Travel Stories with Me

Snowboarding in Tahoe

2008-01-28T17:18:00.000-08:00

Day 1 - Kirkwood Mountain, prepare to meet your maker!

Here are my notes for Day 1:

- Kirkwood is cheaper than Heavenly and far less crowded. However, Heavenly is higher and has a much prettier view. More on that in the next entry.

- If you want to rent cheap, rent from Powderhouse. They have 3 stores around the area. Reserve 48 hours in advance and you get 20% off. I got a freestyle board - Soloman Prospect - with boots and bindings and it only cost me $64 for two days! Skis are just as cheap at only $45.

- Freestyle boards are really fun because they're light and you end up being able to do a lot more tricks and quick turns easier.

- If you're going to go crazy and do tricks, be sure to wear a helmet. I didn't and hit my head pretty hard and had a headache for the next day.

Review of the first day
- Alice and I went all over the mountain and conquered the blue trails across Kirkwood

- The trails are pretty nice. Some of them are a little crazy and steep. But for the most part the blues were very manageable. This is only my 3rd time snowboarding, by the way.

- The view of Lake Tahoe is beautiful! It was a sunny day, with the sun glistening along the deepest blue [lake water] you'll ever see. Snow capped off the mountains sitting around the lake. The skies were clear with a touch of coulds the way Bob Ross would want it to look...Happy.

- Happy it was. With the crisp air and soft powder hitting my face and trailing behind my snowboard marks, I felt a sense of calm each time looked over to my companion, Alice, who was racing down the slopes with me, weaving between fellow skiers and snowboarders. The best was when we decided to take a break and jump into the puffy powder...sinking in about 1 foot.

- Around mid-day, we were at the bottom of the mountain and to our surprise there was a marching band playing! Trombones, Tubas, drums, symbols, everything. All of the players were decked out in the casual snow gear. It looked like an old navy commercial, actually. A really fly one! But what's nice about Kirkwood, is that at the Main Village area, they have live music playing throughout the day. After the marching band, they had a cover rock band. It was a really great way to be greeted each time we make our way to the bottom of the mountain.

- No better way to end a full day of snowboarding than to chill out in a steaming hot tub with 5 of your friends and a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon Light!

Drive to Tahoe

2008-01-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

Apparently the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, is California Traffic Day. Everywhere we drove between San Francisco to Sacramento, there was a traffic jam.

Hour 1 was ok, because everyone was still awake.

It was at around hour 3 when everyone fell asleep (even my passenger side navigator, Anthony!) and I was stuck in traffic that I started to go a little stir crazy. keep in mind, I only had about 4 hours of sleep on a plane the night before. Thank goodness for hunger pains, and Denny's!!!

The last time we took a road trip to Maine (Anthony, Melissa, and I), we were craving Denny's like crazy, but ended up settling for iHOP.

We're at Denny's in Vacaville, CA - home of outlet shopping, fast food places, and Denny's! I ordered the meat lover's skillet (that's pronounced skill-ay...not really). To my surprise, Denny's has done away with the skillet and has just called it the Meat Lover's Breakfast (2 eggs over easy, 2 sausages, 2 slices of bacon, 2 pancakes, hash browns, and ham. Doesn't have that same ring to it. But ok. Anthony threw a curveball at me when he ordered a strawberry sprite.

Denny's serves strawberry sprites! That's Sprite with REAL STRAWBERRIES! And the best part is that you get free refills. There's nothing more delicious than a plate full of Denny's cholesterol and a glass of sprite mixed in with frozen strawberries. Always order your eggs with a raw yoke. Otherwise, the scrambled eggs are made from powder. YUCK! but for $12 how can you go wrong with Denny's. I even saw a few couples on dates there. Interesting choice.

Now with a full stomach, 3 hours of driving behind me, and 4 hours of sleep under my belt. I was ready to head into a food coma. "Kenny, you're driving!" I wasn't looking forward to more traffic either.

I passed out in the car and woke up at our cabin in Lake Tahoe! Apparently there was no more traffic after I relinquished the keys. Awesome.

Anthony, Kenny, Alice, and I pound a Pabst Blue Ribbon and head to sleep. Now we are ready for Tahoe. The next day, we conquer this! Kirkwood Mountain, prepare to meet your maker!

Lake Tahoe. View from Kirkwood Mountain.

Cabins at the Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts (Heavenly, Kirkwood) can run you upwards of $1100+ for a whole weekend. If you drive about 30 - 45 minutes away, cabin prices decrease substantially to around the $600 range. Our cabin came equipped with 3 full beds, 3 twin sized, a fooze ball table, full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, board games galore, and a hot tub! This was a start to a great weekend.

One last thing, sleeping in the same room with people who snore loudly really blows. Kenny and Anthony kept Cynthia, Alice, and I up till 4am. We woke up at 6am the next morning. Do not get in the way of grumpy people!

Alcatraz and In N' Out in San Francisco

2008-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

Day 1 - In N' Out, Alcatraz, and Tahoe!!!

Anthony and I finally arrive into SFO and go to the car rental place to rent out Standard Sized SUV. We go to the parking lot and pick out our car and lo' and behold quite possibly the most effeminate ghetto cruiser available...Big Powder Blue - our powder blue toyota highlander!

We went hyphy and ghostriding in it on Day 4.

So we meet up the girls, Cynthia and Alice and head straight to our first activity of the day. In N' Out! Anthony and I got a Double Double Animal Style with Fries and a Shake. A Double Double is a double cheese burger with special sauce, onions, and pickles. Awesome!

Full and bloated, we're ready to take on our first challenge - THE ROCK (Alcatraz)!!!

For $20, you take the ferry to Alcatraz from the Wharf. And you get an audio tour of Alcatraz which gives you a brief but in depth history of the prison as well as descriptions of the accommodations within the prison. It also includes recorded testimonies from the inmates themselves. Alcatraz had a library, art class, and some of the best food in the prison system. It was home to some of the craziest criminals in US History - The Birdman, Machine Gun Kelly, Al Capone.

The ferry ride over is smooth, brisk, and gives you a great view of both bridges - Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. If you don't have any desire to see the prison, at least take a ride on the ferry.

We headed back to pick up our friend, Kenny. And off we were with an iPod full of songs, 4 hours of sleep on a plane, and about 4 hours of driving from SF to Tahoe ahead of me!

Pictures from Alcatraz:

San Francisco/Tahoe Airport Story

2008-01-23T13:44:00.000-08:00

Anthony and I stay up all night watching Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and In Living Color because our flight is at 7:30am. We have to leave the house by 5:50am and get to the airport by 6:30am.

As I'm doing some last minute work before I leave, I decide to take a look at my flight reservation to make sure that I didn't miss anything...

It's 5:30am now.

Open up my folded 8.5" x 11" piece of white paper.

Flight #: VA 238
Departs: 7:00am
Arrives: 10:40am
JFK-SF...

WAIT...

Departs: 7:00am

Welcome to the sh-t show! I quickly showered. Woke up everyone in the house.

5:50am out of shower and ready to go. Packed and everything.

Airport is 30 minutes away driving fast with some traffic!

Dad gets into the driver's seat.

Me: Umm...do you want me to drive? I drive faster.
Dad: No...just get in.
Me: ugh...fine.

He crawls out of the driveway and slowly makes his way to the highway, driving at a paltry law abiding speed limit of 55 mph. It's 6:00am. We're barely 5 minutes on the road.

Dad: So...what time is your flight anyway?
Me: Umm...in an hour! Can you drive faster?
Dad: Oh...an hour? ha...No, I don't like driving fast.
Me: WTF??? I told you to let me drive.
Dad: Hey, that's your fault for looking at the wrong time. idiot...

Dad = genius!!!

Luckily there was no traffic. We got there at 6:17am!!! Mad dash to the terminal to check in and everything. We literally just made it.

So we're all checked in and everything. Now I need to use the bathroom. After following the signs around the airport, the signs lead me to a wall...literally, the bathroom sign points to a WALL! WTF?

I ask the guy where the bathroom is. Guy says, "oh...yeah, this sign is wrong. it's all of the way on the other side." JFK airport = Genius!!!

Now I'm on the security line and I meet this girl who's going to Colombia to visit an orphanage. Should have gotten her number...Me = Genius!!!

We finally get on the plane with literally 5 - 10 minutes to spare. And lo' and behold behind me on the airplane is Angel's friend Allison! Talk about coincident!

Anyway, that's my crazy story.

FYI, Virgin America flights are pretty nice. Hours of entertainment including OnDemand Movies and TV Shows, Live TV Channels, Music Channels, even foreign TV like TVB and HK Soap Operas. Awesome. No food and only 1 round of drinks though. So eat and drink before you fly. Or you're going to have to buy it on the plane.

Tahoe or Bust

2008-01-20T00:48:00.000-08:00

We're in Tahoe right now. And the scene couldn't be more beautiful. Yesterday we gave a toast and I ultimately said 8 words, "Good friends. Good times. Great memories. Great trip."

Today we went to Kirkwood. Tomorrow we go to Heavenly.

I totally have to update on our trip to the airport. And in keeping with Brian fashion, it was yes another race to catch our flight. It's always something...

But updates to re-cap:

In n' Out burgers!!!
Alcatraz
Our drive to Tahoe
Denny's - have you ever had a strawberry sprite? DELICIOUS!!!

More later.

Going snowboarding in California...Tahoe!

2008-01-18T01:30:00.001-08:00

I'm going to California with a bunch of my friends for snowboarding at Lake Tahoe. I'm pretty excited about this. Will try to update on a daily basis. If anything check is the Peas and Nuts gang is updating on anything.

I'm sure we'll have some similar pictures. Hopefully the place we're staying at has internet.

I will be posting up the Maine stuff when I get back. 12:15am just posted stuff on his trip to Aruba. Check it out.

Hope everything had a great holiday and new year celebration! Mine was a little ridiculous to say the least. Fun times in NYC.

Shout out to my buddy on Travbuddy, Sylvie, and Lovelylori. Lori, I hope you're having fun in the UK. Hope you're updating your blog! Sylvie, looking forward to telling you about snowboarding.

Christmas

2007-12-25T06:53:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas in 2007!!! Below is the e-card.

This Christmas, I am thankful for Music, Christmas Decorations, Holiday Spirit, Family and Friends, Great Times, and Everyday.

Thank you for being a part of my life and making this all happen.

God Bless,
Brian

“A truly rich life sometimes means nothing more than a series of great relationships, and the experiences that you gain from those relationships.”

Farewell Oregon. Till Next Time

2007-12-24T14:42:00.000-08:00

My 2nd trip to Oregon was definitely something to remember. For the avid traveler, sometimes you want to taste everything at least once. The truth is that there is a lot of world to see; but sometimes seeing things for a 2nd time makes the experience that much richer!

It's like seeing a movie for the 2nd, 3rd, or 8th time! Sometimes you learn something new, or remember something that you forgot. And that's why each time is special.

In this episode, friendships got renewed. Relationships got stronger. New memories were made. The mediocre became great! I lift my drink to the girls of Oregon. Thanks for a great time!

And I leave you with this...The girls dancing.

Coming up next is my trip to Maine with the NYC crew for Lobster Fest.

One more thing of note: From New York to Portland, Continental offers non-stop service between EWR - PDX. They have a red-eye flight that totally saved me a vacation day.

Heading to the Coast - Oregon

2007-12-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

After a fun trifecta weekend, Andrea had to head back up to Eugene to resume real life. So the dynamic duo of Tammy and I recruited a new third - Felicia (pictured left). I remember when I took my cross road country trip 3 years ago, we drove along the west coast in Washington, and I had wondered what the coast line of Oregon was like.

Tammy, Felicia, and I took a 2 hour drive out to the beach. We also brought Felicia's dog Saddy.

The Beach
2 hours later, we made it to the beach. So when you think west coast and beach, you think surfing. right? Here's the deal with the beach in Oregon (over Labor Day Wknd):

Very cloudy and almost gloomy - Since there are mountains that run along the west coast, orographic lift occurs, which causes a lot of clouds and eventually rain; This is the reason why Seattle is always so rainy.

The beach and the water is very cold - The rotating ocean current brings the cold water from Japan to the North American West Coast, and eventually warms again when it rotates down to California.

The beach is very windy and good for kite flying - This is due to the difference in the air temperatures along the water and mainland.

Re-cap:
Talk about good times! Our drive consisted of going up and down a variety of forest filled mountains and lakes. Since Felicia is a environmental law student, she knew a ton of stuff about the environment. Apparently a lot of the trees in the area we were driving were Douglas-Firs (a.k.a. Christmas Trees) and that most of the logging (tree cutting) industry takes place in the Pacific Northwest. BOOM! Instant education. We talked a bunch of global warming, and petroleum issues. That will be for another entry. But good times.

In my next entry, I'm going to close off Oregon with random pictures and a special video of the brat pack from Oregon (Andrea, Felicia, and Tammy). But for now, here are some pics from the day.

Go Ducks, eat a wing.

2007-12-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Me sitting on the edge of a cliff (left). The view from our hiking trip (right)

Andrea (pictured below on the left) came down to Portland from Eugene (about 2 hours away). And so begins the Miami Spring Break Reunion.

The background story: One of the best parts about traveling, are all of the different people that you meet. Just look at Brazil. We met 3 amazing couples, and then some. Spring Break in Miami is certainly no different. Amongst all of the beautiful babies that were ready to party Spring Break style, I met these 2 fools (look at the corn picture below). We danced, we partied; It was a good time. Through the miracles of e-mail and affordable national telephone plans, we kept in touch. Fast forward 4 years, and we come to present day - a little older, a little wiser, a little more partied out (I seriously can't physically party like I used to).

Now with Andrea in the picture, the beginning of my trip is complete - the trifecta is back!

So it's Saturday...which means one thing, COLLEGE FOOTBALL! Tammy and Andrea went to University of Oregon (Ducks), (the team to beat until Dennis Dixon got hurt). I went to University of Wisconsin (Badgers), who was ALSO having a huge year, until...well, they just sucked. Anyway, Oregon...so similar to Wisconsin, Oregon really has nothing to get excited about about or look forward to except for major college football, a bad NBA basketball team, and the comings of what sort of looks like a metropolitan lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, a beautiful place with lots of nature stuff to do, but Portland as a major city? Definitely no London or San Francisco.

However, back to football. Oregon pummeled Houston, Wisconsin spanked Washington, and life was in perfect harmony in Duck and Badger country. But what football day would be complete without chips, dip, sausage, and chicken wings. With that said, what weekend with the girls from O would be complete without us acting like complete fools?!? Videos and pictures are below.

And my trip to Portland in a brief paragraph: It's similar to other mid-major city in the likes of Seattle, Milwaukee, Houston, etc. However, there are differences. One unique thing about Portland is that it lies on the West Coast of the US. And so the weather is never ridiculously extreme. The coastal mountains allow for a decent amount of rain fall, which means LOTS of trees and the divine makings of nature all around. We drove 35 minutes away from the city of Portland and ended up at the hiking spot with waterfalls. There is definitely a nightlife, which made for some good times. They have their lounges meant for the grown and sexy, the dive bar with rock and occasional hip hop music, and even bars for the hipster in all of us. One really nice thing about Portland nightlife is that the venues are not ridiculously crowded to the point that you feel like you're being violated by wandering hands...Oregon has a great selection of local wines and beers available at any given grocery store, bar, or restaurant. Oregon wine is some of the finest in this country.

Now for some pics from our football and bbq extravaganza:

Tomorrow's entry will wrap it up and be about the beach.

Waterfalls in Oregon

2007-12-12T08:59:00.001-08:00

Waterfalls in Oregon, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

I went hiking with Tammy the morning after I arrived to Portland, Oregon. What a beautiful hike! This place was awesome, it had waterfalls all over the place. I had never seen anything like it. Everywhere we walked, I would hear the rumblings of water. It felt a "peaceful serenity" soundtrack or something. It was so nice.

The weather was perfect - at a nice calm breezy 75F degrees. I wish hiking in NY was this divine.

It also helps to that I was hiking with a wonderful girl from Oregon. Good Times. Below are pics of the giant waterfall I showered in.

Oregon or Bust - pt. 2

2007-12-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

Day One (cont...)

4:55pm - Will I make it to the airport in time?

5:10pm - And then my "Oh Sh*t!" moment...(see left picture for example)

I still need to check-in!!!

In circumstances like these, I always have a lifeline. Because it was then that I remembered that you can check-in online. But with no computer or internet access I am seemingly SOL (sh-t out of luck).

Lifelines...I call my hero Kim.

*ring* *ring*
Kim: Hello
Brian: Hey...kim...How's it going? So yeah, glad to hear things are good. blah blah blah (foofy foofy stuff). ok, KIM! I need a big favor.
Kim: What do you want from me now?
Brian: I'm on my way to the airport to go to Oregon and I'm late, as usual, and I didn't check into my flight. Can you do it up for me online? My OnePass number and password are as follows...

Alpha Niner Fred Kappa Charlie Beta Delta Murphy (yaddy yaddah...)

5:25pm - All checked-in, I haul ass to the airplane with my hair flopping around all over the place. Between the heat and me sweating my rear off, my hair product basically melted and streamed down my face. Not my best look.

"Dear G-D,

If I am to sit next to Alessandra Ambrosio on the plane, please give her beer goggles, and bless me with mad game so that I may properly MAK it to her.

Amen"

Hair may be floppy, but at least I made the flight with about 10 minutes to spare. And in 5.5 hours, I get to hang out with these two genii.

No bust...

P.S. Newark is a really good airport to fly out of. I have never had any delays what so ever. And it is much easier to get to from the city than JFK and LaGuardia. Continental has a hub over there. I flew direct from Newark to Portland. It was awesome! So convenient.

Portland, Oregon or Bust!

2007-12-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

Me at a waterfall in Oregon.

My 2nd trip to Portland, Oregon. Honestly, who the heck goes to Oregon of all places? It's like saying that you're going to Idaho...Oh wait, I HAVE been to Idaho.

Actually, Oregon is a really neat place. It has a great mix of nature and metropolitan life, without all of the congestion. I can actually walk through the streets without bumping into anyone. It's a great place to get away from it all. Also helps to have 2 ridiculous friends to visit too! More to come on them later. Let's get this trip started!

Honestly, what trip would be complete without another one of my ridiculous airport stories!

Day One:

Full day of work as usual. My flight is at 6pm at Newark Int'l. My office is at the World Financial Center. I was supposed to leave work at 3pm. But as usual, I'm late...AGAIN!

So I end up leaving work at around 3:30pm (I hope my boss isn't reading this). Haul ass to Penn Station to take NJ Transit to Newark.

4:00pm - Arrive at Penn Station. HUGE LINE for NJ Transit ticket

4:10pm - Still on line. 1st train to Newark leaves.

4:25pm - Still on line!!! 2nd train to Newark leaves.

4:35pm - Lady in front of me pays with CASH!!! CASH!!! She sticks it in, and the machine won't read her money. Spits it out. She tries to flatten it out. Sticks it in. *waiting...waiting...*

...

...

...Spits it back out again. AHH!!! Again, smoothening the creases. Sticks it back in. *waiting...waiting...*

"Processing Ticket!" YES!!! Lady get out of my way.

Not so fast. She didn't use exact change so now I have to wait for all of her freakin' change to fall out.

4:40pm - "Last call for the train to Trenton (Newark is on the way). All aboard!" *SH-T!!!* Select stations, credit card, pay bounce! 1.5 minutes. Running again like Home Alone, except there was bad Penn Station jazz music.

4:44pm - Get on the track. Doors closing. It literally felt like I leaped into the train. Made it! Sweaty and everything. On my way to the airport. flight is at 6pm!!!

4:55pm - OMG. It's 4:55pm! Will I make it on time?

The conclusion to this saga coming up tomorrow!

Does this suspenseful ending officially make me an ass?

By the way...please use credit cards when there is a long line. Don't you ever watch those silly visa commercials?

Oregon is Next

2007-12-06T04:25:00.000-08:00

Stay Tuned...

followed by Maine.

More Pictures

2007-12-03T01:12:00.000-08:00

These are extra pictures that never made it to the individual posts. But definitely worthy of view. enjoy.

Next week, I write up on my trip to Maine for Lobster Fest, and then Oregon to visit some old friends.

Brazilian girls doing a Brazilian electric slide at Sauipe Fest.

Check List for Brazil - Never Leave Home Without It

2007-12-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

As I close out this chapter on Brazil, I made a very short list of must-haves when going on your trip to Brazil. I'm always forgetting stuff that I realize I need when I'm actually on my way to the airport. Camera charger and extra SD cards are definitely on the top 10 of most forgotten things for me.

And sometimes, you just don't realize that you need it. I didn't know until about 4 weeks before my trip that Brazil requires a Tourist Visa when traveling from the US. And it wasn't till I arrived that I found that Visa is the preferred credit card of choice. American Express and Mastercard aren't accepted everywhere.

Nevertheless, have fun and stay safe. Brazil is a great place visit. God speed.

Pensive Man

2007-12-01T11:34:00.001-08:00

Thinking Man, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

This is a great in the moment shot taken by Angel. Notice how the gentleman is sitting there in deep thought. The irony is that he sells melons for a living. Meanwhile, the gentleman on the right, is counting his money perhaps to make a purchase. Beautiful use to light contrast and several levels of depth perception. Beautiful shot!

Hot Dog Stand in Salvador, Brazil

2007-12-01T11:32:00.001-08:00

Hot Dog Stand, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

This is even cheaper than the Recession special at Gray's Papaya!!! But from the looks of it, it doesn't seem too popular.

Graffiti in Salvador, Brazil

2007-12-01T11:00:00.001-08:00

Graffiti in Brazil is so different from that of New York. If you take a closer look at the pictures above (just click on them), you'll see that they're actual pictures of things, characters, etc. It's really beautiful artwork. I think sometimes graffiti in NY gets a bad rap because many times people view it as just destructive without any inherent beauty. But if you look at these examples, you'll see that it's so bright, colorful, bold, and well thought out. This graffiti is everywhere, and doesn't seem like it's professionally done. But instead, just some amateur artists looking to have some creative fun.

Art Work in Salvador, Brazil

2007-11-30T11:51:00.001-08:00

Art Work in Salvador, Brazil, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

Typical of the artwork in Salvador, Brazil - bright, bold, rich colors, and hard shapes and lines. I think I like see these little paintings as one collective piece than 24 individual pieces.

Greetings from Brazil

2007-11-29T00:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Brazil, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

Angel and I were hanging out on the beach, when all of a sudden I realized that I was in a perfect postcard setting. Honestly, it felt kind of freaky to be in one of those pictures that you only see in the picture frames of department stores.

But add a few words, "Greetings from Brazil" and *presto* instant Greeting Postcard. If you want a copy to send as a real postcard, e-mail me.

Note: This was taken on the beach of Costa do Sauipe at noon.

Angel's Silhouette

2007-11-28T00:41:00.001-08:00

Angel at Masseuse, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

Angel was waiting to get her massage, and I caught her in a nice silhouette shot, which contrasted nicely with the bright sunny beach in the background.

Big Poppa with a Giant Can of Skol

2007-11-27T21:15:00.001-08:00

Big Poppa with a Giant Can of Skol, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

I just think it's funny that big poppa (big blue on the right) is chillin' by the giant beer can. I wonder how many cases of Skol he puts away in a given week...

Skol is cheap beer that is still pretty delicious. It's the same price at Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR), but 10x better! I wish all beer could be like that...

Skol is also the official beer of many large events (i.e. Sauipe Fest)

The Finale

2007-11-26T20:06:00.000-08:00

Day 7 - Friday

3:00am - I think I'm going crazy. I keep hearing bass thumping throughout the night while I'm sleeping.

4:00am - *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* It's like there is a constant rave going on outside. Am I dreaming? Where are my glow sticks?

4:30am - *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* It's 4:30am at Costa do Sauipe. I must be dreaming.

4:40am - I wake Angel up to watch the sunset. I still hear faint sounds of bass.
Brian: Angel do you hear that?
Angel: Hear what?
Brian: That thumping bass sound. It was going on throughout the whole night
(stand on the beach in silence)
Angel: (Grumpily) What are you talking about? I don't hear a thing.
Brian: It just went away...
(5 minutes later)
Brian: Are you serious??? You don't hear that?
Angel: Brian...there's nothing there. Shut up, and let me watch the sunrise in peace. I'm going back to sleep.

5:05am: *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* I walk towards the area for Sauipe Fest. The thumps are getting louder. Bigger. Faster. Stronger. I hear cheers. Then it stops.

5:15am: Apparently the concert that we were at earlier in the night JUST ended. I knew Brazilians were crazy with their party, but this is ridiculous. And now the walk of shame begins...

9:30am: I wake up and get my last breakfast on this Brazil trip. I walk into the restaurant and the same people from the walk of shame in the restaurant. I got tired just looking at them. I'm getting old.

Capoiera Class, Massage, and Beach activity. This is how we spent our last day in Brazil. We spent our last day, hanging out on the beach and just relaxed. Watched the sunset. Did some major talking. And took some nice pictures.

Below are: 1) A lady carrying and trying to sell way too much stuff on the beach. 2) Our capoiera teachers (including that freakishly strong dude). 3) Freakishly strong dude transformed into a human bridge. 4) Yeah...He's a monster. 5 - 7) Us and the beach

Fast forward to 3:00am, we're at the airport in Salvador onboard our flight back to NY. Goodbye Costa do Sauipe. Goodbye Salvador. Goodbye Brazil. Thank you for the memories, the new friends, and the laughter.

Dear Diary...JACKPOT!

2007-11-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

Day 6 - Thursday

There were an abnormal amount of people checking into Costa do Sauipe. I saw luggage everywhere. Nevertheless we did our morning thing - capoiera class and surfing class in the morning. One really nice thing about the package that we got is that the horse back riding (Day Two ), visit to Praia de Forte (Day Three ), and green fees are all included! So after class, I went to play golf. What a great experience! There were literally 8 people on the entire course. In NY, the golf courses are always packed with people and it sometimes creates a stressful experience if people want to play through or rush you. What a world of difference this made. Sure I still lost a bunch of balls, but it was definitely more fun than normal. Also, for some reason, Costa do Sauipe has tons of sand. Needless to say, sand traps all over the place.

I actually had to hit it over a water hazard...=D

After golf, I went to the pro shop and bar to grab a drink and meet the older versions of my friends and I. I was in Brazil, so English is rarely spoken by the locals. As I was waiting for my drink, I hear them, to my delight, speaking in English. It was 4 guys - Dutch guy, a French guy, a Canadian guy, and a guy from California. I swear this isn't a set up to a bad joke. But really, it's just 4 older guys who retired, live in Brazil for a few months out of the year for the last 10 - 20 years, and just sit around and play golf with the boys; What a life! Apparently, Brazil is a hot spot for retirement because everything is so cheap - housing, food, golf. Having beautiful brazilian babies that are always ready to party ain't bad either. haha... I head back to the Marriot, walk into the lobby, and a single thought walked into my head...

Dear Diary,

JACKPOT!!!

The lobby was full of hot girls! haha...What was going on? The answer...

As luck would have it we booked our trip at the same time of a giant annual music festival. People from all over Brazil come through and hang out at the resort to attend this 3-day music festival. The first night was asha music, 2nd night reggae, and I don't know the 3rd night. I wanted to come to Brazil this week because I wanted to see how Brasilians celebrate Halloween. I found out that they don't, by the way. But who would have thought...Hot girls and Sauipe Fest! But how lucky are we??? Literally...JACKPOT! We went to dinner and I needed an after dinner snack. So naturally, I bought a bag of cheetohs and a can of Skol (that's Brasilian beer, not chewing tobacco). I learned something new that night, the cheetohs in Brasil taste like FEET! Don't eat them...

No...you're not seeing double. It's just 2 pictures of me being an idiot.

Anyway, after all of that, we went to the concert and saw an Axé (pronounced Asha) band performed. Taken from wikipedia:

Axé music is a popular music genre originated in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil in the late 1970s...

The concert really started at midnight...and ended at 5am!!! We only stayed till 1:45am. Here are some pictures and videos of our night and the concert.

Sauipe Fest - Fat Kid Dancing

I kind of felt bad for him. He was just a sleezy looking fat kid carrying a backpack full of water (beer, vodka, who knows...). Either way it was lame. There was a straw attached to the bag. So it was like a sissy version of a football beer helmet. And for whatever reason, he decided to jiggle and get jiggy with it...good way to end the night!

Pelourinho, Salvador, Brazil

2007-11-19T07:35:00.001-08:00

Pelourinho, Salvador, Brazil, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

It almost looks fake like a painting. What a beautiful little town. Makes me want to sing, "O little town of Bethlehem."

Fallen Cross in Salvador

2007-11-16T06:48:00.001-08:00

Fallen cross in Salvador, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

Something about it really resonates within me. The description near it said that it was a fallen cross, but that it also was a symbol of the fallen body of Christ. And the supporting beam is the patron carrying Him.

Prior to this sculpture, resided a church in its place. As the city of Salvador continued to develop, the church was moved out. However, in recognition of the church's importance, they built a this sculpture in memory of the church.

Isn't it neat how a few blocks can come to mean/symbolize so much in this world?

Making time for your friends

2007-11-14T15:42:00.001-08:00

Black and White Beach - Costa do Sauipe, Brazil, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

Day 5 - Wednesday

After an exhausting day and night of touring, drinking, and dancing, we were definitely ready to kick back on the beach and do some relaxing. We headed down to the beach to take Capoeira classes. Capoeira is a Brazilian dance/martial art. A bunch of bboy moves came from this dance.

After class, we just decided to go off separately and do our own thing. We kind of just needed some time alone, in order to really enjoy the place through our own eyes. But funny enough, we actually ended up doing the same exact thing; We both went out for a jog on the beach, enjoyed the sun, got sunburned, and just sat around doing nothing...all separately.

But here's the best part:

6pm - We met at the room. We look at each other. We looked like lobsters from the sun. Angel turns on the TV. We both lay in bed in front of the TV, and we don't move for the next 6 hours. We laid there, talked, and just watched TV with each other. I'm not sure if it's because we were tired from the sun, or if it's that we really just wanted to do nothing. But honestly...that was one of the best nights of the trip.

I've traveled a lot this year - Spain, Italy, Dominican Republic, US, and now Brazil. But sometimes vacation with friends is a little more than just seeing the world and trying new things together. Sometimes, all it is, is a chance to make time for old friends.

At hour 3 of watching the Tudors, 11pm (at a commercial break, of course), we both turned to each other, smiled, and giggled. We're in Brazil. We've been laying in bed all night. Didn't even eat dinner. And watched TV. And I think it was at that moment that I realized why we became friends in the first place.

Angel and I at Costa do Sauipe, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

Graffiti in Salvador

2007-11-14T07:50:00.000-08:00

Graffiti in Salvador, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. I took this picture out of a moving bus while we were driving through Salvador.

One of my flickr buddies, *tathei*, put it best when he wrote:

great photos are by chances, not by techniques - just my thought...
(´∀｀)♪ ..................(yes...that's a face)

But it's true; I took most of these photos using a point and shoot digital camera. No tricks. I just pointed and shot randomly. See below for more on the city of Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

And be sure to look at the posts with photos of the church and the cross (click on the categories on the right side of the page). They came out pretty nice.

Settled and ready to take on the Real Brazil

2007-11-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

This post is brought to you by

For your Middle Eastern Cuisine needs in Brazil...seriously...wtf?

Day Four - Tuesday

Our legs. Brian on the left. Angel on the right. Together, we walk.

After 3 days of plane transfers, clock adjustments, and confusion we were finally here. Well ok, I know...I know we were already here 2 days ago. But what I mean is that we're finally HERE - in a place where we can finally enjoy our trip without random hiccups. It was now OUR vacation. Every trip, even returning home, has that period of unease, where you need to take a little while to just get into the swing of things. And by Tuesday morning 8am, we were there!

We scheduled a city trip to Salvador - Brazil's 3rd largest city. It's a little under 200 KM to Salvador from Costa do Sauipe. As you can imagine a long bus ride - about 2 hrs. Fortunately, we got to see a small part of the real Bahia outside of the resort and Salvador, albeit from a moving bus window. Here are a few pictures.

Not a wealthy area by any means; We mostly saw 1-story stone homes set upon sloped hills of dry plots of dirt that were incapable of any agriculture - I'm guessing that building on hill slopes helps with air circulation for the homes. The walls had holes that served as windows without any separation from the outdoor elements - bugs, run, dust. None of the homes had any air conditioning. I wonder what the inside of it looked like...

2 hours later, we arrive at our first stop - The lighthouse at the San Antonio Fort of the Bahian Nautical Museum. When the Portuguese took over, they expelled many of the former Dutch rulers at this point.

Dramatic Shot of Angel at the Lighthouse (left). Apparently Brazilians like their share of chicken and rice too; they have 260 Habib's in Brazil (right).

Kaiser beer truck (left) and a really big motorcycle with three wheels (right).

The locals call pay phones ears because they kind of look like them. Angel said the booth smelled like urine. Somethings are the same where ever you go...

We also stopped over at Pelhourino Square and the Market Modello. Pelhourino is one of the more traditional parts of Salvador, while the Market Modello is a flee market where buyers can bargain with sellers that sell things ranging from jewelry, table cloths, to general art work. At the Market Medello, definitely bargain for everything. It's expected and you will definitely be a sucker if you pay full price. It's similar to Lady Street in Mongkok, Hong Kong. And besides, bargaining is part of the fun of any flee market...How low can you go?

But what kind of an outing would be complete without a few funny stories and characters along the way? Angel and I met a German couple, a couple from Spain, and a couple from Argentina. The German couple, Marc (left) and Bianca hailed from Cologne, Germany. Marc must have been one of the funniest guys I met on the trip. Just to give you an idea, he's a large round guy at 5'9'' weighing in at 235lbs, with some professional fighting experience. As menacing as this sounds, he reminds you more of Baby Huey than a stone cold killer. When the street merchants kept harassing him to buy stuff, he would make up stories and say that he was from Moscow, Russia. He would come up to me after in excitement, "Did you know that street merchants are afraid of Russians?" He may be coming to New York next year to visit. I will be looking forward to that.

The other couples, Cristian and Dolors (Dolores), and Omar and Vanessa were great. Here is our dynamic: The Germans and us only spoke English. Dolors spoke English and Spanish. Cristian only spoke Spanish. Omar and Vanessa spoke Spanish and Portuguese. Soooo...when the Tour Guide spoke, it would be in Portuguese. And so the chain of communications would go on as follows: Tour Guide to Omar and Vanessa in Portuguese, to Dolors and Cristian in Spanish, to Marc, Bianca, Angel, and I in broken English. But take 4 duos and 4 different languages, and you get one funny day. Later at night after dinner, we met up at the resorts in Costa do Sauipe and went to a tropical party. Lots of fun. Marc was preparing to get smashed! So earlier in Salvador, Marc purchased some voodoo magic hangover liquid drug in yellow vials. He took one dose of the yellow stuff and followed it up with this

Marc raided the mini-bar and took a little bottle of vodka.

After a few rounds, the conversation started flowing. The Argentinians would tell a funny story in Spanish, and Marc would point to Dolors and yell in German form, "Translation!" But on the flip side, Mac would be telling a funny story in English and the Argentinians would point to Dolors and say, "Como?" hahaha...I believe the Pilgrams had this problem once. Eventually they settled it with some turkey and corn. Us? We settled it with a couple shots of Vodka, a few White Russians (the drink), and some dancing.

1 trip to Salvador - R$240
Several Cocktails - Free (all inclusive)
4 couples from 4 countries being lost in translation...Priceless.

Angel at the Beach of Costa do Sauipe

2007-11-10T20:48:00.001-08:00

Angel at on the beach of Costa do Sauipe, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

More on the beach of Costa do Sauipe.

Something really beautiful about ocean side beaches. As I was walking along the beach it almost felt like the waters went on forever. I really like this picture of Angel as she's walking into the ocean waters. It was right around sunset time. So the sky gave off that really dramatic grey color against the bright blue sky.

Sunset on the beach at Costa do Sauipe

2007-11-09T13:10:00.001-08:00

Sunset on the beach at Costa do Sauipe, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

This is going to be a very Jacques Cousteau / J. Peterman type entry...

The beaches in Brazil really are the best I've ever been to. The sand is fine and soft like powdered sugar, and is home to little creatures and mini-shells alike. Literally the size of the top part of your pinky!

The sunsets at 4:30pm in Brazil. By 9:00pm, a quiet darkness looms over Costa do Sauipe. Parties are begin at 9pm, and end right around 2am just in time for the sunrise at 4:45am.

And as the sun goes down, the sand cools to a soft temperature to match it's soft nature. The tide gets a little rougher, and the waves a little louder. But it's neat; the sun warms up the water throughout the day. So when the tide washes in and touches your feet, it feels really warm against the cool sand. This is Brazil. This is Costa do Sauipe in October.

Canoe in anaconda waters - Praia de Forte

2007-11-08T15:20:00.001-08:00

Canoe in anaconda waters - Praia de Forte, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

The guy that brought us on the canoe trip was telling us about how the waters that we were trolling through were infested with anacondas that were as long as 6 meters! Angel got really scared. See below for the video of her being a sissy. There were also crocodiles. But unfortunately, they were all sleeping. Imagine if one of us fell in and woke up the beast? I might not be here to blog about it. Lucky you!!!

Daylight Savings sucks when you're traveling

2007-11-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

Angel sitting alone at the reef at Praia de Forte.

Day Three Monday

So the clock says 7:50am. I went to reserve an 8:20am trip to a fishing village called Praia de Forte. The agent isn't there. So I go to breakfast and expect someone to be there afterwards.

At breakfast there are literally 2 people there. Weird...

8:15am - go back to the reservation desk. Still no agent. Still no bus to pick up anyone. Back to breakfast.

8:30am - back to the desk, no agent, no bus. weird...I guess the bus left already.

9:00am - no one is around the pool or beach. That's weird. Usually there are at least some people. This is getting weird.

9:30am - I pull the cleaning lady to the side. "Excuse me what time is it?" Lady (let's call her Wilma) says, "8:30." ehh? WTF MATE?!?

Day light savings sure is a b-tch. My clock was fast an hour. So that means I woke up at 6:50am, ate breakfast at 7:00am. And stressed out for an hour all before 8:30am. Feels like work...am I still on vacation?

The real 10:30am rolls around, and we book our trip to Praia de Forte at 11am.

Just a little background. Praia de Forte is an old former fishing village near Costa de Sauipe. It's not really a fishing village anymore. But it still does preserve some of its old world charm and tourist must-haves - trinkets, crappy souvenirs, and "authentic" brasilian gear alike. Don't get me wrong, we definitely saw some cool stuff a long the way.

Below is a video of me acting like the Ying Yang Twins on MTV cribs. Come back next week to see Anthony's reaction to the video.

Ying Yang Twins Do Cribs In Brazil

We go back to the village for some more exploring. Lookie what I see. Is that a porche? Wait...Yes, a "porche," or what we call in my country, a future episode of Pimp my Ride.

There aren't even doors on it! Dang, look at those 17-inch rims. They be hot when they rollin'. This thing was made of plastic.

ok, I think I'm giving this place a bad rep. Honestly, this place is beautiful! Like I said, it's a little touristy, but it still has lots of old world charm and then some. Here's the then some.

We went canoe-ing through an anaconda and crocodile infested lagoon. Here's Jules telling us about it and Angel's reaction...sissy.

Jules Talking About Anacondas

We saw a lot of cool stuff along the way. And ended the canoe trip with a dance off, caboeira style! But we eventually made amends and became homies.

After lunch, I went to this really neat ice cream place called Tutti Frutti. How appropriate. It has 60 flavors of fruit! Take that Baskin n' Robins. They charge by weight and it was self-serve. Definitely a must have if you ever have a chance to go to Praia de Forte.

After our trip, we went back to the hotel and walked along the beach during sunset and made a new friend.

Meet, crabby the sand crab on the sandal. That's Angel's finger. The crab is the tiny white spec on my dark sandal.

After a hectic day one and day two...RELAX!!!

Angel and I during sunset at the beach at Costa do Sauipe (left). Angel reading by the pool at 5:45pm (the sun sets at 4:30pm in Brazil).

I met another friend in our hotel room. Meet Geico.

Church of San Francisco in Salvador

2007-11-07T10:00:00.001-08:00

Church of San Francisco in Salvador, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

On Day 4 of our trip, we went to Salvador. I took this picture at the Church of San Francisco. This is a really neat church that sits atop a hill. On the way there, the bus stalled while going up hill and started rolling backwards into oncoming traffic. Apparently, the bus driver wasn't so great at stick shift.

Inside there are wax moldings of people's "prayers" and offerings. Inside, we saw wax moldings of baby heads, limbs, and even private parts. Very strange. But the church, as you can tell from the outside, was not absurdly ornate or decorated like other churches. It was beautiful and simple. Humble...

Cross at Pelourinho, Salvador

2007-11-06T09:18:00.001-08:00

Cross at Pelourinho, Salvador, originally uploaded by spiggot123.

I took this picture on my trip to the city of Salvador, which is about 200km away from Costa do Sauipe. Salvador is a world of difference. But it's a beautiful place with many beautiful things to see. It's interesting to go to a place full of mixed culture. Brazil, similar to the US, is a country that is dominated by a mixture of culture reigning from Europe and Africa. The spread of Christianity through this country is a true testament of that transfer of culture.

We're Finally Here!

2007-11-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

And you thought day one was nuts...

Some guy selling nuts on the beach. They're everywhere!

We get up at 5:30am to catch our flight to Salvadore at 7:30am. Steal some drinks from the mini-bar with 3 hours of sleep. Good times. We fly to Rio de Janiero, connect and fly to Salvador and finally land at 10:00am. This is where the real fun begins for day 2. since we missed our flight the night before, we had not arranged an alternative transfer from airport to resort. We tried, but the number that TAM vacations gave us was totally wrong. But somehow we finagled our way to hitch a ride with a bus. It was either my charm and divine looks, or Angel's expert negotiating skills. But after all that, we finally made it to Salvador and ultimately our resort - Costa de Sauipe Marriot Resort. Apparently, only Brasilian ballers in the likes of Scrooge McDuck roll through this resort. Did I mention that I like to sprinkle diamonds in my food? 1) Because that's the most ballin' thing ever. 2) It makes my dookie twinkle. But inspite of this ridiculous epic journey to the "promise land" I do have some good news...
...
I just save a ton of money on car insurance by switching to Geico. j/k. We saw lots of this!

What an ass. I think I'm going to like Brasilia. But one funny thing did happen on the way to the resort. Our driver, who looks like the old guy from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory (the old version) saw some woman on the street, honks, and screams, "Hey!!! How are you? Things good! Great!" Drives away and says to us, "Crazy a-- b-tch." I definitely think I'm going to like Brasilia. What characters.

So it's now noon, and we finally settle down, check-in, and go get some lunch. I ate a grouper sandwich (left); Angel, a veggie one (right). Delicious!

We take a walk around the resort. We found out that the Brasilians are serious about their recycling. On our walk, we decided to go to the equestrian centre for some horseback riding. It was a long walk there. Tired, grumpy, we resorted to this:

Angel hitch hiking (left). Garbage bins separated out by organic, plastic, glass, metal, paper (right).

And to our surprise in pops a horse and carriage. Talk about awesome, and random.

Buggy Ride In Brazil

The horseback riding was awesome! We rode through these white sand dunes in Costa de Sauipe. Multi Bella.

Angel and I riding our horses - Sea Biscuit and Lilo (left). A horse peeing a lot (right)!

So far Brasilia has been wonderful! After horseback riding, we grabbed some dinner and ended the night with...good times. =)

It felt like a bad Macaulay Culkin movie

2007-11-05T06:21:00.000-08:00

Get ready Brazil, we're coming for ya...

Day One - Friday/Saturday (October 26/27)

Background - NY has been raining since Thursday.

2:30am - I just finished partying with Anthony and Alice in the LES. We bought some chicken and rice from the Halal street cart and brought it back to his place to eat. Somehow chicken and rice at 3:00am really has a way of knocking you out. I have a flight at 8:30am to Sao Paolo, Brasilia. I haven't packed and I have to be at the airport by 6:30am!

3:30am - With chicken and rice is sitting in my stomach, "Yo Anthony, I'm going to take a nap for like half an hour and go home and pack."

...

4:00am - ...zzzzzzzzzzzz

...

5:00am - ...zzzzzzzzzzzz

...

5:34am - ...Look at the clock. "OH SH-T! I gotta get home. I have a flight in an hour," I think to myself. Pop up from the couch, naseaus from chicken and rice. Run to my car. It's still pouring out. By divine intervention, Wall Street to Long Island with rain, 32 minutes flat!

6:06am - Run upstairs. Throw a bunch of random stuff into my bag, brush my teeth, do my hair, wake my dad up to drive me to the airport - JFK (about 35 minutes from my house)

6:38am - Talk about record time for packing. Still raining. Flight is at 8:30am!

6:50am - Angel calls, "Are you at the airport yet?" Me, "15 minutes."

7:10am - Hug dad, Run into the terminal like McCauley Caulkin in Home Alone. I hear Tsaivkowsky in the background the whole way.

7:25am - Check the screen. Flight delayed till 10am. *F-CK!* but also a sigh of relief.

8:00am - Still on line to check in. I already see some fly brasilian honeys. Hollaz...Meet up with Angel.

11:00am - Still sitting on the runway. Are we going to make our connection at Sao Paolo to Salvadore? Pass out.

11:15pm - Arrive in Sao Paulo. TAM airlines rep, "Your connecting flight as left. We'll comp you a hotel and book you with a flight the next morning." Again, *F-CK!* but also a sigh of relief.

12:30am - Arrive at comped hotel - Novotel in Sao Paolo. Look right, we see a 9 piece band playing in the restaurant. "I've got you under my skin..." "Come fly with me, Come fly, Let's fly away..." Welcome to vegas rejects, Sao Paolo style. Again, *F-CK!* This time, no sigh of relief. Still a great time, though.

2:30am - Finally. Day one end...Sleep