Well it's certainly a bit tardy but here is the last bit of my Costa Rica journal. I just haven't had time to write up the other detailed entries and to be completely honest i've been dreading typing those up. So they'll just stay written in pen and referenced at some later time when i plop down on the sofa and reflect on my brilliant trip to Costa Rica in Winter 07-08. Maybe one of you will be there with me to read my words.
Reflections on the trip to Costa Rica
It's quite sad to be leaving my family and heading back to NY but i've also had a wonderful, fantastic time in Costa Rica and it's about time to go home. The conclusion to our trip is bittersweet but the memories will be cherished.
This was really perfect timing for a holiday. It gave me plenty of time away from work and NY and lots of time with my family. It also gave me time to relax and think about all the decisions i needed to make, clear my mind and think of all the important things going on. If i didn't have this time to think freely and reflect on everything, it would've been a lot more stressful on me.
Some highlights of the trip
-waterfall hike and the lookout point in Monteverde
-Ziplining through the tree tops in the cloud forest
-Feeding bananas to the monkey's outside our room in Monteverde
-Our hike to Rafas's finca in the mud with amazing vistas along the way
-Watching lava roll down the side of the volcano at night
-Eco Thermales hot springs - aaaahhhhhhhhhh
-Our house in Samara and it's ocean view
-3 days at Playa Carrillo enjoying paradise on the beach and making rum smoothies with Ahna :-)
Feel free to add your own memories as a comment and I'll add them in to this entry afterwards.
Showing newest posts with label holiday. Show older posts
Showing newest posts with label holiday. Show older posts
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Adventure in the Rain
We're back after a long walk out in the rain. I have a kitty laying on my chest and batting at my pen while i write. I think she likes the shadows that my pen makes against the backlight. Owwww! she just clawed my finger and caught on to my skin. Blimey, that hurts!
So on to the evening. We decided to take a walk in the rain down to Santa Elena tonight. we walked on the very edge of the road as cars passed us by. The rain was off and on and more like a thick, constant mist. Muddy puddles were forming on the dirt roads to the side.
We had a few incidents with the cajero (ATM or Cash Point) mostly due to our complete stupidity. we tried our luck at the first ATM but our transactions kept on getting canceled and we couldn't figure out why!
We kept on walking down the steep rainy roads and found another ATM alongside the road. This time we were able to withdraw 25,000 colones which we somehow thought was $300 at the time.
We kept on going and finally arrived in Santa Elena, a small little town with lots of touristy shops and cafes. We walked around a bit and decided to pick up from fruit and other bits and bobs at the Mercado. We walked in and found mangos and bananasin the back. We had finished off my dark chocolate toblerone bar a bit earlier so I was on the hunt for some tasty chocolate. I searched the aisles and found bags and bags of dark chocolate covered sweets: banana bits, passion fruit, guava, coffee beans and more! Bingo!! We made our way to the front and checked out but something was off. We spent 10,000 colones at the market which to us at the time was over $100. No way! Something was wrong. Either they severely overcharged us and took advantage of the turistas or our math was wrong. It turned out to be the latter.
We stood outside scratching our heads and tried to settle this difficult money matter which turned out to just be a matter of multiplication, whoops! It turns out all along $1 = 495 colones so 10,000 would be just about $20. MUCH better! Wow, we were WAY off thinking it was $100! After correcting our currency calculation issue, we figure out 150,000 colones would hold us for awhile.
We stopped at the Jimenez Bakery on our way out of town and purchased a guava stroodle, pineapple stroodle and cinnamon twist as well as two cups of hot chocolate that were hardly chocolately at all! All of the chocolate was resting on the bottom so we were basically sipping warm waters with a hint of chocolate flavouring.
The rain really started to come down after that and right as we were heading back up the steep hills to Montverde too, in the dark mind you! We stopped off at the ATM to withdraw that sum of cash we came up with earlier and settled on climbing back up the rest of the way. We didn’t really have much of a choice, did we?
On the way back, we stopped at a small cafe and ordered two platos tipicos which were essentially casado (which is what we had for lunch) but just a tad different. It was white rice, black beans, salad, chicken with seasoning.
While waiting for our food, two small dogs came into the open outside area to investigate the gringos. My parents had doggy treats in their pockets from when they walk Callie in the morning so the dogs were quite attached by the end of the second treat. Friends for life now! One of the even hopped up on my mom’s lap and stared out at all of us. We just shook our heads at it’s pathetic little sad face. Very cute!
After our meal, the perritos (little dogs) followed us back to our lodge and are currently waiting outside our door. Our new feline companion is curled up on my lap and we just feel such an amazing animal presence right now! :-)
So on to the evening. We decided to take a walk in the rain down to Santa Elena tonight. we walked on the very edge of the road as cars passed us by. The rain was off and on and more like a thick, constant mist. Muddy puddles were forming on the dirt roads to the side.
We had a few incidents with the cajero (ATM or Cash Point) mostly due to our complete stupidity. we tried our luck at the first ATM but our transactions kept on getting canceled and we couldn't figure out why!
We kept on walking down the steep rainy roads and found another ATM alongside the road. This time we were able to withdraw 25,000 colones which we somehow thought was $300 at the time.
We kept on going and finally arrived in Santa Elena, a small little town with lots of touristy shops and cafes. We walked around a bit and decided to pick up from fruit and other bits and bobs at the Mercado. We walked in and found mangos and bananasin the back. We had finished off my dark chocolate toblerone bar a bit earlier so I was on the hunt for some tasty chocolate. I searched the aisles and found bags and bags of dark chocolate covered sweets: banana bits, passion fruit, guava, coffee beans and more! Bingo!! We made our way to the front and checked out but something was off. We spent 10,000 colones at the market which to us at the time was over $100. No way! Something was wrong. Either they severely overcharged us and took advantage of the turistas or our math was wrong. It turned out to be the latter.
We stood outside scratching our heads and tried to settle this difficult money matter which turned out to just be a matter of multiplication, whoops! It turns out all along $1 = 495 colones so 10,000 would be just about $20. MUCH better! Wow, we were WAY off thinking it was $100! After correcting our currency calculation issue, we figure out 150,000 colones would hold us for awhile.
We stopped at the Jimenez Bakery on our way out of town and purchased a guava stroodle, pineapple stroodle and cinnamon twist as well as two cups of hot chocolate that were hardly chocolately at all! All of the chocolate was resting on the bottom so we were basically sipping warm waters with a hint of chocolate flavouring.
The rain really started to come down after that and right as we were heading back up the steep hills to Montverde too, in the dark mind you! We stopped off at the ATM to withdraw that sum of cash we came up with earlier and settled on climbing back up the rest of the way. We didn’t really have much of a choice, did we?
On the way back, we stopped at a small cafe and ordered two platos tipicos which were essentially casado (which is what we had for lunch) but just a tad different. It was white rice, black beans, salad, chicken with seasoning.
While waiting for our food, two small dogs came into the open outside area to investigate the gringos. My parents had doggy treats in their pockets from when they walk Callie in the morning so the dogs were quite attached by the end of the second treat. Friends for life now! One of the even hopped up on my mom’s lap and stared out at all of us. We just shook our heads at it’s pathetic little sad face. Very cute!
After our meal, the perritos (little dogs) followed us back to our lodge and are currently waiting outside our door. Our new feline companion is curled up on my lap and we just feel such an amazing animal presence right now! :-)
Traveling to Monteverde
22-December 2007 : Monteverde, Costa Rica
We left bright and early from San Jose this morning after a mere four hours of sleep. We had breakfast downstairs and then met our CRT (Costa Rica Temptations) travel guide and off to went to Monteverde along with a Spaniard from Madrid who spoke very little English.
The first half of the trip was mostly city driving with some hills and slopes and the van remained quite quiet. We passed vendors selling fruit and sunglasses in the middle of the highway during a traffic jam and hand painted signs along the side of the road mostly for "Repuestos" which we later found out means "parts."
We stopped two hours into our four and a half hour drive for a short break. The humidity was intense at this little shack/soda and the air felt very warm, close to 80 or 85 degrees i'd estimate. We continued on through lush greenery and every so often would catch a glimpse of the mountains ahead. This was where we were going but we didn't quite realize that yet.
We drove up into the hills and then down steep descents which lead us to our first view of the bast pacific: Punta Arenas. We merely had time to look out into the sea of blue until we were right back on a road headed into the hills. With a sharp right hand turn, we headed away from the ocean and up and up the mountain.
A short ways into the "new" road, the cement stopped and the rugged terrain began. Deep rooted dirt roads carved out by the wet season were ahead of us with daunting pot holes and ruts to navigate through. Brutal bobbing and juggling around in the van was had by all of us as we felt like bits of popcorn in a metal box. The driver swerved and swayed across the road looking for the safest path to take over this tumultuously road. Miraculously, we were actually passing other cars on the road although very safely compared to other drives were saw maneuvering on our journey.
As we climbed into the mountains, my sister started to chat away with the Spaniard in what seemed like fluent Spanish. He was very excited to chat and my mom added a few sentences and words here and there as she's been recently trying to learn the language.
The roads, while completely miserable, lead us up into gorgeous mountains. Higher and higher we went with vistas emerging off to the side. I pulled out my camera for my first photo opportunity of the trip. The lush green mountains, pillowing clouds and mist settling among the peaks distracted us from the rugged terrain. My camera held up quite well with all the bumpiness and shaking and i think i took a few nice shots.
At certain times, around particular corners, vista open up to the west and sparkling blue water could be seen far in the distance down through the valley's of verde.
After about an hour of extremely, bumpy, rough, popcorny travel, the road smoothed out and we were greeted by Monteverde, "Bienvenidos a Monteverde!"
We arrived at our lodge, the Mannakin Lodge, and spoke with a young, teenage girl there helping out her parents with translating English and taking care of the rooms and arrangements. We were shown t our room, only one of about 12 or so, and were treated with a rustic, quaint cabin on the second floor with two connected rooms. The walls smelled of fresh wood which reminded me of our cabin in Julian when we had it and I absolutely love it!
As i am writing, the rain is dribbling down off the rood, tip tapping above me and steadily streaming down out of the sky. We have been greeted by an absolutely adorable kitty that has snuggled with all od us and is currently laying on my mom's chest. So cute!
We ate lunch at a spot called Flora de Vida and each of us ordered our first plate of Casado - a traditional white rice and black bean costa rican dish. We also had fried plantains, a savoury chicken alongside the rice and a cinnamon, pineapple, coconut and ginger flavoured smoothie! yum! it was absolutely delicious!
It's the middle of the afternoon and we are deciding what to do this evening. We've heard that monkey's come up to the balcony looking for banana's and i am really hoping the rain doesn't keep them away!
We left bright and early from San Jose this morning after a mere four hours of sleep. We had breakfast downstairs and then met our CRT (Costa Rica Temptations) travel guide and off to went to Monteverde along with a Spaniard from Madrid who spoke very little English.
The first half of the trip was mostly city driving with some hills and slopes and the van remained quite quiet. We passed vendors selling fruit and sunglasses in the middle of the highway during a traffic jam and hand painted signs along the side of the road mostly for "Repuestos" which we later found out means "parts."
We stopped two hours into our four and a half hour drive for a short break. The humidity was intense at this little shack/soda and the air felt very warm, close to 80 or 85 degrees i'd estimate. We continued on through lush greenery and every so often would catch a glimpse of the mountains ahead. This was where we were going but we didn't quite realize that yet.
We drove up into the hills and then down steep descents which lead us to our first view of the bast pacific: Punta Arenas. We merely had time to look out into the sea of blue until we were right back on a road headed into the hills. With a sharp right hand turn, we headed away from the ocean and up and up the mountain.
A short ways into the "new" road, the cement stopped and the rugged terrain began. Deep rooted dirt roads carved out by the wet season were ahead of us with daunting pot holes and ruts to navigate through. Brutal bobbing and juggling around in the van was had by all of us as we felt like bits of popcorn in a metal box. The driver swerved and swayed across the road looking for the safest path to take over this tumultuously road. Miraculously, we were actually passing other cars on the road although very safely compared to other drives were saw maneuvering on our journey.
As we climbed into the mountains, my sister started to chat away with the Spaniard in what seemed like fluent Spanish. He was very excited to chat and my mom added a few sentences and words here and there as she's been recently trying to learn the language.
The roads, while completely miserable, lead us up into gorgeous mountains. Higher and higher we went with vistas emerging off to the side. I pulled out my camera for my first photo opportunity of the trip. The lush green mountains, pillowing clouds and mist settling among the peaks distracted us from the rugged terrain. My camera held up quite well with all the bumpiness and shaking and i think i took a few nice shots.
At certain times, around particular corners, vista open up to the west and sparkling blue water could be seen far in the distance down through the valley's of verde.
After about an hour of extremely, bumpy, rough, popcorny travel, the road smoothed out and we were greeted by Monteverde, "Bienvenidos a Monteverde!"
We arrived at our lodge, the Mannakin Lodge, and spoke with a young, teenage girl there helping out her parents with translating English and taking care of the rooms and arrangements. We were shown t our room, only one of about 12 or so, and were treated with a rustic, quaint cabin on the second floor with two connected rooms. The walls smelled of fresh wood which reminded me of our cabin in Julian when we had it and I absolutely love it!
As i am writing, the rain is dribbling down off the rood, tip tapping above me and steadily streaming down out of the sky. We have been greeted by an absolutely adorable kitty that has snuggled with all od us and is currently laying on my mom's chest. So cute!
We ate lunch at a spot called Flora de Vida and each of us ordered our first plate of Casado - a traditional white rice and black bean costa rican dish. We also had fried plantains, a savoury chicken alongside the rice and a cinnamon, pineapple, coconut and ginger flavoured smoothie! yum! it was absolutely delicious!
It's the middle of the afternoon and we are deciding what to do this evening. We've heard that monkey's come up to the balcony looking for banana's and i am really hoping the rain doesn't keep them away!
Arriving in San Jose
22-December 2007 : San Jose, Costa Rica
After a long day of travel, many delays and lots of waiting, we're finally here at the Courtyard Marriott in San Jose. I am dreary eyed and irritable and didn't say a word on the taxi ride over here. Everyone else seemed to be doing okay or at least not showing that they weren't feeling crappy. After a two hour delay on the ground in Miami, it wasn't a fun flight especially since we landed around midnight.
Now the grouchiness is coming out, haha! We just had a bit of a conflict over whether to have the AC on or not. My sister was vouching for the later to save the environment and my dad said "oh, that's just ridiculous!" I think it's going to be a challenge to stay off each other's nerves at times especially tomorrow as we are looking to get up early and lack of sleep will surely bring out the grouchies.
So far, San Jose is very very humid and i could feel that the moment I stepped off the plane. The airport was sticky and so was the cab ride over. Nothing in particular stuck out about San Jose except that the streets didn't have center dividing lines which was a bit odd. Cars just know to stay to the right and mind the other drivers passing by.
I'm in for a short nights sleep so I'd better be off to make the best of it! Hasta luego!
After a long day of travel, many delays and lots of waiting, we're finally here at the Courtyard Marriott in San Jose. I am dreary eyed and irritable and didn't say a word on the taxi ride over here. Everyone else seemed to be doing okay or at least not showing that they weren't feeling crappy. After a two hour delay on the ground in Miami, it wasn't a fun flight especially since we landed around midnight.
Now the grouchiness is coming out, haha! We just had a bit of a conflict over whether to have the AC on or not. My sister was vouching for the later to save the environment and my dad said "oh, that's just ridiculous!" I think it's going to be a challenge to stay off each other's nerves at times especially tomorrow as we are looking to get up early and lack of sleep will surely bring out the grouchies.
So far, San Jose is very very humid and i could feel that the moment I stepped off the plane. The airport was sticky and so was the cab ride over. Nothing in particular stuck out about San Jose except that the streets didn't have center dividing lines which was a bit odd. Cars just know to stay to the right and mind the other drivers passing by.
I'm in for a short nights sleep so I'd better be off to make the best of it! Hasta luego!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Costa Rica Trip: JFK to Miami
21-December 2007 : New York/Miami
The traveling was fairly easy today, so far. I left really early this morning in case there were lines out the door but everything went smoothly. I took the LIRR to Jamaica then took the Airtrain to Terminal 8. The terminal was specifically for AA flights which made it a bit less busy and quite convenient. the ticketing counter was all self-service so I simply went up to a kioak, scanned my print out, scanned my passport and then checked my bag.
There was a really obnoxious lady in the queue next to me. she was talking on her mobile while the porter was trying to tell her what to do. It took her three times and loads of "what??" to finally figure out what to do. she went and stood ON LINE somewhere else afterwards but someone chased her down and told her exactly where to do. seriously thought, just hang up the bloody phone!!
After finding some entertainment while at the airport for a few hours I finally boarded. I asked if my AAirpass would qualify me for an upgrade but the flight was completely sold out but at least asked. I walked onto the plane and found my seat but it was occupied. There was a woman sitting in it, 13J and she looked up at my befuddled face and said "I know, this is YOUR seat! Can you sit over there so I can sit withe my family?" in a very thick Long Island accent. Well, I didn't have much of a choice now did I? She was already sitting there and didn't even ask if I could trade, she just assumed that I would be kind enough to do it. A bit annoying the way she went about it but at least I had a laugh about it afterwards. People annoy me when they take advantage of other's kindness or just assume it will be alright but I wasn't about to be that asshole who doesn't let someone sit with their family.
I'm quite excited about this trip as it really gives me time to get away from everything, clear my mind and think about all the big things that are coming up. There is a lot on my mind and a nice, lengthy two-week break sounds pefect for reflecting on all these thoughts and feelings. The one major downside is that I will be completely out of range of internet and blackberry which means no outside communication for two weeks. It's like quitting cold turkey and I must admit that I am far beyond an addict!
We're flying over Miami right now and the water is a very pretty turquoisey blue which is very tropical and pretty.
Well I definitely jinxed myself on that flight by saying how smooth it was going. Ooops! When we landed and moved to our gate, they weren't ready for us so we had to wait while they brought the jet bridge out. They had electrical problems so we sat feet away from de-boarding for a good 45 minutes. The seat stealer and her mother were getting pretty irritated and kept letting their little kid push the flight attendant call button in protest. After many "let us out!!" and "commmmme on!!" they finally started pressing it themselves which made one lady behind us completely furious! She yelled out about how immature they were acting and said "we're all in the same position as you are!" the older woman that was pushing the call button started yapping back at her and an argument erupted. it was quite a scene and it all happened about two feet from me! haha, what a crazy flight that turned out to be.
The traveling was fairly easy today, so far. I left really early this morning in case there were lines out the door but everything went smoothly. I took the LIRR to Jamaica then took the Airtrain to Terminal 8. The terminal was specifically for AA flights which made it a bit less busy and quite convenient. the ticketing counter was all self-service so I simply went up to a kioak, scanned my print out, scanned my passport and then checked my bag.
There was a really obnoxious lady in the queue next to me. she was talking on her mobile while the porter was trying to tell her what to do. It took her three times and loads of "what??" to finally figure out what to do. she went and stood ON LINE somewhere else afterwards but someone chased her down and told her exactly where to do. seriously thought, just hang up the bloody phone!!
After finding some entertainment while at the airport for a few hours I finally boarded. I asked if my AAirpass would qualify me for an upgrade but the flight was completely sold out but at least asked. I walked onto the plane and found my seat but it was occupied. There was a woman sitting in it, 13J and she looked up at my befuddled face and said "I know, this is YOUR seat! Can you sit over there so I can sit withe my family?" in a very thick Long Island accent. Well, I didn't have much of a choice now did I? She was already sitting there and didn't even ask if I could trade, she just assumed that I would be kind enough to do it. A bit annoying the way she went about it but at least I had a laugh about it afterwards. People annoy me when they take advantage of other's kindness or just assume it will be alright but I wasn't about to be that asshole who doesn't let someone sit with their family.
I'm quite excited about this trip as it really gives me time to get away from everything, clear my mind and think about all the big things that are coming up. There is a lot on my mind and a nice, lengthy two-week break sounds pefect for reflecting on all these thoughts and feelings. The one major downside is that I will be completely out of range of internet and blackberry which means no outside communication for two weeks. It's like quitting cold turkey and I must admit that I am far beyond an addict!
We're flying over Miami right now and the water is a very pretty turquoisey blue which is very tropical and pretty.
Well I definitely jinxed myself on that flight by saying how smooth it was going. Ooops! When we landed and moved to our gate, they weren't ready for us so we had to wait while they brought the jet bridge out. They had electrical problems so we sat feet away from de-boarding for a good 45 minutes. The seat stealer and her mother were getting pretty irritated and kept letting their little kid push the flight attendant call button in protest. After many "let us out!!" and "commmmme on!!" they finally started pressing it themselves which made one lady behind us completely furious! She yelled out about how immature they were acting and said "we're all in the same position as you are!" the older woman that was pushing the call button started yapping back at her and an argument erupted. it was quite a scene and it all happened about two feet from me! haha, what a crazy flight that turned out to be.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Off to Costa Rica
I'm sat here with that feeling that I'm forgetting something. It's the night before I leave and I'm looked over my list at least twice but there still feels like I am missing something. What is it? I KNOW there is something out there, hopefully it's not too critical. I have my passport and camera, two most important things. I can live without clothes...at least until the angry mob catches up to me but I'll have my passport and camera to prove I'm an American and then take a picture. Haha.
Right. So I've noticed the title of my blog contains "and Beyond" which is really showing itself to be true. I am an adventurer and made the trek to New York. Where else will I end up? Well the next stop is a two week trip to Costa Rica. I am very excited and it's really just hit me that I'm actually going. It feels a bit odd because I haven't done my usual preparation and research about Costa Rica. In other places I've explored, I've looked up loads of information about what to do, what to see and what to expect. I haven't done that this time around so I suppose I'll just be winging it. There are really only five items on my list though, anything else will be spontaneous:
1. Ziplining through the tree's
2. Natural hot springs
3. Relax
4. Take loads of photos
5. Surf
Other than that, I have no expectations for this trip nor do I know what I am going to be doing the majority of the time if I am not doing one of the above. I suppose lots of hiking and exploring are in order but we'll have to see what else Costa Rica has in store for me.
A LOT has happened recently both at work and outside of work which is really stirring a lot of thoughts in my head. But more on than when I figure those things out for myself.
Next stop, Costa Rica (well JFK then Miami THEN Costa Rica).
Right. So I've noticed the title of my blog contains "and Beyond" which is really showing itself to be true. I am an adventurer and made the trek to New York. Where else will I end up? Well the next stop is a two week trip to Costa Rica. I am very excited and it's really just hit me that I'm actually going. It feels a bit odd because I haven't done my usual preparation and research about Costa Rica. In other places I've explored, I've looked up loads of information about what to do, what to see and what to expect. I haven't done that this time around so I suppose I'll just be winging it. There are really only five items on my list though, anything else will be spontaneous:
1. Ziplining through the tree's
2. Natural hot springs
3. Relax
4. Take loads of photos
5. Surf
Other than that, I have no expectations for this trip nor do I know what I am going to be doing the majority of the time if I am not doing one of the above. I suppose lots of hiking and exploring are in order but we'll have to see what else Costa Rica has in store for me.
A LOT has happened recently both at work and outside of work which is really stirring a lot of thoughts in my head. But more on than when I figure those things out for myself.
Next stop, Costa Rica (well JFK then Miami THEN Costa Rica).
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
My San Diego Trip
I had such an amazing time at home in San Diego. It was really wonderful being with my whole family and spending lots of time with them. I felt especially connected to each of them this trip. My dad and I had some fun going to the movies, watching dogs surf and photographing them as well as working on computers at home. To see all my photos from the trip, check out the tag "summer07" on flickr.
My mom and I had some really special time together, whether it was as simple as going to the Trader Joe's to restock on fruit, Rico's to get some tasty burritos or a long walk from Torrey Pines all the way down to La Jolla shores. I had a great time in all of our adventures! You can view all of those pictures under the "la jolla" tag on flickr.
La Jolla Cove
Rock Formation
Torrey Pines Beach
My sister and I had some real quality time this trip and I am so fortunate to come home when she is around. It's not every day that the whole family is together. We had some real brother-sister time this trip that I truly treasured. We had many trips to the beach, an bottle cap collecting evening at Fidel's Mexican restaurant that was kind of a bust. But it turned into us making nachos, grabbing beers from the fridge and going to San Dieguito park at night to enjoy the clear, starry sky. We also had a brilliant beach day at the newly remodeled Fletcher cove beach. That day was such a perfect beach day with the sun beaming down on us and perfect body surfing waves. I had such an incredible time just hanging out in the water with her and being water buddies. Finally, to top it off, filming her river dance video was just too much fun. All must see this one!
Nothing like a morning cup of joe
Yesterday was one of the most perfect days of my holiday. I spent most of the day at Torrey Pines beach with my mom and my sister and the weather couldn't have been better. The water was a nice 66 degrees but with the warm sun it was hard to feel the chill. The waves became much better as the tide rolled out and I spent the better half of our time there in the water. It was crystal clear, which doesn't happen often, and the waning sun scattered sparkles onto the water below. I decided to leave my surf board at home and just body surf with my mom and ahna. It was a good choice since the waves weren't big but they were perfect for swimming like a seal. I definitely got the hang of it in only a short time. I hadn't really done much body surfing in the past but it's a lot of fun and you only need your body! Easy! The trick is to tighten up your arms and legs and have your arms straight in front of you like you're diving. If the wave tries to push you from behind, tighten your abs to keep your body straight. If you catch a good wave, you can ride it all the way in which is something I've never done before while body surfing. It was awesome!
The view of the sparkling ocean was unforgettable and it was quite a spectacular way to spend my last day at home. I am going to miss the beach dearly as there are so many things I love about it! I have a theory that there is a difference between beach time and non-beach time. When you're at the beach, time just moves slower and you feel more relaxed. The water has a strange but wonderful effect of clearing your mind and body. Whenever I am in the water I forget everything else that is going on in my life and only focus on the moment I am in. When I get out of the water, all my worries, stress and outside thoughts are washed away with the waves. It is incredibly soothing and relaxing.
To top things off, we picked up Rico's for dinner. A big bean, rice, cheese and guacamole burrito assuaged my beach hunger. There's nothing like the hunger that one gets from being at the beach and playing in the water. I got four extra burritos to take back with me to New York. They just don't have this kind of quality out east. As I write this, the four companions are tucked securely in my backpack along with a small container of hot sauce. I can't wait to enjoy these with Michelle! I am also accompanied by 3 and 1/2 chocolate muffins from Costco which I am sure Michelle will help me eat :-)
Overall, my trip was incredibly restful, enjoyable, fun and full of family lovey. However, I can't help but think of the few things that I missed out on during this trip. I didn't get to satisfy my longing for chips from Fidel's. That can wait though. The big thing was not seeing Michael while I was at home. I called him numerous times but never received a response from him. I missed catching up with him especially since he mentioned in our last correspondence that a lot has been changing in his life. If you're reading this, Michael, call me so we can catch up! I miss you bro!
Before I left this morning, we had a big family breakfast which included yummy waffle's, tons of fruit and a nice breeze while we ate outside on the deck.
That's all for now, I am going to plug into my iPod and hope the flights will get me to Islip on time and in one piece. I am projected to get into Long Island at 10:30 then take a train to Penn Station arriving at 12:43. Hopefully I'll make it home by 1:15am but that's up to things I cannot control so I'll just hang out and hope it goes smoothly.
Aerial View of San Diego
And now to remember in pictures...
Moonlight beach view
Sub Palace Monster
The Fam
Speak with you all soon.
-Gabe
My mom and I had some really special time together, whether it was as simple as going to the Trader Joe's to restock on fruit, Rico's to get some tasty burritos or a long walk from Torrey Pines all the way down to La Jolla shores. I had a great time in all of our adventures! You can view all of those pictures under the "la jolla" tag on flickr.
La Jolla Cove
Rock Formation
Torrey Pines Beach
My sister and I had some real quality time this trip and I am so fortunate to come home when she is around. It's not every day that the whole family is together. We had some real brother-sister time this trip that I truly treasured. We had many trips to the beach, an bottle cap collecting evening at Fidel's Mexican restaurant that was kind of a bust. But it turned into us making nachos, grabbing beers from the fridge and going to San Dieguito park at night to enjoy the clear, starry sky. We also had a brilliant beach day at the newly remodeled Fletcher cove beach. That day was such a perfect beach day with the sun beaming down on us and perfect body surfing waves. I had such an incredible time just hanging out in the water with her and being water buddies. Finally, to top it off, filming her river dance video was just too much fun. All must see this one!
Nothing like a morning cup of joe
Yesterday was one of the most perfect days of my holiday. I spent most of the day at Torrey Pines beach with my mom and my sister and the weather couldn't have been better. The water was a nice 66 degrees but with the warm sun it was hard to feel the chill. The waves became much better as the tide rolled out and I spent the better half of our time there in the water. It was crystal clear, which doesn't happen often, and the waning sun scattered sparkles onto the water below. I decided to leave my surf board at home and just body surf with my mom and ahna. It was a good choice since the waves weren't big but they were perfect for swimming like a seal. I definitely got the hang of it in only a short time. I hadn't really done much body surfing in the past but it's a lot of fun and you only need your body! Easy! The trick is to tighten up your arms and legs and have your arms straight in front of you like you're diving. If the wave tries to push you from behind, tighten your abs to keep your body straight. If you catch a good wave, you can ride it all the way in which is something I've never done before while body surfing. It was awesome!
The view of the sparkling ocean was unforgettable and it was quite a spectacular way to spend my last day at home. I am going to miss the beach dearly as there are so many things I love about it! I have a theory that there is a difference between beach time and non-beach time. When you're at the beach, time just moves slower and you feel more relaxed. The water has a strange but wonderful effect of clearing your mind and body. Whenever I am in the water I forget everything else that is going on in my life and only focus on the moment I am in. When I get out of the water, all my worries, stress and outside thoughts are washed away with the waves. It is incredibly soothing and relaxing.
To top things off, we picked up Rico's for dinner. A big bean, rice, cheese and guacamole burrito assuaged my beach hunger. There's nothing like the hunger that one gets from being at the beach and playing in the water. I got four extra burritos to take back with me to New York. They just don't have this kind of quality out east. As I write this, the four companions are tucked securely in my backpack along with a small container of hot sauce. I can't wait to enjoy these with Michelle! I am also accompanied by 3 and 1/2 chocolate muffins from Costco which I am sure Michelle will help me eat :-)
Overall, my trip was incredibly restful, enjoyable, fun and full of family lovey. However, I can't help but think of the few things that I missed out on during this trip. I didn't get to satisfy my longing for chips from Fidel's. That can wait though. The big thing was not seeing Michael while I was at home. I called him numerous times but never received a response from him. I missed catching up with him especially since he mentioned in our last correspondence that a lot has been changing in his life. If you're reading this, Michael, call me so we can catch up! I miss you bro!
Before I left this morning, we had a big family breakfast which included yummy waffle's, tons of fruit and a nice breeze while we ate outside on the deck.
That's all for now, I am going to plug into my iPod and hope the flights will get me to Islip on time and in one piece. I am projected to get into Long Island at 10:30 then take a train to Penn Station arriving at 12:43. Hopefully I'll make it home by 1:15am but that's up to things I cannot control so I'll just hang out and hope it goes smoothly.
Aerial View of San Diego
And now to remember in pictures...
Moonlight beach view
Sub Palace Monster
The Fam
Speak with you all soon.
-Gabe
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A Night At The Beach
My mom, sister and I went to the beach this evening with a picnic and my surfboard. We watched the sunset from the edge of the west coast, staring out into the vast pacific ocean until the bright yellow orb disappeared over the horizon. It was a magical night and luckily I brought my camera to capture a few images to share. As always, check out the rest of my pictures on flickr
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Enjoying the peace and quiet
Being here makes me realize how chaotic, noisy and fast paced my life is in New York. Granted, there's an inherent feeling of relaxing with my time off from work but I've come to realize that escaping from the city is a necessary thing to do every once and awhile. It's been way too long since I've had a decent break from city life and it makes me want to do it more often. I am still enjoying all of the adventures that New York has to offer but I need to find outlets...which is not an easy task. I think the first will be an apple picking trip with Michelle in the fall which I've promised her for some time.
For now, I'm just going to soak in all the beach that I can and re-fill my relaxation tanks.
For now, I'm just going to soak in all the beach that I can and re-fill my relaxation tanks.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Sunday, September 2, 2007
It's Sunday and I Don't Have to Work Tomorrow
I must say, it's pretty nice that I don't have to head in to work tomorrow morning. I could get used to this 3-day weekend thing which makes me even more envious of Michelle's every-other-Friday-off dealio; lucky girl.
So my birthday was INCREDIBLE but let's get to my CTW (Community Teamworks) event beforehand. I had a nice time helping out at Animal Haven down in SoHo. We paired up to walk about 6 dogs and learn more about the shelter. I have a few pictures on Flickr and this one here is of Looker the very excited beagle:
Afterwards, I went back to the apartment to rest up for my party night. Michelle had a triple chocolate cake waiting for me: dark chocolate cake, chocolate fudge frosting and chocolate chips covering the top. It was heavenly! At 7:45 we headed to midtown and met everyone at Carmine's on 44th (review coming soon...). We had a couple of late comers but it all worked out in the end. Steph was so sweet and baked me a HUGE loaf of chocolate banana bread which was DELICIOUS, by the way, especially for her first attempt. Good job on that one, Steph, I'll happily take another one of those off your hands :-)
I am so lucky to have so many people show up to dinner and drinks afterwards. A total of 13 people showed up to celebrate and I feel honored to have had their company on my birthday.
Michelle
Eliot and Aurora
Russ and Ashley
Steph
Mike
Dennis
James and Cassie
Darren
Aleksas
Dinner was superb and enormous but most of all, delicious! We ordered 3 pastas's and 2 chicken dishes. I really enjoyed ALL of the food but there were these potatoes on the side of one of the dishes that were sooooooo good. Michelle tapped me on the shoulder and motioned for me to eat one right away and I gladly did. They tasty lemony with a strong Italian flavor that was unlike anything I've ever had before. To finish us all off, or sink us, Michelle told them it was my birthday so they brought out the biggest sundae I have EVER seen. The name of it was the Titanic and rightfully so. It had chocolate pirouettes as steam pipes which were placed in mounds of whipped cream, many different types of nuts, chocolate and vanilla ice cream all on top of a chocolate torte. RIDICULOUS would not even begin to describe this dessert but it was exactly my type of food. It was such a great birthday dinner.
After we stuffed ourselves full, we walked up to 54th and 9th ave to a place called Valhalla. I looked it up on Yelp! and people said it was known for it's beer selection which sounds like my kind of place. We arrived to a fairly empty, rustic bar with candle light to read the menu. We all crammed into a bench in the back of the room and chatted away for the rest of the night.
On came Saturday. I felt really restless all day like I just wanted to escaped from the city to somewhere with little to no human interaction and where I looked gaze up into the starry night. Unfortunately, neither Michelle or I had the means to make that happen, no matter how wonderful it sounded so we had to improvise. We took a walk through the park and found a nice fountain to sit by and relax. There weren't too many people around and only an occasional pedi-cab or horse carriage strolling by. It was very relaxing and just a beautiful day to just sit outside, away from the apartment.
That night around 11pm we took the lift up to the 17th floor and went up on the roof. There were some nice chairs out there and a gorgeous, cloudless night to gaze up at. It wasn't exactly what I was envisioning since there was still a bright flood light, not to mention the hue of the city-that-never-sleeps beaming up into the sky. Nonetheless, it hit the spot and was very nice, especially the temperature!
Today, we lazied around again, trying to find something exciting to do but alas we were too late. We had a fun idea of renting a car and driving out to the very tip of Long Island but there were no cars left at the place near me. It was a fun, last minute thought but it just didn't work out. We spent most of the day inside but then finally ventured out to Riverside Park, which is someplace I've never taken Michelle. I've been there a few times when I first moved in but was more impressed with Central Park. I must say that a return visit really brightened my view of Riverside Park, especially when I was craving the smell of salty air and the rustle of water all around. We returned later on when the sun was setting and it was picture-perfect. I really enjoyed the park and am very fortunate it's so accessible.
My new desktop wallpaper:
As always, be sure to check the rest out on Flickr OR you can look at the thumbnails on the right side column (if you hadn't noticed them before).
So my birthday was INCREDIBLE but let's get to my CTW (Community Teamworks) event beforehand. I had a nice time helping out at Animal Haven down in SoHo. We paired up to walk about 6 dogs and learn more about the shelter. I have a few pictures on Flickr and this one here is of Looker the very excited beagle:
Afterwards, I went back to the apartment to rest up for my party night. Michelle had a triple chocolate cake waiting for me: dark chocolate cake, chocolate fudge frosting and chocolate chips covering the top. It was heavenly! At 7:45 we headed to midtown and met everyone at Carmine's on 44th (review coming soon...). We had a couple of late comers but it all worked out in the end. Steph was so sweet and baked me a HUGE loaf of chocolate banana bread which was DELICIOUS, by the way, especially for her first attempt. Good job on that one, Steph, I'll happily take another one of those off your hands :-)
I am so lucky to have so many people show up to dinner and drinks afterwards. A total of 13 people showed up to celebrate and I feel honored to have had their company on my birthday.
Michelle
Eliot and Aurora
Russ and Ashley
Steph
Mike
Dennis
James and Cassie
Darren
Aleksas
Dinner was superb and enormous but most of all, delicious! We ordered 3 pastas's and 2 chicken dishes. I really enjoyed ALL of the food but there were these potatoes on the side of one of the dishes that were sooooooo good. Michelle tapped me on the shoulder and motioned for me to eat one right away and I gladly did. They tasty lemony with a strong Italian flavor that was unlike anything I've ever had before. To finish us all off, or sink us, Michelle told them it was my birthday so they brought out the biggest sundae I have EVER seen. The name of it was the Titanic and rightfully so. It had chocolate pirouettes as steam pipes which were placed in mounds of whipped cream, many different types of nuts, chocolate and vanilla ice cream all on top of a chocolate torte. RIDICULOUS would not even begin to describe this dessert but it was exactly my type of food. It was such a great birthday dinner.
After we stuffed ourselves full, we walked up to 54th and 9th ave to a place called Valhalla. I looked it up on Yelp! and people said it was known for it's beer selection which sounds like my kind of place. We arrived to a fairly empty, rustic bar with candle light to read the menu. We all crammed into a bench in the back of the room and chatted away for the rest of the night.
On came Saturday. I felt really restless all day like I just wanted to escaped from the city to somewhere with little to no human interaction and where I looked gaze up into the starry night. Unfortunately, neither Michelle or I had the means to make that happen, no matter how wonderful it sounded so we had to improvise. We took a walk through the park and found a nice fountain to sit by and relax. There weren't too many people around and only an occasional pedi-cab or horse carriage strolling by. It was very relaxing and just a beautiful day to just sit outside, away from the apartment.
That night around 11pm we took the lift up to the 17th floor and went up on the roof. There were some nice chairs out there and a gorgeous, cloudless night to gaze up at. It wasn't exactly what I was envisioning since there was still a bright flood light, not to mention the hue of the city-that-never-sleeps beaming up into the sky. Nonetheless, it hit the spot and was very nice, especially the temperature!
Today, we lazied around again, trying to find something exciting to do but alas we were too late. We had a fun idea of renting a car and driving out to the very tip of Long Island but there were no cars left at the place near me. It was a fun, last minute thought but it just didn't work out. We spent most of the day inside but then finally ventured out to Riverside Park, which is someplace I've never taken Michelle. I've been there a few times when I first moved in but was more impressed with Central Park. I must say that a return visit really brightened my view of Riverside Park, especially when I was craving the smell of salty air and the rustle of water all around. We returned later on when the sun was setting and it was picture-perfect. I really enjoyed the park and am very fortunate it's so accessible.
My new desktop wallpaper:
As always, be sure to check the rest out on Flickr OR you can look at the thumbnails on the right side column (if you hadn't noticed them before).
Thursday, August 30, 2007
My Mini-Vacation Starts Now
I have a Community Teamworks project tomorrow to help out at an animal shelter and Labor Day is on Monday. It's almost like a 4-day weekend! Plus, we're going to Carmine's, a new york family style Italian restaurant and House of Brews tomorrow for my birthday. Woohoo!!
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