So there's a tsunami warning for PNG due to the quake in Chile. So I'm on my balcony trying to catch a tan and blogging, GT's. We can't go to site because it's right at sea level... no evidence of the tsunami here yet though, but apparently it has hit Hawaii already.
Anyways, back to the rays.
And before I forget, here's a link to all my Buenos Aires Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=377929&id=666980653&l=3c76960449 .
And our day at the Guacho ranch... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=380335&id=666980653&l=0284dfeab4
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
BA
All good things come to an end... Unfortunately! Buenos Aires was awesome. The week here has been a ton of fun, exploring the city and taking in the sites with Ed and Kate. The GT's included a futbol game, a day at a working ranch, tango show, walking tours, shopping, wicked restaurants, and a few late night surprises at some very cool venues.
Argentina and BA have been another great experience with BA rocketing to the top of my favourite city list (narrowly ahead of Berlin). The casualness, awesome burrios, history, and attitude of the locals has made another big impression and resulted on a fantastic holiday experience. While there are definitely some elements of a 2nd world or undeveloped nation these only add to the charm of this impressive country. I'd like to return to explore the country to the south, which includes many elements familiar to Canada such as mountains, glaciers, skiing, and wildlife. All I good time though!!
I'm in the airport now getting ready for the trip back to png and work. Hope everyone is well!
-- Post From My iPhone
Argentina and BA have been another great experience with BA rocketing to the top of my favourite city list (narrowly ahead of Berlin). The casualness, awesome burrios, history, and attitude of the locals has made another big impression and resulted on a fantastic holiday experience. While there are definitely some elements of a 2nd world or undeveloped nation these only add to the charm of this impressive country. I'd like to return to explore the country to the south, which includes many elements familiar to Canada such as mountains, glaciers, skiing, and wildlife. All I good time though!!
I'm in the airport now getting ready for the trip back to png and work. Hope everyone is well!
-- Post From My iPhone
Friday, February 05, 2010
Smoke in your face
This was in my drafts from argentina, guess it didnt upload ...
Had to laugh. Apparently buenos aires is full of various wandering street vendors selling anything from jewelery, socks, to CDs... I was sitting enjoying a caprese salad and a one litre beer (cheers Nabber) when one of them lit a fresh smoke, took a big inhale, then made his sales pitch to a table of girls. The ensuing exhale and cloud of smoke in their faces was comical. They didn't buy anything.
-- Post From My iPhone
Had to laugh. Apparently buenos aires is full of various wandering street vendors selling anything from jewelery, socks, to CDs... I was sitting enjoying a caprese salad and a one litre beer (cheers Nabber) when one of them lit a fresh smoke, took a big inhale, then made his sales pitch to a table of girls. The ensuing exhale and cloud of smoke in their faces was comical. They didn't buy anything.
-- Post From My iPhone
Before I forget
A few notes from Mexico.
- in Mexican airport bars you can your drink in a to-go cup and take it directly to the gate!! I wonder if you could get it all the way onto the plane.
- Spanish screaming kids on planes are still annoying. But I understand.
- tableside coat racks in restaurants, why not, it's so simple and usefull. Take note restauranteers.
-- Post From My iPhone
- in Mexican airport bars you can your drink in a to-go cup and take it directly to the gate!! I wonder if you could get it all the way onto the plane.
- Spanish screaming kids on planes are still annoying. But I understand.
- tableside coat racks in restaurants, why not, it's so simple and usefull. Take note restauranteers.
-- Post From My iPhone
Arrived in EZE
Checked into a little B&B close to the apartment that Kate, Ed, and myself will be staying in once they arrive tomorrow. It's nice, fully old school and funky, and the bed very comfortable even if it's a full 30cm (1 foot) short.
It's 3pm here, taking a quick nap due to not much sleep in roach class on the way here.
The ride here was alright too, except I think I was taken for a ride by the taxi, but that could also be my skeptical self. The roads and all the buildings on/close to the freeway reminded me Cairo actually... Only more toll booths.
-- Post From My iPhone
It's 3pm here, taking a quick nap due to not much sleep in roach class on the way here.
The ride here was alright too, except I think I was taken for a ride by the taxi, but that could also be my skeptical self. The roads and all the buildings on/close to the freeway reminded me Cairo actually... Only more toll booths.
-- Post From My iPhone
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Rain delay
Nothing interesting to blog about today because it's raining... no one on the beach, no one on the course, and people are staying in their rooms (including me!). Oh well, a quiet day with a book and a laptop, can't complain! Tomorrow should be better... final round of golf and then off to Argentina.
Monday, February 01, 2010
POM to BNE to LAX to PVR
No regrets, first post in awhile. I've been relying on Facebook to update the masses but have realized lately that not everyone is on FB (gasp!), and this forum allows for a bit more detail.
So in case you didn't know I'm out for my second rotation from Papua New Guinea. The first half I've met friends John and Vanessa from Canada in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I've been here in PV for 7 nights so far... I stayed the first 6 at the Buenaventura Grand Hotel and Spa in downtown PV with those two... and yesterday I said goodbye to John and Vanessa as they had used up their week off from work. I had a great time with the two of them lounging by the pool and hanging out in downtown PV... We did a zip line thing which was a great time. I've never done that before, and when they go with you down the line and flip you upside down, essentially sending you headfirst over a giant crevasse with no hands it's unnerving at first. But eventually you want to do it more, a good rush! Other highlights of the time spent with J&V was partying on the malecon, relaxing by the pool, golfing, nice dinners, and many (too) tequila shots! I was eventually tequila'd out mid-week but fought through it for one more crazy night on their last night. Neither of them were too thrilled about being severely hungover for their plane ride home, mission accomplished!! ;)
Yesterday I moved over to Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta, a little further north than PV proper. The reason for this was now that I'm by myself my plan is to hit the golf course with vengeance, and one of the better courses (El Tigre) is located near this resort. My strategy today was to suffer through a timeshare presentation in order to get cheaper golf.
Timeshare sales people are not happy when you say no... bottom line I said I didn't come here thinking about a timeshare, I'm not an impulse buyer (I lied about that, I am!), and if it's such a good product you'll sell it to me later. It always sounds good though... They eventually talked themselves down to a $3500 sort of vacation club deal that was for 200 years, 6 weeks a year, pay as you go, no annual fee, 6 more less flexible weeks for friends/family, no blackouts, book online, etc etc sort of thing. Which still sounds like a decent deal. I mean, if I go somewhere and book a place it does cost way more ($150/night * 7nights = $1050), whereas this deal it'd be under $200-500 for a week depending how pick I was with times/places. Given that I do travel quite a bit it could be paid off pretty quickly... But basically it boils down to being a sort of discount online/self-service thing that costs $3500 to sign up for! So I'm not sold on it yet...
But I do get to play El Tigre three times for $108 instead of $150x3=$450, so no worries!
Here is a link to photos... They're all from my iPhone and taken with a blood alcohol measure of between 0.04 to 0.23 and therefore relatively crappy.
Tomorrow my plan is get up, jog on the beach, shower, breakfast, golf at 10:30am, then maybe the spa or a real workout... Then on Tuesday I have golf at 9am, so will have to work something else out for some more activity afterward. Wednesday I think I'll play one of the courses up in the mountains (since I have to check out anyways), then I'm on the plane at 6:30pm for the overnight trip to Buenos Aires, which is where I'm meeting Ed and Kate (friends from Brisbane) for the second half my break. Ed and Kate were in Peru for all the rain and mudslides that have been in the news, so I'm hoping everything is alright with them. They were planning a few multi-day treks through the jungle so it's not totally unusual that I haven't heard from them.
mmmm... blogging. I'll try and get back into it a little more consistently and hopefully more interesting too.
So in case you didn't know I'm out for my second rotation from Papua New Guinea. The first half I've met friends John and Vanessa from Canada in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I've been here in PV for 7 nights so far... I stayed the first 6 at the Buenaventura Grand Hotel and Spa in downtown PV with those two... and yesterday I said goodbye to John and Vanessa as they had used up their week off from work. I had a great time with the two of them lounging by the pool and hanging out in downtown PV... We did a zip line thing which was a great time. I've never done that before, and when they go with you down the line and flip you upside down, essentially sending you headfirst over a giant crevasse with no hands it's unnerving at first. But eventually you want to do it more, a good rush! Other highlights of the time spent with J&V was partying on the malecon, relaxing by the pool, golfing, nice dinners, and many (too) tequila shots! I was eventually tequila'd out mid-week but fought through it for one more crazy night on their last night. Neither of them were too thrilled about being severely hungover for their plane ride home, mission accomplished!! ;)
Yesterday I moved over to Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta, a little further north than PV proper. The reason for this was now that I'm by myself my plan is to hit the golf course with vengeance, and one of the better courses (El Tigre) is located near this resort. My strategy today was to suffer through a timeshare presentation in order to get cheaper golf.
Timeshare sales people are not happy when you say no... bottom line I said I didn't come here thinking about a timeshare, I'm not an impulse buyer (I lied about that, I am!), and if it's such a good product you'll sell it to me later. It always sounds good though... They eventually talked themselves down to a $3500 sort of vacation club deal that was for 200 years, 6 weeks a year, pay as you go, no annual fee, 6 more less flexible weeks for friends/family, no blackouts, book online, etc etc sort of thing. Which still sounds like a decent deal. I mean, if I go somewhere and book a place it does cost way more ($150/night * 7nights = $1050), whereas this deal it'd be under $200-500 for a week depending how pick I was with times/places. Given that I do travel quite a bit it could be paid off pretty quickly... But basically it boils down to being a sort of discount online/self-service thing that costs $3500 to sign up for! So I'm not sold on it yet...
But I do get to play El Tigre three times for $108 instead of $150x3=$450, so no worries!
Here is a link to photos... They're all from my iPhone and taken with a blood alcohol measure of between 0.04 to 0.23 and therefore relatively crappy.
Tomorrow my plan is get up, jog on the beach, shower, breakfast, golf at 10:30am, then maybe the spa or a real workout... Then on Tuesday I have golf at 9am, so will have to work something else out for some more activity afterward. Wednesday I think I'll play one of the courses up in the mountains (since I have to check out anyways), then I'm on the plane at 6:30pm for the overnight trip to Buenos Aires, which is where I'm meeting Ed and Kate (friends from Brisbane) for the second half my break. Ed and Kate were in Peru for all the rain and mudslides that have been in the news, so I'm hoping everything is alright with them. They were planning a few multi-day treks through the jungle so it's not totally unusual that I haven't heard from them.
mmmm... blogging. I'll try and get back into it a little more consistently and hopefully more interesting too.