Cartagena de Indias - Tourist Trap?

Colonial cities in Central and South America are treasures for tourists and many have been undiscovered by tourism. Granada and Leon, Nicaragua as well as Cuenca, Ecuador, are some of the places where tourism hasn't taken over. Strolling through those towns will make you feel like you've entered a different world.

Cartagena de Indias in Colombia is a bit of a different story. Yes, it is a beautiful and very special place with ancient walls around an historic center with narrow streets, colonial buildings, romantic squares and colorful bougainvillea growing everywhere. Here's a key statistic for the downside: the tiny historic center of Cartagena de Indias expects to get nearly 500,000 visitors from cruise ships alone in the 2009/2010 season.

The mass tourism has turned the gorgeous town into somewhat of a tourist trap, complete with people trying to sell souvenirs everywhere you walk or sit, pricey boutiques, mediocre restaurants with pushy runners, the obligatory horse drawn carriages and taxi drivers who try to get more money for the short trips you might take.

If you're prepared to deal with those minor hassles and don't mind seeing hordes of slightly overweight elderly people (mostly Americans) who travel in groups, following a guide and take pictures of a butterfly that landed on the hat of a fellow cruise tourist, you will be fine.

Despite the mass tourism, Cartagena de Indias is worth a visit and you will remember the gorgeous historic buildings, squares and streets. If I were to go back I'd plan to stay in the historic center and just spend two nights, with one full day, walking around the town, drinking coffee and snacking on local delicacies.

Here are some impressions of the town:

Beach Scenes At Boca Grande, Colombia

Prepare to be assaulted the moment you set foot on Boca Grande Beach near Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. It is a physical assault, but not by gangsters or mobsters, instead by massage therapists looking to sell their services. They won't take "no" for an answer and will start massaging you even if you tell them to leave you alone. "Es un regalo" -- a present, they say. But before you know if you're getting the full massage and you will spend $10 or so being rubbed in with some cheap lotion. The massage isn't bad at all, quite good actually, but the assault is a bit of an experience.

The pushy massage therapists are just the start. Once you park yourself in a chair on the beach a veritable parade of peddlers will come by. You can buy sun glasses, towels, T-shirts, fruit plates, ceviches, full lunches, ice creams, beers, tours, smokes and more from your lazy position on the beach. It is quite comfortable to sit there, but don't think you will be left in peace for long. A tip, take a book and at least pretend to be reading from it and you will be left alone by the hawkers.

Here are some shots from the beach, taken by my dad "Latino" Benno

Farmers And Fishermen of Cambodia

Going to Cambodia is like going through a timewarp. Life has not changed for hundreds of years for many Cambodian families. Over 80 percent farm their own piece of land or fish. They own a water buffalo or other animal to help them (if they farm) or a simple canoe and some netting, or even simply a net and a bucket, if they fish. It is a very sobering experience to visit Cambodia and see the true simple life.

 

 

 

A New Monk Gets Dressing Lessons

How do you wear a robe? This newly arrived monk in Cambodia is taught how to dress.

 

Tuol Sleng Museum - Pol Pot's Secret Prison

Following up to the last post, here are some pictures of Tuol Sleng, the high school turned secret prison in Phnom Penh during the Khmer Rouge regime in the late 1970s.

A cell in the VIP (very important prisoner) segment where torture happened daily.

The Khmer Rouge documented carefully who entered the prison. Practically everyone was eventually killed.

Cells for female prisoners on the second floor. Male prisoners were on the ground floor in cells without doors, but they were shackled to the floor.

A view from one of the school buildings/prison buildings to another.

The Ghosts Of Cambodia - Pol Pot's Victims

After touring Vietnam last summer, Cambodia was on the list this year. In Vietnam I saw remnants of the Vietnam war and some of the terrible pain inflicted on people there.

On the first day in the Cambodia I visited the Tuol Sleng Museum, a former high school turned prison during the Khmer Rouge regime in the late 1970s. Then we traveled to the Killing Fields outside of Phnom Penh where about 20,000 people were murdered in a gruesome way, many of whome were transfered from Tuol Sleng.

Visiting these places is thoroughly depressing, as you can imagine. The school/prison has furniture, blood splatters and torture gear on display in addition to many walls filled with photos of the people who were imprisoned there, tortured and ultimately murdered on the killing fields. The prisoners were accused of being intellectuals or against Pol Pot's regime.



The Killing Fields are another experience altogether. A monument contains the skulls of thousands of the victims in a tower of many levels, starting with the youngest and then up to adults. As you walk around the fields you see white bones peeking through the soil as well as teeth and victims' clothing. It is a very powerful and surreal experience.

I will soon add some photos.

Ice Cream Anyone?

Father and son ice cream sales team on the main square in Antigua, Guatemala.

Delicious fresh OJ for under $1

On the streets in Antigua, Guatemala, you will see many of these mobile fresh OJ carts that squeeze on the spot.

How many people can you pack in a pick-up truck?

Spotted on the streets in Antigua, Guatemala, this pick-up truck with so many kids that I lost count.

Iguazu

The scale of the Iguazu falls is unimaginable and can't be done justice on camera. What you see in this shot is just a part of the falls on what appears to be both sides of the river. The falls stretch over about 1.5km and there are almost 100 individual falls!

Iguazu

The Iguazu waterfalls in Argentina and Brazil are truly wonders of nature. This shot was taken from the Brazil side where you have a great panorama of the falls. If you go, see the Brazillian side first and then go to the Argentinian side where you will get up close and personal with the falls and see other magnificent views.

Eva Perron

Tourists line up to see the Duarte family grave in Buenos Aires. Among those in line my colleague Sal Viveros who had also picked the city for his holiday break. Eva Perron's body is the main draw here, she was placed in the grave after her body had first disappeared with the changing regimes in Argentina. When it was finally found, it was placed in her family's grave.

Boca & Coca

This is the stadium of Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's best known soccer teams. If you look closely at the photo (click on it for a larger version) you will notice that the Coca Cola logo is black and white instead of red and white. That's because those are the colors of one of Boca's rivals :)

Seen in Buenos Aires

Walking the streets of Buenos Aires I saw this billboard. This would probably never be allowed on the streets in the U.S., but it is something that you might see in Holland. The text reads: "For you, all are different? For cancer, they're all the same."

Sinterklaas

A week ago my niece Paula saw Sinterklaas in Tumbaco, Ecuador. Just yesterday I saw Sinterklaas in Palo Alto, Calif. That old man gets around! Oh, and one of Sint's helpers in Palo Alto was oddly familiar to me :)

Flu Shot, Ecuadorian Style

On the way to the neighborhood tennis court in Monteserrin, Quito, last week I saw a strange sceneon the side of the street. A young girl had her pants pulled down and was showing the world her bare buttocks. She was leaned over the knees of what looked to be a parent and somebody in a nurse's uniform was getting ready to give her a shot.

A minivan parked near the scene gave away what was happening. This was the public flu shot service. The van drives around neighborhoods and from a speaker on its roof the shot service is announced. If you want a shot, you apparently will get it right outside the car, on the sidewalk, in plain sight of whomever passes by.

So, just like in the U.S. the people of Ecuador have an option to get a flu shot. I heard it is free to most Ecuadorians, unlike for those in the U.S. who have to pay for it. At least they get some privacy for their dollars.

Adventure Spa

I just spent a couple of days at Luna Runtun, a wonderful retreat perched high above the town of Banos, Ecuador. Luna Runtun describes itself as an "Adventure Spa," which means they organize activities such as horse back riding, mountain biking, hikes and trekkings, but also have a nice spa with treatments.

The adventure for me was a hike down into the town of Banos on the small "senderos" (trails) that lead from the hotel past a couple of crosses into the town. We hiked back up past the statue of a "Virgen."

Luna Runtun is a very nice place and it has high standards for Ecuador, with nice staff and very comfortable and clean rooms, plus hot springs with an amazing view. It is very high end, and the prices are similar to what you would pay in a Western country for a four star place.

My recommendations to make the experience even better: add binoculars to the guest rooms (which all have amazing views over the valley or to an active volcano) and make sure that bugs don't get into the food served in the restaurant.

Mai Chau Valley II

It wasn't hard to shoot a postcard style image in Mai Chau. More pictures are in my private album for those of you with access.

Mai Chau Valley

The highlight of our trip to Vietnam. More pics coming later.

Halong Bay = Disneyland

The government of Vietnam has mounted a campaign to promote tourism to Halong Bay. The campaign includes omnipresent advertising at major tourist spots, heavy coverage of the campaign in local media and an effort to get the place elected to be one of the new seven wonders of the world. To help the election along, a government-owned Vietnamese agency has launched a national roadshow offering Vietnamese an e-mail address if they vote for Halong Bay. (We were told on our trip that this e-mail address often is used for a single purpose only: casting the vote.)

Halong Bay is a gorgeous place in the north east of Vietnam. Legend has it that the bay with rugged cliffs searing up from the ocean was created by a dragon defending the country of the Viets. It is a magnificent place to cruise through. However, the Vietnamese have worked hard to turn it into a badly run Disneyland.

Widespread promotion of Halong Bay as a tourist destination saw 130,500 foreigners make their way to the site in June alone, according to a recent Viet Nam News report. That's excluding the domestic visitors.

All the tourists start their trip at a badly run, overcrowded port in the town of Halong where they try to squeeze onto one of hundreds of boats, called junks. All these junks subsequently fire up diesel-belching engines and head to the same cave where the tourists are off-loaded. After a walk through the beautiful, but overcrowded cave the tourist hordes are directed to reboard the ships which motor on to a tiny, polluted beach. At the beach the crowds are once again brought ashore to bathe with all the other tourists. Also offered on the beach are para sailing trips, banana rides and jet ski rentals.

Those lucky tourists (on about 100 boats) who get to spend the night in the bay will be spending the night anchored within earshot of other junks. Many of the other junks will head back to port at the end of the day to drop off day visitors.

Mind you, we were there in the off-season, in July. During the winter (October-March) there are many more tourists on the boats and many more boats on the bay. As a result, I'd not recommend a cruise on Halong Bay to anyone who, like me, prefers a quaint cruise experience, solitude on the water, or some true relaxation away from the masses. (Which is what I was expecting from Halong Bay.)

My suggestion to the tour operators (including the friendly folks at Exotissimo who organized my trip), the Halong Bay management and the Vietnamese government is to take a close look at how Ecuador manages the boats in the Galapagos. There are major lessons that can be learned.

If there isn't any change, tourists may well stay away from Halong Bay and it won't be a natural wonder by any means. An alternative is to set the right expectations with the tourists, so they know that this won't be a relaxing cruise, taking them away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland.

Pagoda Money

We're having fun with our guides and especially like it if they show some insight into Vietnamese culture and thinking. "Pagoda Money" is an example.



Vietnam is packed with temples/pagodas. Locals go to these to worship, pray and make offerings, lots of them. The offerings include cash, to make luck happen (or even have a bad neighbor get sick, or worse.)



Vietnam is also a communist country with one party and party/government officials in all key positions. There's a lot of corruption, with bribes going to officials to avoid fines, get into a better school, buy a house and more.



These bribes are referred to as Pagoda Money :-)

Attacked by fruit

In two restaurants so far we've been attacked in Vietnam. These attacks weren't vicious or criminal, instead they were fruit dropping from a tree. In Saigon a small Jack Fruit fell down with a huge thud on the restaurant roof. In Hanoi several mangos shelled the restaurant, subsequently rolling from the roof onto the street. This is a nice way to be attacked :)

Uncle Ho

Tour guides in both Saigon and Hue have referred to Ho Chi Minh as "Uncle Ho." It is obvious that this figure in Vietnam's recent history is revered.



Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) is the founding father of modern day Vietnam. He was a nationalist, socialist and Marxist, according to the guidebooks.



Today I am off to Hanoi, where one of the sights will undoubtedly be Uncle Ho in his Mausoleum.



We're departing Hue, where the highlight for me was a trip on the Perfume river and the young monks at the Heavenly Lady temple. It was sad to see that Vietnam's "forbidden city" for kings inside the Hue Citadel was destroyed by war.

Good Afternoon Saigon!

As far as large Asian cities go Saigon is pretty tame these days. Granted, one has to be careful not to get hit by a scooter when crossing the streets, but it isn't nearly as overcrowded or smoggy as, say, Beijing or Bangkok.



Saigon is a friendly city with smiling people and surprisingly confortable coffee shops (not Starbucks, thank God, but Highlands coffee.) And while this is probably the most expensive place in Vietnam, everything is quite affordable--$6 for a large cocktail at the poshest bar atop the poshest hotel.



Right now I am enjoying an iced latte at Cafe Terrace in the Saigon Centre, a building that houses among others Deutsche Bank, Thomson Reuters and the US Department of Homeland Security.



Back to the roads. It seems the hierarchy in traffic here has pedestrians nearly at the bottom. Really it is the scooters that rank at the bottom. The scooters swerve around pedestrians, get squeezed by cars and trucks and pushed onto sidewalks by busses.



If you want an adventure, rent a scooter in Saigon. Make sure you have your will updated though.



Oh, finally, a shout out to Hung and Exotissimo for great guidind and organizing of our trip here!



(Pictures to follow later.)

Bergamo is top!

If you happen to be in northern Italy (say around Milano) you should make the time to also visit the lovely town of Bergamo.

While Milan is crowded with people on foot, bicycle, moped, in cars, buses and trucks, Bergamo is quiet and quaint. Bergamo is also ancient and very picturesque. You can stroll narrow cobblestone streets along buildings with thick brick walls and discover beautiful squares with historic churches and other buildings that it just gives you a sense of going back in time.

We were in Bergamo's upper city on a weekday and outside the summer vacation season and I think that's the best time to go, I predict that it gets pretty busy there with visitors in peak season. Still, the streets are narrow and many don't allow cars on peak visit days, so it should still be good.

Some pictures I took:

Snow!

This weekend I did my first skiing of the season! There is tons of snow in the California Sierras, much better than last year. The San Jose Mercury News reported on Friday that because of the snow level, Bay Area residents won't have to worry about water shortages this summer. That means everyone can water their lawns, wash their cars and flush their toilets, plus there won't be a need to share bath water. (Seriously, that's what they reported, though I doubt anyone shared bath water last summer.) Anyway, here are some snow shots.

Shuttle Nightmare Update

It took a while, and a threat to go to the media and consumer watch dogs, but South And East Bay Shuttle finally refunded me my $36 unused fare.

It was a bit funny. I sent a note threatening that I would take action and received a call a day later from the manager. She said that my refund had already been processed a week earlier and that she'd fax me the credit card credit slip to proof it. When I received the fax, the credit was processed that same day, not a week earlier.

I don't believe I would have received any refund without threatening to report the company to the Better Business Bureau, San Jose Mercury News Action Line and Consumerist.com. Also, the manager disputed my story and claimed there were several shuttles late that Sunday night that departed from SFO.

Well, I was the one out there for an hour and a half in the rain after midnight and I saw plenty of Super Shuttle vans, but only one South and East Bay van, nearly two hours after I first called them. And that van went to the East Bay, not the South Bay. I won't be taking a South and East Bay Shuttle anytime soon and recommend other travelers avoid the company as well.

Shuttle Nightmare

Beware of South and East Bay Shuttle in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sure, they're fine if you just hop on while you're at the airport, but whatever you do, never prepay a return trip.



Here's my nightmare, a note to their manager "Donia" trying to get a refund after not using a return. This was when I finally spoke to her in person early this week after calling at least three times and being promised calls back from the manager to handle the refund. When I spoke with her, she asked me to send a fax (talk about old fashioned.) Below is what I faxed and e-mailed:

"Hello Donia,

I'd like to request a refund of $36 to my credit card for an unused
prepaid return.

My reservation ID was "XXXX" and this was for a pick-up at SFO on
Sunday, Jan 6 for an arrival at 11.30 PM.

I was unable to use this return because there was essentially no
shuttle service at the time. I waited for an hour and a half in the
rain outside the international terminal in the middle of the night,
calling the dispatcher every 20 minutes because he promised a van
would be there in 20 minutes.

I let several Supershuttle vans to the South Bay drive by when finally
a South & East Bay Van did show up after 1.30 AM. However, the driver
was going to the East Bay (Emeryville) instead of the South Bay. He
said I could hop on, but it would be "a very long ride."

By now I desperately wanted to go home. I thanked the driver for
nothing and spent $140 on a cab, disillusioned with the service
offered by South & East Bay and with no other options available
(Supershuttle had stopped coming by then.) I learned that I should
never prebook and prepay a return in the future.

Now, I have called at least three times requesting a refund and have
been told each time that you would call me back to settle this. That
has never happened.

Since I spoke with you directly, I am now hopeful that you will be
able to rectify this and provide me a refund as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Joris Evers"

Well...There has been no refund and no call back from South and East Bay. If this takes much longer, I'll send a note to the San Jose Mercury News and ask their consumer advocate to get involved and give the shuttle guys some bad publicity. Maybe that'll do the trick. Geez.

Weeralarm

That's Dutch for "weather alarm" and its what's going out in California right now because the state is being hit by some major winter storms. That's good news for those who like to ski, since the mountains are getting a major dose of new snow. It is bad news for those who live in areas affected by wild fires, because torrential rain may cause mudslides.

It may be bad news for me since I am flying into SFO while the storms are on. There have been warnings of severe delays.

Motorists are consumed by a wave as they watch high surf near the Golden Gate Bridge
during a rain storm Monday, Jan. 4, 2007, at Fort Point in San Francisco.
(AP Photo/Ben Margot)

In Quito the weather has been fantastic the past few days with amazing views of the surrounding mountains. I've enjoyed playing tennis with my parents, playing in a park with my two year-old niece and shopping at the artisan market in the modern center of the city.

Last night, thanks to the recent availability of broadband Internet at home, I watched Dutch Comedian Youp van 't Hek with my mom and dad. We really enjoyed his latest show, available on Uitzendinggemist.nl for a limited time. (In Dutch tradition, TV stations air stand-up comedy shows on New Year's eve, they made those available online for us expats, thanks!)

Youp also talked about weather alarms. Apparently the Dutch weather agency has been issuing too many of those. A bit of rain now triggers an alert, Youp complained. My parents said its true!

(For those of you tracking the troubles in my gut, they've gone! :-))

Ano Nuevo

Un Feliz Ano Nuevo a Todos!

We burned the traditional Ano Viejo dolls at midnight in Tumbabiro, Ecuador, at the beautiful Hosteria Pantavi. The dolls represent a person disliked in the past year. The choice wasn't ours, but on the fire were Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and a person we couldn't recognize. (I am not a Chavez champion, I do agree with a lot of what he has done and disagree with many things as well. If you want to hear more, you'll have to buy me a beer.)

Masks for the Ano Viejo dolls on sale in Ottavalo.

Anyway, the ceremonial burning took place after our hosts at the hosteria--the very friendly Dutch owner Marjolein and her extremely courteous staff--treated us to a dance performance by an Afro-Ecuadorian group from Mascarilla, a nearby town where you can also buy some great works of art. (Soon to be on display in my home.)

I didn't participate in all of the New Year's celebrations due to the continuing problems after eating something bad on Friday, but was up at midnight to watch the fire and subsequent fireworks and wish everyone a happy New Year.

The New Year's trip was in succession to the tour of the Valley of Longevity. We stayed away for three nights, one in Otavalo at the Casa Sol (great rooms and architecture, but lousy food and so-so service) and two at the previously mentioned Pantavi. In Otavalo, known for ponchos, its animal market and its artisan fair, we also visited the Condor Park, a refuge for birds found wounded or otherwise in need of help before being let back into the wild.

Otavalo's market

At Pantavi I mostly rested and read Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" while the rest of the group went for a hike in the blazing sun, shopped and swam in the pool.

All in all, a good start to 2008, especially now that my intestine starts to calm down as well.

Valley of Longevity

Legend has it that the people of Vilcabamba, Ecuador are among the oldest in the world. Locals assert that it is not uncommon to see a person reach 100 years of age and it is claimed that many have gotten to 120, even up to 135. The town is located in a lush, green valley, often called the Valley of Longevity.

Vilcabamba is frequented by backpackers. It is a bit out of the way for tourists who only have a few weeks to see Ecuador. One can wonder whether the backpackers who do come, come for the beauty of the valley or for certain plants that grow here, the consumption or smoking of which can take you to an entirely different world. (I spotted several smokers at our hostel.)

We spent Christmas at the Hosteria Izhcayluma which sits perched on a hillside outside the town. The location is great, with fantastic views. The terrain is very nice, with beautiful gardens and the rooms are comfortable, though basic. The food is good to.

The only downside I could find is that there isn't much Ecuadorian about Izhcayluma. The management is German and some of the staff is European too. The week we were there many tourists also were German, Swiss or American. Personally, I like to get away from the tourist crowd, this hotel ended up being the crowded tourist spot, especially the bar at night.

All in all, Vilcabamba and the gateway city of Loja are worth a week of your precious vacation time, especially if you like to hike and roam the streets of an old Ecuadorian city.

I was looking for longevity, but came home with the runs :-(

Zipadidoo Thanksgiving

Pretty much everyone in the U.S. returning to work after the weekend this week was asked questions like: "Did you eat too much turkey?" or "Tired of turkey?" That's because last week was Thanksgiving and that means Americans get together with family and friends and eat, you guessed it, turkey.

(Two lucky birds don't get eaten though, the one pardoned by President Bush and the back-up "pardon turkey," I guess in case something were to inadvertently happen to the first one. Coincidentally, they named these turkeys "May" and "Flower" this year, a cute reference to the ship that brought pilgrims to this country.)

White House photo by Chris Greenberg

But I digress. The point is that I didn't have any turkey this Thanksgiving. Instead, I traveled to Nicaragua for a short exploration of a country I had hardly even heard about, except of course the bad stories about contras about a decade ago. There is none of that now. You might encounter the odd corrupt cop (who charged us $20 for allegedly turning without a turn signal), but otherwise the country is very safe and extremely well organized for tourism. (But you'll find that there aren't many tourists there, making it even better if you do go.)

San Juan Del Sur by night

In Nicaragua I met up with my dad who had flown in from Ecuador. We spent a night in San Juan Del Sur, a beach town that's big among surfers, and two nights in Granada, a gorgeous colonial town with great al fresco dining and architecture.

Granada

Our trip was packed with activities, including hikes along the edges of two active volcanoes (Mombacho and Massaya) as well as a cruise among Granada's islets in Lake Nicaragua, which coincidentally are the "babies" of the Mombacho because they were created by an eruption.

Parking on the edge of Volcan Massaya. Back-in, so you can get away quickly.

A highlight was a zipline tour along the tops of the trees in the dense forest on the slopes of Volcan Mombacho. Dad was a bit scared, but he survived and enjoyed himself. You can see (and hear) him coming down the last bit in this video :)

More photos and videos can be seen in my private album as well as on Ben's Latino Benno blog.

Road Trip in Arizona

I was very fortunate last weekend to be able to make a road trip through Arizona and a tiny corner of Utah. After spending Wednesday-Friday going back to school in Phoenix, I took the weekend to take pictures at the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. I did this using my latest toy, a Canons EOS 40D digital SLR camera. I had been looking to join the DSLR crowd for some time and finally took the leap. These are my first pictures.

Sedona, AZ, a town filled with art boutiques, but also Rollies Cameras, where I bought the 40D.

Sunrise over the Grand Canyon.

Crossing into Utah right before Monument Valley.

Straight from a Western.

Dolphins

You won't often find me being lazy on a beach. This year, I only did it once. Two afternoons some weekends ago I sat on Manresa State Beach near Santa Cruz, CA. It was part of a short camping trip with two Dutchy friends. One brought his surf board, the other brought super strong sunscreen (turning him into a zombie) and work. I brought Harry Potter and finished it.


It was relaxing to just sit and read, getting up every now and then to throw a frisbee or cool off in the ocean. But what really made going to the beach worthwhile was seeing dozens of sea lions and dolphins, right where the waves broke. So close by, almost close enough to swim with them. The surfers with their wet suits were actually right in between the dolphins.

One could briefly mistake the fin on their backs for a more ominous creature, but this definitely weren't sharks. Sorry, no good pictures of the dolphins. They were too small and too far away to spot with my little camera.

Boerejongens with a kroket

If you're Dutch you know what that headline means. It is food related and not a particularly good combination. Still, I had a pancake with "boerejongens" (raisins that have been sitting in a liquor for a long time) followed shortly by "twee kroketten met brood" (two meat-filled, cylinder-shaped, deep-fried mini-logs on bread.) It was great, especially since I had it on a patio at a restaurant in Holland accompanied by my closest family and with a cup of great Dutch coffee (though I wish they did free refills in Holland.)

You've guessed right, I have been neglecting my blog because I have been working on my waistline in another part of the world. Seriously, it is impossible to go home and not gain weight. All my friends thought I'd go fat in the U.S., the opposite is happening. My lifestyle here is pretty healthy, but when I spend time back in the Netherlands I end up eating appelgebak (apple pie), saucijzenbroodjes (bun with sausage), amandelbroodjes (almond filled pastries), patat met (fries with mayo) and much more almost on a daily basis. Being in Holland is almost like being in a candy store. (And I didn't even mention the beer!)


At least it gets compensated somewhat. In the 10 days that I was there I played tennis twice, went on a three-hour bicycle ride and a hike in the woods. Also, we strolled a lot through the lovely downtown areas of towns such as Kampen, Middelburg, Goes and, of course, Haarlem.

Now that I am back, I will also be able to enjoy riding a Dutch bike. It took a bit of effort, but I now have a Sparta bicycle in the U.S. With help from my dad, friends Michael and Anne Marie, Continental Airlines and a friendly cab driver here in San Francisco I was able to bring my Sparta home. I unpacked it tonight and rode it around Burlingame. It rides really well and made the trip unscathed!

There's too much to tell from my trip. Suffice it to say that it was fun to see the family and I was happy to be able to spend a day with my longtime friend Merel as well. Apologies to all my other friends, who I was unable to see. Most of the time was spent with family in Overijssel at Landal Greenparks de "Witte Bergen," that's why you didn't see me. I'll do better next time.

Sanctuaire

My friends Declan & Milana rented a fairytale type house on 29 acres of land in the middle of nowhere and invited me to enjoy it with them. I jumped at the opportunity. I am not one to skip on a weekend away. So, I am typing this using a satellite Internet connection, because this house is very well equipped, albeit far away from civilization.

To make the trip up a little more fun, I rented a red Mazda Miata convertible. (Great deal from Hertz, so I am not squandering money.) In the little red car I raced up 101 and through Sebastopol, past Guerneville (of Russian River fame) and to Cazadero. Then it is another 3.6 miles on a narrow, winding road, to get to this retreat.

Today (Sunday) is a relax day and we're staying close to home. The sun is out in force and the temperature is climbing. Soon it will be too hot to sit out here on the deck. The property has a hot tub (I am not going to be using that) and a creek down a hill (which has nice cold water, so maybe wading there is an option later today.)

On Saturday (yesterday) we headed to the beach at Jenner, a cute town on the Sonoma Coast on gorgeous Highway 1. While it was hot slightly inland, the coast was a frigid 60 degrees and windy. We chased some waves on Goat Rock Beach and had a mini picnic in the dunes, out of the wind, with banana bread and beer from Whole Foods.

At night I grilled some salmon, asparagus and baked some potatoes for dinner. Everyone also enjoyed the Thomas Fogarty Merlot, which I bought at the winery in the Sante Cruz mountains a couple of weeks back. All in all, another perfect weekend in California. Now I just need to do some work, instead of blog.

New England

Before starting my new adventure in public relations at McAfee I hopped to the East Coast to meet my parents and my brother, wife and little girl. We traveled from Boston to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and down to Pennsylvania. A fun week, especially to see how my niece Paula is getting a real personality and understands both Spanish and Dutch. Here are some impressions from our trip through New England:

Gotta have lobster, but mom thinks it is kind of scary.

Fun on the beach at Provincetown with Paulita.

Gotta love the blossom.

And Paula loves Luke and Emily (Lynn's new twins.)

My cousin & El Presidente

It took me a while to get my hands on this photo, which was taken on Dec. 31, 2006 at a New Year's party in Quito.


You see my cousin Jaap and his friend Ewoud embracing Rafael Correa, Ecuador's then president-elect. Since then, Correa has taken office and has the country by storm. He has made true on all of his promises to the public. (At least that's what my dad tells me, and he's a big fan.) Most recently the public overwhelmingly backed Correa in a referendum for a special assembly to rewrite the country's constitution.

Whistler

Turned out that last weekend was the last weekend of skiing on Whistler mountain. It doesn't make much sense to me, since there were still epic conditions up on top. True, there is no snow left down in the village and skiing down to lower elevations equates almost to water skiing, but up higher it is great. Two days of skiing were wonderful and exceptionally quiet with barely any lift lines and no crowds on the slopes. I highly recommend Whistler and Blackcomb (which will be open for a bit longer) for spring skiing.

Off to Vancouver!

The ski season has been cut somewhat short and has been snow-deprived in the California Sierra Nevada. However, I am heading up north to Vancouver for the CanSecWest security confab and am staying through the weekend to enjoy the spring skiing up at Whistler/Blackcomb. This will be my first time up in the Canadian snow. People have told me lots of great things about the resort though. Stay tuned for some more snow pictures, then its on to camping and mountains in the sun. (Image source: Ski Canada.)

Gorgeous day at Squaw

It pays to bring a photographer along on ski trips. I still don't know how Declan was able to ski with a heavy backpack with thousands of dollars worth of gear, but it got me some nice shots of myself. Makes my parents and grandmas happy as well. Thanks D! (For the in crowd, more pictures of this trip are in my private album.)

Goteborg for beer lovers

Alcohol is pricey in Sweden, but beer lovers can get quality stuff. At least that's the claim to fame of this shuttered beer joint. I still prefer Proeflokaal De Uijver in Haarlem, Netherlands :-)

Kaneelbol

An original Swedish Cinnamon Roll, but one of the giant kind. This one I ate in Goteborg, the Haga area to be precise. It was very filling, but good.

A sale in Sweden

Hold your horses, this is not an obsenity. Well, at least in Sweden it is not. This sign means that the sale (Rea) is about to end (Slut).

Don't swim here!

Also at Donner lake stands this sign with some good advise.

Donner Lake

Right outside our cabin in Truckee lies Donner Lake and it was partially frozen over this past weekend, thanks to weeks of frigid weather. (It was 17 below zero centigrade at night.) We even walked on part of the lake. And, yes, this is where Donner Pass is and where the Donner group of settlers had their horrible winter experience when moving west a long time ago.

Truckee Diner

We enjoyed an original American breakfast at the Truckee Diner on Sunday morning before heading to Reno for some time in the casinos. The food was abundant, but the quality so-so. However, the price was reasonable. So, if you want an all-American diner experience, don't want to wait long for your food and don't care about the tast so much, I recommend the Truckee Diner.

Sunset from Squaw's High Camp

Gorgeous skies while we were going down the mountain in the high camp cable car at Squaw Valley ski resort on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007.

USPS truck with chains

We wished the postal trucks really needed those tire chains because the Tahoe area can use some more of the white stuff this winter. However, skiing wasn't bad this year, it was worse in December, when only one run was open. Resorts are likely shutting their doors early though this season, sad enough.

On the slopes again.

Not the most charming shot, but what do you want when taking a photo of yourself. This is on the slopes at Squaw Valley ski resort Saturday, Jan. 13, where I enjoyed a mini vacation with friends Denis (pictured) and Christel and Cindy.

Happy New Year with Ecuador's new president!

As in previous years, I spent the holidays in Ecuador with my brother and his family. This year the New Year's celebration was something special. We celebrated on the street with the neighbors, including Ecuador's president-elect Rafael Correa.

The tradition in Ecuador is to burn an "Ano Viejo" (Old Year), a doll with mask to represent something that was bad in the year past. Mr. Correa said he'd burn himself, perhaps to beat others to the punch. He's also a fan of fireworks. So, when the clock neared midnight, the president-elect and his family were out on the street. So were we.

Mr. Correa is a very charming, charismatic man, very chatty and always smiling, at least that's what he was like on New Year's eve. He's very open and will come up to you and ask questions, for example how much the bundle of fireworks that we were shooting after midnight cost. But he's also happy to answer questions about the challenges he faces. Ecuador has had several presidents in the past decade that were ousted before finishing their term.

Our family chatted with his and we presented him with a bottle of champagne. After midnight, we shared several glasses of Champagne, lit fireworks together and some of us walked away with a Cohiba cigar from a box that Mr. Correa had been given by Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba.



(In the picture, Mr. Correa is the man in the blue sweatshirt, third person from the left. My brother has his arm around him, I am standing in the back. The rest of the group are neighbors and family.)

Gingerbread Village

They spent a lot of time making this nice gingerbread village. Go see it, if you're near Squaw Valley, its at the Squaw Creek Resort.

Costa Maya Beach Cabanas

Right across a sandy road from Frenchies is Costa Maya Beach Cabanas and Tsunami Adventures, ideal location, good rates and friendly and helpful service. Adela and Heather made us feel welcome and helped out when we needed travel help, thanks!

Caye Caulker, Belize

All the comforts of home, but a very relaxed Caribean ambience. The motto: Go Slow! No cars, only golf carts, and little in the form of crowds. For those who are party animals: go to Ambergris Caye.

Sunrise at Tikal

After Belize we traveled to Guatemala to see the Mayan Ruins at Tikal National Park. We joined a sunrise tour at 0445 am to see the sun come up over these magnificent temples. A great park, though realize that many of the ruins remain covered under soil.

Badwater Basin sunset

The sun setting behind the mountains casts a nice light on the salt crystals.

Dunes at Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley

Perhaps more spectacular even are the dunes at Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley at sun rise. Definitely worth getting up early for.

Flying to wineries

Today I did one of the most decadent things I have ever done: a friend and I flew in a private, small plane, from San Carlos, CA, to San Luis Obispo, CA. We rented a car there and did a winery tour, complete with picnic, tastings and bottle buying, and returned in the afternoon. FUN!



We bought lunch at this funky deli on High Street in San Luis Obispo came recommended by Adam at the Enterprise Rent a Car counter. Indeed, the sandwiches were great. Thanks Adam!


Talley Vineyards has to be one of the most beautiful wineries I have been to. You can actually see them make the wine right there, it isn't just a store front. Also, the people are nice and they have a really nice Syrah at a good price: Bishop's Peak 2004 Edna Valley Syrah. Try it!


The men at Wolff have a really nice, relaxed way of tasting: you sit on their patio and they serve you with a short story about each wine. We liked their tasting style, but weren't so enthusiastic about the taste of their wine, sadly. A little too sour or acidy for our taste butts.


On our way back we flew over Palo Alto, CA, with Stanford University.

A hike at Yosemite NP

Yosemite is definitely one of my favorite National Parks. Its worth at least an annual visit, since its only three to four hours from the Bay Area. This September I took several friends to North Dome, where we camped and had a great view of that other big Yosemite dome: Half Dome.


Campsite with a view:

A gorgeous Sunday morning at Yosemite N.P., we were at the top of Yosemite Falls looking at Half Dome across the valley. Really a nice hike!

Typical Dutch

What's Dutch about this scene? Well, Chocomel and Heineken of course. We're sitting at a table in the Apenheul, a theme park/zoo near Apeldoorn, Netherlands. The visit with my lovely niece Paula was part of her first trip to Holland and a fun family gathering.

Nederlandse Spoorwegen

Dutch train beats CalTrain any day!

Beijing

Every year I try to escape the U.S. for the 4th of July holiday. This year, the destination was Beijing. A good opportunity to see my friend Sumner and meet a friend's friend, Maya. A great experience, here's a taste:


In an effort to make the city more tourist friendly (and friendlier on the nose in general) Beijing has now got a star-rating system for some public bathrooms. This one is inside the forbidden city.


With sizzling heat and high humidity a frapucino was welcome. Starbucks is everywhere in Beijing, though mostly inside large malls. This one is in the pretty Hohai neighborhood, just north of the Forbidden City (which has its own, albeit small, Starbucks!)

The secret to great writing? But it is dried up!? I did drink a lot of bottled water in Beijing though. Maybe that will help. This well, by the way, is on the grounds of the imperial college/Confucius temple in Beijing.


This restaurant isn't very certain that their food is the best, and their star endorser is made out of card board.

Overstroming

This picture taken by Dutch news agency ANP at a camp site in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Nice contrast with our camping at Lake Tahoe this past weekend :-)

4th of July in Mexico...

This is the snack the Four Seasons brought me on July 4th in Mexico City.

Great camping with an urban view

If you book about six months before you want to go you can get a great camp site on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay. There are three sites with fantastic views of the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. You will have to hike in from the ferry, but it is a very easy hike and you can even carry a cooler for a gourmet BBQ. Highly recommended!

Fungus shows the way

In Holland you will see many of these "paddestoelen" to show you the way when you're hiking or biking. All of them are also indicated on most cycling and hiking maps, so if you see one you instantly know where you are on your map.

Bike signage in Holland

As a bicyclist you don't have to get lost in Holland. These special signs are just for you. Last weekend I spent in Holland with family on the Wadden island of Texel. This bicycle sign is near the ferry to Texel.