Adventure Traveler

LOL! from Glamour Mag

Adventure Traveler — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:57:32 +0000

A pit stop in errand running today led me to a Peppermint Mocha Trio and a Glamour magazine at Borders. Flipping trough the fashion mag i stumbled upon these winning funnies. Now I’m working on perfecting the delivery!

Two weasels were sitting at a bar. One starts to insult the other one. He screams, “I slept with your mother!” The bar gets quiet as everyone listens to see what the other weasel will do. The first weasel yells again, “I slept with your mother!” The other weasel says, “ Go home, Dad. You’re drunk.”

A chicken and an egg are lying in bed. The chicken is smoking a cigarette with a very satisfied smile. The egg is frowning and looking frustrated. The eggs says, “Guess we answered that question.”

A married couple in their early sixties were celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary in a romantic restaurant. Suddenly, a fairy godmother appeared. She said, “For being such an exemplary married couple, I will grant you each one wish.” The wife answered, “I want to travel around the world with my darling husband.” The fairy waved her magic wand and poof! —two tickets for the Queen Mary 2 appeared. The husband thought for a moment and then said, “Well this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I’m sorry sweetheart, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me.” The wife and the godmother were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish. So the fairy waved her magic wand and poof! —the husband became 92 years old. The moral of this story: Men who are ungrateful should remember that fairy godmothers are female.

Billboard Blunders

Adventure Traveler — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:15:57 +0000

I recently drove from Northern California across Nevada through Utah and down to Keystone, Colorado. The total driving time was a little over 20 hours, split up in two days. I was lucky enough to have my dad with me who graciously manned the wheel most of the way. This being said I was left to stare out the window at the great wild wild west landscapes and approximately 4,000 billboards (just an approximation). Consequently, accessing the quality of each billboard became my number one form of entertainment.

After a while I became increasingly frustrated. I was not only looking at these gigantic signs that populated the interstate but I was actively trying to understand their messages and products. And 80% of the time I could not figure out the message of the billboard! So I have decided to rant and rave on cyberspace in hopes that some ad ex will read this and go fix their billboards.

1. Text- The font needs to be clear. Seems obvious right? Apparently not. What reads on a computer screen or even on a large poster may not be the right font for a 40-foot sign that people need to be able to read going 80 mph.
Also noting that people are zipping by your sign on their way to their destinations, realize that they will realistically see your sign for a few seconds. AKA don’t make them read a novel; keep text minimal.

2. Images- I noticed many billboards use photographic images, which I think is better than cheesy cartoons. BUT the photographs need to be of simple subjects with minimal background matter. A lot of times the images are unclear because they are too busy. Images with high contrast matter work well.

3. Call to Action- Make sure your company logo/name is a focus of the billboard. Give viewers a place where they can find out more info. i.e. a website or phone number.

4. Gimmicks- If your product or service needs a gimmick, your product or service sucks.
The test: Before spending oodles of money and wasting oodles of time, try this test. Open the proposed billboard ad on your computer and have your coworkers walk by your computer. See if it catches their eye and if they are able to grasp its message.

For examples of good billboards, look to Apple. Their billboards are extremely clear and concise. There is no question of what they are promoting or who is behind the ad.

Feria de Mataderos

Adventure Traveler — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:39:25 +0000

To make sure I got my full dose of ferias, I went to the Feria de Mataderos with Amanda and Emma the following day. The barrio of Mataderos is located a little ways out of the center but we were able to catch a free ride with our school. The barrio is named after the abundance of livestock markets and slaughterhouses in the area. For much of its history, the area was a meeting point between the city and the countryside, and thus became a hub for rural commerce, and the main stop for gauchos inside city limits.

The feria had about the same number of vendors as Recoleta, but also had a huge center stage where different groups performed throughout the day. The vendors here, however, sold different types of products than in Recoleta; a great deal of gaucho goods (South American “cowboys”), instruments, and children’s toys. After much deliberation, I finally bought two mates and bombillas! (Note: mate is the gourd which you drink from, yerba mate is the herbs you brew and the whole drink is simply called mate.)

When I went off to buy my mates, Amanda and Emma lingered behind and we were to meet up at the bus later. So with some extra time I decided to see what was going on onstage. A band, made up of five men, was playing folk music. The crowd was really getting into, and all of a sudden there was a full-on dance circle in front of me. Couples swung each other in circles and clapped with the beat. A dance line and human tunnel formed. Everyone was having such a great time, I couldn’t help but smile.

Feria de Recoleta

Adventure Traveler — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:38:19 +0000

On Saturday I went to my first feria en Buenos Aires! Ferias are large outdoor markets, usually only on Saturdays and Sundays, where vendors set up booths to sell their creations. This particular feria is located in the barrio of Recoleta near the famous cemetery. I went with my friends Amanda from New York and Emma from England. We arrived around one and I was instantly amazed by the vast landscape of booths set up in the area. The feria is arranged so that shoppers can lazily weave through the various isles. Vendors offer items such as silver jewelry, mate, leather goods, clothes, and much more. I had so much fun browsing through the tables. One brightly colored flowy tunic caught my eye right away and thus this began a warm conversation with the vendor. She was such a sweet old lady; she helped me try it on, and by helped I mean she had me hold up my arms and literally put it over my head for me. We chatted away in broken spanish and I felt like she was my very caring grandmother. Not ready to shell out most of my cash so soon, I told her that I needed to think about it first.

After meandering through the expansive feria, I decided that I should go back to buy the tunic. When I returned, a smile appeared across her face and I knew it was meant to be. Another perk of the Feria de Recoleta is the mouthwatering stuffed bread. On the sidewalk, this woman sits with a huge basket of these delicious creations, each filled with different ingredients. For ten pesos I bought a bread stuffed with ham, cheese and tomato. It was warm, flavorful and the perfect way to end my feria experience.

Frogger and Other Quirks

Adventure Traveler — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:25:47 +0000

After living in Buenos Aires for two weeks I have finally mastered the fine art of: crossing the street. Two years ago I lived in Florence, Italy and learned that, in general, in foreign countries cars won’t stop for pedestrians, cyclists, mom’s with babies, ect. Here, in this densely populated city, I have learned from experience and by example how to properly cross the street. Keep in mind that in Buenos Aires a.) cars won’t stop for people and b.) cars probably won’t stop for a red light either. So with these two very important facts firmly implanted in my brain, I confidently step to the edge of the curb, peer down the street and wait for any minute pause in traffic. Once this moment appears I jet to the other side. Thankfully most streets here are one-way and I only have to study one direction before taking that leap of faith toward the other side of the road. Adding to the danger of walking, their stoplights have a red light/yellow light combo when both colors are lit. This combo comes after a red light and before a green light; I think it means “get ready cars, it’s almost time to plow down some unsuspecting pedestrians.” But who am I to say.

La Bomba del Tiempo

Adventure Traveler — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:14:25 +0000

La Bomba del Tiempo is a drumming and dancing event where onstage there are at least fifteen musicians, primarily drummers. Many of them are teachers of music in the city’s universities and studios, others are in other bands in addition to this one, and all are fantastically fun to hear and watch.

We entered the old warehouse building (of course) and immediately felt the rhythm bounce through our bodies. The semicircle of musicians where led by a conductor who signed instructions with his hands to create the beats on the spot. After a certain amount of time, he gave up his position, rejoined the semicircle and a different member came forward to organize the noise. The crowd surged with each beat of the drums. One of my favorite parts was when this older musician came onstage with a washboard vest and harmonica! He sang from his soul and got the crowd jumping, clapping and cheering.

After the two hour show, we walked to a bar where another band was set to play later in the night. It was a seven member band who where very spirited and ignited my tired body with enough energy to stay awake for a couple more hours.

Orquesta Fernandez Fierro

Adventure Traveler — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:52:15 +0000

Last week I went to this really interesting and modern Tango concert. The group called “Orquesta Fernandez Fierro”, is a 12 man tango orchestra driven by four violins and four accordions. It’s younger, harder, faster and it very popular for the unique representation of non-traditional Tango style. The concert was held at a very old and traditional sports club (aka old warehouse looking building) in the neighborhood of Abasto. We arrived about an hour before the show started in order to get seats and a table as this event is very popular and their shows are very crowded.

I went with a few girls from my residence and we were the only non-South Americans in the audience of about 75 (a tell-tale sign that it must be good!). We ordered a bottle of Malbec and chatted while we waited for the show to begin. Starting “on-time,” which here means about half an hour late, the musicians instantly captivated the audience. The passion exploded from their instruments as their bodies twitched with energy on stage. The lighting mimicked the fast-paced, bold notes and the singer’s voice was like nothing I’ve ever heard before. It was a enchanting experience that I will never forget! Check out a video here.

La Boca

Adventure Traveler — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:18:15 +0000

The barrio of La Boca has a very interesting past. It began as the main port of Buenos Aires and had a very lively start in the 1940s. However, the port was too small for the growing demand so a new port, Puerto Madero, was build a little further up the river and the port of La Boca was shut down. Now La Boca is one of the most touristy and poorest neighborhoods. The small street of Caminito boasts brightly colored tenements, restaurants and live tango dancers.

When I went with my class, we toured the museum of Benito Quinquela Martin, a painter who helped transform La Boca into an artists’ colony with his depictions of fishermen, shipyards and the port. The museum also featured work by contemporary Argentine artists. The stark contrast between Quinquela Martin’s bright, lively portrayals of the port during his life and contemporary artists’ dark, gloomy paintings gives visitors valuable insight on La Boca’s history.

Iguazu: Rainbows and Waterfalls

Adventure Traveler — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:41:53 +0000

Wow, when people told me that an 18 hour bus ride could be extremely comfortable I thought they were all out of their minds! But as soon as I sat down in the cushy blue seats and the attendant handed me candy I knew what they were talking about. The seats were the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in; they recline to lie flat and are just a smidgen skinner than a twin bed. No joke. We got a hot dinner, wine, whisky, champagne, breakfast and we each had a personal TV loaded with over 20 movies.

After a comfortable night sleep our group of seven arrived in the tiny little town of Iguazu. We split up into two taxis to head to our hostel. My excitement started to turn to fear when our taxi driver pulled over to the side of the road and after some jumbled words and hand gestures communicated to us that his car was broken. He open the trunk and pulled out a knife and cut something out from under the hood of his car. Then he took the taxi sign off his car and put that in the trunk. No I’m not kidding you. So there we are standing o the side of the road with some guy and his broken car as he is supposedly calling for another taxi. In the end his friend picked us up and we got to our hostel safely.

Once we got settled in we went for a walk around the town. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and then set off to find a place called Hito Tres Fronteras. Here, the two rivers which divide Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina flow into each other and you are able to see all three countries.

The next day we hopped on the bus to the national park! First we visited La Garganta de Diablo (The Devil’s Throat). There is no way I can describe the intensity of this waterfall. (I took some videos, so be sure to check those out soon!) You walk out on this bridge and are overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. It is incredible; you are literally standing at the top of this massive flow of water. We hiked around the entire park. The best way to describe what I saw is to relate it to paradise. Every where you looked you saw rainbows and waterfalls. It was truly magical. The second day we packed a picnic and hiked around the small island located next to the waterfalls. It was an amazing weekend experience.

A Day in the Life

Adventure Traveler — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:48:22 +0000

There is only one thing that is consistent about my everyday life here in Argentina, and that is there is no typical day. For the past week, I have gone to class at 9 and returned to the dorm around 1. After one, life is decided hour-by-hour. So I will tell you about my not-so-typical Wednesday. I had just gotten back from class and Stephanie was on Facebook chatting with Carter. She turned to me and said that Carter wondered if I wanted to go touring with him. I thought about it for a second. I was kind of tired from class, however I really had nothing else to do. Since I had not gotten a phone yet, we set up a meeting point and time in Recoleta (a neighborhood close by). And after a brisk 30 minute walk I spotted Carter under the giant steel flower in Recoleta (which is actually a solar plant and closes up a night). After a failed attempt to go to the museum MALBA (it was closed for a private function), we decided to walk over to the famous cemetery in the area. This cemetery is magnificent! Every tomb looks like a small cathedral. As you walk through the corridors, you feel like you are walking through a dead city; except instead of feeling creeped out, a sense of awe passes over you. After this breathtaking experience, we stopped for a bite to each at the usual Argentina lunch hour of 2:00. As rain clouds threatened to ruin our day, we set off to catch a free walking tour of the area. Our guide was fantastic and gave us an outstanding insight to Argentina. Thankfully the rain held out until the last few moments of our tour. It was about seven o’clock when the tour concluded and with no plans left for the night, we Jo (a British girl who came on the tour as well) what she was up to for the rest of the night. She said that she was meeting friend around 8:30 for a show called Fuera Burtza. Our guide said that it was a very interesting alternative theater show. We said, “Sure, why not?” So we bought our tickets and ducked out of the rain and into a nearby cafe. We chatted over beer and empanadas as we waited for her friends. When time was near, we walked over to the huge warehouse converted venue (it seems that everything super cool in Buenos Aires happens in an old warehouse!). Everyone piled into the dark space and waited for the show to begin. What happened in the next hour is impossible to explain. It was magical, surreal and unlike anything I’ve every seen before. The actors/dancers/performers moved with the stage around the venue. The stage was in the middle, left, right, even above the crowd. Every time the stage moved through the crowed people rippled backwards to make room for it. Music and light filled the room with unmeasurable energy. Let me just say that I will be going back next week and would come back to Argentina just to go to that show. After an hour of sensory overload and on a completely sober high, Carter, me and our four new British friends headed back to Carter’s cousin’s apartment to go out for the night. His cousin, Andres, lives in a very nice apartment with a very small elevator. The six of us hop in the elevator and joke about its small size as we press the button for the seventh floor. It makes a funny noise and then we realize that we are not moving. We press up, down, door open, alarm. Nothing happens. Awesome. I am stuck in a scary small elevator, in a foreign country, and I have to go to the bathroom. We call Andres and he says that he will try to get ahold of the mechanic who lives in the building. After some time passes we hear him through the wall talking in spanish. Then we hear nothing. So we decided to give him a call to see what’s up. He sounds stressed and relays to us that the mechanic is on vacation and he has no idea what we are going to do. Great news to hear when you are stuck in a scary small elevator, in a foreign country, and have to go to the bathroom. Not. So the guys decide that they will just have to pry the door open themselves. Fearing that they would make our problem worse, I was skeptical but when that door slid open I was very thankful to have them in the elevator with me. After many sighs of relief we headed out. The Brits opted to go home for varying reasons (I think they were afraid of what would happen next if they stayed with us). The rest of the night was spent speaking spanish and making new friends. And that is just my “typical” day in Buenos Aires!