The Traveling Belgian

Soul Kitchen - a Jon Bon Jovi project

2011-11-25T15:28:00.004-05:00

A long time ago, a Belgian friend of mine interviewed Jon Bon Jovi for a popular magazine in Belgium. She told me he was a super nice guy. Well, after hearing about his latest project in New Jersey, I am pretty much convinced that he is.
He has set up a community restaurant called Soul Kitchen in Redbank, NJ that has no prices on the menu! If you don’t have the money to pay for your meal, you can volunteer in exchange for your meal.
People who do have the funds to pay for their meals, can pay 10$ or anything on top of that to cover someone else’s meal. I really love this concept. For the 10$, you get a three-course meal of nutritious American fare and you will most likely get to be seated next to people you don’t know. No reservations, no credit cards, just cash or volunteer time.

The restaurant is open:

Thursday, Friday & Saturday
Seating from 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Sundays Seating from 12:00pm - 3:00pm

More information:

Soul Kitchen: http://www.jbjsoulkitchen.org/about
Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation: http://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/

I’d say, spread the word and let's go eat!

"Nickel and Dimed"

2011-11-16T16:57:00.008-05:00

As a European, I know it is difficult to get used to the idea of tipping when visiting the US. It’s just one of those things that Europeans think should be included with the price of the service.

As a tour director/guide, I know how important tipping is since much of our income depends on it. So maybe this book is a good read before you visit the US.

It totally changed my own mind about tipping, even after having lived in the US for a number of years.

Barbara Ehrenreich’s book “Nickel and Dimed” (2001) is really an eye-opener to a harsh reality. Many Americans who work in minimum wage jobs have to work very hard to make ends meet. Barbara (who holds a PhD) actually goes undercover herself to work in low-wage jobs (waitress, hotel maid, cleaning lady, nursing-home aide, and Wal-Mart associate) and the book’s first edition was written in a time of prosperity. Her story holds even more true in this economy. In 2008 an updated version of the book became available.

The book is also available in Dutch (“De achterkant van de Amerikaanse droom” - Atlas).

You can read more about Barbara Ehrenreich at www.barbaraehrenreich.com.

Death Vallley NP - California

2011-11-13T14:11:00.004-05:00

This place is the most outer worldly landscape I have seen. It is also the driest (60mm of average annual precipitation), hottest (56.7˚C), and lowest (86m below sea level) point in North America.

One of the first stops when arriving in Death Valley NP from Las Vegas is Zabriskie Point. It’s part of the Amargosa Range and has one of the most spectacular scenic views in Death Valley. For those of you who are U2 fans, it is also the picture of the cover of the Joshua Tree album (1987). It’s especially beautiful at sunset.

The most famous place for a photo stop is of course Bad Water Basin, the lowest point of North America. You can take a walk out on the salt flats (you don’t have to travel all the way to Bolivia to do that) and take in some seemingly endless views of Death Valley.

There are not many options in Death Valley in terms of food, but the Wrangler buffet at Furnace Creek was good quality. However, it does get crazy busy in there, so be prepared to arm wrestle for your pasta with marinara sauce.

Accommodations? Well, I have never overnighted near or in Death Valley NP, so I wouldn’t know what to recommend, but I am sure the Furnace Creek Resort is fine. And no it’s not a fatamorgana! They even have a golf course…a true oasis in the middle of the desert landscape.

On the way back to Las Vegas, make sure to stop for a refreshment at the Amargosa Opera Café in Death Valley Junction. The owners are really nice and always willing to tell stories. Maybe you can even catch an evening performance by former Broadway star Marta Becket at the Opera House. This town is quite a cool (no pun intended) place to visit and I think the café, hotel and opera house employ about the entire population of Death Valley Junction (I think it has less than 10 people). If you get out of your car in the middle of the summer, you will understand why. ;-)

Be prepared when you go to Death Valley NP! It gets hot and then hotter! Spring is the best time to visit when the wild flowers are blooming.

Extra credit:
Lowest point in the Western Hemisphere is in Argentina (-105m).
Hottest temperature ever in the Western Hemisphere was measured in Libya (57.8˚C).

For more information:

http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm

http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

2011-11-09T11:18:00.006-05:00

Bryce Canyon, UT is my favorite National Park I have visited so far (with Death Valley,CA being a close second). Why? Because the hoodoos are breathtakingly beautiful and the park is small enough to visit even if you don’t have that much time on your hands.

Every time I return to Bryce, it looks different to me. I have seen it a few times with snow and in freezing temperatures, but also when it was sunny and warm in the summer months.

People always seem to forget the high elevation of the park. It’s at about 2500 to 2800 meters, so you will feel this when walking up to the viewpoints. Generally, people are not ready for the cool windy conditions in the fall. Check the weather forecast on the park’s website before you go.

What to do?
When I visit the park, I usually drive all the way to Bryce Point (the park only has a north entrance), then I make my way back with the visitors center as my final stop.
From Bryce Point you can drive to Inspiration Point (which has bathrooms) for another look over Bryce Amphitheater.
If you want to do a short walk along the rim, you can head to Sunset Point (bathrooms) and walk to Sunrise Point. For a more strenuous walk, you can walk part (or all) of the Navajo Loop which starts at Sunset Point. The Navajo Loop will give you a different angle for photos as it takes you into the canyon. The peace and quiet (if you are not there during peak season) is a nice way to wrap up a visit to the park.

Needless to say, we have to support our national parks, so a visit to the Visitors Center for a unique souvenir (America’s National Parks Monopoly anyone?) is a must.

I just love the colors and shapes of the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon, they just never get boring to me. Not sure when I will visit next, but I am sure I will be back.

Where to stay?
I have stayed at Bryce View Lodge a number of times. It’s basic accommodations, but going across the street to Ruby’s Inn Buffet Restaurant is one of my favorite dinners. Don’t forget to wash it down with a locally brewed Utah beer! The rooms are clean and the staff is generally helpful. That’s all I really care about when looking for a place to stay near a National Park.

For more information:
http://www.bryceviewlodge.com/

http://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm

San Diego

2011-02-11T10:16:00.002-05:00

First fam. trip of 2011 will be going to San Diego! It will be one of the stops on the West Coast Tours I will be doing this summer, so time to check out this sunny city. It will be a nice break from all the snow and ice on the East Coast.

Check out The Traveling Belgian on Facebook for more information, updates, and photos.

Happy Travels in 2011!

2011-01-02T10:08:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope 2011 will bring lots of travel opportunities for everyone around the globe.

Lonely Planet recently published its list of Top 10 Countries for 2011.

See the entire list here: http://www.lon elyplane t.c om/italy/travel-tips -a nd-articles/76164

Brazil, Italy, and Japan made the cut. I apparently have 7 more countries to go this year to finish their list.

Happy Travels in 2011!

The Capitol - Washington D.C.

2010-12-29T11:01:00.006-05:00

I recently had to visit Washington D.C. again to take the Tour Guide license exam (and yes, I did pass). The city was definitely much quieter than the times I had been there this year in the spring and summer time (read: there were no student groups and tourist buses) and I must say that the holiday spirit made the nation’s capital quite enchanting.

This is the perfect time to visit the Capitol building. A few years ago I had done the same thing: jumped on an Amtrak train to D.C. on a sunny, but chilly day in November and off I went to explore the museums and memorials without the lines and crowds. This time it was no different. I ended up walking into the new Capitol Building Visitor Center at 2:50pm and was told I could get right on the last tour at 3:10pm. Great! During tourist season, they tell you to be there 45 minutes in advance and you have to have a reservation.

The tour hadn’t changed since I was last there in 2006, but the building is still awe-inspiring. Gazing up into the rotunda just makes you lose your balance. The tour starts off with a 15 min film titled ‘E Pluribus Unum’ (Latin for out of many, one), then you get a high-tech headset so you can hear your tour guide at all times, and off you go into this sanctuary of American democracy.

You will visit the Rotunda, the old House of Representatives Chamber (interestingly enough this was once a farmer’s market) and the former Supreme Court chamber. If you have a visitors pass from your congressperson for the House of Representatives and/or the Senate Chamber, you can go there after the tour. You will have to give up your electronics before entering as no phones and cameras are allowed there. The House can sometimes be very busy when representatives are called in to vote but sometimes nothing is going on there. I enjoyed seeing the House because it’s also where the President holds the State of the Union address and where you can see the famous portrait of George Washington which was saved by Dolley Madison right before the British torched the White House in 1814.

The Capitol is worth a visit, but I would only go in off-peak season and I would make sure you have a pass for the House or Senate from your congressperson to round off your visit.

The nearest metro station is Capitol South on the Blue or Orange line.

More info: http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/

Mexico City

2010-06-21T12:56:00.003-04:00

It's been such a long time that I have written on this blog...so here it goes:

Some info on Mexico City:

- people do not wear shorts or flip-flops (chanclas) in Mexico City, except on Sundays. On Sundays it’s okay to wear shorts because it is a day of leisure. For example, one of the things for locals to do on Sunday is to take a bike and bike along the main avenue (Paseo de la Reforma) which is closed for traffic and to bike around the historic center (Centro Historic0). It’s a lot of fun and the city government is really trying to promote health so they have aerobics classes on the Reforma and bike rental is for free. The only thing you don’t see much of on the Reforma on Sundays is runners…it really is a bike day.

So in other words, if you don’t want to look like a tourist: no shorts and flip flops except for Sundays.

- The subway is really the way to get around this huge city. It ‘s super cheap compared to other major cities, but it does get very crowded. However, if you can survive rush hour in Tokyo or London, you should be fine. I paid 150 pesos for a card for 50 rides. I think that comes down to about 12 USD cents per ride. The cool thing about the metro system in Mexico City is that it has pictograms in addition to station names for people who can’t read. So when you see the pictogram of a grasshopper, you know you are in Chapultepec.

- The best food to eat here are tacos. I’ ve had my fair share of them and the best ones I had so far were in the neighborhood of La Condesa at el Califa and el Tezoncito. Both have great tacos and its were the locals eat, so authentic. I found another local place that was cheaper than the ones in La Condesa, called La Torta Brava right near the Zocal0 on 5 de Mayo street and 5 small tacos al pastor are 30 pesos. You can’t beat those prices for delicious food.

- Beware when you go sightseeing: one important fact is that all museums are closed on Mondays, and when you are on a motorcoach you have to know that certain roads are closed for bikes on Sundays. I can only imagine what a pain that must be for drivers…but hey, it’s all for a good cause.

- The MUST see side trip from Mexico City is of course the ruins of Teotihuacan, but I took a short day trip to Cholula (which has the widest pyramid in the world, still covered with grass though) and Puebla (the second oldest city in Mexico). Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla and the MUST do thing in that city is to eat mole poblano. You cannot go there without eating it, it’s considered somewhat of a sin ;-) .
The other great side trip for a lot of chilangos (citizens of the capital) is to Cuernavaca and Tepotzlan. While Cuernavaca (it is the capital of the state Morelos) is very touristy for both chilangos and international tourists (because the city has a lot of Spanish schools), Tepotzlan does not have a lot of international tourists. It is very cute and quaint and it has the feeling of a real old-school Mexican village. Tepotzlan is also the birthplace of Quetzalcoatl and it has a 16th-century convent that is worth a visit and a pre-Hispanic temple on top of one of the hills.

- Hospitality: all the people I’ve met here are very hospitable. It is no big deal to invite people into homes, nobody gets stressed out about entertaining a lot of people in their homes, even if you need to stay overnight, nothing is a problem “no pasa nada”. The Mexican people really want you to enjoy their food and culture and it’s so refreshing. The only thing you have to get used to is the difference in eating times…people eat lunch at 3pm and dinner at like 9pm. I have eaten dinner at 11 and midnight…so be prepared with some snacks in your bag or you will get a little weak in the knees.

- So far I really can’t say that I have felt unsafe for a second. I am walking around by myself during the day a lot, in crowded metros and if you just take precautions like in any other big city, you are fine. People are generally nice and helpful. There are areas where it’s less safe for sure, but since those areas don’t have anything that is worth visiting, there is no reason to go there.

Oh well, I could go on and on about so many things, but I just wanted to share this info with you. I am still going to visit many other places, so I will keep posting my experiences.

Saludos desde el D.F. (that is federal district AKA Mexico City, but all locals call it el D.F.)

Adventure Travel Expo

2009-10-22T07:51:00.006-04:00

During the long Columbus Day weekend I visited the Adventure Travel Expo at the Javits Center in New York City. The main reason for attending the Expo was to go to two book signings and possibly get a discount for an upcoming trip.

The first book signing was held by Tony Wheeler, the CEO of Lonely Planet, who co-wrote the book “Unlikely Destinations: the Lonely Planet Story” with his wife. I loved reading the story on how Lonely Planet was founded and all the travel epilogues that were included in it.

Before the book signing Tony Wheeler gave an informative talk on his most recent travels and one of his most interesting adventures of 2009 was his attendance at one of the Soyuz space rocket launches in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Apparently it costs about 30 million dollars to be blast into space as a tourist, which Mr. Wheeler regrettably admitted he couldn’t afford. I guess if we just keep buying his world famous travel guide books, he might get there one day and I bet we might see a Lonely Planet - Space in some distant future.

The other popular world traveler to speak at the Expo was Patricia Schultz, who put together the book “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” This book contains the most amazing places and events to see on each continent and is almost 1,000 pages long.
Patricia Schultz, who is of Italian ancestry, admitted her favorite country in the world is Italy, but she obviously loves many places around the world. She has personally been to about 80% of all the places that are listed in her book. I think I have quite some catching up to do!

After her slideshow presentation, which included spectacular photos, I just wanted to run out of the place and head straight for the airport. However, I managed to restrain myself and had her autograph my copy of her book and then proceeded to negotiate a nice discount for a 15-day tour in Mexico with Gap Adventures. It looks like I will be able to tick off some more of Patricia’s favorite places very soon.

More information:
http://www.adventureexpo.com/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
http://www.1000beforeyoudie.com/

Exploring San Juan Island, WA

2009-09-16T13:22:00.003-04:00

Since the book “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” has been added to my collection, I’ve been browsing through it and dreaming of far-away places that are worth a visit. Since we had an extended weekend for Labor Day this month, I thought I’d take advantage of the opportunity to fly to the other side of the country and explore the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington. Friends who had lived in Seattle convinced me that it’s gorgeous there and that I would love it, so off I went.
Base camp for a trip to the San Juan Islands is the city of Seattle, famous for its Pike Place market and of course the birthplace of Starbucks coffee. After having checked out the city of Seattle and its many book stores and coffee houses, I took off at the crack of dawn on Labor Day to drive north to the town of Anacortes to board the public ferry which transports you to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.
The ferry ride is number 4 on the World’s Top 10 Best Ferry Boat Rides, so I was excited. Unfortunately the weather was cloudy, but our luck turned once we arrived at the historic seaport of Friday Harbor where we picked up lunch (which included a nice bottle of Washington State red wine) and set out to drive to the north part of the island from which we would start a 3-hour guided kayaking trip. By the time it was time to put on the spray skirt, get acquainted with how to hold the paddle and how to communicate in order to paddle in unison, the sun had come out and a blue sky was greeting us. Needless to say I was way overdressed since I had expected typical Seattle weather, but we didn’t have one drop of rain.
We paddled along several islands, some of them privately owned and which displayed an abundance of signs warning people of this fact. One island even had more KEEP OUT, PRIVATE signs than trees on it! Since we didn’t want to get into trouble with the law, we kept paddling until my neck and shoulders were so sore I thought I wouldn’t make it back. We saw beautiful landscapes, fancy sailboats, birds, and some fun seals. Unfortunately we didn’t see any orcas up close, but I think I would have freaked out anyway if one of them had come up next to our little kayak.
My shoulders got a break when we lifted our kayaks out of the water and planted ourselves at a picnic spot on Posey Island, which we had entirely to ourselves. Sampling the bottle of red wine was a nice way to relax the muscles and post-lunch kayaking went so smooth that I felt I could paddle all the way to Canada.
When we got back to dry land, we left scenic Roche Harbor behind us and drove west to Lime Kiln State Park to visit the lookout point to see some resident orcas. Upon arrival, there were a lot of fishing boats making a lot of noise so I didn’t think we would get lucky, but after 10 minutes we heard some orca noises on the specially-designed radio they have near the lighthouse and soon enough we were able to see several orcas pass by the cliffs. It was very exciting and of course the highlight of the day. I learned that the resident orcas that live in the Strait of Juan de Fuca only eat Chinook salmon and the males can eat up to 250 pounds of salmon a day. Transient orcas that just move through the Strait eat mostly seals or other marine mammals and are not seen as frequently as the resident orcas.
I was sad to leave the orca viewpoint as I thought it would be a great spot to watch the sunset, but we had to make our way back to the ferry dock to return to Seattle. I wasn’t disappointed anymore once we were on the ferry and the sun started to set. The ferry ride was so beautiful with the sunset that I didn’t want it to end. It was the perfect ending to a very relaxing day. When my head finally hit my pillow at 11pm, I was still paddling and thinking of the San Juan Islands. I will definitely return and I suggest you check it out as well.

The San Juan Islands are located in the Salish Sea between three cities: Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria and two countries: US and Canada. There are actually more than 450 islands in the archipelago, but only 15 of them can be reached by public ferry. You can also reach San Juan Island by seaplane from Seattle, which only takes about 30 minutes.

For more information: http://www.visitsanjuans.com/
Tour company information: http://www.evergreenescapes.com/

Scandinavian delights

2009-07-14T18:15:00.009-04:00

Copenhagen was bathing in sunshine this time, which made it 100 times more appealing than the last time I was there when I got to experience torrential rainfall and winds that blew my umbrella away.
My wanderlust took me to the Rosenborg Castle in the morning, which was nice to visit, but I must admit that the Danish crown jewels were not very impressive. I was mostly impressed by the humongous secured door that locked them up.

As the smørrebrød place Ida Davidsen and the Glyptotek museum are 2 listings in the 1,000 Places to See Before You Die Book, I tried to squeeze them into my visit, without going out of my way to see them. I was on vacation after all, so I didn’t need any stress.

However, as I walked back from my visit to Rosenborg, I walked along the street where I found Ida Davidsen and when I saw there was no crowd, I quickly asked if they had a seat for lunch. Since I was an early-bird, they seated me right away and showed me their open sandwiches at the counter. The lady of the house was even spotted sporting red crocs as she went to the street to watch high school students who were partying on trucks to celebrate their graduation.
My sandwich had smoked salmon, fish eggs, and lots of wasabi mayo, which did funny things to my nose, but I loved it anyway. With my lips on fire I downed some sparkling water and left when the rest of the lunch crowd stepped into the door.

Now that I had provided myself with some sustenance, I made my way to the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, the Strøget. Only two stores were particularly interesting to me: Illums Bolighus, a 3-story design empire where I could easily bankrupt myself and the Royal Copenhagen store which sells fancy Danish china for which I have absolutely no need. Little tip: next to the Royal Copenhagen store there is a lovely café with a courtyard that is tucked away from the street with a great seating area where you can enjoy your cup of jo. All stores were having a sale, so this was good timing on my part, but since I wanted almost every item at Illums Bolighus, I had to drag myself out before I had to call shopaholics anonymous.

Food, shopping, and then it was time for some culture. I walked all the way past city hall, where I found the courtyard in the back of the building where city hall employees were sitting outside eating there lunches. They just brought their cafeteria serving dishes out and sat in the sun while downing beers and wine….that’s quality of life!
I walked along Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard, past Tivoli Gardens and before heading to the Glyptotek, I made a quick shopping stop at the Danish Design Center to buy some more sporks (a combo fork and spoon) for my utensil collection. Those things are my favorite to eat my yoghurt, so I had to buy some more. You don’t need to actually camp to use those, right?

There was a huge line at the back gate of Tivoli Gardens which consisted of all very young grungy looking kids, so I approached one of them and asked them what they were in line for. Turns out they were selling “pre-line” tickets for the famous Roskilde festival that would take place later this summer. Darn it, I think I’m gonna have to miss that one.

When I walked into the Glyptotek museum the first thing I noticed was how hot it was there. There was no AC and it was
86 degrees and it felt like there was no air. So what does a good Belgian do first? Correct…look for the café! I had yet to try a Danish beer, so I asked the waiter what he could recommend. He came back with a darker Tuborg beer and I enthusiastically put it to my lips only to find out I didn’t like it all that much. Oh well, I drank it anyway and it kind of went straight to my legs, so the rest of my cultural visit is all a little bit blurry to me. I walked through the museum like a slug because of the before mentioned beer and
because the guards instructed me to carry my little backpack in my hands instead of on my back. UGH. It’s a beautifully laid out museum, but I would only visit if the weather outside is rainy and you have no more shopping left to do.
On the other hand, the café is admittedly lovely and the wait staff was extremely nice to everyone.

After I walked back into the fresh air I made my way back to the Nyhavn area, but walking along a shopping street that runs parallel to the Strøget. I loved this street, which had sunny outdoor seating for your lunch date and quirky little stores. It’s much more authentic than the Strøget. I ended up buying some more Danish design drinking glasses at Stillleben, a ceramics/glass store which sells designs by local artists. Luckily all that stuff is breakable and not suitable to store in a suitcase, so I couldn’t really buy anything else.

I finally ended up at Nyhavn to do a final walk along the canal with its brightly colored bars and restaurants. Since I was kind of exhausted, I planted myself near the canal surrounded by shopping bags and lots of people drinking beer. You can even get beer to go there. I didn’t have any more Danish cash on hand otherwise I could have bought one, but I decided they probably wouldn’t take Amex and the cab driver to the airport probably wouldn’t let me drink it in his car.

After some waiting around for a taxi I had ordered already early in the morning, but that failed to show up on time, I finally settled into the car and left downtown Copenhagen behind me. Luckily I had plenty of time to do some more shopping at the Kastrup airport, which in my opinion has some of the best shopping of any airport. My last money was spent on some Anton Berg chocolates with marzipan and Madeira, which I almost wanted to take back after I had given them to my granddad as they were so spectacular.
Not to worry, I will return to Copenhagen and stuff my suitcase once again with Danish goodies.

CAIRE in the air

2009-07-09T14:51:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to share this nice find for frequent air travelers: CAIRE products! I discovered their moisture silk lotion on a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Newark to Copenhagen and returned to the restrooms at least 3 times during the flight to put more of this soft lotion for artificial environments on my arms, hands and face. I wrote down the company’s web address and upon my return home ordered the product. It came all the way from New Zealand accompanied by 2 samples and in a handy quart-size plastic bag for traveling. Love it!

You can place your order at the travelcomfortable.com website.

And in case you are wondering: No, I don’t get paid to endorse their products...

Plane Etiquette

2009-06-19T21:30:00.004-04:00

As you know I love spending time in another country, but I really do hate the actual getting there process. Here is a short overview of some tips for air travelers, or what I consider "Plane Etiquette". This is all based on personal experience. I wrote this draft while on an international flight to Guatemala last year, but since then I just had to add some more. If you travel a lot, I'm sure this will be familiar to you.

Do not bring your McDonald’s Value Meal on board the plane; while it might taste good, it stinks up the plane.

Do not stop to chat up an ex-girlfriend while boarding. You are holding everyone up and I don’t need to know your personal love life.

Actually don’t talk at all…

Do not forget to take off AND stow your coat before you take your window seat.

Make sure you exactly know what your seat number is.

When you watch a movie on your personal laptop, please use headphones. Others might not enjoy the explosive effects of your Rambo action flick.

When you get up from your seat do not grab the seat in front of you to lift your entire body weight.

Do not kick the seat in front of you. If you do, stop immediately after having been given the evil eye.

When you notice that all the lights in the cabin are off, it’s time to take the hint!

Do not allow your toddlers to turn around in their seats and sing St. Nicolas songs while jumping up and down.

Make sure my face is not smothered by your coat when you stow your luggage in the overhead bin.

Do not put on stinky cologne or deodorant after an overnight flight. It’s not the first thing I want to smell in combination with plane food.

Do not narrate about everything you see on the ground as soon as the plane has dipped below the clouds.

And please don’t lose your hearing aid on the plane...for obvious reasons...

First Hotel Planetstaden Lund, Sweden

2009-06-14T11:30:00.008-04:00

The First Hotel Planetstaden is located a little on the outskirts of the university city of Lund in Sweden. It's about a 10 to 15-minute walk from the downtown area.
As our room was not ready when we arrived from Copenhagen Kastrup airport, we ended up walking around the downtown area for 1,5 hours in an obvious daze caused by jetlag. We looked at the fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers at the market stalls, ate a sandwich from mormor's bageri and perused through the goodies at the local supermarket Coop Consum. When we finally managed to check in, I found myself looking at a clean, minimalistic hotel room, with a decent bathroom. Coming from the US, this is not a 4-star hotel, but it's fine for just a few nights. There is a small gym, sauna and jacuzzi on the second floor which is open
until 11:30pm. The best part about this hotel was the breakfast buffet. The variety
was enormous and the quality of the food very good. The minus of this hotel was the hotel staff. For some odd reason they left several messages as I apparently had never checked into the hotel...even though I was there and had given my credit card and obtained a room key. This led to my room key not working anymore, but my hotel room door being unlocked for god knows how long on the second day. The check-out process was also a little bit of a mess. Overall, a clean, practical hotel, but I'd say stay in the downtown area next time you visit Lund.

Hotel Review Guatemala - Honduras (Caravan Tours)

2009-06-01T19:17:00.012-04:00

Caravan Tour of Christmas 2008

Tikal Futura, Guatemala City, Guatemala
This hotel reminded me of a Sheraton in the United Sates, as it doesn’t really have any Central American feel to it. It’s a business hotel in the capital city with large rooms and all the amenities you expect at this type of hotel. It’s located near a large shopping district. I liked the hotel’s exercise room and they also have spa services available. The food was good, but don’t expect gourmet-style. I only spent the night of Christmas Eve at the hotel and the view from my window at midnight of the fireworks going off all over the city was amazing. If you are there at that time, don’t plan on calling it a night early. The fireworks will surely keep you entertained.
http://www.grandtikalfutura.com.gt/

Villa Santa Catarina, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Located just a short walk from the banks of Lake Atitlan, this luxury hotel boasts a nice swimming pool with lush gardens and beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and lake. From the open-aired dining area you have a nice view over the pool, palm trees and volcanoes. Next to the reception area, there is an entertainment room which also provides free internet access.
The room was clean, the beds were hard and the bathroom was nicely done, but the faucet wasn’t working properly so I couldn’t turn off my shower all the way. This is of course preferable over having a shower with cold water and the staff had fixed the problem by the time I came back from sight-seeing. The bell boys literally ran with our suitcases to get the luggage to the rooms as quickly as possible.
The food was okay, but nothing to rave about. There is no gym at this hotel.
http://www.villasdeguatemala.com/

Posada Real de Copan, Copan, Honduras
Located a few miles outside of the town of Copan and about 5 minutes drive from the ruins, this hotel was one of my favorite hotels we stayed in on the trip. The rooms were spacious and very clean and the king-size bed was soft. I slept with the windows open and the sounds of the many birds outside my hotel window made this a very relaxing night’s sleep. The shower had hot water, but not much pressure, but the bathroom was functional.
The courtyard with palm trees and the swimming pool with hot tub was nicely maintained.
The only negative was the food which was very salty to my taste and again okay, but not great.
A few times electricity went out (only a few seconds), but this is apparently due to an energy crisis in the country. There is a natural trail at the hotel and the grounds are nicely kept. There is no gym at this hotel, internet is available for a fee.
http://www.posadarealdecopan.com/

Villa Maya, Peten, Guatemala
This eco-style bungalow hotel was my favorite hotel by far. The rooms were very large and had a fridge to keep your drinks cool. The shower had hot water and lots of pressure. There was even a small balcony with 2 chairs from which you can enjoy the beautiful nature that surrounds you. The hotel has a large swimming pool near the bar and restaurant area and the food was good, even though one time what we got didn’t really reflect what was on the menu. There is internet access for a fee, but also wireless in the lobby. No gym and no TV in the rooms. You don’t need TV when you can gaze over the water at sunset with a glass of wine and watch the crocodiles and many birds near the water’s edge. The property features scarlet macaws, deer and nature trails. This hotel is a little far from the nearest town, but you want to stay here anyway so you can take in the beautiful surroundings and enjoy some peace and quiet.
http://www.villasdeguatemala.com/

Villa Colonial, Antigua, Guatemala
This hotel was like a small town complete with a central garden and little cobble-stoned walkways in between its buildings. Everything is very colourful, including the breakfast buffet. While I enjoyed the hotel’s layout and architecture, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about my room, which was quite dark and humid. The colonial-style tiled bathroom with shower (no tub) was its best feature. The breakfast buffet was the most delicious we had during our entire trip with a wide variety of foods. The hotel provides internet access for a fee. This hotel is located at the outskirts of town, but is easily reached by foot (just consider leaving your high heels at the hotel), by cab, or even by carriage ride.
http://www.villasdeguatemala.com/

However, if your wallet allows it, stay at the 5-star Santa Domingo Hotel in the middle of Antigua, which is one of the most beautiful hotel properties I have ever seen (especially at night). Dinner was absolutely delicious, service impeccable and their chocolate mousse dessert heavenly.
http://www.casasantodomingo.com.gt/?language=en

Guatemala - Lake Atitlán

2009-03-12T13:05:00.002-04:00

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Lake Atitlán is the most beautiful lake in the world. Lake Atitlán is located in the highlands of Guatemala and it is surrounded by small communities where Mayan culture is still part of everyday life. The area also has 3 majestic volcanoes which tower over the lake. The sunsets are simply breathtaking and there’s a magical feel which hangs over the entire area.

The largest indigenous village near the lake is Santiago Atitlán, where an idol called Maximon is worshipped by the locals. This idol was created from a mixture of traditional Mayan gods and Catholic saints. Children will come up to you and ask you if you want to go visit Maximon and if you agree, they will guide you to his house and then ask you for the obligatory donation.

As it was market day in Santiago when we visited, I was more attracted by all the colorful produce and products that were on sale, ranging from live roosters to batteries, from ripe avocadoes to health potions. The local people wear their typical garments so tourists are easily spotted, but we were always greeted with a smile and we were offered a lot of handicrafts, such as, key chains in the shape of a quetzal bird, hand painted masks, oil paintings or jewelry. Needless to say my Guatemalan quetzales were easily spent in Santiago.

Another town near the lake is Panajachel, which is the major tourist town of the Lake Atitlan area. The streets are filled with tourists, hotels, restaurants and just outside the town you can visit a nature reserve where you can take self-guided tours along hanging bridges, go zip lining, or even observe spider monkeys that are hanging from the trees while being surrounded by coatis (a type of raccoon).

To reach Atitlán, you have to drive about 4 hours from the capital city of Guatemala or 3 hours from the colonial town of Antigua along the Pan-American Highway. The Lake Atitlán region has a lot to offer and it was sad to leave this beautiful lake behind.

I was told that the best time to visit the Lake Atitlán region or Guatemala in general is during Semana Santa or Holy Week (from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday) when processions go through towns and the country is wrapped in extraordinary colors. But if you want to experience these festivities in the town of Antigua, you have to book your hotel one year in advance. Plenty of time to plan a trip for next year.

Patagonia

2009-01-04T19:17:00.006-05:00

Once the plane starts its descent into El Calafate, Southern Patagonia, you already get a taste of the area’s striking landscape of what is generally known as The End of the World. You literally touch down next to the beautiful turquoise lake of Lago Argentino and once you get off the plane, you see snow-capped mountains in the distance surrounded by arid stretches of land.

The town of El Calafate, from which you can visit the main attraction of the area, National Glacier Park, is really booming with tourism, but there is really only one major road where you can find plenty of travel agencies, shops specialized in outdoor gear (although the brand Patagonia is not sold anywhere as store owners told me it’s too expensive), restaurants, and even a casino that seems to be built in the shape of a glacier (really tacky).
There are plenty of hotels for each budget and they all provide lunch boxes for your day trips to the National Park. Restaurants even have signs for lunch box specials (especially empanadas) to take on your adventures.

The must-do activity in El Calafate is the “Big Ice Excursion” which is organized by the company Hielo y Aventura. Keep in mind that you can’t book directly with this company, but you have to either go through your hotel or a travel agency to book the excursion, which is really annoying to organize from abroad and in advance.

The Big Ice Excursion gives you one of the most unique life-time experiences, so it’s worth the hassle. Experienced guides take you for a 4-hour walk on the famous Perito Moreno glacier with crampons on your feet, a harness, and a backpack stuffed with your lunch on your back. Once you get to the National Park, you have time to go the viewpoints from which you have a spectacular view of the glacier and then you board a boat to cross Lago Argentino, where you start off with a swift uphill hike to the point where you receive your harness and your crampons. Then you carry those metal shoes in your backpack for another long hike to where you finally set foot on the majestic ice landscape. It’s tiring, but once you sit down for lunch in the middle of a moving glacier and you see nothing but glowing ice, snow-capped mountains and blue sky around you, you forget about the pain in your knees or the long walk back.

Needless to say, everything in El Calafate is geared towards glacier tourism, but you can also go horse-riding, drive a 4x4 vehicle, take a boat tour of all the different glaciers in the National Park or you can make your way by bus to the hiker’s and climber’s capital of El Chalten, which is about 3 hours north from El Calafate. I took a comfortable bus and arrived in a windy El Chalten. Windy and empty is the best way to describe this town. There is nothing but hiking trails, people who look like they climb a mountain every weekend, and very few places to eat and spend the night. You go to El Chalten to see or climb the famous peaks of Fitz Roy and the other peaks in the area. The weather goes through the 4 seasons in about half an hour so this is not really a nice little walk in the woods. You have to be prepared when you go there. At some point I was almost blown off my feet because of the strong wind gusts and I was told it wasn’t even a windy day!

Unfortunately, Fitz Roy was not visible from the viewing point when I arrived, but I had some bonding time with fellow hikers who were also eagerly waiting for the clouds to move out…we came close to seeing blue sky, but then the weather changed on us again and we all went our separate ways. I ended up buying the postcard, which required much less effort.

I learned that climbing Fitz Roy is actually harder than Mount Everest due to the treacherous weather in the area and because of its sheer granite faces. Climbing Fitz Roy is apparently the “ultimate” experience for a climber. I can’t even imagine what it would be like, and I am not trying to find out. I will just stick to sipping my submarino, a cup of hot milk with a bar of chocolate submerged in it, and just take in the views of the breathtaking Patagonian landscape from the bus.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-11-03T19:34:00.005-05:00

Last week I carved a pumpkin for the first time! I know it's a little late to talk about Halloween, but I just got the pictures. We had a pumpkin carving event at work last Thursday evening and people were really serious about their pumpkins...It was really fun actually, but lots of hard work. No need to work out at the gym after it.
(although I did eat massive amounts of pizza).

My usual Halloween tradition is a lame costume which requires no effort, so I was an employee at an antibody manufacturing plant. Hence the safety goggles (which really came from an antibody manufacturing plant somewhere in the Midwest).

I spent the night of Halloween in San Francisco, but that's for another post.

PS: thanks for the pix Jill!

Spooky Trails and Tails 5K

2008-10-28T19:39:00.005-04:00

What a slacker I have been...both in terms of running 5K races as in writing on my blog.

So last Saturday I participated in the Spooky Trails and Tails 5K run in Veterans Park in my hometown. The weather was actually quite mild and it only sprinkled for a bit before the race. I was a party pooper and did not wear a costume, but I promise to wear one next year. ShoreTurtle was representing the Belgians...why didn't I
think of that? I think I could be a very convincing Smurf!

The race was nice and I finished in about 29:24, which is not great, but I don't care about speed. I am now focusing on longer runs, so maybe I can do a 10K soon.

The scariest costume trophy went to the guy on the left. He really scared the crap out of some little kids who were participating in the 2-mile walk...nice job ;-)

ShoreTurtle, see you next time in costume! I promise!

Paris Day 2

2008-09-06T21:07:00.011-04:00

As tropical storm Hanna has made a change in my plans for today, I finally have some time to continue coverage of Day 2 in Paris.

As I really wanted to add another country to my list of places where I have run, I killed the sound of the chirping birds on the cell phone at 7am and literally jumped into my running shorts while trying to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake up my two snoozing friends. I managed to get out the door pretty quickly without waking up a soul and out I went into the streets of Paris.

I didn’t have much time to do my run because I wanted to be able to get in line early at the ticket office of the Eiffel Tower later that morning, so I didn’t really warm up. When I finally reached the Parc du Champs de Mars where the Eiffel Tower is located, I didn’t really know where to run, so I just followed all the other sporty spices who were completing their morning runs and who apparently knew where to go. There were a lot of runners in the park, but of course the coolest thing was to look up at the gigantic steel structure once in a while and just enjoy the fact that I was running 4 miles in the city of light.

Meanwhile the clouds had disappeared and we actually had blue sky and sunshine on our second day. After a quick shower in the claustrophobic shower stall of the hotel and a change of clothes, I said goodbye to my friends (who are afraid of heights and didn’t want to join me) and made my way again to the Champs de Mars. This time, the place was swarming with tourists, but I only had to wait 20 minutes to get a ticket to the sommet.
I thought that everything was going pretty well until I discovered I actually had to get out at the second level and stand in line again to get to the elevator to reach the top...and of course this took over an 1 hour! So here’s my tip: just go to the second level. It’s not really worth it to stand in line that long just to go a little higher. The views over Paris are amazing even from the second level.

In the mean time my friends were cruising the Seine river on one of the tourist boats and had a very nice picture taken, but with one friend missing...We all met up again underneath the Eiffel tower and went to Quartier Latin to find a nice place with a prix fixe menu which would satisfy our hunger for more French food. I ate a delicious onion soup and a steak au poivre with french fries, and of course chocolate mousse for dessert. All this for 10 euros...not counting the wine.

After lunch we explored the Notre Dame area once again and even stood in line for a bit to get to the top of the cathedral, but since the line was ridiculously long, we decided to call it a day and just walk some more.
Nancy ended up having her caricature drawn by a cute French guy who even spoke a few words of Flemish and who was imaging us all in rather skimpy outfits...a bikini or the bath tub...oh well, I guess that’s how you get customers in France.

Next we headed to the Champs d’Elyssée to see the Arc de Triomphe and of course do some serious window shopping and pick out a new Formula 1 car to load up our upscale shopping bags. We ended up walking so much that our feet started to hurt and the only thing that would keep us going was more chocolate.

We decided to visit the Jardin de Tuileries, where we relaxed in the park chairs awkwardly holding a folded crêpe with Nutella and a drink in our hands. Delish!
After having snapped the mandatory pictures of the sculptures, we made our way towards the courtyard of the Louvre museum where we got back on the metro to return to our hotel to pick up our luggage to go home.

We were kind of running short on time, but we would easily make our train...that is if we had actually been on the correct metro line...We suddenly noticed that we were on the wrong line and that the way to get to Gare du Nord would be quite complicated with many line changes and stops...It was getting down to the wire. We made an executive decision to change trains and go another route in order to save some stops nearby the station, but we weren’t really sure if that would also save us time. I am so happy I am in pretty good shape because each time we had to change metro lines, we had to run like crazy with our luggage up and down staircases, sweating like pigs and bumping into people.

We finally made it to the Gare du Nord, finding it hard to locate the TGV train platform and Nancy even lost her shoe in a massive crowd of commuters and had to go back to look for it...we got on the train with 2 minutes to spare...sweaty, but very happy to be on the train. Of course neither of us would have minded an extra night in Paris, but Euros unfortunately don’t grow on trees.

We had such a great time and we laughed so much on this short city trip. I am really jealous of the fact that my friends from Belgium can just hop on a train and be in the heart of Paris in less than 2 hours. But then again, I get to do the same with New York City and the weather is generally nicer here.

Mes chėres copines, c’était merveilleux! A l’année prochaine.
Jehan en Patrick, het was tof joh en bedankt voor het kaartje met de zwarte kat!

Paris Day 1

2008-08-15T15:56:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday the Thalys train took us in 1 hour and 22 minutes from Bruxelles Midi station to Paris Gare du Nord. I was picked up at 6:40am to go to the train station and was at my cousin’s wedding the night before, so I didn’t really pay much attention to the countryside that zoomed by us.

Our hotel was very close to the Eiffel Tower and thanks to the little crackberry we were able to figure out which metro station was the closest to our hotel: Charles Martin on the number 10 line. As soon as we got on the subway and the doors closed the announcement was made that we had to pay attention because pickpockets were operating on the train. This was followed by another announcement specifying the pickpockets were 3 girls….As we were 3 ahum, girls, we kind of looked at each other and people looked at us and we got some polite smiles from the Parisians…We were disguised very well as more mature “girls” with large suitcases which were heavy to lift when fleeing the scene of a crime…

After hopping on and off several subways, we finally made it to our little hotel which had a very little room with little beds and a claustrophobic shower…and later that night a loudly snoring neighbor. It was perfect! After the compulsory sanitary stop, we dropped off our bags and exited quickly to find our way to our first stop: The Eiffel Tower. I am amazed at the steel structure every time I see it. And this time, I had plans to get to the top of it, but that was planned for the next morning.

We walked along the Champ de Mars, passed the Cavalerie and took the subway all the way to Montmartre to walk around the coziest square in Paris, the Place du Tertre. The weather was kind of chilly and grey, but the views from Montmartre were still great. There was even a cycling race going on in the tiny cobblestoned streets, but we couldn’t find any Belgian coureurs to cheer for.

Lured by an outdoor sign that advertised steamed mussels and fries for only 11.50Euro, we got a seat inside a busy restaurant on the corner of the square. Service was so brisk that the small cachepot of mayonnaise was basically thrown onto our table by our supersonic waitress. A little later we heard some crashing sounds as another waitress had dropped some of the plates full of food onto the floor…she must have aimed badly when throwing the food at her customers’ table.

The mussels were small, really creamy, delicious and as my friends kept repeating over and over again, very cheap compared to Belgium. Of course we had to make up for that price difference by ordering a bottle of vin blanc. The first sip of wine traveled straight to my brain as I was so tired from only a few hours of sleep…after that everything was extremely funny…I sort of got through the day being in stitches from the silliest things my friends said…or maybe they are just really funny people.

After having roamed around Montmartre and marvelling at the Sacré Coeur, we made our way back (while going in and out of many stores to find the cheapest umbrella), we had to sprint back to the hotel to get ready to meet my friend Heike at the Notre Dame. We had forgotten how spread out everything is in Paris and poor Heike stood there for more than half an hour. Heike, now a local of Paris, and formerly a local of London where I met her, took us around the Quartier Latin neighbourhood and we walked along the Rue du Moufftard where we settled in a Greek restaurant where we tasted Greek rosé wine with our dinner…we had mediocre Greek wine while in Paris…only I can come up with that great idea…it must have been the brain cells which were still affected by the wine from lunch. Anyway, it was a lot of fun to catch up and sample some food that included some dolmades which is one of my favorite foods.

After dinner we strolled further into the heart of Paris (all routes in France are measured from the square in front of the Notre Dame cathedral) and we passed by some interesting exotic restaurants, from Pakistani to Thai and we even saw a Tibetan restaurant which sported a huge picture of the Dalai Lama. Heike and I agreed it would be a good choice for the next visit to Paris.

Midnight was drawing closer and our legs and feet had started to protest, so we decided to hop on the subway to get to our hotel. We stood in the dark street to see the blue light which was veiling the Eiffel Tower turn into sparkling lights at the top of every hour when it’s dark to celebrate France’s presidency of the EU this year. Nancy was very disappointed about the fact that we couldn’t be right underneath the tower, but the majority ruled it was still too far to walk and our feet couldn’t handle it anymore. So we just stood there as snap-happy Japanese tourists taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower. We had come full circle.

After we had had enough of the dazzling lights, we returned to our room where the sound of loud snoring greeted us from the room next door. It was as if someone was sawing a hole in our wall and we were convinced we wouldn’t be able to sleep. I set the alarm (chirping birds on Nancy’s cell phone) for 7 am to get up for my Eiffel Tower run and as soon as our heads hit the pillow, our lights were out immediately.

Brooklyn and Central Park

2008-08-02T09:42:00.008-04:00

The last few weekends I was in New York City, with 2 primary goals: to finally visit Brooklyn and do a run in Central Park. I’ve lived here for 10 years now (briefly interrupted by my residency in the Dutch town of Dordrecht) and I had never made it to Brooklyn.
I’ve always been fascinated by those black and white images of the Brooklyn bridge and now that Danish artist Olafur Elliason has installed some waterfalls at the bridge and surrouding areas, I decided to take a Circle Line cruise from South Street Seaport to see the installations. Of course the free boat tours were already fully booked, so I ended up forking out 26$ for a 1-hour tour around the harbor. The boat was crowded with tourists and New Yorkers, but I got in line early and got a good spot on the top deck. I have to say I wasn’t terribly impressed, which I could have predicted as I visited Iguaçu waterfalls last year and I don’t think 4 waterfalls flowing down from scaffolding could top the sight of those magnificent falls! On the other hand, the boat tour was kind of nice and I think the falls must be nice when they are lit up after sunset...so it’s probably a good idea to wait until September when darkness comes earlier and you can take the tour when the falls are lit up. The waterfalls project is still running until October 13.

Last weekend I met up with a former Springer colleague from the Dordrecht office who found me on Facebook and who is now living in....you guessed it: Brooklyn. Maria just moved in June and is still trying to explore the city. I got on a Brooklyn-bound train and managed to make my way to Park Side subway station, right by Prospect Park. We walked through the park and it was absolutely packed with people. Prospect Park is a creation of Olmsted and Vaux, the same landscapers who designed Central Park, so it kind of has the same feel to it.
After a nice dinner of beef chimichanga and sweet plantains, we ran into Batman and Robin who turned out to be political activists who wanted us to sign a petition to re-open the investigation on September 11th and tried to convince us to register to vote. As I can’t vote, I just took my picture with Batman (who took his job very seriously) and off we went thinking “only in the USA”...

The next morning I woke up at 6:45am, ran the 2 blocks to Central Park to see the runners go by who were participating in the NY Half Marathon. A fellow runner from Hamilton NJ, Shoreturtle, was participating and I thought I’d try to spot him in the enormous crowd of... 10,000 runners!! I missed him...but I did spot someone who goes to my gym in Princeton, which is quite amazing if you consider the stream of people who went by. The most amazing part was seeing the world’s top runners FLY by me, they were sprinting so fast I couldn’t even take a photo. 6 Olympians participated in the event, as well as some runners who were juggling while running or dribbling a basketball...It’s NY...you got to love it!

After the runners had passed, I went on my own run of Central Park, and as it was still really early on a Sunday morning there were almost no people. I enjoyed it a lot and it’s just amazing that there is this place of tranquility in the middle of a bustling city.
Then I turned a corner and found myself staring up at this giant balloon...To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Central Park, a private company has received permission from the City of New York to organize a tour of the park in a helium-filled balloon. So it’s not quite Jules Verne style, but the balloon goes up to 300-400 feet (depending on the weather) and gives you a completely different perspective on the park. Even though I am afraid of heights, I thought this was an opportunity not to be missed, so I went to stand in line (which was amazingly short because it was only 7:30am) and then found out I didn’t have enough cash to pay for the balloon ride. A nice guy who was in line ahead of me offered to pay the $7 I needed to go up and after signing a waiver (of course) and putting on a belt which buckles you up to the basket (to prevent you from jumping out), off we rose into the sky...I have to tell you my knees were weak and I was holding onto the basket for dear life with one hand, while clutching my camera in the other. It was very wobbly and the balloon kept doing 360s because of the wind...it was quite scary, but I did manage to snap a few good shots. Too bad the sun wasn’t out, but that was the least of my concerns. It was very quiet up in the sky and the views were spectacular. Didn’t expect to see that on an early Sunday morning!

After my balloon ride I continued my morning run, still sort of giddy from the experience (or maybe it was the helium) and when my head felt like a ripe red tomato and my shirt was soaked in sweat I decided I had had enough and returned for a shower. Mission accomplished.
Later in the day Maria and I ate brunch at Josie’s and slowly proceeded to the subway to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to burn some calories. Little did we know that the weather had changed and as soon as we got out of the subway we heard loud thunder and it started to pour...which is not very favorable weather to walk across a bridge.
So what was our plan B? We saw a nail salon and walked in to get a pedicure and massage...all this 5 seconds after Maria had stated she wouldn’t be a “sheep” and be like all other American girls who get their toenails painted...very funny.

After our little girly time, we ended up in a European-style cafe where we enjoyed some delicious Belgian hot chocolate, herbal tea and a scone. What a relaxing weekend!
I will have to walk the Brooklyn Bridge and eat some famous Brooklyn-style pizza some other time, but it’s bound to happen soon...

Right now I have to concentrate on my upcoming trip to Belgium and a 2-day visit to Paris. Of course my running shoes are coming along to Paris, as well as my 2 girlfriends from Belgium, so entertainment will be guaranteed.

Iberian cuisine

2008-07-28T22:36:00.008-04:00

Querida Martha, solo para ti, las fotos de Malaga...
Buen provecho!

Malaga is a Spanish restaurant at 5 minutes from my house, so on a random Monday night we decided to have some delicious food and excellent service. They also have Flamenco dancers on the first and third Wednesday of the month.

Next time we will have Puerto Rican food! ;-)

Eat, Pray and the Love of traveling

2008-07-24T19:54:00.003-04:00

I finally finished the book “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert and I have to say I shouldn’t have read this book. It’s putting all kinds of "crazy" thoughts into my head about how I could travel for a while, return home to do a massive load of laundry, repack my suitcase and jump on a plane again.
Elizabeth Gilbert and I clearly have a lot in common: she's divorced, in her thirties, and lives in NJ, but we especially share our love for traveling. I knew immediately that I was going to love this book when I read the following passage:

“I am loyal and constant in my love for travel, as I have not always been loyal and constant in my other loves. I feel about travel the way a happy new mother feels about her impossible, colicky, restless newborn baby – I just don’t care what it puts me through. Because I adore it. Because it’s mine. Because it looks exactly like me. It can barf all over me if it wants to – I just don’t care.”

Nicely put. I feel that almost every time I travel there is some point in my journey when I feel that the life is being sucked out of me because of jet-lag, a hulahooping stomach or ear pain that is so bad it makes me deaf on one side for an entire week. But I keep doing it. One time I swore I would never get on a plane again only to find myself on a 15-hour-plane ride to Tokyo 3 months later. I guess it’s kind of like drinking too much. The next 24 hours the thought of alcohol repulses you and the next Monday at happy hour, you order another beer.

I guess the reason why I thought of this is because I am about to go back to Belgium to visit my family and friends and because I always dread the jetlag when I fly to Europe. The first few days that I am back at my mom’s house I feel awful. I am nauseous in the mornings, hungry for bread with Nutella at 3am, can’t get out of bed without my mom having to shake me violently (just like in high school)...It kind of sucks because I want to be able to jump out of bed early and make the most of my trips back home. So this time, I am taking my melatonin pills to make me sleep and my running shoes to make me super tired so I can go to bed at a decent time.

But no matter how bad I feel, I keep going back for more...

http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/eatpraylove.htm

Eden Family 5K in Princeton

2008-07-13T19:42:00.004-04:00

Since my run in Veterans Park was not very comfortable and I needed to get a sense of accomplishment this weekend, I made a last minute decision to get up early today and run the Eden Family 5K in the Princeton Forrestal Village. My meeting in New York was postponed to 1pm, so I had time to fit a "quick" run into my schedule.
The weather was much nicer than Thursday night, the course had 3 hills, but I felt fine running uphill. I finished in 29:28, which is pretty good for me, so I was able to go home tired and happy.

Funny note: I ran alongside this 74-year-old guy who apparently can't stand it when a female runner passes him, so every time I tried to pass him he would speed up...this happened like 5 times, then I gave up and started observing him and he doesn't do this when guys pass him! He did the same thing to me last Thursday and when I told Margie about it, she knew immediately who I was talking about and she said he sometimes spreads his elbows so you can't get past him or it seems he tries to mess up your balance...very comical. This is my kind of entertainment during a race!

I also appreciated the Belgian national colors of the balloons. Nice choice guys! ;-)

The Eden Family 5K was held for the 5th time this year and raised money to improve the lives of children and adults with autism. More info can be found on their website www.edenservices.org

Strides for Stroke 5K

2008-07-10T21:06:00.006-04:00

I finally convinced some colleagues to come and run with me. I think they just got sick and tired of hearing me say that breaking a sweat is actually a fun thing, especially when it's rewarded with free pretzels, bananas and pizza afterwards

Don, Gabrielle and Mike finally caved in and joined me in the Strides for Stroke 5K Run/2K Walk organized by the RWJ Foundation in Hamilton. I couldn't pass up on this run as it's practically in my backyard and because I missed a lot of runs in June because I was sick.

Don stayed under his predicted time of 27 min and Mike steamrolled through Veterans Park and finished a little over 23 min. Yours truly got pains after about 10 seconds of running which has never happened before, but I managed to keep running and I finished just over 30 minutes. Not good, but I'm still happy about the run.

The funniest thing that happened on this run was that a guy actually lost his shoe at the start and then ran into me while going against the stream of runners to get his shoe back...How do you lose your shoe in a race??

I think I have converted Mike to start running 5K races now, and I am pretty sure Gabrielle wants to start running too.Genmab will have some very healthy employees soon.

I also met fellow runner and blogger Charlie in person and his friend Bill. Nice to meet you guys! I'll see you next time...

Run of the Mill - Stockton, NJ

2008-06-01T16:32:00.009-04:00

Even though I didn't sleep a wink because of the loud thunder and lightning last night, I still dragged myself out of bed at 6am to get ready to go to Stockton for the second Run of the Mill 5K at the Prallsville Mill. I sort of hoped that the weather would be bad and I would be able to sleep a little longer, but I opened my eyes and saw a beautiful blue sky filled with lots of humidity.
The location for this event is so scenic, I was happy I went. The stone mill dates back to 1877 and the complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The run itself was beautiful, but since the organizers had some issues with the clock and the course apparently was 3.40 miles instead of 3.10, everyone's time was pretty depressing. Highlights: sampling some all natural jasmine flavored water, seeing Joetta Clark Diggs, a 4-time American Olympian, and passing some younger girls with no body fat (and much longer legs) near the finish line.
Hopefully they fix the clock next year and make the course a little shorter...
Run of the Mill Website

And the Forerunner 305 goes to...

2008-05-27T18:18:00.001-04:00

I guess I have to shout out a big thank you to Natalie, who suckered me into registering for the Doylestown 5K, and then told me she couldn’t run herself. So why do I want to thank her? Well, first of all, Doylestown is a very quaint town in Pennsylvania, the weather was absolutely gorgeous for running AND I bought a couple of raffle tickets that made me the excited owner of a Garmin 305 Forerunner (it’s one of those expensive watches which tells me where I am running (in case my brain stops working), what my heart is up to, that my speed should really be twice as fast, and that the amount of calories I am burning is disappointingly low, even though I feel I can’t keep up with my own legs).
I told the guy I was buying the raffle tickets from that I only wanted the winning ticket and he apparently listened to me. Since I never win anything (apart from a giant bag of shallots at the last Saint Nicolas party for the Flemish people in New York), I am super happy with my new toy. I felt like going out to run immediately when I got back, but then I realized I needed to charge the battery on the device first, as well as my own.
The 5K run itself was quite nice, but since it has a 180ft. elevation after the 2nd mile marker, and I really don’t like running uphill, I had to keep telling myself to just keep going. All in all, I am happy that I was again able to finish under 30 minutes and I am sure that I will get faster and stronger from now on. I sort of made plans to register for 4 races in 1 week in the month of June, so Mr. Garmin, my new “training partner,” will be busy.

Race results:
http://bucks5kseries.com/08_rc5_dtown.html

5K and Wine Tasting

2008-05-18T13:35:00.006-04:00

If you want to get me out of bed on a Sunday morning, you either have to provide me with some good food or beverages, so I was very motivated to run the Hair of the Dog 5K race in the Silver Decoy vineyard which was followed by a free wine tasting event. I convinced my tennis playing colleague Natalie to get out of bed as well and we both took the job of running and wine tasting very seriously. We diligently worked our way to the finish line and proceeded to do the same with the list of white, red, fruit and blush wines. We liked the whites, but overall winner was the Cabernet Franc, the rest of the wines were very "young".

The 5K race was also run by dogs and their owners, so this was quite a unique event. As the weather was great and the wine free, many runners showed up. It was quite funny to hear the dog awards: smallest puppy award, fastest short hair, dog with the most heart,...I suggested they do these kinds of trophees for runners as well, as I would surely be in the category for smallest runner ;-)

The raffle even included a TV, digital camera, Broadway tickets, etc...but unfortunately we weren't among the lucky winners. That's of course the reason why we just hung out at the "bar".

We had a good time and I am sure we'll be there again next year so we can work on that set of wine glasses which you get at registration, 7 more years and I will have a complete set.

Thanks Shoreturtle for posting the results, I didn't even know my time...
http://www.compuscore.com/cs2008/may/hairdog1.htm

Culinary heaven in Oaxaca

2008-05-13T22:03:00.005-04:00

The southern state of Oaxaca is not only known for its rich cultural heritage, which includes Mesoamerica’s first city Monte Albán, hundreds of indigenous groups, but Oaxaca is also famous, even among Mexicans from other provinces, for its great cuisine.
Because good food always makes me happy, I decided to visit Oaxaca and put my teeth into some of these local dishes.
When I am abroad the local food market always tops my list of highlights. Two markets in Oaxaca city are located near the main square: Mercado 20 de Noviembre and Mercado Juárez. The last one has basically everything you can think of, while 20 de Noviembre is the place where the locals got to eat. The one thing you have to try when you go to the market is chapulines or grasshoppers. These little creatures have been eaten for over 3,000 years and they are toasted and prepared with garlic, lime, and chile. They are really tasty when wrapped in a fresh tortilla with some of the famous Oaxaqueño cheese and guacamole and finished off with a cold sip of Corona (which is about 1.20USD at the market). I can highly recommend this local dish, however, after the fact I read that the FDA is recommending against eating chapulines as they may contain very high amounts of lead. At least now I have an excuse for the black holes in my memory...
But what about the famous mole sauce of Oaxaca? You will be able to find mole paste anywhere in a local market, but of course nothing beats making mole, which is considered very labor intensive, yourself. So I signed up for cooking classes at Casa Crespo and was overjoyed when I found out that in addition to making mole sauce we would also make the following: fresh tortillas, fresh green and red salsa sauces, fried squash blossoms stuffed with fresh cheese and a herb called epazote (wormseed), tamales, horchata (a milky drink), empanadas and finally ice cream made from fresh rose petals. Our cooking was all done ‘al fresco’ underneath a beautifully blooming buganvilla tree in a colonial B&B. If only I could reproduce this setting at home, I would be a very happy camper.
To make mole you need a lot of ingredients, among which, dried peppers, garlic, onion, plantain, sesame seeds, tomatoes, onions, almonds, raisins, chocolate with a cinnamon flavor, and of course a good amount of lard. I can tell you that when this is all mixed together, it tastes simply divine over poultry. Paired with a nice glass of red wine, it certainly was my favorite food in Oaxaca.
We ate all the food we had prepared and the rose petal ice cream was definitely interesting as its smelled of my cheap hotel bathroom soap, but its aftertaste was very delicate and appealing. Our meal was concluded with a shot of local mezcal, which is a spirit made from the agave plant, and which grows hair on your chest. After I had gone to culinary heaven, I said goodbye to my cooking mates and strolled back to the center of town to walk around. I could only think about how content I was.
I guarantee that food in Oaxaca will do this to you, so I suggest you go find out for yourself.

Made it to Mexico

2008-04-28T20:16:00.003-04:00

I finally managed to find a space at the internet cafe to update my blog.

As you can see I made it in one piece from Texas to Oaxaca, but of course my vacations are never "standard".
I spent most of the day walking around the Zocalo and the local markets and had way nice and I would say it´s the highlight of the city. I walked and walked some more and in the evening I ended up at the Zocalo square where the locals hang out in droves. While taking pictures of the lovely local girls in nice colorful dresses, I happened to hear some fellow Flemish people and struck up a conversation. with them. As we were talking however, a thunderstorm hit us and thousands of us had to find shelter under the awnings of the many cafes and restaurants around the Zocalo. We were standing there packed liked sardines looking at the cathedral being drenched and getting very dirty and stinky sandals as the sewer water came up and started to flow onto our feet. So now my semi-nice sandals are semi-sewer sandals...keeps the local men away :-)
I ended up having a beer with the Flemish folks and some former countrymen from Holland, so all in all it was a nice spontaneous night which ended with my watching the first Harry Potter movie in Spanish in my hotel room because the weather was so bad you couldn´t be outside.
Luckily, the second night there were no strange knocks on my window in the middle of the night and I slept like a log.
After a nice breakfast at the courtyard of the hotel, I joined 2 Mexican ladies on a private tour to Tule, Teotitlan de Valle, Tlocalula and finally Mitla. Our guide was really nice and spoke Spanish slowly so I was able to catch most of what was being said. We saw the local weaving process and found out that the naturally dyed carpets are really expensive...I told them I had to win the lottery first and then I would come back to buy the carpete mas grande. We also learned how mezcal is made and I had several shots of this drink, which is very strong. Probably because the mezcal was already messing with my head, I thought I was courageous enough to eat a worm, so they presented me with a slice of lime, some salt (which had some ground up worms in it), topped of with a nice worm. I didn´t chew, but just swallowed...yuck...what was I thinking? Anyway, when in Oaxaca do as the locals do. Grasshoppers turned out to be pretty tasty, so a little worm won´t hurt.
Tomorrow I am leaving at 5:40am to get on a non pressurized plane to Puerto Escondido. I hope it makes it over the Sierra Madre mountains. I expect to be back in Oaxaca city on Thursday morning, in time to get on the tour to go to Monte Alban, which I am really looking forward to visiting. On Friday, cooking classes are scheduled and Friday night I have to go dancing with my RVC sales guy, who has been trying to convince me to go out with him...to be continued.

The USB is not working so I can´t upload any pictures, so I´ll try again in Puerto Escondido.

Rainforest Aerial Tram and Tortuguero National Park

2008-04-10T15:03:00.004-04:00

After a long delay...here's the continuation of my trip to Costa Rica. I will try to finish the overview soon.

Day Two:

After a typical breakfast of gallo pinto, tamales and pulled pork, off we went on our bus that would take us to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica where we had to board a boat and to get to Pachira Lodge, a lodge in the middle of the jungle that can only be reached by boat.
Our first stop of the day was at Braulio Carrillo Park, where we enjoyed one of Costa Rica’s most popular attractions: the rainforest aerial tram. The little gondolas were gliding through the canopy and we had some amazing views over the different shades of green of the rainforest. I especially liked the umbrella ferns and gigantic palm leaves, but I got most excited about seeing our first toucan in one of the trees beneath us.
After our ride through the rainforest canopy, we took off on a walk with a naturalist guide who talked about the different plants we saw along the way. One of the plants that was particularly interesting had bright red hearts on the bottom of its leaves. The hearts make the plant more appealing to hummingbirds which are attracted by the red color and help pollinate the plant. As we emerged again from the rainforest tour, we lingered around the souvenir store where we ran into some big bullet ants. When you get bitten by one of them, you will feel as if you were shot by a bullet for 24 hours, so your best bet is not to piss one of them off. We also saw a two-tooted sloth with a baby sloth making her way to another tree high above us. It’s interesting to see these creatures move at all as some will stay in the same exact tree for up to seven days. Talking about public display of laziness.
I arrived at the lunch place with a rumbling stomach and dove right into the buffet. After lunch, it was time for a stroll and I ventured out to the gardens and the nearby creek. Someone in our group spotted some blue jean frogs, a type of poison dart frog that is actually toxic to humans. Our guide in Braulio Carrillo Park told us that you can die of a heart attack if the poison it keeps on its skin touches you. And there we were oohing and aahing over this tiny red and blue frog that was almost too miniscule to see. I was particularly proud of myself as I didn’t freak out and I was even eager to take some pictures of it. I had imagined these poison dart frogs to be much bigger, but once I saw the tiny frogs, I was able to overcome my phobia. To prove it, I even bought a blue jean frog magnet for my fridge. All in all this was a successful day already: frogs, sloths, a toucan, and some lizards, …
The bus finally stopped near a river and we all got out ready to board our next mode of transportation of the day: a covered boat to Tortuguero National Park. Some of our luggage was left behind in the bus as there was limited space in the boats. We greeted our captain and strapped on our mandatory life jackets. Off we went, first slowly and then we picked up some speed. The water was whooshing by so there weren’t many opportunities to take photos. The boat ride was 1.5 hours and I was happy to get off the boat. We were greeted with tortilla chips and salsa and some welcome drinks at the lodge bar, accompanied by some Caribbean live music. Unfortunately, it also started to poor as soon as we got underneath the awning of the bar. There would be no hanging out by the pool with an umbrella drink on this visit. Luckily, they still served Caipirinhas at the bar, so I was still able to look at the pool through the raindrops that were pounding on the roof. Everyone was assigned rooms, which were located in different lodges scattered around the property. In a rain poncho and with my camera in a Ziploc bag I made a run for my room. I immediately inspected it for any frogs that might be on the loose, but I only ran into some mosquitoes that were easily defeated with one of my flip flops. The room had a nice shower and the water was even hotter than in the nice hotel in San Jose. Because the rooms didn’t have windows and humidity is high, everything that is wet stays wet, so I was very happy I had left my big suitcase in the bus where my clothes would stay dry. I was also well equipped with a flashlight and my turquoise rubber boots which served me very well in this kind of environment. I didn’t think I would celebrate Christmas Eve wearing rubber boots, but it all doesn’t matter when you’re in the rainforest. We concluded our day with a nice buffet with pavo (or turkey) for the Americans and puerco (or pork) for the locals. Because of the pounding rain on the roof of the lodges and tropical plants, I did not sleep at all, but hey…I was in the rainforest…what else did I expect?

Schmap guide

2008-02-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

The internet Schmap guide for Rome is using one of my photos for the Hotel Majestic in Rome. I visited the Majestic last year for business and took a shot of the ceiling of our meeting room.

http://www.schmap.com/rome/lodging_deluxe/#p=50019&i=50019.jpg

More about Schmap guides can be found on: http://www.schmap.com/

6.4 kilometers

2008-01-19T15:03:00.000-05:00

Today I finished a 5K run, I ran 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) without stopping for the first time. I only started running on January 4th, so I am quite pleased with my accomplishment. I feel great now, but just to be on the safe side, I'm getting all my laundry done today because I might not be able to walk down any stairs tomorrow.
When is the New York Marathon again? ;-)

Rock Climbing in Hamilton

2008-01-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

Last night, I ventured out to join Matt, Jan, Natalie, Joel, Rich, Jen, and Dave to the Rockville Climbing Center in Hamilton. I was mainly tempted by the prospects of drinks and bar food after the event, but I was ready to conquer my fear of heights.
Seems like conquering my fears has been a theme of late. There I was signing a waiver and looking at a poster that said "Climbing is dangerous." Great! For Natalie and I it was our first time, so I was happy I wasn't the only newbie. I was given uncomfortable shoes and a harness to strap on and people told me it all had to feel uncomfortable. Then Joel gave us a short lesson on belaying and how to make an anti-slip knot and off we went. On the first climb my arms started shaking about half way up the wall, probably because I realized I was getting higher and I had to make a decision on whether to stop or continue. I took a deep breath and continued a little higher, yet I didn't touch the top. Then came the hard part, letting go of the wall, sitting down in the harness and putting your feet against the wall to come down again. I didn't go down very elegantly, but once I had my feet back on the ground, I felt great and I knew I would do it again. As I didn't have to be rescued down by one of the staff members, I considered it a successful first climb. I got some more information about all the different numbers, trails, colors and went for a second climb. It was a little more relaxed and this time I did touch the top of the wall... whoohoo! Again, coming down could have been more graceful, but I'll work on that next time. Some of the people in the group have been climbing for a while and are very athletic, so it was nice to see how easy they made it look. I will definitely go again. More info on Rockville Rockclimbing can be found on http://www.rockvilleclimbing.com/index.htm

Day One - Costa Rica Tour

2008-01-02T19:13:00.000-05:00

After we had our first Tico breakfast (including gallo pinto and tamales), we headed to the bus which took us on our first excursion in Costa Rica: a visit to Poas Volcano (8,800 ft above sea level). As soon as we started to get to a higher elevation, it started to drizzle and by the time we reached the Poas Volcano all we could see was clouds and rain coming down in sheets. It was our first encounter with the lush vegetation of the country and the views of the valley were beautiful. I especially liked a plant called "poor man's umbrella", as it is really big enough for me to take shelter under when it's raining.

We watched a video in the visitor center about the volcano, walked to Botos lake (which was also covered in clouds), and basically got soaked. I quickly found out I needed a real rain poncho instead of a rain jacket. Tip number one when going to Costa Rica: bring a good rain poncho and a ziplock bag for your camera.

We drove back along the winding valley road (the valley is covered with strawberry fields and banana and coffee plantations) and by the time we made a stop for lunch, the sun was out again and we had a beautiful view of the valley. The lunch at La Barra consisted of comida tipica, with fish and of course rice and beans and beans and rice...I washed it down with some nice Costa Rican Imperial beer and our rained-out visit to the Poas Volcano was soon forgotten.

We made our way back to downtown San Jose to visit the National Museum, of which I enjoyed the garden the most. I didn't think it was very interesting and their butterfly garden (jardin secreto) had more spiders than butterflies. I won't visit the National Museum again when I visit San Jose. I am saying 'when' because I know I will go back to Costa Rica. My main reason is because all of my 500+ photos were accidentally erased from my camera, so now I have to bug my fellow tour members to send me some memories (which can be used to adore my blog entries).

After a walk back to the hotel and a short break, I headed to the local supermarket (Auto Mercado) which I wanted to explore. They are open on Sundays and take credit cards and carry Cafe Britt Costa Rican coffee (of which I bought almost every variety).

I had dinner with some people from my tour and couldn't get over the fact that all alcoholic drinks were included in the tour at this particular hotel. I kept asking if my second beer was really included. They told me it was, which I think was a definite plus at this hotel ;-). Note: this was only the case if you were on the Caravan tour, otherwise it's not included. The hotel even provided us with as many bottles of water as we liked. We just had to show our little "green card" and we got what we needed.

As we had to get our bags ready for a very early departure the next day, we all went to bed early, exhausted from the first full day of touring Costa Rica.

Made it to Costa Rica

2007-12-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

It was all worth it to get up really early on Saturday to get on a flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. As soon as I got out of the aiport a Caravan tour agent was waiting. Everything went very smoothly but sadly it started to rain as soon as we were on the way to our hotel.
The Aurola Holiday Inn is in the middle of the downtown area, which makes it very conventient to visit the Plaza de la Cultura, the National Theater and one of my favorites: the Central Market. I have never seen so many banana leaves being weighed in my life. I asked what they were used for and I received a very complicated explanation in Spanish about tamales and New Year's...didn't understand much of it, but I got the most important part: they are used to wrap tamales in.
I did a quick tour of the National Theater and found out it was made by Belgian architects in baroque style. It's very nice, but I might be biased.
I spent the first buffet dinner speaking French instead of practicing my Spanish, but it was nice to meet some people on the tour, which has a good mix of people from the US and Europe.
After dinner, I went to try out the indoor pool (which is so unlike me) and I really enjoyed it. My relaxing late evening swim was interrupted by a group of young family members who were celebrating a quinceanera. I can tell you that the 15-year-old girl looked just like a bride, tiara included. The Quinceanera is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday and kind of like a rite of passage. I talked to one of the girls who was attending and she never had this kind of party. Apparently you can either choose to have a big celebration or ask for money to travel. She preferred to travel because "she was kind of a tom boy."
It was definitely kind of interesting to hear more about this cultural phenomenon while splashing away in the hotel pool.
Today we went to visit Poas Volcano but because of the clouds AND rain, we didn't get to see the crater. Too bad, but now I have an excuse to come back. I alreay know I will come back some day. It's such a nice small country (again I am biased coming from a country of 10 million people), everyone is nice, it's a short flight from the US and I even get to bring my flat iron without a converter! The views have been incredible so far and tomorrow we are going to the rainforest by boat. We have to leave our luggage outside our hotel room at 5:30am...and I thought I paid money to go on vacation. I wish I could upload photos, but this computer doesn't seem to recognize my camera when I connect it.

Pura vida!
Hasta la proxima.

reclaiming VAT when shopping in Belgium

2007-12-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

During my last visit to Belgium I found out that I can reclaim VAT on my purchases in Belgium as my residency is outside the EU. It's a complicated procedure (why would they make it easy), so I just wanted to share what I have found out. This is what you have to do when you shop in Belgium (and live outside the EU):

You have to request an invoice or “global refund cheque” in the store where you buy the goods, but you have to spend a minimum of 125 Euro (including VAT) in the same store.

When you pack your suitcase, make sure you put all the items you have purchased within easy reach because you will have to show them to the customs official at the Zaventem airport before leaving the country.

When you get to the airport and you are leaving the EU, here’s what you do:

BEFORE checking you luggage:

Go to the customs office with your passport, plane ticket, invoices or global refund cheques and the goods for which you are claiming VAT. Yes, you have to show everything for which you are claiming VAT...

Then I assume (I didn’t get an invoice in the store, only a receipt, which is not acceptable, so I was sent away), your papers will get stamped and you will have to send those back to the store (or headquarters) in order to get the VAT refund (I think you have to provide them with a Belgian bank account number or credit card number). There might also be a global refund office at the Zaventem airport where you can reclaim the VAT, but since I never got this far, I am not sure.

It’s important to remember that you need to request an invoice, that the minimum amount is 125 Euro (incl. VAT) and that you need to show the items you have purchased at the customs office before you check your luggage.

I was recently in Argentina and there it goes as follows: you can only reclaim VAT when you purchase goods that are made in Argentina, so you cannot reclaim VAT on anything from Prada, Chanel, etc. as these products are made outside the country. Stores with a TAX FREE logo on the door will provide you with a “Global Refund Cheque” which you have to get stamped at the airport (don’t forget to include your passport number) before you go through security. Then you have to take the stamped papers to the “Global Refund Office” where you can either get the VAT back in cash (in local currency) or you can choose to have it credited back to your credit card (which takes about 6 weeks). It did work and now I hope I can get it to work next time I go shopping in Belgium. It took me nearly 10 years to figure this out...

photo publication

2007-10-20T21:05:00.000-04:00

I am happy to announce that thanks to all who voted, I will now have one of my photos published in the February/March issue of New Jersey Life magazine. I am very happy about this, maybe National Geographic will be next ;-)

http://www.newjerseylife.com/current-issue/index.aspx?pageID=611

What's different in Argentina?

2007-10-13T17:39:00.000-04:00

On the street, you see people carrying thermoses filled with mate, a caffeinated drink made from dried leaves. I can’t imagine dragging a thermos filled with hot water, a bag of mate and a special gourd around, but even on the hiking paths of the national park of Iguazu waterfalls I ran into people carrying a thermos... and I already hate carrying an umbrella for a day.

Showing up for dinner at 7 pm is ridiculously early. The porteños, as the people from Buenos Aires are called, don’t show up until 9 or 10 pm. I don’t have any first-hand experience, but the travel guide also mentioned that showing up in a nightclub before 2 am is so out of style. Where do these people get their energy from? Lots of ‘mate’ I suppose.

Soccer rules the country and Diego Maradona is a god. Apparently Maradona’s former club, Boca has the best rivalry in history with another team from Buenos Aires, River. As River’s colors are red and white, the soccer stadium of La Boca has Coca-Cola ads only in black and white. They basically told Coca-Cola they had to change their colors otherwise Pepsi would get the deal. Smart move.

Pronunciation of the Spanish language is different from Spanish from Spain. As I learned some Spanish in high school (many years ago) I was able to hear that there was a clear difference in the way some words were pronounced. Calle , Plaza de Mayo, yo, ya, all sounded more Portuguese than Spanish to me. I also learned a new word: barbaro or barbara, depending on the situation. Whenever something is amazing, great, you just say barbaro/a. Try it, you will sound like a true local.

Plenty of shopping and dining without having to feel guilty. Because of the favorable exchange rate, shopping and dining eat is cheap and of high quality. I had the best food in Buenos Aires at UriArte, a trendy bar/restaurant in the barrio of Palermo Viejo. The best shopping can be found in the Recoleta neighborhood, said to be the “Rolls Royce” of Buenos Aires. I can recommend the shopping mall Patio Bullrich and don’t forget to shop Argentinian (Prune, Lazaro, ...), which gets you a tax refund at the airport. If you buy products made outside of Argentina, you are out of luck. No tax refund for that fashionable pair of Gucci sunglasses...

Meat, Carne, Fleisch, Vlees...That’s about all you’ll have to eat. Empanadas stuffed with meat, ravioli stuffed with meat, steaks, sirloins, blood sausages, and sandwiches with tenderloin...The most memorable dining experience was a visit to the parilla (grill restaurant) La Brigada, a no-nonsense restaurant where all the meat that is served is cut with a spoon at your table. Our waiter Gustavo was quite a character and basically served us whatever he wanted us to eat. We just got to pick the nice Mendoza wine.

The concept of time. Every pick up at my hotel in Puerto Iguazu was late. I mean, really late, almost 1 hour. Then the guide shows up, doesn’t apologize for being late and rushes you into the tour bus without much of an explanation...I was told this was happening because it was the busiest season, but I have the feeling it is just Latin American time. One time they even forgot to pick me up. After I had complained and turned into the tourist from hell, the agency sent 2 young guys to drive me to the national park at 130 km/h. I feared for my life but bit my tongue and didn’t say a thing (I’m still proud of myself). I made it to the park in one piece and was able to see the most amazing waterfalls (275 of them to be precise). They were worth risking my life for ;-)

I would like to return to Argentina to see the rest of the country, especially Patagonia and the Salta region, but that will be for another time. Right now I am on a diet of fish and veggies for the rest of the year and cut of from consumption of red wine and caipirinhas.

vote for my photo

2007-10-10T21:24:00.000-04:00

Vote for my photo until Oct 14th!

I am participating in a photo contest for a magazine in New Jersey.

http://www.newjerseylife.com/about/index.aspx?pageID=608

Many thanks in advance.

Argentina in photos

2007-10-08T19:12:00.000-04:00

As I have just arrived home exhausted from 3 plane rides I had to take to get back to New Jersey, so I will just upload some photos of my trip. I will be writing more in the next few days, but first I have to make sure my brain knows what day of the week it is...

Puerto Madero: the newest part of Buenos Aires

Antique soda bottles at the Feria de San Telmo

Tango gloves

Tango show at El Querandi

The famous Boca Juniors soccer stadium

A hard day's work in La Boca

Buenos Aires

2007-10-03T17:41:00.001-04:00

I finally have some time to write a little bit about Buenos Aires. The first few days, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and I did a lot of walking around the new part of the city, Puerto Madero and the old part of the city, which is San Telmo.

More importantly, I have had a lot of food. As the exchange rate is so favorable, eating out in a nice restaurant is cheap. The most expensive meal I have had so far was around 40USD and this was at a famous steak house La Brigada, where they cut all the meat they serve with a spoon. It was delicious and the Argentian wines that are served with all the meals are very good.
The culinary experience has so far impressed me the most, as Buenos Aires is a very busy city with lots of traffic and exhaust gases.

Today I also went to Colonia in Uruguay, which is just across the Rio de la Plata river. It was a nice town, but a 6-hour visit is more than enough.
We did rent a buggy to drive in and that was a lot of fun (apart from the fact we were almost attacked by a wild dog and couldn´t find the reverse of the buggy).

Tonight, it´s a tango show and tomorrrow will be my last day in Buenos Aires. I will be heading to Iguazu on Friday. It will be 95 degrees there, so I will have to protect myself very well from all the mosquitoes which have been attacking me.

Argentina

2007-09-26T17:21:00.000-04:00

I just realized I haven't written anything in a long time, but as of tomorrow I will have something to write about as I am finally going to the land of the best steaks in the world: Argentina. When I first booked my ticket, I didn't realize it would be a longer flight to Buenos Aires than to Tokyo...but it's really true. Tokyo was 15 hours non-stop, this will be 15.5 hours. I am not looking forward to that plane ride, but I am very much looking forward to seeing Buenos Aires. I can't wait to taste the good Malbec wines, steaks, and mate. As everyone recommended a domestic trip in Argentina, I decided to plan a trip to the famous Iguazu waterfalls. I've read all over the Internet that they are simply amazing and that they are more beautiful than Victoria Falls in Africa...All this with a combined rainforest tour...I can't wait!

I will actually be in 3 different countries on this trip: I will be in Argentina, then take a day trip by boat to cross the Rio de la Plata into Uruguay to visit Colonia and in Iguazu I will cross into Brazil to see the falls from the other side of the border. I will add a nice collection of stamps in my passport...which I feel is always an accomplishment.

I will try to keep you up to date on my trip in South America in the next couple of days.

A guided tour in Central Park

2007-06-16T15:58:00.000-04:00

To get away from New York’s hustle and bustle you just have to make your way up to 59^th street and Fifth Avenue and you can step into the oasis which is Central Park, stretching all of its natural beauty up to 110^th street. However, the park was completely man-made. There are 26,000 trees in the park and if you get tired from all the walking, you can choose between 9,000 benches to sit on. It is really worth to take a guided tour in the park. Not only did I learn a lot about the park’s history, but more importantly I found out how to find my way in Central Park. When you get lost, all you have to do to find out where you are is walk up to a lantern. Each lantern has a number on it which shows the street number. If you look up to the skyline and you see buildings with two towers, you are on the West side. That information alone was worth the money I spent on the tour, and I just shared it with you for free…One of my favorite places in Central Park is Sheep Meadow because it has great views of the surrounding skyline and you can see the real purpose of the park: a place for leisure and relaxation for New Yorkers who generally have small living spaces. You really become a part of the New York scene if you sport your bathing suit, Ipod and a picnic basket on the meadow. Don’t forget that Central Park also has some nice places to eat and drink. The Boat House is a great location to unwind with a glass of Chardonnay after a hot day out in the sun. Tavern on the Green, an elegant restaurant near Sheep Meadow, reportedly has the best brunch around. The restaurant used to be home to the sheep that roamed around Sheep Meadow, but they sure did a great renovation job. All in all, a visit to Central Park comes highly recommended for anyone who wants to escape all the craziness in the city, although you might see some crazy things in the park as well. During my first visit I was rollerblading next to another rollerblader who had a real big snake around his neck. He probably thought a scarf was not cool enough… New Yorkers…

Seat 29E complaint

2007-05-12T12:20:00.000-04:00

This is hilarious. If you're flying on a 737 with Continental, be sure to check your seat assignment...This must have been the funniest letter of complaint Continental has ever received.

Read it here. Be sure to read the scanned PDF version of the letter, which is even funnier as it includes some interesting drawings.

An Inconvenient Lie?

2007-05-07T20:45:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I was told I should really watch a BBC documentary called "The Great Global Warming Swindle." I did a Google search and watched it on my laptop (the first time I actually sat in front of my laptop to watch a TV progam).
If you are at all interested in the global warming debate, you have to watch this documentary. I don't know what to think anymore...

http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1945

http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/G/great_global_warming_swindle/

Shadfest 2007 edition

2007-04-30T20:42:00.000-04:00

Again the shad returned to the Delaware this year. I went to visit Ryan, Amy, Natalie and Charlie in Lambertville during Shadfest 2007. The weather was nice and the crowds came out for lots of good eating. I had my usual Taco Salad with a sweet lemonade, which has now become an annual treat and we made our way through lots of stalls and people with strollers and doggies (which Natalie gladly pointed out to us) to the River Horse Brewery. My eyes were apparently bigger than my stomach and I had to leave most of my Summer Blonde Ale behind in the bucket where they wash the 'event' glasses. I did go home with a nice beer glass, so it was a successful event anyway. Lambertville is definitely an interesting place, you will see lovely flowers and Bush Bashing all at the same spot. Shadfest is really worth a visit, so keep a weekend open for next year. More info about Lambertville can be found here.

What's different in Japan?

2007-04-12T18:28:00.000-04:00

This is a short summary of what I learned about Japan during my trip.

Business women wear high heels for their commute into work. When they get to the office, they take out comfortable shoes to walk around the office. Women in the US do exactly the opposite.
All women carry designer handbags, the most favorite brands are Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Burberry, and Coach.
The majority of people who are reading on the subway have a book cover on their books so nobody can tell what they are really reading. The cover is provided by the book store where people buy the book.
Talking on your cell phone is not allowed on the subway or trains, but most people are texting.
The use of toilet slippers when you walk into the toilet
Rice is served at the end of a meal. You can’t put your chopsticks in the rice and leave them upright, as this is the way rice is offered to the dead. It is the worst faux pas at the Japanese dinner table.
When you eat Ramen noodles, you have to slurp. It shows you have the technique down on how to eat the noodles fast, without burning your tongue.
Some trains have “Ladies Only” compartments to protect women from being groped by perverts during rush hour.
The maximum speed on the highway is 80kms per hour or 50 mph.
Coffee is expensive in Japan, and green tea is everywhere, even in chocolate Kit Kat bars.
The use of MSG is prevalent and is sold in the supermarkets, just like salt and pepper.
The train’s conductor and the person who wheels the food cart up and down the train all take bows each time they enter and leave the train compartment.
Japan has some of the fastest trains (Shinkansen) in the world and they run like a Swiss-made watch. The Maglev train set a record of 361 mph (581 km/h) in 2003, and is still the fastest in the world.
Before an official meal, Japanese people say thanks for the lives that have been lost to prepare the meal, even when it’s a vegetarian meal.
The Japanese take their cherry blossoms (sakura) very seriously. Inspectors check the blossoms to see to what degree they have blossomed and provide daily reports on the blossoming percentage.

I could write at least 5 more pages about what is different in Japan, but I suggest you find out for yourself. It will be an eye-opening experience. For more information on Japan, go to the Japan National Tourist Organization's website. http://www.jnto.go.jp/

Lonely Planet's website: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/japan/

Frommer's website: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/japan/

TrekEarth website: http://www.trekearth.com/books/book221.htm

Krispy Kreme in Tokyo

2007-03-30T18:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I spent some of my time shopping around Tokyo's many department stores. I had also promised Dan and Chizuko I would pick up some Krispy Kreme donuts for them...KK only has 1 store in the entire country and it is located near the South Exit of Shinjuku station at the corner of the walkway to the Takashimaya Times Square store. Little did I know that the line would be out the door and that it would take me 1 hour to get in. I even beat the clock because at the entrance there was a sign that said that the wait was 1 h and 40 minutes. When I finally got in, I tasted a free glazed donut (the first one of the new batch), and boy was it good. I will never have Dunkin Donuts again..I am converted! When I went back home with my treasure, people kept eyeing my donuts. I feel like I could have sold them for at least 100$ to anyone. I can say it was a real Tokyo experience to stand in line with all the Japanese who were anxiously awaiting a taste of America and needless to say I was the only non-Japanese person in line...

Tsukiji Fish Market - Tokyo

2007-03-29T21:35:00.000-04:00

When I got to Tokyo a little before 9am on Monday morning, the first site I visited was the Tsukiji market, which is the largest fish market in Japan. I even survived the morning rush hour at Shinjuku station (the second busiest train station in the world).
The market starts really early with the auctioning of about 450 different kinds of seafood around 4:40 am. The wholesalers then take their products to their own stalls where they display all their fish products in a hangar-like building. It's really busy there and you have to pay attention or you could be run over by the many little motorized loading carts. If you like markets, you can't miss this one. You can also eat breakfast sushi in one of the many restaurants nearby, but by 9am, the lines are out the door, so it's better to get there early. This was one of my favorite places in Tokyo, so put it on your list of things to see when you visit the city. It's likely you will be up at 3am anyway, so you might as well take advantage. Here's more information on the market: http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/youkoso/welcom_e.htm

best Engrish sign so far...

2007-03-29T20:17:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share this nice sign with you.
Picture taken at the Heian Shrine restrooms in Kyoto.

Luckily I had my own "pocket tissue" with me!

For more hilarious Engrish signs, click here:http://www.engrish.com/

Kyoto and Nara

2007-03-29T09:52:00.000-04:00

As I am exhausted right now from traveling from Kyoto to Nara and back, then onto the Shinkansen to Tokyo and then another hour to Fussa station on the Chuo line, I am just going to put up some photos of my trip. I will write about it later. Now I have to recuperate...

First Impressions of Japan

2007-03-25T07:47:00.000-04:00

After a seemingly non-ending flight from Newark to Tokyo which arrived around 2pm on Saturday, I tried to make my way through the airport and find the Fussa train station where Dan and Chizuko would pick me up. With directions printed in Japanese I managed to get to the right train. A nice local girl asked me if I needed any help and I followed here like a puppy dog. She explained to me which station to get off and along the way asked me random questions to practice her English. I got to Fussa at 7:30pm. I landed in Narita airport a little before 2pm...after a 14 hour flight...needless to say I wasn't worth a yen coin. Dan and Chizuko suggested I go to the local onsen (the public bath), which I thought was a great idea. After some ramen noodles from a small noodle shop, the ladies went to the onsen. It was so relaxing and a unique experience. I especially enjoyed the baths outside (those promising healthy skin and promotion of good general health).
After the onsen I was ready for bed. Of course I woke up in the middle of the night, but I did manage to fall back asleep until about 7:30am, when I was greeted by babies Brandi and Alicia..they are some cute babies!
Today the weather was rainy, I felt as if I had been hit by a truck, so we took it easy. We went to do one of my favorite things: eat food. We found a very nice sushi place which had private tatami rooms and a delicious spread of food: sushi, miso soup, Asahi beer, green tea, ...
I was also introduced to some funky looking Japanese products at the supermarket, such as bags of MSG, little dried fish in a bag, green tea KitKats, miscellaneous sake bottles and miniature beer cans for those Japanese ladies who can't drink an entire can.
I also tasted Chizuko's homemade Umeshu plum wine which has been fermenting for 3 years now...very delicious...kanpai!
Right now, I am ready for my melatonin pill and a soft futon to sleep on. Tokyo is on the menu tomorrow, then off to Kyoto and Nara.

Green Bagels anyone?

2007-03-16T17:44:00.000-04:00

I heard of green beer on St Patrick's Day, but not of green bagels...but yes, they do exist. I didn't try them (they just looked a little too hulkish to me), even though Tara tried to promote them. I think she should be the green bagel spokesperson...

St Patrick's Day is tomorrow. To find out more on the Parade in New York City, click here.

Now I can get ready to go on vacation to Japan to visit Dan and Chizuko, Brandy and Alicia.
Sayonara!

Super Suppers

2007-02-25T08:52:00.000-05:00

Amy invited us to check out Super Suppers in Pennington on Saturday. It involved food, so I was up for it. We got together at the food stations and picked some entrees from the February menu which we would like to make and bring home. Amy came prepared: she brought an empty laundry basket to carry all her meals in.
Here is what I made: Stuffed Braided Bread, Asian 5-spice Cod, and Feta baked chicken. It was really great fun (although next time we are making this a serious get-together with a bottle of wine) and it was easy to do. All ingredients were nicely organized with the correct measuring spoons/cups next to them and the recipes were all displayed and broken down into easy steps. In the end you get to go home with a week's (or month's) worth of dinners and the only thing you have to do is cook them at home. No mess, no prep time, no cleaning up...it really is a woman's dream...okay, apart from diamonds...but this is cheaper. Go check it out for yourself in Pennington, NJ: http://www.sspenningtonnj.com/index.php

I Love Boobies

2007-01-12T13:09:00.000-05:00

There is only one place on earth, were little kids can get away with saying to strangers: “I love boobies!” This would be on the Galápagos Islands, where the blue-footed booby is one of the most popular attractions. This interesting bird has one of the most romantic courtships I’ve ever seen. According to our guide, Lonesome Luis, it brought one female tourist to tears.
The male bird starts off by lifting his turquoise-colored feet in succession, as if he were doing a little dance. If a female booby likes him, she will do the same ritual. If mister booby really wants to make an impression, he searches for a little present to give to his love interest. Let’s face it, all women love presents. I don’t think I could get very excited over some little dry twigs, but apparently female blue-footed boobies fall for it. All this dancing and gift-giving is complemented with the spreading of the wings, and beak pointing to the sky (“skypointing”). If the female likes the other booby, she will also give him a present. Then, 8 seconds of action…our Ecuadorian guide was very fascinated by the mating rituals of all Galápagos animals, so I feel like I know way too much about this part of animal life than is actually good for me.
I can definitely recommend a trip to this amazing world, where you almost step on lounging land iguanas, get your beach towel stolen by baby sea lions, and where you can see sharks swim in shallow water where your tour guide has chosen to have a “wet landing”.
The Galápagos Islands are located about 950 km (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador and are best visited in the warm season (December - May). A flight from Quito costs just under $400 and an economy boat tour will be the most affordable way to see the islands. Unless you prefer to be in a bunk bed without any danger of falling out of it, prefer to listen to a less sleazy guide who says “occasionally” in ever sentence and would rather not be rocked back and forth while in the shower, you should spend more money on a luxury boat.

Happy New Year from Quito

2007-01-01T15:35:00.000-05:00

During my last hours here in Quito, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy 2007! I still haven´t been able to upload any photos, but I will make a selection as soon as I´ve sorted through the 700 photos I´ve taken in the last 10 days. I´ll be home tomorrow if all my connections work out.

I´ve had a great trip and will write about it in the next few days.

Feliz Año Nuevo!

Vamos a Galapagos

2006-12-22T13:21:00.000-05:00

So, this is it. I'm counting the hours until my trip to the Galapagos Islands. I called the hotel today just to make sure they would send over someone to pick me up from the airport tomorrow evening and that's when it hit me: I'm really going to the Galapagos Islands! I am so excited that I just want to practice my 3 words of Spanish all day long...
My trip will go from a quick overnight stay in Quito, to a 4-night cruise around the Galapagos Islands, and then back to Quito for a few days. Excursions include a trip to the famous Otavalo Indian market and the Cotopaxi volcano (the highest active volcano in the world). The most interesting part of this trip (apart from seeing all the animals on the Galapagos off course), will be the New Year's Eve celebrations in Quito. I have my camera ready!

Here's where I will be staying in Quito:
Four Points Sheraton
Cafe Cultura hotel
Vlaams Internationaal Centrum
This should give me a good overview of accommodations...

Hasta luego.

Christmas Greetings from Londen

2006-12-19T19:21:00.000-05:00

If you understand Dutch, you can check out our Christmas Greetings from Londen.
Too bad it was so dark, but we laughed a lot anyway.

http://www.hellochristmas.co.uk/videos.asp?stf=097.flv

From Tokyo with Babies

2006-12-18T19:20:00.000-05:00

Last week, former neighbors Dan and Chizuko came to visit the US from Tokyo. I hadn't seen them since 2004 when they packed up and went to live in Japan for Chizuko's job with Bloomberg. And they came, not only bearing gifts in the shape of organic green tea, but also two cute twins! It was so great to finally see the babies because I had heard that they scored very high on the cuteness scale...and yes, they were adorable. I somehow expected them to be very tiny, but they were about 20 pounds and heavy when you had to rock them to sleep. They are lucky I can't tell them apart, because one of them caused such severe back pain that I had to go the ER on Monday to get an injection of some heavy-duty painkillers and a prescription of Percocet!! I'm not joking...but they're still cute and I had a great time. I ended up visiting Dan and Chizuko's Hungarian-American friends and they kept bringing out alcohol. I tried some nice Francis Ford Coppolla wine (yes, apparently he also does wine), and a really nice fig liquor from Japan, called Umeshu. It was a great night. I can't wait to pay a visit to the land of the rising sun to see the babies again (and of course Dan and Chizuko), but I think I will first have to do some weight lifting to train my arms...

London calling...

2006-11-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Anja and I will never again complain about the weather in London. We left a rainy Belgium on Thursday morning, but when the Channel Tunnel spat us out onto the British isles, we were met with nothing but blue skies, cotton ball clouds, and plenty of sunshine. We spent the first hour in London talking about how hot it was and that we were way overdressed. It turned out to be a lucky day. We were able to sit in on a session of the House of Commons, something we both hadn't done before. The line was short and entrance was free. Then we strolled in the direction of Trafalgar Square and happened to see the changing of the Guard, which is a beautiful ceremony even if you've already seen it many times. With Whitehall and a bright blue sky as a backdrop, the horses looked shiny and the costumes very traditionally British.
We made our way via Leicester square onto the tube to Covent Garden to find a place for lunch. We almost had our foot in the door at Belgo, a Belgian restaurant in the area, but luckily had a change of heart and walked around the corner to find a vegetarian restaurant called "Food for Thought". Anja needed a little convincing because she thought we'd only be served some cubes of tofu, but we both had a great lunch and were very happy with our healthy choice. Animals loves us now :-)
We then started thinking about some real shopping and proceeded to our beloved Oxford Street, starting our walk at the Marble Arch tube station. Of course we had to make an obligatory stop at the Selfridge's Food Hall, the Mark's & Spencers gift shop and Debenham's (where we received a complimentary make up session, and fled the scene without buying anything).
Anja then tried to convince me to buy a necklace for my newly acquired party dress, which I didn't want, and I ended up leaving my credit card at the store because all of us were just chatting about the necklace instead of paying attention to important things such as credit cards...Luckily I found out my card was missing when we were just a few stores further down on Oxford Street, rather than on the Eurostar train stuck in the tunnel.
We also managed to refresh ourselves with some free perfume and a nice free sample of Molton Brown hand cream before heading back to Waterloo station to go back home tired, but sad to leave London. We're thinking of making this a yearly girls out, so the British Pound better starts a sharp decline...

Going Europe

2006-11-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

So the Traveling Belgian finally goes back to Europe...The itinerary goes to Belgium, London, Copenhagen, and the Netherlands.

Of course the weather forecast from arrival time to the end of the week is high 40's and lots of complimentary rain.

This week I was in NY to meet up with Olju, another American Studies alumn, who was visiting NY for the first time. We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Yes, it's a tourist trap, but the burgers are still good. It was great to be in the hustle and bustle of Times Square again. Now, I have to prepare for European style dining without free refills and paying for water...BUT no 20% tipping.

--Ann

Fantastic Fall

2006-10-08T18:21:00.000-04:00

I haven't written much lately, just because I haven't had the time and not really anything to report on. Last weekend was kind of multi-cultural: a Belgian birthday party where we had deliciously prepared foods (including real New Orleans Jumbalaya) and the next day I had a Mexican dinner with Martha, Freddy, and Ben. They taught me that there are at least 3 Spanish words for the word 'straw'. I can only remember the Mexican version: popete (or something similar), but apparently if you are from Guatemala or from Puerto Rico, you call it something else...How am I supposed to get ready for my trip to Equador when the people I know who are native Spanish-speakers have so many different words for everything? Oh well, it was a very informative dinner anyway.

This weekend is Columbus day weekend, and the weather is absolutely gorgeous. I mean, really nice! You can find some of my fall photos on Flickr. (Blogger is having technical difficulties, so I can't upload photos). Better luck next time...

Traveling Woman

2006-09-17T17:26:00.000-04:00

I have just finished reading "Tales of a Female Nomad" by Rita Golden Gelman. If you are in any way interested in the world and you love to travel, you have to get this book. You can easily finish it on a rainy weekend. But beware: you might want to sell your house, buy a back pack and jump on the next flight out to who knows where...

Here is what's on the back cover of the book:
Tales of a Female Nomad is the story of Rita Golden Gelman, an ordinary woman who is living an extraordinary existense. At the age of 48, on the verge of a divorce, Rita left an elegant life in LA to follow her dream of connecting with people in cultures all over the world. In 1986 she sold her possessions and became a nomad, living in a Zapotec village in Mexico, sleeping with seal lions on the Galapagos Islands, and residing everywhere from thatched huts to regal palaces. She has observed orangutans in the rain forest in Borneo, visited trance healers and dens of black magic, and cooked with women on fires all over the world. Rita's example encourages us all to dust off our dreams and rediscover the joy, the exuberance, and the hidden spirit that so many of us bury when we become adults.

Her website is www.ritagoldengelman.com

US Open 2006

2006-09-04T19:59:00.000-04:00

After 8 years, I finally made it to the US Open 2006. We had tickets for Saturday night at Arthur Ashe, but of course tropical depression Ernesto changed our schedule. It rained from Friday night to Saturday night, it was quite depressing and all matches were canceled. Luckily, we were able to get the tickets exchanged for the Sunday night game at Louis Armstrong stadium, which is not as spectacular as Arthur Ashe, but the seats are much closer to the players. The lines were so long, the place was absolutely packed. I went to stand in line to get a hamburger and when someone finally appeared from the line with food in his hands, he told us it had taken him exactly 58 minutes to get his $9.00 burger. I turned around, went to the bagel place and ordered a dried out bagel with cream cheese for $3.75 : transaction time about 2 minutes. Anyway, it was so cool to finally see the place live. We had to stand in line to get into the stadium because we had to wait for the Mauresmo game to end, which took us longer than the entire Federer-Spadea match, but we had a good time. The NY Saturday night crowd is pretty entertaining. We saw the best player in the world, or the "tennis robot" as I like to call Roger Federer. He is so amazing, it's hard to describe the power if you can't hear and see the ball being launched across the court. Awesome tennis, next year I am aiming for Arthur Ashe stadium and Kim Clijsters on the court. Hopefully Henin-Hardenne will bring home the championship this year.

Peru: Lima, Cuzco, Sacred Valley

2006-08-29T19:01:00.000-04:00

Finally, a little bit about the trip to Peru…

When arriving in Lima, Peru’s capital, the airport advertising posters inform you immediately of two things: cell phone coverage and “soroche” (high-altitude sickness). At the baggage claim you can even rent a cell phone for your trip. Very good idea, but I didn’t check the prices.

We stayed in the Sheraton, where we arrived around 11pm, so we headed straight to the restaurant for our complimentary pisco sour drink and had a light dinner. Then I pushed Brian to the black jack table, where we almost tripled our money. Thus, the hotel's casino paid for our airport transfer which was $20 each way. Great way to start your vacation.

The next morning, we were whisked away through early Monday morning traffic, to our flight with Star Peru to Cuzco. Everything went very smoothly and we ended up spending quite some time in the terminal having breakfast at Dunkin Donuts. I know what you're thinking, but there really was not other choice, other than McDonald’s or any other fast food chain you can think of. I spent a lot of time looking at the knick-knacks they had at the gift store, just to get a feel for the prices and listen to some panflute music.

When we got off the plane in Cuzco, we immediately felt we were at a higher altitude (11,000 ft). It felt as if your ears still hadn’t popped and I was kind of shaky. We were met by plan flute music at the baggage claim area and then picked up by our tour company, Tambo Tours. Cuzco is so very different from Lima. While Lima seemed very grey and industrial (especially the ride to the airport), Cuzo had narrow cobble-stone streets, lots of cozy restaurants and many tourists walking around.

Our first night we stayed at the Novotel, which had a very nice courtyard and colonial rooms. We had our first sip of mate de coca tea, which they give you everywhere you go to alleviate the effects of being at high altitude. Later we found out, it will also leave traces of cocaine in your blood, so don’t go on this trip if you are planning on taking a new job in the pharma industry.

After resting for a while, believe me: just climbing the staircase to our room was exhausting; we went out to explore Cuzco. Within 5 minutes from the hotel we were at the main square, Plaza de Armas, from which you have a nice view of the mountains surrounding the city. It is packed with restaurants and bars and we had lunch at El Meson. The places around the square are very touristy and you will feel more as if you are eating lunch in the US or somewhere in Europe. For some odd reason, there were a lot more European tourists (especially French and Italian) than Americans. It was surprising to me as the trip over from Europe is so much farther than from North America. But then again, many Europeans have more Wanderlust than the average American.

The next morning we left on our privately guided tour through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We drove up winding roads to Pisac, our first stop, to go for a short but exhausting walk to the archeological site. The weather was gorgeous and even though the hike was exhausting, it was great to be out and surrounded by these majestic mountains. The air felt very healthy and we got very good explanations about Inca culture from Santiago, our Tambo Tours guide. Then it was on to the Pisac shopping market, where we managed to get some good deals. It was cheaper there than in Cuzco, so hold on to your soles until you get there. Then we drove to a place where we could see all the llamas, vicunas and alpacas we needed to see on the trip, even fed them grass and took many photos. The short stop ended in the shop where they were selling baby alpaca sweaters, hats, colorful hand-woven tablecloths, etc. Unfortunately, they were a few soles too expensive.

We ate a buffet lunch right outside the town of Ollantaytambo, drank our obligatory cup of mate de coca tea and went to the archeological site, which consisted of many more steps…It is just amazing how the Incas were in touch with nature, or Pacha Mama, Mother Earth. It is so hard to explain what these sites look like, but when you are on top of these structures, you can only be in awe at how they were built.Our hotel was located in the valley, within walking distance of the train station where you can board the train that takes you along the Urubamba river to the most visited tourist destination in Peru: Machu Picchu. I had the best sleep in the Hotel Pakaritampu, which had gorgeous native flower beds and some alpacas running around. But unfortunately I woke up with stomach cramps on the morning we had to catch our Perurail train to Machu Picchu.

More about the rest of our trip in a following post.

--Ann

Ready for Peru

2006-08-06T11:40:00.000-04:00

The Traveling Belgian will be heading to Peru tomorrow. This will be my first trip to South America and I am very excited. The itinerary will take us to Lima, Cuzco, Ollantyatambo, Machu Picchu, Cuzco and back to Lima.

Obviously the highlight of this trip will be a 2-day visit to Machu Picchu. I will try to write from Peru if I can.

Grounds for Sculpture

2006-08-02T20:44:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday we spent an entire afternoon wandering around the sculpture garden in Hamilton, NJ. It was really warm, but luckily there are also some areas that are shady. We saw a sign for the Warming Hut, but we passed on that.
The garden is so nice and relaxing, you should go check it out some time. Go on Saturdays, as it is only 8$ instead of the $12 you pay on Sundays.

We ended up not going to the Balloon Festival because Mapquest sucks and sent us in circles. We just gave up on going there and went to the movies instead (The Devil wears Prada).

As today was a day with record temperatures, I treated myself with an hour at the pool after work. It was nice as the sun was setting and most of the screaming kids were having dinner...
You will have to click on the My Photos link if you want to experience some more visual stimulation.

July Jersey Style

2006-07-28T14:30:00.000-04:00

I’ve been so busy lately that I almost didn’t realize I am heading to South America soon. Travelwise this year has been really great: I experienced a first time visit to Asia (Thailand and Cambodia, with short stops in Birma and Laos), moved from Europe (Holland) back to the US and now I am preparing to go on a whirlwind tour of Peru. I am very much looking forward to this trip, in particular because I’ve always wanted to see the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu, with my own eyes. While temperatures remain high in the US and Europe, Peru will be cool with about 65F. But more about that trip later.

Lately I have been immersing myself in all kinds of culturally diverse events, such as dining in NJ’s only Ethiopian restaurant Makeda, going to see an Indian movie (“Water”) followed by a visit to an all Indian supermarket near my apartment where Sole and I were the only non-Indian people. The fresh vegetable section was so busy and chaotic that it looked like a local market in India. It was great and cheap, so I am definitely going there again once my naan bread supply runs out.

Last weekend we went to the Big Apple for the Belgian National Day, where I failed to win a bicycle owned by Axel Merckx, but I got over it. The event was quite unexciting, but we saw a good Flemish band called Yevgueni. They had some eye pleasing band members accompanied by ear pleasing chansons, which is always a winning combination. I hope they will cross the Atlantic again some day.

Our plans for this weekend are also busy. I haven’t been to Grounds for Sculpture in a long time so we are going to head there on Saturday when there is an African drumming performance. On Sunday, we are planning to go to North America’s biggest hot air balloon festival. Unless thunderstorms roll in and the launching of the balloons gets cancelled. So stay tuned for exciting upcoming reports.

First Visitor Prize Goes To...

2006-07-17T20:30:00.000-04:00

This weekend was quite diverse. On Friday night I took the NJ transit train to the Big Apple for the annual reception at the KBC Bank to celebrate the Flemish national holiday. On a train that holds hundreds of people I ended up sitting next to another Flemish family heading to the same event. I am sure people around us were scratching their heads trying to figure out what that funny language was. Sole, visiting me from Spain, joined us in New Brunswick and walked around NY while I spoke "flurny gurny" as Ken likes to call it. So, the first visitor prize goes to what the Hispanic community here call the mother country.
After the reception, where I enjoyed a few Hoegaerdens, I met up with Sole and we ended up eating a big pot of steaming mussels with white wine and French fries, which emptied our wallets. We enjoyed every minute of it because we were sitting on a terrace in Midtown Manhattan surrounded by NY skyscrapers and the bright lights of Broadway nearby.
Then we walked to Times Square and saw the Naked Cowgirl. First I thought it was the Naked Cowboy, who is already a familiar sight. Then Sole pointed out this one had boobs…and she was right. There the cowgirl was in all her glory. Her male counterpart makes $200,000 a year, so I am sure she can cover her college tuition this year. The other picture is a shot of a Christina Aguilera video over Broadway.
On Saturday we had a late start because we were tired from the night before and then we started cooking for the party on Sunday. We actually cooked for almost 4 hours straight, to the point where we had sore legs and a strange pain in the right arm…Sole taught me how to make tortilla de patatas and croquetas filled with chicken. I made the sauce for the potato salad and an orzo salad with cranberries, asparagus and salmon. Everything looked really good, but after a while we got really sick of smelling salmon and garlic. After a refreshing shower, we headed to our next event: a Latin Dance class of bacchata. Don’t ask me why I even went, because I have never danced to Latin music or taken a dance lesson, but I guess I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. Sole, Martha and Freddy (from Spain, Mexico and Guatemala respectively) were all blessed with Latin dance moves from birth, so I just basically stood there and watched hips swings from left to right. I did learn a little salsa, meringue and bacchata, but most of the time it was as if my legs were going to get tangled so I let the professionals do all the dancing.I was still counting the steps when I closed my eyes and tried to get to sleep, but soon enough exhaustion took over and I sunk into a deep sleep.
Sunday morning we decided to go test out the pool in my development and even though we only spent 1 hour in the sun, it was sizzling hot and I got burned. In the afternoon, our friends showed up for the housewarming party and we finally got to taste our good food. I had even found time in the morning to make chocolate mousse (without the recipe), which turned out a little on the sweet side, but it was still delicious enough to make us all chocaholics. We had some weird entertainment with Geert and Guze doing animal noises (from barn animals to the more exotic elephant), but overall we had quite a normal and relaxing party. Hopefully now everyone can find the way to my place without having to consult a NJ road map first. You’re always welcome…there are plenty of leftovers.

Boisterous Fireworks

2006-07-08T20:14:00.000-04:00

I almost forgot to post my only fireworks photo taken last Tuesday. Our friend Ken had free tickets for a minor league baseball game at the Trenton Thunder on Independence Day. Obviously we couldn't pass up an opportunity to consume some ice cold Yuenglings, Sprite (right, Guze?) and some huge Thunder dogs with sauerkraut. The weather held up and 5 minutes after the Thunder wrapped up the game with a victory, 4th of July fireworks filled the sky at Trenton's Waterfront Park.

Poppies by Andre

2006-07-03T09:21:00.000-04:00

Here are some gorgeous photos of poppies taken by my dad, Andre Smulders.

Groundhogs, dragonflies and turtles

2006-07-02T18:18:00.000-04:00

Today I once again set out along the Delaware & Raritan Canal. This time I left my car at the parking area near Canal Road and Route 518, as I now I have to explore what is around my new home. Within 5 minutes of walking along the trail, I saw my first friend: a groundhog. I had never seen a groundhog on a tree, so I actually thought it was some kind of strange beaver, but I consulted some outdoorsy types who walked along the trail and they stated it was definitely a groundhog. So no bald eagle this time, but my first close encounter with a groundhog...not bad. Then I saw a whole bunch of dragonflies near the water's edge and they were accompanied by some other creatures: 3 little turtles basking in the sunlight. They were very cute. One of them even had a butterfly on its head, which didn't seem to bother him/her. So needless to say I took many photos again and had a good time walking along the D&R. I should really bike it sometime, but as I don't have a bike I would have to go through the hassle of renting one, and my walks are always a spur of the moment kind of thing. Oh well, maybe some day...

Baby News

2006-06-29T09:05:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our former neighbors Dan and Chizuko. They just became the proud parents of Alicia and Brandi. Born in the now second most expensive city in the world Tokyo.
I am so happy for you. Your girls are super cute.

Summer Reading

2006-06-27T14:47:00.000-04:00

I have been fully submerged in Bill Brysons’ travel writing, and highly recommend his books if you are looking for some good chuckles. I have laughed many times out loud with Bryson’s commentaries on other people. His books express what you would like to say but don’t have the guts to say out loud. So here are few books I have read so far and recommend for your summer reading list:

Neither Here Nor There: Bryson and his companion Katz on their travels through Europe. If you are European and want to know what an American’s experience was in your country, this is the book to read (and yes, it includes a section on Belgium).

A Walk in the Woods: Bryson and Katz on an excruciating long walk: the Appalachian Trail. Some interesting characters cross their paths. If you enjoy the outdoors or are a hiker yourself you should definitely read this book.

I’m a Stranger Here Myself: American expat Bryson returns to the US after a decade of European living among the Brits. The most hilarious story is about how to file your American tax returns. This is a must read for every American expat.

Peruvian Pan Flutes and Llamas

2006-06-23T13:18:00.000-04:00

The following article was published in my company's monthly magazine:

With Memorial Day weekend a faded memory, the summer season has really gotten underway. Many of us have already started dreaming about the next vacation getaway. I admit that I have been one of them (but of course not during work hours). Because we all have a wish list of destinations to visit, it is hard to pick one for the next trip, especially if your spouse’s dream vacation consists of hanging out at the pool bar in Cancun with an ice cold Coca-Cola and you want to squeeze in as much culture as you can, preferably with some exotic cocktail to top it all off.

When I mentioned I wanted to see Machu Picchu in Peru, I thought I would get the following question: “How are the beaches around there?” To my surprise, I got: “Yeah, that’s a great idea, I’ve always wanted to see that place.” So Peru it is. That went too easy… Then again, Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, unknown to the world until 1911, is one of the wonders of the world and is always featured in lists of things to see before you die, or mentioned in the top 100 tourist destinations in the world.

The getting there part is not so easy as the ruins of Machu Picchu can only be reached in 2 ways: either by walking along the Inca Trail, which is for the more adventurous travelers (read travelers who are in good shape), or via a three-hour-plus train ride from the former imperial town of Cuzco. Cuzco is perched more than 11,000 feet above sea level, so some of the hotels offer oxygen packages to their guests. The cheaper option to acclimatize to high altitude is to down some mate de coca, a local herbal tea made from coca leaves. I am sure this drink is only legal in South America…This is going to be a great trip.

To get to Cuzco, you need to take a 1-hour domestic flight from the capital city of Lima, so visiting Machu Picchu means lots of traveling. During a one-week visit, you must feel more like one of the cast members of the movie “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”, but I am convinced it will all be worth it. I am looking forward to seeing Peru, the Egypt of South America. I can already hear the Peruvian pan flutes ringing in my ears and being surrounded by a pack of aggravated llamas.

To be continued...

Back to Nature with Genmab, Inc.

2006-06-15T16:03:00.000-04:00

Whenever we have visitors from the Copenhagen office, we like to treat them with some special events. This time, our GenClub event included Agneta, Jane and Cecilia, some canoes, a canal, and some big Rubbermaid coolers filled with traditional outdoor Thai food. Our canoeing event was going to be the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors and forget about the hectic work day. Well, let me tell you, it was far from perfect…
The weather gods were wreaking havoc with our plans. Staring at the canoes and the rainy clouds, then at each other, we finally made the courageous decision to just hop in and paddle and take our chances. “It’s only raining a little”, “Let’s just do it”. Now that’s the Genmab spirit! So we paddled at a leisurely pace, mostly into the overhanging trees or towards our colleagues’ canoes, but even after a lot of zigzagging, we felt good about being outdoors, or as Melany pointed out “This is going back to nature.” I am sure Rousseau didn’t have this type of event in mind, but I did feel as if we were on a little nature adventure.
During a dry spell, we found a place to pull our canoes out of the water and Heather and Steve magically provided us with tablecloths and a variety of Thai finger foods. As we had overlooked to bring plates (they are overrated food serving items anyway), we filled take out container lids with Thai green curry, fishcakes with peanut sauce and chicken satay with rice. While we munched away, we kept looking over our shoulders up at the clouds…the sky was getting an ash grey color and we all felt a sense of urgency to get back into our canoes and get back to our dry cars.
So off we went, not with ease, some people were almost pulled into the water trying to help others into their canoes, but you have to work as a team, right? While we were getting into our canoes, there came the rain. This time, the clouds didn’t hold back. Oh no, the ticking of the rain on my rain coat changed into the sound of small water balloons being smashed onto my head, and we were soon experiencing the real outdoors and there was nothing comfortable about it.
To add insult to injury, some of us (including myself) started to feel sick from the Thai food. Inside my stomach it felt as if there was some Thai kick boxing going on, and this was obviously impeding my paddling abilities. But, what can you do? You are being drenched, you’re stuck in a canoe, it’s getting dark, and the only thing you can do is paddle until your shoulders hurt. No need for a personal trainer anymore, these are pure survival instincts. I almost gave up at some point, grabbing the pack of napkins, and heading for the shrubs, but in the end we all managed to get back in one piece. Some a little greener than others, but we did make it.
I thought this was a worthy team building exercise and a mildly entertaining story for GenMag. However, Agneta, Jane and Cecilia had a different perspective on the event. From the backseat of my car, with hair still dripping and soaked through and through, they plotted their revenge. I will surely take a raincoat when visiting the Copenhagen office...and maybe some thermal underwear to be on the safe side. :-)

Fleet Week in NY

2006-05-30T20:31:00.000-04:00

It was Fleet Week again in New York. The sun was burning, the lines were long, but it was all worth it to go aboard the USS Kearsarge, which is an amphibious assault ship supporting a Marine landing anywhere in the world. We saw lots of uniformed men, which is always a good thing, and many kids crawling on Humvees, tanks, onto soldiers' laps (no comments) for photo ops, etc. What was a little disconcerting to me was the amazed cries I heard from little boys: : Whoowh, Dad.." look, a Bazooka! "So cool, an assault rifle and machine gun, let's look at those." I am sure the NRA was happy. We also got a tour on the SS Anzio, and the tour guide even gave his happy talk from the top of a missile launcher. Sure, it's just a missile launcher, but let's just not push any buttons...
We had a good time, but got really tired after shuffling through the hulls of planet-sized ships, so we downshifted to lowest gear and went along 48th Street back to Times Square. Along the way we found a little garden fully in bloom, and of course I needed to take some photos. When we got to our destination, we acted like real tourists and went to the Hard Rock Cafe for the official drink of summer (at least my summer): a strawberry margharita (Katy had a Coke). I was a little disappointed in my cocktail, as it didn't taste very strawberry like, and it emptied my wallet. But hey, we were enjoying Motley Crue on a video screen and we had a nice view of some sailors sitting at the bar in their uniforms, so what more can you ask for? We headed back to Princeton on the lovely NJ transit train, which was an express, but still crawled like a turtle. Anyway, it was yet another successful visit to the city of cities.

Ingrid's backyard

2006-05-25T18:55:00.000-04:00

These are just some impressions from Ingrid's own "keukenhof" garden here in Princeton, NJ.

In vino veritas

2006-05-22T20:51:00.000-04:00

Here's the wrap up of my weekend: gym, wine tasting, theater, apartment hunting and lots of West Wing episodes.

After my Friday evening gym “workout” I headed for the door and got ready to go to a fund raiser at the Montgomery Center for the Arts. They had organized a wine tasting, accompanied by delicious food from local eateries and a silent auction of donated art works. We were among the younger generation there, as most of the attendees were somewhat more mature, but the main attraction was the wine and the food, so I stayed focused on the important stuff.

I tasted many different Shiraz wines and I have to say I still prefer them over Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, but I won’t bore you with any details. There was one other wine that I liked very much, a Barracas from Argentina. You should check it out some time. Anyhow, I found myself talking about the movie Sideways a lot…I wonder why…

There was one table where you could also sample Canadian beer, so I could not pass up that opportunity. Ryan pointed out that only a Belgian would go to a wine tasting and ask to sample some beer. I guess there is some truth in that. I then rounded off my wine sampling with some heavenly orange flavored chocolate ice cream from The Bent Spoon on Palmer Square in Princeton. It was almost as good as my chocolate mousse with a hint of Grand Marnier in it…so delicious…Anyway, as my legs started to feel a little heavy (which I blamed on the gym work out) and baby Nathalie didn’t fancy any wine or Indian bryani, we headed back home, with a satisfied tummy and palate. I completed the night curled up on the couch watching 4 back to back episodes of the West Wing and there are many more on my DVD...love it.

On Saturday I spent most of my time apartment hunting, which was quite a frustrating experience, which I will share with you at another time. In the late afternoon I managed to lose some calories at the gym, then gained them by eating a Luna bar (Nuts over Chocolate, my favorite) and then got ready for a night at McCarter Theater. Ken’s friend got sick, so he had a ticket left over for a show called Ridiculous Fraud.
The play is kind of a bittersweet comedy set in New Orleans on the eve of a wedding. As you might want to see the play one day, I won’t reveal the plot, but you can find more info about it on the web. I think the play was well written and not overly comical, well acted with nice decors, which added very well to the characters’ idiosyncrasies. Not my most favorite play, but if you have a chance and some leftover change, it’s worth seeing. Princeton’s McCarter Theater has many interesting shows and I would like to go there more, but I guess it’s an expensive hobby to maintain...

Next weekend is Memorial Day weekend, and yes, I have yet another wine tasting experience lined up on Saturday in Waterloo Village (coincidence...I think not...)

Gymania

2006-05-21T22:00:00.000-04:00

As I have now rejoined those who receive paychecks every month, I haven't had much time to write about my return to NJ. I guess my blog posts will be mostly weekend updates from now on. Here is a little titbit about my American gym experience. As my company pays for a New York Sports Club membership and there is a club at 2 minutes from where I work, I decided to join as soon as possible. This is mainly due to the fact that my company also provides us with a free catered lunch every day and stockpiles of free snacks and sodas for all the employees. Someone told me she gained 15 pounds when she started working there...I didn't need to hear more.
Anyway, so you know how it goes...you get overly enthusiastic about the perk of having a gym membership and go 3 days in a row...this is exactly what I did. I wonder if I will be able to keep it up...Tomorrow is my complimentary session with a personal trainer, which I kind of dread as he will be measuring my body fat (by pinching me with some device) and other things I'd rather not know any details about. I feel like such a fitness newbee and it shows: I didn't bring headphones to the gym to hook up to the flat screen TVs and forgot that you are supposed to read celebrity gossip in women's magazines while walking on the treadmill. I guess I will grow into it and join the club of healthy men and women who are actually looking forward to those days on the beach (aah, the dreams I have)...

Multicultural weekend

2006-05-15T21:33:00.000-04:00

On Friday night Ken invited Guze, Allie, baby Sophia and myself to see America’s most favorite past time: baseball. We assembled in front of Waterfront Park to see the Trenton Thunder play some ball. We enjoyed lots of junk food, washed it down with big sodas and tried to figure out what was actually going on on the field. There was plenty of corporate sponsored entertainment and especially the kids enjoyed themselves. They even knew a little dance to the song Cottoneye Joe…Baseball is not my favorite sport to watch but it is just a social event where you eat bad food and catch up with friends. I had a good time and baby Sophia was entertained for hours by munching on Thunder dogs, watching the silly team mascot or a cute dog running on the field trying to catch some frisbees for a good cause. After the game we ended up going for a beer in downtown Princeton where the old Annex restaurant used to be. It has now been redesigned into a fancy Italian lounge and restaurant called Sotto. They had live music, but oh boy…everyone there had grey hair. As we don't qualify for AARP cards yet, we left after one beer and called it a night.
Saturday morning I left early for a get together with fellow Flemish people who live in and around NY or NJ. We went to Rochelle Park in Northern NJ where about 35 of us went on a scavenger hunt along the winding roads of the park. The weather turned out to be really beautiful and we all enjoyed it very much. Some of the questions on our questionnaire related to recent Belgian events and some of the expats who have been away from La Belgique for a long time had no clue..and who really cares how many ministers there are in the Flemish parliament?? Someone suggested: too many. We all added another English word to our vocab because we had to write down what you call a duck with a green head: it's called a mallard. I ended up being second and walked away with a very nice prize: 5 bottles of Belgian beer. Woohoo!! We ended the day at someone’s house and ate expensive sushi and watched the Belgian news on satellite TV. I got back to Lambertville at 11:30pm, exhausted but happy about the nice day out. On Sunday I rounded up my multicultural weekend with a tasty Chinese dinner from Hunan restaurant in Princeton.

D & R Canal

2006-05-07T16:21:00.000-04:00

To end my weekend on an active note, I took a 3-hour nature walk along the D& R Canal. I parked at the entrance of Alexander Road and started my walk. Canoes were renting like hot cakes and there were plenty of people out exercising or just taking a leisurely walk along the canal. The D& R canal was dug by hand mostly by Irish immigrants and completed in 1834. It connected the Delaware and Raritan rivers, on which boats transported coal from Pennsylvania to New York. It used to be one of America’s most important canals in the decade following the Civil War. Nowadays it’s the place to be on a sunny weekend to relax and take in some fresh air. It is also a great place to do some bird watching and I actually saw a huge bald eagle fly right above me, it was so cool. On the bridge there were people fishing and one of them was using some good bait because he had caught about 5 fish. He showed me a catfish and some bass, freshly caught and not happy about being in a bucket ready to be transported to the kitchen. I also ran into some nice folks who sat on a bench while looking over the lake. As I had talked to them about the bald eagle, they motioned me over to the bench. Turned out they were the people who had donated the bench they were sitting on. Now it can be used by anyone who needs a break from walking or jogging. Very nice people, I will surely keep them in mind next time I sit on their bench and take in the beautiful view over the lake. I really enjoyed my walk. Now I don’t have to feel so bad about eating pizza for dinner…

Washington Crossing State Park

2006-05-07T10:26:00.000-04:00

This weekend Washington Crossing State Park held a NJ history fair. The weather was beautiful, the event for free, so off I went. I had never been to this park even though I had driven by it many times on my way to Lambertville . Time to explore new as well as old NJ history. The site has historic value because this is the place where General George Washington crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania into New Jersey to launch a surprise attack on the Hessians at Trenton in the American Revolutionary War. It was Christmas night 1776 and the attack resulted in a major victory for Washington's army. During the event we saw many people dressed in colonial costumes, who were sometimes falling out of character when they took out their cell phones or downed a Pepsi (hey, it's the choice of a new generation). We saw an artillery show, standard bikes, a ball game in old-fashioned baseball attire, colonial musical instruments, we played colonial games, and ate not so colonial hamburgers and seasoned fries. In the Fake Artifact field, Carolyn found a British musket ball with the help of a metal detector. We learned that the British musket balls were bigger in size than the Americans and they were made out of lead. Overall, it wa a nice day, especially because the weather was so nice. If you want to read more about Washington Crossing State Park, you can visit this website.

Photos Communiversity - Shadfest

2006-05-02T15:20:00.000-04:00

Here are a few photos of this weekend's events. On Friday afternoon I also managed to get a seat at Princeton University for a speech by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She was a very witty speaker and since she no longer serves as Madame Secretary, she could now give answers to questions the audience had. I think you will be able to download her speech from the Woodrow Wilson School's website at www.wws.princeton.edu.

Communiversity - Shadfest 2006

2006-04-28T10:37:00.000-04:00

This coming weekend is a busy one. The towns of Princeton and Lambertville are organizing fun local events at the same weekend. Not smart, but it’s kind of tradition by now. Communiversity is hitting the streets of downtown Princeton and Shadfest will make Lambertville a place without parking spots for the rest of the weekend.

Fortunately, Communiversity ends at 5pm on Saturday, which gives me the rest of the weekend to check out the shad in Lambertville. So what are these events? Communiversity is a street festival organized by the students of Princeton University and the Arts Council. There is live entertainment, children’s activities, a wide selection of finger licking foods, arts and crafts, raffles…you get the picture. Kind of like the “braderie” in Belgium. It attracts about 10,000 people to the downtown area every spring.

Shadfest is very similar but on a larger scale and this year it’s their 25^th anniversary. For those of you unfamiliar with shad, it’s a type of fish that returns every spring to the Delaware river. To celebrate the coming of spring and the return of the shad, the town organizes this festival, where you can taste some interesting shad dishes and a whole lot more. From fried oreos to funnel cake, from crab cakes to pork roll sandwiches. I will try to upload some photos of both events later this weekend.

Princeton University

2006-04-25T15:06:00.000-04:00

Princeton University's campus attracks many visitors during sunny spring days. Today was not an exception. There were many people out with strollers, students sipping iced coffee while typing away on laptops or reading underneath the lush trees. It has always been one of my favorite places to go for walk to be away from the busy traffic on Nassau Street. The university is one of the Ivy League colleges in the US and was founded in 1746 by Presbyterians as the College of New Jersey (it was later renamed). Its library has more than 11 million holdings, making it one of the largest libraries in the world. One thing I learned today was that Nassau Hall was once the host of the Continental Congress which met in the summer of 1783, which made Princeton the capital of the US for about 4 months. Presidents James Madison and Woodrow Wilson were Princeton graduates and the latter also served as the University' s President. You can see scenes from campus in movies such as A Beautiful Mind and the opening scenes of Scent of a Woman. Princeton is a about 1 hour away from New York City and Philadelphia, so it is a nice day trip if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. There are walking tours you can take guided by Princeton students who can tell you all about campus life and the university's history. For more information you can check out the university's website at www.princeton.edu

Nature at Princeton Shopping Center

2006-04-23T18:31:00.000-04:00

After an entire Saturday of pouring rain, it finally cleared up around 2pm today. I was so happy that it had stopped raining that I jumped into my newly acquired Huyandai and drove to do some shopping. Needless to say I took my digital camera along. You never know...About 1,5 hours later I returned without any groceries, books, scissors that I really needed, but with about 100 photos on my camera. Apparently I am addicted to tulips and other assorted floralia..

Photos - Princeton

2006-04-21T21:18:00.000-04:00

So I am the proud owner of a new digital camera, a Canon Powershot A620, 7.1 megapixels. I immediately took a walk along the Delaware and Raritan Canal in Princeton and shot some test photos. Here are a few:

And these are some photos taken at the back of our friend Ken's house:

It's a good thing...

2006-04-19T09:28:00.000-04:00

Here are a few things that I like about being back in the USA:

Hearing the sound of a woodpecker pour through the open bathroom window

Seeing people out on a jog with their white Ipod earphones and bright orange Princeton University T-shirts

Going to the supermarket and being able to choose whether you prefer paper or plastic bags

Sitting in a plush couch at Barnes & Noble’s booksellers for hours with some books on your lap accompanied with some hazelnut flavored coffee in a styrofoam cup

Being able to get free refills of soft drinks and coffee without having to ask for it

Not having to dig into your child’s college savings when you take clothes to the dry cleaners

Cruising along picturesque and winding roads without road raged drivers
That’s it for now. I will have to buy a new digital camera so I can start uploading some photos…otherwise you will probably find this all pretty boring…;-)

Princeton Arrival

2006-04-15T15:37:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know I have safely arrived in Princeton, NJ. The weather is very nice today, about 22 C and the flowers are in bloom. The first lunch food I had was hot Buffalo wings and a giant Coke with loads of ice cubs. Tonight my favorite is on the menu: lamb vindaloo with brown rice and naan bread at Palace of Asia in Lawrenceville. I missed all the ethnic foods a lot while living in Dordrecht, so I can't wait to go out tonight...I heard eating is a good way of fighting jetlag ;-)

Dordrecht - The Netherlands

2006-04-14T07:07:00.000-04:00

I realized that I almost left the town of Dordrecht in the province of South-Holland without writing a small post about it. From August 2004 until today this has been my home away from home. The best memory I will have of Dordrecht will be watching the boats cut through the water with mostly grey clouds as a backdrop right from our living room. In New Jersey I will have to get used to seeing cars go by, or if I get lucky some deer. I can recommend a day-trip to Dordrecht from Belgium. It's easily accessible by train because it is a stop on the international train line from Brussels to Amsterdam. Don't go there on a regular Sunday, but go during one of their yearly events. On July 2, 2006 they have the biggest outdoor book market of the Netherlands and they also have a nice culinary festival some time in the summer. You can check out Dordrecht events on www.dordrecht-events.nl. The best places to eat in the old city center are De Dulle Griet, De Reiziger, and the fanciest fishplace in town: De Stroper. You can also get some very nice jenever from Rutte & Zn. on the Vriesestraat 130. They have been in business at that location since 1872. You can visit the distillery and they also organize workshops. Once you are liquored up you can drag yourself through the small but interesting Dordrecht Museum which houses a collection of Dutch paintings from the 17th century to the present. All museums in town are open for free on every first Sunday of the month. If you like nature, you can visit the nearby national park Biesbosch. Plenty of stuff for a one-day visit...

Tulip Mania - Holland

2006-04-09T12:57:00.000-04:00

Before heading to the US, I visited the Keukenhof in Lisse, the Netherlands. This beautifully landscaped park exhibits the most beautiful flowers of the Netherlands and is one of the most visited tourist attractions. I heard mostly German, Japanese and American tourists, all trying to get the best photos when the sun broke out from behind the clouds. My dad and I went a little overboard (we each took 122 photos in about 3 hours time), but here are some of the results:

The park is still open until May 19th and costs 12,50€ for adults, car parking is 5€. Go check it out for yourselves. It's a great place to buy bulbs, shoot photos or just relax with a cup of coffee and some steaming hot 'poffertjes'. These daffodil fields were on the way to the park.

Hotel Reviews - Thailand/Cambodia

2006-04-08T01:17:00.000-04:00

Here are some reviews on the hotels/resorts I stayed in while touring Thailand and Cambodia. They are based on my tour group's experiences:

Bangkok Center Hotel
358 Rama IV Road
Bangkok
Conveniently located near a subway stop and the train station, but the rooms were mediocre and my single-room was in need of renovation. In the bathroom, there was water leaking from the ceiling onto the lamp hanging over the wash basin, which had loose faucets. The buffet-style food was good, they had a fairly nice pool and internet service was available. There are plenty of hotels in Bangkok, I would pick another one next time. As this was arranged by the tour company, I didn't have a choice. http://www.bangkokcentrehotel.com/

Holiday Garden
Kaew 16 Huay Road A. Muang
Chiang Mai
This hotel had a nice inner courtyard with lush vegetation and a clean swimming pool. The rooms were large and very clean, everything was spotless. The laundry service did a good job and they have Internet available, but no USB ports. The hotel's location is very convenient off the main business street, so around the corner you can find a 7/11 store, a bank, a small night bazaar and some bars and restaurants. With the open taxi or tuk-tuk you can get to the Chiang Mai night bazaar in 15-20 minutes. The food they served tasted better than in Bangkok and their breakfast had a big selection. I would definately stay here again when visiting Chiang Mai.

Golden Pine Resort
291m. 4 Tambol Nanglae Amphur Muang
Chiang Rai
This was by far the most luxurious resort of our entire 22-day tour. You have your own little bungalow with wooden floors and fantastic bathroom with a huge tub and shower. The back porch of my room was surrounded by banana trees and the flowers and vegetation on the property are lovely. The buffet had the best selection with a nice mix of Western and Thai foods. I actually dared to eat salads there and they were delicious. There is a huge pool with bar and whirlpool and the rooms were spotlessly clean. They have several computers with Internet and if you needed some other PC stuff, the staff provided it. The only drawback is that this resort is 15 km away from the town, so you need to use a shuttle service to get to the center. But there is really no need to leave this place of tranquility and great service. If you are looking for nice surroundings and luxury, this is the place to be.

Lampang River Lodge
330 Moo 11, Choempoo
Lampang
This resort is in the middle of the jungle with beautiful nature and flowers, but it is very basic. The bungalows did not have a fridge or television and the A/C was not working very well in the units which were on the sunny side in the afternoon. It just got too hot to be comfortable there. The rooms and bathrooms were clean, but small. Dining is all open air and there were many cats wandering around, one of them actually jumped up on someone's seat during dinner. Not good at all in my opinion, unless you are a cat lover... There was no internet, very limited transportation into the center of Lampang and the swimming pool was surrounded by 6 sunbeds. The grounds were wonderful and so was the facial and foot massage, but the place could be improved to provide a little more comfort. http://www.lampangriverlodge.com/

Hotel Ayotthaya
12 MOO 4 Tessabaran Sai 2 Road
Ayutthaya
I didn't like this hotel at all because it was the only one on our trip that had a filthy bathroom (there was mold and mildew in between the tiles and the showerhead had never been cleaned), the phone and TV were not working, the breakfast room was not ready when it was supposed to. The hotel does have Internet (10 bath coin for 15 min.) and a pool, but everything looked old and torn. I don't even know if there is a big hotel selection in Ayutthaya, but I would pick another hotel to stay in next time.

Teo Hotel
3rd Street
Battambang, Cambodia
This is a biggest and nicest hotel in Battambang and even though it felt like an old dormitory building and was very basic, the room and bathroom were spotlessly clean. The beds were a little hard, but the TV was working and the food we were served was very good. I had the best soup of the entire trip there and in the morning I even had hashbrowns with French baguette for breakfast. The decorations and lighting won't bring you in a romantic mood, but this is a good place to stop for a few nights in Battambang. I wouldn't stay there for 1 week.

Passaggio Boutique Hotel
Salakomreurk, 93116
Siem Reap, Cambodia
This hotel had very clean and nicely furnished rooms, with working A/C and TV, and clean shower. The towels could be replaced but other than that, the room was nice and the bed comfortable. The hotel did good laundry service and has Internet for $3.75 per hour. It also offers massage services, but they are not done on the premises. They were just as cheap as the massages you can get in town, so no hotel surcharges. The food there was good, but the buffet took a long time to be refilled. Meals and drinks are served on the roof-top terrace and the hotel also has its own travel agency Lolei Travel, which is convenient if you want to book some tours in the region, Phom Phen or even in Vietnam or Laos. When you walk across the little bridge, you are near the local bazaar and cafes and restaurants in 5 minutes. I would stay here again in the future. http://asiatours.net/cambodia/hotels/passaggio.html

Wangprapa Resort
70/5 Wangpratong Rad
Aranyaprathet
Even though the resort had an Olympic size swimming pool and nice surroundings in the middle of nature, it was old and in need of restoration. The food was not very good, the rooms were okay, but the bathroom was also not very clean. There was no Internet and the phone in my room was not working. Together with the Hotel Ayotthaya these were the worst places that we stayed in. I would take them off my list if I was a tour operator.

Hua Hin Grand Hotel
222/2 Petchkasem Road
Hua Hin
This was a nice and comfortable hotel with a clean swimming pool but not located at the beach. It is conveniently located in the center of town, so it is easy to walk everywhere. It is withing walking distance from the beach but the hotel also had a free shuttle bus to take people to the beach (which was behind the luxury Sofitel resort), but don't be rushed because it runs late. The hotel beds were hard, but the rooms were big, spotlessly clean and there is Internet and working TV. The breakfast selection was elaborate and tasty. This was a nice hotel to stay in at Hua Hin, and reasonably priced. http://www.huahingrand.co.th/

I hope these reviews were helpful. I am sure you can find some more information on all these hotels on the Internet, but at least you can get an idea of what they are like. Go check it out for yourselves.

Hua Hin - Last days

2006-04-06T08:03:00.000-04:00

After we came back from Cambodia, we stayed overnight in the town of Aranyaphratet, in eastern Thailand. Our resort looked nice, but the rooms were very old and not very clean. Oh well, I had some gekkos in my room so at least I had some friends. ;-)
The next morning we drove from 8am till 1pm to Bangkok, where we had a Chinese-style lunch in the world's largest restaurant. It has seating for 5,000 people and more than 1,200 employees. The food was good, especially the shrimp salad, but we could not get any alcohol because it was election day in Thailand...so no Mai Tais or Singha Beers for us. After lunch we went on our way to Hua Hin, the beach town south of Bangkok, where we could finally rest a few days from all the traveling before heading back to Amsterdam on a 2:45am flight. We stayed at the Hua Hin Grand Hotel, which was centrally located in the town and was very nice and comfortable. On the entire trip I hadn't seen as many tourists as in Hua Hin. The town has a lot of international restaurants, even a Swedish bakery. For some reason the town attracts a lot of Scandinavian tourists. We had a lovely Italian meal (Lo Stivale) and some good oldfashioned burgers and fries at Buffalo Bills (under Australian management). Both restaurants were listed in my Lonely Planet guidebook. We only had 3 non-Thai meals the entire 22 days, so my tastebuds must have been confused. We finished with a real American treat: Swensen's ice cream (Chocolate Peanut Butter)...it was so yummy.
The last few days we basically went to the beach, showered, went to the pool, showered again, went out for some local shopping, dinner and drinks, and showered one last time before heading to bed. It was a nice relaxing end to the three-week trip and I was both happy and sad to head back to Europe where the temperatures are very low and the prices high... Now I am preparing for my trip to the USA on April 15th.

Wangprapa Resort

Hua Hin Beach - near Sofitel Resort

Cambodia - Photos

2006-04-05T15:00:00.000-04:00

I had written a nice blog entry about the Angor Temples with some photos on my last day at the beach town of Hua Hin, when suddenly the internet connection was lost, and so was all my work. Instead of rewriting my blog entry, I will post a few nice photos of Cambodia with a short discription:

Along the way from Siem Reap to Poipet, the border crossing with Thailand.

One of the many mysterious stone faces at Bayon Temple

Nice Cambodian girl who spoke English very well

Young Buddhist monks climbing staircase at Angor Wat

Jungle tree growing through the temple construction at Ta Phrom temple

The local farmers' market at Battambang

I have to say that my four-day visit to Cambodia has really given me something to think about. The people's optimism is so heartwarming and I could only think that in the West we have everything and we only complain. These people always smile, look to the future and are hardworking. I am convinced that Cambodia will be welcoming many more tourists in the coming years. Last year there was already a 35% increase in the number of tourists and many more hotels and services are being added. Siem Reap has a lively restaurant/bar area, which has local feel with an international atmosphere. I went to have a beer (Angor beer) at The Red Piano, which is a popular cafe/restaurant/guesthouse under Belgian management. If you want to have a Duvel while in Cambodia, this is the place to go. Siem Reap really impressed me and I am definately going back there to see more of the temples and more of the country. Just don't know when, but I am sure it will happen. Maybe when road conditions are better...

Cambodia - continued

2006-04-02T07:53:00.000-04:00

After we crossed the border into the Kingdom of Cambodia, we took our seats in the bus that took us to Battambang where we spent one night at the Teo Hotel. Our local guide, a nice guy with a positive attitude, told us on the very bad dirt road that took us into Battambang that there are 4 kinds of roads in Cambodia: dusty, bumpy, muddy and slippery. We were on the very bumpy category. After a few bathroom breaks, we finally arrived at our hotel, which was very basic, but spotless and we enjoyed a very nice fish soup that was a local specialty. The next morning we visited the local Battambang market, where we got an inside look at what kinds of vegetables, fruits and meats the local farmers have to offer. Everything was displayed on the floor, but the vegetables were obviously put down with great care and the market's smells and colors were wonderful. The local people looked at us with some amazement as they don't often see foreigners on the market, but they were all very nice and smiled happily into our digital cameras. There was even one young girls who spoke English very well and she explained us all about salted eggs. Visiting a local market is always the best opportunity to taste a country's couleur locale. There are many opportunities to do this in both Thailand and Cambodia.
Afterwards we went on our way to find a better road that took us into Siem Reap, the town from which all the Angor Temple visits start. The difference with the border town of Poipet could not be more striking. The road leading into the center was lined on both sides with huge luxury hotels, proof of the booming tourism industry in this part of the country. We found the hotel Passagio located across a little bridge within walking distance of the local bazaar. I immediately set out to get a traditional Cambodian massage of 2 hours, which was quite an experience. I'm sure it looked more like torture at times, but when I walked out my muscle aches were gone and I could get ready for our visit to the temples at Angor. The only bad experience that I had was that the frogs came out during the rain showers and I had to run back to safety to escape from them. I provided some great entertainment for the locals, who were all laughing at my silly screaming and jumping. Hey, what can I say, some people hate spiders: I hate frogs!
The next morning I woke up before my alarm (I had had a nightmare about frogs), because I was very anxious to get on the bus that would take us into Angor. After we had paid our entrance ticket for 1 day (20 USD), we arrived in front of the gates of Angor Thom. We flooded off the bus, and started snapping photos. These temple complexes are truly amazing and I can easily say that this day was the highlight of my entire 3 weeks traveling. I only wished we could have spent more time there. I will be writing more about the Angor temples, but I will leave that for another blog entry. Right now, I am enjoying a few last days at the beach town of Hua Hin, south of Bangkok, so I am off to some well deserved beach time after having traveled for about 3000 kms overland.

Cambodia

2006-03-31T07:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we finally arrived in Siem Reap, after a short one-night stay at Battambang. Getting over the border of Cambodia went fairly fast, but it was so hot and muggy that it seemed like we spent a whole afternoon there. With some extra money for the local official, it went faster than usual to get 21 visas issued for our group. Then the best experience came: we saw the other side of the border with Thailand, the Cambodian side. The difference is very striking. You can see immediately that this country is still developing, the road to Battambang was so bumpy we had to drive at 10 miles an hour and we still hit some pretty bad ditches, which made me fly out of my seat. I am not kidding, you can only know what it's like if you have been here. I suddenly felt as if I was traveling through Africa somewhere, with a dirt road and people traveling on all kinds of transportation. We saw waterbuffalo and cows crossing the road. All very normal here. It's really a different world here, but the people are so optimistic and are smiling all the time. It really gives you a good feeling that they are looking at the future and not to the past, which was ravaged by horrible war. Tomorrow we will be back in Thailand and I will try to write more about our visit to Cambodia and try to upload some photos. PS: They have frogs here that come out when it rains!! I've had nightmares already!