuni Salt bar to make hot cocoa. This evening, we’re spending time in town with enough wifi access to begin uploading the backlog of photos. Skyped with friends and family at home; crazy how modern communication works…
People to Remember: The houseful of Bolivians at the BBQ who, in lieu of English, spoke in smiles, handshakes, and kisses on the cheek.
Day Seventeen: Saturday, January 21th, 2012
Spent time with our host family learning the history of their land and discussing the Campground Master Planning project we’ll be working on this coming week. Excellent to be able to put professional skills to use; landscape architecture is truly a universal trade. We made a trip back into the city to visit the grocery store and pick up a few makeshift drafting supplies. Bolivianos are bizarre. The current exchange rate is $1.00 to Bs 6.91; in other words, one Boliviano is 14¢. The easiest way to think about money is to move the decimal point over one to the left, add another 50%, and then sigh at the cheap prices. Highlight of the day: El Ceibo 77% Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs and Uyuni Salt chocolate bars.
Day Sixteen: Friday, January 20th, 2012
Arrived at our Workaway destination: a country residence about thirty minutes outside of La Paz. Clean laundry became the highlight of the afternoon. Toured the property and the back hillside where massive erosion problems are threatening the long term stability of the land. We’ll begin work on Saturday. Homemade dinner with host family Emma, Rolando, David, and Bell, and their other current volunteers, Karen, Maria, Liz, and C–? (Oops! Too many names.)
Day Fifteen: Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Another day in transit. Successful border crossing. Two Peruvian offices for paperwork and exit stamps, one Bolivian Immigration office for visas, a short stopover in Copacabana, Bolivia (just long enough to enjoy a delightful chocolate con leche for $1.73…), and eventual arrival in La Paz. Ted’s happiness spiked when we found a Swedish run coffee shop serving Bolivian beans.
People to Remember: The Swedish polyglot running her newly-opened cafe, and our charming Australian companion on the ferry ride, a.k.a., Anthony Hopkins’ twin.
Day Fourteen: Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
Long day. Claimed our stowed luggage from South American Explorers, sorted out transportation from Cusco to Puno and then from Puno across the border to La Paz, Bolivia. Made the first of the two bus trips today: eight bucks for eight hours. Downsides? Not worth complaining about…but they were there. Upsides? I thought of Dad while the scenery outside the window morphed into hills and mountains and plains that reminded me of Eastern Oregon. Tonight? Sketch hostel in Puno. Redeemed by a delicious wood fired pizza dinner. Tomorrow: border crossing. Bring on the challenge!
Day Thirteen: Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
A little bittersweet to face our first day back on the traveler’s trail without our trekking friends. We made the most of it, though. After a good night’s sleep and a lovely breakfast at a pleasantly-designed hotel and restaurant in Aguas Calientes, we took the bus back up to Machu Picchu and climbed Huayna Picchu for another amazing view of the ruins and the surrounding landscape. A train ride back to Ollantaytambo and a long ride on the local bus to Cusco brought our Inca Trail adventure to a close.
People to Remember: Mary and Jonathan, our train ride conversationalists. Such fun hearing about their visits to Oregon, their life in Hawaii, and their travels to far flung places like Kathmandu…
Day Twelve: Monday, January 16th, 2012
There, at daybreak, we found ourselves scrambling up steep stone steps and hoisting our weary bodies to the top of the trail to catch our first glimpse of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate. Words don’t really do the experience justice. Photos may begin to tell the story, though they must wait until consistent computer time and wifi access. What a treat, though…to finally see it with our own eyes! At the end of the day, we recovered with wood fired pizza and a soak in the hot springs at Aguas Calientes with Caz, Kristen, Sjoerd, and Hans. (P.S. Score another point for the wet season! This time of year means less tourists and a high volume of water flushing through the hot springs…what a blissful soak for those tired muscles.)
Day Eleven: Sunday, January 15th, 2012
Up and down and up and down to cross two shorter passes on the trail: 12,916 ft. and 12,000 ft., respectively. Then, a descent of 2,000 irregular stone steps to take us out of the high country and into the Cloud Forest. The final 45 minutes of hiking seemed excruciatingly long, but we gratefully made it to the campsite at Winay Wayna in perfect position to rise early and make the final charge toward the Sun Gate.
Day Ten: Saturday, January 14th, 2012
Day two on the Inca Trail: Dead Woman’s Pass at 13,776 ft. kept us stopping for air and pausing for pictures all the way up and into the mountains. So thankful things weren’t any worse when our trekking companion fell (airborne!) 50 feet from a high point off the trail at the top of the pass; he landed in tussocks and ended up with a gash on his head requiring a trip back down the mountain (on foot and by donkey) complete with a few lovely stitches to cap off the experience.
Day Nine: Friday, January 13th, 2012
Bright and early wake up call: Peru Treks appeared at the doorstep at 5:20am to whisk us off to our Inca Trail journey. We went by bus to Ollantaytambo and then on to the dead end of the road at Kilometer 82, where we snatched up our bags, whipped out our passports, smiled at the guards, and stepped foot onto the trail. Many more stories to come once pictures are ready to be posted…
People to Remember: Freddy, Jimmy, and Juan (our guides); and our trekking buddies Sam, Latitia, Felicity, Chenelle, Gabriel, Ryan, Justin, Sjoerd, Sarah, Michelle, Hans, Christina, Caz, and Kristin.
Day Eight: Thursday, January 12th, 2012
A scare of a day as we decided to take antibiotics to combat a lovely, lingering case of traveler’s tummy. Thankfully, by late evening we felt well enough to make the call and managed to salvage our Machu Picchu trip in the nick of time.
Day Seven: Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
A full day in Cusco, acclimating to the high altitude, drinking mate de coca, and chewing the coca leaves. Checked in with our Inca Trail tour company, paid the final bill, went over details of the route, then sat for lunch on a restaurant terrace overlooking a green square blooming with flowers and bustling with more salespeople than clipboard greeters on SE Hawthorne Blvd. (Portland joke. Sorry.) Ted bartered for his hat (S/32 down to S/21) and managed to set up his laundry station; he’s a very happy camper. I’m toying with the idea of visiting the ChocoMuseum tomorrow to revel in the history of the humble cacao bean. Yes, label me food geek and a tourist. I can take it.
People to Remember: Ingrid, the charming French woman who married a Peruvian and opened a boutique handmade jewelry and vintage clothing store on one of the narrow streets down the hill from our place. Such a lovely lady.
Day Six: Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
Ugh. Twenty-one hour bus trips are not for the faint of heart. On the plus side: gracious seats, plenty of legroom, and decent views when the sun is out. On the down side: hairpin turns and climbing altitude from sea level to 11,203 feet high. Oh, and also Grease playing on all the bus TVs – Spanish dubbing, English subtitles. Arrived at 11:30am after a fitful night; only one barf bag used. Carried our bags the final stretch of road above El Templo do San Blas and arrived at a farmhouse turned guest house perched above the city skyline where we’ve been sucking down mate de coca and recovering from the ride. Ted swears the Mango Gelato is working its magic, too.
Day Five: Monday, January 9th, 2012
Morning wandering. Bank. Starbucks (yes, we did, and no, it wasn’t), and an impromptu tour of the local modern cathedral. Lovely architecture and stained glass windows. Then! We found a nursery nestled in the back of a series of ramshackle shops and spent time picking out two potted plants (one Anthurium and one mystery) for Anna and Eva to add to their balcony collections. Returned home, packed our bags, visited with Ana’s painting teacher and his wife, said our farewells, and set out for the bus station. Departure: 2:00pm. Arrival in Cusco…..on Day Six.
Day Four: Sunday, January 8th, 2012
Breakfast and plants at Eva’s. A walk through El Olivar Grove Park. Three hours mass transit to Dadi’s neighborhood. House tour. Fried chicken and rice, potato beet salad, and mango for dessert. Tours of all the homes in the family. Inca Cola. Homes on rock. Geese, rabbits, cuys (Guinea pigs), raised for subsistence. Broken languages, big smiles, full hearts, humble homes. Shared numbers of siblings and years married and ages…anything we could communicate with humble Spanish language skills.
People To Remember: Too many to count! Dadi, Ramon, Jonathan and Andre, and all sorts of extended family.
Day Three: Saturday, January 7th, 2012
Seth’s Birthday! (H.B.D., Seth.)
Took the city bus into town: walked to Plaza de Armas, tried bussing to El Cerro San Cristóbal but no luck; instead connected with Ferdinand Jr and Sr and drank beers. Wandered, ate cheap lunch, ventured into other neighborhoods and then taxi to Cruz del Sur to buy tickets for Monday. Returned to Anna’s… Napped. Groceries at Wong, dinner after at her home. Rest, computer, photos… Best mango of our lives!
People to Remember: Fernando and Fernando
Day Two: Friday January 6th, 2012
Sleep. Woke to the sounds of birds and traffic, construction and business men and women in the window across the way. Shampooed the travel out of our hair and headed for the breakfast table. Fresh fruit, bread, juice, and eggs. Decided a call to sort our SERVAS was in order: Anna’s home it was. In the meantime, we took our bags and headed for the S.A.E. Clubhouse… Luggage safely stowed, we wandered the markets and streets, enjoyed ceviche, and ventured to the coastline. An evening return to Anna’s for introductions, dinner, and a visit from her sister, Eva.
People to Remember: Jo, Jeff, Anna, Blanca, Eva
Day One: Thursday, January 5, 2012
Uneventful flights. LAN Airlines surprisingly purple. Little steps like saying “Gracias” instead of “Thank You” to the airline stewards… Evening touchdown in Lima, green arrow at customs, and a sea of signs at arrivals. Our driver explained the word for their version of “Hole in the Wall” restaurants; Drew would be happy. An easy check in at the guest house; bright greens and blues on a bed spread too hot to sleep under, and the first night’s rest on a new continent.
Random: Seth’s early AM airport drop off included Moves Like Jagger, Dreams, and Your Song. Exit row seats on United. Far too many choices on LAN’s entertainment. Moneyball: Ted’s kind of baseball flick.
And so it begins…
Daily notes from our unfolding life on the road.
Blog posts will grow from stories and memories.
Warning: Haphazard Thoughts Ahead.
Pingback: Sights from Our Adventures in the City (Lima, Peru) | twoOregonians
Can’t wait to follow along in your journeys!
Thanks, Kate! So fun to have you along for the ride… xx
Didn’t realize you were documenting each day! What fun to ride along with you on a daily basis! Well, except I’m sort of glad I wasn’t on that 21 hour bus ride with you. Could you imagine doing something like that with kids?!
Oh, my heart goes out to any little munchkin who has to endure that ride. ; )
Love reading about your adventures! Thinking of you tonight way down south!
Thanks, Judy! Sending our love and hellos back up to Oregon : )
Love to read and see what your travels bring you….. very connected with the world and reminding me that we are all just people in this Universe and how lucky that is while we are a part of it’s living, breathing energy….. God Bless you (in whatever is your own believing Godly way!)
Sincerely Jenni in Enumclaw WA.
**p.s. If you are ever in this corner of the world love to host your visit at my farm.
Jenni, you’re very kind. Thank you so much, and thank you for the invitation to visit your farm! We are so humbled and privileged to be experiencing this world in all these ways…
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