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| Lima, Peru - Day 2 |
The museum also has an erotic section of pottery. This album of photos may not be appropriate for young children.
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| Lima, Peru - Erotic Musuem - Day 2 |
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Lima, Peru - Day 2
Today Matt and I went to the big (by South American standards) Museo Larco, one of the largest collections of pre Colombian art, which houses over 45,000 Peruvian pottery and clay figures. As such the majority of the pictures in today’s photo album will be the really unique pottery and vases shaped into different animals and peoples.
The museum also has an erotic section of pottery. This album of photos may not be appropriate for young children.
The museum also has an erotic section of pottery. This album of photos may not be appropriate for young children.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Machu Picchu Trek, Peru - Day 4
So today we woke up at 3:45 in the morning to be one of the first three groups at the gate which opens at 5:30 in the morning. While we grumbled a bit at the early morning rise in the pitch black, we were very grateful in hindsight. Matt and I ran the last part of the trek in 45 minutes which normally takes 1 – 1.5 hours to walk to get to the Sun Gate. From there we had to wait for the rest of the group to catch up so we could go to Wayna Picchu to get tickets. Only 400 people are allowed access per day to the soaring mountain which rises over Machu Picchu and gives stunning panoramic views of the ruins and valley below. This would be the one of the highlights of the trip!
We were racing against the masses of people who would be taking a slightly easier route and catching an early bus from Aquas Calientes, a neighboring town, up to Machu Picchu. They would be getting there around 7am so we were trying to get there in that timeframe so we could get one of those magical tickets. We must have looked like quite a circus show running into Machu Picchu; all harried, unshowered and unkempt with exhausted gaunt, sunken eyes bestowing the pain of waking up before the sun and carrying our bags for the last 4 days. Some of the other tourists who took the bus appeared rather refreshed and springy in their dapper sweaters resting over their shoulders and crossed in front, and glanced at us with a mixture of awe and interest. Perhaps it was more shock and disbelief. I prefer to believe that they were inspired.
So after all that running we got to the WP ticket counter and got the 392 to 400th ticket. I got the LAST ONE! It was crazy, I actually felt bad because a couple of the guys had walked through Machu Picchu and they missed out on tickets to Waynu Picchu. Wow the euphoria of getting the last ticket was like winning the lottery. Despite my calm demeanor and even keeled personality, I don’t think I would have stood up well to being number 401 in line.
Half way up Waynu Picchu, I was starting to wonder if it would have been better to be number 401. My legs were burning like I had just run a marathon with a 50lb bag on. The effects of the three day trek and waking up early were getting the best of me. I was getting light headed and had to lean heavily on the steel cables that lined the steep mountain walls. This mountain was steep, at some points only had space for one person to cross, and did not have cables in some sections. At the top, we had to crawl under a huge rock for about 20 feet on our hands and knees through some water which was only big enough for barely me to fit. I have no idea how a large unathletic person managed this natural obstacle course. We emerged on the other side of the fallen rock where after climbing up another flight of steps we arrived at the top of the mountain, which was a huge pile of enormous boulders. It was really cool to run around on top of huge rocks overlooking the valley and Machu Picchu, until you realize that there are no cables up here. That it’s raining and the rocks are slippery. And that this is probably where that tourist fell of the mountain about 9 months ago. Then it gets realistically scary rather quickly. After slowing edging our way around the precipitous boulders, we edged our way down and properly explored Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu is as amazing as everybody says it is. I’m not going to bore you with superlatives which you can read by googling Machu Picchu. Just know that if you haven’t been already you should go. I would rank it on par with the Great Wall, Ankor Wat and the Forbidden City in terms of awesome man-made beauty and engineering. It should be on everybody’s bucket list.
We were racing against the masses of people who would be taking a slightly easier route and catching an early bus from Aquas Calientes, a neighboring town, up to Machu Picchu. They would be getting there around 7am so we were trying to get there in that timeframe so we could get one of those magical tickets. We must have looked like quite a circus show running into Machu Picchu; all harried, unshowered and unkempt with exhausted gaunt, sunken eyes bestowing the pain of waking up before the sun and carrying our bags for the last 4 days. Some of the other tourists who took the bus appeared rather refreshed and springy in their dapper sweaters resting over their shoulders and crossed in front, and glanced at us with a mixture of awe and interest. Perhaps it was more shock and disbelief. I prefer to believe that they were inspired.
So after all that running we got to the WP ticket counter and got the 392 to 400th ticket. I got the LAST ONE! It was crazy, I actually felt bad because a couple of the guys had walked through Machu Picchu and they missed out on tickets to Waynu Picchu. Wow the euphoria of getting the last ticket was like winning the lottery. Despite my calm demeanor and even keeled personality, I don’t think I would have stood up well to being number 401 in line.
Half way up Waynu Picchu, I was starting to wonder if it would have been better to be number 401. My legs were burning like I had just run a marathon with a 50lb bag on. The effects of the three day trek and waking up early were getting the best of me. I was getting light headed and had to lean heavily on the steel cables that lined the steep mountain walls. This mountain was steep, at some points only had space for one person to cross, and did not have cables in some sections. At the top, we had to crawl under a huge rock for about 20 feet on our hands and knees through some water which was only big enough for barely me to fit. I have no idea how a large unathletic person managed this natural obstacle course. We emerged on the other side of the fallen rock where after climbing up another flight of steps we arrived at the top of the mountain, which was a huge pile of enormous boulders. It was really cool to run around on top of huge rocks overlooking the valley and Machu Picchu, until you realize that there are no cables up here. That it’s raining and the rocks are slippery. And that this is probably where that tourist fell of the mountain about 9 months ago. Then it gets realistically scary rather quickly. After slowing edging our way around the precipitous boulders, we edged our way down and properly explored Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu is as amazing as everybody says it is. I’m not going to bore you with superlatives which you can read by googling Machu Picchu. Just know that if you haven’t been already you should go. I would rank it on par with the Great Wall, Ankor Wat and the Forbidden City in terms of awesome man-made beauty and engineering. It should be on everybody’s bucket list.
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| Machu Picchu Trek, Peru - Day 4 |
Monday, March 23, 2009
Cusco, Peru - Day 4
Today we took a tour of the Sacred Valley visiting Pisaq and Ollantaytambo. The archeological ruins of Pisaq are in the Sacred Valley about a 25 minute hike up rich green terraced mountains along the Urubamba River. The modern town of Pisaq has a extensive Sunday open air market and the only church in the world to hold mass in Quechua, the native Incan language.
Ollantaytambo was a complex, extensive archeological site which was rather well maintained. It was an important place for the Incas and served as the Incan capital for a short period of time. Ollantaytambo was also the starting point of our Machu Picchu trek the following day.
Ollantaytambo was a complex, extensive archeological site which was rather well maintained. It was an important place for the Incas and served as the Incan capital for a short period of time. Ollantaytambo was also the starting point of our Machu Picchu trek the following day.
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| Cusco, Peru - Day 4 |
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Cusco, Peru - Day 3
So my high school friend Matt arrived early in the morning and we kicked off the adventurous part of our next two weeks together with a tour of 4 archeological sites of Inca importance.
The first was Qorikancha (from the Quechua words Quri Kancha meaning 'Golden Courtyard'). It was the most important temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated primarily to Inti, the Sun God. It was one of the most revered and respected temples of the city of Cusco, Peru. The walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Spanish reports tell of its opulence that was 'fabulous beyond belief'.
The Church of Santo Domingo was built on the site, using the ruined foundations of the temple that was flattened by the Spanish in the 17th century, and is a fine example of where Inca stonework has been incorporated into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand thanks to the sophisticated stone masonry.
The next stop was Saqsaywaman located 2km from the Cusco. The Incas called it the House of the Sun and the Spaniards called it a fortress because of its zig-zag shape and the 1536 revolution. The construction, which is made up of three platforms one on top of the other, was one of the most important religious complexes of its time. The enormous boulders that form part of the construction were put together perfectly without using mortar. The heaviest weighs up to 125 tons. Archaeologists are currently excavating and have discovered water fountains, canals and rooms. In a nearby flat area, every June 24 local inhabitants hold the Festival of the Sun, or Ind Raymi.
Despite all of these fascinating archeological sites, the highlight of our day was trying the local delicacy of Cuy, otherwise known as a guinea pig. Most of the locals that I spoke with raved about this dish, and I was eager to give it a try. Admittedly, a guinea pig, what some people refer to as a pet, is a bit unconventional as a food item but some people have pot belly pigs as pets and I’m not going to give up pork. I have eaten some weird things before in my travels including insects, baby chickens inside an egg, and spoiled soy beans so I figured this couldn’t be much worse. We got it in a fancy restaurant with mostly refined middle aged patrons who shrieked in joy and amazement when the roasted tailless rat was brought to our table. Or perhaps it was horror. We got the baked version instead of the fried one and the skin was rather chewy. There wasn’t much meat on the Cuy and the meat that was there wasn’t really that flavorful. Perhaps they toned the spices down to account for a tourist palate but I didn’t see what there was to rave about. The 20 minutes of pictures and posing was better than the food.
The first was Qorikancha (from the Quechua words Quri Kancha meaning 'Golden Courtyard'). It was the most important temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated primarily to Inti, the Sun God. It was one of the most revered and respected temples of the city of Cusco, Peru. The walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Spanish reports tell of its opulence that was 'fabulous beyond belief'.
The Church of Santo Domingo was built on the site, using the ruined foundations of the temple that was flattened by the Spanish in the 17th century, and is a fine example of where Inca stonework has been incorporated into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand thanks to the sophisticated stone masonry.
The next stop was Saqsaywaman located 2km from the Cusco. The Incas called it the House of the Sun and the Spaniards called it a fortress because of its zig-zag shape and the 1536 revolution. The construction, which is made up of three platforms one on top of the other, was one of the most important religious complexes of its time. The enormous boulders that form part of the construction were put together perfectly without using mortar. The heaviest weighs up to 125 tons. Archaeologists are currently excavating and have discovered water fountains, canals and rooms. In a nearby flat area, every June 24 local inhabitants hold the Festival of the Sun, or Ind Raymi.
Despite all of these fascinating archeological sites, the highlight of our day was trying the local delicacy of Cuy, otherwise known as a guinea pig. Most of the locals that I spoke with raved about this dish, and I was eager to give it a try. Admittedly, a guinea pig, what some people refer to as a pet, is a bit unconventional as a food item but some people have pot belly pigs as pets and I’m not going to give up pork. I have eaten some weird things before in my travels including insects, baby chickens inside an egg, and spoiled soy beans so I figured this couldn’t be much worse. We got it in a fancy restaurant with mostly refined middle aged patrons who shrieked in joy and amazement when the roasted tailless rat was brought to our table. Or perhaps it was horror. We got the baked version instead of the fried one and the skin was rather chewy. There wasn’t much meat on the Cuy and the meat that was there wasn’t really that flavorful. Perhaps they toned the spices down to account for a tourist palate but I didn’t see what there was to rave about. The 20 minutes of pictures and posing was better than the food.
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| Cusco, Peru - Day 3 |
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Puno, Peru - Day 1
The floating villages on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca are a very staged tourist attraction. The Peruvians should just call it Disney World on reeds. Locals dressed in their native outfits, pose, smile and wave just like the “It’s a small world after all” ride. But like Disney World, the floating village has an innate ability to entertain and amaze anybody between the age of 5 and 80. The floating islands are like a 17th century science fair project. How many people can we fit onto a pile of floating plants? Can we build a house on it? How about a town? Oh let’s just see if we can LIVE on floating plants. Somewhere along this science fair project, the teacher forgot to tell the students that the science fair was over and that they can return to their land which is a 20 minute boat ride away.
Jumping up and down on the floating blocks of soil, climbing up lookout towers, and taking boat rides on straw bound together with string, is a fun learning experience. The locals string together blocks of floating soil (don’t ask me how it floats but I tried to push a block down in the water and it promptly popped back up like a cork) and then place piles and piles of reeds on them. When the reeds become waterlogged every two weeks or so, they are replaced with new ones. As such, a large part of the local’s activities not only include fishing and hunting birds but also prepare the future reeds for use. Although who knows, perhaps they live in mini mansions on the main land and just come to the floating islands that their ancestors previously inhabited from 9-5.
I got to my place around 8 pm and set about exploring Puno for a dinner spot. Following the suggestion of a local, I ended up finding a remarkably touristy, delectable delicious, and entertaining restaurant. They had folk dancing there and I got to try alpaca. The meat arrived perfectly cooked, medium rare, slightly charred and quivering atop a bed of cheesy grain which I can only equate to grits. The mass was more cheesy and stringy than grainy with a one needing to cut the starch that the meat rested on. Local organic vegetables accompanied the dish. Along with a local Andean soup and a delicious kingfish ceviche, the whole meal and dining experience set me back only $15 dollars. Gotta love Peru.
Jumping up and down on the floating blocks of soil, climbing up lookout towers, and taking boat rides on straw bound together with string, is a fun learning experience. The locals string together blocks of floating soil (don’t ask me how it floats but I tried to push a block down in the water and it promptly popped back up like a cork) and then place piles and piles of reeds on them. When the reeds become waterlogged every two weeks or so, they are replaced with new ones. As such, a large part of the local’s activities not only include fishing and hunting birds but also prepare the future reeds for use. Although who knows, perhaps they live in mini mansions on the main land and just come to the floating islands that their ancestors previously inhabited from 9-5.
I got to my place around 8 pm and set about exploring Puno for a dinner spot. Following the suggestion of a local, I ended up finding a remarkably touristy, delectable delicious, and entertaining restaurant. They had folk dancing there and I got to try alpaca. The meat arrived perfectly cooked, medium rare, slightly charred and quivering atop a bed of cheesy grain which I can only equate to grits. The mass was more cheesy and stringy than grainy with a one needing to cut the starch that the meat rested on. Local organic vegetables accompanied the dish. Along with a local Andean soup and a delicious kingfish ceviche, the whole meal and dining experience set me back only $15 dollars. Gotta love Peru.
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| Puno, Peru - Day 1 |
Monday, March 2, 2009
La Paz, Bolivia - Day 2
Today was a tour of Tiwanaku a pre Colombian archeological site that has been named a UNESCO site. It has significant importance as precursors to the Inca Empire, flourishing as the ritual and administrative capital of a major state power for approximately five hundred years.
They have these stone megaphones that you could speak into that projected your voice across the archeological campus to the other side where someone listening into a similar stone piece could hear you. They built this approximately 1,500 years before Christ. I wouldn’t be able to build two stone voice projection devices right now if you paid me. Perhaps two styrofoam cups with a string, maybe a long long string.
They have these stone megaphones that you could speak into that projected your voice across the archeological campus to the other side where someone listening into a similar stone piece could hear you. They built this approximately 1,500 years before Christ. I wouldn’t be able to build two stone voice projection devices right now if you paid me. Perhaps two styrofoam cups with a string, maybe a long long string.
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| La Paz, Bolivia - Day 2 |
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Salta, Argentina - Day 2
Today I took an all day tour of 4 small villages north of Salta which covered a total of about 250km or about 150 miles. These villages were my first taste of a more rural “traditional” Latin America culture which I was expecting when I started planning this trip. You know…the colorful traditional clothing, the unique handicrafts, the fresh foods made from local ingredients, and the dirty children happily playing with sticks and pig bladders. Ok so I didn’t see any animal parts being thrown around, but the rest of my perception (right or wrong) of South American living was unveiled today.
The first place was Purmamarca, a small village with the 7 colored mountains nearby. The second place was Tilcara, a small village about 2500 meters above sea level. The key to this city is the archeological site of Purcara de Tilcara, the ruins of a pre Inca Puracar people. The archeological site was atop a large hill which had a panoramic view of the area for protection from invaders. The third place we visited was Humahuaca, a UNESCO site for its fine example of pre Inca life and architecture. The fourth place was Jujuy, the capital city of the area. We also visited the marker for the Tropic of Capricorn, a major line of latitude in the southern hemisphere.
The first place was Purmamarca, a small village with the 7 colored mountains nearby. The second place was Tilcara, a small village about 2500 meters above sea level. The key to this city is the archeological site of Purcara de Tilcara, the ruins of a pre Inca Puracar people. The archeological site was atop a large hill which had a panoramic view of the area for protection from invaders. The third place we visited was Humahuaca, a UNESCO site for its fine example of pre Inca life and architecture. The fourth place was Jujuy, the capital city of the area. We also visited the marker for the Tropic of Capricorn, a major line of latitude in the southern hemisphere.
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| Salta, Argentina - Day 2 |
Friday, November 28, 2008
Buenos Aires, Argentina - Day 6
Today was a lazy day of running errands. I needed to exchange out my Uruguay Pesos and get some more Argentinean Pesos. I wish South America would adopt the Euro approach so I wouldn't have to change money so often.
In the process of walking through a mall, I ran into a Indian cultural show and an art exhibit which were both rather interesting. It’s amazing what you bump into sometimes when you're not looking for anything.
In the process of walking through a mall, I ran into a Indian cultural show and an art exhibit which were both rather interesting. It’s amazing what you bump into sometimes when you're not looking for anything.
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| Buenos Aires, Argentina - Day 6 |
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Montevideo, Uruguay - Day 1
The weather can be rather fickle here. Up to this point in the trip it has been around 85 degrees and extremely hot, sunny. So the next morning I have an 8 am boat to catch to Montevideo and I step outside and it feels like about 60 and extremely windy. By the time I get to Montevideo which is a 3 hour boat ride away – I’m in long pants, short and long sleeve shirts, and winter jacket. The weather remains cool and windy for the rest of the week in the 70’s but the sun is soo hot that people are still laying on the beach. I got two shades darker in about 15 minutes after laying out.
So I got to the ferry station an hour ahead of time and had some breakfast while waiting. The boat was supposed to leave at 8 am and get to Montevideo at 11am but for some reason the departure time got pushed back 2 hours. Shouldn’t boats leaving at 8 am already be there? It’s not like our boat was coming in from another port at 7 am. Well perhaps the delay was weather related. The boat was a large one; and it had space for cars and about 300-400 passengers, but as we started our journey the wind and waves were rocking the boat rather viscously. I decided to pick an aisle seat on a corner so that there were no seats in front of me or on the side for some extra leg room. Boy was that a mistake. Old people were falling all over the place, and one lady thought it would be a good idea to use my laptop screen as a rail.
I managed to fall asleep and when I woke up people were getting off the boat. Sweet we’re here! So I’m waiting for my bag at the carousel and noticed that there is an English tour guide. I know that the ferry is close to Plaza Independencia which is close to where I’m staying.
ME: “So how far away are we from the Plaza Independencia”?
HER: “Ummmm the Plaza Independencia is in Montevideo we’re in Colonia”.
ME: “WHAT?!? Did I get on the wrong boat in the chaos back in Buenos Aires? How am I going to get my bag in Montevideo? How do I get to Montevideo from here”?
HER: “Just get your bag and then you can catch the bus outside…just show them your ticket and they’ll put you on the right bus”.
So another 2.5 hour bus ride later, I finally make it to Montevideo and didn’t get settled down until about 4pm. That’s a long 3 hour boat ride.
So I got to the ferry station an hour ahead of time and had some breakfast while waiting. The boat was supposed to leave at 8 am and get to Montevideo at 11am but for some reason the departure time got pushed back 2 hours. Shouldn’t boats leaving at 8 am already be there? It’s not like our boat was coming in from another port at 7 am. Well perhaps the delay was weather related. The boat was a large one; and it had space for cars and about 300-400 passengers, but as we started our journey the wind and waves were rocking the boat rather viscously. I decided to pick an aisle seat on a corner so that there were no seats in front of me or on the side for some extra leg room. Boy was that a mistake. Old people were falling all over the place, and one lady thought it would be a good idea to use my laptop screen as a rail.
I managed to fall asleep and when I woke up people were getting off the boat. Sweet we’re here! So I’m waiting for my bag at the carousel and noticed that there is an English tour guide. I know that the ferry is close to Plaza Independencia which is close to where I’m staying.
ME: “So how far away are we from the Plaza Independencia”?
HER: “Ummmm the Plaza Independencia is in Montevideo we’re in Colonia”.
ME: “WHAT?!? Did I get on the wrong boat in the chaos back in Buenos Aires? How am I going to get my bag in Montevideo? How do I get to Montevideo from here”?
HER: “Just get your bag and then you can catch the bus outside…just show them your ticket and they’ll put you on the right bus”.
So another 2.5 hour bus ride later, I finally make it to Montevideo and didn’t get settled down until about 4pm. That’s a long 3 hour boat ride.
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| Montevideo, Uraguay - Day 1 |
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Colonia de Santiago, Uruguay - Day 1
I went on a tour of Colonia de Santiago today. This UNESCO site is an old town which has been well preserved to show the old Portuguese and Spanish architecture. This town traded hands multiple times as this city was passed back and forth to settle disputes between the two countries.
One thing that I learned on this tour is that the cobble stones roads were designed in the Portuguese style of a slight “U” concave shape to allow the water to drain off in the middle. While it was efficient at draining the water, it can be somewhat difficult to traverse. Conversely, the Romans built their cobble stone streets in an upside down “U” shape to allow the water to drain off to the sides which is equally efficient and allows for easier transport.
One thing that I learned on this tour is that the cobble stones roads were designed in the Portuguese style of a slight “U” concave shape to allow the water to drain off in the middle. While it was efficient at draining the water, it can be somewhat difficult to traverse. Conversely, the Romans built their cobble stone streets in an upside down “U” shape to allow the water to drain off to the sides which is equally efficient and allows for easier transport.
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| Colonia de Santiago, Uruguay - Day 1 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina - Day 3
Today I went on a tour of Argentinean gauchos. The gauchos are a local group similar to the Native American Indians who sustain a living farming, ranching and hunting. They were originally looked down up upon but gained respect and power when they banded together against the government. The tour included some local dances, a bbq spread, and a riding demonstration.
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| Buenos Aires, Argentina - Day 3 |
Friday, November 14, 2008
Buenos Aires, Argentina - Day 2
I took a city tour today which was disappointing since the "bilingual" tour guide gave a ton of info in Spanish speaking for like 5 minutes. Then in English, he would name the building that we passed a block ago and then switched back to his native tongue. So I was constantly trying to crane my neck to view the structures that the tour guide mentioned after we had already passed them. The highlight of the tour was the colorful La Boca area which had diverse multi colored houses.
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| Buenos Aires, Argentina - Day 2 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina - Day 1
So I got into Buenos Aires and was told by the reception that I should check out the San Telmo street festival which happens every Sunday. It was about a 20 minute walk away and was a conglomeration of street performers, local artists selling wares, and various artistic shops. I had a very interesting day of wandering around and window shopping at the huge outdoor market.
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| Buenos Aires, Argentina - Day 1 |
Rio de Janiero, Brazil - Day 3
So today, I walked around the downtown area, rode the subway, rode a local bus, talk to locals, viewed a couple street performances, hung out on the colorful tiled steps where Snoop Dogg filmed the music video “Beautiful Girl” and got robbed. Oh and ate every version of empanada possible – boy those things are tasty…I don’t know where they get all the different combinations of dough (corn, wheat, and stuffing combinations but they are amazing.
Oh so the robbing story…well I’m ok thanks for wondering. It actually was a blessing in disguise as I got a good lesson. I was waiting for the bus and had my money out and some guy just grabbed it and ran. By the time I realized it, he was half way down the block and I wasn’t about to chase him over cobble stone for $15 dollars. So it was very opportunistic, nobody got hurt, and I had more money in other pockets. That being said, I’ll just be more aware of my surroundings and careful while traveling. No worries mom :)
Oh so the robbing story…well I’m ok thanks for wondering. It actually was a blessing in disguise as I got a good lesson. I was waiting for the bus and had my money out and some guy just grabbed it and ran. By the time I realized it, he was half way down the block and I wasn’t about to chase him over cobble stone for $15 dollars. So it was very opportunistic, nobody got hurt, and I had more money in other pockets. That being said, I’ll just be more aware of my surroundings and careful while traveling. No worries mom :)
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| Rio de Janerio, Brazil - Day 3 |
Rio de Janerio, Brazil - Day 2
Today I took a city tour with some of the highlights being Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf Mountain, and a huge cathedral. The views from the top of CtR and SLM were quite impressive. I also saw my first Asian in South America but unfortunately they happened to be Korean tourists so I don’t think they count as locals. I guess they don't have too many Asians here because two different groups of people stopped me at Sugar Loaf and CtR and asked to take a picture with me. Kind of funny.
The amount of diversity in Brazil is amazing with every shade of white, black and in between. Everyone seems unique but no one is really exotic in this melting pot. It seems like as long as you can speak Portuguese that people welcome you as Brazilian. Unlike in other countries, Brazilians don’t seem to view race as a factor in discriminating which is good; however, social class and background do appear to be a factor here.
I took a nap after getting back from the tour and I guess someone left the window open and it was raining so the mosquitoes were out in full force. For some reason mosquitoes like me. I go camping with my friends and I'll spray on a bottle of OFF, sit in a middle of a circle of Citronelle candles, and spray some Raid on for good measure and I still get the most bites out of all my friends. I think I got about 40 (no joke I counted them) bites in about 1 hours. Luckily on my last trip to South East Asia my aunt in HK too pity on me when I came over for dinner with a ton of bites and gave me this ointment from Japan that does wonders on mosquito bites and I brought it along. Thanks Aunt Evelyn!
The amount of diversity in Brazil is amazing with every shade of white, black and in between. Everyone seems unique but no one is really exotic in this melting pot. It seems like as long as you can speak Portuguese that people welcome you as Brazilian. Unlike in other countries, Brazilians don’t seem to view race as a factor in discriminating which is good; however, social class and background do appear to be a factor here.
I took a nap after getting back from the tour and I guess someone left the window open and it was raining so the mosquitoes were out in full force. For some reason mosquitoes like me. I go camping with my friends and I'll spray on a bottle of OFF, sit in a middle of a circle of Citronelle candles, and spray some Raid on for good measure and I still get the most bites out of all my friends. I think I got about 40 (no joke I counted them) bites in about 1 hours. Luckily on my last trip to South East Asia my aunt in HK too pity on me when I came over for dinner with a ton of bites and gave me this ointment from Japan that does wonders on mosquito bites and I brought it along. Thanks Aunt Evelyn!
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| Rio de Janerio, Brazil - Day 2 |
Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Singapore, Singapore - Day 3
Singapore has a fantastic blend of three main cultures from China, India, and native Malay. The food is amazing – spicy, flavorful, and diverse. I could live here just for the food.
I ran into a Japanese FOOOD COURT…there were 15 upscale stalls differ styles of Japanese cooking – the usual sushi / sashimi, ramen, teriyaki, yakitori, and curries stalls, but then they also had more interesting things like Japanese pizzas, Italian takes, stews, bakery goods, and stuff that I’ve never seen before…I wanted to take pictures of all the stalls but at the time I thought that would be a bit odd…in hindsight I really wish I would have taken the pictures or at least ordered something from every stall…wow it was heavenly
I ran into a Japanese FOOOD COURT…there were 15 upscale stalls differ styles of Japanese cooking – the usual sushi / sashimi, ramen, teriyaki, yakitori, and curries stalls, but then they also had more interesting things like Japanese pizzas, Italian takes, stews, bakery goods, and stuff that I’ve never seen before…I wanted to take pictures of all the stalls but at the time I thought that would be a bit odd…in hindsight I really wish I would have taken the pictures or at least ordered something from every stall…wow it was heavenly
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| Singapore, Singapore - Day 3 |
Luang Prabang, Laos - Day 3
I got to hike through elephant poop…barefoot.
So we stayed overnight in the village which was really fascinating. The villagers had a chief who was one of the taller guys in the tribe and had one of the best looking woman for his wife. But best of all…he had one of two TV antennas in the village. They hosted TV night where what seemed like the entire village squished into their living room and watched the wife channel surf the Thai TV channels.
The next day I woke up early around 6 am and it started raining shortly after. So we started hiking down the mountain after breakfast in a steady downpour. The trail was a complete mud slide. I would just slide down the mountain; and I had two sticks that I would periodically stick in the mud to stop myself from careening out of control. So for most of the hike the mud was the slippery variety which required a lot of effort to not fall off the trail. Then we hit another type of mud that was more clay like and it stuck to anything it touched. After hiking about 5 minutes in the clay like mud it would constantly build up on the bottom of my sandals until I was basically walking on stilts. Stilts that weighed 25 lbs. I couldn’t get the mud off my sandals it was caked on so hard. So I took my sandals off and proceeded to slide down the mountain barefoot. It was smooth sliding until I hit these HUGE pot holes which looked like a couple moon landings took place on the trail. I asked the guide what these were and he said that they were elephant footprints. Then I noticed the large mounds of poop scattered along the trail which were slowly “melting” into the trail as the rain mixed them in with the mud and made little poop pools in the elephant footprints. And I still couldn’t put my sandals on because I would be sliding all over the place – not that they would have offered much protection from the feces mud mixture. LOVELY!
So we stayed overnight in the village which was really fascinating. The villagers had a chief who was one of the taller guys in the tribe and had one of the best looking woman for his wife. But best of all…he had one of two TV antennas in the village. They hosted TV night where what seemed like the entire village squished into their living room and watched the wife channel surf the Thai TV channels.
The next day I woke up early around 6 am and it started raining shortly after. So we started hiking down the mountain after breakfast in a steady downpour. The trail was a complete mud slide. I would just slide down the mountain; and I had two sticks that I would periodically stick in the mud to stop myself from careening out of control. So for most of the hike the mud was the slippery variety which required a lot of effort to not fall off the trail. Then we hit another type of mud that was more clay like and it stuck to anything it touched. After hiking about 5 minutes in the clay like mud it would constantly build up on the bottom of my sandals until I was basically walking on stilts. Stilts that weighed 25 lbs. I couldn’t get the mud off my sandals it was caked on so hard. So I took my sandals off and proceeded to slide down the mountain barefoot. It was smooth sliding until I hit these HUGE pot holes which looked like a couple moon landings took place on the trail. I asked the guide what these were and he said that they were elephant footprints. Then I noticed the large mounds of poop scattered along the trail which were slowly “melting” into the trail as the rain mixed them in with the mud and made little poop pools in the elephant footprints. And I still couldn’t put my sandals on because I would be sliding all over the place – not that they would have offered much protection from the feces mud mixture. LOVELY!
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| Luang Prabang, Laos - Day 3 |
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