tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315703672024-02-07T14:06:32.281-06:00Abstrakkt TravelsJulia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-3617863617366438502016-10-30T17:39:00.000-06:002016-10-30T18:20:49.977-06:00Coffee and culture in Bogotá (...but mostly coffee)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I slipped out of our East Lansing apartment while Geronimo was asleep. It’s not difficult to do. He’s a heavy sleeper.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMqUZCCZgOUyBX7gJQdoxplv08IgTFK-wvWGzipMAaeWuOS4VBpSA3wxC-27ZXtky0-TACXKOCzdzYTiFa4mZpP_Zr9Klecof24ycXcfEx4JQe0XvkfmqlWZZNz-_U2EJruGCkQ/s1600/IMG_4638+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMqUZCCZgOUyBX7gJQdoxplv08IgTFK-wvWGzipMAaeWuOS4VBpSA3wxC-27ZXtky0-TACXKOCzdzYTiFa4mZpP_Zr9Klecof24ycXcfEx4JQe0XvkfmqlWZZNz-_U2EJruGCkQ/s320/IMG_4638+3.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">I was on my way to Bogota to see Julia. Yes, this Julia. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNVMGadI8u2Ya_nZ8KcQy5O8npHbK-nohN1rkK1SnPyorCyurjElEU0_-aRc8Gp7TaZHD2ilvPYuipFMZ2lnjz8k3EJB5cNUR6xhkhfWRZlUa3KiBR4uikNuR7K_kKO5b8jdUXQ/s1600/IMG_4726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNVMGadI8u2Ya_nZ8KcQy5O8npHbK-nohN1rkK1SnPyorCyurjElEU0_-aRc8Gp7TaZHD2ilvPYuipFMZ2lnjz8k3EJB5cNUR6xhkhfWRZlUa3KiBR4uikNuR7K_kKO5b8jdUXQ/s320/IMG_4726.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It had been six weeks since we had last seen each other, so it was nice to be together again.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNoIn74Nt0gJUzaodqQTuie1Z54kCXZTyNYRgarKaeVwGRVJYg4_BYDNNRmkhzFVd50hPC1ffr8vYmxBM3umJSTxdZTJ-BWRdxB_82YlX-0OjNs41a8aCTjMXW9uLRTX8txlNOA/s320/IMG_4772.JPG" width="240" /> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bogota is a wonderful city.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTTYAf-P12IJFAw4rmiI3kA-flmHnMb6LyvsFLNV2hVue5uIhpGoUx1BTpfrryANblNPYgI1bsiNUtTAZTRgxjphFNSiabMBaJmf1oHsLnpC7uDyr-6aPQ-FDRFgmNy7UmUF7aQ/s1600/IMG_4809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTTYAf-P12IJFAw4rmiI3kA-flmHnMb6LyvsFLNV2hVue5uIhpGoUx1BTpfrryANblNPYgI1bsiNUtTAZTRgxjphFNSiabMBaJmf1oHsLnpC7uDyr-6aPQ-FDRFgmNy7UmUF7aQ/s320/IMG_4809.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We ate. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99biHsmRIc1YOE2NSvwvbC1KB3afIQnaH_UO0yKWob-my2doWUOjvl8-3zBUc45XauHfu7bIuUUk-Po8got2I6GHkXkIFTV5hI4GXrIYKVfD_G9wjrtJoyN2268ZEfRZnVerDug/s1600/IMG_4834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99biHsmRIc1YOE2NSvwvbC1KB3afIQnaH_UO0yKWob-my2doWUOjvl8-3zBUc45XauHfu7bIuUUk-Po8got2I6GHkXkIFTV5hI4GXrIYKVfD_G9wjrtJoyN2268ZEfRZnVerDug/s320/IMG_4834.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlF-AhRzKjvE8JPuoKQ22dkJn75IEVXkfJjOXdbBiJhLsYCKjQPX2E1sqtNa3gB1NVtczyDPZPMSMAyWVzKeSSdM0ogi5dzlQKYcTfaSn7vsy4suj0Xg49Z6Bu7Js7gaDtSmQ1w/s1600/IMG_4829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlF-AhRzKjvE8JPuoKQ22dkJn75IEVXkfJjOXdbBiJhLsYCKjQPX2E1sqtNa3gB1NVtczyDPZPMSMAyWVzKeSSdM0ogi5dzlQKYcTfaSn7vsy4suj0Xg49Z6Bu7Js7gaDtSmQ1w/s320/IMG_4829.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Everything was delicious. Except for the one time Julia mistakenly ordered fish loaf. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">[no photo available. you're welcome]</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We biked. Some of the main streets are closed to traffic on Sundays. It was a great way to get to know the city.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDCJBoeEIxWGXlJRW6-S6BDtP7Bh8fFHA-r2EkQb08QA18_ELujZbUMw4sj1ITnBYE5oOZM_LkkmeB7mi9x5zTB4_i6cMQQZTwz6XJB1qZ-urce8zzGFeaAw9Vp-ZJ0hPceja8A/s1600/IMG_4799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDCJBoeEIxWGXlJRW6-S6BDtP7Bh8fFHA-r2EkQb08QA18_ELujZbUMw4sj1ITnBYE5oOZM_LkkmeB7mi9x5zTB4_i6cMQQZTwz6XJB1qZ-urce8zzGFeaAw9Vp-ZJ0hPceja8A/s320/IMG_4799.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HNrETlGKbTInXNTfjFqOqZB3P5KsNOaQ7UBTnfyjcJeg336ttP3xwKLOFOHWdgdWcszClS1v4Gips3uNwjKqPKRMiQRIoDGpCNY_-gqT5OiWdVutaRoUUk9J7ZivQdGYIeG4iw/s1600/IMG_4790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HNrETlGKbTInXNTfjFqOqZB3P5KsNOaQ7UBTnfyjcJeg336ttP3xwKLOFOHWdgdWcszClS1v4Gips3uNwjKqPKRMiQRIoDGpCNY_-gqT5OiWdVutaRoUUk9J7ZivQdGYIeG4iw/s320/IMG_4790.JPG" width="240" /></a><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPOw0BZdaJHIDEI6jQgRnozOWYktM5euno2-yg0h384njwZvQQC2ZGx_avekofiYkvHyo-iyDhC73eb7XNfiBNUt8r0IAZEA_UBNBqyk4WS4zfU9f-_wTgua_2Wa6kd6s3srYfw/s1600/IMG_4802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPOw0BZdaJHIDEI6jQgRnozOWYktM5euno2-yg0h384njwZvQQC2ZGx_avekofiYkvHyo-iyDhC73eb7XNfiBNUt8r0IAZEA_UBNBqyk4WS4zfU9f-_wTgua_2Wa6kd6s3srYfw/s320/IMG_4802.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We hung out at cool coffee shops.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXjOdryTgOgbEGu7husHO37nLsPiIYzeW849ZCtUDo9AMjvpF-hejJzY6hyphenhyphenP-UVFJmvDkhIbIvU5qMmOceW-D_9dl3lq-THBFygluwMxv08SR5npJhks6acQ1hFDCKFq3xXC8nQ/s1600/IMG_4819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXjOdryTgOgbEGu7husHO37nLsPiIYzeW849ZCtUDo9AMjvpF-hejJzY6hyphenhyphenP-UVFJmvDkhIbIvU5qMmOceW-D_9dl3lq-THBFygluwMxv08SR5npJhks6acQ1hFDCKFq3xXC8nQ/s320/IMG_4819.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">We celebrated Colombian arts and culture (e.g., outdoor artworks, Botero Museum, National Museum, Modern Family reruns).</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdB3x1HNROrgftYEw1BbubxPdwwW95Y7l5FxuKT_lRXMlGw98rwzodMAKaSZYzBHRP1BHlYnYmT23mFL3Othf9tmhPTkqt7ObDktZgvzJP0xrETe3TvnQdZYDn02KzYscb0G6ag/s1600/IMG_4729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdB3x1HNROrgftYEw1BbubxPdwwW95Y7l5FxuKT_lRXMlGw98rwzodMAKaSZYzBHRP1BHlYnYmT23mFL3Othf9tmhPTkqt7ObDktZgvzJP0xrETe3TvnQdZYDn02KzYscb0G6ag/s320/IMG_4729.JPG" width="240" /></a> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILRnsTjZnSTj0ppBquA6nlwjPld23rqCa5RvxetoZt7nc0VLXgmZ7oqDpr3i6AO5_hbVZCTMHHNKc2gdvOZhsMPRknECr3yHdM9PIpaniJPn9qqwxf-pItm2DOYRZ5MKwFdDe3A/s1600/IMG_4841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILRnsTjZnSTj0ppBquA6nlwjPld23rqCa5RvxetoZt7nc0VLXgmZ7oqDpr3i6AO5_hbVZCTMHHNKc2gdvOZhsMPRknECr3yHdM9PIpaniJPn9qqwxf-pItm2DOYRZ5MKwFdDe3A/s320/IMG_4841.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDtETiXmNd5vUfTBxsoRZp40sWzxS-DkccoVULZl6X2QBVXG0LADToumAguyx5bgwyxvAXHzEbJcf0gz7sGKRqMlAnL7EUaIgEfIvOJtrwjnKPZeNBQ4tChEx_h2Kucp4sMmGIg/s1600/IMG_4777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDtETiXmNd5vUfTBxsoRZp40sWzxS-DkccoVULZl6X2QBVXG0LADToumAguyx5bgwyxvAXHzEbJcf0gz7sGKRqMlAnL7EUaIgEfIvOJtrwjnKPZeNBQ4tChEx_h2Kucp4sMmGIg/s320/IMG_4777.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHk-cksy3zPuXYqklUwV19QnplF-RRwQ2lstfYH3vkgRP-6BSV7bBkKd0uXyXZZ0GMloXr8tNuNoEggYdMrDHaD9ehfCyNJt5MmEY5j7rcSEIt0GjzQvJxJsy90pRitwtfIbu5Q/s1600/IMG_4832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHk-cksy3zPuXYqklUwV19QnplF-RRwQ2lstfYH3vkgRP-6BSV7bBkKd0uXyXZZ0GMloXr8tNuNoEggYdMrDHaD9ehfCyNJt5MmEY5j7rcSEIt0GjzQvJxJsy90pRitwtfIbu5Q/s320/IMG_4832.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">I gave a fake lecture at the Gabriel Garcia Marquez Cultural Center that went over better than expected.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU19GEr7TUuBavE-2VIUWCHWa4odUoc8F3ZizJojmcOlqPi8S3LiVkdGQ3ryLdvayTQeF9UVTCGMX-mL_FCQZ6n3JjQNTzsvsHh5qIetkwZnmEY2SnMhaDPuBF-I2MZo8z-iAKoA/s320/IMG_4737.JPG" width="320" /> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bogota is a great city. It's an interesting, walkable, caffeine-driven city. And yes, it's safe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I returned home to a wide awake Geronimo.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3F6A6qqHUdzCLAhst1mkuDgwEa-9shKGVTBcgIdoERj04CeovuJIrjiYQeDkJdWxZ4EZLV259OFdjfh3tgEMDeA-aL1gHLSCccXcwapgD5p1_c-taCQckdaWZOxW55hxzkRwzmQ/s1600/IMG_4849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3F6A6qqHUdzCLAhst1mkuDgwEa-9shKGVTBcgIdoERj04CeovuJIrjiYQeDkJdWxZ4EZLV259OFdjfh3tgEMDeA-aL1gHLSCccXcwapgD5p1_c-taCQckdaWZOxW55hxzkRwzmQ/s320/IMG_4849.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I decided not to tell him that we had met another cat.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyLxR46oB6orkax88j3tu6HlIgW0AWtr3nUOYXvkKbTI9h0GM0q__cokNgkHJ9EOm4xejjgLVjLEpT_fqlKDwS5iIUPZyjEVPoTyG3lWNeJIaavhxcNClwk18A1NMhHIZr2u54A/s1600/IMG_4743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyLxR46oB6orkax88j3tu6HlIgW0AWtr3nUOYXvkKbTI9h0GM0q__cokNgkHJ9EOm4xejjgLVjLEpT_fqlKDwS5iIUPZyjEVPoTyG3lWNeJIaavhxcNClwk18A1NMhHIZr2u54A/s1600/IMG_4743.JPG" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(Thanks Ann for taking care of GMO while I was gone.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>This guest blog was brought to you by Brian.</i></span></h4>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-26954117539135903412016-10-21T09:07:00.000-06:002016-10-21T09:08:18.498-06:00Gringolandia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My last week and a half in Ecuador was split between two cities: Cuenca and Guayaquil. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First - Cuenca. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jNb9GINJDIFSLwj9g5t_qyk1QbkI-AHlpWH1LxKM6uxztNUFHu7tdnnjgnWdfLEzJbU2WBGTJ6LHSk_IClhzLFcvUGoPWkzAn97WnLnLjXClMtWYPcJppEB3Oek6EpOvu67zyQ/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1a0a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jNb9GINJDIFSLwj9g5t_qyk1QbkI-AHlpWH1LxKM6uxztNUFHu7tdnnjgnWdfLEzJbU2WBGTJ6LHSk_IClhzLFcvUGoPWkzAn97WnLnLjXClMtWYPcJppEB3Oek6EpOvu67zyQ/s400/fullsizeoutput_1a0a.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFD9ZEUu4SYEgtFH1THr5qMX6pw0sctqdkBsPG1EsTdqdZx6-SeCOEYkqFUBQchjXB5oEE_8_P5im4VFBl2yapzmHkS5c0BkacYanK8PYoJmdh-mZk6i7ao_2bxzhDdq1bk3Y1Q/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1a02.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFD9ZEUu4SYEgtFH1THr5qMX6pw0sctqdkBsPG1EsTdqdZx6-SeCOEYkqFUBQchjXB5oEE_8_P5im4VFBl2yapzmHkS5c0BkacYanK8PYoJmdh-mZk6i7ao_2bxzhDdq1bk3Y1Q/s400/fullsizeoutput_1a02.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I got a haircut in Cuenca</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?-->
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cuenca is beautiful city in the southern part of Ecuador. It’s so pretty that it has attracted a fair number of expats to settle there. There is an especially large number of American retirees. (Brian shared <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-peddicord/best-places-to-retire-overseas_b_5440999.html">this article</a> outlining the reasons for the large number of retirees in Cuenca.) The good thing about the large American community is that Cuenca is full of creature comforts that I could appreciate after more than a month of traveling in Ecuador. For example, I indulged in a day at the spa.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYaQy1q5vMxaZY05XYhkWQK1n_pVIZ1c3ieZBEkgP5krK0-d9a1xKPiEF4gCVqSGf-omLg0sjzePuMUBTOGxSjmYFuHbBycv22BaakbFHmgq6r1liHobfag7IHyBxdJCXw6bQqQ/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1a07.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYaQy1q5vMxaZY05XYhkWQK1n_pVIZ1c3ieZBEkgP5krK0-d9a1xKPiEF4gCVqSGf-omLg0sjzePuMUBTOGxSjmYFuHbBycv22BaakbFHmgq6r1liHobfag7IHyBxdJCXw6bQqQ/s400/fullsizeoutput_1a07.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Piedra de Agua spa - notice the mud baths</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7E960n4ygmn_eEbCDAGzAc4RoiT8Z2Bex__kD5tIJ1lOsLVgY-HPUBJz5d21gPQ7BRAbvJ47cv1N4V96TJJdX_oKNUC5AAYEsPuYQzMKXOZPzbWu4L8xv1Qew-Uzs_QjJFNuog/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1a08.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7E960n4ygmn_eEbCDAGzAc4RoiT8Z2Bex__kD5tIJ1lOsLVgY-HPUBJz5d21gPQ7BRAbvJ47cv1N4V96TJJdX_oKNUC5AAYEsPuYQzMKXOZPzbWu4L8xv1Qew-Uzs_QjJFNuog/s400/fullsizeoutput_1a08.jpeg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Have you ever heard of a steam box? I hadn’t.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?-->
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One day I took a trip to Ingapirca, which used to be an important stop along the old Inca trail.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgNytdlft9BIufw2qOSlCpdgx-sFKyMYsb_I0XAfffmkOKOj5XZ43PesPXQonbDJjY6YMAnh0LWHvtTWrNRRhaSt64HzOxzYJ-V-p4lB8FKA3PE4-S0QCRJfwGILxxiuQwMPpBg/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1a04.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgNytdlft9BIufw2qOSlCpdgx-sFKyMYsb_I0XAfffmkOKOj5XZ43PesPXQonbDJjY6YMAnh0LWHvtTWrNRRhaSt64HzOxzYJ-V-p4lB8FKA3PE4-S0QCRJfwGILxxiuQwMPpBg/s400/fullsizeoutput_1a04.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This Ecuadorean woman was also a tourist at Ingapirca. Throughout Ecuador it’s not uncommon to see locals dressed in traditional clothing.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LBSf9RFjylPXtANUZBGwOEhLXuS2E0DxN4z5wZOuD3St3mdXVKhgUyaXxaTXC8533Wg4A7RMRrhUXm9RHrKfJQERSCyyGjR_1Z8az6wJaUq9X-X7wya6YLemhk-gC9ciSTvfqw/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1a06.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LBSf9RFjylPXtANUZBGwOEhLXuS2E0DxN4z5wZOuD3St3mdXVKhgUyaXxaTXC8533Wg4A7RMRrhUXm9RHrKfJQERSCyyGjR_1Z8az6wJaUq9X-X7wya6YLemhk-gC9ciSTvfqw/s400/fullsizeoutput_1a06.jpeg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They call this rock Face of the Inca. Can you see the face?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqEYS61P_UhFtZNqJxuuyRFwLO3X2OLphYqm1r8siKXpgDpxwAaeZxffNA9YEfC5Ysbv4Uwm9Zn4qZVPvZKlpHUZCmsElHuXZ9RI4AJ85PLqQI80Tl3qV4GFq6xEkG1CCWfUO8A/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1a01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqEYS61P_UhFtZNqJxuuyRFwLO3X2OLphYqm1r8siKXpgDpxwAaeZxffNA9YEfC5Ysbv4Uwm9Zn4qZVPvZKlpHUZCmsElHuXZ9RI4AJ85PLqQI80Tl3qV4GFq6xEkG1CCWfUO8A/s400/fullsizeoutput_1a01.jpeg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On a different day I took a trip to Cajas National Park, which has over 1,000 lakes <i>in the park</i> (how many does Minnesota have again?). Its beauty is almost surreal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?-->
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVDzgyv78NSkgpaFZxde1e-KwZ8VhSRJAT530nnxLmPq1GUyo9V7i1ocFMthX_eOGWBemm95e_oVPown6EHdU2SDG6IwhJ13dvaQQXGCPpK30FfV-uD92TSQs5abPLvGD7-Ty2g/s1600/fullsizeoutput_19fb.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVDzgyv78NSkgpaFZxde1e-KwZ8VhSRJAT530nnxLmPq1GUyo9V7i1ocFMthX_eOGWBemm95e_oVPown6EHdU2SDG6IwhJ13dvaQQXGCPpK30FfV-uD92TSQs5abPLvGD7-Ty2g/s400/fullsizeoutput_19fb.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBYhcIVOfsmzU6UTOMxwop_pC2k1CHzvgcwCm1nPxjFjkSpYGzDMcNBFYK9IAyied8HrdpxAQ4fr7rIjV6OFkfZZgz3pUJpH1RZhzAo7gnUCugPrOfl0m9aM0FjWOabQ1m_i2vA/s1600/fullsizeoutput_19ff.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBYhcIVOfsmzU6UTOMxwop_pC2k1CHzvgcwCm1nPxjFjkSpYGzDMcNBFYK9IAyied8HrdpxAQ4fr7rIjV6OFkfZZgz3pUJpH1RZhzAo7gnUCugPrOfl0m9aM0FjWOabQ1m_i2vA/s400/fullsizeoutput_19ff.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The <i>puya-clava-herculis</i> or Hercules plant</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?-->
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My last three days in Ecuador were spent in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. Guayaquil is pretty much the opposite of Cuenca - near the coast, hot, muggy, and with few tourists (except for a handful who have a layover there on their way to the Galapagos). Hence, <i>not </i>Gringolandia. I splurged on a real hotel in the city center and explored its highlights and also go some extra rest before leaving for Colombia. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIpy0mQcFSDj9tsPu6id6PL76PbEXSqmakx5BO6BtvnwLoSJiYzd3llvKXWWtxeejPjmeg7_49GaBObpuHfuLCOWdqsflz3P8SweaQrkYAdMWlaFAcpDWL3IlldXlhbPi4a3sFw/s1600/fullsizeoutput_19f8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIpy0mQcFSDj9tsPu6id6PL76PbEXSqmakx5BO6BtvnwLoSJiYzd3llvKXWWtxeejPjmeg7_49GaBObpuHfuLCOWdqsflz3P8SweaQrkYAdMWlaFAcpDWL3IlldXlhbPi4a3sFw/s400/fullsizeoutput_19f8.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Guayaquil boardwalk</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6C9TwiqUnEXoW2i6Xh0rQ6Y0rTdkh26o1Lt1-IL-Vb1z97CMZMhFx3xYyCJw3tkZRPjnhTyZAtepTZsaca4yRtw1PwGmRhX76yANEOFnMlWzp5mwarVe4t6C1LxmJp2JWfD_pA/s400/fullsizeoutput_19f7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Guayaquil boardwalk</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDvrwCXm1FLQLsvssKuk-eWwGymSaQdNljvP3u8jNUgBraaWl55BZr8o8E6K9dRAhDf6WtpLnDMwdJjWAr2d08hp_-lKXqI9lWQQh6xXta_DSx0GGFG1GqkDiYuNbwAzT0LkSNw/s400/fullsizeoutput_19f9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Iguana Park" in the middle of Guayaquil</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxz7Dvslat9anJQBcsCiKa7N77AvLiivkaVNyxK0PJTEkohH4gTTbQLgwP9zKf68qwXGD2AqIgBufqbQUfYcJy40Y5Q_KFHhyphenhyphenOoLInlQwWaYsXi-d1MlAkiiAsiCZas77j1qpZhA/s400/fullsizeoutput_19fa.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Iguana Park" in the middle of Guayaquil</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJ72clcpRy2mqrwXVeNV67JvF64LN0F1A2_4IVrlvdX3y-GqhSd1e62SkLWcY4HcMBTh-Ov4oRSypdl2CuKr9SXfOn2J0e3v6JQah5LrRnPGmImte_5w7E6RVjsOg8Cu7Ew08Pg/s1600/fullsizeoutput_19f6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJ72clcpRy2mqrwXVeNV67JvF64LN0F1A2_4IVrlvdX3y-GqhSd1e62SkLWcY4HcMBTh-Ov4oRSypdl2CuKr9SXfOn2J0e3v6JQah5LrRnPGmImte_5w7E6RVjsOg8Cu7Ew08Pg/s400/fullsizeoutput_19f6.jpeg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The top of the hill in the Las Peñas neighborhood</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After 1 month and 19 days, it was finally time for me to leave Ecuador. It may be a small country, but there sure is a lot to see. Thanks, Ecuador, for a great trip!</span></div>
</div>
Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-4055854153470645232016-10-10T21:15:00.000-06:002016-10-10T21:15:48.621-06:00The Cloud Forest of Ecuador<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div>
Everyone has heard of rainforests, but cloud forests are not as well-known. I hadn’t heard of them myself until I came to Ecuador (although there are cloud forests in a number of other countries, such as Costa Rica). I visited the cloud forest in Intag Valley, which is to the northwest of Otavalo. Like rainforests, cloud forests have a lot of biodiversity, but the climate and terrain are different. Cloud forests are at higher elevations than rainforests and, true to their name, they are often cloudy, which leads to dense vegetation and moss hanging from trees, on stones, etc. </div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I stayed at a <a href="http://www.elrefugiocloudforest.com/">lodge in the Intag cloud forest</a> for five days. It is a lovely remote place, run by a retired American teacher named Peter. He and his wife (who wasn't there during my visit) built several cozy and stylish houses and cabins on the property that blend in with the natural surroundings.
<br />
<br />
The cloud forest and lodge are easier to describe with photos than words.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQfXYhZ5CPxYebPZ_YvFjXDPa6yRCAFIjAkEPLfHyUOSVkq91B2Q7uJxeMeu2e4RCQrms440QbGMw4oCsEFE1R14SR2Zcyq9VnulgrhvdMeLANxHeBDdi9rEwbTHoESePhcMUFw/s1600/2016-10-08+15.57.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQfXYhZ5CPxYebPZ_YvFjXDPa6yRCAFIjAkEPLfHyUOSVkq91B2Q7uJxeMeu2e4RCQrms440QbGMw4oCsEFE1R14SR2Zcyq9VnulgrhvdMeLANxHeBDdi9rEwbTHoESePhcMUFw/s400/2016-10-08+15.57.19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gazebo lookout. Note clouds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqD2TKaPKrdbFUOZbmMTyNMsAsiWBC9xtaoJ8fSyMFKpWpQPMVkA_aOIyxbWzV2ieI8MSHVFF8Y6hkcdgdItPg5uTUxv7sDJ-hAPN3m3OZ6pAvAF0wJBmuduxxPktQpvWZ2dW5w/s1600/2016-10-04+16.43.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqD2TKaPKrdbFUOZbmMTyNMsAsiWBC9xtaoJ8fSyMFKpWpQPMVkA_aOIyxbWzV2ieI8MSHVFF8Y6hkcdgdItPg5uTUxv7sDJ-hAPN3m3OZ6pAvAF0wJBmuduxxPktQpvWZ2dW5w/s400/2016-10-04+16.43.32.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cabin where I stayed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV_9ZG6m7V1Xby4H5MHeIGsZEoyXiXhyphenhyphenCuD2RrMFtDpDJL_p8Vr-dO-SQ7CVsRiGyyY1MhTp7zhXZlBUyuv4qXCHM_rLN30DM547BkRrTCVnhFWma_4n16_fb72UkiVapiiD27Q/s1600/2016-10-04+12.10.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV_9ZG6m7V1Xby4H5MHeIGsZEoyXiXhyphenhyphenCuD2RrMFtDpDJL_p8Vr-dO-SQ7CVsRiGyyY1MhTp7zhXZlBUyuv4qXCHM_rLN30DM547BkRrTCVnhFWma_4n16_fb72UkiVapiiD27Q/s400/2016-10-04+12.10.44.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfsUOZatugjLpu-9xjKRTDWLj97q15GxaBmKLRhO-cAveLx8kk1s8XxDOWsoC5iqXtaksvupzyNT9bvZ8DjP-ueV_gbqSjYITlMUS3b6PAllvNmbGpzklIjrFTXPkvPCksg3_7A/s1600/2016-10-04+12.10.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfsUOZatugjLpu-9xjKRTDWLj97q15GxaBmKLRhO-cAveLx8kk1s8XxDOWsoC5iqXtaksvupzyNT9bvZ8DjP-ueV_gbqSjYITlMUS3b6PAllvNmbGpzklIjrFTXPkvPCksg3_7A/s400/2016-10-04+12.10.17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bMk7xLW0_6Waf_ZbhJQEGY9Uoh85GyEZpu45kYHMKhGEnNkvkPeF-1q9lt1u2TCpQdqc7AZs5RVvEc4N8naVAGbTU6XLE82Chig50Kzr_RiGpx5Oej-LuHz5EvMQNNfQrPk06A/s1600/_1610525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bMk7xLW0_6Waf_ZbhJQEGY9Uoh85GyEZpu45kYHMKhGEnNkvkPeF-1q9lt1u2TCpQdqc7AZs5RVvEc4N8naVAGbTU6XLE82Chig50Kzr_RiGpx5Oej-LuHz5EvMQNNfQrPk06A/s400/_1610525.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Path at the lodge (photo credit Peter Joost)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOk7uTVmEvCyhFKtwf9lvB9D5b7DlIeInp6Z5NHojTqxgDlc5xHA2HBQ0iTQlJNM2kcW0hp2XGFljjz308suuwY0klwkBfgipNA8ylAS5iWs7wEx94TqVsaKaQcqutezj9PMZhQ/s1600/2016-10-07+11.27.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOk7uTVmEvCyhFKtwf9lvB9D5b7DlIeInp6Z5NHojTqxgDlc5xHA2HBQ0iTQlJNM2kcW0hp2XGFljjz308suuwY0klwkBfgipNA8ylAS5iWs7wEx94TqVsaKaQcqutezj9PMZhQ/s400/2016-10-07+11.27.15.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toki the dog on "Brooklyn Bridge" (Peter is a New Yorker)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXY-qPAnhVBLX2wxbNJbeqSwLqwqAwo_ZR8Dn86bDJbZUfhkGUvAzpQOD491FrDGI7YIa9qIE0E-vKvBKG1JCzZqYrNVGAle1VGRRdY0Zp47HTYefvLEXk8wGun0wVqdPej24-g/s1600/_1610526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXY-qPAnhVBLX2wxbNJbeqSwLqwqAwo_ZR8Dn86bDJbZUfhkGUvAzpQOD491FrDGI7YIa9qIE0E-vKvBKG1JCzZqYrNVGAle1VGRRdY0Zp47HTYefvLEXk8wGun0wVqdPej24-g/s400/_1610526.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forgot my hat, but my shirt made a passable turban. (Photo credit: Peter Joost)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_3W219wxfG100hnrvovnY9y-7IGvDkzEeXWEs0Jh-jz-UElcNbMAv_i56fz8hlhVnzKV27vYwBkXEQV_VkNxSISf4b51F_QmUOItpldLPUxf48ClE9lrzE5Z7dg1CRUnRDDLTw/s1600/2016-10-06+12.55.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_3W219wxfG100hnrvovnY9y-7IGvDkzEeXWEs0Jh-jz-UElcNbMAv_i56fz8hlhVnzKV27vYwBkXEQV_VkNxSISf4b51F_QmUOItpldLPUxf48ClE9lrzE5Z7dg1CRUnRDDLTw/s400/2016-10-06+12.55.42.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding on the back of a pick-up truck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Many people travel to this area of Ecuador for bird watching. Ecuador - a country the size of Colorado - boasts over 1500 (known) species of birds, compared with under 850 in the U.S. I quadrupled (at least) my knowledge of birds during my short visit, and also developed a great appreciation for moths - butterflies’ under-appreciated cousin. Seriously, moths are a lot cooler than you realize! Check out these guys:</div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSC1DTMkISFlmgcuQl6dybJuEO02HUIKaR_rn7jL4Uo9ejDtUJW9yR1VnQ4e2hIIYEBVFC5F7FjnII1wQIKog2eAgilIsvwiyhbU5Taf-OSpR5bcqbPm9Z1M6LADYNKyrva34Hrw/s1600/moths_of_intag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSC1DTMkISFlmgcuQl6dybJuEO02HUIKaR_rn7jL4Uo9ejDtUJW9yR1VnQ4e2hIIYEBVFC5F7FjnII1wQIKog2eAgilIsvwiyhbU5Taf-OSpR5bcqbPm9Z1M6LADYNKyrva34Hrw/s640/moths_of_intag.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top: moths mimicking a bee and a green leaf<br />
Bottom: moth mimicking a brown leaf; a cool-looking specimen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px;">
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There was quite an assortment of butterflies as well:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0_GVcO3der78LnUJ2IcOlkLsmYCPi07bRzeGURCgbu5q-nEc35gJfU6okeh530MpYFje0TOJuieWEGx3EyhuZrxSNymZxv-XgrQcPZKALjNH7pzV4GedhPuA9w2rphpb09x-CA/s1600/butterflies-intag-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0_GVcO3der78LnUJ2IcOlkLsmYCPi07bRzeGURCgbu5q-nEc35gJfU6okeh530MpYFje0TOJuieWEGx3EyhuZrxSNymZxv-XgrQcPZKALjNH7pzV4GedhPuA9w2rphpb09x-CA/s640/butterflies-intag-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top left photo courtesy of Peter Joost. (The rest are my own meager photo attempts.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Just please don't ask me to identify any of these moth or butterfly species (yet!).<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
For all of you bird lovers, I am sorry, but I didn’t get a <i>single</i> good photo of a bird! I am using my phone as a camera and the zoom is terrible. Here’s a not-so-good photo of a Thick-billed Euphonia:</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ks6hWRP1iTO9jNDBhit9Cfo05kdVExoNGWu35wougMauoQb41Zu7ZmtPX5UXv55ZhPQGowEw0Kkncwi2gAxnLeX_E_v-xC76UT3zJsIoppeph1bLh-T0YTDqFT1RVh3BmcujQg/s1600/2016-10-09+07.40.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ks6hWRP1iTO9jNDBhit9Cfo05kdVExoNGWu35wougMauoQb41Zu7ZmtPX5UXv55ZhPQGowEw0Kkncwi2gAxnLeX_E_v-xC76UT3zJsIoppeph1bLh-T0YTDqFT1RVh3BmcujQg/s320/2016-10-09+07.40.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurry Euphonia photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
(A much better photo of a Euphonia is <a href="http://www.elrefugiocloudforest.com/blog/a-family-of-thick-billed-euphonias-visit]">on Peter’s blog here</a>.)</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
Now I’m back in the modern world, in Cuenca, Ecuador’s 3rd largest city. I arrived yesterday and can confirm that Cuenca is an attractive colonial town. It might be even more attractive than Quito. It’s also not far from the old Inca Trail, which I hope to hike a bit during my visit. Stay tuned for more... </div>
</div>
Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-13122719095953315002016-10-07T20:45:00.000-06:002016-10-07T20:45:41.726-06:00The day I did laundry in Otavalo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I’ve been traveling for over a month now. This has required me to engage in rather un-exotic activities, such as doing laundry. Here in Ecuador, instead of going to a laundromat to wash your own clothes, it’s more common to drop off clothes to be laundered and folded for you (I don’t mind). Last week I was in Otavalo, a town 2 hours north of Quito that is even higher up in the Andes, and couldn’t postpone laundry any more. I was confronted with the laundry dilemma of wanting to washing <i>everything</i> I brought with me, which would have left me with <i>nothing</i> to wear in the meantime. So I came up with the idea of wearing my scarf as a skirt, which allowed me to wash (almost) all of my dirty clothes.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQ62dLdfAjbArW4Knb8EBMLhO06XxPy0hu12E2ZjwVEobgrSbI6MPl9YrbMPB1o4O5RL9V3p1CoBw9rHdwYFWbNHrhGTaNn4Y8OzzqPJXqO1BpsQtcyEIepfKbKmI1b_a2y4yjg/s1600/2016-09-30+09.40.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQ62dLdfAjbArW4Knb8EBMLhO06XxPy0hu12E2ZjwVEobgrSbI6MPl9YrbMPB1o4O5RL9V3p1CoBw9rHdwYFWbNHrhGTaNn4Y8OzzqPJXqO1BpsQtcyEIepfKbKmI1b_a2y4yjg/s320/2016-09-30+09.40.22.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br clear="all" /> I dropped my laundry off at the leisurely hour of 10, when the only laundromat (connected to a bar) opens in Otavalo. (Actually, it opened closer to 10:15...) Then set out to explore more of Otavalo.
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
First I took a taxi about 3 miles out of town to a Condor Refuge, which is home to one Andean condor (it’s huge!), as well as many hawks and owls, who were not able to survive in the wild because of injuries or, in most cases, because they fell out of their nests as chicks.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDl9uS5eb12JoMgQxM6KCnn2-XiBAq1JskpFvVPLZUlQeeAJNmVhx_DmlI8rjjxqk_KieKO1NRNRJkGecE1bhllH9lVb4SgMt4_qL304CiW66ge6m40mI1Db0pBIJQubgx0_UuA/s1600/2016-09-30+15.44.34.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDl9uS5eb12JoMgQxM6KCnn2-XiBAq1JskpFvVPLZUlQeeAJNmVhx_DmlI8rjjxqk_KieKO1NRNRJkGecE1bhllH9lVb4SgMt4_qL304CiW66ge6m40mI1Db0pBIJQubgx0_UuA/s320/2016-09-30+15.44.34.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br clear="all" /> I decided to walk back to Otavalo from the Condor Refuge because the road is downhill and it was raining gently. On the way I saw this man herding his sheep:</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uvUuZnsOM-OBw528FNeOgo6RDc92sawegsrp0zf8jmIh_bI_QMvT9AUTuXXloP0jRUuQBtV2wSXzZlpy2UujV61h9iqOISXUPfQnwDK1bQLjKdjPogFqNTyEnTBZZQhj8Z9tgA/s1600/2016-09-30+16.15.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uvUuZnsOM-OBw528FNeOgo6RDc92sawegsrp0zf8jmIh_bI_QMvT9AUTuXXloP0jRUuQBtV2wSXzZlpy2UujV61h9iqOISXUPfQnwDK1bQLjKdjPogFqNTyEnTBZZQhj8Z9tgA/s400/2016-09-30+16.15.36.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br clear="all" /> I also stopped at this tree, <i>El Lechero</i>, which is supposed to have healing powers (or so claims the local population):
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZjHG1-eP8_VsDG6CN8X0KWEPwGGBdMzVltztmpO77YFFWaSW5vXg4M1KXx3pJvWeug9lmULWI3V9JZgSYxO6Mw9sKqglMxTOuCeQkxN7_DWVzy7x-pReHpLOsMwZhfjhmK8gRA/s1600/2016-09-30+16.27.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZjHG1-eP8_VsDG6CN8X0KWEPwGGBdMzVltztmpO77YFFWaSW5vXg4M1KXx3pJvWeug9lmULWI3V9JZgSYxO6Mw9sKqglMxTOuCeQkxN7_DWVzy7x-pReHpLOsMwZhfjhmK8gRA/s400/2016-09-30+16.27.49.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br clear="all" /> After I visited the healing tree, the rain started to come down harder and it got quite a bit colder. There were few people, and no taxis, so I plodded along, back towards town, to pick up my laundry. I didn’t go far before a 9-year old boy on a bicycle named Yamki joined me. He accompanied me all the way back to Otavalo, which took about 45 minutes, and made it his personal mission to see that I got back safely.
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
At a fork in the road, he insisted we go right, not left, because there were <i>ladrones</i> ‘robbers’ to the left. At the next fork, he insisted we go left, not right, to avoid <i>perros que muerden</i> ‘dogs that bite’ on the right. I confess I didn’t fully believe believe these fairy tale-esque dangers. But further down the road we were actually charged by two large dogs barking aggressively with teeth bared. Yamki protected us by using his small bicycle as a shield and the dogs relaxed, allowing us to continue our trek back to Otavalo.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I didn’t question his decisions after that.
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UxuK_4cHbn5G9ShrVmt3In91XzYr_cRZwT9JwqzynmmvOo6pysGImbZdzsQqf_t6uAXbvo5CMqu6mgC6Z1qfVlG2Lfr_7BTbpV6u-mgkHovIvzSiN5WNt2X1mUyIse2N11wgHg/s1600/2016-09-30+17.08.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UxuK_4cHbn5G9ShrVmt3In91XzYr_cRZwT9JwqzynmmvOo6pysGImbZdzsQqf_t6uAXbvo5CMqu6mgC6Z1qfVlG2Lfr_7BTbpV6u-mgkHovIvzSiN5WNt2X1mUyIse2N11wgHg/s400/2016-09-30+17.08.50.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br clear="all" /> Yamki told me that he wants to work in the construction business when he grows up, which is his father’s profession. I personally think he would do quite well as a tour guide, or perhaps as a diplomat. In any case, he made my rainy laundry-day afternoon a lot more pleasant, and certainly a lot safer.
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I arrived back at the laundromat around 5 pm. My laundry wasn’t finished yet (you’re getting a sense of “Ecuador time,” I hope), so I ordered a beer at the attached bar. (Brilliant business model, by the way.) A craft beer scene has started to pick up some momentum in Ecuador, so I was able to enjoy a nice porter with hint of fig.
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI7gmy-0N27Q6JQfENK-YFANFouCJPQGJl-EsEtpaswTVL954O2D_O26IH7GuLLVaXQnU7Wrh4yoDNtnAPwqbjp5vgiaQkj-gXc7e6uJyj2i2q3M5-IfS9zK3EGG4HgOSz-FiBg/s1600/2016-09-30+17.31.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI7gmy-0N27Q6JQfENK-YFANFouCJPQGJl-EsEtpaswTVL954O2D_O26IH7GuLLVaXQnU7Wrh4yoDNtnAPwqbjp5vgiaQkj-gXc7e6uJyj2i2q3M5-IfS9zK3EGG4HgOSz-FiBg/s400/2016-09-30+17.31.51.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br clear="all" /> Otavalo is a medium-sized town with a cute square, a large market and a thriving native/indigenous community, but what really inspired me to come here was its natural setting. Otavalo is surrounded by volcanoes and mountains with names like Imbabura and Cotocachi, crater lakes such as Lake Cuicocha (which in Kichwa means Guinea Pig Lake because of the two islands in the center that resemble guinea pigs), and waterfalls, and provided me with some of the most spectacular views I’ve had since the Galapagos. </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxUpxfvaYv8NCHoqS5iaiZMRI3-84gPAGUCqUYTT8hvi-94A0A051XnJWLyMrHgCHqDx8QZFcjax1AXvVFOaXz35vaMirYuQJcxW0ST0aowFl8ZCDlFJnWK5Bo_jGswu7L7j-XQ/s1600/2016-09-28+17.36.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxUpxfvaYv8NCHoqS5iaiZMRI3-84gPAGUCqUYTT8hvi-94A0A051XnJWLyMrHgCHqDx8QZFcjax1AXvVFOaXz35vaMirYuQJcxW0ST0aowFl8ZCDlFJnWK5Bo_jGswu7L7j-XQ/s400/2016-09-28+17.36.36.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">View from the top of Peguche waterfall</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCeLabGMwoNWP05XrV3QAaEQar1jXVEHXW-FNxZcDCxdrcmrAM-7sG0Erzh62_hteaQhkB9bPTD7no5JFSvLoBltieCnfJ14sJOwgd10fwhYNhZmv-5EI_2RjV15GBhhvcAKkVQ/s1600/2016-10-03+12.40.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCeLabGMwoNWP05XrV3QAaEQar1jXVEHXW-FNxZcDCxdrcmrAM-7sG0Erzh62_hteaQhkB9bPTD7no5JFSvLoBltieCnfJ14sJOwgd10fwhYNhZmv-5EI_2RjV15GBhhvcAKkVQ/s400/2016-10-03+12.40.28.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Lake Cuicocha</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPI59JIVbIc7c6xzXdSYw7xK1ocMLjQcjCHGme4a9gihsjEmVsM7pxd3h2XqgiRTIovvdD9MiyplfdjtAFA5wLWy0yGnbbRCwLZmV7vn4md7mrKO8ijhyphenhyphenrF4OBcsrVptlutdC_w/s1600/2016-10-02+12.11.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPI59JIVbIc7c6xzXdSYw7xK1ocMLjQcjCHGme4a9gihsjEmVsM7pxd3h2XqgiRTIovvdD9MiyplfdjtAFA5wLWy0yGnbbRCwLZmV7vn4md7mrKO8ijhyphenhyphenrF4OBcsrVptlutdC_w/s400/2016-10-02+12.11.55.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">One of the Mojanda Lakes from Mt. Fuya Fuya</span><span style="font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br clear="all" />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Meeting people like Yamki (who’s name is also from the Kichwa language, by the way) was just an added bonus. But it’s a pretty big bonus, I’d say!</span><br />
<br />
On Tuesday I left Otavalo for a 5-day stay in the remote cloud forest of Ecuador. It’s so remote that the closest town - Santa Rosa de Pucará - doesn’t show up on Google Maps. Neither do any of the nearby roads. But, of course, there’s internet (I’m blogging from the cloud forest right now!) <br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-4140738324527986002016-09-29T18:53:00.000-06:002016-09-29T18:56:35.371-06:00A few more days in Quito<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
Quito is almost 2 miles above sea level and some people are affected by the altitude. I haven't noticed it too much except for 2 things: 1) I get slightly more winded than usual walking up stairs and hills and 2) my skin burns really easily! My nose is currently peeling and I think that my scalp is burned… (Note to self: bring a hat when you’re out all day.)</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcZ7XRLVT3CN9s50f8idb2VQxkxOFh-scJPZi5hfGp6Onhq2DQEZfxI_vV7HFYcNkDSfd2aTf_hFHVrmF5fbShypAcmt7b0I598GBLV6jPGYDCMAWxYEYnYE2wZAwt68btfoiXg/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcZ7XRLVT3CN9s50f8idb2VQxkxOFh-scJPZi5hfGp6Onhq2DQEZfxI_vV7HFYcNkDSfd2aTf_hFHVrmF5fbShypAcmt7b0I598GBLV6jPGYDCMAWxYEYnYE2wZAwt68btfoiXg/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
Quito is high, but it’s surrounded by mountains that are even higher. Quito is sort of like a sandwich - the middle of the sandwich, the peanut butter and jelly, is the city itself, and the two slices of bread are big mountain ranges. Locals say the city is like a banana - long and curved (between the mountains). The altitude didn’t keep me from having a few outdoor adventures, including a steep climb up another volcano and a city bike ride.
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
There is a cable car (called <i>Teleferiqo</i>) on the west side of Quito that takes you up to a point where you can hike ~3 hours to a peak near the Pichincha volcano. This is supposed to be the easiest hike in this area, but I would not call it easy. The last bit of the hike is more of a climb. I was on my hands and knees navigating around rocks for the last 45 minutes. (Coming back down required a lot of sliding…) It was good that I went on a Saturday when there were plenty of other hikers out, because the route isn’t well marked and it’s relatively easy to get lost if you don’t know the way.
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I hiked to the point at the top, into the clouds!
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2GRGyuH6SCRuw18A4HMjy5Yd_XNgdjT5qcfUsZ1L5WE6jcHjDkOqolYw6g15wnA2hTo5czpElKVpIQMMgoK83scXFVN1VYdJjKvFpRmAH-TCmkAIQwA6pNm6weeZhPso3hHAPw/s1600/2016-09-24+11.29.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2GRGyuH6SCRuw18A4HMjy5Yd_XNgdjT5qcfUsZ1L5WE6jcHjDkOqolYw6g15wnA2hTo5czpElKVpIQMMgoK83scXFVN1VYdJjKvFpRmAH-TCmkAIQwA6pNm6weeZhPso3hHAPw/s400/2016-09-24+11.29.07.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
This hawk flew in and sat right next to me for a few minutes at the top of Rucu Pichincha:</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkjEArXWN4WOV1emw1CZj2Dy7N6UQNsTrjfWTAy5nVBWGTrLMZ3c-Xxgw7KSvE9cW5LrwdGxLaBdJmB54xdktLa6VK9WcWYBKA7SsWaT6IUkv48yHPsA-pnEooKnybu7WYKxMLw/s1600/2016-09-24+13.09.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkjEArXWN4WOV1emw1CZj2Dy7N6UQNsTrjfWTAy5nVBWGTrLMZ3c-Xxgw7KSvE9cW5LrwdGxLaBdJmB54xdktLa6VK9WcWYBKA7SsWaT6IUkv48yHPsA-pnEooKnybu7WYKxMLw/s400/2016-09-24+13.09.17.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
Proof I reached the top of the peak (4,696 meters above sea level is about 3 miles!):</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5UgIEUsJGU-dyef4OK2tw108dIuAHgQdIELyywt4sAUrtGUYo2soYvIV-YUimkG_SqcEsJVDpNaMPM46pv-lJcdTFencDLWXgcb5I2-P33RRYuhV0cUheaJtD0DfCpMaFKS2kQ/s1600/2016-09-24+13.36.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5UgIEUsJGU-dyef4OK2tw108dIuAHgQdIELyywt4sAUrtGUYo2soYvIV-YUimkG_SqcEsJVDpNaMPM46pv-lJcdTFencDLWXgcb5I2-P33RRYuhV0cUheaJtD0DfCpMaFKS2kQ/s400/2016-09-24+13.36.03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
Here are some intrepid hikers walk-sliding back down the mountain:</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFK_U854y_4DUNM8JddKdyZTwSNVL38010PmmTy9KegKc_6IB6ymqw1prnYXSnzufbn-Idv9I8HWBcmqMTlWipYhlup7Y57qqqO50yq8X2CbW2wZeIAvxCHaaP-rmmYbSW8pQwLg/s1600/2016-09-24+14.04.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFK_U854y_4DUNM8JddKdyZTwSNVL38010PmmTy9KegKc_6IB6ymqw1prnYXSnzufbn-Idv9I8HWBcmqMTlWipYhlup7Y57qqqO50yq8X2CbW2wZeIAvxCHaaP-rmmYbSW8pQwLg/s400/2016-09-24+14.04.39.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">Sunday is the day of </span><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px;">ciclopaseo </i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">in Quito</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">. Almost 20 miles of streets in the city are closed to vehicles </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">between 8 AM - 2 PM </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">so that </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">cyclists can ride freely. I rented a bicycle and rode around for 3 hours straight, seeing parts of the city I never would have seen on foot.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWD0cYpi5f1_7OzzJkMujLtcx80MBOP3WH9Enn3d3dxHkh9NYdsLn-nvgKHyOUgeWCw94eDEpqrArEmxGEXqVGhE7X7z45b0WaRrem03J3Tq2EO9ruUEJdZNt0-TOCNG4X2cwomQ/s1600/2016-09-25+12.55.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWD0cYpi5f1_7OzzJkMujLtcx80MBOP3WH9Enn3d3dxHkh9NYdsLn-nvgKHyOUgeWCw94eDEpqrArEmxGEXqVGhE7X7z45b0WaRrem03J3Tq2EO9ruUEJdZNt0-TOCNG4X2cwomQ/s400/2016-09-25+12.55.24.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-mi_uyIwxFSca0xaroC9mpGaXWkQI-Xird-f8SGdzEAOnxt_eGHzKxAq18FTaqRg11yqeHVNh8qlOK0XlLQoyo0joHm2m2YpHCpThmNKRUFBmoyc9UfrKpOZjTiNE3SEol0jTQ/s1600/2016-09-25+11.19.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-mi_uyIwxFSca0xaroC9mpGaXWkQI-Xird-f8SGdzEAOnxt_eGHzKxAq18FTaqRg11yqeHVNh8qlOK0XlLQoyo0joHm2m2YpHCpThmNKRUFBmoyc9UfrKpOZjTiNE3SEol0jTQ/s400/2016-09-25+11.19.19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNyHYxYi37yBFCP-lWCX7YfjicdDtvefAFsGHVkKTjbURc-uA2JXHVhyw3c2ow42jx6qrkgbISy0X3G6tpo-zcyxnn4AMfve398z_2muXfsF0aF1iGspfzWNn8Th2L4rypdYGZg/s1600/2016-09-25+12.57.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNyHYxYi37yBFCP-lWCX7YfjicdDtvefAFsGHVkKTjbURc-uA2JXHVhyw3c2ow42jx6qrkgbISy0X3G6tpo-zcyxnn4AMfve398z_2muXfsF0aF1iGspfzWNn8Th2L4rypdYGZg/s400/2016-09-25+12.57.51.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I've already left Quito (for the 2nd time) and am at my next destination - Otavalo - a town 2 hours north of Quito known for its huge Saturday crafts market and stunning mountain setting. It’s colder here because it’s at an even higher elevation than Quito. The hotel where I'm staying has an open plan with a central courtyard and balconies, which is very pretty, but also means there is no heat. Last night it was so cold I had to wear my wool hat and gloves to bed! I might have to buy a nice warm sweater at the crafts market on Saturday... If I can last that long. I'll write more about Otavalo soon with pics. Until then, ¡buenas noches!</div>
</div>
Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-39533073342748416992016-09-22T16:03:00.000-06:002016-09-22T16:05:08.033-06:00The Galápagos, Part 2: Swimming with sharks, etc.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
The last part of my Galápagos trip was on Isabela Island, the largest island in the Galápagos with five active volcanoes. (It's the island on the map that looks sort of like a seahorse.)</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURIIiebpJj4L7q5sUB5cb1_RGxNpBvg9xDTsSnOSvlStWc12HEi7KPz5pWq_3aZUmoBRgRuM4WgNW9bfeAboBXLD3mGOOTfTmiO7ldQ_HZYEzQQ-xfKitAMt5INyxoNRNdCul7Q/s1600/Galapagos_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURIIiebpJj4L7q5sUB5cb1_RGxNpBvg9xDTsSnOSvlStWc12HEi7KPz5pWq_3aZUmoBRgRuM4WgNW9bfeAboBXLD3mGOOTfTmiO7ldQ_HZYEzQQ-xfKitAMt5INyxoNRNdCul7Q/s640/Galapagos_map.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I flew to Isabela from San Cristobal on this 8-seater plane:</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3joW8UtuXinesd9Uu6nRNvRNNC1nv4U3kZl2CfU6huoQAdkQ6WVot7lZEsnlvQZUkHX01QDmDsa4lg0MveL7kPq3nA_x7EeueVvDAIzYxuycftDipgBeccnu0icxDXWhEtVwszw/s1600/2016-09-16+08.20.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3joW8UtuXinesd9Uu6nRNvRNNC1nv4U3kZl2CfU6huoQAdkQ6WVot7lZEsnlvQZUkHX01QDmDsa4lg0MveL7kPq3nA_x7EeueVvDAIzYxuycftDipgBeccnu0icxDXWhEtVwszw/s320/2016-09-16+08.20.51.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I was directly behind the pilot.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcq7OQrfjh_EnKtvBlWxo8VmtzViF4vs5QedbZecXVmp7KvREkjKmFBzMnYqNnBy1kLnkbOSvV5BiVo_3-HU5eKBVmqPEdX0PfPnR0ZBub5pOSXCDeV7fY4ZdYtyYWAw1AK1wbg/s1600/2016-09-16+07.21.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcq7OQrfjh_EnKtvBlWxo8VmtzViF4vs5QedbZecXVmp7KvREkjKmFBzMnYqNnBy1kLnkbOSvV5BiVo_3-HU5eKBVmqPEdX0PfPnR0ZBub5pOSXCDeV7fY4ZdYtyYWAw1AK1wbg/s320/2016-09-16+07.21.32.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tqiEfYM9TtKa9v9MYanE1f0AInQmHh33EhHOOIeZrMuiiDtT0xd8OZxYX6bCcWII2wp3wFqySVkRRkn3sKWJY5usNvVbxYxkqrqcy_lFv7pgFrbky_d08GRR3WHzWqadKKd6Ow/s1600/2016-09-16+07.21.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tqiEfYM9TtKa9v9MYanE1f0AInQmHh33EhHOOIeZrMuiiDtT0xd8OZxYX6bCcWII2wp3wFqySVkRRkn3sKWJY5usNvVbxYxkqrqcy_lFv7pgFrbky_d08GRR3WHzWqadKKd6Ow/s200/2016-09-16+07.21.45.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(By the way, I WALKED to the aiport in 15 minutes in San Cristobal and WALKED from the airport to the town of Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island in ~25 minutes. I don’t think I’ve ever walked to or from an airport in my life.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I stayed in the town of Puerto Villamil, which is tiny and relaxed, with a dirt road as the main road. Using Puerto Villamil as a base, I went on three excursions, one hike around Sierra Negra Volcano and two snorkeling + animal-viewing trips. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Sierra Negra Volcano was active in 2005! This volcano doesn’t spew lava like Mt. St. Helens, rather it sort of just gurgles lava when it’s active. When it was active in 2005, people could still hike around the crater and observe it. This is a picture of our guide Daniel (originally from Quito) in front of the enormous crater with a diameter of ~10 miles (the 2nd largest in the world).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXJKkHYYHmaU9hMYVair-_TwTj-IgNo1dcncohCFtBQZJnRJd_qZLwR0gokrVx4v3zo9T6BVSIdmswWz-S7ZwZL6XNIeXX7AzDaG4ewotkKHpdK7JbFJZE2g51wWWTxMUJ5iwiw/s1600/2016-09-17+09.02.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXJKkHYYHmaU9hMYVair-_TwTj-IgNo1dcncohCFtBQZJnRJd_qZLwR0gokrVx4v3zo9T6BVSIdmswWz-S7ZwZL6XNIeXX7AzDaG4ewotkKHpdK7JbFJZE2g51wWWTxMUJ5iwiw/s400/2016-09-17+09.02.07.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
On my snorkeling excursions I swam with sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, seahorses and more!</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLtN175VHsRjenSgTLsV6OGpRhpY_RbOPnUwvwmi6wxO844AcHyvjPpENkYpBKhtnEHFHbTKx6VqrkuHDl1PnCcRSnWDelsewefEU_JpBv7YGxd_ZHhPSLEH5WeSJ_0UXDHHqRQ/s1600/julia_tortoises_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLtN175VHsRjenSgTLsV6OGpRhpY_RbOPnUwvwmi6wxO844AcHyvjPpENkYpBKhtnEHFHbTKx6VqrkuHDl1PnCcRSnWDelsewefEU_JpBv7YGxd_ZHhPSLEH5WeSJ_0UXDHHqRQ/s400/julia_tortoises_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvap1DGhxQJQZ2dpRWXkYzNq3y3Vuetj_DnRXoYB6lpb6yxvLM86hFDBGSXdHMWNsAoKAkV7flvEg93aXX1BYbzIu2RKAAtQwgY3GB525QEUQsfLxbRpLCGfI6X40wK9_BR6mQZQ/s1600/2016-09-16+12.56.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvap1DGhxQJQZ2dpRWXkYzNq3y3Vuetj_DnRXoYB6lpb6yxvLM86hFDBGSXdHMWNsAoKAkV7flvEg93aXX1BYbzIu2RKAAtQwgY3GB525QEUQsfLxbRpLCGfI6X40wK9_BR6mQZQ/s400/2016-09-16+12.56.41.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">I swam with this shark! The sea lions were my favorite. They swam in circles around me and one looked at me directly in the eyes as if s/he wanted to play. (Sadly, no pictures of this.)</span></div>
<div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I saw many more animals endemic or unique to the islands, including the blue footed booby, the Galápagos penguin, and the famous giant tortoises. Also rare animals like flamingos.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfXDTnWS_fq3InEFWNrgeDJ9UTBNPBWmRs4YYqOurxcHkqUrykqYoXpN_s0ekr01drcJamd33QL47FuDlqKTpGOe9sahg7kgz0258hklhiBIgpKZIFhCk6nFqo6PIjKzumPDZFQ/s1600/IMG_3523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfXDTnWS_fq3InEFWNrgeDJ9UTBNPBWmRs4YYqOurxcHkqUrykqYoXpN_s0ekr01drcJamd33QL47FuDlqKTpGOe9sahg7kgz0258hklhiBIgpKZIFhCk6nFqo6PIjKzumPDZFQ/s400/IMG_3523.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EAPQZ-lNE2dgXrlga7hVa4w9pMHPdpfmlC2d6PoXZRGdWRZkcvIeB4g5pPtpsLM4NAdYFWy_ldIPlI5KtF6CfBFL7kX96L_eF98IQkGwgTz-gbpEb1SxkKwUAvAkH3Loh1xyHg/s1600/2016-09-18+13.47.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EAPQZ-lNE2dgXrlga7hVa4w9pMHPdpfmlC2d6PoXZRGdWRZkcvIeB4g5pPtpsLM4NAdYFWy_ldIPlI5KtF6CfBFL7kX96L_eF98IQkGwgTz-gbpEb1SxkKwUAvAkH3Loh1xyHg/s400/2016-09-18+13.47.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoynicbLZ5k5PewvOCQZyi-D2nYjhgECnxxmf23tkQVMM6zESLgaELljxvKKqxvWFdrZsEdePuSxi-DzvM4WnaBPENgsSOzwsU4JniXhNhEAn7TFEJTdRJ-a9BmtqNIiXTb3gjVg/s1600/2016-09-16+17.33.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoynicbLZ5k5PewvOCQZyi-D2nYjhgECnxxmf23tkQVMM6zESLgaELljxvKKqxvWFdrZsEdePuSxi-DzvM4WnaBPENgsSOzwsU4JniXhNhEAn7TFEJTdRJ-a9BmtqNIiXTb3gjVg/s400/2016-09-16+17.33.21.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_9r47C1fczL-zvT0ECs4x-peFV2JtfR-FjrHwOBkx08qMuP_kUCeUecRkhzpMktGnTQO_K8m8gLfbEm49yaOavzKnv_BwaHWvRsQO0_2-owCvqyRk77sBuClDhlYk5k8S9yCHA/s1600/2016-09-18+12.52.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_9r47C1fczL-zvT0ECs4x-peFV2JtfR-FjrHwOBkx08qMuP_kUCeUecRkhzpMktGnTQO_K8m8gLfbEm49yaOavzKnv_BwaHWvRsQO0_2-owCvqyRk77sBuClDhlYk5k8S9yCHA/s400/2016-09-18+12.52.47.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
Above is a nest with two baby blue footed boobies, which don't yet have blue feet (they get them after puberty... that is, if they survive through puberty; usually only <i>one</i> of the two babies survives to adulthood). Here's a short video I took of a booby "in action"!</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X62Hmz8GnFY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X62Hmz8GnFY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
After my time on Isabela Island, I took a speedboat back to the island where I started my trip - Santa Cruz - and spent about 24 hours visiting its beaches, lava tunnels, huge inland craters and the Charles Darwin Research Station before flying back to mainland Ecuador. </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
In total, I spent time on three different islands: San Cristóbal, Isabela and Santa Cruz, and flew in and out of a fourth island Baltra. Even though I really enjoyed my time on the farm with the family in San Cristóbal, Isabela was my favorite island. I loved the wildlife, the gorgeous views, the volcanoes and the tour guides, who managed to be champions of the islands while at the same time being laid back and friendly (all the guides were Ecuadoreans). </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I am now back in Quito. Quito is a great city and there's a lot to explore here in mainland Ecuador, but I'm having a little bit of post-Galápagos depression. It's hard to say goodbye to such a unique place.</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfHMaRdqO3getjKrFg9ZR0N2seRApqiFVwK_VGZk1Fj0lvkXLlLnXYRgAr63Z8CHJGIt8M6UzJwWx-qBDF_2pe-fRjpRC1sS_q5cylmz6QAnXf_ReRMvtDL8oaJ4Bo2DtAhAsDg/s1600/2016-09-18+17.32.45.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfHMaRdqO3getjKrFg9ZR0N2seRApqiFVwK_VGZk1Fj0lvkXLlLnXYRgAr63Z8CHJGIt8M6UzJwWx-qBDF_2pe-fRjpRC1sS_q5cylmz6QAnXf_ReRMvtDL8oaJ4Bo2DtAhAsDg/s640/2016-09-18+17.32.45.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com6Ecuador-1.831239 -78.183405999999991-17.8706155 -98.837702999999991 14.2081375 -57.529108999999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-83046192681153245202016-09-19T13:00:00.000-06:002016-09-19T21:57:47.202-06:00The Galápagos, Part 1: On the Farm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
My mind is blown by this place. I'm still processing it all, but I want to share some photos and impressions with you while they're still fresh in my mind.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First, the farm. But before I talk about the farm I have to explain a tiny bit about the geography of the islands. When hearing about the Galápagos, most people think of this:
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPItbzLTcxa7JSfReErtT6U5NAwHe1y52Bu_bI7qpSLp-Vd6f22qXlEPY9qPqU96wj6ycp_r0-15pWZciObdW0u63b4omiayqA_mYi1NbQZAbFN7FAAqw4Q5kETM2Wk_USmNQmA/s1600/2016-09-18+12.53.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPItbzLTcxa7JSfReErtT6U5NAwHe1y52Bu_bI7qpSLp-Vd6f22qXlEPY9qPqU96wj6ycp_r0-15pWZciObdW0u63b4omiayqA_mYi1NbQZAbFN7FAAqw4Q5kETM2Wk_USmNQmA/s320/2016-09-18+12.53.21.jpg" title="Blue-footed booby, Isabela Island" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzJv1zRuTXvE263216VqfJpIi7ziuM161yQEHNIca6EqSiOdWo5sLjYDoPBJbhXq9B-tje9IjJWcZ-I5JpZm9Zeg1OyI3sZfALNvwhtLVDGUetAvnPGyE1bKTUXUBsj14sYRMuQ/s1600/2016-09-11+14.37.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzJv1zRuTXvE263216VqfJpIi7ziuM161yQEHNIca6EqSiOdWo5sLjYDoPBJbhXq9B-tje9IjJWcZ-I5JpZm9Zeg1OyI3sZfALNvwhtLVDGUetAvnPGyE1bKTUXUBsj14sYRMuQ/s320/2016-09-11+14.37.20.jpg" title="Marine Iguana, Playa Baquerizo, San Cristóbal island" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But volcanic rock and exotic animals are only part of the Galápagos. Two of the eastern islands - San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz - were volcanoes millions of years ago but turned into non-volcanic islands whose centers are now lush and green, practically rainforests. The volcanic lava turned into fertile soil for plants and trees to grow. These areas support a lot of life forms (including humans!).</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
It was in this jungle-esque part of the island of San Cristóbal where I was volunteering on a farm. The farm isn't a typical U.S. farm. It's called a <i>finca</i> in Spanish, meaning a small private farm or homestead. The best way I can describe it is a scattering of plots of vegetables and trees in the middle of the jungle, situated on a slope looking out over the ocean.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLecSMuoRfMceanDdrcueN-Z2KNNxCWprYwHySqfJ9hmd80YCOXahaALmydnsdyy99NSuqszCfTjn9fX2xygvIVo98jApFHG06URsWcVn8yEnZ1JFuvJjON5pplwPTf7OMUdg3MA/s1600/2016-09-13+11.51.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLecSMuoRfMceanDdrcueN-Z2KNNxCWprYwHySqfJ9hmd80YCOXahaALmydnsdyy99NSuqszCfTjn9fX2xygvIVo98jApFHG06URsWcVn8yEnZ1JFuvJjON5pplwPTf7OMUdg3MA/s320/2016-09-13+11.51.43.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX5mnhCQffEVrHhs_DjTpJqMLuzj8rXzXwbgEAKgsXiv0JYS6hUjkbjE0-PLM9ddxLD_GJyXpQrAc47cLIBTXt0TybxS_nrbtkXjH6rM9356ET9zHP967-YW9IJImufTU78S39Q/s1600/2016-09-14+10.38.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX5mnhCQffEVrHhs_DjTpJqMLuzj8rXzXwbgEAKgsXiv0JYS6hUjkbjE0-PLM9ddxLD_GJyXpQrAc47cLIBTXt0TybxS_nrbtkXjH6rM9356ET9zHP967-YW9IJImufTU78S39Q/s320/2016-09-14+10.38.49.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">This was my cabin. I had a view of the ocean from my room!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfTwzDwQLVW0sO7oZlqc7arYuYuksJEoYkYj8rKVDb5bvLLRps3rgLzdo-1ZgzEMm41m9aaoRJzUIzxOjOCi6XC1-_pZ326XihI63FJCfYbxJJvjXCkq7LdGhmHIaES4wlHrErQ/s1600/2016-09-14+10.26.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfTwzDwQLVW0sO7oZlqc7arYuYuksJEoYkYj8rKVDb5bvLLRps3rgLzdo-1ZgzEMm41m9aaoRJzUIzxOjOCi6XC1-_pZ326XihI63FJCfYbxJJvjXCkq7LdGhmHIaES4wlHrErQ/s320/2016-09-14+10.26.37.jpg" title="The cabin on the farm where I stayed for almost two weeks" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
Some of my activities at the farm included planting and transplanting endemic trees and plants, clearing and burning invasive plant species, and tilling potatoes. The worst invasive plant species is the blackberry bush, which has spread its thorny branches all over the islands. (It sure tastes good in milkshakes though!) </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPP-4sk34PMOpM1fWI1xAb4LnWPDLAh91kYDpmpRrTE_J8GCwEwShXbWIode-CRFXgICAbZ07TSfFDiFEddvaG6YqXC4vYPTYDZ2vVip4FoGs5h4zC20RnihsliURc2s_u0tJZw/s1600/2016-09-13+12.02.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPP-4sk34PMOpM1fWI1xAb4LnWPDLAh91kYDpmpRrTE_J8GCwEwShXbWIode-CRFXgICAbZ07TSfFDiFEddvaG6YqXC4vYPTYDZ2vVip4FoGs5h4zC20RnihsliURc2s_u0tJZw/s320/2016-09-13+12.02.46.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I also got to go on a lot of excursions, mostly hiking through the jungle, collecting wild fruits and even swimming in inland waterfalls. I sampled close to a dozen different types of fresh fruit either directly from the tree or the next day for breakfast with granola and yogurt.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQFjbm8x_Dw2J-H7HH7jDvuGOf8AA2dNyRjflZ0A991crnQ5MfkRxOk7xXYd1iULhAxabH2yAV9_WdSP4uxpriKaJefWbh_T3851lk3qCoxyrChvTSbGsZkABOTUTK0kdFTnOjQ/s1600/2016-09-14+09.24.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="left: papaya, banana, and "badea" with yogurt & granola; right: fried plantains and eggs" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQFjbm8x_Dw2J-H7HH7jDvuGOf8AA2dNyRjflZ0A991crnQ5MfkRxOk7xXYd1iULhAxabH2yAV9_WdSP4uxpriKaJefWbh_T3851lk3qCoxyrChvTSbGsZkABOTUTK0kdFTnOjQ/s320/2016-09-14+09.24.47.jpg" title="left: papaya, banana, and "badea" with yogurt & granola; right: fried plantains and eggs" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
From trees we picked red and yellow bananas, papayas, passion fruit, guava, red pears, oranges, lemons, and avocados.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGH5b2cmfITcGFtYsagFClDEeSL6_SqUbCEk0wJ_igp7ou0-eaEFkRuJAoCNXfQ0pSr_grh6q5LUx6oSzj4tskyT1jXNVEtEh2Bw5UGvrbmqohV3om11fBhvfCrhwPI9D_Xr_dA/s1600/2016-09-07+10.31.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGH5b2cmfITcGFtYsagFClDEeSL6_SqUbCEk0wJ_igp7ou0-eaEFkRuJAoCNXfQ0pSr_grh6q5LUx6oSzj4tskyT1jXNVEtEh2Bw5UGvrbmqohV3om11fBhvfCrhwPI9D_Xr_dA/s320/2016-09-07+10.31.21.jpg" title="Bananas directly from the tree! Lu the dog ate bananas with us!" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
...And also this exotic fruit:</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZ9v_wycff8cEe1CN8cMAwbNpIOw_83J7FVjuwci8gQXLC-Zchn6T124fXf4BtKOi_F3MrTAbZ-ouTDkzRUwS0llb18j-bcVm70xgafl0viNutHZidY7T3EfpObxBh8ldjd7NMA/s1600/2016-09-05+11.39.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZ9v_wycff8cEe1CN8cMAwbNpIOw_83J7FVjuwci8gQXLC-Zchn6T124fXf4BtKOi_F3MrTAbZ-ouTDkzRUwS0llb18j-bcVm70xgafl0viNutHZidY7T3EfpObxBh8ldjd7NMA/s320/2016-09-05+11.39.37.jpg" title="I am a "badea" fruit" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
This fruit is called <i>badea</i> in Spanish which the dictionary translates as "giant granadilla" (which doesn't mean much to me). The flesh is mild in taste and its color a bit like honeydew melon with much sweeter, even tangy, seeds and pulp.
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBj0tXuogk901PoNcsP02NyS22cKBXnpO4nUq5_v906-4TrLtKTPVsBMzFSJbOnOl0qvs2VWpNg5-moPUS7S0xzNv4WCD1a7e9wTnfITGVKjhPuNt97uR51scYMiq6ZgInLWLcA/s1600/2016-09-13+20.39.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBj0tXuogk901PoNcsP02NyS22cKBXnpO4nUq5_v906-4TrLtKTPVsBMzFSJbOnOl0qvs2VWpNg5-moPUS7S0xzNv4WCD1a7e9wTnfITGVKjhPuNt97uR51scYMiq6ZgInLWLcA/s320/2016-09-13+20.39.13.jpg" title="Norma & Milton Aguas with Julia" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My hosts were Milton and Norma Aguas. Milton was born and raised in the Galápagos and Norma has spent more than half of her life here. Milton grew up farming, fishing, etc., but spent many years in politics, including 8 years as mayor of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of San Cristobal island, from 1992-2000. I also spent time with others members of their family, especially Milton’s nephew and neighbor, Fabricio. No one spoke more than a few scattered words of English. Thus, My time on the farm was as much Spanish immersion as it was volunteering activity and I learned a boatload of new words ranging from farming tools to fruits to general vocab, including one of my favorite new words chévere "cool" (pronounced sort of like "chebberay" with stress on the first syllable).<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">I also made friends with their Spanish-speaking farm animals, including the dog Lu (above with bananas), donkeys (burros & baby burros - burritos!), cats, and chickens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div>
<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AsDo2D05zFORv9-MhwmoNWh95NxnOezoBdGD-OlVzo7E1b_GNTBQaEmdADTzRrgqmlgGAO5neFhEQ7bvHZtitVR46zPJJPeoyjIKW6uZq_dbOOviY8dV1gJQFDsglgWK7Hd0UQ/s1600/2016-09-12+09.46.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AsDo2D05zFORv9-MhwmoNWh95NxnOezoBdGD-OlVzo7E1b_GNTBQaEmdADTzRrgqmlgGAO5neFhEQ7bvHZtitVR46zPJJPeoyjIKW6uZq_dbOOviY8dV1gJQFDsglgWK7Hd0UQ/s320/2016-09-12+09.46.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br />
Stay tuned for blog #2 on the Galápagos, including more of the "exotic" side of the islands!</div>
</div>
Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-43577202876243161472016-09-03T09:29:00.000-06:002016-09-03T09:29:11.309-06:00A few days in Quito<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I made it to Ecuador! I arrived in Quito, the capital, late on Thursday evening. No jet lag, but I was still pretty exhausted. I’m going to try to blog a bit while I'm traveling this fall, at least to share photos.
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here is the Airbnb I booked in the Mariscal neighborhood. I love the colors.
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStqPxTycAO2ghDReeAXk1tSA9fKm9qViJ4LNc7_VUbmkyEH0xBOjUZcF2_kfbmqQC2nx4Ssmx8nQmF7xDJa2UCfxxbCUBVtp1I2Xo4RAhfTrqSkWXVP7mYdeok4TN_ddg_7yoEw/s1600/2016-09-02+15.55.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStqPxTycAO2ghDReeAXk1tSA9fKm9qViJ4LNc7_VUbmkyEH0xBOjUZcF2_kfbmqQC2nx4Ssmx8nQmF7xDJa2UCfxxbCUBVtp1I2Xo4RAhfTrqSkWXVP7mYdeok4TN_ddg_7yoEw/s400/2016-09-02+15.55.02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
I had cake for lunch (apple cake with dulce de leche frosting). Don’t judge. I’m on vacation.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4K510CIypUG7h1QNSOfH6d8bAfuQ0b3jfmFH9klwXlUClMNbTJzJPhqYCwB-4-gn0SdeOUVeiHxFaZ8_jgPM9NZvN79pAQ-MPqtQ4eqruxXbRzrYR8DP4o9GKEdAN8pIgmRGqfQ/s1600/2016-09-02+12.26.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4K510CIypUG7h1QNSOfH6d8bAfuQ0b3jfmFH9klwXlUClMNbTJzJPhqYCwB-4-gn0SdeOUVeiHxFaZ8_jgPM9NZvN79pAQ-MPqtQ4eqruxXbRzrYR8DP4o9GKEdAN8pIgmRGqfQ/s400/2016-09-02+12.26.22.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<br />
This isn’t the best pic of Quito’s Old Town, but it gives you a taste.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApaLRI2Ah04X15kWDTvPD0COT3OfIckdnA7nblii8pXGhe4-BTTwLgSJjj8t2kxa4LzL2sk12w2LdQHBL7xWl-1_gDHFSPcSmEqLyHs3U4vYBBV3ISVqW8AbMyebdH-T86t9fCQ/s1600/2016-09-02+16.59.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApaLRI2Ah04X15kWDTvPD0COT3OfIckdnA7nblii8pXGhe4-BTTwLgSJjj8t2kxa4LzL2sk12w2LdQHBL7xWl-1_gDHFSPcSmEqLyHs3U4vYBBV3ISVqW8AbMyebdH-T86t9fCQ/s400/2016-09-02+16.59.54.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Ecuador uses US currency, but their old money is still floating around. I received this medley of change yesterday.</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-knwE4ACdU94i_Fu9QPzLMHPdPYcBvMHB6CTzBusR13lH8KF1eLFKyfbGnN1y6GdVd0gv9Is65q5rUh7NPrnxDPuUjaEI_-WsA4Utf9LMPpVoe4Lf5Gp4_yqSplYYj4_JocTxtQ/s1600/2016-09-02+12.24.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-knwE4ACdU94i_Fu9QPzLMHPdPYcBvMHB6CTzBusR13lH8KF1eLFKyfbGnN1y6GdVd0gv9Is65q5rUh7NPrnxDPuUjaEI_-WsA4Utf9LMPpVoe4Lf5Gp4_yqSplYYj4_JocTxtQ/s400/2016-09-02+12.24.29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
OK, I realize I just said I’ll be blogging again, but actually there will not be another post until around September 21. Tomorrow I’m leaving for the Galápagos to volunteer on a farm where there is not internet or cell phone service. I’m not sure what to expect or what I’m actually doing on the farm, but I’m hoping during my visit there to see giant tortoises, blue footed boobies, and amazing ocean views, and to get photos of all of this and more. So, sit tight and I’ll be back in a few weeks with more.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
p.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Christine Iwan Gardner!</div>
</div>
Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-15404438468638324272013-04-16T16:22:00.000-06:002013-04-16T16:41:02.644-06:00The cats of İstanbul <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfjI25PKCBP3ELUX8z_jSEHCpshEQU8gDTpXAK5JeUxsRTMFtg-yzIIH9yF6R1bj9-uyheyyQHtLucCbIuFFNnYQKS8_tLa1RnXxlPtDIvr-WNjVV625Syi906OxMI4nQTo4FcQ/s1600/IMG_7359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfjI25PKCBP3ELUX8z_jSEHCpshEQU8gDTpXAK5JeUxsRTMFtg-yzIIH9yF6R1bj9-uyheyyQHtLucCbIuFFNnYQKS8_tLa1RnXxlPtDIvr-WNjVV625Syi906OxMI4nQTo4FcQ/s640/IMG_7359.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
There are cat cities and there are dog cities. Like Rome, Istanbul is a cat city. The
ubiquitous felines lend to the character of the city as much as the
imposing mosques, palaces, and bazaars. In Cihangir -- the neighborhood of Istanbul where I stayed last weekend -- the cats might as well have passports and pay taxes, as they often act and are treated like full-fledged (human) citizens. Two years ago <a href="http://abstrakkt.blogspot.com.es/2010/08/julia-unplugged.html">I was in a small town in
northern Russia</a> for a week and got in the habit of feeding the town
strays. In Istanbul I fit right in as one among hundreds feeding local
cats.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Here’s a selection of my favorite Istanbul cats.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
Cats outdoors...</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcer22kZRLpEa_MJaLIFWzYrWHu8iDVbWJJCZl86puIYXCkSzOLzKSlYDl1Cd8P20f6hYKPyQ8gYDrUezlf5vaRg79OmGKUZ7IEcRIWmJiFZrgFR9V7sR1K-UvZb-oNnOIuuc_Q/s1600/IMG_7472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcer22kZRLpEa_MJaLIFWzYrWHu8iDVbWJJCZl86puIYXCkSzOLzKSlYDl1Cd8P20f6hYKPyQ8gYDrUezlf5vaRg79OmGKUZ7IEcRIWmJiFZrgFR9V7sR1K-UvZb-oNnOIuuc_Q/s400/IMG_7472.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8Y-ccHUBcFWkRa26m3yO4Gtbb_mz87a2J4WkVvb-9CQ3GWOBIgdXeY9KR1mrIxNHj9Yg-vhKcRrnAd8938GF2wH61elkMCDzxhzqxQSoiEt-ZwOwqNtPIGisUPmHbnuAWkLCQg/s1600/IMG_7452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8Y-ccHUBcFWkRa26m3yO4Gtbb_mz87a2J4WkVvb-9CQ3GWOBIgdXeY9KR1mrIxNHj9Yg-vhKcRrnAd8938GF2wH61elkMCDzxhzqxQSoiEt-ZwOwqNtPIGisUPmHbnuAWkLCQg/s400/IMG_7452.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3eAnRFdiztargDe6xPq5x970xH2DE8ZwjrD766EDVqbHD1K3Qt0sBxlriOK_UqoFZbs_PkMDzxjuiXy2kkfr_gjIkmxEyA4e985w4kKTXCuAPSXx4I8qtqwPNWGxf9r-Mn2IIQ/s1600/IMG_7449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3eAnRFdiztargDe6xPq5x970xH2DE8ZwjrD766EDVqbHD1K3Qt0sBxlriOK_UqoFZbs_PkMDzxjuiXy2kkfr_gjIkmxEyA4e985w4kKTXCuAPSXx4I8qtqwPNWGxf9r-Mn2IIQ/s640/IMG_7449.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKP6g2jo6zwDyYTrydfx0U7q_vuzYyFHgdUVpAVqUTtD_xP1UUcVrFWgtoTd4-u3yNRARZAAFPDHBDUjithKao5zlKXaUtQiSnhIiUOIE7J_y82ok54jBrg735AvLY_y_Uij_XQ/s1600/IMG_7399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKP6g2jo6zwDyYTrydfx0U7q_vuzYyFHgdUVpAVqUTtD_xP1UUcVrFWgtoTd4-u3yNRARZAAFPDHBDUjithKao5zlKXaUtQiSnhIiUOIE7J_y82ok54jBrg735AvLY_y_Uij_XQ/s640/IMG_7399.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
Cats on (hot tin?) roofs...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIODRM3nQxP-S4do6ucE3IBJcVE6sSCmxp8A4ob5j027e9dPE2oQSYByTEQ5F1GobIApd-84dM-godekDui-B7kbODUBRBxjIMiYJO9cQTyShI6PsqvYGuc0pCXxNyI8ehKT_6ww/s1600/IMG_7456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIODRM3nQxP-S4do6ucE3IBJcVE6sSCmxp8A4ob5j027e9dPE2oQSYByTEQ5F1GobIApd-84dM-godekDui-B7kbODUBRBxjIMiYJO9cQTyShI6PsqvYGuc0pCXxNyI8ehKT_6ww/s1600/IMG_7456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIODRM3nQxP-S4do6ucE3IBJcVE6sSCmxp8A4ob5j027e9dPE2oQSYByTEQ5F1GobIApd-84dM-godekDui-B7kbODUBRBxjIMiYJO9cQTyShI6PsqvYGuc0pCXxNyI8ehKT_6ww/s640/IMG_7456.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aRqCOKmfXnmt8T1NV-Uf3jvsRI5mRrcesxhnpScIi3AdqgEuAb7ScNjcaFFEnaCVrRwGwfJO8QmDrofycp1LBuCZdG4OhPaVzM6Qe3FTtAPYZlFQET7_pKdRlMDxS6RRhHoXaQ/s1600/IMG_7468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aRqCOKmfXnmt8T1NV-Uf3jvsRI5mRrcesxhnpScIi3AdqgEuAb7ScNjcaFFEnaCVrRwGwfJO8QmDrofycp1LBuCZdG4OhPaVzM6Qe3FTtAPYZlFQET7_pKdRlMDxS6RRhHoXaQ/s640/IMG_7468.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
Cats indoors...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fdgL0RQAJbsHEPD7tMtTnuVFM5CxVOKiKNhhhTmUZKl6PwuDyNvH9xxSv7CnejRYXUCuGfX_MoF0r-q6MykYTcrErIMVs0m216UGuuE8YrqZwiSH9wUuXRfUX1h_jWzRsqqg5Q/s1600/IMG_7403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fdgL0RQAJbsHEPD7tMtTnuVFM5CxVOKiKNhhhTmUZKl6PwuDyNvH9xxSv7CnejRYXUCuGfX_MoF0r-q6MykYTcrErIMVs0m216UGuuE8YrqZwiSH9wUuXRfUX1h_jWzRsqqg5Q/s400/IMG_7403.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGRAAqJ-73YvgerfCOgdy40fgrc5ItYlovU4804rsjT1eCBsO5sczb2MDu2vEReWxyFY9htLA24nAslWkAPTakqSWocsDRMOj1RbuWea5OwAaNektnI_6C_QzOk3pCQmxOcv6_w/s1600/Hagia_Sophia-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGRAAqJ-73YvgerfCOgdy40fgrc5ItYlovU4804rsjT1eCBsO5sczb2MDu2vEReWxyFY9htLA24nAslWkAPTakqSWocsDRMOj1RbuWea5OwAaNektnI_6C_QzOk3pCQmxOcv6_w/s400/Hagia_Sophia-cat.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cat posed for pictures inside<br />
the Hagia Sophia for hours.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
Istanbul also has its fair share of dogs.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTpje7NhkBxJk6GfOwuuP9NjaY-TzoXfk2u5-zhMUjer92PgtvNfUSV6WXg4CAF5qrGfRhGq_MhtN1XAu7BOUmoBVbr9O27RubXp27TxTaewkxwS-JUppRA8_iu0WLJSR8DPvuA/s1600/IMG_7475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTpje7NhkBxJk6GfOwuuP9NjaY-TzoXfk2u5-zhMUjer92PgtvNfUSV6WXg4CAF5qrGfRhGq_MhtN1XAu7BOUmoBVbr9O27RubXp27TxTaewkxwS-JUppRA8_iu0WLJSR8DPvuA/s640/IMG_7475.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<br />
For good measure, here are a few pictures of Istanbul, a city well worth visiting.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCxpZ9LXLRGZwx9od3i0X4DK35UgqKLj0Wv28TkpUTaoUNZnBuUIileMhYWp10z_bl7En8ooHMqbE3zd6PfU0eYhpgg643DpbNMG9nPL1IPEnKcL6KvVwhHjahlChD35yf-onvQ/s1600/IMG_7415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCxpZ9LXLRGZwx9od3i0X4DK35UgqKLj0Wv28TkpUTaoUNZnBuUIileMhYWp10z_bl7En8ooHMqbE3zd6PfU0eYhpgg643DpbNMG9nPL1IPEnKcL6KvVwhHjahlChD35yf-onvQ/s400/IMG_7415.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLq6x68G1Vgk-u4H77HcR3DS2ZgQcgBaOcxyiR2fPlYs-CdwZNjSvNdiYj-6Q909Wq6F9s8pGm4uU1Gv2O8jIbNkcNt06sy_cWq0WGpIUtmcd7O5_y0XDcCzWQuxwe57QqvSvqng/s1600/IMG_7388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLq6x68G1Vgk-u4H77HcR3DS2ZgQcgBaOcxyiR2fPlYs-CdwZNjSvNdiYj-6Q909Wq6F9s8pGm4uU1Gv2O8jIbNkcNt06sy_cWq0WGpIUtmcd7O5_y0XDcCzWQuxwe57QqvSvqng/s400/IMG_7388.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hagia Sophia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta2u29Cpr0cz3I64iWa6qLRVOUM99v_a5BeD20hebbLf5BBXJUwqoxC0Zqpq75u0S8PWCrC2E_KbXD1iVdkTeFvgPLqew5Y2jAfNiRlgF7X3bKJvrgG7hO9w5V1bADbMUEq-Vlg/s1600/IMG_7384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta2u29Cpr0cz3I64iWa6qLRVOUM99v_a5BeD20hebbLf5BBXJUwqoxC0Zqpq75u0S8PWCrC2E_KbXD1iVdkTeFvgPLqew5Y2jAfNiRlgF7X3bKJvrgG7hO9w5V1bADbMUEq-Vlg/s400/IMG_7384.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blue Mosque</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
**This is a one-off blog... I think.</div>
</div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
</div>
Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-20929162235054601462011-03-09T14:04:00.020-06:002011-03-09T15:48:03.932-06:00A Sheep in Wolf's ClothingIf all had gone according to plan when I was getting my Russian visa last May, I would have arrived in Moscow June 1st and left March 1st. But, luckily, things didn't go according to plan; my trip was delayed, and my departure date is now March 15th. I say "luckily" because I got to participate in my first Maslenitsa festivities in Russia on Sunday the 6th. Maslenitsa is roughly the same as Carnival or Mardi Gras, which all mark the week of celebrations before lent. But Maslenitsa, Mardi Gras, etc. have their roots in pre-Christian pagan holidays celebrating the beginning of spring.<br /><br />Sunday was the last day of Maslenitsa week here in Russia and I joined my roommate and another friend for a festival of games and blini (or traditional Russian pancakes, the sun-like symbols of Maslenitsa) in Istra, a town an hour or so outside of Moscow.<br /><br />We were greeted with shots of vodka:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxUSU4dZk3elYHQBQdcgku8T8XGlX-eissOyjLGNwJqdNWEFIzYm3M8kY_skHAvuVkEf9opDVFyuUWr3PpEr9HAL0-KRleF7H5lrh4Cff06ai_BkzMkJA6L7zYqE-ksAom_-gMQ/s1600/IMG_6141.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxUSU4dZk3elYHQBQdcgku8T8XGlX-eissOyjLGNwJqdNWEFIzYm3M8kY_skHAvuVkEf9opDVFyuUWr3PpEr9HAL0-KRleF7H5lrh4Cff06ai_BkzMkJA6L7zYqE-ksAom_-gMQ/s400/IMG_6141.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582193892765036738" /></a><br /><br />And different games/activities, such as jumping rope and walking on stilts:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji84xnvVvivJeRzEBycVCE2SOO9QWge8KMQLu0W179i8hjtH1E1pYhkZ_57i-kgN89JIXabAGJYZFNvTW5oVb1pvBZO39FTNAiWFYbJQtvv5QhyphenhyphenFi9BdbckmP5JGWHxhlJJcp-5A/s1600/IMG_6144.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji84xnvVvivJeRzEBycVCE2SOO9QWge8KMQLu0W179i8hjtH1E1pYhkZ_57i-kgN89JIXabAGJYZFNvTW5oVb1pvBZO39FTNAiWFYbJQtvv5QhyphenhyphenFi9BdbckmP5JGWHxhlJJcp-5A/s400/IMG_6144.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582193883978975970" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR4nh5SriC8Je5hLpnMDY7660LRZEKsbFbfGt4uNn8P4OUsmTCNV_2R85ueIfWrh4V4eCqBTZH7_To0nm0z5yZK_bSrrvPMcgv4SCqw5aNUy1_AEtb1aATiqCSs19dD83o32r3w/s1600/IMG_6154.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR4nh5SriC8Je5hLpnMDY7660LRZEKsbFbfGt4uNn8P4OUsmTCNV_2R85ueIfWrh4V4eCqBTZH7_To0nm0z5yZK_bSrrvPMcgv4SCqw5aNUy1_AEtb1aATiqCSs19dD83o32r3w/s400/IMG_6154.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582193881437990178" /></a><br /><br />You may have noticed that it doesn't look particularly spring-like in the pictures. In fact, it looks a lot like the dead of winter. It's no optical illusion. It was very very cold and I wasn't fully prepared. There was a half an hour or so when I was preoccupied with worries of frostbite. I thought that my feet, in particular, were in danger of permanent damage after my shoes got wet and the temperature seemed to steadily decrease...<br /><br />But then we found the bonfire, cognac, and fake gypsies and everything got better. A LOT better.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sicUsQR_eEj7nUb6VXGQZsdIOUZIEgLDjEIqFKYQ_Jj9VeSZ7BjYQ8ui1cpissR318M1v-alzv3pO4KSVUCP85cfiML9trtdYbGM42vIrnfrqoyou08k0RT6-5gzrZXnOLO-YQ/s1600/IMG_6175.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sicUsQR_eEj7nUb6VXGQZsdIOUZIEgLDjEIqFKYQ_Jj9VeSZ7BjYQ8ui1cpissR318M1v-alzv3pO4KSVUCP85cfiML9trtdYbGM42vIrnfrqoyou08k0RT6-5gzrZXnOLO-YQ/s400/IMG_6175.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582191199349864546" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJkvgguafumvVKxCQRfKIyhBdVQ8NDOVUtzUANneizqe5CcBRl_CbKJ8DpEDovpsr_sYLmaYNsy39LkMjlLnFDuSRveNgzueVrBMrAbuOgeqp-xIXdWevIYxl2Ckcx4PE0noFaw/s1600/IMG_6163.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJkvgguafumvVKxCQRfKIyhBdVQ8NDOVUtzUANneizqe5CcBRl_CbKJ8DpEDovpsr_sYLmaYNsy39LkMjlLnFDuSRveNgzueVrBMrAbuOgeqp-xIXdWevIYxl2Ckcx4PE0noFaw/s400/IMG_6163.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582191187216407042" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihkyQk5iAFBUsHERWb599_TBe0xtv18J_9PPOIrkMoxagBwVbfI20KnGpAgicsvPkCR6DyumesogJZ_eYyyP5qcx-Wh00dEPJ8tYalWw8_-W5NmJICPtX7g-cevpzjVHTuUOgzw/s1600/IMG_6160.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihkyQk5iAFBUsHERWb599_TBe0xtv18J_9PPOIrkMoxagBwVbfI20KnGpAgicsvPkCR6DyumesogJZ_eYyyP5qcx-Wh00dEPJ8tYalWw8_-W5NmJICPtX7g-cevpzjVHTuUOgzw/s400/IMG_6160.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582193878639016482" /></a><br /><br />For the first time I experienced hard liquor dulling the pain of cold weather. Perhaps not coincidentally it was also the first time that hard liquor has ever gone down so painlessly. Liquor and bonfire are the perfect pair. Whenever my feet started to feel cold again, I would just stick them fearlessly into the fire pit. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7JOBoyy_KWl7QyuvOIbcK33wu7N2f8RUt6V-zXmpH-hajf7y4pUdW23ytpF-7CsAHotEyvpXDp_JARBKhXOP_BMrRXFYr45Mt8ByHOwvbLy5K05T656hkbqgCf7pb1gue2IG9Q/s1600/IMG_6208.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7JOBoyy_KWl7QyuvOIbcK33wu7N2f8RUt6V-zXmpH-hajf7y4pUdW23ytpF-7CsAHotEyvpXDp_JARBKhXOP_BMrRXFYr45Mt8ByHOwvbLy5K05T656hkbqgCf7pb1gue2IG9Q/s400/IMG_6208.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582191182291545266" /></a><br /><br />But it wasn't <i>all</i> liquor and fire. We enjoyed some more traditional Maslenitsa activities as well. Most importantly was the consumption of homemade blini (look in my left hand for the pancake and at my face for the excitement).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRCeZWAsPsI9CMH14R8WP3q8cAt7FiUqy0sqJFO-5_ED3pb3fp8QH4f6mQCGgfsdFvHGwfLdJNv14b3Jr8fLiX09WCHimg3ZQqvaKDwe6SpGNPTZj5OD3I28rCAWe6UpF-PR_vQ/s1600/IMG_6189.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRCeZWAsPsI9CMH14R8WP3q8cAt7FiUqy0sqJFO-5_ED3pb3fp8QH4f6mQCGgfsdFvHGwfLdJNv14b3Jr8fLiX09WCHimg3ZQqvaKDwe6SpGNPTZj5OD3I28rCAWe6UpF-PR_vQ/s400/IMG_6189.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582191173903989538" /></a><br /><br />And the event that marks the end of Maslenitsa: the burning of a scarecrow (here a rather large one):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk76nE3o5lA7H_0GJzmzipNYJW-HCQj9wzAD0sXhOsbvj0ZKoxtFesmTAWmxiWH_ueFLdHRxk-Zbx48Npj0ihzjREe645FzjWzSYm8sRJjJIsfhcNV9yGQ8Kw0yrYwTIRKOWUk3g/s1600/IMG_6215.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk76nE3o5lA7H_0GJzmzipNYJW-HCQj9wzAD0sXhOsbvj0ZKoxtFesmTAWmxiWH_ueFLdHRxk-Zbx48Npj0ihzjREe645FzjWzSYm8sRJjJIsfhcNV9yGQ8Kw0yrYwTIRKOWUk3g/s400/IMG_6215.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582193865530924802" /></a><br /><br />I think that the first week of March may be a wee bit early to legitimately declare the onset of spring in the middle of Russia. But, in the end, I can't say that I mind the farce all that much. We'll just say that for whatever reason the sheep (spring) feels comfortable wearing the wolf's (winter's) clothing for a little while.Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-26562637228205041482011-03-05T06:27:00.003-06:002011-03-05T06:44:56.026-06:00Blog LapseI haven't found the time to blog for a couple of weeks now. Things have just been too hectic. But I promise I'll get out at least one more real blog before I leave on March 15th.<br /><br />In the meantime here are a few pictures of Kazan, which I just visited. My last Russian excursion for a while.<br /><br />The new mosque in the old kremlin --<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAC4YMjulz8_mdgFmZoEA5Dfbhr8xvbYijs7O6Lo7GChb0Y3RrE5cBCZqTbpYdoFQlrzyNeBYEytim4_yjTgst43wfQysO7AZdIm46tX54JYO4meYg2aBWgPDHvMHaEfgCvePalA/s1600/IMG_6027.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAC4YMjulz8_mdgFmZoEA5Dfbhr8xvbYijs7O6Lo7GChb0Y3RrE5cBCZqTbpYdoFQlrzyNeBYEytim4_yjTgst43wfQysO7AZdIm46tX54JYO4meYg2aBWgPDHvMHaEfgCvePalA/s320/IMG_6027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580575150256974914" /></a><br /><br />Inside the mosque --<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOfUiS-V7tqtvxob_ajXFOqAhp4TmYNHpiVDm-KYrWw3N-gqhlixWLBk2es4GUs1Lj32RfuBeEmDxQEzBJCt-xyW5YlL4u5zR_XLRVH7YRdMKxiFe11cYqz54Mg5pP0xxtCUjAA/s1600/IMG_6036.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOfUiS-V7tqtvxob_ajXFOqAhp4TmYNHpiVDm-KYrWw3N-gqhlixWLBk2es4GUs1Lj32RfuBeEmDxQEzBJCt-xyW5YlL4u5zR_XLRVH7YRdMKxiFe11cYqz54Mg5pP0xxtCUjAA/s320/IMG_6036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580575154379122802" /></a><br /><br />Two official languages: Russian & Tatar --<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbv5JDBJ4w1w1wLlU_jrOiSSsYV35dNzDSaieEjDTVoJbRy6kb4HIvCc0ufTrg7c4t9jD_DvhIOfkeEOihLbZ6osdG8hAq4rk7XOAkLfna8k85RMXOlq6d1qRWI_UgCT-DbkU9g/s1600/IMG_6073.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbv5JDBJ4w1w1wLlU_jrOiSSsYV35dNzDSaieEjDTVoJbRy6kb4HIvCc0ufTrg7c4t9jD_DvhIOfkeEOihLbZ6osdG8hAq4rk7XOAkLfna8k85RMXOlq6d1qRWI_UgCT-DbkU9g/s320/IMG_6073.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580575157496876338" /></a><br /><br />The Old Tatar settlement on the bank of the frozen canal -- <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2n794yOcTqbuWnms_3fVYRQEKRPYZQp-lwxGbhyvX_6CjMAWVkXnlEfMR7LTOcZ2guyP4BI_VbsVfCEYaIsABePvnVApt0JQ7fzi7oKjDcm9BqtU6WETJk8Z2iws1sFYh1IPANQ/s1600/IMG_6109.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2n794yOcTqbuWnms_3fVYRQEKRPYZQp-lwxGbhyvX_6CjMAWVkXnlEfMR7LTOcZ2guyP4BI_VbsVfCEYaIsABePvnVApt0JQ7fzi7oKjDcm9BqtU6WETJk8Z2iws1sFYh1IPANQ/s320/IMG_6109.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580575158418958178" /></a>Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-72850492366138331232011-02-14T02:42:00.017-06:002011-02-14T14:56:08.884-06:00Winter is long and I am short......on time.<br /><br />Thirty days from yesterday I'm coming home! I'm really looking forward to seeing family, friends, and a certain <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VbHBD4JSgBXp1jwieCmz9Q?feat=directlink">furry little monster</a> very soon! And I won't lie, I'm also looking forward to some creature comforts and everyday things; here are five of them:<br /><ol><br /><li>Coffee. (Is anyone surprised about this?!)<br><br /><li>Pizza. Russian pizza is gross. There, I said it. Eastern Europeans don't get pizza. Sorry, but it's true.<br><br /><li>Clothes dryers. Many people have washing machines in their apartments, but dryers are a rarity. Apparently they're considered a luxury. Well, call me a princess, I don't care. I'd be happy if I never had to hang another piece of wet clothing over a drying rack ever ever again in my life.<br><br /><li>Lines. I miss American etiquette for standing in line. Dear Russians, Please wait behind me if I'm standing in line and don't pretend to be clever and slip in front of me, even if you are an 80-year-old grandmother. And please don't stand so close to me. That extra inch of space won't actually get you to the front of the line any faster, it just forces us to stand agonizingly close to one another while we wait.<br><br /><li>Recycling. Capitalism brought a whole lot of garbage to Russia. And I'm not talking about the absolute worst of American culture that made its way here. (Speaking of which, have I told you about the Russian <i>Married with Children</i> and <i>Everybody Loves Raymond</i> knock-offs?) I'm talking about the excessive material waste and ill-fated attempts to recycle. Russia's really done a 180 in this respect. People used to re-use things to a painstaking degree (largely out of necessity) and many Russians of the older generations still do (I had a house mother who sifted through my trash when I was on a study abroad program here several years ago). But Russian youth are more like 1980's Americans. All consumption all the time.<br /></ol><br />This isn't to say there aren't things about Russia that I'll miss. One of these things is the Russian Orthodox church. This probably seems odd to you, considering how unreligious I am. But it's not the rituals of the church or any religious beliefs that I'll miss, but rather the form of the church itself. I like the way it punctuates the landscape - whether it be urban Moscow or rural Russia - adding a bit of history, peace, and mystery. The churches are especially nice complements to a white and wintry Russia. (A winter which is beginning to feel everlasting. Like a gobstopper.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja5CgtZrZpv_6DrEjPkUvg5on-MPaBJUseN0xe-N2F5L0__xZgmB8hDSBD94rvCjaCn3mUfMFanGDqOgj7AQE8pTSbu88yQavIjlzqZ6JmckuDfKexUqlpB15Aaa6PDjfpB1Z-w/s1600/IMG_5980.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja5CgtZrZpv_6DrEjPkUvg5on-MPaBJUseN0xe-N2F5L0__xZgmB8hDSBD94rvCjaCn3mUfMFanGDqOgj7AQE8pTSbu88yQavIjlzqZ6JmckuDfKexUqlpB15Aaa6PDjfpB1Z-w/s400/IMG_5980.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573493321466059378" /></a><br /><br />I've also grown to appreciate Russian icons. Say hello to Orthodox Jesus:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSJBi-CymZ-BvPcln7X4iVlHralSq5QYSzNtaVjs8WBhLxN2Z0CWglv8PmE7lN6BPdsr182EUyoLLjsViO1Pcs7fNvnzeS1mE2k1KjLbMISiYLj2kRFg9ny_L_uywvj-S3Mh7-A/s1600/IMG_5920.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSJBi-CymZ-BvPcln7X4iVlHralSq5QYSzNtaVjs8WBhLxN2Z0CWglv8PmE7lN6BPdsr182EUyoLLjsViO1Pcs7fNvnzeS1mE2k1KjLbMISiYLj2kRFg9ny_L_uywvj-S3Mh7-A/s400/IMG_5920.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573492713042491410" /></a><br /><br />A note on Russian orthodoxy. It is part of Eastern Christianity. Western Christianity (i.e. Catholicism) and Eastern Christianity split off from one another in the year 1054 because the East would not recognize the primacy of the pope (and because of some disagreements over unleavened bread and a few other things). Russians aren't the only Orthodox Christians, the Greeks were first. Now there are Georgian, Serbian, Bulgarian, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodoxy_by_country">etc.</a> Orthodox Churches.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNiLRqeGacaEUwjJ0_OlxlaMtd8jINoj-NsnBf5YahXnGKaxLVlfIHUF6D7yYlYNOfrTsd88uAXk5ZsjXHby3CeQBo4m8f9wKWsm3udNVF8Dh7WZUCGLU4eLHNjbX55Ij3KfCYA/s1600/IMG_5924.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNiLRqeGacaEUwjJ0_OlxlaMtd8jINoj-NsnBf5YahXnGKaxLVlfIHUF6D7yYlYNOfrTsd88uAXk5ZsjXHby3CeQBo4m8f9wKWsm3udNVF8Dh7WZUCGLU4eLHNjbX55Ij3KfCYA/s400/IMG_5924.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573647308038678802" /></a><br /><br />People of other faiths reside in Russia, for example Muslims and Jews, but the country itself is steadfastly <i>pravoslavny</i> or Orthodox Christian. While I haven't been inspired to convert, I'll miss admiring the churches and icons. But I definitely won't miss the pizza.Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-51325232285278484422011-02-06T11:07:00.008-06:002011-02-06T13:26:29.778-06:00At the grocery storeThe supermarket chain Ashan is sort of like the Russian version of WalMart (except that Ashan is French-owned).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEZDPBsKukJ3JTtK28FCe77ZaWFyNuu_lYcvwzG6nwSJHlpgpdK1B2PN7xQ4y51xLOTPGXYaRk1He0hcwopnZFweaFzr3szk7KiFuR6smMjISdQUAv0l4pgyapZObqul7eBD1Ig/s1600/IMG_6009.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEZDPBsKukJ3JTtK28FCe77ZaWFyNuu_lYcvwzG6nwSJHlpgpdK1B2PN7xQ4y51xLOTPGXYaRk1He0hcwopnZFweaFzr3szk7KiFuR6smMjISdQUAv0l4pgyapZObqul7eBD1Ig/s320/IMG_6009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570631621072489730" /></a><br /><br />Let's take a little tour and see what we find...<br /><br />Milk! Un-refrigerated! In bags!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbhMXEGZXJ2CdzlWcw2o2J6XL5sil05F53pV9-VK_C4cQ1RXljE0fbyeOYB36dmXVXHlg8MqlaAgfqa7l2aj9g70ll4CQ8ZPRcEU2D6XZU5E-cQnR-moi0d2wIf70WsOC1gcs9A/s1600/IMG_6000.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbhMXEGZXJ2CdzlWcw2o2J6XL5sil05F53pV9-VK_C4cQ1RXljE0fbyeOYB36dmXVXHlg8MqlaAgfqa7l2aj9g70ll4CQ8ZPRcEU2D6XZU5E-cQnR-moi0d2wIf70WsOC1gcs9A/s320/IMG_6000.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570630038407193170" /></a><br /><br />Russians do pretty much everything they can with dairy products. In this picture there are three different kinds of "sour milk" products: kefir (which you may have heard of), ryazhenka, and prostokvashino. I'm still working out what each of these is, exactly, and stick to kefir and yogurt for the most part.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVRxyD3A9FsFA2v8F1TE2RKxAjjoyyfsBTpW4o49fBPm7ir4wQbbAQcdzHQRhjPNcfhyphenhyphena8m1P2F5uGjibznsqZMRkbEliKZogGxeCLsY4i6t8XLKMmAkF2u40eHWrVIGplpFTeA/s1600/IMG_6001.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVRxyD3A9FsFA2v8F1TE2RKxAjjoyyfsBTpW4o49fBPm7ir4wQbbAQcdzHQRhjPNcfhyphenhyphena8m1P2F5uGjibznsqZMRkbEliKZogGxeCLsY4i6t8XLKMmAkF2u40eHWrVIGplpFTeA/s320/IMG_6001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570630041183631506" /></a><br /><br />Every type of grain you'd ever want... and more. I've learned new words for grains in <i>English</i> after living in Russia. One meal where all of these grains typically appear is Russian breakfast, specifically in porridge. In the US we have oatmeal and that's about it (well, there is also Cream of Wheat but I'm not sure what that is.. wait, yes I do, it's wheat porridge!). The word <i>kasha</i> means porridge in Russian. There's <i>ovsyanaya kasha</i> = oat porridge, <i>grechnevaya kasha</i> = buckwheat porridge, <i>pshennaya kasha</i> = millet porridge, <i>mannaya kasha</i> = semolina porridge, wheat porridge, rye porridge, rice porridge, etc. I like buckwheat and semolina the best.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fSnJkdHqw_LMPk93qBzQvxNYU9Sr2j0FPmJCC9ee6j-Z927Nzi5buTl6PxCfGkGzolYDxo9CV7EI4ny9vQN5xK87kvoG73V8jD-ZmVxPlHAwxrwMBx0c7PC-C4swewZhtaI_Vw/s1600/IMG_5992.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fSnJkdHqw_LMPk93qBzQvxNYU9Sr2j0FPmJCC9ee6j-Z927Nzi5buTl6PxCfGkGzolYDxo9CV7EI4ny9vQN5xK87kvoG73V8jD-ZmVxPlHAwxrwMBx0c7PC-C4swewZhtaI_Vw/s320/IMG_5992.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570630022893749730" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqEGdlGYYS0uK67KySH3e_IOQhx8GlcY0UNW-YkVAZw8A7Ed4HDfZuae3csO6xs-D-hbw1vLFAJQWmS7OQfOo3iCA-nMG6JlbHkQC2iIwWlgBVhhjbFTyToOoimJCCbh-CPlNGg/s1600/IMG_6006.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqEGdlGYYS0uK67KySH3e_IOQhx8GlcY0UNW-YkVAZw8A7Ed4HDfZuae3csO6xs-D-hbw1vLFAJQWmS7OQfOo3iCA-nMG6JlbHkQC2iIwWlgBVhhjbFTyToOoimJCCbh-CPlNGg/s320/IMG_6006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570630033464073378" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXR6kl3Eg-db8deSlBEOXq2nAW-nBioAx_sDyOk1FQGFBtLgg8VX0pF8hroGiEUCEd-vjg3vSTULXE2fbjsVy-kH_x7gsIY67Mh4qbrh25rxs3iI8h1Q7ZFl7OifCe51q0avL3w/s1600/IMG_6005.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXR6kl3Eg-db8deSlBEOXq2nAW-nBioAx_sDyOk1FQGFBtLgg8VX0pF8hroGiEUCEd-vjg3vSTULXE2fbjsVy-kH_x7gsIY67Mh4qbrh25rxs3iI8h1Q7ZFl7OifCe51q0avL3w/s320/IMG_6005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570630030795646706" /></a><br /><br />Now, I don't want to be <b>too</b> cliché about Russia, but there <i>is</i> an entire vodka aisle at Ashan...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixmEd5s8j0GpmPUWxICmYDH4GTuqKylJHKv5k8E8Xndw-J-AEbkiJ8g7iS4dRyCKm5KkJp05LWCIePgzOGoqPdmJT6azJDEC3UCfSIjcg7CXX4jO5IHlJUOAt4yHCWN0VZF_Pbg/s1600/IMG_5997.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixmEd5s8j0GpmPUWxICmYDH4GTuqKylJHKv5k8E8Xndw-J-AEbkiJ8g7iS4dRyCKm5KkJp05LWCIePgzOGoqPdmJT6azJDEC3UCfSIjcg7CXX4jO5IHlJUOAt4yHCWN0VZF_Pbg/s320/IMG_5997.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570633738476243970" /></a><br /><br />Moving on to the frozen foods section we have a popular brand of pelmeni, or little meat dumplings, sort of ravioli-esque.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIovsa-Y0VvBgA9M4180F_kWpPUoG-x87h39hB8iSaIqXPicEAs-xreHIzkp7trY8l3kjk1TuP2yLkNNyThp-e2p7I5lblHK_dSHmQe78CYenlwWDGJzajS2RkqurtcrQ_qkJdCg/s1600/IMG_6002.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIovsa-Y0VvBgA9M4180F_kWpPUoG-x87h39hB8iSaIqXPicEAs-xreHIzkp7trY8l3kjk1TuP2yLkNNyThp-e2p7I5lblHK_dSHmQe78CYenlwWDGJzajS2RkqurtcrQ_qkJdCg/s320/IMG_6002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570633025721716402" /></a><br /><br />And meat-filled blini, or pancakes/crepes. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxA9I0DZBekyh23mjOlEmUBw6-7mBdsElWEOvKICFH_-M-51s5Fwq158URzLhiJqrk2rSV3XRAATdcIemQZdw67QEq_mgzH0n_1hLpZoTDq8G_wBenBQvWiNddOK07qouKzcBmVg/s1600/IMG_6003.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxA9I0DZBekyh23mjOlEmUBw6-7mBdsElWEOvKICFH_-M-51s5Fwq158URzLhiJqrk2rSV3XRAATdcIemQZdw67QEq_mgzH0n_1hLpZoTDq8G_wBenBQvWiNddOK07qouKzcBmVg/s320/IMG_6003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570631607873616306" /></a><br /><br />And let's not forget about dessert! For special occasions, there's cake.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TlTZMPBdJicbXtpxg6HjbYMOUsUPuSGgXUQ9ehyphenhyphenmvzn3hF-_BUFe9S59zhRUhkIc3gSiDw2ykIns-5FToPdMYqWqmKk4Xw-oC5APi5pmC6_x6NQAR8NrcE7WZtUEEv_4xQdYHA/s1600/IMG_5995.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TlTZMPBdJicbXtpxg6HjbYMOUsUPuSGgXUQ9ehyphenhyphenmvzn3hF-_BUFe9S59zhRUhkIc3gSiDw2ykIns-5FToPdMYqWqmKk4Xw-oC5APi5pmC6_x6NQAR8NrcE7WZtUEEv_4xQdYHA/s320/IMG_5995.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570631610330331842" /></a><br /><br />But for everyday tea-time, candy's just dandy (I know, I know, grooooaan).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2S-YNrJZPeOvN4dyASsXoC5sjAm43_FVcovZSiixBchZrDnaLsTfI4-09fgJyTRAXGAHVrqSQJihLLPLPwSmiOpn2zASeFmE6bKoBOFhFSM6G2H7IkSUT66-KgF2oQ4tey74HXA/s1600/IMG_6007.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2S-YNrJZPeOvN4dyASsXoC5sjAm43_FVcovZSiixBchZrDnaLsTfI4-09fgJyTRAXGAHVrqSQJihLLPLPwSmiOpn2zASeFmE6bKoBOFhFSM6G2H7IkSUT66-KgF2oQ4tey74HXA/s320/IMG_6007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570633019800995282" /></a>Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-70077779684507787792011-02-02T12:17:00.010-06:002011-02-03T02:06:21.127-06:00It's a big, a really big city<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcSMnu8fTIKrxn7TUTMTrtGWfmpV1lBABHdQL_NnW2vgWpYeYoiJ8q-w0u3hy0OdfzatsBcMSA3t4ettqeDo4xYKuN2rvX2tTOzY5ZhUWX6wFu0YxQgeucxOm6Gs9OpxQBl3ejw/s1600/IMG_5986.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcSMnu8fTIKrxn7TUTMTrtGWfmpV1lBABHdQL_NnW2vgWpYeYoiJ8q-w0u3hy0OdfzatsBcMSA3t4ettqeDo4xYKuN2rvX2tTOzY5ZhUWX6wFu0YxQgeucxOm6Gs9OpxQBl3ejw/s400/IMG_5986.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569170052685679682" /></a><br /><br />Moscow, my friends, is big. I don't think people realize just how big. It's huge. Dare I say it is the most sprawling city I've ever been to. Maybe rivaled by LA, but Moscow sprawls densely. Some compare Moscow to New York City. I don't see it. NYC is geographically constrained; Moscow has no natural boundaries. It just keeps growing and growing, turning once independent neighboring towns into measly suburbs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjUzI6rdtCG9dSV1CCzYJNhOijh4BK7aUXPExlyS4TY1qCmpiVDSaQ5Z8Fxw0E9Na0DOgul2n2U4bfcXNh8Kqg98lRrU1OO3eLPAb1gvAdEToE6HWFh5rBxEz_7PyYWDWIFYHPg/s1600/IMG_5973.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjUzI6rdtCG9dSV1CCzYJNhOijh4BK7aUXPExlyS4TY1qCmpiVDSaQ5Z8Fxw0E9Na0DOgul2n2U4bfcXNh8Kqg98lRrU1OO3eLPAb1gvAdEToE6HWFh5rBxEz_7PyYWDWIFYHPg/s400/IMG_5973.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569170061515267570" /></a><br /><br />People continue streaming to Moscow year after year. In Russia, there is nowhere but Moscow that Russians can move to find work and make a decent living for themselves. (Well, to be fair, a small handful of other cities, such as St. Petersburg, are staying afloat, but none of them offer the same breadth and scope opportunities as Moscow.)<br /><br />And not just "ethnic" Russians, but also people from the Caucasus and CIS countries stream into Moscow. (FYI -- CIS means "Commonwealth of Independent States," or many of the countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union.) People from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Caucasus, parts of Ukraine, and so on. Different groups assimilate differently and are perceived differently. In this process a labor divide has arisen; many of the immigrants from the south now do the dirty work Muscovites won't do. (Reminiscent of anything closer to home?) <br /><br />This is more or less the current CIS (sans Georgia):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5F9uGIDMH9-efEdV_MFTkxEta45EBeiIN8SqUREz0WHr6BDrxqsVgJR_vDq8xKPLaf73dLGLTC4mqnauOjyHZVdXrUEfjZXg-xRylf7AbptycErmdMUIy2jU4SwAsPbnSsUjqbg/s1600/political-cis.jpeg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5F9uGIDMH9-efEdV_MFTkxEta45EBeiIN8SqUREz0WHr6BDrxqsVgJR_vDq8xKPLaf73dLGLTC4mqnauOjyHZVdXrUEfjZXg-xRylf7AbptycErmdMUIy2jU4SwAsPbnSsUjqbg/s400/political-cis.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569173549416526002" /></a><br /><br />I'm not going to comment on the terrorist attack on Monday, January 24th at Moscow's Domodedovo airport; I just want to say that this is a big, complex, changing city with lots of complicated problems. This is not to say that the terrorist attacks are a Moscow-specific problem, the problem is bigger. But Moscow is a frequent locus of such tragedies.<br /><br />I said that Moscow sprawls densely. Big cities almost always have a lot of big buildings, but Moscow feels particularly packed with them. Not only are there big buildings in the center, where political and financial goings-on go on, but high-rises continue out beyond the center into the outskirts of the city. Most of these multi-story complexes are apartment buildings. Apartment buildings packed with people, like this one that I'm currently packed into ☺:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVdbXRNK34gexNS7Do-zRmzwQ0DV6-HgrtrnLZrnOrlOXP06LH0dYphqFm2d7lyN5hQJjj64nxEXBQsevY7aK1P7reMpMiLJaNn4diknQlgCjaTX5k74oitYGXJT57BDI_5YNWA/s1600/IMG_5970.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVdbXRNK34gexNS7Do-zRmzwQ0DV6-HgrtrnLZrnOrlOXP06LH0dYphqFm2d7lyN5hQJjj64nxEXBQsevY7aK1P7reMpMiLJaNn4diknQlgCjaTX5k74oitYGXJT57BDI_5YNWA/s400/IMG_5970.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569170057361301282" /></a><br /><br />Among the high-rises of Moscow I always find Stalin's Seven Sisters (or Stalin's <i>vysotki</i> 'high-rises') to be an interesting sight. This one is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSkPyqgfBBhLzaS5zM7B9aPIQFTUoyiFdFsGta8kwLQ6XmzT7BZP0HVZV56yh_vJ_s5B55h0YZnOSTOh17B0jAq7xrX-tANBnEQA7MZPFJRnLmsyYxTMWdSfcTQ1KgEP9pyhutA/s1600/IMG_5950.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSkPyqgfBBhLzaS5zM7B9aPIQFTUoyiFdFsGta8kwLQ6XmzT7BZP0HVZV56yh_vJ_s5B55h0YZnOSTOh17B0jAq7xrX-tANBnEQA7MZPFJRnLmsyYxTMWdSfcTQ1KgEP9pyhutA/s400/IMG_5950.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569170069766779794" /></a><br /><br />And this one is now a Radisson hotel:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfw94I1spGMJFnR6IbSWrkrXfQuq_gY05qVHMlnBQX21Q-qdP56IEm_1peSC6oTTM6n1tRi-enCPi4BNG4Ab26RprKKqEI4NlDHOxLJV-YwElMaoOpwEU2CHRl5IKPsxSG0nnwxw/s1600/IMG_5446.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfw94I1spGMJFnR6IbSWrkrXfQuq_gY05qVHMlnBQX21Q-qdP56IEm_1peSC6oTTM6n1tRi-enCPi4BNG4Ab26RprKKqEI4NlDHOxLJV-YwElMaoOpwEU2CHRl5IKPsxSG0nnwxw/s400/IMG_5446.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569170074201717458" /></a><br /><br />And last, but not least among my photo collection, is Moscow State University's main building:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPRJA3ZefwQeaUUivaklMiHAErMmxKVs2RIdqMeUyChYORIU4qIoVU6AuXS2ZR7ThZWm06N1RKD8Ryt5Ra8ya__eJ9YvEpZ0TP_UlFUE4-uOzRhehQCF4yx0hyphenhyphenvhDksrR8Z3fpQ/s1600/IMG_5145.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPRJA3ZefwQeaUUivaklMiHAErMmxKVs2RIdqMeUyChYORIU4qIoVU6AuXS2ZR7ThZWm06N1RKD8Ryt5Ra8ya__eJ9YvEpZ0TP_UlFUE4-uOzRhehQCF4yx0hyphenhyphenvhDksrR8Z3fpQ/s400/IMG_5145.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569172605308163970" /></a>Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-61470961696076914772011-01-23T14:45:00.007-06:002011-01-24T00:27:42.446-06:00Making the Most of JanuaryI happened to read that it was a bitterly cold <a href="http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2011/01/23/news/doc4d3c389ae7bfa600702660.txt">-31 degrees Fahrenheit in Grayling, Michigan last night</a> (Grayling is my hometown, by the way). In the last month here in Moscow it has barely reached zero degrees Fahrenheit and more often hovers around 20 degrees, so I'm feeling pretty lucky. At least as far as Russian winters go, this isn't so bad. <br /><br />Nevertheless, the Russian winter has been a bit of a novelty for me after living in the Bay Area for many years. Some of my new favorite activities are ice skating and jogging in parks. While Russians aren't so keen on jogging (and when I'm out they often offer me unsolicited advice, chastise me, or less frequently praise me), many of them do make the most out of winter. A fair number of people cross-country ski and the city is full of ice-skating rinks, which themselves are full of people. I find all of these activities to be a nice, wholesome counterweight to Moscow nightlife.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40KGLTtUvKQDjlCT_Pv8Sxv4wTMGjS7D6gudArf4rFHfyni66Tsys5AWr6cFZLXMJdDKaSpnMyj-yJdwrgVcWccOLqLfyghsUABmrQ64FkSwB4Rc1TRzi11Ab3hXEtKNsVnP4Ag/s1600/IMG_5938.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40KGLTtUvKQDjlCT_Pv8Sxv4wTMGjS7D6gudArf4rFHfyni66Tsys5AWr6cFZLXMJdDKaSpnMyj-yJdwrgVcWccOLqLfyghsUABmrQ64FkSwB4Rc1TRzi11Ab3hXEtKNsVnP4Ag/s400/IMG_5938.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565487699449365522" /></a><br /><br />My first ice skating adventure was on the rink on Red Square.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9vDhvoxC9H1RmttpRdzgX618crXFUEJ4byx1SYU90sn2l9V0zcoa0M-Xap5kg-C6yVNyMSOHxDXsq36BeSG6taWyoL9CyRb0NZC7zJ9rUUm2xCXZoIiOrhzgBOGvE0xQ-8ZCsQ/s1600/IMG_5940.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9vDhvoxC9H1RmttpRdzgX618crXFUEJ4byx1SYU90sn2l9V0zcoa0M-Xap5kg-C6yVNyMSOHxDXsq36BeSG6taWyoL9CyRb0NZC7zJ9rUUm2xCXZoIiOrhzgBOGvE0xQ-8ZCsQ/s200/IMG_5940.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565495171692858850" /></a><br /><br />I fell twice. Please refer to exhibit A: the snow residue on my jeans. (You're lucky I'm posting this picture, because it's pretty awful, but it's the only one of me ice skating so far.)<br /><br />I fared far better yesterday at a different rink. These were my ice-skating companions:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonnfLrcYjMEi2oFxhYYFdnUzGLaWw1noV31yzQft6WXMmQyr6dZ3fAJ7RIftHVFeg4ImJkko63pSwDol8G_q2rjZVyd4d10Mq0ZmGXibh0BPCWrXwqRFlTaYY5RUtfd4lMETGDQ/s1600/IMG_5956.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonnfLrcYjMEi2oFxhYYFdnUzGLaWw1noV31yzQft6WXMmQyr6dZ3fAJ7RIftHVFeg4ImJkko63pSwDol8G_q2rjZVyd4d10Mq0ZmGXibh0BPCWrXwqRFlTaYY5RUtfd4lMETGDQ/s200/IMG_5956.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565490104112885202" /></a><br /><br />Perhaps the mulled wine helped. (Refer to exhibit B: mulled wine stand on ice skating rink.) Ice skating doesn't have to be <i>entirely</i> wholesome, I suppose!<br /><br />I too am hoping to make the most out of this winter. For example, I am bound and determined to go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride. (That was the original plan for yesterday, actually, but there were complications... The horses, apparently, got cold and so the rides stopped at 3 instead of 6 and we found this out around 3:30. This sort of thing is extremely typical for Russia...) But at least we got to go ice skating and spend a little time strolling outside of the city in Izmailovsky Park.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMd1LFx2E_hADKBO4UPKEr2S1FcIhqU0quDctZMinxBzlVsesHfw2PB-gB_HryHwrdXlzh93I5EYAC2Lz77PCYkr_MmHr-L24nWwLHh1NYrN70h_9i6rSTA6nJve-9ZYXL1K_rQ/s1600/IMG_5960.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMd1LFx2E_hADKBO4UPKEr2S1FcIhqU0quDctZMinxBzlVsesHfw2PB-gB_HryHwrdXlzh93I5EYAC2Lz77PCYkr_MmHr-L24nWwLHh1NYrN70h_9i6rSTA6nJve-9ZYXL1K_rQ/s400/IMG_5960.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565487708940474194" /></a>Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-10201413079411899022011-01-16T13:30:00.004-06:002011-01-16T13:45:39.860-06:00Moving MayhemMy newest "adventure" features, yet again, my suitcase. When I first arrived in Europe from the US, my large blue suitcase was burdensome because its hugeness precluded me from transporting it easily from the Berlin airport to my 2-month residence in Leipzig, Germany. <a href="http://abstrakkt.blogspot.com/2010/04/little-fiat-that-could-or-bane-of-bulky.html">So I rented a Fiat.</a> But last week the heaviness of the suitcase was burdensome for an entirely different reason: it led me to believe I could leave it unattended on the street for five minutes. Who would steal a 100-pound suitcase??!?! (You can probably see where this is going.)<br /><br />When I moved into my new apartment on Saturday, I called a cab to come and transport me, my very large suitcase, and my other things (mainly books) to the new place. A few minutes before he arrived I decided to take my suitcase out to the courtyard to save some time. I didn't think twice about leaving the suitcase there unattended for less than five minutes (allow me to remind you, again, that it is very large and very heavy). When I returned to the courtyard with more of my things the driver had arrived and my suitcase was not where I had left it. I assumed the driver had already loaded it into the car, and asked him as much, and he looked puzzled, clearly not having seen any suitcase.<br /><br />That's when the hot pursuit of the large navy blue suitcase began. First -- on foot.<br /><br />At every dumpster on the street there was at least one homeless person sifting through the trash, including the dumpster by my apartment building. I had never noticed this in the past.<br /><br />I asked one dumpster diver - a woman around 50 - if she had seen my suitcase and she started screaming profanities at me. So that wasn't going to lead anywhere. Then I asked a group of young-ish men in the adjacent courtyard if they had seen my suitcase and one said yes, he saw someone wheeling it into the courtyard and behind the building. But it was clear that he was lying, which was confirmed by wheel tracks leading in a completely different direction.<br /><br />Tracing the wheel tracks was the cab driver's idea. He really stepped up to the plate for the occasion, turning out to be a real suitcase sleuth.<br /><br />We continued the pursuit from the cab, hot on the trail of my suitcase tracks. But at the end of my very long block we came to a dead end. Traffic at the intersection obscured the suitcase tracks. The cab driver ran across the street, actually a large boulevard, to see if he could continue tracing the tracks or see any sign of my suitcase, but to no avail. When he returned to the car, it became clear that my suitcase was gone for good. Just as I was about to completely resign myself to the loss of the great majority of my clothing, shoes, my back-up hard drive... I looked across the boulevard one more time and...<br /><br />There it was! I spotted my enormous navy blue suitcase being wheeled around by some man on the other side of the large road. It was unmistakably my suitcase: I could even see the pink luggage tag flipping back and forth as the man spun the suitcase around.<br /><br />The cab driver ran and retrieved my suitcase (the man said he "found" it by a dumpster; he relinquished control of it fairly easily, saying "you're welcome" as he walked away), I made it to my new apartment with all of my things in tact, I tipped the cab driver very generously, and that was the end of my move.<br /><br />Perhaps out of excitement for the move, or out of the frantic-ness that inevitably accompanies all of my moves, or because I was starting to develop an ever so faint warm and fuzzy feeling toward Moscow... anyway, whatever the reason, for the second time in Moscow I came frighteningly close to losing a major possession. You may recall the <a href="http://abstrakkt.blogspot.com/2010/09/starbucks-incident.html">Starbucks incident</a> in September.<br /><br />I don't think this, or the Starbucks incident, necessarily reflects poorly upon Russia or Moscow. I <i>do</i> think it's necessary to be much more careful than I would ever be in the US about watching my personal possessions. Petty theft just seems much more rampant than it is at home. The last time I remember being a victim of theft was in 6th grade when I forgot to lock my locker and a girl stole my gym shoes and then <i>wore them to school</i> the next day. (It seems that I have quite the streak of dumb luck when it comes to this sort of thing.)<br /><br />It's very nice to be in my new place. No longer sandwiched between two large, loud streets; no longer next to a dirty train station. Since I moved, things have been much more peaceful and I've been able to get a lot of work done. Sure, I flooded the bathroom and broke the toilet (unrelated incidents... and I actually don't think the toilet is my fault), but all in all, it's been very peaceful and uneventful.<br /><br />View from my new 13th floor apartment (the park's in the other direction):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ijd3plXFzNwnIp3-RMsq6u4jXtB_CkqfWnaDiZwseTGd2mw5zNRKXthzCj_7IngYSU2MW6VXQW4GZ7kihfh1D8d_DofgOqXB1iW03rV6kq1zxAqOi6I-IW5mUamM3jtpxwH7vA/s1600/IMG_5931.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ijd3plXFzNwnIp3-RMsq6u4jXtB_CkqfWnaDiZwseTGd2mw5zNRKXthzCj_7IngYSU2MW6VXQW4GZ7kihfh1D8d_DofgOqXB1iW03rV6kq1zxAqOi6I-IW5mUamM3jtpxwH7vA/s320/IMG_5931.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562870285752003458" /></a>Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-88993412904203813342011-01-09T12:45:00.012-06:002011-01-09T14:20:42.830-06:00Winter WonderlandHappy New Year! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zecy7rElq8oylAtTyi_PilNuxu7v9UbNaiHAYyK8a0eTQIkHkC9TVSbjzE-ALMJ6tGV19StyIY69JNa_HSj452aRu9OoNpJSgmJ4DB0R0PfpWLOR2yOonRTuVH6KSXb-4ESeEw/s1600/IMG_5814.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zecy7rElq8oylAtTyi_PilNuxu7v9UbNaiHAYyK8a0eTQIkHkC9TVSbjzE-ALMJ6tGV19StyIY69JNa_HSj452aRu9OoNpJSgmJ4DB0R0PfpWLOR2yOonRTuVH6KSXb-4ESeEw/s320/IMG_5814.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560280958472302402" /></a><br /><br />It's been a crazy month. I worked very hard. Then I played very hard. (I got help on that last bit thanks to a visit by Alicia!**)<br /><br />The new year finds me in a new apartment. While it's been a rewarding experience living with a family, it's also been a strain on my work productivity, so I've relocated to a more work-conducive flat in a quieter region of Moscow. I'll report some more on my new pad once I get settled in.<br /><br />The holidays, my move, and most of all Alicia's visit re-opened my eyes to what Moscow can be. And it's not all bad. The city is fast-paced and crazy, in areas it's gray and dingy, but there are pockets with really amazing treasures, things you just can't see anywhere else, such as a gorgeous Russian orthodox church alongside a Stalin-era skyscraper; or the embalmed father of the USSR directly across an ice-skating rink... and me in the middle:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFsisjbCPohkeIREneOhy6ih4vPfRdeFGfBYVeLRm_PAjavtZnN8GfwG9-YOqtQE6A_ndUD6-aB6seZgI06gUNnoM-eYXrsE2kMpG1pfNMUsjeSuF8llp1bIVuYI-y0iVPoMt8w/s1600/IMG_5745.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFsisjbCPohkeIREneOhy6ih4vPfRdeFGfBYVeLRm_PAjavtZnN8GfwG9-YOqtQE6A_ndUD6-aB6seZgI06gUNnoM-eYXrsE2kMpG1pfNMUsjeSuF8llp1bIVuYI-y0iVPoMt8w/s320/IMG_5745.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560268358485025490" /></a><br /><br />I also started to see the forests and the trees. This huge city is packed with parks full of beautiful trees covered in fluffy white snow. I just wasn't living anywhere near one of these parks in my old apartment. But I am now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5KI2ynFU4W-gfh9SA-WV2UdGJLrg5xb64Z4WWGvJRkd_5V9tAQ9YIjOtjKTzzUQpwgsgc8LFMKb8vD3CoAa9_VZxoiR6wQMuV0iPE7S47Ua0Bn-ZjKkGrFRzCNYYUfMhUKE49A/s1600/IMG_5846.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5KI2ynFU4W-gfh9SA-WV2UdGJLrg5xb64Z4WWGvJRkd_5V9tAQ9YIjOtjKTzzUQpwgsgc8LFMKb8vD3CoAa9_VZxoiR6wQMuV0iPE7S47Ua0Bn-ZjKkGrFRzCNYYUfMhUKE49A/s320/IMG_5846.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560268360294722898" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp_pjT_RTN0T9r5mFglRpJyWbBqV3nMHff-osxASBo8G07__QeAxL7ATaeKIqXjFMGew_0-OpcBKwVqjtxPJMnqi5F24Hchq2I2K_IwGXAcKn9WsZav9SCtpAQpHAyl9Ip80iSQ/s1600/IMG_5841.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp_pjT_RTN0T9r5mFglRpJyWbBqV3nMHff-osxASBo8G07__QeAxL7ATaeKIqXjFMGew_0-OpcBKwVqjtxPJMnqi5F24Hchq2I2K_IwGXAcKn9WsZav9SCtpAQpHAyl9Ip80iSQ/s320/IMG_5841.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560280956183189570" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4ly81U8tM8SWAl3EiyC9FLHKUX9eW0AXl7R1PcnIRgWCGrgnkofF_GLrf3DgmnTO1ZRaWsWmcm8J0FEHbeubP5NkCvCk9GLt_2H5EIMgnFYGmRdHU-69y8QoHc9GsHwHSzdFQg/s1600/IMG_5851.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4ly81U8tM8SWAl3EiyC9FLHKUX9eW0AXl7R1PcnIRgWCGrgnkofF_GLrf3DgmnTO1ZRaWsWmcm8J0FEHbeubP5NkCvCk9GLt_2H5EIMgnFYGmRdHU-69y8QoHc9GsHwHSzdFQg/s320/IMG_5851.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560274150799471090" /></a><br /><br />(Technically, the park above, or rather the former tsarist estate Kolomenskoye, is nowhere near my new apartment, but you get the idea. Here are links for more winter pictures of <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/abstrakkt/MoscowWinter201011?feat=directlink">Moscow</a> and <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/abstrakkt/StPetersburgWinter201011?feat=directlink">St. Petersburg</a>, if you haven't already seen them on FB.)<br /><br />Moscow was impressing me so much that I started to let my guard down a bit. That's when Moscow reminded me that it cannot be taken too lightly. But the story of how my 100-pound suitcase was stolen... and then recovered... during my move yesterday requires its own blog entry. I hope that one of your New Year's resolutions is to exercise patience ☺<br /><br /><br /><i>**I dedicate this blog to one of my very best friends, Alicia, who has managed to visit me in every place I have lived for more than a month (Dallas, Italy, Czech Republic/Eastern Europe, California, and Russia! For Russia, Alicia even learned how to read Cyrillic!) and who is an A++ traveling companion. I swear that next time she gets to pick the locale! Oh, and Alicia also took many (most?) of the pictures in this blog and in the new <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/abstrakkt/MoscowWinter201011?feat=directlink">Moscow</a> & <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/abstrakkt/StPetersburgWinter201011?feat=directlink">St. Pete</a> albums.</i><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRr8k9-9dUchCn-tdXYb9UpIO5tT21Yb3GpESbgC26nmIRN5NHATvXlt6c_zdyIonD2I2AtR_44pucXQIeXr6SJaID9U7OYTMwHM9yWhLRpCW8AViMcPl5lmCM9DcdL8VV3golA/s1600/IMG_5891.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRr8k9-9dUchCn-tdXYb9UpIO5tT21Yb3GpESbgC26nmIRN5NHATvXlt6c_zdyIonD2I2AtR_44pucXQIeXr6SJaID9U7OYTMwHM9yWhLRpCW8AViMcPl5lmCM9DcdL8VV3golA/s320/IMG_5891.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560276122588992226" /></a>Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-33837723089599225972010-11-28T15:34:00.004-06:002010-11-28T16:05:38.767-06:00Guessing game / Post office / New Year's resolutionWhen people hear my accent in Russian, they often ask where I'm from. My favorite response is, "where would you guess I'm from?" I don't have an official tally, but the most frequent responses are Germany and Poland. Sometimes I get the Baltics. England has been the closest guess, since I don't think anyone's ever said the US. But last week I got the most interesting response so far: Iceland. I decided to make friends with the respondent ☺<br /><br /><center>//</center><br /><br />Odd as it might seem, I was beginning to think that the post office in Russia was a lot friendlier than in the US. (US post offices are one of my least favorite places on earth. On many occasions I have been barked at, a couple times lectured, and once or twice screamed at, for... well, I don't know what for... I would stop doing whatever it is I'm doing if only I knew what it is I'm doing...) So, I went to pick up a package yesterday at my neighborhood Russian post office with a copy of my passport, but not the real passport, because the copy usually suffices. The post office employee wouldn't accept my copied passport and when I tried to urge her to rethink her decision, saying that the copy had been accepted in the past, she started screeching at me and told me it was toilet paper and she wouldn't accept toilet paper. A profanity may have slipped out as I backed away from the counter. Yep, post offices are the same everywhere.<br /><br /><center>//</center><br /><br />My energy for blogging, along with my energy for just about everything, has vanished. As a result I've been writing a lot of unenthusiastic blogs. So, I've decided to take a break for the rest of the year, the month of December, and pick up blogging again in 2011 with newfound blog-writing energy, a more positive (or at least interested) outlook, and pictures. Surely I'll have my camera back by January. <br /><br />That is my New Year's resolution. (At least it's one of them.)<br /><br />Happy New Year! S novym godom! Feliz año nuevo! Šťastný nový rok! Ein glückliches neues Jahr! Etc.Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-11844754971463638512010-11-21T10:05:00.013-06:002010-11-21T14:02:49.682-06:00Better Left Unblogged?I hesitate as I write this blog. The idea came to me several weeks ago, but I've debated to myself whether or not it's really a bloggable topic. I've finally decided to just go ahead with it. This is partly because no other ideas have descended upon me. It's also because I'm <i>still</i> separated from my camera. We've been apart since Halloween. It's possible that all of November will pass un-photographed.<br /><br />Now time for <b><i>the disclaimer</i></b>: this blog is about bathrooms, mainly public, in Russia.<br /><br />A few differences in restroom culture are immediately apparent upon arriving in Russia from the US (many of these differences also apply to Europe more broadly and other areas of the world as well, but I'll only talk about Russia).<br /><br />First off, most public bathrooms charge a fee. If you patronize a restaurant or cafe, you don't pay for the toilet, but otherwise, you'll probably have to shell out 15-30 rubles (50¢ - $1) to use rather uninspiring facilities. Here's the entrance to a public toilet in downtown Moscow:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B2_Z5P4S52sORBYtdIKo_Z5FXD1dPNeqPgBnxk7QuM2-iX8IgEeSuaQ1rdMgwJHG_cHlyaMPKD3qyMpZrrkmS0tZqao8PpSRlNDfp8BxgZ7oBHM-49mczM33MF46hSuhDNHyLg/s1600/IMG_5486.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B2_Z5P4S52sORBYtdIKo_Z5FXD1dPNeqPgBnxk7QuM2-iX8IgEeSuaQ1rdMgwJHG_cHlyaMPKD3qyMpZrrkmS0tZqao8PpSRlNDfp8BxgZ7oBHM-49mczM33MF46hSuhDNHyLg/s320/IMG_5486.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542038872869215682" /></a><br /><br />But there's actually something unique about this public toilet. Zooming in on the sign, one can see that below the section reporting the hours of operation is a section announcing that it's a "free public restroom." I still almost can't believe what I read, and am tempted to go back to this bathroom to see if perhaps I had momentarily stepped into in a rip in the space-time continuum.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT88G8ajRFc9JuNsUuJK2GSMisv7YSmFieGkdF8FcylpMoVKxUhVfNHmOV1-oHgQpNy6xEIoQ8tkW5n9tbwHZ_2uxgeCT_APCufzA8hZh17RmnDrup-ceqPGeuFAa9D4_5rJT8jQ/s1600/IMG_5487.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT88G8ajRFc9JuNsUuJK2GSMisv7YSmFieGkdF8FcylpMoVKxUhVfNHmOV1-oHgQpNy6xEIoQ8tkW5n9tbwHZ_2uxgeCT_APCufzA8hZh17RmnDrup-ceqPGeuFAa9D4_5rJT8jQ/s320/IMG_5487.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542038858526105330" /></a><br /><br />Of course there are ways around paying for public toilets, such as finding a nearby McDonalds or Starbucks.<br /><br />The biggest bathroom shocker for me was the stand-up toilet. I've been told these are quite common in (parts of?) Asia, but I came across them for the first time in Russia.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYzTQB0eDDKSXtLoyDqeLxR1ZWKpxh7ZeJG3hIH-qGU4u5zQ6s_-TpOvM2jxfKnOb_-hB72UzrYwqIzJBANbsdfKWx2oZG5KrYspmsfkRR4d3IwPnKOq96OK0RsLFBboCH51AMg/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYzTQB0eDDKSXtLoyDqeLxR1ZWKpxh7ZeJG3hIH-qGU4u5zQ6s_-TpOvM2jxfKnOb_-hB72UzrYwqIzJBANbsdfKWx2oZG5KrYspmsfkRR4d3IwPnKOq96OK0RsLFBboCH51AMg/s320/IMG_0270.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542038844883774050" /></a><br /><br />Many of these are pay toilets. They're particularly expensive and unsavory at train stations.<br /><br />However, when there <i>is</i> a toilet seat, standing is frowned upon:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8G2qMcPMmreYBJL-1ThN6lZv3AuakwnBtr8unfqhOWHS150IKBKdM5iR0fwFCdx0ek3MU1cQ2syVBCNFam8dyS2oEOf_wJg0GPqFslQb23kxbNdh4VSSpPIOX_0Ydyr9Ad5DzQ/s1600/IMG_5657.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8G2qMcPMmreYBJL-1ThN6lZv3AuakwnBtr8unfqhOWHS150IKBKdM5iR0fwFCdx0ek3MU1cQ2syVBCNFam8dyS2oEOf_wJg0GPqFslQb23kxbNdh4VSSpPIOX_0Ydyr9Ad5DzQ/s320/IMG_5657.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542038852846380866" /></a><br /><br />Most toilets place the flusher on top of the water tank, not on the front side like we're used to in the US. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOn680MnTWZRRG1FkkXgajcisu_knpHdfvIq-4ADNfTplxbl7lFmt135yhogeYLhRALYNQ32x0p1G-CKXCWh_UeW3Sj4dgfFuKKzTydhWPla1ouO8cSgqa48PPdcyrtmAwvZnBA/s1600/IMG_5234.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOn680MnTWZRRG1FkkXgajcisu_knpHdfvIq-4ADNfTplxbl7lFmt135yhogeYLhRALYNQ32x0p1G-CKXCWh_UeW3Sj4dgfFuKKzTydhWPla1ouO8cSgqa48PPdcyrtmAwvZnBA/s320/IMG_5234.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542038881719456130" /></a><br /><br />I took the last picture because of the mildly amusing pun in the brand name of the toilet paper. If you speak Russian you get the pun right away and if you don't speak Russian it would probably be the most unexciting thing you've ever heard, so I won't bother explaining it☺<br /><br />Speaking of toilet paper, it is a big no-no to flush it in public restrooms. I can't remember the last time I was in a stall that <i>didn't</i> have a sign respectfully requesting that I not flush the toilet paper down the toilet. I find the practice rather foul and try not to think about it. <br /><br />And with that I'll close my first and (so help me God) last blog on toilets.Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-84062326116102610042010-11-14T16:56:00.004-06:002010-11-14T17:03:13.788-06:00Read no furtherSeriously, read no further. Because there's no blog today. But I promise something magnificent and thought-provoking next week. Well, at least I can promise that there will be some pictures!Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-58191640456498270132010-11-07T12:47:00.006-06:002010-11-21T14:05:59.577-06:00November is the Cruelest MonthOver the last week I've lost my credit card, hat, gloves, a metro card, and my dignity (OK, that last one's a little harder to prove).<br /><br />I've convinced myself that I hate Moscow, Russian food, and Russian people, including the ones I live with.<br /><br />I've whined and complained to everyone who will listen (or feign to listen) to me. To my Russian tutor, to my expat friends, to friends back home over Skype, and to my mom, who I called in a frenzy at 9 AM on Wednesday (I usually wake up at 10... or later☺) because I was convinced that I needed to move out of my current apartment and into my own flat. Stat. <br /><br />What has led me to these extremes of glass-half-emptiness? What is making November so cruel? It's not the weather, which has been hovering around a surprisingly pleasant and rain-free 40-45˚ F. No, it's not the weather -- it's the cruel academic job search.<br /><br />I have written so many drafts of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postdoctoral_research">postdoc</a> grant proposals and job cover letters (a genre I particularly loathe), that I'm beginning to feel like my own pen and keystrokes are turning against me, making me into a fool, exposing me as an imposter.<br /><br />For "fun" and in my "free time" I've found myself obsessively reading about higher education in the news and following online gossip columns about job & postdoc searches. News stories, that is: horror stories, report on the Crisis of the Humanities - how the earth is about to open up and swallow humanities departments whole (which is not an exaggeration in <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/the-crisis-of-the-humanities-officially-arrives/">some cases</a>) - and the flooded job market, where there are 300, 400... 600 applicants for every postdoc job advertisement [<i>postdocs are TEMPORARY (1-4 year) jobs!!!</i>]. So much for academics in their ivory towers. The economic crisis affects the academic sector as well. (I don't mean to sound insensitive here, I'm just trying to say I empathize.)<br /><br />This is why I have been a bad blogger lately. And this is also why my Halloween costume was a flop. I'm still without my camera, so I'll just tell you that I had some sort of hybrid costume that I think coincided most closely with a roller derby girl outfit. I had a green polyester dress, a pink glitter cowboy hat, and some shapes painted on my face... but no roller skates.<br /><br />And so, with November and all its cruelness getting me down, I decided to take a trip back to October today, that is, to the Red October (<i>Krasnyj Oktiabr'</i> ) factory. It's where they used to make Red October brand chocolate, but it now houses galleries, clubs, restaurants, boutique stores, etc. I was especially in the mood for some photography (maybe due to separation anxiety from my camera?), and <a href="http://www.lumiere.ru/">that's what I got</a>. Here's a view of the cool factory complex:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JIr-tks3Tz0BM4hcpQxJGHJG2dRV8rYu-GLwo-LtNQfIrmFJZEqZGZee_OIBJQ17k4rjADejUi6u4Fw03yhH0eeULY9rd_AFJGZ4dSlRogYFIlzOmL107m_2rvhwzh8zCl75ww/s1600/52288_view.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JIr-tks3Tz0BM4hcpQxJGHJG2dRV8rYu-GLwo-LtNQfIrmFJZEqZGZee_OIBJQ17k4rjADejUi6u4Fw03yhH0eeULY9rd_AFJGZ4dSlRogYFIlzOmL107m_2rvhwzh8zCl75ww/s400/52288_view.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536898161014456834" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.extra-m.ru/places/206549-konditerskaya-fabrika-krasnyiy-oktyabr"><small><small><i>photo courtesy of http://www.extra-m.ru</i></small></small></a><br /><br />I suppose I don't hate Moscow so much when I'm actually <i>in</i> it.Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-41300852940726641052010-10-31T15:30:00.000-06:002010-10-31T16:36:56.153-06:00I might turn into a pumpkinHappy Halloween!!<br /><br />OK, don't be mad (or sad!) but I'm not writing a real blog today. I offer two excuses for my poor behavior:<br /><br />1) I have a crazy scary job deadline tomorrow<br /><br />2) I left my camera with Halloween photos at a friend's apartment, and I can think of no good reason to blog about Halloween without visuals<br /><br />The costume I finally settled on was...<br /><br /><i>To Be Continued</i>Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-59471805636614736552010-10-24T13:32:00.002-06:002010-10-24T13:50:12.120-06:00Fluffy Blue MarshmallowA fluffy blue marshmallow is what I feel like in my winter coat. I'm having trouble getting used to the fact that in October I need to wear my winter coat. Russia's a serious place, yes it is.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc5S7djZnq92JLPQ1mbmSVU3-PJjxSo9Uob76RluobLSP1CpUyFdcT0v9DEYl-K46hrQTyuLxL8MReKhVBo0S66iL3FC1dSrSdjgMYHUeUXteUD-wIqAMPrXuEcbRjLq-ckJ0bA/s1600/DSC01917.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc5S7djZnq92JLPQ1mbmSVU3-PJjxSo9Uob76RluobLSP1CpUyFdcT0v9DEYl-K46hrQTyuLxL8MReKhVBo0S66iL3FC1dSrSdjgMYHUeUXteUD-wIqAMPrXuEcbRjLq-ckJ0bA/s320/DSC01917.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531701903406159810" /></a><br /><br />I can't write much more today because I am drowning in work and exhausted. A whole slew of job and postdoc deadlines are rapidly approaching and I'm falling more and more behind with each word I type in this blog...<br /><br />And I also need to figure out how to register to vote by absentee ballot before tomorrow's deadline. I must do my part to ensure that tea party wackos aren't running the government when I am back in the US.Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-37745041901755019672010-10-17T02:26:00.005-06:002010-10-17T10:18:37.927-06:00I'm dreaming of a white... Halloween?It snowed twice this week. Allow me to remind you that no fewer than two months ago -- mid August -- we were in the throes of a record-breaking heat wave in Central Russia. Now, this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSY5u0-XloNppXZYyGd9TuutyMgSmL0PO4-ki2_oIzPhFfhJArc13t6rNsGULeXBVbKk6bFmVnFtjcc0WR_OKDXPK6R4PMvyguhrOJCBWPgpvomdHiMovtJdF80CxtHy-aprLkw/s1600/IMG_5710.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSY5u0-XloNppXZYyGd9TuutyMgSmL0PO4-ki2_oIzPhFfhJArc13t6rNsGULeXBVbKk6bFmVnFtjcc0WR_OKDXPK6R4PMvyguhrOJCBWPgpvomdHiMovtJdF80CxtHy-aprLkw/s400/IMG_5710.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529046466617471682" /></a><br /><br />(This week's single blog photo is sort of a cop-out; it's recycled from a facebook posting.)<br /><br />The snow's not sticking yet. But I'm anticipating a white Halloween.<br /><br />Meanwhile I've been plugging away on job applications (mostly for postdocs) and remaining bits and pieces of my dissertation. But this is a frightfully boring topic to blog about, so I'll write about something else I did today: drive around Moscow! Yes, that's right, I was behind the wheel of my hosts' car, which is a stick shift without power steering. I managed to transport four of us, including the two kids (who, ahem, were not wearing seatbelts), to a botanical garden and back unscathed. Was this legal? Who knows. Was it scary? Sort of, but also quite an adventure. But more on driving in Moscow, including weird laws and other behaviors, in another blog. Right now I'm rather exhausted.<br /><br />Speaking of Halloween, I'm bound and determined to celebrate on October 31st this year, contrary to my usual apathy for the holiday, and also despite the fact that Halloween is not such a big holiday here in Russia (it seems to be more of a tradition in English-speaking countries).<br /><br />I am now taking suggestions for Halloween costumes. A prize will be awarded to most creative, economical and weather-appropriate suggestion!Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31570367.post-36826661743252882962010-10-10T13:13:00.008-06:002010-10-10T13:44:33.014-06:00Happy St. Petersbirthday!I spent my birthday in St. Petersburg, <i>Piter</i> affectionately in Russian. Here are some of the photo highlights.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQVL87OogUliZ26HAJmpWV8sWs0XDiTu7m8RpyJHJiUDsEBO1ViU6MVtQ6nmS9YxFSoJYC9P20_d9xqnd2-LqzUjwMnbCq319JeoT6IdV4tDGuIpE1q4aUq4OMQO-aooSVzcOHA/s1600/IMG_5608.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQVL87OogUliZ26HAJmpWV8sWs0XDiTu7m8RpyJHJiUDsEBO1ViU6MVtQ6nmS9YxFSoJYC9P20_d9xqnd2-LqzUjwMnbCq319JeoT6IdV4tDGuIpE1q4aUq4OMQO-aooSVzcOHA/s400/IMG_5608.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526499999422457794" /></a><br /><br />Things that are round...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEI2kXSrn2xFabi1j0bpiuWDTxRMJLzq2u_yxHR3HRjlQJtSudyvkdMhP6IL_w6YTrgJS32tzUeu_Xqheqs-tiqzhMIXapf8wEXNEcg2jwaJb46rDf_F6rEdg-DRevS-vjp0p1Q/s1600/IMG_5696.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEI2kXSrn2xFabi1j0bpiuWDTxRMJLzq2u_yxHR3HRjlQJtSudyvkdMhP6IL_w6YTrgJS32tzUeu_Xqheqs-tiqzhMIXapf8wEXNEcg2jwaJb46rDf_F6rEdg-DRevS-vjp0p1Q/s200/IMG_5696.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526498902061710066" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4gXRdlM7Bd-0m48ihN0J5-YT9jZZgrCg0KRRuFLjqArLTuPNAPgThNsDrTpuRJ7rYef6en6cySqXmg1S-e003SrasLDqTWi3cDl1w4BV5GdN_sSwA50yrFjNQPzEW5a9os0Zvg/s1600/IMG_5494.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4gXRdlM7Bd-0m48ihN0J5-YT9jZZgrCg0KRRuFLjqArLTuPNAPgThNsDrTpuRJ7rYef6en6cySqXmg1S-e003SrasLDqTWi3cDl1w4BV5GdN_sSwA50yrFjNQPzEW5a9os0Zvg/s200/IMG_5494.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526498891601102194" /></a><br /><br /><br />Wedding festivities continue into October...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXM3ixIa7QBpdYJ-kPsVoZ2yH9S9EX9SF9YHDbEnsuAK5PTaKUPAr5XdVFsTXKZEXVTiIyx-tNXzjCePd-OA4c_t0dJFDuKGNBI-9lJFORc3LP294JFXPZgJnpxnkOWgmnhyF3A/s1600/IMG_5676.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXM3ixIa7QBpdYJ-kPsVoZ2yH9S9EX9SF9YHDbEnsuAK5PTaKUPAr5XdVFsTXKZEXVTiIyx-tNXzjCePd-OA4c_t0dJFDuKGNBI-9lJFORc3LP294JFXPZgJnpxnkOWgmnhyF3A/s320/IMG_5676.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526504322952564002" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAzhWOf7bTwfJKp2LqrBN3nXUc-EnooFAZqlnaTCyUiDHNI_Bk7-Kf3KuxpEv8_PUC4HPWSRrbEQAQl2ZAJlGq3wB8Zvb9o1-MOqpqp0xdDivguC4oppysJW89Z1-3Of55vJpVQ/s1600/IMG_5679.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAzhWOf7bTwfJKp2LqrBN3nXUc-EnooFAZqlnaTCyUiDHNI_Bk7-Kf3KuxpEv8_PUC4HPWSRrbEQAQl2ZAJlGq3wB8Zvb9o1-MOqpqp0xdDivguC4oppysJW89Z1-3Of55vJpVQ/s400/IMG_5679.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526501688401964098" /></a><br /><br /><b>**CRASH**</b><br /><br /><br />It rains so much in St. Pete that even fire hydrants wear rain ponchos:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSiiUVcS11IWMNU9LzExRsbFiQdyDMhaHzGGK4dJyTe9jKrYun_btmqfHlo15Lnz8qlAqQLUhotLezi7kNgJhos6l4dpDnT4yUM-waLNp4LDj37HOCOL2FHNedzKuhm2tpk0IBA/s1600/IMG_5624.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSiiUVcS11IWMNU9LzExRsbFiQdyDMhaHzGGK4dJyTe9jKrYun_btmqfHlo15Lnz8qlAqQLUhotLezi7kNgJhos6l4dpDnT4yUM-waLNp4LDj37HOCOL2FHNedzKuhm2tpk0IBA/s400/IMG_5624.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526501677715292690" /></a><br /><br />And so do dogs:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OkUfJ96DPexAsltdj_T7dF7jNtIaUsncpyoaJmwvsRHxhjDbpTsWrGc7NDDuVFbCttN1Qe-XZWL0ZOzpHjV91XzK_wVO7SUNMWggqm0mxx6c1zBbEqS_9M93_9qO4m833lT3lA/s1600/IMG_5619_2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OkUfJ96DPexAsltdj_T7dF7jNtIaUsncpyoaJmwvsRHxhjDbpTsWrGc7NDDuVFbCttN1Qe-XZWL0ZOzpHjV91XzK_wVO7SUNMWggqm0mxx6c1zBbEqS_9M93_9qO4m833lT3lA/s200/IMG_5619_2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526498906130476994" /></a><br /><br /><br />But it didn't rain on me! I had a couple of colorful autumn days. Leaf bouquets were all the rage, among old and young alike:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Yo2AX0QYSLOOumaykY1BeIDBoo_2Z9QvRt_BAeKa-vbzqlgAUxb4xhGmG3mfVpYRrhBSOkVNB5sndtl6nLBGAg5uC2giL361kOSTB8wV6KiLR4Y0JrX6WEEDIbHWJaHluqT8iw/s1600/IMG_5538.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Yo2AX0QYSLOOumaykY1BeIDBoo_2Z9QvRt_BAeKa-vbzqlgAUxb4xhGmG3mfVpYRrhBSOkVNB5sndtl6nLBGAg5uC2giL361kOSTB8wV6KiLR4Y0JrX6WEEDIbHWJaHluqT8iw/s400/IMG_5538.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526499993509700050" /></a><br /><br />I <i>was</i> sort of disappointed with the accommodations...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUB4DAQkrdQMocVHpB_WWdAVrzS9zOMQDuYH2pRJH-Ds6D_SaaRV9K7VRCae2iH4bQaD0ZsUsUYhTS98lGfP1BX4Q3ssiO9ALxZT-jyA556kZIgqUIyR0xoQPdt8p_rRkA3-wyw/s1600/IMG_5644.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUB4DAQkrdQMocVHpB_WWdAVrzS9zOMQDuYH2pRJH-Ds6D_SaaRV9K7VRCae2iH4bQaD0ZsUsUYhTS98lGfP1BX4Q3ssiO9ALxZT-jyA556kZIgqUIyR0xoQPdt8p_rRkA3-wyw/s400/IMG_5644.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526501697937372866" /></a><br /><br />OK, you caught me there. That's a prison cell from a museum in the Peter & Paul Fortress.<br /><br />Other highlights were ballet, pumpkin soup, french-style pastries... And these guys singing in the fortress cathedral:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYz6rr6Ubm5uLSCS2ocK7H3QYP1Xm_2vpfI8B4HWA8avz4cjWGEBx-Cv4s8CoarP8wOBG0sGePnBLyyMBUBrLxDuNchKfMde-REQS4DNc0g3_5slpDb76Xn8Oi7gbDuQjRvtoBw/s1600/IMG_5635.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYz6rr6Ubm5uLSCS2ocK7H3QYP1Xm_2vpfI8B4HWA8avz4cjWGEBx-Cv4s8CoarP8wOBG0sGePnBLyyMBUBrLxDuNchKfMde-REQS4DNc0g3_5slpDb76Xn8Oi7gbDuQjRvtoBw/s320/IMG_5635.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526502919388344754" /></a><br /><br />But now, back in Moscow and back to work. <br /><br />Winter soon.Julia M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10351735099841190293noreply@blogger.com2