Vietnam

From Phmon Penh in Cambodia we went to Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam. Everybody uses a motorbike, so traffic is insane!! The roads are full of scooters...it's a total chaos!!

Then we flew from Ho Chi Min City to Hanoi in the north of Vietnam. The flight was very smooth, but still the locals kept throwing up. Yep! don't know why!!

The worst part, was that on the mini bus from the airport to the city, they continued puking!! unbelievable!! we were on the ground and the bags of puck were filling up rapidly! I guessed we should have suspected something when the driver starting handing out plastic bags as soon as we sat down.

The plan was to go to some beaches east of Hanoi, but the weather was pretty bad (actually there was a typhoon!) so we stayed in Hanoi for a couple of days, just relaxing and recovering from the puke saga!

Cambodia continues

In Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, you can go to the Killing Fields, which is where a large number of people were killed and buried during the Khmer Rouge regime. Also, there is a former school that used to be a prision where Cambodians were interrogated, tortured and murdered. From 1975 to 1979, 1.7 million people died. Visiting the sites was difficult, you can feel the pain. Really really horrible!!!

When you leave these places, there are lots of disabled people and naked children begging, some of them would sell water, bracelts and even books written by the survivors of the Khmer Rouge. I decided to buy one of the books to learn more about the history, and also to try and help. The problem is that you CAN'T really help. There is so much poverty!! There are so many people asking for money...they say "just one dollar", and yes! that's not a lot of money...but if you give one dollar to the 40 people you see in 2 hours...that's different. I felt uncomfortable, guilty, angry, frustated and annoyed at the fact that I couldn't do anything to help these people.

I wish I can be rich, so I could build a school for the children that are begging...

Cambodia - Angkor Wat

Again...I thought I was going to see Angelina Jolie running through the temples (Tomb Raider was filmed here), but nop!

The place is incredible!!

One of the wonders of the world!!

South of Thailand

We went to Ko Phi Phi, Phucket, Ko Samui and Ko Tao

To summarize: Phucket is all about sex...old westerns with young local girls!! they walk together holding hands...really disgusting!!!

From Ko Phi Phi, we did a tour on a boat and we ended in a wonderful turquoise water lagoon!! I thought Leo Di Caprio was going to appear...but no! instead I had my sexy Irish man!!

Ko Tao was amazing for snorkeling!! we got a piece of bread and in an instant we were surronded by crazy fish!! it was great fun!!

Enjoy the pics!!

ps: the boxing fight was staged!! the things one do for a free bucket of alcohol!! haha no worries, I didn't get hurt!

Malaysia

Next stop, we flew to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. What is there to see besides the Petrona's Towers? mm...not much! Bintang Walk is a famous area where you can find restaurants and do some shopping. We stayed in a beutiful 4 star hotel (yes, we took a break from the backpacking scene), and there was a pretty cool swimming pool (those who know me, understand how happy that makes me!). Well, I decided to go for a swim and do a few laps...when my husband reminded me that this is a muslim country and that I should cover my shoulders going down in the elevator. I was wearing a black bathing suit and a shawl, before I left I added another shawl to cover every part of my body! The strangest part of all was that I felt so naked in the pool! yes! the other women were fullly dressed watching their children enjoying the water, and the 2 other women actually in the pool were wearing a one piece bathing suit with a little skirt over it! I felt quite uncomfortable! weird! In the hotel's room there are arrows indicating were one should pray...I believe always facing Mecca.

After a few days, we went to Lankawi, an island on the north west of Malaysia. It is gorgeous! We stayed in a beautiful place, we rented a scooter to exlore the island, and we celebrated our anniversay with a bottle of champagne watching the sunset! unforgetable!

Hope you like the pics!

Indonesia continues (Bali)

We went to Prambanan (the largest Hindu temple) and to Boroduru a Buddhist temple; both of them are in Java- Indonesia. They are quite impressive! Both part of Unesco World Heritage. Lot's of school children go there as a field trip with their teachers; and since they are noy used to seeing many foreigners we felt like celebrities when they asked for pictures with! haha...yes! Specially Enda...they kept saying: "Picture please! so beautiful!". For the record I agree!! My husband is absolutly gorgeus!

We also went to see a traditional Ballet...I loved it! for Enda...mmm... a bit too long!

At 3 am we woke up to see the sunrise in Gunung Bromo, and active volcano. Here again, the locals wanted pictures with us. The view spectacular! Absolutely worth it!

Finally, Bali...well, let me tell you that I had high expectations for this place! I thought it was going to be absolutely amazing...well not quite! Kuta, the beach, is very turistic and full of surfers (I prefer shallow waters...just realxing with my floti).

Ubud however, in the island of Bali if beautiful! It's a tiny cultural town-very pretty. With lots of rice fields and an average of one temple per street. Something that called my attention was the offerings they leave on the temples/streets (check the last picture).

Jakarta + Yogyakarta - Indonesia

Ok, so we are finally back from the trip and I am starting to sort out the over 1,000 pictures we took! Don't worry! I promise I will only post 30 pictures at a time! ;)

Here you can see pictures of Kraton: The Sultan's Palace, the market, the town (not much too see) and the most common method of transport: the tuk-tuk

Hope you like it! There is more to come!

First nigth in Jakarta

Indonesia's capital, Jakarta is chaotic, dirty and poor. By first impressions it's difficult to take in the slums and traffic jams (side comment: since there is so much dirt, there are quite a lot of cats! let's just say I was not a happy camper!)
We were in a hotel just in the centre (Jaksa area) for u$22 per night. We were exhausted from the whole airport saga, that we decided to get a few beers at a bar around the corner.

People are very friendly, they smile at you and try to practice the little English they know. Everything seemed harmeless...until we realized what was "really" going on!

In the hotel bar there was an Englishman (in his mid-40's) talking with a local boy (maybe 18 years old) and a local girl (in her 20's). They were all having a great time...talking and laughing...suddenly the kid puts his hand under the man's shorts (massaging his private bits!)...mmm... a bit strange we thought! The woman started walking around and chatting to other men. It was here that things took a new turn.

A local man (in his 30's) started walking around with a sheet of paper, writing names and collecting money. Later we realized across the street was the Brothel (Telo en Argentina), so the local guy was the Pimp and of course the hookers with their clients. When the hook up was made, they would go to the bathroom in the bar we were at, to wash their private bits and then cross the street to do the nasty!

After all this, we ordered another beer and went to another bar to have a few games of pool. Overall, a strange but interesting night!

Flight to Jakarta - Part 2

So, since things were getting a bit awkard, I decided to play my "Oscar winning I'm from Argentina performance" (usually when mentioning Maradonna people smile and get soft), well, not this one!! haha...so, then I changed to plan B: with watery eyes I started "I come from a 3rd world country, don't have a lot of money, we earn Argentinian pesos, not us dollars!! please!!" nop! didn't work either.
So, he looks at me and says "we help you, you help us"...I didn't get it at first, so I got quiet...Enda quickly responded "how much?" to what the officer said "how much can you give?" Enda says "u$20"... the answer was "mmmmm....." not very happy!

They pulled us to the side and we said "ok, we want to buy a new ticket...can it be refundable?" (which basically means that you purchase the ticket and when yo uget to your hotel you cancel it!). They said NO!! so, again I started getting really pissed (no acting now). I said "but we just paid u$50! give us the money back and put us back on a plane!'. No response...so Enda says "ok, we don't have much money, we'll give u$40". The officer went to check the supervisor you gave him the thumbs up!

Again, went to passport control showing the passports with the u$40 inside!! Here, they continue giving me attitute! He said "you know, this is the last time...I help you! if you have friends of family here don't say anything because we know..."

With the sour taste we arrived in Jakarta...first stop in Indonesia...first time bribeing!!

Flight to Jakarta - Part 1

We got a fight from Hong Kong-singapore-jakarta for u$160, with a 6 hour lay over at Singapore. We thought we were going to the city and do some sightseeing, but once I learned that it has been voted the best airport in the world we decided to stick around. The airport is huge! and I couldn't believe there were showing free movies, there is free internet access every 5 minute walk, there is a hotel...and...the best part: there is swimming pool!! (unfortunately I couldn't use it...I found it just 40 minutes before leaving!)

After the 6 hour wait, we go on the flight to Jakarta (Indonesia). The 2 1/2 hour flight was great...the problem started when we landed!
We knew that in some countries we would need a visa, which it's not a huge problemsince they issue the visa at the airport. So, after looking at our passports, they gave us an option: either get a 7-day visa for u$10 or a 30-day visa for u$25. Since we didn't know how long we were going to stay, I said; "c'mon! let's just get the 30-day visa!". When we were going to pay, they asked when we were leaving and since we had no ticket (we don't know where we are going next or when!) we had to speak with an officer. He was not thrilled , buthe said: "ok, we'll give you the visa". Great! we thought...well, not for long!

The next step was to go through Passpot Control, where the first question was; "where are you going next?' since our response was the same as before: "don't know", they told us we had to purchase a ticket now...otherwise we would stay at the airport!

Guess what happened next?...stick around for the next post...

Victoria Park

Every Sunday the maids/helpers/nannies gather in Victoria Park. They are mostly from Malaysia and the Philippines; and Sunday is their day off. It's very common to have a maid here, it's quite cheap: 4000 HK = 400 pounds = 2000 pesos Argentinos per month. By law, they have to live-in with the family, which could be a bit awkward. But the loss of privacy is compensated with great service! Unfortunately, many people abuse this service; and it's not uncommon to make the maid sleep in a tiny closet, on the living room floor or even in the bathroom! Some are even sex slaves! really...unbelievable! I guess the good part is that they can work for 13 years and retire! or support their families back home with their jobs in HK.

What exactly do they do in the park/street? well...eat, talk, show pictures, pray, dance, do their make-up and hair and gossip of course!

What do you do on your day off?

Noodles

This is thin pasta in a bowl of soup...it's quite tasty but a bit difficult to eat...

Chinese Dominoes

It's actually called 'Mahjong'; which is a board game similar to Rummy. There is a set of 144 tiles (fichas) of different suits (bamboo, circles and numbers); the goal is to make sets of 2 and 3...but to be honest I only played once and I didn't even understand it!! If you want to learn more about it, click here
http://www.chinatownconnection.com/mahjong_rules.html

For me, this is a social event. Almost every Sunday, we go to a friend's house to play Mahjong! Since there are only 4 players at a time you can chat and eat while the others play.

I have always been terrible at playing games...I don't like them at all!! I think it all started during my childhood...we used to play Rummy and Burako on the beach with my younger sister and my mom...and they would always kick my ass!! big time!!!

The odyssey of the bag - Part 1

I admit it! I'm terrible at packing....yep! I leave everything to the last minute! my fault! the only problem is when I involve other people to help me when the situation gets out of control...like what happened last week.

Before moving to Hong Kong I had a chance of leaving a bag in London with a friend (Ana -gracias!) who was coming here a month later. Since I could not organize myself quickly and efficiently enough, I lost the opportunity of bringing it!

But, last week another good friend (Luciana- diosa total!) embarked on her trip to Europe and her first stop was London....yes! you guessed correctly! I asked her to bring a 23 kilo bag. The problem is that I decided to ask her for this huge favor 2 days before her flight!

My parents (absolute angels!, mil gracias a los dos!) had to rush and in one day bought a new bag, got to my flat in Bs.As, packed the things, and took the bag to my friend's flat.

Following morning, the bag was on its way to London. Now, the issue was that my friend is backpacking in Europe, so another friend (Alf y Patri-mil gracias!) met her at Paddington Station to get the bag. Luckily the whole thing went well!

Do you think the whole saga is over? well, this is only half of the journey...now my friend will have to post the bag to HK....seriously!

Please light a candle, say a prayer or just cross your fingers!!

ps: Mil gracias a Sole y Cris for your help in London! ;)

Shek-O Beach HK

This is another great beach! a bit further out...well...only 30 minutes, but it feels like it's a world away from the city!

Here you can see a few surfers and it's less crowded! but I guess not for long...summer is coming!
Something strange and interesting (remember I'm trying to embrace the new culture ;) ) is the fact that many people, specially girls go to the beach fully dressed. Yes! t-shirts, jeans, shoes and of course umbrellas! They like to protect themselves from the sun, so they even wear SPF 150! I've never heard of this!

It's pretty cool to have access to a beach just a few minutes from your home!

I feel very lucky!

Repulse Bay Beach-HK

It only takes 10 minutes by bus to get from our apt. to Repulse Bay...not bad!!! It's not the best beach you'll ever see, but it's extremely convenient and very clean! There are some massive statues of Chinese gods...quite colorful! oh yes! and the name...repulse, quite literally refers to the way the British 'repulsed' pirates from the shore in the mid-1800s.

We have been to this beach several times...and I even swam! the water is a bit cold but clean...I think in the summer it will get warmer...

oh! yes! and for the single girls...what do you think about the last picture?

Enjoy the pics!

Play the ponies

Every Wednesday at Happy Valley (in HK Island), crowds from all social economic backgrounds gather for a common purpose: seeing their favourite horse win! It's quite interesting to see the locals pick their horses...they really study the newspaper, analyzing the odds for the winning pony! For them it's a serious matter, there is no drinking involved and they bet quite a lot of money. Remember that in HK gambling is legal!

On the other hand, for the expats (foreigners living here) this is a social occasion. For guys, it's an after office drinking meeting point (they wear suits and have laptops/briefcases); and for the girls, who had time to go home and change, it's a place to try to meet that someone special. We'll talk about relationships in another post.

So, since we were not for the drinking or the picking up...what did we do??? any bets???!!! GAMBLE!! haha...yes! but don't get too excited...I only bet once, and guess what? I WON!! yessssssssss!! now, the only problem is that I bet 10HK (5 pesos Arg.), so I only got 2.50HK (which is 1.75 pesos Arg.) hahaha...I know...beginners luck!!

Macau

What are the advantages of having an Argentinian passport? well, that if you go to Macau you need to get a visa!! yeah!! only a few countries have to pay 100HK...and we are one of them! actually, it's not that bad...it lasts for a month, but being pulled to the side and taken to an office...not understanding what was going on...and your husband being on the side was a bit unexpected!

A piece of history: Macau was an island controlled by the Portuguese until 1999, when it was handed back to China. Since it is illegal to gamble in mainland China, people from Hong Kong and other cities go to Macau for the day (it takes 45 minutes by Ferry). There is more money gambled here than in Las Vegas! true!!

Even though you can find some interesting colonial architecture, we only saw the Cirque du Soleil show "ZAIA" at the Venetian Hotel. Yep! sorry! no cultural sightseeing...well, it was raining!! One quick word about the show; if you have never seen any Cirque shows it's absolutely amazing!! now, if it's your 4th one (seen it in Vegas, New York and London) then...it's pretty much the same!

Enjoy the pics!!

HK-Day 5

Located in Central and Western District (in HK Island) it's the Dried Seafood Street, where you can find exotic dried food. Presentation is not very appealing; they are just on a box or a bag on the street. Beware of the smell!! specially with the heat it could be quite repulsive! sorry...nothing personal!! The strangest thing I've seen was dried seahorse! it actually looked cute! haha...A local friend told me that you should cook the dried fish with ginger and that it's very tasty...if I try it I'll let you know!! Bird's nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine and you can purchase the ingredients at Ginseng and Bird's Nest Street.

At Hollywood Road and Upper Lascar Row you can find many curious and antique shops; from vases to large pieces of furniture. It reminded me of Portobello Market in London...not quite as large, but the same idea! or it could be like San Telmo Market!! I'm so international!! haha...

One of the first traditional-style temples is Man Mo Temple...I'm sure you are tired of reading about this...lots of incense! oh! and you need to be careful...some of the incense hanging from the ceiling don't have a plate underneath, so ashes can drop and burn you!! seriously! so be careful!!

Last part of the pictures are the Mid-levels Escalators; the world's longest covered escalator...800-metres long!! yep!! it takes 20 minutes to go from top to bottom. The only problem is that it goes one way...so down you go in the steps...I guess is not too bad...but being a lazy person I would prefer a two-way escalator!! haha...

Amazing View

Today for a special treat you'll see my acting abilities!! haha...first video is just an introduction of HK Island seen from Kowloon side.

The next two videos are part of the Symphony of Lights, where 30 buildings on either side of the harbour participate in a massive 20-minute light and laser show. This happens every night at 8pm. I hope you like it!

HK-Day 4

I know I've been in HK for more than 4 days...haha...sorry about the title of the post...but I did see the following on my 4th day of exploring the city!! There are lots of Markets and places to shop all around, for me absolute heaven! but one of the most popular is called "Ladies' market". Don't be deceived by its name! Here you can buy anything at bargain-priced items, including men's and women's clothing, 'copy watches and bags" (that is exactly what they say!), meaning fake!, beauty products, wigs! yes! strange...I know! but I say the other day a girl wearing a long blond wig! maybe it's their fantasy??!! haha...

Tin Hau Temple is dedicated to the Goddess of Seafarers. Its location is in the middle of a bustling urban area...where you wouldn't expect to see one of the oldest Temple of HK! the explanation is that a long time ago it was on the harbour front. People worship Tina Hau here; they buy incenses and pray. This happens in every Temple: purchase the incense and let them burn. There are also huge incenses with a beehive shape being burned constantly, which can be quite unpleasant! your eyes become itchy and is difficult to breathe! at least for me...

Finally, it's Kowloon Walled City Park...absolutely beautiful!! very clean and well-taken care of! and you can walk to the harbour and have a great view of Hong Kong Island. Enjoy the pics!

HK-Day 3

In the Mongkok area, located in Kowloon Island, you can walk find several famous markets within a short walking distance. This is one of the busiests areas of Kowloon, where you can find young people in their stylish shopping bags as well as the old local women doing their daily shopping. 

We started at the Flower Market, absolutly incredible!! the smell takes over the humidity!! beautiful colors, large variety and great prices! you can find a bunch of over 10 jazmins (my mom's favourite flower) for 12 Hk (about 6 Arg. pesos). You can also find mini bamboo trees and orchids...I really loved this market!

Then, we continued into the Bird Market. It is absolutly crazy to hear hundreds of birds singing non stop! sorry, but it was quite annoying and smelling!! You can buy the cages, birds and its food. The funny thing of all, is that birds are prized by their singing ability, not their plumage. You can find parrots, and grasshopers next to each other...bizarre!

Finally, we walked around the Goldfish Market, where you can find small fish displayed in plastic bags. Also, you can purchase exotic tropical fish, like 'Nemo'!! haha...Kittens, puppies and small turtles can also be purchased. Chinese people believed that fish bring good luck...I guess that exlpains it all!

HK-Day 2

Apologies for not writing before, have been busy socializing and going to the beach!! haha...and since I have not been posting lately, just for this time I will write 2 posts!! yeah!! today is your lucky day!! haha...

Hong Kong is formed by a set of several islands, one of them being Hong Kong Island, which is where we live. Just opposite is Kawloon Island; it takes only 20 minutes in the subway. Besides the subway, which is called the MTR, public transportation includes the regular buses, the small buses and the "Ding Dings" (same as a tram). The name for the last one is because that is the sound it makes when it starts!

Stanley market is a great place for bargains; althought it is a bit of a tourist trap. You can find from gel packs for your back to large fans to hang on the walls.

HK-Day 1

Finally, after 10 1/2 hours flight and 7 hours difference from London I got to Hong Kong!! Luckly, someone was waiting for me and put me on a taxi to our 'home sweet home'. At the moment we are renting a flat in Causeway Bay; which is right besides Times Square (without the Broadway shows) and the expensive shops. Basically, is a big shopping area mainly for young kids that bring the latest fashion.

After sleeping for about 3 days (waking up at 5am and going for a siesta of 5 hours at 6pm), we did our first day trip. We took a ferry to Lantau (another island) to see Tian Tan Buddha - the world's largest seated bronze Buddah. It's quite impressive!

First impression of Hk? well, the public transportation is amazing! A.C everywhere, very necessary for the humidity and you never wait more than 3 minutes for the subway to arrive. Also, it is very cheap (each ride costs 50 HK dollar, which is 0.50 pounds, which is 2.50 Arg. pesos).

London E.R (Emergency Room)

Next stop was London for a few days...unfortunately not the best of days!! Of course, being London the weather was cloudy, rainy and depressing! sorry, not offense for those who live there, but it is true! The weather in London sucks! big time!! However, it was great seeing some old friends - thanks for coming out!! and hopefully next time I can meet up with those I missed! - sorry, but they were hectic days with some unplanned issues...

So, in New York I started with a sore throat and in London it got worse, much worse! The mornings and nights were specially bad, I would start with a simple cough and end having difficulty breathing. Well, on Saturday night my good friend Chris thought I was not looking very healthy! and since I was having difficulty to breath attacks, she insisted on going to the Emergency Room. Oh dear! here is where the adventure began...now we can laugh about it, but at the moment it was quite scary!

As we got the E.R, there was a commotion 'cause there was a guy with a broken arm and he was bleeding pretty bad; his friend a bit drunk with no shirt on (it was being used to hold the bloody arm) was going back and forth! Asking if the friend was going to be okay. yes! just like in the TV program! big drama!

 As there weren't many people, I thought we would be out of there in 20 minutes or so...well...not quite! After giving my personal info, they called me in; hurray!! I thought, that was fast. Nope, I met with the nurse, who just asked if i was allergic to any medication and that the doctor will see me as soon as he can. So, we sat comfortably trying to stay awake. That was not difficult since that's when act 2 began. Another drunken guy with his mom and dad...but this one was a bit violent! (neither of us wanted to make eye contact, he looked scary!). He had obviously been in a fight, and his left eye was bleeding. The nurse had put a bandage, but since he would not stay still, and he would touch the wound, one of the stitches came out and the blood started dripping again! yep! the janitor had to come again and mop the bloody floor!! Not pretty!

After waiting for 2 and 1/2 hours, they called us in. I think we stayed for 15 minutes. Checked my throat, said it was infected and that I needed antibiotics. Payed 14 quid, and off I left with 2 prescriptions. The following morning felt much better...but it took me about a week to fully recover.

Q: Have you ever being to an Emergency Room? This was my first

NYC: changed...but not really

Famous Naked Cowboy in Times Square

Landed at JFK with no problems...feeling excited and looking forward to spending a few days in one of my favorite cities! but that feeling started fading away as soon as I got on the cue for immigration. It's a bit difficult to explain the feeling...all of a sudden I started feeling hot and my heart started racing! "What is going on?!!" well, just looking at certain people going to a side door with a police officer because there is an issue with their passports, the signs that prohibit you from using cellphones and cameras, and just the overall feeling that you are not really welcome...immediately changed my mood. I guess, the immigration officers are trained to have a dog face and to treat you like shit! luckily, mine was neither that nor friendly..stamped my passport without asking any questions.

Once in the city, I was able to hang out and visit some great friends...went to some of my all time favorite spots, like Mexican Restaurant, where I had chicken fajitas with mango margaritas...mmm....while thinking of this my mouth waters!! NYC is great! everything works! it's extremely convenient and efficient...but don't ask a bus driver twice where you want to get off...oh no! she will give you New Yorker attitude...and trust me it ain't pretty!!

Still, during my short visit I was able to visit my old University (and say Hi to some colleagues), walk around Central Park, do a mini-tour in Met Museum, and take some pics of 5th Av, Rockefeller Center and Times Square. Of course, those who know me must have guessed that one Must Stop for me, is Bloomingdales (Victoria Secret and Banana Republic). And it is here that I noticed a change. As you know the Economical crisis affected everyone...but I didn't expected to see it so clearly. I went around the perfume section and I asked a price...well, they were so pushy! hard sellers that I actually felt harassed! They would give me more samples, more gifts, even the convenience it of buying now and picking it up later! I was a but jet lag, so I must have said something in Spanish...like "no, gracias"...well, all of a sudden I had 2 more people following me around speaking in Spanish. OTT!! (Over the top)
Luckily for my husband I did not buy anything...but no worries, once I start working again I will be back!!

Q: Which is you favorite city/town? Why?

Not quite the Irish Luck

The day had finally arrived, I was embarking on the adventure. I was going to be on a plane heading to Miami, with a layover of 8 hours before getting to New York. Well...not quite! When I got to the checking area (Silvio-the flight attendant from American Airlines) suggested to get in an earlier flight and go directly to New York. "Wonderful!", I said. I couldn't believe my luck! so I had to say goodbye to my parents very quickly and off I went.

Rushing, rushing got to the plane and after 20 minutes the pilot informed us there was a problem with the lights in the cock pit, they wouldn't stop flickering. So we had to wait for 3 hours, yes!! 3 long hours, with no food or drinks! People were getting anxious to say the least! Finally, the pilot said: "One way or another, American Airlines will take care of you" well, they sort of did, the flight was canceled until the following day. We left the plane, again going to customes, picking up our bags, waiting for a van and off we went to a hotel.

They took us to "Hotel Emperador" (5 stars-nice!), where dinner, breakfast and lunch were included! In the morning I asked if I could use the pool and sauna and they said yes! I guess I was the only one who asked, 'cause I was alone!! jajaja...great! I have to be honest...I had a fantastic time!! Top service, delicious food, and the swimming kept me relaxed! Following day we left with no problems.

Q: Do you usually see a glass half empty or half full?

Farewell Drinks

It was tough saying goodbye to family and friends, but I have to admit I'm very happy!! I can't wait for this new adventure to begin! The last week in BA, I went out for dinner almost every night, I had to watch my waist-so I couldn't order steak every night! boo hoo!

Wednesday night, the girls from "Grupete Brazil"came to my hood and had some delicious 'pinchos' at a Catalan Restaurante. We were having a great time: talking, drinking, gossiping (what women do!), when suddenly they presented me with a gift: a frame with pictures of all of us from Carnival in Bahia. I was speechless (something difficult in me); I did not expect it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will miss you all!!

Then, on Friday night, I had dinner with "Las chicas del secundario" (High School girls). It was amazing from the moment I walked in; as soon as I walked in they put me a Kimono (para entrar en ambiente! ja, ja); then we had sushi as an appetizer (from Sushi Club) absolutely delicious! and for main, meat with potatoes...the best part of course was the "Chocotorta" mmm...I'll miss it!!

All the alfajores they gave me with the fans were great! and the questions about Chinese vocabulary very funny!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! To each one of you who shared this extended sabbatical year!! It was great reconnecting and finding people I had lost touch with. I will miss you all!

I will put a question at the end of each post...you can answer if you wish...

Q: What was your favourite farewell drinks/party?