Breakfast at KM Marker 52

F2yl8Y-igUdNURLmAzWQCpeur1o8H6Zv798pGYDQkDxZGQPRy-fwnbw1cQ7A0uj3RuY_H9rQmsYDDRKS9kpWJJg8XpEGUyIJ7_rLmz4WFOrk4_VCxtuTpUhagoK7iOc7wTb5qN-m0-Ygf1tQZpGhaaxFj_K2Ny8b67j2OHTasnzfxXTrXkCEYTr1UCLocated on the Panamerican highway at kilometer marker 52 on the road south of Lima, this bakery is a great pit stop for breakfast. It’s called Tambo Rural (tambo is the indigenous word for kiosk) and there is no sign so you just have to pay attention and turn in at marker 52. They now have a real dirt driveway and expanded parking lot so it’s much easier to stop off the highway.

rP8ffFMWjFoeO9pHiACIZdI2I22UoepATGVvCzjeK1jnjiKTO6D5eud7lZp1Jemf9JhUZiNyBlOKncrgizEKdo_purEp-2EzpdgTud0Z_jZBpvelxPyZNharVRHQtyEq-9Iy0SWcrPclEo6sCZjc3cKNpVxObekZRGA6PHaIVypIZtViVExH2VzzjHThe coffee is amazingly creamy.

J5SvTUiS_l1c5D4XQyf8TZXgHLIYurlCGeczeKsrdUhZjX8bG6_jV1yxm3krCoGvezeKMcqLEm4Kfng8eiYMjXefhB0-eE0qHlqHwP0o6ruoaYZleuFLtxTq7Icv80sZaCt2yUUk4P6m57DQ-g39UfS1ulKOplJsL82ZHnhUu-oLEKaDEvqeQ5RhRfSpeaking of breakfast, they sell chicharron which they cook in the wood fired oven (how is that for mind blowing!?), a breakfast item in Peru.

GCByCJimKgLY6SwdvdBIKa2R9DfRMHnouDpGhwUjR90RGLffrwnLVDCTC2HnEaq4TFuyztNFg60wy-UdELbUe34bEVhXGotHOFFfhQ0MicmgNRMyasofP-WFm1ornHJD1CnaxUAEG7jZjv6F1zu01WAsDcs7f8UOkyRdmJX4bVJmzhoL85YjRFJTYIThey sell bread that you can buy to take with you including photogenic focaccia.

mEG8spfsoDGXjO0_vteyCFhAUIJR6ja7_9WqnrhBhV7r_33lJ3jvQyPnBadHt-LPWl36Sxy_yYFgDDI0vPu_x_uzEN1XNvg8z7P467UNAcD1FyTfXr2ApnLmw1MEg_tMSNnwgEP9tULJxKohbAO3tDUBTcHsDS8TKgPKAr2v04YMK9VPAPjKwVR3AmThey have toilets which work on a “bucket of water” flush system.

This place is not super fancy but it is good and covers all the bases. It’s not a secret either but TripAdvisor reviews are only in Spanish.

I enjoyed the fresh warm rolls, some filled with ham (turkey ham) and cheese, and some with olives and oregano. Plus that locally sources coffee. Yum. Great way to start a day and a trip. Go! Enjoy!

De Bess Ah Trini Speak, right Gee?

d5at5vc4VhV2C5nHKqUOXbbrEa9bzt2tDlI4kruynGQ3w1DJkiEbEWhCXTySmohpY5mll_p452RlsxkHhOHmkOoIGsNGoKTIhFMC2-bhCG190niLON8XpIY58bzAoNkOP3t0l6IeO1DJmb-lGWXd8OL_PXCjUd2NyWXdGEgAObAAGApv8tGPuNFC7-This post is not about the best of Trini speak. I haven’t heard enough yet to know what the best phrases might be. What I do know is that I don’t understand the English here in Port of Spain. I’d say that my comprehension is on par with my Spanish comprehension… well, they might be neck in neck. (I almost felt relief when talking to a guy in Spanish! If three sentences counts as talking.)

O7tnlozpiesZQVkRsgbN-YAZCiOfUGKqPG1JrEGLDP7wo2e1O0NIJB4KKmDMprkNsfBe4Y5Sw2PbeFNd88z4poVZequPmHYlQQzDN7XNJ5ZHTCvheigC1fP9hl9cgsUiJKnq2HMwsgLKfzXmvoYJEtfzSYoDGcbEWJrFgT98LSn8wFP9rYXN-kwEOiThe Trinis tell me that it’s because they speak fast. No, they don’t. They use different vocabulary, different grammar, different spelling, and they have a different cadence. In other words, a different language. They remove “then” and other prepositions (is that what they are called?). Or how about “the best food in tongue” which must mean “best tasting” or not?

UTtPySP7d8oXMjrGTNIwtw3GqjuVg4T1Yi3Vk_sdcVlqM07fg6lhuihChp8DzJfNVasHaottV5tj35NPcK1xEveB1pxMHcCbPW2pqM_K1LFf91wyGrqkS8UUwXUEsksFLryVHPTqPik4Gu2jJo4tZw-Pv0n4kkD8fTya5cm5jZmuRU8oEGL16KmHWCOther than terminology like “lime” and “whine” there are many other words in daily life that are used which I can’t recall right now. I wish I could. One phrase that I wrote down was, “A good bit of us” for “there are a lot of us.” Sounds like British but without the accent.

The food vocabulary is easy to learn (bodi is long green beans) as that’s a matter of memorization, and many of the words have an origin that is typical of Trinidad’s cultural influences. Bodi probably originates from the Hindi word and was likely introduced by the South Asians.

atdjzIOw3_8VhLbOHW663vXaoc0FLR15Nmfdy7KGhxt36Uvtr_e4mVN-MYHz6QT8YXKVqHsXyDrCoujwOfxDfAaEzuTuH_wR_SKNlOQe72QdC8rAzEwoVjZ2PjKvqGZCvQ0XZJF1seKPTrmnkcMWgY2fZf7VXS1019ctBSs3HvZdyJgNSGyjfRp1gyAnd then there’s the spelling. See that “best” is now a woman’s name, “bess.” And “ah” for “of” as can be seen in the soup sign.

Linguists could have a field day.

Ya dam right gee. For de bess ah tongue.

Or something like that. I have no idea! Habla espanol?

J’ouvert in July – Carnival in Trinidad – Lime and Wine

JDxPsyxf6dlWvOdpR9HWeGshdX2TQfZ-Ob7oA6Jxv3PNoyXuuTsOI8LK5SI69-yOl7Vc5FIDf9Z3BZOqjrxOTP1ZLIm3UPQLowk3cUw2V1FQsebfTey6G1GnaHSNz5TyZ909b7lfbn7p1ZopVrQq8W2IT6WKnv8UZVfYXH2XY_22atWtO74CfzXocATruth is that it’s not carnival. That’s in February. But, it’s a small taste of carnival. With chocolate. You don’t have to get covered in chocolate but you certainly can if you want to.

r2w6RIMsIbuEvg-hgjcDEujCLWkUSvNvf2UqHVlL9PnbcBP1qjmpT79LfVSbRvPIz_YcZWwjdMObb4b1vooatRwF_EmwFTSXefWSFGPBVR-615xFTFdS9ChWCMENJl-mJDut5s8l5uCwtgh4iAWf_ugHymPT4QCcxoRDbXlYW02Jl1ssZ6znKhZeD2The truck/float/group called Cocoa Devils have a party in July called “J’ouvert in July” to celebrate their trucks. It cost 650 Trini dollars ($100 U.S.) for one-night party that starts at midnight and lasts till daylight. For that price, you get a t-shirt and a drinking cup. Plus endless beer, tequila, wine, and food.

Pbc91PmFactFrFmRoViUEQaOGEttZKyXxAVumL3wT7pOKKxDUDfHEF5PP2_3VP48eK8eRNxFgo1RLv8zqR1ENdJl37E9y65mSzprso0DBP5r69wSOptBn08PWQqHeNWVzYQl0PjOMSuppVdwrGkHM8XzPZCz5wqwI6iQfdseIxEn45qpUVysjn_951Aside from the main DJ truck, there are drinks trucks, supplemental speaker trucks to blast out the music, and food trucks. At one point, the trucks drive around the stadium providing a drunken parade for revelers to follow.

FhY8-Si5eidOEwNpzz5hRMVxrJg8AaBh0sg7w102Akkf4sbgQkRIJwvXctIuYhjBWQb-MJKoVuJw8HWOQBP34tvTkxU_Tzu_DsQ_OSlB1N7ycW04huE4GsUOzznomhyx6hs1zkteV6lHTgrOMZigid0-phPbnzpvccLb90jH_v1ya0PzGJNJwa5FelThe food is hotdogs, beef pies, and “doubles.” Good drunk food to sop up the alcohol.

cTZBC9nuR7tKVOJz9TbNKnsRVoOZKOwAfb8Ut5TcH2HP8x0A1iDoxufX90WE275wOt6Ztf49H1UQ7m8ozsa8rmojVYQzOYWOB-3EyEj6cTfcg2B4O4XCAjddSamb_CgqD8ntZoBSaMJFrPVGez50Utmv_Oxo7lCZpHtTaA_CSs8pSgoCyi5paqTeFZBy 2 a.m., the party was well under way. Apparently, Trinis like to “wine” and “lime” which are to twerk and to drink. Actually, they like to do it in reverse: lime’n and wine’n.

JQ-_ZuMNLMazgo84FXS73vqNSmIMwI33azWSrSRkP8douy03-IF3cswLx4laT-8tCsFzO1rhDi_zqiQogwT1npIH2qKeccr6OZI1JyQvbCPtbA2_5W9xtjg0UtiJI0TAncDfi2fBGr6ycMu6bfeM-l9BNJTmxNwVesVMbJoRvzHAJ8oXkmKPs_eO2uWhat amazed me was the creative ways that people (mostly women) had altered their t-shirts into outfits with various forms of holes and tailoring.

xJbYGfzt-Xkl9KZEARoLldfzQBi_w0knwlPkZSqc1Tf042nWt-d-qsUKBbW0ylDtyLzDXRTikYhmEuOfNOeH4es1SulxSi39NhsOVgAzl-ndmsY_XaKZPK8XJCVvvjWxLgn0AQcaN5SGKc9fTadTwxV568kpD1jao4NN5Tt7jdSw3Qgh_4RXpAEXSoThe whole event is well organized with lots of security, toilets, and first aid. While it looked like debauchery, it was actually very neatly done.

JohaoxghUkuOXiOQdFQ5LNNFXJXCJB68vSk6ze0K5EtPsr0lObiYuPe5Ssk20QKzCYKXhgQBLVNMbJwOMPwhV9RlTFX3yFn-_xgg_WSZ_T5AiH8I94ODlGWn-mNCN0GO-yD27AYwIs4-DLXNyhqNHdBkKa3FBq6l8G9AbGOv2fhpaJXjQ6G-DpRrGfThe music was so loud that I wondered if my ears would bleed.

The Corner Colmado – With Delivery

The “colmado” is a thing there in the Dominican Republic. It’s like a corner drugstore or a bodega… basically, what you need, or want, you can get at your local colmado. They deliver. The important thing is that they deliver beer. Really cold, icy, beer. “Bien fria” is the phrase for an icy cold beer. That’s easy Spanish. So, if you find yourself at an Airbnb or some other place here, get the number of your local colmado, and learn the phrase “bien fria” so that you can get your beers delivered. The colmado will deliver anything they have to your home. Even a single egg.

sm2_RAGnEBaotENYvaUtsxLzF41-z7plZ3_1Puf_1kszttpJkCC-2s-CQ8nnuTLVi-oSqCRMSKF8FtqKZT4ZpB6_Fje3X8qIobPF_lBFFh7XhYjVdayZ8E-AKab7zBcolpLqUIONmDVK1AlwENN7NmyPm8SesCN6OjIpb1LJXiFOvgJ8wmqVcoei_TThere are colmados on every street, which is hard to tell from my blurry photos out of the car…

For the Dominicans, this is their local pub, bar, local watering hole, hangout, a place where they go after work, on the weekends, to get a “bien fria” and chill. Maybe followed by some dancing. Not your stuffy organized “dahnce” but just the pop-up impromptu salsa that happens because your feel it in your feet, your arms, your soul. The music is in your DNA. And it wants to get down and express itself.

The Dominicans will turn any place into a party, from their local gas station, barber shop, corner store, and so on — into a place to chill with beer and dancing. Not just their colmado.

t02RXp57vYKJqZveiRDjrUZTxwuvrk1EvelAyuhgGFZA3MOJSgONYVedAF0ze8g1ImNFLVcrs5ihVjOI3b_TVH9eD5xRRZ_ZNM_3_NUVwM7fI0Ob3KoGaI8POg6QkbBXUxubLolT6soLqKGYYzSLVm11TVtgVphIKGGzKHVFE0uM4VB_jC3NWtZTJSThis may be a class thing… not sure, but I don’t think that the “upper” class hang out at their local colmado… but I could be wrong.

If It Looks Like a Taxi; Then It’s A Bus

Here in Santo Domingo, the traffic is hellish. That seems to be the collective consensus. I still think Dhaka wins. It’s true that there are many cars on the road here and traffic lights and lanes are mere suggestions, but, the sewers are underground here…

Back to the subject of the taxi. The sedan cars that look like a beat up taxi are actually not a taxi. Even if it has the little trapezoid perched on top with the word, “taxi” written on it. It’s a bus of sorts. It will drive a fixed route, usually up and down a straight stretch of road, picking up and disgorging as many people as can mush themselves into the car — like those clown cars from the circus.

Phap_KIZU_ktdsCEThVlkA7qMXAwEM8H35aJSxt4rqDuAPZ8WouB5_9ELSuGyuOVHClWBxHj0jCmz_-N9gh9a0RA_66jXn3c7Tr-7dAGtovhCfaiWzPkzsMxh-LaOHoJayYyPnSSUnw8v1kiTb1V6J2A4n5NlSK01z46hPV-rnJ9_ICvzhzelZdQO8The taxis here are fairly invisible like Uber or Lyft in the U.S. They have Uber here and that seems to be the most popular. They even have Uber Moto here… Another popular taxi service is Apolo taxi. Every ride seems to only cost between 180-300 pesos (3.8-6 bucks) which is much cheaper than many other chauffeur services. Apolo taxi has an app but when I ordered via phone, they even understand MY Spanish. The dispatcher will tell you how many minutes before the ride arrives, the color, make, and a four digit driver number (not the license plate number). I also ask how much it will cost.

The drivers usually only speak Spanish and I even had a semi-intelligent conversation with one, even though he called me a “pendeja” which I pretended not to understand since I assume he meant it in a nice way…

In the Eye of the iPhone?

img_0073As much as I like the photos that I take with my “big” DSLR camera, I’ve stopped lugging it around. Sometimes convenience is more important than a big lens. With the improved camera on the iPhone, I tend to just snap my food photos before I eat, and avoid a fancy photo shoot. I imported a photo from my iPhone SE and did a little post-production on it. Yup, I think it looks fine for my purposes. That said, I still work on having the light (muted daylight is best) coming from one angle, and I only take close-up photos.

Usually every photo can look amazing on a computer screen — it all depends on the number of pixels on the screen. But, to print a photo, it has to be a certain size. These new iPhone SE photos are large so I think they will print without too much pixelation. I’ll find out later when I work on a new book…

Dressing Up for the Tourists

img_2304
The villagers wait to perform at my “village” resort in the jungle.

Having been to many tourist destinations, I often think about the theater that goes on for my benefit. Nowhere is it more apparent than in places where the “natives” dress up in tradition costume for tourists. I don’t have any deep thoughts about this but it’s just something I notice. And makes me think of words like “experiential” and “interactive” — nothing deeper than that.

img_2176
A non-performing child suffering from the heat while in “daycare” on the bench.

These thoughts occur to me quite a bit when I look through my photos. One place where it was evident was in the Amazon when we were transported for a “visit to an indigenous village” I felt this most acutely. No one lived in the village as the “natives” all lived in Iquitos and commuted to work every day in the village. They looked suitably poker faced and bored. I suppose they didn’t dream of being actors. Or maybe they want to show that their culture was one of seriousness… This makes me wonder about humor in native societies. I never see anything about humor in museums. I would imagine that most societies have a sense of humor.Wot wot?

img_2163
A child performer adjusting his headdress.

Whatsapp – Graffiti Painted Bike

Sometimes communication requires a different form of “technology” language… when I was getting a custom paint job on my bicycle in Bogota, it wasn’t just that I had to learn more Spanish, but I found that it was easiest to communicate with the store manager via Whatsapp. Acquiring a product like a painted bike requires ceaseless vigilance and dogged constant contact… hence Whatsapp messages, and then magically, two months later, a reality in my possession.

img_6683
An example of some of the graffiti one can see in Bogota

Yup, I did find it sort of strange but eventually, I gave in… what’s that? Yes, I got my bike painted in a graffiti style as a homage to Bogota. Not in time to use it on Ciclovia, and just in time to pack with my belongings when I moved from Colombia. So, my advice is that if you plan to get anything custom made in Bogota, work on 12 months before you depart.

Five Years of M’s Adventures

It’s M’s Adventures (madventures to many) fifth anniversary. This map shows just one random day of visitors to my blog…

screen-shot-2016-10-26-at-6-55-14-amAs seen on the map, the readership of my blog seems very dependent on subject. That subject is Bangladesh. Despite the fact that Bangladesh has a small landmass, it has a large population, and in the social media universe, an interesting statistic. If one looked solely at who is reading M’s Adventures and what topics they like, then it would seem that Bangladesh was the center of the world. But, I’m sure that Google could tell you that that Bangladesh is not the most searched term in their engine. I think that the spike in numbers on M’s Adventures is because there simply aren’t that many blogs written in English about Bangladesh.

As I watch my readership numbers dip, I wonder if I should stop writing this blog. Or when it’s just me and my friend’s cat reading the blog.

But, I’m still amazed each day to see how many hundreds have read my little blog. So for now, I keep blogging! After all, if I didn’t blog about it, did it happen?

Sheltering In Place – In Florida

14484861_10154539848049618_3798888653102113882_nAlthough I lived in Bangladesh for two years, both of those years, the monsoons were not so bad (okay, one night it was awful, walking in the dark potholed street with flooded open sewers) but as Dhaka is located up the river, I didn’t get to experience the risks of coastal living. When I lived in Dhaka, the power went out on a frequent basis, but not for weather related reasons. In the U.S., I’ve experienced more power outages and flooding caused by weather and it looks like I will, again. Welcome to Florida in hurricane season.

I paid attention to the experts. I moved inland. Two days ahead. Then I bought food for ten days (I’m not quite sure why I thought chips and dip were essential foods, but maybe it counts as an activity as well?). Then I turned on the local news to watch the show.

This morning, I went out to check on the shopping frenzy at the local grocery store. It wasn’t a frenzy. Everyone was calm and shopping. Like any day at 11 a.m. (a note about price gouging: call the watchdog phone number if you see price gouging. It’s illegal to profiteer off of a situation like a hurricane. Sheesh.), just with hurricane shutters going up.

14563585_10154539848069618_2250615844766550418_nNow, I hope we don’t lose electricity. I have blogging to do!

The Little Merman

img_3669Everyone outside of Denmark has their image of the Disney mermaid but, in reality, the little mermaid is quite different. Mostly, tourists find her to be much smaller than they expected. And now, just to confuse things even more, there’s a new merman in town.

Specifically, he’s up in Helsingor (Elsinore, where Hamlet’s castle is located according to Shakespeare), and he’s a lot shinier than the little mermaid. Otherwise, he’s a good reflection (yup, he’s shiny) of the old gal down in Copenhagen. Plus, his location is much better for photo-ops.

img_3811

Best Massage in Bogota

Some things are difficult to find in Bogota. Thai massage is one of them. The closest one gets is from Alvaro Silva. His phone number is 314-357-6656. Email address is sinergia79@gmail.com. His massages are 90 minutes long and cost 150,000 pesos. (Massage therapists don’t usually receive tips, and some refuse, so that’s the set price.)  Alvaro does Thai-, hot rock-, pressure point-, oil-, and Swedish massage. Plus, he also offers other wellness products like personal training sessions and exercise classes.

His massages are usually done on the floor on yoga mats (so he can pretzel your legs and arms) but he also uses a massage table if you have one. Only caveat with Alvaro is that he doesn’t speak English. It’s still easy to communicate with him and he can usually tell where you are in pain. Another thing that I like about him is that he doesn’t talk during the massage (unless you want to) and he doesn’t keep checking on how you like the session (I usually play music from a relaxation app on my phone so I tend to zone out and concentrate). Sometimes I wish that I had booked more than one massage because he’s spent the whole 90 minutes unknotting my back.IMG_2716

Most hotels have spas so one can get massages in fancy environments. I’ve only tried a few massage therapists and spas in Colombia. As this is Bogota, you can get the massage therapist to come to your house. The style of massage in Colombia seems to be mainly “Swedish.” I prefer pressure point and deep tissue. The other massages I’ve had here cost about half the price of Alvaro’s, but they were also only half as good. Most of the other massages involved lots of oil and Swedish style (light sweeping strokes). But, some people don’t agree with me and tell me that they get strong massages from other therapists (but each person has a different level of pressure that they like — one person’s pain is another person’s so-so).

My advice is to try them out and see which one you like.