Park of the sculptures

From Chile

Like most Latin American countries, Chile has its fair share of plazas, public parks, and green space. El parque de las esculturas is one of the more innovative ones. The Chilean Government commissioned artists to design sculptured installations for the park, so it´s like one big, green museum with at least 20 sculptures and different trees from around the world.

From Chile

The grounds are kept in pristine condition with golf-course worthy grass. I also couldn´t help but notice the lack of graffiti and trash. It´s really a beautiful park to take a lazy stroll and look at the cool artwork. Mostly people come here to take pictures and to makeout.

From Chile

From the far corners of the world

From Chile

Hostels are a great meeting spot. There are few other places where you can gather around a table and have a good conversation with people from so many other countries: Ireland, England, Brazil, Chile, Estonia, Spain, Japan, Australia...like a mini U.N. without all the squabbling...

From Chile

The first night, I stayed up late talking to the girl from Estonia, the Irish couple, and the professor from Cal State San Bernardino. We shared stories, exchanged travel tips, and passed on the second and third-hand stories from the road.

The second night we celebrated at an asada (Chilean style BBQ) with our Chilean friends--good food, good music, and more good conversation.

From Chile

They introduced us to this drink--a carved out melon, with pineapple ice cream and white wine. I liked this better than pisco sours. We played a game of pass the melon, and everyone got a taste.

the many colors of valparaiso

From Chile

From Chile

The charming neighborhood of Conception, set in the hills, is very San Franciscan with its colorful buildings, political art, and stacked housing.

VIew from the Top

Santiago, Chile

Wandering in Santiago

When I first landed in Santiago, I was greeted by a barrage of "Hey Lady, where do you need to go?" and "Hey Lady, I take you where you need to go." A polite "No, gracias," was not enough to fend off the determined cabbies and shuttle drivers who persisted in following me until I made a dash for the restroom. With my unmistakeable backpack and weird shoes, they could smell tourist all over me. It was a little overwhelming at first, but I knew exactly which bus I needed to take and had somewhat of an idea about how to get to my hostel.

It's weird orientating yourself in a new city. Your senses are so raw because you're trying to take everything in...the smells, the sights, the people, the environment, the colors...

The beauty of Santiago didn't strike me immediately. After I settled into the hostel, I decided to take a walk to get acquainted with the city. I started walking, and it wasn't until halfway through my journey, when the hidden beauty of Santiago really started to surface. I don't know how else to describe it but as a thriving metropolitan with hidden charms.

In Plaza del Armas and the centro part, there is an urban beat...the streets surrounding that area are teeming with people. It's easy to get lost in the crowd and nice to people watch, but even I'll admit to feeling a little agoraphobic among the sea of people. The other parts of the city are much quieter. And it becomes easier to spot Santiago's hidden charms...the green space...the mix of European and Latin architecture, the public squares, the cobblestone streets, and the mix of friendly people.

I only wandered to one questionable area, but quickly left. And even that wasn't so bad. There was a farmer's market/swamp meet thing going on, but when the neighborhood noticebly changed, I took that as my cue to leave.

So far, so good. I'm liking the balmy Chilean weather--it feels like California in the summer time. I'm happy it's not humid. And I love that the sun stays out until 9:30!

Rafting Photos and Reunion with the Alexes

After making promises to meet up after vacation, we finally reunited with the Alexes (five months later). It's silly, especially since Fia and I work only a couple blocks away from Alexander. We all laughed about it taking us so long to get together, but with Alexandra doing her grad studies at Cal Tech, and the rest of us wrapped up in day to day work, time just got away from us. It's funny--when you're on travel time, promises to keep in touch and go out for coffee always seem very doable, then you get back...

Anyway, we had a good lunch at a fast-food Italian place and reminisced, and caught each other up on our lives. Alex also had copies of the CD of photos from our rafting trip in Costa Rica!

The photos reminded us of how much fun we had on the rafting trip! It was a solid day of rafting on the Pacuare River (rated one of the top five rafting destinations by National Geographic)--highly recommended if you happen to find yourself in the Talamanca region of Costa Rica. We booked with Exploradores Outdoors, and for around $80 USD you get transportation, luggage/backpack storage, the use of showers and changing rooms, a hearty breakfast buffet, standard gear (helmet, flotation devise, paddle), an experienced guide, a continuous 5-hour trip down river in class 3 and 4 rapids, and lunch. The scenery was breathtaking--cascading waterfalls and incredible greenery...

More rafting photos are posted to my new windows live account here. I've been looking for a large capacity, free, photo hosting site for my upcoming trip. I love the features of Picasa and Photo Bucket, but the free accounts are limiting. (I've maxed out both of my Picasa web album accounts since it limits users to 1 GB) A friend recommended Windows live (skydrive.live.com) since it offers 25 gigs of free storage, and it can be used for other data besides photos. So far, I don't really like the user interface, but with 25 GB free, I can't complain.

It's been awhile...

It's been way too long since my last post. Not that the past couple of months haven't been exciting...just busy. Here are some highlights:

Explored the Downtown LA Artwalk. It happens every month on the second Thursday, and there are all sorts of galleries, showrooms, and exhibits that open their doors to the public. Even some of the museums get in on the action. Both MOCAs grant free admission.

We got a map and lost it. Then we spent the time wandering from venue to venue, enjoying live music, mixing with the crowd, and trying to envision how all of this would look 5 to 10 years from now. L.A. is changing so quickly already...

We didn't have the time to do it all in one night, so we revisited it again the next month, and are planning to do so again.

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Timmy and I are now PADI certified open water scuba divers! It was an exciting but intense couple of weeks in route to our certification. We went through Eco Dive Center in Culver City, and had a great experience. They're very knowledgeable and thorough--we felt well-prepared when it came time to test our skills in the ocean.

The course is set-up really well. There is a Padi Open Water Diver's Manual. It's designed like a textbook and reads like one too--complete with homework and all. There is an accompanying dvd that compliments the textbook, but the dialogue is taken verbatim from the book, which covers everything from the simple science, to dive gear, safety, mechanics, and even conservation.

By week one's end we had to have gone through half the textbook and completed three knowledge reviews (no joke about the homework). I got a call from my instructor reminding me to bring in my homework. Early Saturday morning we met at the dive shop for our first classroom instruction. We met the other students and the two other instructors. We went over the material again, and had to take three quizzes. There was a short break for lunch before the meet-up at the local city pool in Hawthorne.

A quick demo on assembling gear, and it was off to real practice in the pool. You could tell that we were all newbies by the effort and length of time that it took us to get into our gear. That scuba cylinder (tank) is heavy--it was nice to get into the water. We worked on different skill sets: buddy breathing, hand signals, clearing and removing our masks under water. I realized I have poor airway control.

Sunday was a fun day. We met in the San Pedro harbor in the afternoon, loaded our gear on to the dive boat and headed out to Catalina Island. More practice with the dive skills--but this time out in the open ocean.

I can't even begin to describe the type of feeling you get from diving. Another world opens up, and you're suddenly surrounded by all kinds of life.

The excitement of the dive trip got us in gear for another week of reading and homework. In week two there were more dive skill lessons to be learned. We had a different instructor this time around, and he was just as great. Pool training first, then we took the final exam.

I went home that night to throw stuff into an overnight bag, and then if was off to the Port of Call where we setup our gear and chose our bunks. It's amazing how many people they managed to fit in such close quarters. We were literally sleeping on top of each other, but it was still fairly comfortable. It helps that the other divers were easy-going, fun people. I think divers in general are mostly that way. I had a great conversation with Ivan--a new diver in our group from Serbia. We talked a lot about American politics and his home country, which I know isn't a subject you're supposed to broach with new people, but it turned into a very enlightening and fascinating conversation.

We sailed at night, and even with the cabin hatch open the weather was perfect. I woke up at 6am feeling the clean sea breeze blowing in my face and the sound of seagulls flying overhead. We were docked somewhere in the Channel Islands. After a hearty breakfast we put on our equipment and got ready for our dive. This was a special dive where we got to swim with sea lions. They encircled us and would swim right up to the face of our masks! It was incredible! They're like energetic, playful dogs underwater. We did a couple more dives and headed back to the mainland. I can't wait to see where our next diving adventure will take us!

Glow: Santa Monica Art Show

We had an awesome time at Glow! It was like all of L.A. had descended on Santa Monica. I don't think I've ever seen the beaches so full of people after dark, or the Santa Monica Pier that crowded. I thought at one point the pier might collapse on to itself from the weight of all the people. The crowds were so dense that you couldn't even move except as one big collective group. Traffic was a nightmare; the freeway was at a standstill; and driving in general was just chaotic. Not the event for you if you're an agoraphobic.

Wanda and I ended up parking far--and I mean almost in West L.A. far. It was a good 10 block plus hike to the center of the action, but the streets were teeming with people and it felt like a fun night festival. The 7pm to 7am setup was brilliant. I really have to give it up to the city of Santa Monica for putting on such a great event. I think the turnout topped what anyone was expecting, which just goes to show if you put it on, people will come.

I feel like the art scene in L.A. is underrated and they need events like this to spark excitement in people. The audience was very eclectic. It drew tourists and locals alike; families and party-goers, serious art-goers and people who were just curious.

Wanda and I got the chance to see most of the installations--some we enjoyed, and others just perplexed us. The coolest things was probably the amazing mental scope. It was fun getting to see your brain waves reflected in bright neon colors over the famous Santa Monica ferris wheel. The weirdest thing? That award goes to the Department of Nocturnal Affairs. We couldn't decide if those people were joking or serious--interesting nonetheless.

And it was fun being out there so late with everyone else. We enjoyed the nightlife. The temperature on the beach was perfect. We probably could have slept there for the night had we come better prepared. Next time we're bringing tents.

We cruised around Third St. for a bit, feeding our midnight snacking frenzy with whatever we could find. We ended up in Xooro, one of those fancy places that takes a simple food, dresses it up a bit, and then charges an exorbitant price tag i.e. Sprinkles Cupcakes (but at least those are good cupcakes). Xooro has done a new take on churros. Well, I wouldn't exactly call it a new take--it's just a fancy version of a churro covered in different toppings like chocolate or caramel, and the inside has a cream filling.

We thought, what the heck, we're here we might as well try it.  We paid almost five dollars for a third of a churro! It was tiny! It wasn't terrible, but for almost five bucks you expect something sinfully delicious, and it was just okay...something I would only buy rarely for a dollar.

Whereas some would argue that Sprinkles is justified for charging three plus dollars for a fancy cupcake, I don't see how Xooro can get away with their less than spectacular churro. I predict that even in a place like Santa Monica, where people are willing to pay more for something trendy (we did it afterall), Xooro can't last in this tough economy. I don't see them as a mainstay like Pinkberry or Sprinkles.

So despite our experience at Xooro, we had a great evening and early morning. We wanted to stay until the end to watch the water dance, but around 5am the crowds started to dwindle and so did our energy. We called it a day, and headed home.

It was so much fun that we hope the City of Santa Monica will continue to sponsor this and make it an annual event. Maybe other cities will take notice and do something similar...one can only hope =)

Lost memories

So somewhere between Costa Rica and Mexico City, I lost my sketchbook/journal. It's floating somewhere out there in Central America...

I've had that journal-sketchbook since before my study abroad trip in China, and now it's lost. All those captured thoughts and memories...gone...It had special sentimental value to me, but it's now probably sitting in some lost-in-found crate at one of the airports.

I need to learn to keep better track of my things. The damage tally for this trip? Not too bad. 1 pair of sunglasses (that I really liked) and 1 sketchbook/journal (irreplaceable). Still, it could be worse. I guess I'll start a new one...

Day in Transit

I love airports! (but only when I'm going somewhere) They aren't as much fun when you have to head home.

Today was one continuous day of travel--us in transit. We scored a really good deal on our flight from Expedia, but our return trip itinerary was where we paid for it.

We left San Jose, Costa Rica mid afternoon. We hailed a taxi, and after some confusion about which bus station, we ended up going directly to the airport using up the last of our Costa Rican currency to pay the driver and the airport departure tax. Airport security was relatively hassle free, not like the mess it was in LAX.


When we landed in Mexico City after our connecting flight from Guatemala City, we headed straight for customs. It still didn't make sense to us why we had to go through customs when we were just passing through in transit, but this time around, we knew the drill. We followed the labyrinth of people-movers and elevators, got through customs, and proceeded to find a comfortable place to crash for the night, but no such luck. Within minutes we were confronted by airport security, who asked to see our itineraries.

"Your flight is tomorrow," he told us in Spanish.

Como se dice really long layover en espanol?

We tried to play the dumb tourist card, and I feigned not understanding Spanish so that maybe he would give up and leave us alone. And at that late at night, it didn't require a lot of acting on my part because my brain could barely function in English, forget Spanish. Eventually we gave up, thanked the nice security guard, who was geniunely trying to help us language barrier and all. We grabbed our packs and kept trucking in the direction he was pointing. From what I gathered, he told us we could wait in gate 25, and something about the airport closing at 12 (my translation skills don't work as well when I'm sleep deprived).

We tried to sleep, unsuccessfully, at gate 25, but then when the last flight took off we were again told that we couldn't sleep there and we had to leave. This trend continued throughout the night--us being ushered from place to place, everyone demanding to see our itinerary.

We discovered that Mexico City clears the airport at 12 (no overnight stays allowed) and they reopen at 4 am. We didn't really want to leave, but had very little choice. It was cold, and we were tired. We hunted around for somewhere to lay our packs down and sleep. The only place that was open was 7-Eleven, but we didn't forsee the owner being cool with us crashing out in his store front so we looked elsewhere. We found this really weird open, indoor-outdoor art and cultural history museum. People were laid out on the sides on the edges of the museum, sleeping, or trying too. We figured it was our best bet and made camp on the hard wooden floor of the art museum.

By 4am, we were cold, tired, and weary--but happy to leave the hard wooden floors. We reentered the airport (went through airport security again), warmed up with some hot, tasteless coffee, and tried once again, to sleep on those uncomfortable airport seats.

San Jose, Costa Rica

Another city. Sadly, there's not much to it. San Jose was our least favorite city. The area we stayed in was kind of sketchy, and there really wasn't much to do. We wandered around the city park, which was kind of nice, but if you've ever been to New York's Central Park or the Boston Common, there isn't really a comparison.

I think our strong reason for dislike was also tied to the fact that we were leaving...San Jose marked our last city, last stop, and the end of our incredibly thrilling adventure.

The last day we stocked up on Costa Rican ice cream from the market--Dos Pinos, good stuff. We hung out and said our goodbyes to our fellow travelers who'd become like old friends in such a short amount of time.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

We were excited to finally cross over to the northern border into Costa Rica--different money and another stamp on my passport! We were also a little sad because we knew the end of our trip was fast approaching, and made a point to enjoy the moment.

We met a lot of interesting characters in Costa Rica, free spirited people who embodied the spirt of pura vida.  Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a sleepy beach town on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. It's a little hippie town where people seem to come and never leave. They get stuck--something about the great climate and natural beauty makes them stay.  In all honesty, it wouldn't be that hard for me to imagine trading it all in for a hammock...


With the laid-back vibe of this town, it would have an easy decision to curl up in a hammock and catch up on some much needed rest.  Instead, Fia and I decided not to waste the rest of the day away, so we rented bikes and explored the towns. Our beach cruisers were well-equipped with baskets, but lacked brakes. We puddled around for a little while at the handcrafts market. Then we biked to little strands of hidden beaches, each one more beautiful than the last.

Biking was a great way to see the towns, and although we had abandonned our map, we let our sense of curiosity guide us, and just continued to bike and explore. We would take detours if we saw something that caught our interest. Little side trails that led to secret beaches, roadside trees full of riotous howler monkeys, and a sign diverting us to "chocolat" were all reasons enough to pause.


A sign diverting us to chocolate led us on a long road through the forest.  It was a long ride, but we persisted. We had to push our ill-equipped bikes up the mountain, and as timing would have it, we met the chocolate man on his way down. He was a friendly Swiss guy, and the owner of the organic chocolate opperation. We were dirty and covered in sweat and mud, but he must have been used to seeing tourists in this sate.  He gave us a quick, private tour, and showed us the plant that chocolate was harvested from. We sat in his hut and sampled some of his delicious organic chocolate. They were hand wrapped like little cigars. We purchased 10 bars each, thanked him, and continued on our biking odyssey.

We biked all the way to Manzanillo--another beautiful beach area in a separate town. Dusk came too quickly, and we pedaled back as quickly as possible, trying to make use of the last bit of hazy daylight. Midway through our bike trip back, it was completely dark--no street lamps, only the occasional headlights of an oncoming car. Going through potholes was inevitable because we couldn't see the road to avoid them. It was a long and bumpy ride back to town in the dark, but we eventaully got there.