Countdown to Cuba!!

I'm flying out to Cuba via Mexico and Costa Rica in less than two weeks!!! I’ve had five months to prepare for this trip – weeks and weeks of Spanish lessons (am still abysmal - but it was fun)and hours watching Stargate in Espanol with English subtitles (as a bonus I also feel absolutely confident I will be able to deal with the huge alien bloodsucking scorpions when they descend onto Mexico City). I also roped Linda into doing Salsa lessons (which almost ground to a halt day one when she realised she would have to actually TOUCH people she didn't know – but 3 litres of hand sanitiser later we were fine).

Although the ransom fund is pretty healthy I haven’t had as much luck auditioning for my hostage negotiator team. The most enthused volunteer (who appeared to have the right qualifications) was later exposed as having lost hostages in all his three training scenarios and come to his own grisly demise in at least one of them. So I am looking for volunteers. A common kidnapping practice in Mexico City is to keep the victim over 24 hours so they can return to the ATM to take out the daily limit the following morning which, Randy optimistically pointed out, would take care of my first night’s accommodation….

Very very excited ..driving my staff mad with frenzied versions of La Cucaracha in the hallways and the hourly number-of-sleeps-to-go-tally ….

Finally I'M A BEST BOY AND GRIP !!!!

So not only do I have wonderful memories from the trip - the boy's vids are up for their competition so I can relive the adventure over and over and I got credit for being Jason's BEST BOY AND GRIP - hope Mr Speilberg is watching .....


http://besttraveljobever.com/jason-boomers-travel (I get a cameo at the end) and for all their 5 minute clips - http://besttraveljobever.com/travel-team-southamerica

...and more Buenos Aires

Beautiful Buenos Aires

The city is spectacular - elegant buildings, green leafy plazas, miles of markets in bohemian San Telmo, bright corrugated iron and lattice buildings in La Boca, crazy 16 lanes of Av 9 de Julio, Casa Rosada (the Pink House - where Eva Peron addressed the masses - and btw it's completely impossible not to burst into "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" whilst standing in front of it) and a fast, cheap subway (Subte) with the original wooden carriages from the 1920s (as Bin and I watched it take off with arms and legs still hanging out the doors in peak hour one morning we simultaneously decided to walk). Absolutely glorious city ... I'll be back (after a few more Spanish and Tango lessons).

Life as a Porteño

Being in Buenos Aires during the World Cup is like being sucked up in a whirlpool of blue and white stripes, the city ground to a halt to watch the Pumas beat N Korea this morning, and as I sat and ate my medialunas (teeny little crossiants that are compulsory with coffee - they don`t even ask if you want some - it`s always how many?!) I got completely caught up in the fervour.
Later - walking around all day in a hyperglycemic haze (I have done some serious damage to the medialuna population) I realised that these people all smoke, only eat red meat (or food encased in pastry and/or covered in cream) and follow their team with a passion that surpasses anything I have encountered - and I became really concerned that the entire population are going to keel over with a heart attack by the finals ...
I am also amazed at their friendliness - especially to visitors attempting to murder their lovely language. Today I had two people (both bearing a striking resemblence to Antonio Banderas) come up and give me directions - and I wasn`t even LOOKING at my map - they just took it out of my hands and told me where to go, unfortunately my Spanish is so terrible I got lost and wandered (albeit quite happily) for hours, stopping frequently for cafe con leche e medialunas ..
I also tried yerba mate (kind of coca tea - people walk around sipping on it all day) through a silver straw from a gourd-like cup (the waiter had to demonstrate) accompanied by dulce de leche (caramelised condensed milk) on wafers .. need to learn Spanish for "help I`m developing diabetes" ...

The Complejo Tango - Buenos Aires

My hotel room sits above a theatre in an old building with 20ft ceilings, winding wooden staircases with wrought iron doors and heavy wooden shutters on the window.
Each of the eight bedrooms has a tango theme, either a famous dancer or musician - mine says "Jacinta Chiclana, Guapo nacido en este barrio" and my phrase book isn't any help.
The orchestra pit is about 3 feet from my bed and every night there is a tango show. I sit in the top lobby writing whilst women in elaborate dresses mill around me and guys in black with violins and piano accordians smile as they squeeze past. Coolest accomodation ever.
When Belinda arrives a few days later, we have our tango lesson (and get a certificate - which will go straight to the pool room!), a three course meal (with a steak I can cut with a butter knife), several bottles of Malbec and watch the tango cabaret ... Fabulous night ... and we had change from $60 ... I could live here ..

Ollantaytambo

A fine example of Inca town planning, Ollantaytambo is incredibly impressive, a huge fortress (one of the few places where the conquistadors lost a battle) with steep terraces (more bloody steps), is topped by a spectacular ceremonial area.