Precip
| Tonight Apr 17 |  | Showers | 45° | 80 % |
| Fri Apr 18 | | Showers | 58°/47° | 80 % |
| Sat Apr 19 | | Showers | 59°/46° | 60 % |
| Sun Apr 20 |  | Partly Cloudy | 68°/46° | 10 % |
| Mon Apr 21 | | Showers | 64°/49° | 60 % |
| Tue Apr 22 | | Showers | 63°/46° | 40 % |
Thursday, April 17, 2008
BRRRRRR.....
I was very excited to spend my first "Springtime in Paris." Hmmm.... not sure this is what I had in mind...
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
On the Road Again
Friends and Family will know that I've had a bit of downtime on my hands lately. In February I left my role as President & COO of LeisureLogix, LLC. I'm in the midst of the job search which always takes more time than expected.
It occurred to me that my friend Stephanie is sitting a few thousand miles away in Paris, also between jobs. So, I called Stephanie and suggested that if she's unemployed on that side of the Atlantic and I'm unemployed on this side of the Atlantic, then why aren't we both unemployed on the same side of the Atlantic -- preferably the European side. (I should point out that she's not actually unemployed, but technically between jobs as she moves from Paris back to Minneapolis.)
So, on Thursday I'm packing up the camera gear and my carry-on and headed to Paris for a long weekend. Our goal: how to do Paris on an unemployed budget. Stay tuned for photos and tales.
It occurred to me that my friend Stephanie is sitting a few thousand miles away in Paris, also between jobs. So, I called Stephanie and suggested that if she's unemployed on that side of the Atlantic and I'm unemployed on this side of the Atlantic, then why aren't we both unemployed on the same side of the Atlantic -- preferably the European side. (I should point out that she's not actually unemployed, but technically between jobs as she moves from Paris back to Minneapolis.)So, on Thursday I'm packing up the camera gear and my carry-on and headed to Paris for a long weekend. Our goal: how to do Paris on an unemployed budget. Stay tuned for photos and tales.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Is This What You've Been Waiting For?
I received a few emails lately from some friends who had been avid readers of the blog while I was away. And, they wanted to know when I would be making another posting.
OK... my first reaction? Are your lives at such a state that my trivial wanderings through South America have become important to seeing you through your week? Wow.. that's so cool.
I mean, really, I started this blog for two reasons... 1) To have a place to post my photos; and, 2) So my mother wouldn't worry. I'm thrilled that others have taken the time to read it. Really, knowing how crazy busy everyone is, I really am grateful that you would take time out of your day to follow along.
I don't know when the next trip is. I'm still researching a few things. So, to carry you over, and to express my thanks, I'm offering the following as a token of my appreciation. (And, mind you, I'm doing this knowing that I'm about to start the search for my next career move -- yet, I'm placing this photo on the web. This, Dear Blog Reader, is my gift to you.)
This photo arrived in my in-box this week. Alan was kind enough to send it along. Yup, it's me. I'm in the costume, or "Fantasia" as the Cariocas would call it, from the Carnaval Parade in the Sambadrome.
This is what I've done with my vacation. This is where I spent my time "finding myself" between jobs. This is why you haven't seen any more detailed blog entries about Carnaval.
And, I guess I got what I wished for. It's not plastic bottles as Chris wore a few years ago. It's a bit more fancy than that. In fact, it's a LOT more fancy than that. And, it involved a lot of feathers. I feel a bit like a reject from a bad Vegas show. And, as Rob pointed out, I look a bit like a deer in the headlights.
Now... imagine seven of us dressed like this... on a street corner in Ipanema... trying to hail three cabs to get us to the Metro station. The trunks of the cabs couldn't fit most of our stuff.
Then filing into the Metro, among others in various costumes, and among the citizens of Rio... some going to the parade, others just going about their day. But, everyone in the Carnaval spirit.
While we were on the train, three young guys boarded. They had just spent the day at the beach. As the train pulled from the station, the guys started drumming and singing Samba School songs. Suddenly, the entire car was singing and dancing. This continued for the 15 minutes we were on the train. When one song ended, someone else started another.
I found this energy, spirit and love of life with many of the people of Brazil during my stay. It was everywhere -- at the Sambadrome, in the streets of Ipanema, on the Metro. Imagine a subway car in New York breaking out in song. In New York, if someone were to break out in song, most people would get out at the next station and switch cars.
We made it to the Sambadrome about 30 minutes before our school marched. It took another 30 minutes to make it out of the staging area and into the main parade area. Once we were there, the energy was incredible. Fireworks going off. Crowds cheering. Drums banging. It was a moment we'll all remember for many, many years.
Afterward, we were in a cab back to the apartment. The costumes? Believe it or not most of them wind up in a pile at the end of the parade route. Thousands of hours of work, and incredible detail, and a few hundred bucks to buy them and march... all in a pile for the trash.
Clearly this part of the Carnaval parade could best be considered "cash flow" for the Samba Schools. Though the thousands of tourists dressed in these Fantasias fill out the parade, they also generate a good deal of revenue for the schools.
And, if there's any question this is all geared toward getting the tourists signed up, take a look at this guy. Does he look out of place, or what?
OK... off to work on editing some more shots... to figure out where the next trip will take me... and to call a bunch of potential employers and encourage them NOT to read this blog entry.
OK... my first reaction? Are your lives at such a state that my trivial wanderings through South America have become important to seeing you through your week? Wow.. that's so cool.
I mean, really, I started this blog for two reasons... 1) To have a place to post my photos; and, 2) So my mother wouldn't worry. I'm thrilled that others have taken the time to read it. Really, knowing how crazy busy everyone is, I really am grateful that you would take time out of your day to follow along.
I don't know when the next trip is. I'm still researching a few things. So, to carry you over, and to express my thanks, I'm offering the following as a token of my appreciation. (And, mind you, I'm doing this knowing that I'm about to start the search for my next career move -- yet, I'm placing this photo on the web. This, Dear Blog Reader, is my gift to you.)
This photo arrived in my in-box this week. Alan was kind enough to send it along. Yup, it's me. I'm in the costume, or "Fantasia" as the Cariocas would call it, from the Carnaval Parade in the Sambadrome. This is what I've done with my vacation. This is where I spent my time "finding myself" between jobs. This is why you haven't seen any more detailed blog entries about Carnaval.
And, I guess I got what I wished for. It's not plastic bottles as Chris wore a few years ago. It's a bit more fancy than that. In fact, it's a LOT more fancy than that. And, it involved a lot of feathers. I feel a bit like a reject from a bad Vegas show. And, as Rob pointed out, I look a bit like a deer in the headlights.
Now... imagine seven of us dressed like this... on a street corner in Ipanema... trying to hail three cabs to get us to the Metro station. The trunks of the cabs couldn't fit most of our stuff.
Then filing into the Metro, among others in various costumes, and among the citizens of Rio... some going to the parade, others just going about their day. But, everyone in the Carnaval spirit.
While we were on the train, three young guys boarded. They had just spent the day at the beach. As the train pulled from the station, the guys started drumming and singing Samba School songs. Suddenly, the entire car was singing and dancing. This continued for the 15 minutes we were on the train. When one song ended, someone else started another.
I found this energy, spirit and love of life with many of the people of Brazil during my stay. It was everywhere -- at the Sambadrome, in the streets of Ipanema, on the Metro. Imagine a subway car in New York breaking out in song. In New York, if someone were to break out in song, most people would get out at the next station and switch cars.
We made it to the Sambadrome about 30 minutes before our school marched. It took another 30 minutes to make it out of the staging area and into the main parade area. Once we were there, the energy was incredible. Fireworks going off. Crowds cheering. Drums banging. It was a moment we'll all remember for many, many years.
Afterward, we were in a cab back to the apartment. The costumes? Believe it or not most of them wind up in a pile at the end of the parade route. Thousands of hours of work, and incredible detail, and a few hundred bucks to buy them and march... all in a pile for the trash.
Clearly this part of the Carnaval parade could best be considered "cash flow" for the Samba Schools. Though the thousands of tourists dressed in these Fantasias fill out the parade, they also generate a good deal of revenue for the schools.
And, if there's any question this is all geared toward getting the tourists signed up, take a look at this guy. Does he look out of place, or what?OK... off to work on editing some more shots... to figure out where the next trip will take me... and to call a bunch of potential employers and encourage them NOT to read this blog entry.
The Mouse
So, we did Disney. I know, I know. Everyone said, "How could you possibly go to a place like Disney when you've just spent a month in South America?" It's as if we're going to see the imitation when I just had 30 days of the real thing. Well, we went for a few reasons:
1) My brother, Rick, and his family were there and we wanted to spend some time with them and the kids;
2) I had been lucky enough about a year ago to attend a reception marking the launch of the new Animal Kingdom ride, Expedition Everest and I wanted to see the ride. At the reception I met the chief "Imagineer" behind the ride and it was truly amazing to hear about all of the planning, research and effort that goes into building a ride like this.
The Disney team made multiple expeditions into the Himalayas to research the ride and the legend of the Yeti. Charles, a friend who works in Disney's Corporate Communications department, has been kind enough to keep me in the loop on the ride and other Disney events so I was anxious to see the real thing; and,
3) I genuinely like Disney World. I know what you're saying, but come on... I love a good amusement park and nobody does it like the Mouse. I have many great memories of Disney World and seeing the park through the eyes of Richard and Catherine (my niece and nephew) was a wonderful experience. And, these kids know Disney. Up early. At the park when it opens. Done with one park by mid-afternoon and on to the next one. Fastpass this ride, while we run to that one. They're good!
You can see from Rob's pictures here that we had a blast. The weather was great. The crowds were light. And, our long days went into enjoyable nights as we saw each of the three major fireworks shows in the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center and Disney/MGM Studios.
A few highlights of the trip stood out:
- We stayed at the Swan, the Westin property within the parks. I had read a lot of reviews online that said the Swan (and it's sister hotel, the Dolphin) were dated and not worth the stay. We found just the opposite. Our room and the hotel common areas were all freshly renovated. The staff was wonderful. And, the location can't be beat -- a short boat ride into Epcot and MGM; and a short walk from where Rick and Ann were staying at The Beach Club.
- The Fastpass works. I know they've been around for a while, but they're brilliant and an amazing testament the study of process management.
- The classic rides are still the classics. Though we love Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster, Space Mountain is still a great ride. Think about it. It was built 30 years ago, but its still as thrilling as any other ride in the park. (I still remember my best friend, Teddy Councilor, coming back from a Disney vacation and bragging about riding Space Mountain.)
- But, the new rides are fun, too... including Expedition Everest. Hats off to the Imagineers and everyone behind this ride. Backwards/forwards and a face-to-face encounter with the Yeti. Great fun.
Thanks to the Fast Pass and short lines, we did the ride about three times each. Look closely in this picture and you'll see Rob -- on the right, red shirt -- hands up, of course!
All in all, we had a wonderful weekend... which was extended by a day due to the ice storms on the East coast. In fact, we had so much fun, we're headed back down to Disney in late March when the rest of the family is there for their vacation. This time we'll be checking out the water parks and heading down the road a bit to visit another classic Orlando attraction -- Sea World.
I'll keep you posted.
1) My brother, Rick, and his family were there and we wanted to spend some time with them and the kids;
2) I had been lucky enough about a year ago to attend a reception marking the launch of the new Animal Kingdom ride, Expedition Everest and I wanted to see the ride. At the reception I met the chief "Imagineer" behind the ride and it was truly amazing to hear about all of the planning, research and effort that goes into building a ride like this.
The Disney team made multiple expeditions into the Himalayas to research the ride and the legend of the Yeti. Charles, a friend who works in Disney's Corporate Communications department, has been kind enough to keep me in the loop on the ride and other Disney events so I was anxious to see the real thing; and,
3) I genuinely like Disney World. I know what you're saying, but come on... I love a good amusement park and nobody does it like the Mouse. I have many great memories of Disney World and seeing the park through the eyes of Richard and Catherine (my niece and nephew) was a wonderful experience. And, these kids know Disney. Up early. At the park when it opens. Done with one park by mid-afternoon and on to the next one. Fastpass this ride, while we run to that one. They're good!
You can see from Rob's pictures here that we had a blast. The weather was great. The crowds were light. And, our long days went into enjoyable nights as we saw each of the three major fireworks shows in the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center and Disney/MGM Studios.
A few highlights of the trip stood out:
- We stayed at the Swan, the Westin property within the parks. I had read a lot of reviews online that said the Swan (and it's sister hotel, the Dolphin) were dated and not worth the stay. We found just the opposite. Our room and the hotel common areas were all freshly renovated. The staff was wonderful. And, the location can't be beat -- a short boat ride into Epcot and MGM; and a short walk from where Rick and Ann were staying at The Beach Club.
- The Fastpass works. I know they've been around for a while, but they're brilliant and an amazing testament the study of process management.
- The classic rides are still the classics. Though we love Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster, Space Mountain is still a great ride. Think about it. It was built 30 years ago, but its still as thrilling as any other ride in the park. (I still remember my best friend, Teddy Councilor, coming back from a Disney vacation and bragging about riding Space Mountain.)
- But, the new rides are fun, too... including Expedition Everest. Hats off to the Imagineers and everyone behind this ride. Backwards/forwards and a face-to-face encounter with the Yeti. Great fun.
Thanks to the Fast Pass and short lines, we did the ride about three times each. Look closely in this picture and you'll see Rob -- on the right, red shirt -- hands up, of course!All in all, we had a wonderful weekend... which was extended by a day due to the ice storms on the East coast. In fact, we had so much fun, we're headed back down to Disney in late March when the rest of the family is there for their vacation. This time we'll be checking out the water parks and heading down the road a bit to visit another classic Orlando attraction -- Sea World.
I'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
The Journey Continues...
I took a walk through Ipanema early this morning… one last look through town. Its one of my favorite times of day in any city. Before the rush of the day sets in and the streets get crowded. It’s quiet, the sun is coming up and in any other city it would be a great time to get the camera out. (But of course, not here as I’d likely have it stolen pretty quickly.)
The residents of Ipanema are pulling themselves together after many days of celebration. Carnaval is over. Lent has begun. Today is a day of rest and recovery and most of the businesses in the city are still closed.
Residents down the street were all out washing the residue of Carnaval off of their sidewalks. It’s very symbolic of the contrast between the parties and celebrations of Carnaval and the period of Lent that follows. You can almost see it in their work… anxious to clean up their homes and move on, yet still very proud of this place and the traditions.
On TV they are showing the results of the parade from the Sambadrome. They are reading off the judges scores, one-by-one for each of the 14 schools . The scores are tallied for many categories including “presentation” and “happiness.” It’s been going on for a few hours now and the stadium is full of samba school fans cheering each score. Unfortunately, my school (Estácio de Sá) isn’t doing very well... in fact, they came in last! I don’t understand… I know I was very happy when we marched.
It’s been a wonderful month for me here and an incredible experience. I’ve met some great new friends, and got to spend a lot of time with my hosts Chris and Anderson better.
I’m not sure if I explained this early in the blog, but they met two years ago at Carnaval. Chris is from DC. Anderson is from Belem in northern Brazil. Unfortunately, due to our country’s immigration laws, Anderson is not able to visit the US though the two of them are in a two-year, committed relationship. So, Chris left his job at the company he founded to move here. They’re not sure where they will wind up, but I’m glad they’re together.
I met Anderson when I was traveling in Amsterdam in the summer of 2005. This is the first time I’ve seen the two of them together and it’s been a real treat to get to know them as a couple. I’m forever grateful to them both for opening their home and sharing their adopted city with me.
My bags are just about packed and I’m headed to the airport in a few hours for the overnight flight back to DC. (Yes, I’m wearing pants.)
On Friday, Rob and I head to Disney World to meet up w/ my brother Rick and his family for a few days of fun with the Mouse. After that its back home. I don’t know where I’ll be going next, but you can rest assured I’ll be writing about it and sharing some great pictures.
Thanks for checking in and following my journey.
The residents of Ipanema are pulling themselves together after many days of celebration. Carnaval is over. Lent has begun. Today is a day of rest and recovery and most of the businesses in the city are still closed.
Residents down the street were all out washing the residue of Carnaval off of their sidewalks. It’s very symbolic of the contrast between the parties and celebrations of Carnaval and the period of Lent that follows. You can almost see it in their work… anxious to clean up their homes and move on, yet still very proud of this place and the traditions.
On TV they are showing the results of the parade from the Sambadrome. They are reading off the judges scores, one-by-one for each of the 14 schools . The scores are tallied for many categories including “presentation” and “happiness.” It’s been going on for a few hours now and the stadium is full of samba school fans cheering each score. Unfortunately, my school (Estácio de Sá) isn’t doing very well... in fact, they came in last! I don’t understand… I know I was very happy when we marched.
It’s been a wonderful month for me here and an incredible experience. I’ve met some great new friends, and got to spend a lot of time with my hosts Chris and Anderson better.
I’m not sure if I explained this early in the blog, but they met two years ago at Carnaval. Chris is from DC. Anderson is from Belem in northern Brazil. Unfortunately, due to our country’s immigration laws, Anderson is not able to visit the US though the two of them are in a two-year, committed relationship. So, Chris left his job at the company he founded to move here. They’re not sure where they will wind up, but I’m glad they’re together.
I met Anderson when I was traveling in Amsterdam in the summer of 2005. This is the first time I’ve seen the two of them together and it’s been a real treat to get to know them as a couple. I’m forever grateful to them both for opening their home and sharing their adopted city with me.
My bags are just about packed and I’m headed to the airport in a few hours for the overnight flight back to DC. (Yes, I’m wearing pants.)
On Friday, Rob and I head to Disney World to meet up w/ my brother Rick and his family for a few days of fun with the Mouse. After that its back home. I don’t know where I’ll be going next, but you can rest assured I’ll be writing about it and sharing some great pictures.
Thanks for checking in and following my journey.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger
How in the world could I go off and enjoy Carnaval weekend and leave you all hanging like that? Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger.
Needless to say, enjoy it I have. It's been a whirlwind of fun and I'll come back with more detail, but here's a quick recap.
The real signs that Carnaval was in full swing started to show up Thursday night. The usually (and relatively) quiet side streets of Rio started filling up with crowd barriers and street vendors. And, by street vendors I mean just about anyone who could drag a cooler full of water, soda and beer down the sidewalk was a full-fledged street vendor sitting side-by-side waiting for the crowds.
The crowds started to fill the street Thursday and Friday nights. But, it was really Saturday that the craziness broke out. We had made our evening trek to the gym and were walking home along the main street in Rio, Visconde de Piraja, when we came upon the Banda de Ipanema. You'll remember that Chris and I saw the Banda practice a few Saturdays ago. Tonight they were going all-out down the main drag... and had been doing so for at least 4 hours going about a block every 30 minutes or so. No one here was in a hurry to make this parade end quickly.
We joined right in with the crowd of people in costumes, the drummers, the singers and marched right along until we reached the block party at our street. It was here where we pushed our way through the huge street party that had gathered and made our way home.
Sunday night, I marched in the Carnaval Parade at the Sambadrome. Alan and Christiane were able to get a costume for me. I don't have the pictures of us yet... they're on Alan's camera... but the costume turned out to be the very same one I placed on an earlier blog post.
You can picture me in this... it's kind of an Asian/Indian theme... big baggy pants, huge feathers off the shoulders and an enormous hat/head dress thing. The seven of us were quite a site. But, marching through the Sambadrome stadium with thousands of people dancing and singing to the hundreds of drums beating was truly an experience.
Sunday we returned to the Sambadrome... this time as spectators. We arrived around 10:30. The first parade had kicked off around 9. Before I knew it, it was 4:00 am and two more Samba Schools were left to parade. Imagine 7 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades in a row... one after the other... for two nights. Absolutely amazing.
The good news for me is that I brought the camera out and got some really great shots. Here's a taste of what I'll finish loading up later.
Only 36 hours left in Rio. I'm headed to the beach.
Needless to say, enjoy it I have. It's been a whirlwind of fun and I'll come back with more detail, but here's a quick recap.
The real signs that Carnaval was in full swing started to show up Thursday night. The usually (and relatively) quiet side streets of Rio started filling up with crowd barriers and street vendors. And, by street vendors I mean just about anyone who could drag a cooler full of water, soda and beer down the sidewalk was a full-fledged street vendor sitting side-by-side waiting for the crowds.
The crowds started to fill the street Thursday and Friday nights. But, it was really Saturday that the craziness broke out. We had made our evening trek to the gym and were walking home along the main street in Rio, Visconde de Piraja, when we came upon the Banda de Ipanema. You'll remember that Chris and I saw the Banda practice a few Saturdays ago. Tonight they were going all-out down the main drag... and had been doing so for at least 4 hours going about a block every 30 minutes or so. No one here was in a hurry to make this parade end quickly.
We joined right in with the crowd of people in costumes, the drummers, the singers and marched right along until we reached the block party at our street. It was here where we pushed our way through the huge street party that had gathered and made our way home.
Sunday night, I marched in the Carnaval Parade at the Sambadrome. Alan and Christiane were able to get a costume for me. I don't have the pictures of us yet... they're on Alan's camera... but the costume turned out to be the very same one I placed on an earlier blog post.
You can picture me in this... it's kind of an Asian/Indian theme... big baggy pants, huge feathers off the shoulders and an enormous hat/head dress thing. The seven of us were quite a site. But, marching through the Sambadrome stadium with thousands of people dancing and singing to the hundreds of drums beating was truly an experience.
Sunday we returned to the Sambadrome... this time as spectators. We arrived around 10:30. The first parade had kicked off around 9. Before I knew it, it was 4:00 am and two more Samba Schools were left to parade. Imagine 7 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades in a row... one after the other... for two nights. Absolutely amazing.
The good news for me is that I brought the camera out and got some really great shots. Here's a taste of what I'll finish loading up later.
Only 36 hours left in Rio. I'm headed to the beach.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Buzios
I treasure the memory of that small paradise, where I ran barefooted marveling at the humming-birds, the flamboyants and bougainvilleas… the transparent sea full of sparkling foam that seemed like blue champagne.
--- Brigitte Bardot
Though she may have discovered the place in the 60's, I'm guessing Brigitte Bardot wouldn't recognize Buzios today. While it has the feel of a small resort area, with some of the most remarkable beaches I've seen, Buzios has all the trappings of a full-fledged tourist destination... a downtown area with dozens of restaurants, souvenir and t-shirt stores everywhere as well as some very high-end stores. Even so, it has a charm and relaxed atmosphere that made it a welcome escape from Rio for a few days. (Imagine that… you know the place is low-key when people who live in a beach town – Rio – go to Buzios to relax!)
Buzios is actually a collection of a few towns on a peninsula north of Rio de Janeiro city, but still in the State of Rio de Janeiro. It is a hilly area with winding roads that take you to each of the many small beaches that hide in nooks and crannies around the coast.
Throughout the area are dozens of small hotels, or Pousadas. Ours was a series of small bungalows nestled into a hillside overlooking the ocean. It has a remarkable view, which reminded me of our stay in Vela Luka, Croatia last summer. I’ll have more about the Pousadas in a future posting.
Our primary mode of transportation while in the area was a blue “buggy” (pronounced it “boogy” not unlike the “Boogey Man”) which I assume is supposed to be a beach buggy though you’re not allowed to drive it anywhere near the beach. This thing did 30 MPH if we were going downhill; had no seat belts, power steering or any other basic safety equipment and barely fit the three of us. I had to drive because Anderson doesn’t have a license and, at 6’7”, Chris couldn’t fit his foot between the brake and the drive shaft in order to push the gas. As it was, I could barely fit my size 11.5 feet in there either making it very difficult to go from gas to break in any meaningful time.
I did get the camera out on this trip and got some fun shots of the beach, some boats and the downtown area. Take a look.
All in all, we had a great quiet few days. Of course, it wasn’t without its excitement. At the end of our trip, with about an hour before I driver was to arrive to take us back to Rio, we decided to take the buggy out for one more trip… to see another beach we hadn’t made it to. About five miles from the hotel and the rental agency we got a flat tire. Thankfully, the folks in the local pousada were helpful and made some calls and the rental agency was there in no time to help us out.Back in Rio now with Carnaval kicking in. Down to my final week.
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