January 2008
25 posts
Down to Salinas and Back to Guayaquil
I woke up in Montañita around 9:00 AM, I grabbed a quick breakfast and headed to the bus stop. A bus would pass by every 5 minutes, so I did not wait long. I asked the officer to let me know when we were in “Manglaralto”, high Manglar (Manglar is a local tree that grows in swamps and seashores. Manglaralto is a fishermen town, is small and there is nor much to do. Its only attraction...
Surf Town
The trip down to Montañita (little mountain) was 4 hours long, and as the trips before, we travel through beach towns, and small villages, picking and dropping many passengers along the way. Rocio nursed her hung over along the coast at 60 miles an hour. I was enjoying the ever changing seascapes, from rocky beaches and high cliffs to sandy and relaxing beaches full of coconut trees. By sundown...
Party Town
In Manta City, after dropping our backpacks in a local hotel, we got ready to party. I have never been in Manta, having that arrogance that people from bigger cities has toward smaller ones, I was expecting just a few bars, nothing that noticeable. We asked in the front desk were to go and we were told to head 2 blocks north and one west until Flavio Ruiz Ave., all the bars were be there. We...
From Bahia to Manta...
The following morning, we got up around 9:00 am, I was expecting a massive hung over, but I was fine. I guess that all the fruit juices mixed with the vodka, helped with the alcohol. We hunting from breakfast. The girl at the front desk told us that right next door there was a good restaurant. We order some comfort breakfast food: Bolones de Verde con Queso, Huevo frito & Cafe Negro, black...
The Sun Trail
Last night, my friend Rocio and me left Guayaquil around midnight. We are planning on starting our trip from the north of Ecuador and work our way down back to Guayaquil, following the coast. This route is called “La Ruta del Sol”, The Sun Trail. The ticket to Esmeraldas, our first destination, cost us $9 each, and it last 8 hours. We travel overnight, we tried to sleep in the bus,...
The Sun Trail, Part II
After leaving the little coby whole we rented in Atacames, Rocio and I asked around where to take a bus that would take us to Pedernales, the next stop in the sun trail. A local told us that to travel to Pedernales, we have to take a bus that would take us to Chamanga, and then transfer to a a bus to Pedernales. In Ecuador, you do not need to be at the bus terminal to take a bus, neither you need...
Oh, Guayaquil City.
Walking to my grandmother´s house, who lives 3 blocks away from my dad´s house, I take in the world full of memories that I left.From the street market down the block, full of fresh produce & meat, fish and alive chicken to the bakery right next to he pharmacy. All this sights and smells rush memories of my childhood. And mostly everything is still there.The bakery up the block from where I...
Traveling Pains
SO I made it to Guayaquil! It only took me an extra 5 hours than schedule. The food was still bad and little, and there are so many times you can watch the SAME movie being played over and over again. (Ratatouille) To be fair, there was no delay in New York, the delay was in Miami, the plane was schedule to leave at 4:30 but we left at 9:00 PM. Something to do about waiting for a delayed...
Psicologically Prepared...
Today I travel to Ecuador. I am psicologically prepare to endure long lines, slow people, rude security guards, delays of at least 1 hour in each airport, bad food and no in-fly movie. I could have use my miles to upgrade to first class, but there was a sub-charge of $300 to do that, WHAT THA HELL!! that defeat the purpose of saving my miles for an upgrade!. On the good side, the ticket only cost...
Traveling Dream
I dream of aliens, Weird aliens, their “thing” to take over the planet, was to remove the top of pointy buildings, like the empire state or he Chrysler building, also the steeples of churches. Also, there were trying to pass by humans with bad disguises. I saw some really bad wigs out there. Another thing was to remove of trash cans from the street corners. I do not see point to...
“Great minds talk about ideas, average minds talk about things, and small minds...”
– Michael Alvear, Cruise Director at Manhunt
“You don’t know what you like, you like what you know”
– Paul Tanner
Dramatic meal
Last night at Puccini, I had a very dramatic moment over meat. This European lady walks in and orders a Brucetta and Mignon steak medium rare. We were in the middle of a rush with deliveries, so the food was not coming as fast as we wished. She got her first dish, and I after she finished I talked a little with her: Me: Did you lied it? Her: It is not Bruscetta, I would think that and Italian...
How Does The Show Go On?
Yesterday me and Oliver went to see a presentation by Mr. Thomas Schumacer (Hi Tom!) at The Times Center. The presentation was about Mr. Schumacher new book, How Does the Show Goes On. I got the book some time ago, and I finished reading it in 2 days! It is REALLY good, and easy to read… (available at Amazon.com). But, seeing the author talk about its book it is a another experience. There...
Tuxedos Vs. Jeans
Last night I went to the opening of the Broadway show, “The LIttle Mermaid”. I have seen the show before, and I think is AWESOME. After the show, there as a reception at Roseland. Funny, last time I was a Roseland, I was wearing a very tight pair of latex pants and I was topless (Black Party) It was interesting to see the people that ware there. There was people dress over the top:...
Final Grades - Fall 2007
Advertising Copywritting A Concept Development B+ Advance Typography A Broadcasting Design A That B+ is a bitch, because the same teacher was my boss at the Abingdon Theatre, so, on top of homework at school, I was doing design work at the office!.
“Crime is a bitch, but they are bitchier!”
– Comedy Central’s Reno 911
My enemies...
Enemy - Someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else… (Wiktionary.org) We all have some kind of enemies. Enemies are not good, and, in a perfect word, the concept of “enemies” will not exist. But at some level, enemies are necessary. Having an enemy, almost like having a friend, make us strong. A friend encourages...
New Year Resolutions... so far...
Learn how to play the piano Go to the gym at least 4 times a week. Get a real job (I never really considered waiting tables a real job) Learn how to play the guitar (that will be a though one, specially because I don have a guitar.) Get a guitar. Get the the next iPhone (Version 2.0) Travel to Rome. (or Florence, or Venice) Visit my friend Anthony (He lives in London) Jump of a plane (with a...
Snowday! Not really...
My brother and I got ready last night to hit the slopes at Mountain Creek all day today. We made our research about how to get there, at what time the bus leaves, temperature report, and how many trails were open at the resort. We set alarms to 6:00 am, so we could catch the only bus to Mountain Creek that leaves at 7:30 AM from The Port Authority Bus Terminar. We got to the bus terminal, got...
“So, this guy broke up with his girlfriend, all over the Chicken Parmigiana”
– Last night at Puccini
Happy New Year!
I had a very quiet new year’s celebration. I spend the morning at my apartment, practicing piano and getting ready for work. We were all very excited about New Year’s Eve at work, we had no idea how it will go, so everybody was ready for a late, late night. I got to Puccini at 4:00 and got it ready rather quickly, I wanted to eat before the rush started. The restaurant open at 5:00 and we waited…...