Welcome to Quito, can I have your purse?

Today did not start out on the most positive note. After doing some online flight research it looked as though there are no flights to Bolivia for less than $600. Pablo and I walked to his travel agent who confirmed, that is seems impossible to fly to La Paz for a reasonable price. It looks like I will need to take an overnight 11 hr bus from Quito to Tumbes, Peru. Then I will cross the boarder and take a taxi to the airport in hopes that they will have a cheap domestic flight to Cuzco, Peru where I would then take another bus to meet Nikki and Anna in Copacabana, Bolivia. I have bought the bus ticket so now just need to do some research on how to cross the boarder, making sure this will be a safe undertaking.

After all of this I decided to take a bus to Old Town, here in Quito. The public buses in Ecuador are much different then any other buses I have been on. Just the bus stops and ticket system was a challenge to figure out. Once on the bus they are so full that I could see how easy it would be to get pick-pocketed. After getting off in Old Town I started to wander. I had a map but did not have any sort of destination, just wanted to see the sites of this old city built centuries ago by indigenous artisans and laborers. The town is bustling, it appears as though no one in Quito works because the streets were packed. Street vendors were present at every turn yelling about the very random items they were selling (toothbrushes, homemade pop siclkles, batteries and q-tips to name a few) and I was impressed by the number of police officers that were stationed at every corner blowing their whistles. Another impressive site is the number of shoe-shinners. It was unbelievable. Small kids wander the streets trying to convince you your shoes need a polish while shoe-shine stations line every street.

As I wandered around taking pictures and people watching I suddenly saw the guardian angle of Quito appear in the skyline. This huge statue of an angle overlooking the city seemed like a perfect photo opp so I wandered down the street to get a better view. I had my eyes set on the guardian angle and did not notice that I was getting further from the bustling streets and further from those whistling police officers. Next thing I know I turn around and a teenage boy had grabbed my arm and was yanking my camera out of my hand. I shoved him off of me and gave him a good whack as I yelled and made a run for it. It was a close call but I made it out with my camera and my purse. After that little run in I was more careful than ever with my purse and was ready to get the heck out of Old Town.

feliz fiesta de fin de año

Last night was the first Wednesday in January, do you know what that means? The first Wednesday night Salsa night of the year. According to my couch surfing host, Pablo, in order to start the new year off on the "right" foot we had to move our feet to the Salsa rhythm!

I arrived in the Quito airport at 1:45 pm and Pablo was there waiting for me, along with a friend from NYC who works for a volunteer organization here in Ecuador called ProEcuador. She was at the airport picking up Michael (who just so happened to be sitting next to me on the flight). Michael is a NYU student here doing volunteer work for 2 weeks during his break. After an adventurous ride through Quito to the bus stop where we would leave Kate and Michael we arrived at Pablo's casa. A nice 2 bedroom apartment right in the center of New Town, I was excited to learn that I would have a room to myself rather than the couch!

After a much needed nap Pablo's friends started arriving for the fiesta. As soon as I woke up I started feeling the affects of the high altitude (Quito is almost 10,000 feet above sea level) and I knew I needed to drink lots of water. Snacks and rum and coke (alternating with a glass of water between each drink) was a great way to get ready for a full night of dancing.

The bustling streets of New Town are just a few footsteps away from Pablo's door. Since he is a regular at this particular salsa club (Aguijon) we were able to skip the line and get right to the dance floor. I really felt like I had walked straight onto a movie scene...Dirty Dancing Havana Nights possibly...

The dancing was insane and a few minutes after arriving Pablo introduced me to his friend who is conveniently a salsa teacher as well. Miraculously he was able to quickly teach me a few basic moves. Each dance partner i had throughout the night would teach me a few more until i felt like an expert, although a simple glance around the room made me realize that i looked like a complete fool and was far from an expert (the fact that i was wearing jeans and tennis shoes did not help the situation! BUT, the locals insisted I did to prevent my feet from getting stomped on in my sandals!).

After 3 straight hours of salsa we moved on to an American bar across the street called Bungalow. Here we danced to more familiar songs with a few salsa classics thrown in the mix. Everyone I met was very friendly and I could not have wished for a better welcome to South America!

Up in the Air

4:30 am wake up call.

5 minute quick change into yesterdays clothes (I didnt want to unpack backpack!).

30 minute drive to Miami International Airport.

1 hour standing in the wrong Copa Airline check in line.

3 hour flight to Panama.

And here I am sitting in the Panama City Airport surrounding by a much too familiar smell- a smell that made me loath going to Greetings & Readings when I was a kid, a smell that causes me to go out of the way to get my morning Starbucks in Baltimore- the smell of Subway!

Besides this familiar smell I feel pretty far removed from home and from my comfort zone. This feeling started before I even left the States, in the Miami airport I was the only native English speaker in the Copa Airline check in line. While standing in that line I realized I better get used to being surrounded by an unfamiliar language. But now as I sit in Panama I feel a little bit further from home, now English is not the second language spoken, it is the only language spoken.

I am camped out at gate 19 next to a snoring man whose feet keep getting closer and closer to my lap. Across from me is a native Andean family in traditional dress. The men have long pony tails of black hair, calf-length white pants, rope sandals, navy blue poncho's and dark felt top hats. The women have beautifully wrinkled skin, embroidered blouses, folded head scarves, long black skirts, layered beads around their necks and red string bracelets line their wrists. These are just the type of people I have read about in my guide book and that I hoped to see when I visit Otavalo.

Time to board the flight, let the adventure begin!

Being Europe??

You may be wondering where we disappeared to and why the heck we never finished our 100 things list. Well, this little thing called summer seemed to sneak up on us. Before we knew it our European vacation had arrived and we were whisked away from our 100 things list to Portugal and England. But we are back in action!

As nice as it is to get out of town in the summer, there is also plenty to do in Baltimore during June, July and August. Outdoor movies pop up across town from Federal Hill to Little Italy, the harbor becomes clustered with boat parties, Ram's Head heats up with free outdoor concerts, the music of the Counting Crows and Beach Boys echo across the harbor from Pier 6 and crowds fill Baltimore's newest summer craze- the Tiki Barge. Michelle and I plan to take part in all Baltimore's favorite summer activities and from now until labor day and we promise to fill you in all along the way!

Andy Nelson's Barbeque

It just isn't summer until you have had that perfect BBQ sandwich. Whether you prefer the pork, turkey or beef, you can't go wrong with Andy Nelson's.

The side dishes are as good as the sandwiches. The baked beans are delicious but spicy so watch out. The cornbread is a nice sweet way to end a spicy meal and the potato wedges are good too. Don't miss the wide variety of sauces (the yellow one is my favorite) that you can put on your sandwich or buy a whole bottle of.

Andy Nelson is a hometown hero who played for the Baltimore Colts from 1957-1963. For football fans there is some neat memorabilia hanging on the walls. After retiring from football, Andy and his wife started this popular BBQ spot in Cockeysville that has expanded recently to include outside seating.

The also offer catering and family size side dishes if you want to enjoy the food elsewhere.

Summer Snowball

Nothing says summer in Baltimore like a stop to your favorite snowball stand. Our favorite is without a doubt Snoasis. Their location on Padonia Rd is easy to get to (they are apparently no longer located on Falls Rd).

The typical snowball stand has about a dozen flavors and thickly chopped ice. While when it it 90 degrees outside just about any snowball will do it is worth the trip to Timonium to get the best in town. They have about 50 flavors ranging from strawberry colada (my current favorite) to white russian and everything in between. They have traditional flavors but I highly recommend the premium flavors which are what set this stand apart from the rest. Make sure you don't forget the marshmallow when you order, that is what makes it a real Baltimore snowball! They also feature freshly squeezed lemonade and ice cream if you are not in the mood for a snowball.

While snowballs from any roadside stand are a Baltimore tradition, snoasis is the one that we have found that really seems to do it just right. They even have picnic tables with tikki style umbrellas to keep the sun off of you snowball as you are eating.

Down The Ocean, Hon!

For many Baltimoreans Memorial Day weekend is unofficial start to summer and what better way to celebrate than with a trip to the Ocean. The Ocean we are talking about here is Ocean City, Hon!

We have been going to Ocean City, Maryland since we were born. Like many Baltimore families, both of our Grandparents had condos at the beach so this was our annual family vacation. As we got older our parents started taking us on vacations to the Outer Banks, Caribbean and Europe but once a summer we would still take a trip down to Ocean City. Although you can't quite compare Ocean City to some of the world's best beaches that we have travelled to (Saint Tropez, Trunk Bay on St. John, Shoal Bay East in Anguilla, Santorini and the list goes on) but there is something special about Coastal Highway and those 146 streets filled with high rise condos that holds a special place in our hearts!

Emmy and I at our table in the bay!

We have to give credit to Laura, Laura and Alissa for saving this table all day long!

The scene at Seacrets Sunday of Memorial Day!

There are many classic Ocean City activities to do while at the beach, we selected just a few to highlight on this blog. For our family a trip to the beach would not be complete without a visit to Dumser's Dairyland. This old-fashion style ice cream parlor has been serving it's loyal customers since 1939. The tin ceilings, high back booth's and ice cream counter service compliment the delicious ice cream!

Grandmom enjoying her rootbeer float!

If you are looking for a party look no further than 49th Street and the Bay. Seacret's is definitely a place to visit at least once. I think I have about had my fill of the party on the bay, but I am glad I experienced it! In order to get one of the floating rafts or water tables you better get to Seacret's early- by about 11am. The crowd will come in throughout the day and by mid afternoon the bikini contests and DJ's will be in full swing. Hundreds of partiers gather along the bay with drinks such as the "Pain in the Ass" (a mix of frozen margarita and strawberry daiquiri) in hand. Seacret's is the perfect place to watch the big orange sun slowly drift into the bay, but be mistaken, the party at Seacrets does not stop when the sun goes down. With dozens of separate party rooms, stages and dance floors you really will feel like you are in a whole different world.

A trip to the beach would not be complete without at least one visit to Fisher's popcorn. Long before you get to this boardwalk staple you will smell the sweet buttery aroma of their famous popcorn. I usually make a stop to Fishers on my way home- the carmel goodness of this popcorn makes leaving the beach a little bit easier to handle. Another driving home staple- Dolle's saltwater taffy! Some may prefer Candy Kitchen, but to me Dolle's makes the best taffy in Ocean City. Since 1910 Dolle's has been making its salt water taffy on premise. You can find Dolle's both on the boardwalk and on 120th street.

There are a few other OC classic's that we will get to on our next trip to Ocean City, June 18th!