a unique perspective on this crazy world

exploring the andes…

June 15, 2013

Since the information from g adventures was pretty vague and I had no time to do additional research of my own, I had no idea what to expect when I got dropped off at Peru Rail by my smiling driver.  His knowledge of English pretty much matched my knowledge of Spanish so he just chattered away in Spanish and I tried to understand what was going on.  He was a great driver though.  He even took me on an extra excursion to take some photos of Puno and Lake Titicaca from a particularly scenic spot.

I was booked on the Andean Explorer.  All I knew is that I had a 10 hour train journey ahead of me.

http://www.perurail.com/train_description.php?id=1

It all started very pleasantly.  There was a nice waiting room and even a band playing traditional Peruvian music.  Then we started boarding.  Lunch was included and I wondered what and where it would be.  My expectation was a trip to a dining car for an airline quality meal.

not your average train...

not your average train…

But – to my delight – I discovered the Andean Explorer was more akin to the Orient Express!  (Some time later I would discover it was owned by Orient Express).  I had my own table (where both lunch and afternoon tea would be served) complete with a flower in a vase and a romantic light fixture for later in the journey.  I appreciate a romantic gesture – even if I am enjoying it alone 😉  <and travelling alone can result in wild surprises like the dinner I shared with my ranger Alex in the Ngorongoro Crater over a table laden with rose petals>

It was my own little sanctuary from which I could snap photos obsessively as the train meandered through the Andes. I had expected a 10 hour train journey to start to feel tedious – but the hours flew by.  Partly because I was operating on a handful of hours of sleep so kept trying to nap.

But the train schedule was chock-a-block with passenger activities.  I thought I could nap before lunch at 11:40… but – no – first we were offered beverages and I was a bit hungry so was served a hot chocolate that looked fancy enough the French woman sitting across from me wondered what it was.  And it was also delicious I informed her.

Just as I finished my hot chocolate and closed my eyes, they announced complimentary pisco sours and live Peruvian music in the observation car.  Drinking at 10am – it was like we were in the Caribbean!  What was really impressive was the Europeans ordering extra drinks before noon 😉

music and dance on the rails

music and dance on the rails

The Pisco Sour was good (and free! :)) but the real highlight was the band and the chance to take photos in the open air.  The mountains were incredible and I will have a hard time editing all the photos that I took but my obsession was to get a photo of a llama.  Let me tell you – trying to get a good shot of a live animal from a moving train while vying for position with dozens of other tourists is exhausting (luckily there were more llamas in my future 🙂

The Peruvian music finished pretty much in time for lunch.  I think I am going to look like a trout by the time I get home.  But I know the word in Spanish – trucha.  (and Enrique taught me how to pronounce it and remember – just think cha-cha-cha…)

The trucha on the train was very nice and, after consuming it and all the other delicious treats, there was finally time for a nap.  There was an offer of more Pisco Sours, Peruvian music – and a fashion show – in the afternoon but I didn’t indulge.  I was too busy keeping my eyes peeled for llamas! 😉

I did take time out from the llama watch to indulge in afternoon tea.  I would recommend to any tea drinkers out there that you switch to coca tea while you are in Peru.  The black tea you get served is generally disgusting but the coca tea is superb and a great way to expand the cultural experience.

just look at those mountains!

just look at those mountains!

It took a while to unload the luggage but that is the only thing I could fault PeruRail on.  The service was entertaining and very professional.  You had the spectacular views of the Andes (and random, elusive llamas), really good food, traditional music, free Pisco Sours…  and the added entertainment of watching the crew serve all those meals and carry trays filled with a dozen wine glasses – on a moving train!!!

If trains are your thing, put the Andean Explorer on your wish list.  One of the best train trips of my life – and I inherited a love for trains from my father.  I am a connoisseur of the journey by train – and a new fan of PeruRail.  I really wish my father was still alive.  Despite his objections to travelling in places where they don’t speak English, I know he would love riding the rails in Peru and I would just bully him into accompanying me  🙂  My mother didn’t want to go to Paris.  Now we’re planning a second anniversary trip to the city that first stole my heart…

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waving your pompoms ;)

June 10, 2013
puno plaza des armes

puno plaza des armes

It would appear pompoms play a significant role in Peruvian culture.  The keys at the hotel in Cuzco were attached to giant pompoms… and then I discovered I could own my very own pompom keychain if I so desired…  Unfortunately I didn’t realize this until late in the journey so don’t have any guides to quiz about this interesting cultural phenomenon…

So instead you will be subjected to my limited knowledge and personal theories… hey, we have been down this road before. If you want expert knowledge, you are not listening to me 😉

Other than wandering the streets of Puno and trying to stealthily take photos of the local market or the women in wonderful local dress my main activity was a trip to the Uros islands.  It sounded cool and I wanted to get ON Lake Titicaca.

So that was my plan… cruise around on Lake Titicaca and take photos with my expensive camera.  Anything else was gravy….

As often happens in life, serendipity hit me right between the eyes. Our guide was excellent and that is how I learned that in the Amayra language, Titicaca means grey puma rather than what the Spanish translation would suggest.

cruising the lake - note the reeds

cruising the lake – note the reeds

The puma is one of the sacred animals in this part of the world, along with the condor and the snake.  Personally I am partial to cats… and have a fondness for birds… but it is nice to see the snake getting a good rap for a change even if they are a bit slithery for my taste…

Lake Titicaca itself was marvelous but you should really visit the Uros islands. I am going to attach a link to this post to make sure everyone can get the correct info as my knowledge is shallow at best.

But it was one of my favourite parts of Peru.  It really helped that our guide (Franz I think) was so incredible.  He was very knowledgeable and had a great rapport with the women of the Uros.  The concept is that you travel over Lake Titicaca on a regular size boat and then they drop you off on one of the islands so that you can learn about the history and culture of the Uros.

http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/topdestlaketiticaca/a/floatingislands.htm

My pedestrian understanding of it all is that this part of South America is pre-Inca and the Inca conquisadors forced the local people to flee and some of the tribes moved onto Lake Titicaca and built homes and surrounding real estate out of the reed plants that grew on the lake.

The plants provided not just shelter but also food and relief from heat and exhaustion.  We were given a part of the plant to apply to our foreheads and it was a true natural air conditioner.

the ladies of the uros

the ladies of the uros

The women of the tribe seemed to be in charge 🙂  They helped with the pantomime history.  They performed, both in song and in a short play.  They invited us into their homes.  They dressed us in native costume.  They weaved merchandise to sell to tourists.  I’m not sure where the dudes were…

Maybe they are just stud horses 🙂  Apparently the single women use pompoms draped around their neck to advertise their status and attract a marriage partner.  No need for match.com in these parts 😉

Once I had been selected by my “mama”, checked out her home and spent a decent amount of soles to support the community, I handed over another ten soles to ride on a Mercedes Benz type reed canoe paddled by my mama (who was apparently head of the tribe) and a colleague.

a cadillac made of reeds!

a cadillac made of reeds!

They paddled us to our second village where I missed getting my passport stamp because I was busy buying more goods!  It felt like I was directly supporting a local culture.  And I wore the shawl I bought there all over Peru.  But there was no opportunity to buy pompoms until I got to Lima… fine by me… I might be single… but I am not waving my pompoms looking for some dude to notice me 😉

 

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lake titicaca!!!

June 4, 2013

I am on line at pearson!!!  goal is to add one post per day… we’ll see… but I have been typing and still have lots to say about Peru.  You should go!  it’s amazing…

Apparently I am eating ceviche twice in one day!  But I am in Peru.  And menus are not always totally clear…

But the ceviche at lunch was delicious.  And apparently the trout is fresh from Lake Titicaca so I think it will be fine…

I finally made it to Lake Titicaca!  Unlike most people I knew about Lake Titicaca long before I yearned for Machu Picchu.  When I was about 15, a group in their early 20s came to our tiny, remote community.  I can’t remember the name of the program but its purpose was to link young Canadians with their counterparts in developing countries.

lake titicaca

lake titicaca

They learned each other’s languages and did work in the community.  The group our Canadian team was paired with came from Bolivia.

I think it might have been the slideshow from the Congo that I saw in third grade (someone from the town had worked there so his wife brought her slides).  It’s not entirely clear but it might have been the DRC pre-independence.  She definitely painted Africa in a wonderful light as an interesting place one should visit.

She was the first inspiration in my desire to explore the world.  I was also inspired by the history of my country, which emphasized brave Europeans who had discovered us… not entirely accurate of course but my childhood was full of new places and long journeys so exploring the world seemed a kind of birthright.

From an age so young I cannot remember it, I yearned to see the world – and was always pestering any foreigner who wandered into my path as to the real scoop on the place they came from.  As a teenager, I had penpals in at least 30 countries…. it might have been 50… so my theoretical knowledge of the world at 15 was vast!  But I hadn’t been outside my own continent.

Back then I had bonded with a young woman named Angèle.  She was from Québec so came and helped out in our French class.  I desperately wanted to learn French so this was a dream come true.  And, through my friendship with her, I hung out with the Bolivians.

So I learned about Lake Titicaca, altitude sickness and the frequency of military coups in Bolivia.  The Bolivians seemed very resigned to it. The only problem was that the coups tended to shutter the universities so getting a degree was a challenge.

This morning I got to wave at Bolivia.  It was only a few metres away.  Another trip…. but Lake Titicaca totally lived up to my childhood dreams!

The weather in Puno has been amazing.  A bit cold – but hardly the tundra everyone in Lima led me to believe J  I did break down and buy a pair of Inca mitts on my way to dinner but my hands are always cold – and my mitts have llamas on them 😉  This morning though I was overfleeced!  If I have any sage advice for a trip to Peru, layering is key – the temperature variation over the day is pretty exciting.  And check out Lake Titicaca!

Looking at it from afar is impressive but I recommend getting a little more adventurous… just keep reading…

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I didn’t realize I’d signed up for the amazing race! ;)

June 3, 2013

I really wanted to love g adventures.  It’s run by a youngish Canadian entrepreneur.  When he started it, he WAS young and it ran on a shoestring…

I first heard about it via an Intrepid Travel newsletter advertising Bruce’s trips to South America.  So I always thought when I finally went to Peru, it would be with the Great Adventure People.

Well, there has definitely been an emphasis on the word “adventure” 😉

Before I left Canada everyone kept asking me what I was going to be doing and if it was ‘’a tour”.  The g adventures materials were pretty vague so I kept telling everyone I wasn’t sure – and keeping me on my toes and adding an air of mystery to my itinerary was part of the plan I guess…

It works when everything goes right!  In general it’s all worked out fine and David and Enrique are the rock stars of g adventures so they won me over and I DO recommend g adventures.  Their strength is tours so that is likely the best route.  I met some tour participants on a train late in my journey and they were very keen and felt totally protected.

I DID say I wanted “Independent Style” travel.  I didn’t realize just HOW independent I was going to have to be.  Of course, the fact that they kept getting my name wrong in Lima might have alerted me to their less than stellar abilities.  Calling me Maria is not a way to get things off on the right foot.  I appreciate it might only seem like a letter to you but it’s a totally different name and not one that I answer to… and people all over the world love my real name… so substituting a more pedestrian one is not the way to score brownie points…

I am reading my notes as I write this into the computer now that I have finally scored an internet connection and I see I wrote it in Aquas Calientes while waiting for the train where Enrique would pick me in Ollantaytambo and drive me to Cuzco.  I wrote… I feel that I will end the trip with a bang.  And that I DO really know my way around the tourist circuit in Peru now 😉  Both statements still hold true…

So, to start at the beginning… it was an auspicious one… I cleared customs easily and a friendly lady named Pamela (who thought MY name was Maria) was holding a g adventures sign.  And I knew the name of the hotel just in case…

Then things started to get strange. I was put on a tourist bus, Pamela and I the only passengers.  She didn’t sit near me and after a few minutes I noticed she’d jumped off the bus and was standing in the street.  Hopefully the driver knew where to take me!

It’s always best to stay calm until there actually IS a problem and he dropped me off at the hotel on my information sheet and I began my recognisance of Miraflores.  I went to Parque Kennedy cause that’s all I knew but it was obviously the tourist ghetto of Lima so I knew I needed to be more intrepid.  (But I did have a delicious churro so highly recommend that!)

My grandmother’s favourite saying was “god gave you a mouth for a reason.  Just ask if you need help.”  So the next morning I took her advice as I was supposedly going to Puno the next day but had nada for details on that excursion.

The hotel staff (Antiquas Miraflores) were great.  It took some time but we finally managed to find someone representing g adventures who spoke English.  Someone was going to meet me at the hotel at 6pm to go over the details.  Good thing I didn’t need any advice on what to do in Lima.- but at least I should make the flight – at whatever mysterious time it was departing…

I waited on a bench at the entrance to the hotel (to be obvious) for 15 minutes but no g adventures person.  Finally talked to Miro who apparently dropped by at 5pm (seriously, dude?) and had left me a note.  He could come again after his class but I said I needed to find dinner and supposedly someone was meeting me at 7:30am the next morning to get me on the plane at the airport so it all sounded under control.

Thank god at least Miro had left a number and he picked up the phone.  Not that I appreciate unnecessary telephone calls at exorbitant roaming rates and I’m still not too clear on how to make a call from my brand new Blackberry.

But I was pretty desperate as I was stranded at the airport with no info as to which airline or flight I was booked on!  I talked Miro through the solution and managed to connect with Renzo at counter 14.  I only had to lug my bags from counter 54 to counter 14…

flying thru the andes for the first time...

flying thru the andes for the first time…

But I got on the flight!  And everyone is very friendly so you can’t really get mad.  I decided it was the Spanish way – paternalistic, vague on details and bad at precise times.  The Germans are my people – but the Latins are charming 😉

And Veronica in Puno was outstanding.  Finally, information, tickets.  She even checked in with me to make sure I was ready to get on the Andean Explorer.  Edgar Adventures in Puno.  Highly recommended.

But the guys in Cuzco are trying.  It was all going brilliantly until I showed up in Aquas Calientes and there was no g adventures sign.  But at least they had told me the hotels once I got to Cuzco so the guy from Andina and I figured out we belonged together 🙂

But then I sat in the hotel lobby for over an hour as other tourists met their guides and planned their day at Machu Picchu.  Again the hotel staff were great and finally made contact for me with someone willing to take me to Machu Picchu.  Luckily David had already briefed me on what to take so I just needed a meet time.

And Wagner – my replacement guide, not sure what happened to Marcellino… did show up just after 5:30am.  He forgot his pass so I had to go up alone but he found me before I got into Machu Picchu so all was good.  But thank god I wasn’t looking for my g adventures guide to rescue me from the balcony at the Andina Luxury!  That story to follow…

I like the g adventures style of travel.  David says they have a good reputation in Peru and hire lots of local staff and do some community projects.  All the actual activities were excellent.  I DO recommend them.  You just need to decide how comfortable you are travelling alone.  Apparently I am not the guinea pig for the Independent Travel option… but I am not entirely convinced 😉  <calling myself a guinea pig extra funny…>

http://www.gadventures.com

My impression is that they are an excellent choice if you are doing a tour in Peru.  And they did make all my arrangements.  And I met David and Enrique – they were incredible and you will hear more about them in future posts.  g adventures is very lucky to have them on the team!

It was really fun traipsing around Peru largely by myself.  You just have to pretend you are on the amazing race and making your own way to the next pit stop to figure out the details of your next adventure 😉

p.s. adventures – and photos – to follow!  Stay tuned….

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spanish lessons

June 2, 2013

How exciting!  I actually managed to find functioning internet before I leave Peru… the rest will follow… as usual I will keep living my travels long after I have left the foreign locale 😉

as usual we are living in the past so just go with the tenses – they were correct when I wrote the first draft 🙂

I wrote the first draft of this on miércoles.  I learned that the night before at the Pitahaya Bar in Lisbon.  From my new friend Juan.

Yes, I am in Peru!  When I first dreamed of trekking to Machu Picchu, the Shining Path was putting Peru on the government advisory “do not go” lists.  As usual I have been too busy doing things to have enough time to write about what I have been doing.  But I have been trying to remember exactly when I was inspired to travel to Peru.

It was sometime in the mid 80s.  It may have been the Peru pavilion at Expo 86.  I know I acquired a book about the treasures of the Incas from an exhibit of some of them around that time.  I forgot to leaf through it before I left home.  But I have carried it over three continents and unpacked it in countless apartments so I know it’s there somewhere…  I remember the great jewelry and rich colours.  My souvenirs won’t be nearly so impressive but I am dazzled by the colours in the markets.  It is hard to not buy everything you see 🙂

Unfortunately in the 1980s Peru was dangerous – so I stayed away… but Machu Picchu stayed in my imagination.  And Peru is now the kind of place where you have to search a little to avoid a dual language tourist menu.

But my first step in a new city is to get a map from reception (just in case 🙂 and then start aimlessly wandering the streets in daylight so I’ll know my way home in the dark!

I’m still packing the map but I’ve actually looked at it only a couple of times and Miraflores is already starting to feel like home.  Lima is no Latin seductress.  The weather is as dreary as predicted.  I think the sun shines more in Vancouver 😉

And the Pacific Ocean looks like an angry stepsister with haunted beaches.  But moody can be interesting… so I had a delicious pizetta overlooking the Pacific as part of my exploration of the Larcomar – a modern mall that is so shiny it glints without the sun even shining 🙂

It’s part of the shiny side of Lima – where I will be staying on my return.  Locating my next Lima hotel created a great aimless wander through the streets of Miraflores.  As I suspected yesterday, I am living on the wrong side of the tracks.  But I think I prefer my older Miraflores with the slight decay that tropical climates induce rather than the tarted up sanitized Miraflores that seems more like a tourist zone.

Peru is definitely an emerging economy and it’s exciting to see it in action.  I would love to come back in 10 years and see what has changed.

One thing I hope won’t change is the friendly, warm character of the people.  I am writing this in a cool, modern bar with a touch of traditional Peruvian

pitahaya behind the park

pitahaya behind the park

decoration – and charming Latin men behind the bar.  The soundtrack is an incredible mix of some of the best alternative rock from the late 80s – Blind Melon, Cindy Lauper, Tom Cochrane, the dudes who sing Runaway Train… sometimes I just knew the music, couldn’t remember the band… the 80s were a long time ago!

juanSo I was absorbing the music and letting Juan make me drinks.  His goal is to work on a cruise ship so he wanted me to help him with his English.  In return, he taught me some Spanish.

And made me a beautiful Pisco Sour – my first.  You always remember your first time 😉  And Juan did a magnificent job!  Pisco Sours are pretty ubiquitous in Peru so I’ve had a few now but Juan’s is still the best!  And he gave me the whole history of the drink for bonus points.

Everyone in the bar is very friendly – and works very efficiently.  The menu is in Spanish so I knew I was in an authentic place.  I had avoided the tourist ghetto!

Decaying villas seem charming.  And I saw some appealing houses on my random walk that speak to another era.  It would be sad to lose all the history and local architecture around the world for shiny new concrete malls.

But we also need to welcome progress – and the emergence of new shiny places in unexpected countries.

I love discovering places like Pitahaya – and young men like Juan.  It’s great to see a modern place with a sense of history and locale.  And the enthusiasm and professionalism I encounter so often in these new economies.  I think I am experiencing the future… Machu Picchu is just bonus points 😉

pitahaya decor

pitahaya decor

p.s. apparently Pitahaya is a bar but it was possibly the best food I have had in Peru!  The first night I ordered what I thought was a simple shrimp cocktail but it had some unexpected twists to it that were delicious.  And the next night I ordered something called Tiradito Achebichado because I trusted Juan 😉  As he promised, it was a bit like ceviche but I had just written mystery fish in my blog notes so he had to get the correct information for me.  It was tilapia – and outstanding.  The cocktails are also delicious.  And the staff are delightful.

 

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eating & drinking - well, travel stories

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getting off bourbon street…

May 24, 2013

Well, I’m already in Puno… but it seems quiet so might allow me to catch up a little bit.  There will be a little more New Orleans when I get home.  There are a couple more half-written posts but I need good internet to look up links for them and I am finding the internet a little elusive in Peru… but I have already made a friend and there are a few stories to tell so stay tuned…

First, though, I am finally going to finish this post for New Orleans that I keep adding to at random moments.

So, we are not sitting beside the highest navigatable lake in world and keeping our fingers crossed we won’t succumb to altitude sickness… we are in New Orleans searching for some decent jazz…

After my two nights on Bourbon Street, I decided it was time to get off the tourist route and check out Frenchmen Street, which was supposed to feature the jazz clubs that used to exist on Bourbon Street before Larry Flynt and college students on spring break took over.

I am known for being a bit intrepid – and know the best way to get to know a city is to walk it!  And that way – if you can’t find a taxi – at least you know your way home in the dark 🙂  Of course you should start navigating your way through an unfamiliar city in the light.

Due to my Friday night revels – and 5am bedtime – I needed a nap pre-dinner.  I can sleep through practically anything but naps don’t present the opportunity for really deep sleep so shortly into my nap I heard a riotous soundtrack on the street.  I wondered what was going on – but I was too exhausted to jump up immediately and find out.

And it ended up I had plenty of time.  For the second time in two days I hit the streets of New Orleans and discovered an unexpected parade!

It’s still not entirely clear the occasion but it has something to do with the Italian immigrants to New Orleans.  Mostly it just seemed like an excuse for a parade – and corollary partying 🙂  No worries I would be walking the street alone! 😉

Luckily the processional was on the street outside my hotel marching in the direction of Frenchmen Street.  So the best plan of action seemed to be to follow the parade route.  And I got some extra entertainment to accompany my walk 😉

I am quite famous for the speed at which I move, even through crowds, so it didn’t take me too many blocks to get in front of the parade so I could cross over to Decatur Street, my original plan.  Decatur runs parallel to the Mississippi and is full of tourist delights.  Including “authentic” cuisine.

I decided to try one of them out as I had to have some classic Louisiana cuisine as part of my cultural experience.  I also thought I should have a “Hurricane”.  Just because…  My server was wonderful so when she informed me they made great Hurricanes and crawfish étouffé my order was settled.  The Hurricane was too sweet for me but I had my first crawfish!  And a signature local dish.  Apparently in Louisiana, cayenne is as ubiquitous as pepper 🙂

The charming server gave me a rundown of the history of Frenchmen Street and gave me directions from the restaurant.  So, within minutes, I had ducked into my first jazz club (Maison). The band was very good but the jazz was traditional so I stayed for a set and then moved on.

I had read my guidebook by then and went in search of The Spotted Cat.  The band at The Spotted Cat was very talented.  And I’d learned to order Ariba beer.  There was decent local beer in New Orleans – you just needed to make the right inquiries.  So I was ready to settle in for the night…

But New Orleans wins hands down for the most ladies rooms out of service in one weekend!  Not sure what girls get up to in New Orleans…  We got to directed to the men’s but it was gross – and meant there was only one tiny, sticky bathroom for the entire bar.

So I listened to a set and escaped across the street to Snug Harbor – and a clean, functioning bathroom 🙂  At first I was standing in a long line but it was late on Saturday night and I hadn’t had to stand in a line to get into a bar in New Orleans yet so I could afford to be patient.  Once inside, though, it got confusing.   When you are alone you naturally eavesdrop so I gathered everyone was lined up to go into a show and the cover was $25 so it was a commitment.  I had already ordered a drink before this was all clear so watched the show on the TV monitor and overheard some interesting bar conversations…

But my goal was to see live jazz… so off we headed to see if the fourth time was a charm… and it was!  This time I just paid the cover.  It was a whole $10 🙂  But I figured maybe my $10 would score me a better show.

And my instincts were spot on 🙂  The club was called dba.  Not jazz this time but roots music with a touch of soul and a definite southern vibe.  The bar itself was impressive but I was there to hear music so headed for the stage.  The band on stage was excellent but they kept talking about Andrew – in a way that suggested he was a bit of a demi-god to the New Orleans music scene.

So I knew I was waiting for Andrew just like everyone else… except they knew what to expect.   I was already pretty close to the stage but just before Andrew came on some girl directly in front just went into free fall.  Apparently she had a posse and they scooped her before she hit the floor and no one had to call the paramedics.  But they had to carry her off to a bench – or a bed – and it opened up a large gap on the dance floor right in front of the band.  A dark-haired girl and I looked at each other and mutually agreed that it would be acceptable for us to step into the empty space.

I still had no idea who Andrew was but I had a front row seat to his show – and he seemed to have a lot of fans!  It ended up being an unforgettable night, ending on the kind of high that only comes from being willing to live a little and take some calculated risks.

It ended up that it was the dark-haired girl’s birthday, a couple of days before mine, so we had an impromptu mutual celebration.  And her friends had ordered mini cupcakes!  They offered me one.  I loved the music and Andrew was promoting a new CD so I went to buy one on the break and got a second mini cupcake!  And because I was so close to the stage, it was easy at the end to meet Andrew and congratulate him on a fantastic show.  Supporting young talent is one of my things…

It’s a great CD.  Here is the link to him…

http://andrewduhon.com/

I am especially into the song “Beautiful Girl”… it’s on my regular music rotation and every time I hear it that whole night comes back to me.  The wonderful power of music…

In the end, I couldn’t get a taxi… so had to walk all the way home from Frenchmen Street.  But I knew my way…   the only hard part was actually going directly to the hotel and not stopping in the bars I heard along the way to listen to more music…

Make sure you get off Bourbon Street… you won’t be disappointed… and maybe you too will have a magical night full of serendipity …

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DO talk to strangers ;)

April 22, 2013

Maybe not when you’re five 🙂  but my life would be a lot poorer if I hadn’t learned how to talk to strangers.  And I wouldn’t have an obsession with crawfish 😉

As my regular readers have learned to accept, we are time travelling again – and using geography as a tool to tie together disparate experiences.

So I am writing about New Orleans sitting in the airport in Panama City drinking premium rum (12 year old Abuelo – definitely a discovery!).  And crawfish is on my mind because I finally had some at the airport in Houston.

That is the beauty of travel.  I wasn’t planning to be in Houston last month when I was in New Orleans.  But, while I was trying to find a decent glass of beer and hear some jazz, I was eavesdropping on a lively conversation between some exuberant locals and guy with a questionable haircut and a hard to place accent.

But I mostly hang out in bars for the entertainment value – and chance to engage in lively discourse and meet locals.

I am very quick to smile and that gets people’s attention.  The mystery guy turned out to be Finnish and he was eating oysters from the Gulf.

I keep trying to love oysters but so far I remain on the fence.  But I have a lot of great memories that involve oyster eating so I think they ARE special 🙂

The Louisiana guys were making the poor Finnish guy feel bad that he had overpaid for his gulf oysters while they consume them by the sack for practically nothing.

What was more interesting to me was the discussion about crawfish.  Apparently it was crawfish season in the gulf and I determined that I should have some even if I didn’t exactly know what they were 🙂

I did manage a crawfish étouffé while I was in New Orleans but my time was too limited to seek them out again and really confirm exactly what a crawfish tasted like.  (But I did manage to engage in a lively conversation with the Finnish stranger about multiculturalism and the virtue of speaking lots of languages…)

Life is full of serendipity!  So there was a proper seafood restaurant in the Houston airport right next to my gate.

I think I got a few tourist points when I asked the server if it was still crawfish season.  It was!

They were deep-fried (welcome to the south :)) but I still got a much stronger impression of their flavour and texture.  And – if you share my fondness for shellfish – they are a great addition to your repertoire.

And I’m still not 100% sure how to describe them.  They are bigger than a shrimp, smaller than a prawn and not at all like a langoustine as I had imagined from the bar conversation.  The thing they most closely resemble is a spot prawn – a short-term delicacy of my home region.  Both are really worth trying, more fragile and succulent than ordinary shellfish.

I talked to lots of strangers in New Orleans.  It has become my new modus operandi when I travel.  My ten year old self is still in shock!!!

I think it’s a great example of how any human is actually capable of change.  I certainly support the proposition that you can’t change someone and should never enter a relationship with that as one of the goals in your five year plan.

It is a setup for disappointment – and conflict.  I have left all my relationships because I knew I couldn’t change the other person – and he wasn’t open to any modifications.

I have learned that is the norm.  But it’s kind of tragic.  When you get born into the world, no one says, “wow, I hope I will get parents and teachers and bosses who hold me to an almost impossible standard and constantly critique me ;)”

But, people, it has its rewards 🙂  It keeps you off balance.  It makes you strive.  It quells any opportunity to get arrogant before you have really achieved anything.

I continue to evolve.  I have conquered a lot of anxiety and I have become almost fearless.  But in a great way that relies on geek-worthy risk assessment and self-confidence borne out of life experience.

So… not only do I talk to strangers… strangers talk to me… I engage with the locals everywhere that I go.  AND I meet other travellers.  And hear their stories.  And am inspired to further explore the world…

Talking to strangers requires some finesse.  It needs to come from the right place.  You want to make sure it is a genuine interest in other people, not some lonely, needy gesture that makes the other person worry you might be a stalker 🙂

One of the highlights of my trip to New Orleans was making a new friend while were both perusing the menu at the Red Fish Grill.  Neither of is pushed it too fast so by the time we had both decided independently it might be far more enjoyable to dine together than alone, the choice was easy to make.

http://www.redfishgrill.com/

And what a great decision!  I met a fascinating man with a personal history to rival mine.  We talked about the arts, travel, the various cities and countries that had left a mark on us.

It was my first experience of Bourbon Street.  As previously noted, Bourbon Street definitely not a total class act –  but, luckily for me, I explored it with my new friend who embodied the concept of a Southern gentleman so he gave even the low rent aspects of Bourbon Street a borrowed sense of decorum.

It certainly gave tacky Bourbon Street a halo it hadn’t earned and etched yet another classic cinematic evening into my memory.  Those are the moments when I am so happy that I learned to talk to strangers 😉

I raise my glass of delicious 12 year old rum to everyone out there who talked to a stranger and came away with a special memory…

Hopefully I will finish the New Orleans stories before I get on the plane to Lima… 🙂

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eating & drinking - well, life philosophy, travel stories

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