Thursday, 3 April 2008
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Manhattan Finale
After a whirlwind love affair since last October, a week spent here and there, moving into an apartment in early January. It's almost over.
So, after three months spent living in the centre of Manhattan with a 10001 zip code, this guy is moving on.
Chicago beckons. I've heard so many good things about the city and interestingly most people seem to prefer the place over New York. It's just that the thought of moving on is so painful. Real painful.
Since returning from Peru I've been retracing my well worn footsteps heading up to Central Park, getting a latte from Café Anglique, going out on Rivington in Lower East Side, going to Union Square and Fifth Avenue as well as sampling the lights of Times Square.
It's almost the end of an era, but I'll be back.
So, after three months spent living in the centre of Manhattan with a 10001 zip code, this guy is moving on.
Chicago beckons. I've heard so many good things about the city and interestingly most people seem to prefer the place over New York. It's just that the thought of moving on is so painful. Real painful.
Since returning from Peru I've been retracing my well worn footsteps heading up to Central Park, getting a latte from Café Anglique, going out on Rivington in Lower East Side, going to Union Square and Fifth Avenue as well as sampling the lights of Times Square.
It's almost the end of an era, but I'll be back.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
Monday, 17 March 2008
Sunday, 16 March 2008
The Amazon
One of the highlights of the Peru trip was a two night expedition into the Amazon rainforest. Aside from the trees and the classic muddy rivers, the main scenery was the creatures. And boy, there were quite a few!
We started off by taking a flight from the high altitude city of Cuzco down to the Amazon basin where it was humid and warm. Actually, being at altitude wasn't so bad!
From there, the tour group jumped onto a motorised canoe boat and burned it up the muddy waters of the Amazon delta. Along the way we had some lunch and what better than a serving of rice and vegetables in a banana leaf!
As everything was pretty much disposable we threw off the remainder off the side of the boat. Probably for the piranhas to chew or something.
After a couple of hours burning it up the muddy river and tackling a heavy rainstorm along the way we finally arrived at our destination and hopped off the boat.
From there we walked through the jungle and came across our lodge. It even had a bar.
But the entire lodge didn't have any glass windows. None whatsoever. This was just an open plan lodge. And pretty though it was, we were in the jungle and so seeing a tropical creature of some sort was evidently likely.
And so indeed as I walked quite at ease from my jungle lodge room along the raised platform towards the dining area something began slipping down my trousers. At first I thought it was my wallet, but then... this was the Amazon... I immediately froze in my tracks and nervously shined my torch down to discover a placid looking Amazonian frog staring at me sheepishly next to my shoe. Whoa boy.
Even our room with its lovely hammock faced the amphitheatre of the jungle like a giant speaker attached to our room. The monkey squeals weren't so bad, but the insects... well lets just say there is around 30 million. Chop down the Amazon I say.
Luckily there was a mozzie net and so I doubly made sure that this was securely fastened around the entire bed. I wasn’t scared at all. I was just taking precautions. I even checked for any miscellaneous creatures lurking in the bed just before tucking myself in for the night to the sound of the droning hum and energetic buzzing of the jungle, followed by a reassuring squealing crescendo.
The following day in the safety of the daylight we did a bit of macaw and toucan spotting and sampled lots of different types of perfectly ripe fruit. This was washed down with some sugar cane and sugary it was! We also checked out termites. They tasted peppery.
After doing a spot of piranha fishing in the late afternoon, we had the option to check out some caimans (a small type of alligator) at night on the river. So we headed back through the jungle down to the boat armed with just our torches. I wasn't sure whether the spectacle was the caimans or all the creatures we saw along the way. Either way most of the creatures were clearly nocturnal!
Visiting the Amazon is something that I have always wanted to do and it lived up to all my expectations. The creatures weren't all that bad!
It was certainly one of the highlights of the trip.
We started off by taking a flight from the high altitude city of Cuzco down to the Amazon basin where it was humid and warm. Actually, being at altitude wasn't so bad!
From there, the tour group jumped onto a motorised canoe boat and burned it up the muddy waters of the Amazon delta. Along the way we had some lunch and what better than a serving of rice and vegetables in a banana leaf!
As everything was pretty much disposable we threw off the remainder off the side of the boat. Probably for the piranhas to chew or something.
After a couple of hours burning it up the muddy river and tackling a heavy rainstorm along the way we finally arrived at our destination and hopped off the boat.
From there we walked through the jungle and came across our lodge. It even had a bar.
But the entire lodge didn't have any glass windows. None whatsoever. This was just an open plan lodge. And pretty though it was, we were in the jungle and so seeing a tropical creature of some sort was evidently likely.And so indeed as I walked quite at ease from my jungle lodge room along the raised platform towards the dining area something began slipping down my trousers. At first I thought it was my wallet, but then... this was the Amazon... I immediately froze in my tracks and nervously shined my torch down to discover a placid looking Amazonian frog staring at me sheepishly next to my shoe. Whoa boy.
Even our room with its lovely hammock faced the amphitheatre of the jungle like a giant speaker attached to our room. The monkey squeals weren't so bad, but the insects... well lets just say there is around 30 million. Chop down the Amazon I say.
Luckily there was a mozzie net and so I doubly made sure that this was securely fastened around the entire bed. I wasn’t scared at all. I was just taking precautions. I even checked for any miscellaneous creatures lurking in the bed just before tucking myself in for the night to the sound of the droning hum and energetic buzzing of the jungle, followed by a reassuring squealing crescendo. The following day in the safety of the daylight we did a bit of macaw and toucan spotting and sampled lots of different types of perfectly ripe fruit. This was washed down with some sugar cane and sugary it was! We also checked out termites. They tasted peppery.
After doing a spot of piranha fishing in the late afternoon, we had the option to check out some caimans (a small type of alligator) at night on the river. So we headed back through the jungle down to the boat armed with just our torches. I wasn't sure whether the spectacle was the caimans or all the creatures we saw along the way. Either way most of the creatures were clearly nocturnal!Visiting the Amazon is something that I have always wanted to do and it lived up to all my expectations. The creatures weren't all that bad!
It was certainly one of the highlights of the trip.
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Razor Blade
The intrepid explorer of yesteryear was back for a two week period only. And this time, he grew a beard.
After undergoing the daily rigour of shaving for a few years now, with a few painful nicks here and there along the way. I wanted a change. I didn't want this mindless pain, day after day.
Buying a razor blade has never been more complicated. Just take your pick... Mach3, Mach3Turbo, Quattro, cut-throat, electric, dry, wet... complicatedMachQuattro indeed.
Lazer surgery and waxing was obviously out of the question too. However, ditching the razor altogether was justifiable. It was time for a shaving break of freedom.
To begin with, stubble appeared and then slowly but surely, the beard began to grow like never before. The beard was beginning to make the most its new found freedom in the absence of the not-so humble razor blade.
But no matter how much I laughed I knew I wasn't going to win the tour group beard competition for there was one outstanding competitor who just couldn't be beaten on this two week trip!
Maybe next time eh.
Meanwhile back in New York, a two-blade razor lingers patiently in the bathroom. It'll be used when I can pluck up the courage to undo two weeks of hard work. I just don't know when, but one thing is for sure, work should be interesting on Monday!
After undergoing the daily rigour of shaving for a few years now, with a few painful nicks here and there along the way. I wanted a change. I didn't want this mindless pain, day after day.
Buying a razor blade has never been more complicated. Just take your pick... Mach3, Mach3Turbo, Quattro, cut-throat, electric, dry, wet... complicatedMachQuattro indeed.
Lazer surgery and waxing was obviously out of the question too. However, ditching the razor altogether was justifiable. It was time for a shaving break of freedom.
To begin with, stubble appeared and then slowly but surely, the beard began to grow like never before. The beard was beginning to make the most its new found freedom in the absence of the not-so humble razor blade.
But no matter how much I laughed I knew I wasn't going to win the tour group beard competition for there was one outstanding competitor who just couldn't be beaten on this two week trip!
Maybe next time eh.Meanwhile back in New York, a two-blade razor lingers patiently in the bathroom. It'll be used when I can pluck up the courage to undo two weeks of hard work. I just don't know when, but one thing is for sure, work should be interesting on Monday!
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