Michcellaneous

Return of the Mac!

2011-04-24T22:37:00.001-07:00

Not to sound pompous or anything, but it would be quite to factual to make the assumption that the general population must have wondered whatever happened to michcellaneous.blogspot. com.

Cold, dreary nights sitting by the laptop with a mug of hot Ovaltine (THE BEST!), in anticipation of a blog post which ventured into the dark corners of the earth with a crappy Nikon camera, were lost in despair. With every right click of the mouse on the 'refresh' button, there was still no life. The naysayers said that the blogging superstars were gone... for good.. but with Easter upon us, it's certainly time for a Resurrection!!

That's right, Brothers and Sisters, I'm bringing this blog back to LIFE!!!

The last time we all caught up, I was discussing being in some cold climate with a bunch of dogs. No, I'm not referring to St. Moritz but to Bariloche in Argentina and hanging out with a St. Bernard's.

You're probably all wondering what other delights Michi and I encountered as we continued the rest of our epic journey across a diverse land of immense history and culture. The joys we experienced could certainly not be conveyed in a blog post but basically we saw a bunch of penguins

and a bunch of ruins.

Now moving right along and fast forward a year.... our adventure resumes in diverse land of immense history and culture......

Swiss (Inter)National

2010-03-29T16:42:00.001-07:00

Ok. I have lied. I have lied, lied and lied. Much like Ashley Cole, I have lied…. but for very different reasons.

In my previous blog entry, I told my faithful and loyal readers that a blog update would be coming in the next couple of weeks. Those weeks have now turned into two whole months!!!!

Yes, a negligent case of false advertising has occurred but I will now atone for my sins as I describe my glorious life in Swizzy.

Ahh..… oh to wake up every morning and breath in the glorious mountain air. To be seduced by the wondrous lakes and snow-capped peaks almost touching the wispy clouds.

Which in a blink of an eye turns grey….

To be enchanted by the crisp mountain air, like being in a magical fairy-land, and feel a rush of invigoration as you stroll through lofty trees, craning your head to see the very top of each one.

The multitude of lakes never fails to dazzle as each one sparkles like sapphires in the glistening sun…. well, when the sun’s out anyway!!

It makes me feel so patriotic at times that I place my hand on my heart, beat out my chest and sing “ Die Schweizer Nationalhymne “, saluting the great flag of Confederation Helvetica.

Ummm… actually, something’s not right with this picture… things aren’t adding up….

At this point in time, the following comments run through my head….

Que??????????
Where’s the red and white flag??
Aren’t I in Switzerland??
What??
This is still Argentina???
OMG!!!!! It’s just like Switzerland!!!!!

“ Oh God…. when will we she ever learn??? “, says Michi exasperatedly.

I am in fact, folks, still describing the Swiss-like fantasy world of The Lake District in Argentina! There are many more South American adventures to write about in my blog, so I need to pick up from where I left off and it’s only fitting that I continue with Argentina’s answer to Switzerland’s natural beauty… it in fact comes very close to rivalling CH’s offerings.

The jewel of the crown would have to Bariloche.

These are the views from our hotel room – there has been absolutely no photoshopping here, I can assure you. Incidentally, we stayed at the same hotel where the British Ski Team frequent when on training camps in Argentina. Coincidentally, the British Ski Team are all Austrian but now choose to pledge their allegience to Her Majesty The Queen aka Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith…. The Commonwealth rules; yes, I know!!

Look at all that sparkle!!

Now, the Swiss vibe was really in full swing at ol’ Bariloche.

Here we are at an “ authentic “ Swiss restaurant. Swiss National, Michi, could hardly contain his excitement, of course!

More lakes and mountains channeling a rather Geneva-n ambience… well, not so much Geneva but more on the other side of the border, towards Evian, France…. if you squint, you can almost see a water-purification-bottling plant below… ;-)

The views just blow you away…. literally!

Some Swiss-looking sheep were scattered around to resemble The Appenzell or even Scotland, really….

A lovely stream which could easily pass as a sewage canal in Switz!

And the piece de resistance – a Gaudi-esque coffee shop in a little township called….. drumroll…….“ Colonia Suiza “…. just to emphasize that good ol’ Swiss love, eh? Yup, Michi felt right at home in Zurich…. not!

And, I’m afraid this is where I would have to question the “ Swiss-ness “ of this place. Given that the above structure could be the lower level of “ La Sagrada Família “, it would be more fitting if this little village in which the aforementioned cafe resided in was re-named “ Colonia Barcelona “. We’ll just have to use our imaginations here, folks…

Despite this Gaudi gaffe, Bariloche really prided itself on being South America’s Switzerland, and continued with this theme, with all the lakes….

… and all the chocolate on offer. I was most suitably impressed with Bariloche’s chocolate which was as good as Lindt, in my opinion. Well, not as good as the Lindt balls but just as good as their other chocolate! All that Michi could say about Bariloche’s finest chocolate was “ Average “. Must be the Swiss pride coming through there!!

And Switzerland wouldn’t be Switzerland without the following:

1. The watches – the prestige brands being Swatch and Flik-Flak, of course!

2. The banks '- well, they’re barely there now… hehehe just kidding!

3. Roger Federer – who else? ;-)

This is where Bariloche falls well short but nevertheless it does resoundingly redeem itself in the Swiss-“Single-White-Female” stakes by having in abundance the

BEST THING TO EVER

COME OUT OF

SWITZERLAND

( apart from Mr. Michael Ruflin and RF, of course!!, and perhaps, Simon Ammann – according to my friend, Barbara, anyway. )!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am of course referring to Switzerland’s pride and joy…. its national treasure…….

THE SAN BERNADINO!!!!

or simply the St. Bernard’s to us lazy Anglophiles.

Posing with one of these fine creatures, would have to be the greatest day of my life. And that is not an exaggeration.

This gorgeous man’s name was Samson, btw. It must be the hair.

Ok, I lie. Here’s an even better photo with the best that Switzerland/Bariloche has to offer!!

The blog must go on!!

2010-02-01T05:18:00.001-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, my most ardent followers and other distinguished guests, I hereby extend my sincerest apologies for not updating my blog.

I am currently in Switzerland and have been catching up with my old friend, Roger, as he claimed yet another Australian Open title in Melbourne. Woo hoo!! Now that the tennis is over, normality can resume and I can once again update my blog to keep you all riveted with the adventures that occurred in the continent, South America. Believe me, there is plenty to blog about so keep tuned in for my latest entries.

Hip, hip hooray for that, boys and girls!!

Mendoza – Fine Whining

2009-12-27T16:32:00.001-08:00

We went from one night in this

to spending the following three nights in this:

No, it’s not a retirement village. It’s in fact, a not too shabby upgrade to The Park Hyatt Spa and Resort in Mendoza. Now, that’s what I call a backpacker’s – 5 star style! Thank you very much! I was just thankful that The Park Hyatt had a flushing toilet, unlike the aforementioned campsite, without a million and one dead bees, much like the aforementioned campsite.

From whining in this:

to wining with these bad boys:

Mendoza is the nucleus of Argentina’s superb wine industry. Located about 40 minutes outside of Mendoza is the little town of Maipu, which is home to a multitude of vineyards. There are wine tastings at each vineyard, accessible by bike. A more acceptable form of drink driving, methinks.

Wine isn’t the only delight in Mendoza. With The Andes as a spectacular backdrop to the vineyards, it was hard not to be enthralled by the natural beauty of Mendoza.

N.B. Right about this stage, MICHI BROKE OUR BELOVED CANON CAMERA AND SO WE HAD TO BUY A BOTTOM-OF-THE-TOILET NIKON CAMERA – IT’S SH*T!!! The pictures from here-on-in will be below par. Many apologies but you’ll have to make do with your imagination. Disculpe-me.

For his misdemeanour, Michi was relegated to driving duties on a delightful day out on Ruta 60.

It was a worthwhile venture though, as further afield you had this funky looking sedimentary bridge, whose dandy Spanish name I’ve forgotten:

And the mighty ACONGAGUA!!!

Go gaga for Acongaga

The Acongagua is America’s – yes, both North and South – tallest mountain. It’s bigger than The Matterhorn and Mont Blanc put together. Ok, maybe not, but it’s still pretty tall.

We couldn’t be ars*d climbing it, but we had a look at it and the surrounding National Park. It’s all very “ The Hills Are Alive “ Arige style, darlings.

How dare you call me an old fossil!!

Oh… sorry… you meant this…….

Here’s the mighty beast itself – The Acongagua!!

In actuality, the surrounding area, which smothered the highway from Mendoza to Santiago, Chile, was outstanding and made the drive spectacular.

These snow-capped beauties were the perfect prelude to The Lake District of Argentina as we left Mendoza behind.

The Hills Have Eyes

2009-12-20T14:46:00.001-08:00

If you have ever watched the Academy Award winning masterpiece *ahem*, “ The Hills Have Eyes “ and its successor “ The Hills Have Eyes 2 “, you would come to the conclusion that an ex-nuclear site is probably not the most inviting of places to inhabit. What’s even more startling is that I wouldn’t be surprised if either one of these films was filmed around The Sierras of Argentina.

In my previous post, I pretty much slagged off Cordobore but the surrounding Central Sierras are definitely worth a mention and a few photos!

That’s about it.

They aren’t the REAL Sierras though. Not the “ Hills Have Eyes “ territory I was referring to earlier on. The land gets much more dryer and desolate. Really barren and harsh. Survival of the fittest. That kind of thing.

Throw in a sandstorm and you’ve got Indiana Jones’ idea of paradise!

It’s no wonder that this region hasn’t seen rain in months and that a drought prevails throughout the region. Despite all this hardship, the Argentine locals always appear to be in good spirits which is a most admirable and inspiring quality. Take this trio:

We were all laughing, giggling away ( at something/someone, not sure what/who ) in a mixture of Spanglish ( “ No entiendo “, just laugh anyway! ). If we added one more fine lady to the mix we would have been just like “ The Golden Girls “!

And, well, perhaps we have found our 4th leading lady (on the left).

We have no idea what her name is nor does she have any idea how her humble, little hotel ended being in The Lonely Planet aka The Old Faithful. I’ll dub her “ Lydia “ for this blog entry. I think she suits being a “ Lydia “ anyway. Lydia tells us that she got married at the age of 23 and moved to the town of Mina Clavero, Argentina, straightaway. She has lived in the same house for over 60 years, which is behind the hotel she runs. Now, if my maths is any good, by my calculations, we have a woman in her mid-eighties running a hotel by herself. Yup, Lydia could easily be “ Sophia “ in our Argentine “ Golden Girls “ quartet. Ok, everybody nowThank you for being a friend…… ;-)

Leaving “ The Girls “ behind and venturing further west into Argentina’s inhospitable territory, we encounter the National Park, Sierra de las Quijadas aka The REAL Sierras/“ Hills Have Eyes “.

Ok, go on, try to spot Michi below!

As you can probably well fathom by now, this area is BONE BL**DY DRY! I wonder how the dinosaurs managed back in the day. Check out their dino footprints below!

Dinosaurs aside, who would ever dream of living in this god-forsaken place, let alone pitch up a tent.

Ok, perhaps I have spoken a bit too soon….

Cordobore

2009-12-19T10:42:00.001-08:00

The Lonely Planet aka The Old Faithful describes the Argentine city of Cordoba in these three principal items:

1. A buzzing nightlife ( the only thing buzzing was the flies )

2. Fine dining ( McDonald’s, anyone? )

3. Outstanding architecture. ( of, yup, you guessed it…. churches!! )

Was I missing something here? Why would The Lonely Planet aka The Old Faithful rave on about a city which I had absolutely no affinity with. It was bizarre. Was there a fundamental flaw in how I was perceiving Cordoba to be, perhaps?

Our trip to Cordoba started on a tragic note. We took an overnight sleeper train from BA to Cordoba with an unexpected 4 hour delay at a small town, Villa Maria. The reason? The train ran down a mother and daughter who were crossing the railway tracks. They both died. Awful.

This tragedy was a kind of omen for our time in Cordoba in some ways, as we never really warmed to the city and a sombre mood was still lingering. Having said that, there were some attractions.

The train station:

Seeing Rocket Man with his booster pack at the train station:

Alright, I can assure you that Cordoba wasn’t all that dire. The train station was certainly outshone by the churches in the town. Cordoba could give Adelaide a run for its money when the mantle of “ City of Churches “ is up for contention.There were about 11 of them but each had their own distinct style and personality, so much so that the walking tour of the churches was not boring, really. We’re just talking about the churches in Cordoba here, btw. My heading stands as is! Thanks very much!

This Grand Daddy was my favourite one of them all but it is currently undergoing a nip’n’tuck.

The inside certainly didn’t require any overhaul, however.

Simply Divine and an absolute testament to the superb maintenance work. This vibrancy proved to be quite a contrast to the dull city of Cordobore, thereby retrieving one true gem in the city.

What’s new Buenos Aires? I’m new! – Part 3

2009-12-11T10:14:00.001-08:00

I now present to thee the thrilling, final installment of life in Buenos Aires, as observed by a quasi-Porteño aka me!!

Recollecting Recoleta

Now, I’m not really into the habit of visiting graves and cemetries but this Recoleta Cemetry certainly takes it to another dimension! Marking your entry into the after life with architectural finesse is not at all uncommon, pompous nor OTT. Take Westminster Abbey and the supreme edifice of them all, The Taj Mahal, as being burial grounds and might I add, cash cows for both The Church of England and that grimey little town, Agra, respectively.

Recoleta only asks for a measly donation of a couple of pesos; sometimes no pesos depending on how scrooge-like you are feeling that day. It’s definitely worth a visit! Here are a few tasteful pictures!

N.B. Anthony – look away now if you don’t want nightmares tonight!!

That was just a sample of Recoletta Cementry as you could meander around there for hours, literally. The “star” grave/attraction would have to undoubtedly be Eva Peron.

Her most ardent followers/fans/stalkers left a plaque on her family vault which is inscripted with a poem. It begins with the following…

“ Don’t cry for me Argentina. The truth is I’ve never left you…. “

Apparently, the aforementioned line ‘inspired’ the creators of some musical…… can’t remember the name of it now… hmm…it must not have been very good nor successful…. ;-)

The Prince and The Pauper

In the United Kingdom, Polo is normally the domain for people with names such as Charles, William and Harry. In Buenos Aires, if you have some sort of class and/or money, you can make a trip down to the Polo to mingle with Porteños of a similar status thereby making Polo equitable for all ( sort of ). Certainly, a Royal Title is not required!

As I am not affiliated with any member of The British Royal Family, I never got the opportunity to watch a Polo match in The UK. Such was my misfortune but all of this would be redeemed in BA. So, I decided to go to the Polo in Buenos Aires one Sunday afternoon. Michi chose not to come as The Swiss aren’t elitist and Roger Federer doesn’t even play the game.

Here are the grounds ala Royal Randwick Racetrack:

Up close and personal with a sexy beast – horse or rider depending on your inclination!

Warm-up. Giddy-up!!

Match-time!!

Vamos!!!!

And now for a word from our sponsor - Who says the Swiss aren’t elitist?? ;-)

Stop ‘horsing’ around and get on with the game!!

Ironically, last weekend, in a most glaring contrast, Michi and I went to another equine-centric event: The Gaucho Festival. A Gaucho is a working-class Argentine cowboy who is a vagabond and roams the countryside, much unlike the aforementioned silver tail polo princes and their show ponies. We are talking grassroots here. Back to keeping it real amongst those weathered cowboys. A stirring rendition of Jimmy Barnes’ “ Working Class Man “ could certainly be the anthem at this event.

The gaucho festival was held at San Antonio de Arecco, just two hours outside of BA. For an afternoon, Michi and I swapped the Mumm champagne for Quilmes draught and devoured each bite of our choripan from the massive barbeque on the campsite.

Let’s put another shrimp on the barbie!!

Typical Gauchos! No fancy “ Made in Indonesia “ Polo Ralph Lauren attire here!

Obviously, child labour laws do not exist in Argentina.

Hello Mag Celeb Spotting!!! It’s Mr Ed trying to avoid the paps and mingle with his mere equine mortals!!! A botched make-up job wasn’t enough of a guise as Mr Ed was taking time off his busy filming schedule and enjoying an afternoon out with his friends and family. He just went by the name of “ Ed “. No airs for this horse and it’s good to see that his superstar status hasn’t changed him at all.

There were gaucho games aplenty too! A gaucho would agitate his horse, making it wild and ferocious. Two other gauchos would ride up on either side of the gaucho, trying to control his now rowdy horse, and grab the lead rider off the horse, freeing the equine animal and thereby running off.

See what I mean by “ agitated “!!

It was fun to watch, admittedly, but after the 20th “grab and run” attempt it kind of became a little pointless. With this boredom, the mind tends to wonder….

Oh, how do we do!

Michi said that this young chap looked like Prince Charles. Hmm, could he really be the embodiment of The Prince and The Pauper. Something to ponder, I guess.

Good Day in Good Airs!

I’m going to reflect on a bit of the psyche of Porteños in BA. Here are a few anectodes and memorable moments that I will share with all of you all now.

Michi and I were walking around the streets of BA when we got a little lost. Michi politely asked a man for some directions. He then said to Michi in English:

“ Your accent is good. “

The corners of Michi’s mouth started to turn-up and he was about to beam with pride, when…

“ FOR SPAIN!!! “

blurted out of this “ helpful “ Porteño’s mouth. Ouch!! Wipeout!!! Talk about sticking a dagger in someone’s heart!

Porteños rug up like they are visiting Antarctica..… in Spring!! When flip-flops and dresses are deemed appropriate for the BA climate, Porteños end up looked like The Michelin Man with their coats, scarves and boots, etc. At times, it’s big time roadkill but a certain percentage of the population get it right!

For instance, we went to this Ferrari-enamoured café by the Museum of Bella Arts for lunch. There was Ferrari paraphanaillia everywhere on the walls. It certainly was the emporium of all things Scuderia Ferrari. That didn’t inspire me though. The clientele was most well-heeled and geriatric. They were well dressed geriatrics though. No Homy Ped shoes afoot in this establishment. Immaculate was the dish of the day. These senior porteños looked every inch the fashion in Paris Vogue. From the 1960s might I add. Not that it’s a bad thing as I am quite impartial to old vintage garb every now and then. No, what impressed me the most was that these effecianados of matchy-matchy houndstooth suits and cashmere cardigans with a mandatory string of pearls and pill-box hats consume lunch in a cafe with modernist surroundings and clean lines synonymous with Ferraris. ‘Twas Coco meets Enzo over lunch. The empanadas were really gross, btw.

Thinking about using the Argentine mail service to send home some errant packages that cannot fit in a 50L backpack?

“ In very, very low voices, I would not use any of the postal services in South America for foreign packages. “,

so said the FedEx man in BA. A trustworthy individual he was indeed. His other bit of advice.

“ You cannot send maps out of Argentina. “

Michi and I looked at each other, perfectly mirroring each others’ thoughts and simultaneously blurting out.

“ Why??? “

The FedEx Man’s response?

“ THIS IS

ARGENTINA!!!!!!! “

And so that alleyed our fears and resolutely answered our question. Not!

Shopping in BA is like any other city in the world except for two key points:

1. Any purchases over 1000 pesos ( màs or menos £150 ) requires formal identification. Imagine instilling that law in Dubai when £150 is the average bill for a coffee break over there!! As if!!

2. No returns or exchanges on anything.

“ Really? “, I asked.

This was most bizarre to me, as I thought that consumer protection laws were intrinsic to the whole of humanity. It turns out that there’s a good reason for this….

“ Trust me, everyone in Argentina would return their things! “

Well, I guess you really won’t find people returning their things for a full exchange in Dubai either, so there you go!!

The best part of BA, though?

Me gusta aprender espagnol en Buesnos Aires.

~~Merci Beaucoup.~~ Muchas gracias a vos, Cristian!!

What’s new Buenos Aires? I’m new! - Part 2

2009-11-24T17:13:00.001-08:00

I shall continue writing about my experiences in Buenos Aires in the form of that little assignment I did for Cristian. Please refer to the below blog entry for further cohesion if none of this makes sense to you.

Who let the dogs out???

You cannot be relieved of the sense that every discerning Porteño in Buenos Aires has a dog. These dogs vary from size and breed. Every imaginable canine species that ever walked the face of the planet is probably out hounding the pavements of Buenos Aires.

As a consequence of having an abundance of our four-legged friends running around, one cannot help but step into a certain brown substance every metre or so…

No me gusta caca de perro en las calles. Esta en todas partes!!!

As I mentioned in my last blog that Buenos Aires has a very European feel to it and a direct comparison to Paris would be most astute here when the amount of DOG POO on the streets is in question. IT’S EVERYWHERE!!! Imagine my fits of laughter when Michi was desperately trying to wipe the soles of his shoes clean after stepping into doggie doo-doo every couple of days.

Here’s a dog park in the centre of town:

And a few of BA’s finest specimens…. the dogs, that is!!

Yup, it’s certainly a dog’s life in Buenos Aires!

The Meat Packing District

Vegetarians – please scroll down to the next section and avoid any visits to Argentina as you will be shot for blasphemy.

Me gustan bife de chorizos y empanadas de carne. Ellos son muy rico. Me gusta tambien el vino tinto. Muy rico con mi bife de chorizo jugoso.

There are two smells prevalent in BA. The first being the smell of “ caca de perro “, as above, and the other being the aroma of barbequed meat at the city’s many parrillas or grilled steak restaurants.

The Argentines know how to do steak! Trust me, they are the experts in serving thick slabs of prime beef onto your plate. These slabs come in so many different cuts, that any carnivore would be hard-placed to b*tch and moan about the steak. The beef wilts away and the juices flood your mouth. It truly is a gastronomic marvel. Forget the Gaucho in London and The Black Stump in Oz is just salmonella on a plate! The real deal is in Argentina especially when your steak is served with a glass of Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. Heaven.

“ Don Julio “ was our local parilla around the corner and its steak and chorizo ( pork sausage ) were both mightily impressive. On one occasion, we went to “ Don Julio “ with two lovely San Fran folks, Ted and Eva, whom we met in BA.

At the end of the evening, our waiter presented us with the empty bottle of wine and asked us to write a message. After much deliberation, this was the final note:

1 Aussie (that was kind of me…)

1 Swiss ( three guess who that could be!! )

1 Greek ( that’s Eva )

1 Texan ( yes, there was a Texan amongst us that evening…:-) )

makes for a great night!!

and it certainly was!!

It was also the first time I had ever seen a bottle of wine in my life!! Seriously…. ;-)

“ El Bonpland “ was Marc and Mara’s local parrilla. It has the incredulous claim that their beef is so soft that it can be cut with a spoon. Not a serrated spoon, nor a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife spoon but just a humble spoon.

Here’s the proof!

And there you have it!! Who needs a knife at “ El Bonpland “ when you can use a spoon!

Now, now, now, let’s not get carried away here but… “ Wife Swapping “ is strictly off the menu at “ El Bonpland “!!!

Even the waiter, Marc!!! LOL!! ;-)

If gimmicks aren’t your thing and all you want is the finest beef imaginable, then “ La Cabrera “ is your restaurant. In a word, it’s SUPERB! The best steak I have ever had and that is not an exaggeration. I never exaggerate!!… much…. but it really is a whole another level at “ La Cabrera “.

Our first time was with Marc and Mara….at “ La Cabrera “.

This was the sausage aka chorizo:

and the meat:

PHWOOAARRRR!!!!!!!!!!!

If there’s one steak restaurant to go to in Buenos Aires, please make sure it’s “ La Cabrera “. It won’t let you down! Everything tastes delish, from the meat, to the sides, to the wine, to the bread! Meat aside, here are the other best bits from “La Cabrera “….

1. Free champagne whilst you wait for a table AND at the end of your meal. Yes, that reads “ champagne “ not “ cava “ or “ passion pop “.

2. A complimentary lollipop for all those '”sweeties” amongst us!

This is truly a testament to Argentina’s supreme steak which can put a smile on anyone’s ( with the exception of vegetarians’ ) dial.

The Empanada Chronicles

Steak is not the only meat-based product the Argentines do well. For all of those who are familiar with pasties, puffs, etc should be made aware that the Argentine equivalent is known as an ‘empanada’. It’s simple puff pastry with a meat, chicken, veggie, etc… filling. But boy! Is it exquisite!!

People have their vices – gambling, smoking, shopping ( heaven forbid! )! Mine are empanadas. I got obsessed with the meat variety. Yup, I became an addict.

This is the diary of an empanada fanatic. Kind of like Bridget Jones with her cigarette count.

Day 1.

Had an empanada. Carne. I like them. A lot.

Day 2.

Had two empanadas. Both carnes. Preferred the other one yesterday. I still like them though.

Day 3.

Had a gross empanada with olives. Yuck! Threw that one out and got two and a half ones from the bakery. Hmm.. nice…

Day 4.

Had a nice empanada with eggs. Yum! Liked the variation!

Day 5.

Had 4 empanadas from the bakery and the kind baker gave us a trial empanada. A ‘picante’ ( spicy ) one. Gross. Sticking to their meat ones.

Day 6.

No empanadas.

Day 7.

Had a cheese and eggplant empanada with Mara. Veggies never tasted so good! The meat empanada was also delicious; very artisanal. Cute store, btw!

Day 8.

The kind baker gave us another ‘experimental’ empanada – steak. More miss than hit. Gross.

Day 9.

Hit the trifecta with Cristian’s empanada shop – meat, chicken and rocquefort. All exceptionally good! Woo hoo! Told Cristian all about it at my class.

Day 10.

Back at the bakery for more empanadas. The baker knows the drill about the meat, oven-baked ones. Today, he gives me a ham one. Not so gross but cannot rival my King Carne!!

………..

Day 39.

Still having my carne empanadas.. from the local bakery…. ahh.. delish… The perfect little snack that Findus would struggle to pre-pack in their frozen boxes. Divine!

You don’t bring me flowers….

Well, you should’ve just gone to Buenos Aires then, Babs!!!

Buenos Aires in full bloom is certainly a joy to behold with all these magnificent colours intoxicating your retinas.

The jacarandah-lined streets were gorgeous making springtime in BA a treat.

For those with a modern disposition on life, there’s even this mechanical flower which is either a ‘yay’ or a ‘nay’ depending on how surrealist you are. It’s also photosensitive meaning that it’s open during the day and completely shut at night. Again, this is a ‘yay’ or a ‘nay’ depending on how much you think what an utter waste of money this flower was.

I have saved the best spectacle for last and The Rose Garden in Palermo is exceptional. It’s BA’s Primrose Hill and it certainly is a technicolour extravaganza. Behold!!

A thorn amongst the roses??

In actuality, the surrounding gardens were superb with a sublime and serene lake.

It was perfect for a little paddle around the lake!

She works hard for the money!!

Ballet, anyone? Swan Lake, perhaps?? ;-)

This where I shall stop “ swanning “ around and conclude Part 2 of BA. The final installment will be published shortly including tidbits on everything from ghosts to gauchos… all things Argentine, of course!!!

What’s new Buenos Aires? I’m new! – Part 1

2009-11-18T17:19:00.001-08:00

What's new Buenos Aires?
I'm new, I wanna say I'm just a little stuck on you
You'll be on me too….

Oops, you’ve just caught me chanelling my inner Eva Peron here ( courtesy of Sir Andy Lloyd Webber, of course! ). I guess it’s only fitting that I refer to Evita, as I write about Buenos Aires. The other national hero, Diego Maradonna, and myself bear little in common especially when it comes to coke-snorting and football playing/coaching abilities.

We’ve spent a grand total of 5 weeks in Argentina’s glorious capital, Buenos Aires, where nearly half of the country’s population reside. 5 weeks, you say? Excessive, some of you are thinking. What will I write about in a condensed format? More importantly, would I have learnt anything, to make my life that much more enriched?

Well, I can confidently say that the latter can be vehemently answered thanks to this man:

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I please introduce you to Mr. Cristian, my Spanish teacher and Tango extraordinaire ( he wears a ganster-type while dancing – check it out! ).

http://tangopiola.blogspot.com/

When one travels with a certain Swiss National who speaks four languages fluently, one feels the need to expand one’s repertoire linguistically and therefore the need of Spanish lessons arose. Also, it kind of makes sense to learn the lingo if you’re going to travel around a Spanish-speaking entity where “ Parlez-vous Anglais? “ does not quite cut it.

As a diligent pupil, I took my Spanish classes most seriously and completed all of my exercises. Yes, posing for photos was part of the curriculum!

One of my more memorable homework tasks was to write about my likes and dislikes of Buenos Aires…. in Spanish, of course!

I shall now share what I precisely wrote, thereby giving you all a glimpse of Buenos Aires.

En Buenos Aires me gustan mucha lugares historicos porque me parecen europeas. Los edificios como La Casa Rosada son muy lindo. Me gustan tambien estatuas monumentos. Ellos son enormes y muy hermosos. Me interesa la arquitectura colonial en Buenos Aires.

So basically, I was just saying that I like the old buildings in Buenos Aires and that they look rather European. Hey! Hey! A bit of Europe in The Southern Hemisphere!

This is the clock tower near Retiro, the main bus station in BA.

Retiro is OMG! like Heathrow… for buses!! The buses are lined waiting to dock and it goes on forever…. and ever….

Here’s Retiro to the left…

and to the right.

This is the Teatro Colon which is BA’s slightly more Baroque take on Sydney’s modern Opera House but unfortunately it was closed for renovations, so no sneaky peeks inside.

More lovely Euro-chic statues in BA!

This is an important obelisk in the city centre. Very French Pompidou Napoleon, non?

Cafe Tortoni is BA’s oldest cafe. Such was its popularity that there was a queue outside… like a nightclub… but for grey-haired brigade, really.

A quaint Argentine shop-front.

Sunset over the Microcentre.

This neo-classical building is The Law Faculty.

This is an important Plaza in BA which encloses some important statue and The Casa Rosada, which is Cristina Kirchner’s office. Mrs Kirchner is The President of Argentina and has the dubious honour of wearing the worst clothing ever imaginable when meeting other dignified Fashion Plates – Merkel, Gaddafi, Kim-il Sung, etc… so say the national newspapers who seize upon any opportunity to slate her sense of fashion, as opposed to her politics!

Zooming in……. on Mrs. Kirchner’s joint…

Me gustan los barrios en Buenos Aires como Palermo, Puerto Madero y Boca. Cada barrios es muy differente.

There are a number of distinct and fab neighbourhoods in BA, each with its own flavour. I’ll just go through a few of my faves!

Me gusta Palermo porque hay mucho restaurantes, bares y tiendas de ropa. Las tiendas de ropa son muy linda y me gusta a caomprar vestidos, zapatos, carteras y camperas de cuerdo. Ellos son muy lindos.

Palermo is the place to be in BA!! Yup, it’s oh so glamourous, hip, cool… ( really, any word used to describe myself! ;-) ) and everyone fabulous lives there. Just take two of these Palermo residents – yup, myself and the beautiful Miss Mara… need more be said!

Palermo is fantastic for the three most important “ outs “ in life - eating, going and maxing…out your credit card, that is! It has it all – great bars, restaurants and shopping, all with a vibe to rival Oxford St, Paddington, Sydney!

It’s seriously is too cool for school!

This is the fabulous “ Il Postre “ in Palermo, near where Marc and Mara live. It serves desserts and GOOD COFFEE. The macaroons are divine and the hot chocolate is not too bad either according to the Hot Chocolate aficionado himself, Michi!

There are markets on a Sunday with lovely little artefacts like Spitalfields in London. No bargaining though! Fixed Price!!

And there was certainly no bargaining to be had in their multitude of boutiques either! However, the shopping in Palermo is so, so chic. I loved all the stores with their unique store layouts. It was such a treat seeing the thought and individuality that went into selling shoes, bags, clothes, etc… awesome!

Here’s the coolest bookstore in Palermo:

complete with a cafe….

for all those studious types!

These are post-modernist “mates” which are used for an Argentine “herbal” drink. All good! So not potent like the Dutch stuff…..

This is Palermo at its funky best!

Inside a restaurant… hanging up your dirty laundry:

Great! I don’t need to go to The Amazon now!! This shoe store has it all!

Sheding light on men’s shoes:

The graffiti was also rather impressive. These were works of art on random walls. Banksy who?

The nightlife deserves a special mention. It is pumping!!! Porteños ( BA Residents ) know how to get it on, until the break of dawn! A few non-Porteños couldn’t quite match their stamina.

Home time for you, young man!!

Me gusta Puerto Madero porque es moderno y hay un gran parque para caminar. Es muy tranquil.

Puerto Madero is a gentrified docklands area in BA. It has a lovely bridge which is a supposed architectural marvel in the form of a couple dancing tango. The woman is metaphorically extending out her leg. See for yourself!

The park is more like an ecological reserve and provides a much needed respite from the hustle and bustle of BA.

As, Puerto Madero is a newly-established part of town, it has attracted a lot of “new” money into the area. As a result, two phenomenons have occurred:

Pero no me gusta los restaurantes en Puerto Madero porque ellos son muy caro.

The restaurants are bl**dy expensive!!! And…

Tambien, en Puerto Madero no me gusta los restaurantes ‘snobs’ porque quieren solomente gente con muchisimo dinero.

I’m sorry to say that this area has become rather classist and elitist. The people who frequent this area are even referred to as “snobs”. Goodness! They even have their own store where they shop at!!!!

Me gusta Boca porque hay casas de colores diferentes.

Boca is a working class neighbourhood famed for its colourful housing. Very colourful!… and touristy! Beware of the traps!!

Cows go Moooooooo!!

Maradonna!!

Me gusta la musica de tango. Es muy pasional.

Tango is sensational in BA!! That probably goes without saying as BA is the capital of this famed dance. The live shows are fantastic and the music is absolutely passionate! So emotive and poignant.

This was show we watched. Ok, when the curtain was up the show was on! We couldn’t take pictures of the show but it was mesmerising! Completely worth the 250 Pesos, “ a less-exquisite” dinner included!

En Buenos Aires no me gustan las tiendas que no acepatan cien dolares. Me enoja mucha.

A lot of stores in BA, do not accept 100 Peso notes despite the ATMs dispatching them out like there’s no tomorrow. Why? That is because there are a lot of fakes going. Fake notes. That’s right! We had the misfortune of having a 10 Peso note torn up in front of us at the local ice-cream parlour as it was fake. I was horrified!! My money has never been refused anywhere!!!

La mayoria de gente en Buenos Aires es muy simpatica.

Most of the people we came across were really friendly. Here are some of my favourite encounters.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I take great pleasure in introducing to you all, Pascual, a genuine Porteño.

We met Pascual in the park and he offered to help us with some directions. He was a sweet, kind man who was dressed fabulously with a sweater that was co-ordinated so perfectly with his stripey shirt. The grey jacket was just the finishing touch to this classy gent’s ensemble.

We got talking and Pascual was telling us of his travels throughout Australia, Europe and America. He also candidly mentioned that:

“ I’ve never been married before but I’ve had a lot of women in my time. But now I have 1 or 2 lady friends whom I entertain and see every Saturday night. “

His Italian heritage has certainly done Pascual many a favour on the lady front and kept him in good stead.

Here we have Marijke and Roel of The Kingdom of The Netherlands. I met them at The MALBA whilst at lunch. They said that it was a joy observing me as I seemed so animated and enthralled with my surroundings. Seeing that I was having lunch on my own, I’m not sure if my so-called “ animation “ borders on.. hmm.. lunacy. ;-)

Nevertheless, it was fun chatting to them about their travels.

The MALBA is the modern arts museum in BA. It’s certainly worth a visit especially when you can see a world-class Andy Warhol exhibit for 15 Pesos.. Where else in the world can you see Andy “ 15 minutes of fame “ Warhol for £2.50?!?! which is nothing! Bargain!

The other museum we visited was the Bella Artes which had a fantastic collection of French paintings from Degas, Cezanne, Renoir and Matisse. The best part? It was free! Bargain!

There’s so much stuff in this museum! You name it, it’s got it! Rather interesting sculptures popped up too!

Great abs!!

However, BA’s best museum would have to be, without a doubt in my mind, and unashamedly goes to….

Drumroll…

THE FASHION MUSEUM!!!!!

The fellas weren’t forgotten….

nor was John Galliano’s A/W 04/05 Collection. Well, in a Basque kind of way… ;-)

The Joy Lick Club

Me gustan mucho las heladerias en Buenos Aires. Ricissimo!!! Delicioso! Me gustan los sabores crema americana, chocolate suizo, italiano, dulce de leche con brownie, mousse de maracuya y crema tramontana. Me gustan las tiendas Volta, Persicco y Via Varese cerca de mi apartemento.

This description of BA’s ice-creams should not be lost in translation. The exquisite craftmanship should not be taken lightly in whichever shape or form. IT IS AMAZING!! The tantalising flavours dancing around on your tongue makes devouring these artisenal masterpieces worth the trip! Oh! They are sensational and with 1 KILOGRAM tubs, who could ask for more!! Chocolate, Argentine caramel, vanilla, passionfruit, strawberry…. oh the list goes on! Simply salivating.

Ben and Jerry are no longer the leading men in my life. “ Phish food “ becomes “ trash food “ in the presence of the almighty Argentine creamery. Haagan Dazs is now merely Haagan Crass as its “ Cookies and Cream “ melts away in its cheap cardboard box. Ahh….

Here are two of my favourite stores – Persicco and Via Flaminia. Delectable!!

And on that sweet note, that concludes Part 1 of my BA blog. Stay tuned for more follow ups!

Almost Famous

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Greetings, Folks… I shall backtrack a tad here and take you straight from the magnificent Iguazu Falls, to a not so magnificent little pile of bricks in Northeast Argentina.

This pile of rubble would indeed be our next stop, San Ignacio, which is a sleepy country town. There’s really not much to write about San Ignacio as it appears to have more stray cats and dogs rather than any real inhabitants.

Nevertheless, the main attraction of this town are the Jesuit ruins which hail from the 1600’s and are significant in terms of the Jesuit priests trying to incorporate the local indigenous culture, fusing their tribal spirituality with Catholicism. These priests obviously had a prophetic eye for commercial value as the religious iconography derived from this fusion is certainly well worth the visit in a masterly curated museum. Furthermore, numerous articles were even exported to Europe in a kind of tribal “ show and tell “ with Mother Spain and The Natives.

However, my highlight was not found buried in these ruins. Just across the road, was a cafe. Non-descript but still very welcoming and homely in service. An elderly gentleman was the front of house and he was charming, warm and friendly. He was a grandpa-type character with white willowy hair and an expressive play-do sort of face. His eyes were light blue, kind, albeit a little bloodshot. This lovely man at the cafe was telling us about his grandfather from Alsace and how he personally speaks Spanish, Portuguese, German and English. Yup, almost as good as “ GPS Boy “ aka Michi. ;-)

He served us our drinks and looked at me hesitantly, almost as if he had a question to ask me but was too embarrassed to even say a peep. Nevertheless, he garnered up sufficient courage to actually ask me..

“ Are you famous? “

Mich: “ Nah “.

Man: “ Are you sure? “

Mich: “ Yeah, I think so. “

Continuing on, he then asked if I was on tv last night.

As long as it wasn’t anything related to “ Argentina’s Most Wanted “, “ Cops “ or “ Police Car Chases Gone Wrong “, I was rather bemused by this insistent investigation and willingly partook in this têtê-a-têtê.

“ No. “ , was my answer to the tv enquiry.

He then asked if I was in the paper because I look very familiar.

“ No. Disculpe. (Sorry). “

He scurried to the back trying to find this paper with my so-called picture. He returned empty-handed but still lingered on my supposed fame. He looked at me, his eyes were quasi-desperate, almost awaiting some sort of absolution from my end.

“ Soy Famosa! ( I’m famous ) “,

was all I said with a little smirk.… a humble, minor celebrity in San Igancio… not bad for an ego boost… and a laugh!

Here are the ruins, btw, for anyone who’s interested!

Oops, Sorry!! That was the only building of any prominence in San Igancio! Here are the actual ruins!!

N.B. That derelict building in the background is part of the town centre and not affiliated with the Jesuit ruins. However, don’t feel too embarrassed if you couldn’t tell them apart…. you weren’t alone in that thinking!

Yup, a rare paparazzi shot of “ The Famous One “….. ;-)

After all the dizzying heights and excitement of San Ignacio, we wondered if the juggernaut that is Buenos Aires would be an overdose. Only time will tell, as the bright lights of the big city were ready to be encroached upon by two unsuspecting travellers!

A special thank you goes out to….

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Pascal, Valerie and their lovely children for putting us on their blog!! Celebrities!!

Here’s the story…

We were in San Ignacio, Argentina, checking out some Jesuit ruins ( blog to follow shortly, folks! ) and Michi decided to indulge his adventurous side and go out for a bike ride. I stayed back in the hostel, reading Vogue or whatever.

Michi came back and excitedly took out his camera to show me some pictures. When he went to the local beach ( it’s so not like Copacobana, darlings!! ), he noticed a campervan.

“ So? A typical Winnibego in Argentina… don’t they have them in Switzerland…. “

I mutter…… enthusiastically.

Michi handed me the camera.

Yup, it really was a campervan…. Michi told me to look closely.

Zooming in…..Oh my! The penny had dropped. The campervan had French number plates.

NO WAY!!! A French campervan in Argentina!! Super!!!!

The next day we were in Posadas, an Argentine town 5 hours away from San Igancio ( no blog to follow on this, darlings, as Posadas was so not fabulous!! ). We were taking a leisurely stroll along the promenade overlooking Paraguay across the river when Michi spotted a campervan. Could it be? Fate had struck… The same French campervan that Michi had spotted in San Ignacio only yesterday?

We went up, stuck our noses in and had a look… lo and behold!! The same French number plates!! Bingo!! We have a winner!!!

We were then approached by this lovely lady who asked if everything was alright. Then a gentleman came up and recognised Michi on the bike “ hovering “ around his campervan yesterday. Sprung!!

So we got talking….

Valerie and Pascal hail from Bretagne, France. They have taken a year off and bought a campervan to travel around South America with their three children who are around 14, 11 and 4 respectively. The campervan was first shipped to Africa en route to South America, where it was picked up by the family in Brazil. The family of five live in this van and drive around the continent. Not to neglect their children’s school work, correspondence is the preferred mode of tuition.

Here’s a family photo…

here’s their blog (en française, mes amis ):

http://www.au-tour-des-ameriques.com/

and here’s our photo ( just scroll down )!!

http://www.au-tour-des-ameriques.com/index.php?category/VIE-A-BORD

Merci beaucoup pour le photo. J’aime… très bien.… ;-)

What a random but totally cool encounter. Definitely one of my favourites on this trip thus far. Enchantè, indeed!

A bientôt!!

Use the Foz – in Argentina

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Today would be our last day in Brazil. A month of travelling across this great nation of immense diversity and beauty would culminate into us clambering into a mini van, to cross the border into Argentina. The first leg of our journey would start with ‘ Maradonna’ or more formally known as The Argentine Side of The Iguazu Falls.

However, were we sad about leaving Brazil? Nope. There were new adventures ahead in Argentina and it was almost fitting that we were paired with two Swiss-French travellers from our hostel, who were starting their journey throughout Brazil, as we were ending ours.

And these Swiss-French travellers for today’s performance would be….

“ The Federer Twins “ aka Hervé and Stephane of Geneva!!!!!!

Hervé (left) likes Brisbane, Australia, the Broncos, State of Origin, Queensland, xxxx beer, Hungry Jack’s, Surfers’ Paradise and the girls. Stephane (right) said that I speak a bit too fast.

The other characters in today’s show were..

“GPS Boy “, as eloquently dubbed by The Federer Twins, and his trusted side-kick "aka “ the girl who spoke too fast. “.

Let the show begin.

Still in Brazil……

Still going… in Brazil…

All of a sudden… wait for it….

We are in Argentina!!!

The momentous occasion of crossing the border was a little too much for some of us. The Federer Twins and myself, feeling rather moved by this, had tears welling up. It was only appropriate that we gave a stirring rendition of, in honour of this great land ( well, more like belted at the top of our lungs ):

“ Don’t cry for me Argentina “

Our Argentine driver just shook his head, cursing the day Andrew Lloyd Webber was born, whilst “GPS Boy” buried his face in his hands and went bright red.

The main act would soon begin though….

There just aren’t enough words, adjectives, superlatives in the Oxford English Dictionary or in any other language for that matter to describe the sheer magnitude and breath-taking spectacle that is The Foz Do Igauzu.

Just sit back, relax, grab your popcorn or choc-top and enjoy the show…

The Federer Twins, GPS Boy and myself all played supporting roles to the lead actor and the main star of The Iguazu which was “ Devil’s Throat “…

At the entrance…

all looks peaceful….

all is calm… a bit like Jurassic Park, eh?

Then rising and brewing in the cauldron…. waiting to erupt….

we have… the star himself… The Devil’s Throat!!

The Devil made me do it!! –Take this video that is!

Argentina, we salute you!!!

Time to hit The Upper Circuit, a path The Old Faithful aka The Lonely Planet describes as “ less spectacular “.

Less Spectacular?? Really? Makes me think that the author was smoking pot when he wrote his Tolstoy-esque description of this trail in The Iguazu Falls… oh! I forgot it’s The Lonely Planet….

What a way to start our travels in Argentina!!!

Pele vs. Maradonna: The verdict

We’re not talking FIFA stats or any football related matter here. We’re talking waterfalls and as a reminder ‘Pele’ was the Brazilian side of The Iguazu Falls and ‘Maradonna’ was flying the flag for his beloved Argentina!

Which side was better? As promised, here’s my verdict!

If you only had one day to see the Falls and needed to decide between Argentina and Brazil, I would definitely give it to….

Maradonna!!

You get up close and personal with the falls.. literally!! Apart from the walkways which lie much closer to The Falls, as opposed to The Brazilian side, there’s a boat ride you can do and it takes you to the base of Devil’s Throat.

Ever wondered what it must feel like to go for a spin in the washing machine? Well, take a speed boat at The Iguazu Falls!!

You have to put away your camera ( it goes without saying, really ) and a poncho is about as useful as Zimbabwe’s money – DON’T BOTHER!! You get drenched and OMG! Don’t wear jeans!!! Mara, ET – you guys would’ve thought I learnt my lesson from Scotland….. geez!

Despite getting soaked, it really was one of the best adrenalin rushes I’ve ever had. To be submerged with all this cascading water around you was definitely worth the 150 Pesos. A must do!!

We also had a blast with The Federer Twins that day who kept us suitably amused.

Maradonna, you’re the greatest!! I’m sure that Hervé would also agree with that one!

Use the Foz – in Brazil

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It was time to be enthralled by Mother Nature’s beauty and be in awe of the spectacle that is The Foz Do Igauzu or Iguazu Falls. We had waited patiently for this moment and our time had finally arrived. Would it be a let-down though and would all the hype merely inflate our expectations to render nothing much but a trickle? All will be revealed soon.

We had arrived in the Brazilian town, also called Foz Do Igauzu, in the morning after an overnight bus from Sao Paulo which lasted about 16 hours. Shattered? No way, Jose! The fabulous, sunny weather coupled with the phenomenon which is the Igauzu was too irresistable and could not be put on the back burner.

N.B. the Brazilian side will be called ‘Pele’ and the Argentine side of the Iguazu Falls will be dubbed ‘Maradonna’. A ‘post-match’ waterfall comparison will be given at the end of the Argentine blog.

There’s really not much commentary required and so I shall be quiet from here on in, only giving ‘thought-provoking and intelligent’ comments intermittently. The pictures of ‘Pele’ should be enough in itself.

WARNING: The photos really don’t do the Falls any justice.

Devil’s Throat was the best experience at The Iguazu Falls. It was just exhilarating walking up the plank and getting lashed with the Falls’ water. The sheer volume, velocity and ferociousness of these sprays of water made you feel like you were getting a wash at the local Shell petrol station. You could even taste the sea-salt on your lips. Well, I think it was sea-salt…

The walkway below is at Devil’s Throat, as described above. Needless to say, the camera was quickly stashed away in a waterproof bag. No pictures here, I’m afraid, Folks. Just use your imagination.

The Foz is strong in this one:

and in this one…

and most certainly in this one! Who left the bloody tap running???

It was time to cross over to the Dark side….. that is Argentina!

Brazilian Style Awards: Number 4

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My next style award goes to the city of Sao Paulo. No, seriously, this is not a jokey award taking the p*ss out out of anything. It really does go to Sao Paulo for its FABULOUS SHOPPING!!! It was blatant excess ala “ Dynasty “!!! Paulistas ( residents of Sao Paulo ) channel in their inner Alexis Colby c/o Joan Collins and take shopping very seriously. It’s certainly a blood –sport and more extravagantly, they do it in style with doses of high fashion! Intimidated? Well, check out Daslu…

It’s not the best picture but basically Daslu is this roman villa which is an emporium for European Haute Couture and you have to be chauffered there. That’s right, chauffered. Alternatively, you may arrive in one of these…

Needless to say that our Havaiana-shod feet made a swift exit out of that gaudy and vulgar establishment amongst all the Manolos, Louboutins and Choos. Joan would have been in her element here.

Intimidated? Moi? No worries!! I can mix it with the best when it comes to the ol’ flashing of the plastic….. just not at Daslu!! No thanks! There was much more Sao had to offer.

Before my expedition into Sao’s numerous shopping malls and streets, I just needed to plot my plan of attack. It was grey and cold outside, not optimal shopping conditions but still manageable. I wasn’t ready though. Something also felt really skanky which was affecting my mood. I saw how Paulistas treat the fine art of shopping and I had to up my game here. I decided that drastic action was needed and after looking in the mirror the answer became quite evident. I needed a haircut!!!

Thankfully, I found a hairdresser near our hotel and one who could speak English ( Try explaining ‘ need to do the roots, highlights in two colours, cut with layers for curly hair, get rid of the split ends and blow dry’ in Portuguese!! ).

Hiro was my lifesaver and as it turns out a budding linguist. During my haircut, he asks me:

“ So, what Portuguese have you learnt while in Brazil? “

I answer,

“ Obrigado ( Thankyou )“

“ De nada ( No problem )“

Hiro: “ Very good. “

Beaming with pride, I continue to dazzle Hiro with my linguistic ability.

“ and trente-seis (36). My shoe size in Brazilian!! “

Hiro seemed most impressed.

So, the hair was in order and de-frizzed; shoe size sorted – it was time to go shopping in Sao Paulo!! Yippee!!

I hit the Jardins District in Sao. It was bold, brassy and fabulous! Much like Double Bay in Sydney or Marylebone in London, it was definitely the place for the beautiful people to co-exist in their natural breeding ground.

Therefore it should come as no surprise that Jardins is exceptional for people watching! The fine specimens are beautifully coiffed and perfectly groomed. Lush manes of shiny, clean, blonde hair, bouncing with every step. Manicured to perfection. The possibility of some waxing cannot be ignored. And these are just the dogs!! Imagine the women!!

Rua Oscar Friere is the place to be in Jardins, where all creatures great ( looking ) and small ( in the waist ), congregate. Reminiscent of Oxford St in Sydney, this is where I descended and had my most memorable shopping experiences in Sao.

What I like most about the shopping is that the shop assistants introduce themselves to you… and escort you to the door… Not to throw you out as ‘your money ain’t no good around here’ but to say that ‘it was a pleasure meeting you and have a safe trip!!’ I‘m telling you! It’s like Liberty everywhere in Sao Paulo!!

I met a….

Vanessa ( You’re from Australia?? Wow!! I like! Beaches! )
Victor ( Ingles ou espanol? English please!! Much prefer! Gosh!)
Another guy whose name I can’t remember but told me of his father who lives in Melbourne “ with his Australian wife. I don’t go. I have it good here!! “
Renata ( Why do tourists come here to buy Tommy Hilfiger? It’s good to see you supporting Brazilian brands like Havaianas. )

And OMG. If Havaianas was a religion…

a. I would be the Pope, Ayatollah or Dalai Lama or whatever pertains best to rubber flip-flops.

b. This would be mecca!

Insert Handel’s Messiah right here now, thank you very much!! ALLELUIA!!! BTW, that’s the new haircut!

Upon having a spiritual awakening, one must reflect and ask the deep’n’ meaningful questions that the powers above can only answer. Such as, when Noah built his ark, did he mean bringing in these pairs??

I truly had an epiphany.

My other favourite store on Rua Oscar Freire was Galeria Melissa, the ultimate temple for PVC shoes which seemingly veer into haute couture territory. Never mind the unique aroma of plastic infiltrating the store. If the Grande Dame herself, Vivienne Westwood, can collaborate with Melissa to produce an exclusive line of shoes for her Anglomania collection, then Melissa is considered very much in Vogue.

When we went to the store, they were having a Barbie exhibition.

Melissa has just designed a range of Barbie inspired shoes for the modern woman, hence the extravaganza of vintage dolls. I didn’t buy any pairs as fluro pink rubber shoes just do not cut it with a North Face raincoat whilst trekking Macchu Picchu methinks. Nevertheless, I’m still aiming for matchy-matchy on my South American odyssey .

Now, all of this might alarm the average shopper into thinking that Sao Paulo is only for the uber-rich. It really isn’t like that at all.

When the Lord closes the door… to Louis Vuitton, he opens the window… to the fake markets!! Like China! Gotta love these BRIC countries!

Therefore, all is not lost. It just goes to show that anyone can channel in their inner Joan in Sao Paulo!

How Now, Sao Pau!

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A lot of travellers we’ve come across in Brazil have put down Sao Paulo and not really painted a pretty picture of the place.

“ Too big. “

“ Not worth it. “

“ Dirty “

“ Polluted “

“ Ewww. “

What the hell were they on about????

I LOVE SAO PAULO!!!

I do like them big! Cities, that is and there’s nothing bigger than Sao Paulo with an estimated population of 20 million ( that’s like the whole of Australia! )

I understand that big cities aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I was so swept up with the energy and vibrancy Sao exudes that I was immensely delighted that we eschewed our fellow travellers’ advice and went to the great, big smoke… literally!

Avenida Paulista is in the main Business District in Sao and it has a very Manhattan feel to it with all the tall buildings lining either side of the street.

I particularly liked this tutti frutti spire.. in homage to Carmen Miranda, I can imagine!

There were also some lovely historical gems in the centre, like The Cathedral.

Just a quick peak inside…

Nice!

I was also a fan of the art-deco architecture in the city. Tall buildings just engulfed the entire space. It was quite an immense spectacle, looking up to those giant structures and just intensified the city’s ‘Manhattaness’.

There were two distinct statues in the city which definitely took our attention and they both caused controversy in Brazil when they were initially commissioned.

The first one was made by a Swiss artist which depicts a Brazilian man snogging an Indigenous woman. Pash’n’dash, anyone?

The second one symbolises an African woman breastfeeding a white baby, which was erected in front of the city’s African church.

The aforementioned statues signify Sao and, for that matter, Brazil’s immense cultural density amongst its vast population. ( Gosh, this sounds like I’m in geography class all over again. Mrs McIllhatton would be so proud of me!! )

To house this enormous population, the city just sprawls beyond the horizon for an eternity. To get a better view of Sao Paulo’s magnitude, we went to the top floor of the Edifico Italia, Sao’s Tallest building, for some spectacular views – Welcome to the (Concrete) Jungle!!

It was a spectacular venue for afternoon tea on the 46th floor overlooking Sao Paulo and counting the number of helicopters whizzing around in the sky. A swell time was had by all!

Even the lovely waiter took a photo of us against this insane and chaotic backdrop:

We were just in awe of the sheer magnitude of Sao Paulo. Crazy!!

Even the traffic was a feat in itself.

This may not convince people of the joys of visiting a mega city like Sao Paulo but I thought I would share some of my memorable experiences with you all. Having said that, I’ve saved the best for last and here are the top three things in Sao Paulo.

1. The food!

Yum! Yum! Yum!! It was such a gastronomical extravaganza with so many flavours tantalising your taste buds with every bite. It was seriously good food and more than made up for the sh*tty meals we had in most parts of Brazil.

In particular, the sushi/Japanese was top notch. There were so many different concoctions and permutations of sushi that each mouthful was a surprise. I’m just salivating writing about it now, like Homer Simpson… “ Hmm… sushi… “

The Italian was delicious as well with numerous pastas and pizzas. At one pizzeria, these serene elder citizens even served up each slice of pizza to you, on your plate, with a smile and wearing bow-ties. Adorable. We particularly liked the restaurant, Piola, with its excellent 80s soundtrack in the background. You couldn’t help but bop along to “ Wake me before you go-go “ with your smoked salmon pizza with a wafer thin wood-fired crust. “ Hmm.. pizza.. “

The Brazilian per-kilo restaurants were also excellent value. There was one restaurant we went to and it was completely packed to the rafters with all these city workers chomping down a quick but delicious meal during their lunch hour. It had everything!! Salads, sushi, schnitzel, pasta, pizza, potatoes, macaroni, macaroons, merinque, carrots, cucumbers, carvery, bananas, bread, beef, rice, roasts, rhubarb… the list goes on!I “ Hmm.. Brazilian per-kilo restaurants.. “

Heck, even the steak baguette I had was sublime. And a bargain at £5. Imagine spending £5 for a meal in London… yeah, maybe at the local Wetherspoon’s with its selection of what barely passes as food… for dogs!! “ Hmm.. Wetherspoon’s.. “ NOT!

In short, we did not have a bad meal in Sao Paulo, a foodie’s heaven!

2. The shopping.

Please see the next blog entry. It deserves its own entry. Trust me, it really does.

3. The nightlife.

It rocks!!! Especially Vila Madalena with a cool Islington, London, or Newtown, Sydney, vibe. Basically, without any prentencious bs!

In fact, here are two very happy customers at one of Vila’s numerous drinking establishments!!

Wow, wow, Sao Pau!

Salvador Darling

2009-09-27T18:51:00.001-07:00

OMG. OMG. OMG. When the old faithful aka The Lonely Planet said that the ride from Morro de Sao Paulo to Salvador can be a little rough, I did not realise that their definiton of “ rough “ would be akin to a handkerchief being spun in a washing machine at 1200 rpm.

Not going into any details, I managed to make my way onto dry land that was Salvador, up in the north of Brazil.

Salvador is the African capital of Brazil and it certainly has a rhythm and dynamicism which gives this city its unique energy.

My favourite part of the city was certainly the Pelourinho, which is renowned for its candy-coloured buildings.

The Pelourinho was certainly full of character with drums beating at every street corner and women wearing traditional African garb. Loving the crionline shape!! Work that booty!

Old colonial churches and buildings were also peppered throughout this colourful section of Salvador.

Never judge a church by its cover!

This was another church inside the Pelourinho.

Yup, just your archetypal neo-gothic structure. Nice, but nothing to write home about.

Well… take a look inside….

Bling Bling on steroids!!!!! What a way to worship!! Wowser!!

P.S. YouTube has “generously” included other videos in this section. THESE ARE NOT MINE.

The rest of Salvador…

Here were a few more highlights of Salvador.

The massive art-deco elevator which takes you down to the port was fantastic in terms of presence. At 5 centavos (1p) a ride , it was a very cheap alternative to taking a cab… or even walking for the lazy ones amongst us.

From the elevator, there were sweeping views of the port… including a prime spot at sunset.. ahh.

The Bonfim is a special church as it fuses both Christianity and African beliefs into one sanctuary.

The colourful ribbons tied outside the gate and the door of the church is a Bahian ( the state in which Salvador lies ) tradition as it helps to bring luck to whoever placed it there.

The most disturbing ( I mean this nicely ) yet engrossing part of the church was within a room just adjacent to the altar. It was full of photos of people of varying ages and plastic limbs hanging from the ceiling. Plastic limbs which were plain and non-descript but so bleak and powerful en mass. The walls were covered with all these different photos, some with names. A few of the photos also contained tumours and missing limbs, which were displayed on the walls. I did not feel the need to take any photos of this, as it felt rather eerie and thought that it should be left as is.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I please introduce you to.…

Jorge.

Jorge is a character of the Pelourinho who sells paintings from his small shop in the area. He is a very polite man whose knowledge of Brazilian Music was most impressive. He also had some anecdotes to share..

Jorge: “ Do you know Barry Gibb? The tall man from the Bee Gees. “

Mich: “ Yes, I do. “

Jorge: “ He was here. “

Mich: “ When??? “

Jorge: “ A couple of years ago. He was in Salvador. With his brothers. I sold him a painting after he had some lunch. Something like this. “

Jorge shows me a picture of African women dancing. Soon afterwards, I buy a little painting from Jorge. Even if it was 5 reals (£1.80), it was still more than worth it for the yarn with Jorge.

Brazil Style Awards: Number 3

2009-09-19T16:58:00.001-07:00

There are a couple of cultural aspects prevalent in Brazil:

1. The coastal location of Brazil lends itself to somewhat (in)appropriate attire i.e. almost next-to-nothing seems to be the order of the day in the average Brazilian’s wardrobe.

2. The country is deeply religious with numerous churches scattered around even in the smallest of villages.

Are these two facts polar opposites of one another, causing a glaring contradiction, or can they be married off, co-existing in perfect harmony?

Well, I think one man has done his best to attest to the latter and make it a viable option…… for Brazil anyway!

That’s right. This man wore this modest ensemble inside a church being renovated. I’m sure it’s still a sacred place of worship amongst all that scaffolding.

Puts a new meaning to the term ‘ Sunday Best ‘…..

The Task of Morro

2009-09-19T13:19:00.001-07:00

The tiny island of Morro de Sao Paolo was our next port of call. In order to reach this island, one must….

take a bus… Willie Nelson’s “ On the Road again “ would not be amiss at this moment….

… and take a speed boat to the Morro! Very 007!

We’re now making our approach to the Morro…

Here we are… getting closer…

Oh! Wrong one!! Let’s try this again…. we’re getting closer….

Fast-forward a bit and we’ve berthed at the dock!

The views from our Pousada ( the lighthouse can be seen in the background in the first picture ):

Here’s the view of the sunset from the balcony….

Oh! Hammock included; laptop not! What does one do on Morro de Sao Paolo? Simples! Go to the beach!! There’s 4 of them ( again.. )!! or one massive one, depending if the tide is in…

WARNING: The following images may cause distress to some readers as it contains scenes of blue skies, white sandy beaches and clear turquoise water. Please scroll down if you wish not to be offended.

As cars are non-existant on Morro de Sao Paolo, a donkey and cart is the favoured mode of transport, apart from boats. Please refer to blog entry ‘Brazil Style Awards: Number 2’ for the souped-up version of the humble horse-drawn cart.

Run, Donkey, Run!!!

The island was a colonial port for the Portuguese in the 1500’s. Their legacy lies in some of the lovely buildings scattered around the island:

The lighthouse is particularly nice…

with an absolutely amazing view of the beaches below:

The Tiroleza pictured above is actually a flying fox into the ocean below. No thanks!! I would rather take the stairs!

We also took a boat ride out to the neighbouring islands.

We also visited a Monastery at a place called Cairu

which had some lovely features:

However, the highlight of our boat trip to the surrounding islands would have to be……. drumroll please….

Catching a glimpse of dolphins swimming in the ocean.

I can wholeheartedly assure you that they were dolphins and not Jaws’ relatives.

Our adventures on the Morro de Sao Paolo had come to an end. ‘Twas time to leave and take the catamaran into Salvador…

Brazil Style Awards: Number 2

2009-09-19T10:27:00.001-07:00

German ( or Swiss, depending on who’s reading this ) engineering is world-renowned for quality, substance and style. Think Mercedes, for instance ( or Roger Federer, again depending on who’s reading this ).

Well, what about Brazilian engineering and for that matter, design?

Please consider the following case:

Brazil’s very own Ferrari Testarosa. Loving the car seat attachment!!

Brazil Style Awards: Number 1

2009-09-15T15:07:00.001-07:00

Who needs air-conditioning when you can wear…..

If you’ve got it, flaunt it!!!

The homage to Super Mario for A/W 09 should also be noted as a key trend. Karl Lagerfeld would be most impressed.

A special mention must go to…..

2009-09-15T15:05:00.001-07:00

( Please insert Kelis’ song here ). Hope you like it, Babes!!! ;-)

Not a (Ita)care in the world……

2009-09-15T15:00:00.001-07:00

Itacaré is a coastal town with lovely beaches, fab surf and a laid-back attitude. All of this renders the town to be a surfie haven!! Which it is, with monster waves, surf boards aplenty and a very Hawaii-like feel. Aloha meets Oi!!

The best part was beach-hopping once again. There are 4 beaches within close proximity of each other and well, I hate using this term loosely, it really was paradise.

Imagine this….

The wind wafts the scent of sea salt in the air. You look beyond the horizon of blue-grey, turquoise and realise that nature indeed throws up the best colour palette. You can hear the sound of the ocean; waves crashing and roaring in a soothing, lulling melody. You see blue skies for miles beyond as you tread on soft, white, fine sand, which is so pure, as it gets in between your toes. The springy sand trampolines your feet leaving footprints behind like an impression in jelly about to set. You’re enticed into the vast ocean, only to be engulfed by a swift, steady stream of water. Ahh…. refreshing! The water then gushes out from behind you back into the abyss that is the ocean. Two narrow, shallow troughs lie before you amongst the floaty, white foam. You turn around to see the gigantuan palms shading the beach with its long, spindly needles forming big hands, protecting all from the sun above.

Repeat the above description four times and this basically sums up the paradise that is Itacarè.

Beach Number 1:

Beach Number 2:

Brazilian Beach Hut -

Beach Number 3:

Beach Bum included!! ;-)

Beach Number 4, complete with rainforest down the side:

A little bit of the Itacaré Riviera… orange seems to be in vogue….

Hanging out with the locals….

A great day out at the beach…. or beaches in this case!

All this beach hopping really does take its toll… ;-) So, back home for a little r&r and more chin-wagging with the locals aka Nina, the beautiful dog at our Pousada.

Time to leave Itacaré. Ahh…..

It’s the Journey, not the Destination…..

2009-09-11T16:06:00.001-07:00

Whoever made the aforementioned statement obviously never took a bus in Brazil.

I understand that buses are the norm when it comes to long distance travel in Brazil, and for that matter, South America. However, Brazil appears to be significantly larger than its Spanish-speaking neighbours. Just Google Map it for yourself.

As a testament to Brazil’s enormity, an 8-hour bus ride only accounts for 1 inch on our map of South America. Depressing.

This poses the problem: will I ever get used to them??

After Guarapari, we decided to head into the state of Bahia for more coastal action. This required the following: a 19-hour bus ride. Hell no!!! It was then agreed-upon to make our journey over two days with an overnight stay at a town which read Teixras De Freitas ( or Texas De Fritters as I called it ) on the map.

The second day of travelling took its toll on me for some reason. The 8am start was bad enough ( see, I’m not really up at that time… ) but the designated 7 hour trip ended being more like 10 hours… I’ll try to describe it for you.

Board Bus. Take Seat. Bus moves. Bus goes to exit. Bus on the highway. Woo hoo!! Bus makes first pit-stop for the loo. Bus leaves after 10 minutes. I get up telling the driver to Stop!! Stop!! My boyfriend!!! Bus door opens. Michi runs in and takes his seat. Bus gets onto the highway. Bus stops. Bus is in traffic jam. I go to sleep. I wake up; bus is still in traffic jam. Sleep. Bus moves, I awake; bus stops and picks up more people. Bus moves. Bus stops. Picks up yet another village-load of people. People are now standing in the aisle; sticking their bags of vegies, hips and bums in my face ( I was in the aisle seat…. my luck, of course ). Bus stops. Village-load of people get off. An elderly man staggers onto the bus, trying to take his seat. He then stands up, facing all the passengers like a congregation at mass and then acting like we were a congregation at mass preaches to us. Sleep. Michi is sent to sleep too. I wake up. Elderly man is still preaching to everyone. He’s probably saying something like “ By the rivers of Babylon… “. Sleep. Wake up; man has stopped preaching. Bus stops. Lunch break!!! The bus rejoices! Everyone clamors out of their seats. The driver is at the front of the bus, “ Dez minutos!! “ WHAT?!?! 10 minutes for lunch?? Are you joking?? Everyone’s back on board after 10 minutes. Bus moves. Sleep.

This stopping and starting ( insert numerous people getting off/on the bus, including people trying to sell stuff. ) continued for pretty much the “ 7 hour “ bus ride but most certainly excluded any breaks, as these were few and far in between.

Given the lack of breaks, some relief is offered in the form of on-board toilets. Like a plane! However, even though there are toilets on board, these stink of pee most of the time as they don’t flush properly. So not like a plane… unless it’s Air India. Also, you have to take into consideration that while the bus is ~~rattling~~ moving down a ~~pot-holed-riddled road~~ highway, your aim may not be at its prime. Thank God for hand sanitising gels.

Even after one long journey, there’s still more travelling to be done. We took a 3 hour bus ride to Itcaré on the coast straight after the 10 hour journey. This trip was meant to be two and a half hours but the ticket conductor went AWOL for half an hour…… thus delaying the bus’ departure.

Perhaps I haven’t painted a pretty picture of bus travel in Brazil. So why do it then?

1. You get to see some of Brazil’s stunning landscapes.

2. Michi says that by not flying we save on our carbon footprint. That serves as a perfect guise for my fear of flying!!!

3. You arrive at some of the most beautiful places in Brazil that a plane cannot take you. This is the view from our window in the Pousada we’re staying at in Itacaré, our current port of call.

Need more be said…..

There’s something in the water…. no, maybe the sand.

2009-09-11T16:01:00.001-07:00

So, what’s Guarapari like? Pleasant.

Just Pleasant? Yes… Well, it’s meant to rather radioactive.

Que?

Please see link below for a scientific explanation:

http://www.irpa.net/irpa10/cdrom/00490.pdf

Word from Michi: We had the luck to sleep and eat at the hotspot of that paper, Meaipe beach!

Despite its ‘ funky warmth ‘, Guarapari is a tourist hot-spot for Brazilians. It’s kind of like the Gold Coast in Oz.

See what I mean?

The best part of Guarapari is that you can beach-hop between a few a little gems….

My favourite was Praia de Los Padres, which was enclosed in a little alcove, making it feel like a private, cosy beach. Bliss!

I haven’t said much about the exquisite food in Brazil but this region’s mocqueca, which is like a fish stew, is sublime and definitely worth a mention. There was a restaurant near our hotel ( yup, Paulie’s pick! ) which was packed out when we went and its specialty is this stew.

Here’s their kitchen:

Yes, there’re certainly cooking up a seafood storm!!!

This was the mocqueca we “ settled “ for:

It just had the usual thrown in. You know, some fish, lobster and GIGANTIC prawns the size of tennis balls thrown in!! Ahh, delicioso.

Maybe Meaipe….

2009-09-10T10:55:00.001-07:00

Our yearning and zest for the coast took us to Guarapari, on the Atlantic Ocean. Dump. Ok, maybe that’s a bit harsh but the old faithful aka The Lonely Planet lead us to some hotel. Dump.

Another overnight bus lead us to Guarapari and a subsequent lack of sleep. ( Why do we do it to ourselves?? ). Despite our need for sleep, the aforementioned hotel was quite not up to scratch, so we decided that it was time to try a pousada in Meaipe just down the road/on the other side of town.

We found ourselves a helpful cabbie and showed him the address of the posada we wanted to go to in the Lonely Planet guide. He consulted with his fellow cabbies and they all nodded enthusiastically, waving directions and hand signals all over the place. Time to get in…

We’re driving down one part of town and this is where trouble strikes. Our cabbie is lost and begins to flag down all numerous passers-by asking for directions, showing them our copy of The Lonely Planet. He then realises that he has driven to the wrong part of town and starts shouting around in the cab. He waves around the Lonely Planet like some sort of cursed book, banging it on the wheel. He continues to raise his voice, cursing us it seems and then spits at our Lonely Planet guide. Nice.

He turns to me and I appear to get full brunt of his Brazilian Portuguese rant. I just sit there quite bemused, and frightened at the same time. He then grabs his mobile to call up his mate ( must be a Brazilian thing ) and continues his rant. 99% of it was completely meaningless to Michi and myself but two words were spoken by our cabbie that struck a chord with us: “ americanos touristos!! “

At this point I was quite prepared to give our cab driver a bit of my own choice Brazilian Portuguese which mainly consists of “ F*ck “ and “ Off “!!

Michi câlmed me down though…..

After consulting the umpteenth passer-by on the road, we eventually arrive at our pousada…. only to be turned away as there was no room at the inn. Something to do with a Brazilian long weekend. And oh, good luck trying to find accommodation. Great.

Our cabbie then looked sad and decided to take matters into his own hands. He grabs our bags and puts them into the boot, summons us back into the cab and we drive on. We stop at a hotel on the beach and tells us to wait ( or we just assumed so ), as he jumps out of the cab to race into the reception. He comes back after a couple of minutes and all of a sudden his face lights up, with two eager thumbs up. Result!!

The man from the lobby came down to the taxi to help our ‘hero’ cabbie with the bags and he mouths two words to him, like some sort of warning: “ americanos touristos!! “. This is where I decide to set the record straight. I politely go to our cabbie

“ Oi. ( Hello ). ( Pointing to myself ) Australiana ( Australian ) “

He then points to Michi and asks “ Americano? “

“ Nao. ( No. ) Swizzo. ( Swiss ). “

“ Aaahh!! Swizzo!! “

He then starts shaking our hands enthusiastically and shows us his ID. “ Journalist. “, he says. It looked old. He also told us that his name is ‘Paulie’, gave us his card and left thereafter.

We really couldn’t have the sh*ts with Paulie after bagging a room with this view…..

Mine over matter.

2009-09-06T08:07:00.001-07:00

During our stay in Ouro Preto, we had visited a nearby gold mine which has now been abandoned.

The best part was the old, rickety cart going into the mine!

This reminds me of the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios, CA. Remember that, Lou???

This was the cart we took down into the mine:

It’s the deluxe model compared to what the black slaves used back in the day…. hmm….

Inside the mine:

with a river of sorts:

We also visited the nearby town of Mariana, which also had some lovely architecture ( and churches, without fail!! ).

A view of the town below:

As much as the inland of Brazil is beautiful, it was time for more of the coast!!

Ouro Preto, Oh So Pretty!

2009-09-05T05:42:00.001-07:00

After four fab nights in Rio, it was definitely time to make our next move. Having consulted the old faithful, aka The Lonely Planet, we decided upon Ouro Preto, a Baroque town which had flourished during the gold rush and was preserved by the Brazilian Government in the 1930s.

We had taken the night coach from Rio and oh my God…… the driver drove like a madman and a half. No wonder the Brazilians seem to always produce a crop of suitable F1 drivers!! Coupled with sub zero temperatures in the bus, it was hardly a surprise that we hardly got any sleep… grrrr….

We arrived early in the morning, when dawn had just broken and we were greeted by this stunning view from the bus station:

The fog lifted to reveal more amazing sights:

including this rather peculiar mountain/obelisk in the background. I’ll leave you to draw on any conclusions regarding its similarity to any objects/shapes/phalluses/etc….

The town square:

and a few cute streets….

with a few cute cars!

The view from night wasn’t too shabby either! N.B. this view was from our Poussada.

What Ouro Preto is known for are its churches. There are about 20-odd churches in that small town. And they call Adelaide the city of chrurches.. whatever!!

Here are a few of my faves:

This church below is Brazil’s second most “ bling-bling “ church after another one in Salvador.

You’re not allowed to take pictures inside but I managed a sneaky/contraband one – flash off, of course!

More churches!!

The one below is Sao Francisco de Assisi, which was my favourite one. It had a lovely ceiling with all these bright colours. No pictures unfortunately; there were too many people looking!!

Can you believe that the sculptor who made this ornate facade below was crippled i.e. lost his arms but tied on some hammers to his limbs???

All in all, a very charming town with wonderful sights and charming people. In fact, a Brazilian man stopped me in the street, after I had called out to Michi, and asked me where I was from. I said “ Australia “. He then said that I “ speak English so beautifully, sounds so lovely. “ Aww… a charming man in a charming town.

Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand….

2009-09-02T15:49:00.001-07:00

with Hoppo!!!

Cheers for mentioning the Duran Duran reference, mate!

Here are the rest of the Rio pics…. commentary included of course!

A quick reminder of Copacabana Beach ( the hottest spot north of Havana ;-) ):

Views going up Sugarloaf:

This is Sugarloaf below:

Now, for the views from Sugarloaf itself:

You can see Copacobana Beach here.

Jesus can be seen below in the distance:

The domestic airport can be seen to the far right. Fancy landing over Sugarloaf!!

We also took a tram ride through the once wealthy suburb of Santa Tereza. It now lies next to one of Rio’s infamous favelas!

Here’s the tram below; so cute and chic!!

This is the bridge which the tram goes over to take us into Lapa; not so cute and chic…

Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, may I please introduce to you…..

Christ the Redeemer!!!

The coolest statue of Jesus in the world!!

We first took a cog train up the mountain which had some spectacular views:

Here is more of the stunning scenery atop the mountain:

This is Jesus from the back….

and from the front….

WOW!!! He looks damn fine!!

Some poor imitators…

including this one…

More views from Jesus:

Suddenly, a dark cloud engulfed our Lord which made for a dramatic ending to our day.

The Girl from Ipanema….

poses much like this!

Here’s Ipanema Beach:

Here’s the sunset over Ipanema:

Wow…. ;-)

Ipanema and Leblon are really lively parts of Rio with a great nightlife. One special mention definitely goes to our cab driver who took us there. He was whizzing us around in his beat up taxi, trying to muscle in on all the other cars in the streaming traffic. We wanted to go the “ Churascarria “ aka an all-you-can-eat Brazilian cow fest!! Our Portuguese is rather limited, so we just said “ Churascarria en Leblon? “. He nodded and eagerly and started driving. He was a very happy chappy and started singing to the radio much like a reject off “ Brazilian Idol “. After 15 minutes of circling around the same block, we knew things weren’t going to plan. Even our driver had stopped singing his amorous tunes at this time.

He then gets pulled over by a policeman… great…. They start having an argument and things weren’t looking too rosy… he also kept staring at us… then suddenly they started laughing, shook hands like the best of mates and the policeman drove off… traffic/speeding fines handled Brazilian style, I see.

Soon after that encounter with the man in blue, our driver then gets his mobile, calls up his mate and goes ( this was quite easily decipherable ) “ Do you know if there’s a Churascarria in Leblon? “. Fabulous. A driver who doesn’t know his way around…. he finally dropped us off at some restaurant and we handed him 25 Real… 25 real worth of entertainment, I would say.

Whoa! Whoa! When my baby......

2009-08-31T05:10:00.000-07:00

when my baby smiles at me I go to Rio... De Janiero!!

Thought I would start off this blog entry with a few iconic lines from Peter Allen's classic song... " Rio " or whatever it's called.

This is my fourth day in Rio and one thing has become quite crystal clear to me - why the hell it took so long for Ronnie Biggs to finally get his ass over to Old Blighty!!

In short, Rio is fabulous!!!! A beautiful beach which stretches for donkeys with white, fine sand and blue, pristine water. Not a cloud interrupts the blue sky and the sun is gentle but warm. A day at the beach consists of vendors walking up to you offering fresh watermelon, pineapple, grilled prawns on a stick and of course beer. Throw in the Brazilian military paratroopers, guns poised, flying overhead in their helicopter and you have a crazy mix of energy, a zest for life and a whole of heap of Brazilian fun thrown in. I love it!!!!

The 11 and a half hour flight out of London was pleasant enough given that we were in PREMIUM Economy. That's backpacking in style ( ok, the food was shite but the extra legroom was worth it!!)!! The only negatives were:

1. British Airways' generous offering of 5 movie channels. ( Oh, how I missed thee my Singapore Girl!! )
2. Given the " exclusivity " of Pre. Economy of around 24 seats, it did not stop one passenger from " exclusively " expelling his gas from his you know what to the rest of the cabin. We knew that resistance was futile as soon as the row in ahead started fanning themselves.

We finally landed and got my Brazilian stamp in the passport from customs - woo hoo!! and it was off to our hostel we go!

At this moment, my count started.... my count of what, you ask? My count of " Brasiliano?? Portuguese?? " Yes, it has been proven now.... I do look Brazilian after all!!! Even at the beach yestie, this Brazilian man who was merry after a few cans of Brahma and a few hours in the sun said to Michi, " Frances?? ". Michi is Swiss.... He then goes to me " Brasiliano? " I say " No, Australiana. " Our Brazilian compadre then points at my skin and goes " like kangaroo, like Brazilian!!! All good!!! "

Ok, enough talking..... here are the pictures!!

This is me with all guns blazing.... the rucksack at the back is courtesy of the lovely Miss. L. Smith... THANKS BABES!!!

Pictures of Copacabana Beach!!

a shower on the beach... cool!!

Now for Sugarloaf Mountain ( at the rear of the picture )

You may remember Sugarloaf Mountain from " Moonraker " with Roger Moore when 'Jaws' was after Mr. Bond and they both slide down the cable car wires... so, now I've been there!!! Pls see the below pic.

The views were spectacular!!! That's Christ the Redeemer below.

Sugarloaf itself...
Folks, must check out now!! Promise to post more pics later incl. more stunning pics from Sugarloaf itself and Christ The Redeemer.......

Mannekin Pis or just taking the piss???

2009-07-21T02:32:00.000-07:00

Consider this of a city...... namely Brussels.......

1. This city's most famous statue is of a little boy in black peeing ( need more be said... )

2. A train station smelling entirely of eau de pee-pee ( it seriously was gross.... )

3. Blokes peeing openly on the street, in an open-air public toilet, by the side of a wall....

..... OF A CHURCH!!!!!!!
Seriously, we were like WTF?????? Peeing by the side of a church??? Regardless of how derelict a church is, surely it has been consecrated by the powers above to render eternal holiness and not be tainted by piss!!!! hmm....

Nevertheless, these were the three P's most significant in Brussels. It beckons the question: Does this city embrace pee??.... openly?? Much like Amsterdam and its weed, could Brussels be now synonymous with pee.....

Michi and I spent the day in Brussels on Thursday and it was quite nice. We had some great suggestions from Sandra, my mate who works for the Belgian Tourism Board in Germany - thought she may have had some ideas on Brussels!, and our lovely neighbour, Richard, who works for the European Commission in, of all places, Brussels!

Brussels has some pretty sites like the Grand Place and a statue of a woman you touch. Now, I'm not sure why people were touching this statue but I guess you do as the Romans do and not to look out of place we just touched her!

My highlight was lunch, incidentally. Richard sent us to l'achepot near St Katherine's Church where St. Kat allows random blokes to piss on the side of her right wall. Yes, we had lunch 1oo metres down from this aforementioned heavenly open-air public loo!

Ironically, I too came across my own version of three P's - on a plate! However, these P's were not of any liquid substances but rather solids in the form of pigeon, peas and potatoes. Delightful!! Michi liked his steak too.

Throughout the day, I also enjoyed strawberries dipped in Belgian white chocolate, frites in a curry-ketchup ( a bit of Indian-Belgian fusion at its best! ) and of course, waffles in chocolate!

To sum up, it was a rather lovely day with all of Brussels' ap-PEE-ling charm. :-)

I really must get cracking!!

2009-07-20T02:05:00.000-07:00

Ok... I've been bleating about my blogspace for some time now and feel that I really should put some ink to paper... so to speak, anyway..... Michi's literary brilliance of " Waazup " probably needs some extra content to keep it interesting and fabulous!

One question beckons though; where does one begin their blog..... is there a pivotal moment when the light bulb suddenly lights up and you scream " Eureka!! ". Well, I’ve made my own blogging “ Eureka “ moment and have decided to start off with Monday, June 29th, 2009.

It was a beautiful summer's evening and I was quite excited about the Murray vs. Wawrinka match on Centre Court at Wimbledon. I knew that it would be good tennis and was preparing for an epic. Michi had other ideas though.....

Michi felt like a meal, so we went outside but he couldn’t decide what he wanted – curry? Steak? Burger? KFC? Well, maybe not…

We eventually stumbled upon Frederick’s, a restaurant we had always wanted to go to and was given fabulous reviews by so many people. These two ragamuffins rocked up in their finest threads – faded jeans, sloppy tees and havaniana’s. Much to our surprise and delight, we were seated AND given a garden table amongst all the suits already present.

It turned out to be a lovely evening. Fabulous food, great service and just a lovely ambience. The summer night was gorgeous and I didn’t want it to end. The only thing missing to make it heavenly was a massive plasma screen in the garden showing the tennis!! Well, the evening was that nice anyway, so that missing the tennis for a day was fine!

At the end of the meal, we were given these chocolate truffles. I put a little bit in my mouth and Michi said “ Don’t bite them. Just put them in your mouth and let them melt on your tongue. “ Now, I don’t know about you but I’m a biter! I hate having to keep a sweet in my mouth and let it melt away…. No, no, no… too impatient for all of that! Just bite, crunch and smash away!! Ahh! On this occasion, however, I thought that I might listen to the Swiss National as he may know a thing or two about chocolate…. You know what? The truffle was just divine. It melted so silkily on my tongue and it felt like liquid going down the back of my throat. Just heavenly and a real revelation to me.

Forrest Gump says that My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." I’m going to say that “ Life is like a truffle. Take it slowly, devour every bit of it, as you may be pleasantly surprised…. “ and this will be the motto of our traveling.

This is ze first blog post

2009-07-12T13:49:00.001-07:00

Yes! Mich is online! Wazzaap