Port of Spain, Trinidad
(photo below of me overlooking
the island at the office)

Three days of incredible work... this island is so focused on business, it really has a South American feel instead of Caribbean feel. There is still the je m'en fîche attitude of the Islands but there is so much business here that they can't help but be caught up in it. The city has some of that charming Caribbean architecture of peaked roofs, decorative wrought iron railings and shutters, but it's next to modern cement buildings. And you'll see poor stores and shops right next to a BP office. Quite the juxtaposition.

A few "Trini" facts -

- they make coffee but they don't drink it. It's nearly impossible to find coffee. The Hilton had the best and it was Maxwell House. We drank instant in the office.

- they make cocoa but they only export it.

- good food is hard to find; bad food isn't. Worst restaurant I've eaten in for the last 10 years was at the Crowne Plaza. Overcooked and bland.

- everything's expensive. Lunch at TGI Fridays (yes, I did go, and no, it wasn't exciting - again, hard to find good food) was $30 a person including tax/tip.

- coldest place I've ever been. Air Conditioning CRANKS everywhere.

- the Savannah is a 280 acre park (!) in the middle of town. But it only goes one way. So if you want to go to the Indian restaurant only 5 blocks from the office, you can only drive one direction - it takes 10 minutes to get there because of the traffic around the Savannah!

- people are always smiling and very laid back. no sense of stress.

Best part of the trip: dinner at the Indian Restaurant, Aspara. Phenominally good food, great atmosphere, clean and the service was amiable and attentive.

Some photos:

Traditional architecture / The new Hyatt Regency Trinidad

Port of Spain, Trinidad

After a long flight - 9 hours including layovers from Chicago - we arrived and waited on the tarmac maybe 15 minutes before the pilot said, "our apologies, but we've called customs to tell them we are here... but nobody is answering..." Welcome to the Islands!

I spent two months in Puerto Rico in the mid-1990s and dread the Caribbean work ethic. What an experience it will be these next few days!

Arriving at the Hilton (the Hyatt isn't built yet), I felt like I had arrived through a time warp. Upon checkin, I was offered a very yellow drink in a martini-ish style glass with red and yellow straws. Strolling through the lobby with a very 70's infrastructure (and a semi-successful attempt at updating it), I suddenly took a time warp back to 1967. I don't think the hallway carpet has been replaced since then. A glance at the painting of two pineapples against the peach wall in the hallway, I entered my room and flipped on the t.v. Appropriately, Ocean's Eleven - the original with Frank, Dean, Joey and gang - is on the tv.

What year is it?

Mendoza - Snow in August

What an amazing experience. It is 95 degrees F in Chicago but in Mendoza it's barely above freezing. In class on Wednesday someone said "Look!" and when we peered out the windows, we could see snow coming down hard (not sticking, grant you) over the plaza.

I don't ever remember snow in August. I bought a fleece at the airport in Santiago to prepare for this, just in case.... thank goodness that I did!

We finished class a bit early.... thank goodness, we're all truly tired... and the view of the snow covered mountains behind the Park Hyatt is truly memorable. Stunning. A few photos below:

Mendoza, Argentina
(my room at the Park Hyatt pictured to the right)

Getting here was such a challenge. Our plane landed in Santiago in fog so thick you couldn't see one foot outside the window. I can't believe we even landed. We did, and then I got stuck in the Santiago Airport Admirals Club for 4 1/2 hours waiting for my delayed flight. They kept changing the gates on us, first 19 then 18 then 17a then 20 then 17. To be fair, the fog was causing problems I am sure, but they were very disorganized.

My air travel this year has been a bit chaotic. Non stop delays. You have to be patient in South America, the infrastructure needs major upgrades. Sadly, it's best in Chile, which tells a lot. Generally I don't have that kind of experience in Santiago - only everywhere else. Like I wrote in an earlier blog, we take such things for granted - that if a flight is delayed or canceled, at least we are kept informed. They didn't even have the gate posted until 5 minutes before boarding. Typical.



Mendoza is charming as always, but I'm seeing none of it other than looking out the window of my meeting room. Work work work. I love the Winter here - sunny and 60 degrees. It's like a beautiful Fall day in Chicago, but instead it is the dead of Winter. Very comfortable and a nice change from 90 degrees and humid in Chicago. This time, the air is so dry my nose is bleeding. Strange.

Well, off to work. I have 15 columns of data in a spreadsheet to update. What a joy.

Chaos at Ezeiza Aeropuerto, Buenos Aires

Well, funny thing about traveling to the developing world. You always have to expect challenges in everyday life. Things that we take for granted in the USA are really not like that in most of the world.

For instance, try explaining that you want a regular coffee with milk. I'm talking Maxwell House here. More often than not, it is the size of those tiny airplane liquor bottles. One sip and you are done. Or, try going for walk without having anyone look at you... Americans can never blend in. I try but my blond hair and bad Spanish get me every time.

So I get to the airport thinking wow, I am tired after working all day and my flight gets in at 10.40PM. There have been talks on my flight from Dallas about how my 3 hour delay is due to the circa 1950 radar system here... And what do I get tonight? Another 3 hour delay due to radar. Now my flight is due to arrive at 1.30 am with an hour drive to hotel. Check out the photo.

Thank God there is a bar!

Buenos Aires

A beautiful Autumn day here in Buenos Aires; it is so strange to go from hot Chicago (!) to cool Buenos Aires. Today it was gorgeous - sunny and cool, high of around 60 degrees I would guess. It was great wearing a jacket and just walking around, perfect walking weather!

The hippie fair is so fun in Recoleta. I even grabbed food from a vendor stall, something I usually shy away from to keep the tummy healthy. I couldn't resist sitting in the sun under a palm tree and watching everyone enjoying themselves. That's the photo you see above.

The hotel is gorgeous as ever, and I love the scent - from Celedonio, that is what the in-room amenties are as well. Very rich and relaxing. Some interesting art has changed in the Paseo des Artes between the two buildings... always interesting, some I like, some I don't... just like art should be...

Dinner then

Cancun

Finally the Hyatt Regency Cancun is open, only 19 months later... the hotel looks great and nothing like it was before, the transformation is startling. Very urban and hip - clean lines, modern furniture and a great lounge off the lobby with awesome lighting and a view of the entire peninsula - with that incredible multicoloured water every shade of blue possible. You can hear the jazz-house music pumping in right when you get to the lobby, it creates a great sense of arrival.

Too bad the weather is cloudy and supposed to rain all day. And it is my day off! I have to get work done, so I'll probably just work most of today and explore the hotel more.

Excited to see that Chicago will be competing for the 2016 Summer Olympics! Very cool... there is a great video to check out at http://www.chicago2016.org/chicago_video.aspx

Sao Paulo

(posting by Andy) - Photo at the Vogue Carnaval Party 2007

We got back from the Vogue Carnival event about 4 a.m and that was considered early....we are old farts but we tried, we really really tried!

Here goes with a synopsis of what took place....

First I would like to admit, that Mr. Hirko and myself looked rather dashing in our black and white tuxedo suits. I am still refusing to wear my underwear until Britney puts hers on, but for the most part we fit in fine. The tuxedo service the hotel hooked us up with was fantastic, they came to our room, took our measurements and then returned back to our room with full pressed suits and shoes ready to go to the ball. The cost for both rentals was $500.00 ! Holly Crap. Thank goodness that the hotel picked up the tab because when we saw the bill our mouths dropped.

We left the hotel about 11:30 in the hotel car that swooped us away. Once we got to the ballroom, it was like a scene from E or Hollywood ! Stars, Media, Entertainers, Politicians, we were all in the same line. We were right in the middle of it all, there were no VIP lines, since we were all VIP's- and there was Rhett and I with our golden ticket in hand.

It was a sea of men dressed like penguins and some local wealthy women but mostly Brazilian Vogue models (including Gisele Bundchen), wearing the latest Brazilian fashionable outfit parading around waiting to be noticed. These women were gorgeous, so pretty that Rhett and I were in awe even though we didn't know who they were.

It was actually good that we didn't know who the stars were and who was celeb. We were all equally important because we all had the exact same invitation in hand and people just assume that you are important or you wouldn't be there. I think if it was Hollywood, we could have been star struck. Imagine the red carpet kind of feel...with little old Rhett and I in our little old tuxes smack in the middle of it !

The building itself had large gates that entered the ballroom, six giant white pillars that held up the canopy where all of us waited in line for about another hour (even the stars). The guest list held more that 1500 people and all over were models prancing around waiting for the next person to take a photo of them. The main singer (the main attraction) was just in front of us as she was escorted in wearing a feathered mask (carnival) as the media interviewed her and took photos.

Once we passed security and the front door, now 1 a.m., the ballroom consisted of two large rooms, in total about 10-15,000 square feet, decked out in feathers and other Carnival decorations. In one of the rooms, a large stage that continuously had some type of entertainer playing music which had the whole room in a trance of samba and other forms of Brazilian, carnival music. Keep in mind, no VIP rooms so all these models, and other very important people in the fashion industry and so on...they were all around us and the cool thing was that no one had an attitude. They thought we were just as VIP as them so everyone was really cool. Red Bull, Johnny Walker, Stella Artois " Brazilian Beer", and Champagne filled the room as they were sponsors. The buffet tables were overflowing with caviar ( yucky), sweets, finger sandwiches and much, much more. All the bells and whistles were thought of for this event and considering the guest list, I am sure it was just enough.

Rhett had to drag me out about 4 a.m. I was having such a blast meeting people and I must admit, I had one to many Vodka/Redbulls. I am glad that we went home when we did, otherwise I would have been praying to the toilet if I had one more..Everyone was wasted, the bar was continuously filling our glasses hour after hour non-stop. I came to find out that this was the biggest carnival event in Sao Paulo and Vogues 5Th year holding it in their city. Fun. Fun. Fun.

The music had the whole place in a trance and it looks like everyone was having a great time, some people too much fun. Waisted.

So today we just hung out by the pool then for lunch, had a traditional Brazilian lunch (happens every Saturday) consisting of Pork, Rice, and Beans. This is what most locals eat on Saturday but not the ideal food for hangovers. Can you say FART?

After lunch we went to another art and antique fair which after 2 hours, we just were so beat that we are now back in our room and ready to crash on the sofa and chill in for the night.

That is it for now..... Sorry so long winded email but I can to emphasize the party since it was so impressive. The photos week too were not as impressive since the room was so smokey that the photos we took inside suck...we do have some to share. Everyone smokes here and boy oh boy do they like to drinky drink too.

Sao Paulo
(posting by Andy) - Photo of typical traffic in Sao Paulo.

Hello all.

Well, the rain has finally caught up to us. Gotham city ( Sao Paulo, Brazil ) has been getting a bunch of rain but we did not see it until last night. Although this feels like a good life, it can get lonely in a big hotel. This place is so wonderful (400 rooms). Modern, very swanky, and the services is fantastic.

We really do get taken care of like Paris Hilton around here. Check this out....during my stay at the pool, the cleaning service cleaned our room, cleaned and pressed all of our clothes and folded them...including our undies. We have fresh flowers in every room (3 rooms) in the dozens, and they took all of our dirty clothes and had them washed and pressed without being asked. At first, I felt weird about it because I do not like being taken care of like that, but that is just how they roll around here for us. Having Rhett here is the reason why they are so good to us....but the service outside of that is fantastic. This is one of the most expensive hotels in Sao Paulo so that is what you get for your bucks. $$$$$

The downside, just as in Paris Hilton is that they do everything for you that you really have no responsibilities and you can learn to rely on everyone to take care of all your needs. Sounds great to some of you I am sure, but its not the life for me...

Rio de Janeiro
(posting by Andy)

The beach is packed and can you say speedo and thong anyone? If you know about Rio you can probably imagine what the beaches look like around here. The people are so amazingly tan and the only thing to really do around here, since its so hot (90 degrees and humid) is go to the beach or lay by the pool. When I say hot I mean it folks, men walk around everywhere without shirts, some not so flatering, and women in their bikinis, also some not so flatering but who cares....it's hot! The sand castles made by the local artist on the beach look grand and amazing. Theses sandsculptures are enormous and they are spectacular to look at...one was a castle, one was a giant mermaid and so on.... I think they spend all day with teams of people to make them....will find out more tomorrow.

Since we have taken over 600 photos the battery on our camera ran out so we blew half the day today searching for a new one but finally found it at a mall. During this quest we had a chance to see some of the town and also the beach. We have three beaches near our hotel....Leblon, Ipanema (as in the song) and finally Copacabana (also famous). Our hotel is right on the water and our pool is really nice and that is where we will spend some time each day for the next few days prior to touring and sight seeing.

We just heard about the weather in Chicago and I hope you are all bundled up....sorry. We will try to bring some of the hot sun with us when we return in less than two weeks. Our journey is long but the time is going by rather quickly....boo hoo.

Tonight we went to the downtown "Centro" (not safe at all- only with a cab...and right into the club) to check out a samba/bossa-nova club with live music (highly recommended by friends and Wallpaper magazine). Check out the scene...it had three floors, the first where you can have dinner and listen to a live band play local samba/bossa-nova music and the other two a bar where you can hear the music from the floors below. The ambiance was a throwup of antiques, garage finds, and wall to wall of yard sale finds. If it sounds wierd, well it was. The tables where little but nice and the place was packed...so packed that you needed to wait to get in by the time we left. Right in the middle of the ghetto where from time to time, we spotted the police that guard the streets with machine guns. We are definately not in Kansas any more. I kinda freaked out because I seldom feel unsafe and for some reason, I did not. But, we are safe and sound and back at the hotel ready for another adventure tomorrow.

Puerto Iguazu, AR
(posting by Andy)

Photo of Toucan at the Parque de Aves, Foz do Iguazu, Brazil

Well today we went on another journey and to another country- Brazil. Yesterday we viewed the Iguazu Falls from Argentina, today the views were just as spectacular as yesterday but a bit different.... From Argentina, we were basically in the falls and in the water, from Brazil, we could see the falls from afar and they looked so awesome. Although just across the country, the views were just as wonderful. We could see them from afar so we got the panoramic views rather that being in them and on them. The photos we will share will explain more....wait to you see them!

As for the jungle part, the woods were denser and the animals were plentiful. These racoon-like creatures ("coatis") were all over the place, begging for food and looking as cute as can be.....but feeding them was not a good idea, they can and will bite ya if you feed them because of course, they want more. So, we just looked and shot photos of them....so cute. As we journeyed into the forest other creatures like Vultures and butterflies were plentiful. Sounds cheesy but its really cool when they land on you and when you see the vibrant colors they display as they flap their wings.

80% of the falls are on the Argentina side so they adventure was not as long as yesterday's but the weather was damn hot. We think it got to 90 or higher but what saved us was the Brazilian side was under a canopy of forest so the shade saved us from passing out. Some of the tourists took helicopter rides over the falls but we opted not to. Kinda scary and most of all too expensive for us at this point. We still have about two weeks so we need to keep an eye on our spending...wait, did I just say that? Oh, Rhett would be so proud.

After the falls we went to a bird sanctuary and there we visited all types of cool birds and we even had a chance to hold some. Toucans, Macaws, African Grey's, and much much more. These are large parrots that come from these parts and are very expensive to buy at home. The Toucans just fly right up to you and they are just as inquisitive of humans as we are of them... and the colors of their beaks are magnificent...blues and reds and orange and more. Once again, we shot some photos of them and other creatures we have seen along the way.

It's our last night here in the jungle and tomorrow we will go to Brazil- Rio for the next five days. If you didn't know Rio- it's the second largest city in Brazil and its cultural capital. The flip flops are going back in the suitcase and big city here we come. Seriously though, we need to be safe and careful and we will be. We have met many people along the way that got jumped and we need to not where any jewelry and watch our backs....we are pretty good about that and thus far, know one has messed with us. We never keep all of our money on us and we always have some in the front pocket and some in the back so if something should arise, we will show them all we have ( in one pocket only). Tip of the trade.

We have been going so long that we will spend most of the day at the pool prior to our flight to Rio. Believe it or not, we have not layed out for about 7 days, toooo busy doing the sights, but have plenty of sun on our faces and arms. I believe we have an awesome farmers tan....need to touch up the whitey parts tomarrow.

We hope to write soon. If any of these emails are bothering you folks, just let us know so we can take you off the list. For the most part, everyone has enjoyed following along with us on our journey.

Puerto Iguazu, AR
(posting by Andy)

The mighty Iguassu Falls

Hello Amigos from the jungles of Argentina.

Well we went on our journey today to Iguazu Falls and all we can say is WOW-EE. The mighty Iguazu Falls are the most overwhelmingly in all of South America. There are two ways of visiting the falls, one side from Argentina, and the other from Brazil. Today we did the Argentina side. On both sides of the falls there are National Parks. The journey took all day, about 8 hours which consisted of close views of the individual falls in their forest setting with its wildlife and butterflies (there are over 500 diffferent species). It's so cool...if you're lucky, and most are, you stretch out your arm and one will land on you. The colors are vibrant and so many that just float past us as we journey through the jungles and falls. The water is majestically beautiful and the closer you get to them, the closer to God ( of your choice) you get. We took this journey with a family we met from Florida and from time to time they started to cry it was so overwhelming. Rhett shed a tear too but he would never admit it.....he had something in his eye.....what a big girl. Seriously folks, one of the greatest wonders....we took many photos but even they will not serve it justice. Also among this scenery were Toucans, flocks of parrots and ther birds such as Vultures and many other over our heads. The Vultures were pretty scary and we made sure we drank plenty of water to avoid passing out and getting eaten by the bastards. We also had the pleasure of taking a boat in the water which took us nearly under the falls....totaly got us drenched and so much fun. Rhett really loved the ride and we have a video of us going under them. There are so many animals in the forest but unfortunately we didn't see the ones we really wanted to. It is so hard to describe, but truly overwhelming - huge, WOW experience.

Tomorrow we are off to the Brazilian side offers a superb panoramic view of the whole falls... and a visit to a bird zoo in the national park.

Puerto Iguazu, AR
(posting by Andy)

Hello to all from Iguazu falls Argentina.

Last night we went to a real Tango show and it was really, really cool. It made dancing with the stars look like crap...these people live for the dance and it's very sexy and romantic. The setting was a red velvet room with red velvet drapes and they make it smoky to give you the feel of the old, tango days. Not that we would know but the hotel told us that it was the real thing and the room had people from all over the world to see the show. There was a five piece band that played while the dancers did their thing and a male and female performer sang. It reminded me of my godfather who played the accordion because the band had two of them. We highly suggest it if you are ever in Argentina. The tickets were about $100 a person, but worth it.

We have now taken 5 airplanes to get the the remote center of the jungles of Argentina/Brazil. In short, it's hot, humid, and the mosquito's are loving our blood. Igauzu falls is one of the greatest wonders of the world, the falls, on the Argentina/Brazil border, are 10 miles upstream from the confluence of the Rio igauzu and the Rio alto parana. The Rio igauzu which rises in the Brazilian hills receives the waters of some 30 rivers as it crosses the plateau. Above the main falls, the river sown with wooded islets, opens out to a width of 2.5 miles.....if you have ever been to Niagara Falls, it's small compared to where we are. In the morning we are getting picked up by a tour bus and it will take us to where we can see Toucans (birds), Parrots and other wildlife that we only see in zoo's in America. We have traveled from the big city of Argentina and the jungle is much different. This town is small and pretty much dead and very poor. If it was not for these falls, I do not think many people would come here. We are far....very far in the depths of nothing but forest. The real thing folks, the jungle! One day we will go to the falls from the Argentina side and the next day we go from the Brazil side. I imagine the photos will be amazing and I will keep you posted as we go along. For now we are safe, and we are no longer in a fancy hotel but in a small hotel with no luxuries that we have been accustomed to. Our high heel pumps have been put away and the flip flops are on and chugin along.

Rhett is doing better and taking his medication. The doctor put him on a special diet until his tummy gets better.

B.A. update
(posting by Andy)

I just wanted to quickly update everyone regarding Rhett's health status. The doctor said that he has a common bacteria in his tummy called gastro enteritis. It is common around these parts and it can get passed around when around a bunch of people which we always are. One of the employees at the hotel said she had is a few days ago...so he is o.k.

He picked up some over the counter drugs and should be fine in a couple of days. It's actually good news because when traveling so far and with so many diseases around the world, this one is not big deal. A bit painful but easy to overcome.

Buenos Aires
(posting by Andy)


Today was a bit somber but a trip well done. We visited the grave site of Eva Peron otherwise known as Evita. The name of the cemetery is called Recoleta and she placed with her husband Juan Peron in a black marble mausoleum that had simple details but very tasteful. For those of you who do not know who she was, and have never seen the movie staring "Madonna", she was the wife of Juan Peron ( President) who worked hard for the people, especially the poor. There were many people waiting to see her from all over the world and flowers upon flowers are placed on her site daily....very beautiful. She made a big impact to the people here...and she probably still does today.

At first the cemetery although beautiful, seemed a bit eerie because of all the big stone mausoleums. Hardly anyone is buried in the ground here...mostly in mausoleums or in stone walls. The people buried in them don't skip on the details of there last resting place...we have photos. Some of the mausoleums had photos of the dead on them, strangely most were made with glass where you can actually see the coffins that have been in them for 10, 50, and 100 years or more. Some had been buried there longer than America is old. We peeked in some of these Moslem's and the look of the wood coffin showed their age....some of the coffins had been exposed to the sun and air so long that vegetation is growing out from them. I suppose like in the case of my experience with Italy and their cemeteries, for those who did not have the money to be buried in one of these enormously detailed mausoleums, they are placed in stone walls with little photos of themselves or saints on them as well as there name. Not as scary as you would think...just the way things are done here. It's actually interesting.

We are now waiting for a doctor to visit Rhett in our hotel, unfortunately he is still not up to par and we need to get more details on his stomach situation...I/we will keep you posted on the doctors evaluation. Do not worry, he is fine, but from time to time, his tummy really hurts and we just need the details prior to our departure to Brazil. His work friend who lives here will make sure the doctor understands the problems Rhett is having and make sure we understand the medication we need to take...it's always nice to have a trust able translator when so far away from home.

More to come, we have you all in our hearts and that is why we share our travels with you.

Buenos Aires
(posting by Andy) - photo of our hotel to the right

Hello everyone from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Well we have two more days until we are out of here and wanted to update you on our experiences up to date...... Yesterday we toured the town and had a nice breakfast in street cafe.....it's easy just hunging out and watching people. The weather here is killer and the people are sexy as hell so people watching is fine by us. I can not figure it out why most people all look like stars and models?

Only about 5% of the people here have a good job, for the most part they sell stuff on the street or just have a job to get by. People are not recognized or labled by their jobs so just having a job is good enough. "live for life, not for work"

In the afternoon, we hung out at a place called Fieria Hippie, it's a place where a great deal of artist sell their stuff on the street...to tell you the thruth, it's all really nice and the prices are really doable too. You ladies would love it because everyone sell jewelery...silver and stones......for men it's leather stuff for the most part. The people who sell it are true artists so maybe that is why they look like hippie's....I guess that is where the name came from. People here are very poor but very cool and don't complain for the most part. They all are nice when you visit their shop and never pressure us to buy from them. It's not like Mexico where you barter for the better price and they all presurre you to BUY, BUY, BUY. (for those of you who have experienced that). Here you just pay what they ask because we know how little they are paid. Besides, the prices are good and we just feel guilty asking. When I say poor, I mean they really make no money but unlike us cranky Americans so worried about making money and having big stuff, they are laid back, and just want to live and love....sound corney but these people are lovers of life. Remember, they are the creators of the Tango. After all, I guess when you never have all the material stuff we have, you never really want or know what your missing.

Interior design is big here....we had lunch and later hung out where most designers sell stuff like art, furniture, and other things for the home. I saw a lamp that I could not resist....now that we have this big box in our hotel room, I need to figure out how to get it home in ONE piece...wish us luck. Italian food and people are big and all over in Argentina so we have had Italian food a couple of times and its really good.

Later that evening, we hung out with some of Rhett's work buddies who live here. They took us to an area of town called Soho Parlermo (not in Italy), shopped and went to a cafe/bar to hang out they way the local townies hang out....really laid back. People meet in bars to just talk and hang, not to get fucked or catch a buzz, even though it can be easy for us gringos to do. It's just how it is .....and how they like it. After that she took us to a place called Palermo Hollywood where the local stars and celebreties hang out....we lucked out and actually had dinner about 20 feet from the mayor of Buenos Aires! Sounds fancy but she said it is common to see him around and that he is actually a wierd guy....we also had a chance to meet this famous singer when we were in Mendoza but we have no clue who he was...but we knew they something was up with all the cameras and how the locals reacted around him.

That was it for that night....guys, we do alot during the day and night, and knowing people here makes it fun and even longer because the conversations are great and the night goes on until late.

Today was more of a hiking and chill day and the views were once again, awesome. We took a train to a town called Tigre were a bunch of islands are surrounded by water. The closes example I can say is like Venice, Italy. No gandela's, just waterbusses. We took one of these waterbuses to a couple of places...we had lunch on the water and then went hiking along a canal surrounded by little home that people rent and live in during the summer. The people there are more like beach people with guitars in hand, totally laid back, with long hair, great bodies, and killer tans...

(photo of El Gato Blanco on the water in Tigre)...

It's now about 7 p.m. and we are totally tired and decided to hang out in our hotel tonight to chill and watch a movie. Oh, did I forget to mention that we are living in a real palace (not a royal palace but more of a mansion with a bang and olson sterio system which for those of you who do not know it, it's one of the best you can buy...so staying home will be a treat.

Sorry so long. Gatta go...room service is here and my live lobster is ready to be boiled in front of us...... that kind of service we get, but kidding on the lobster folks. Don't know what we are going to eat just yet.

We are still here for a couple more days...so will get back with you later. Our next stop is Rio (Brazil) and we herd that things are really dangerous right now but the hotel at Hyatt will make sure we are fine and safe.

Buenos Aires, Argentina
(posting by Andy)

Hola again from Buenos Aires, Argentina!

We are now safely in Buenos Aires. Have not wandered around yet because our flight got in late last night. Once again, our room is fitted for a King, or in our case, a QUEEN. Literally we are staying on a palace that was converted to a Park Hyatt last July. The room goes for about ONE THOUSAND a night but as all of you know, we get the five figure discount....life is good.

Argentina is known for the Tango, Empanada's (little pockets of pastries filled with meat and other various things) and the late night dinner. Here is what confuses the heck out of me.....people here eat dinner late (after 10:00 p.m) every night, they smoke cigs like they are going out of style, and eat well but for the most part, are all skinny and healthy. Cancer is not a common way of death here....it's old age. Isn't that strange? So for those of you who are on a diet, not smoking any longer, and not eating after 7 p.m. Go ahead.....it's o.k.

Today's adventure consist of hitting the town and going to a hippie fair which consists of vendors selling hand crafted goods and walking along a wonderful park. We will share of adventure with you through photos.

The sad news is...that Rhett unfortunately is still feeling ill. Not as bad as a few days ago but the tummy thing is still a problem. We are trying to figure out what the heck he has. He has no diarrhea but his tummy hurts....he thinks now that he may have some type of ulcer....but not sure of anything. Say a little prayer for him to get better.

Mendoza
(posting by Andy)
Picture to the right is the drive up to the Andes

Holy Cow is all I can say.

Imagine this......rafting through the Andes mountains (so high that it's hot as hell where you are standing but you can clearly see the snow top mountains) and cruzing at levels 3 and 4. For those of you who have not rafted....very fast and high energy throughout the ride....very cool. It took about 1 hour to get there by bus, we road tripped with about 10 people from all around the world and most could speak some form of English.

Unfortunately, Rhett did not go on the ride because he became ill. We still do not know what he caught but the bug went to his stomach. He was suited up, ready to go, and then rushed to the local hospital for some stomach medicine. do not worry please, he is doing better and I am so glad that he stop ed himself from going on...it would have been the terrible if he actually got on the ride because it was very rapid and he would have craped his paints. Literally. I think it was the local water that he must have drank? We still do not know but things like this are common when traveling far.....


Last night we met a friend that some of you named Dave already know. A very nice guy who owns his own wine vineyard and invited us to his property today for horse riding and a BBQ but we had to decline. We need rest at the pool (especially Rhett with his tummy), since we have been going non stop for two days and we have only completed one week out of four. Today we are going to check out the city and hang out locally near our wonderful hotel. That is it for now, tons of kick butt photos to share.

Some of you were curious on how much we won at the casino ( one million pesos!) Well we are not rich, and will not tell you until we see you. Mr. Scott Hirko (Rhett's brother) won the booby prize and guessed correctly!

Mendoza, Argentina
(posting by Andy)

We are now in Mendoza,Argentina in the wine country. Our room would make Oprah proud. We are living good as most of you would have figured. Sometimes when I look around the room which is bigger than most apartments here I can not help but feel guilty, yes I have photos too. Today we are going on a bike ride through the vinyards and going to enjoy some of the famous wine that Mendoza is known for and later, a thai massage.

Rhett cutting down Malbec grapes in the vineyard of Familio Zuccardi, Mendoza

We have only been gone about a week and knowing that we have another 3 weeks blows my mind because of all that we have done thus far. They say that after Mendoza the rest of the trip gets a bit dangerous.....we are always careful when we walk around. Once we get to Brazil we are limited on what we can do and must always be accompanied by a taxi or can only stay in the Hotel. We totaly look like Americans...there is not way around it. Everytime someone talks to us, they assume we are without even talking to us.

About Mendoza....wine anyone? The bar here holds over 2500 types of wines...they are serious about the stuff and the prices vary. Also, they are big on art and jewelery....so much that you become numb to it. Tomorrow we are going rafting and then going to fly through the air by haning on to a rope as it carries you from one side of a hill to another....they say it's awsome and the view will blow us away.

That is it for now...we will keep you posted as we go along.

Caio (this is their bye too)

Vina Del Mar, Chile.
(posting by Andy)

The last couple of days have been spectacular. When we first arived in Vina del Mar we didn't think much of it since it was late afternoon, but the next days the scenery was something we can only say- wait until you see our photos....amazing! We spent most of our time walking up and down the streets of Valparaiso and the weather was fantastic. It reminds Andy of Parlermo, Italy with all of the people living up high in the mountains. We also celebrated our 3rd aniversary by having a wonderful dinner at the casino and then....yes, we won $962,000 pesos...if you can not figure it out, we will share with you when we see you...and yes, we got a wonderful aniversary gift from Chile!

The hills of Valpariaso, Chile. Notice the funicular on the right - there are too many to count in the city going up and down the hills!

Santiago

Beautiful weather... sunny and mid80s. Had one too many glasses of wine last night, so Andy and I took it easy today and spent time by the pool. We also went to an area of artisans, really nice old area of tiny winding pathways with artisans selling paintings, wall hangings and jewelry. Plus an awesome empanada stand in the center of it all. Also a lot of pet stores, strangely - tons of cats, guinea pigs, macaws and birds of all types, chickens, peacocks, dogs, fish. Tons of pets!

Rhett in front of graffitti in the colorful BellaVista district of Santiago

Tomorrow off to Viña del Mar and Valparaiso...

Toronto

Lesson: do not travel on business the week after New Years. You will suffer the fate I did; huge lines at customs, baggage claim and for taxis along with everyone coming home from the Christmas/New Years holiday.

What should have taken only 45 minutes from airport door to hotel door took at least an hour and a half. Ugh.

All for a short trip; I'm gone tomorrow night to Philadelphia!

Take note: Park Hyatt Toronto still fantastic. Room service was great, employees greeted me as I walked down the halls and at the front desk with a smile and enthusiasm. Such a great hotel!

Sao Paulo

Hot, 90 degrees today. Check out the view from my room at the Grand Hyatt in Morumbi... just an immense skyline!

Amazing how the decline in the dollar has an impact. It is now around 2=1 here in Brazil, so t-shirts that go for R$40 used to be cheap but are now US$20 each! The other thing is the payment system... I had to ask someone in a shop (who spoke almost NO English) why they were charging everything like "R$79.90, 3x$24.90"... I finally remembered that in Brazil, they offer payment plans for everything... very easy to be misled and think it is 3 for that price.

Today was relaxing... massage, lunch with a friend, now a glass of wine and... work. Oh well, it had to happen.

Mendoza, Argentina

Working on the front patio of the Park Hyatt Mendoza, overlooking the plaza

So last night I was in my hotel in Santiago and flipping channels on the TV trying to wind down from shopping hell at the mall. I turned to a movie that appeared to have the Golden Gate Bridge on, but then it panned out and they were obviously not in SF. I continued watching and got wrapped up in the *sense* of time and place - it was very mid-60's with girls in mini skirts and go go boots, men in shorter than short shorts, Cadillac convertibles, modern furniture and great mod music. The plot was not important - obviously a couple on their honeymoon taking the brides father with, and he is a dirty old man who goes after the hot blondes. A comedy.

I finally figured out by looking at a doorknob sign in a hotel room that was in portugese that the movie took place in Portugal or Brazil.

It wa dubbed from Portuguese into Spanish. So I didn't understand a word of it!

Sitting at El Patio at the Park Hyatt Mendoza now having lunch after a swim. Nice, partly cloudy and 82 today. Too bad it's all work from here on...

Santiago

Why I like Santiago:

1. Mountains, Mountains, Mountains all around! Even in the height of summer they are snow capped.
2. Climate. Sunny and dry, like central California.
3. Green and Clean. The streets are clean, that is; not the air.
4. Modern infrastructure. Great highways, clean subway, nice shops and lots of modern skyscrapers. Reminds me of Vancouver in some ways.
5. Grand Hyatt. The hotel is chic and the grounds make it feel like a resort. And the restaurants.... oh my, are they good!

Shopping today at the mall, it was a strange experience to hear "White Christmas" when it is 82 and sunny out. The mall itself is as good as any one in the USA. In fact, it feels like the USA when you walk by Ruby Tuesday next to Ralph Lauren next to Wrangler next to Timberland. But I had last minute Christmas shopping to do, so it worked.

Santiago de Chile

Christmas tree in the atrium of the Grand Hyatt Santiago

Happy Christmas from Santiago, Chile! In the Grand Hyatt is the tallest indoor Christmas tree in Chile... 16 meters tall (that's 4 stories tall)... 2,400 lights... 1,400 balls and bows... Weather here is truly spectacular - as are the sunsets. Pollution always makes beautiful sunsets, and tonight was a bright orange/red velvet combination. Gorgeous!

Spanish is a funny language; it is easy to pick up and understand, but I need to practice more. I would really love to go back to studying it, but this takes time and tenacity. I need to not put it off and schedule classes for the Spring.

Acapulco (view from my window this morning)

Snow and Sun, with a little Soccer thrown in.

Yesterday after a long day of work, I checked the weather and discovered that the biggest snow storm to hit Chicago was to be right now; so I changed my flight to leave later and enjoy a bit of sun in Acapulco and miss the storm. Good choice - the top news story on CNN International is the massive storm dropping snow from Texas to Michigan. Apparently nearly a foot of snow! And here in Acapulco, a gorgeous day of sun and sky, maybe 80 Fahrenheit today.

Last night, Daniel the GM took me to a fun bar called "Mango's" where we watched Guadalajara vs. América in a Soccer game. It was fun, with loud fans and music, but my table was pro-América which proceeded to play a shitty game and lose 0-2. Outside, all the less fortunate locals were watching the game - and our partying - through the windows of the shop. 4 Pacifco's later, the game ends and we got home by 11.30pm...

Off to the airport this afternoon, home - to snow - by 10pm! Perhaps I need an hour in the sun before I leave...

Mérida, Mexico

Been inside 99% of the time; walked over to the InterCon for a brief site visit the only time I've been outside. It is truly amazing to get off a plane and feel the blast of heat and humidity whenever getting to Mexico. Now off to an even hotter place tomorrow... Villahermosa!

They needed to room move me due to a sold out situation, so I'm in the Presidential suite tonight. Boy is this thing huge. Nearly the size of my condo; I'd say 1,200 sq. ft. The bathroom itself is as big as my living room... nice place! Living area is spacious, with its own desk and kitchen too... all just for lil' ol me! (see above)

Benton Harbor, Mi

Driving to East Lansing last night the rain was so bad we could not see the road. Halfway to EL we ended up stuck in a seedy Holiday Inn off the freeway... For $85 a night! What a rip off but it was needed... Includes cheap breakfast! All this to see State lose! At least we can see the girls and visit with Michelle!

Chicago

So I am on the El with my new blackberry and I am amazed how technology allows me to instantly post to my blog this irritating girl-she thinks she is being sassy but instead just irritates me!

Buenos Aires

A few photos from the hotel...

Buenos Aires

A gorgeous hotel! The Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires is really a stunner, gorgeous art and I love the gardens between the Palace and Posadas building. I forgot that I could see the water from the top floor...

Working a ton and haven't even set foot outside the hotel since my arrival, but the meetings have been productive. I am hopeful to finish by 7pm today so that I can take a bit of a walk, but I hope the rain subsides... at least there is minimal jet lag - the best part of travel to South America (that and my colleagues down here)!

Miami International Airport

I absolutely LOATHE this airport. It is too big, too crowded. The renovated areas have few food stands and they are always overcrowded. And I get a 3 hour layover.

Sucks.

Cancun

What a strange experience - it is SO WINDY right now, my door keeps squealing from the wind beneath the cracks. I've had to put my heavy marble table against it to keep it from making that whistling noise which is going to drive me nuts. Between the disco next door and the squealing wind, I've had no more than 5 hours sleep a night since last Wednesday. I'm exhausted.

Tomorrow is my last day here for the presentation, then I am traveling home.... with my sunburn. It is a doozy, I am so mad. All I wanted to do is sit by the pool for an hour and now I got a bad sunburn... even with suntan lotion. Crazy! It hurts but it should be better by the time I'm on the flight on Wednesday...

I love hanging out with all my colleagues in South America and Mexico... they are so funny and fun! It truly is my favourite region of the world, I feel so lucky to be working with these hotels... I will be back in Mexico in mid-November, then off to South America in December, January and likely April. Lots of trips down south!

I hear my pillow beckoning. For once, the disco isn't blaring and I have stopped the door squealing. A night of sleep?!?!!!!!

Cancun

So hot and humid here... in Chicago apparently it is snowing in early October, but here I am sweating bullets! The Hyatt Cancun Caribe Resort has really improved, they have done a wonderful job. I've worked hard the last two days in our meeting and am just exhausted... tonight we are going to downtown Cancun, which I've never done before, to have a few drinks. Hopefully I will make it for an hour or two before I collapse!

The most amazing experience happened on our first night; we had a reception on the beach, and the hotel arranged to get baby turtles that had just hatched that morning for all of us to release into the water. They were so small, they fit right in the palm of your hand and were so cute! We all let them on the beach and they ran into the water and off they went. It was a great and unique experience; apparently it is seasonal so we were very lucky to experience it.

Tomorrow off... time to spend by the pool and catch up on my emails. I just hope the weather will be nice and not quite as hot. Caught the score of the Michigan State game... they lost big time. Coach is gonna be fired!

Ciao!

Cancun, Mexico

The destination looks great!

Only 9 months since Hurricane Wilma hit, there is little sign that a category-5 sat on it for more than 2 days. In fact, it looks better than ever… the beach is replenished and both cleaner and bigger than ever, the streets and hotels manicured with great face lifts. The Hyatt Cancun Caribe Resort looks incredible, a much needed improvement – it feels like a brand new hotel.

It is so hard to be here and work all day, to come back to the room and see the very turquoise blue ocean… with nary an opportunity to visit. Do emails, work out, go have dinner, sleep and get up early to do a day of work all over again, then off to the airport!

Look forward now to the reopening of the hip new Hyatt Regency Cancun…

Tokyo - photos

Very nice posh place, the Park Hyatt is! Weather is cloudy so I can't even see Mt. Fuji... I have a lot of work to catch up on, so I think I'll spend some my Sunday doing that... might as well do it in luxury!!

Got a coffee in a machine at the airport that was so confusing to use! Also then threw the cup away afterwards, and there was an option in the waste for "Pet Bottles" - what the hell are those?

Took the train to Omote-Sando and saw some bizarre girls dressed up like S&M Animé. They were total posers, so I took a few pictures but then got bored as I'm sure they were of me. Walked through a park to to Meiji-jingu, the main shrine of Japan. Pretty but exactly like the one Andy and I saw earlier this year, so I just moved on... I could not believe how HUGE the park was though, quiet too, and it is in central Tokyo. Amazing. Then hit this cute area totally by accident, lots of windy streets going up and down hills with bakeries and eateries... then off to enjoy my luxury at the Park Hyatt.

Home tomorrow! Yeah!

Ho Chi Minh City - photos

What an interesting day.

A few things to note before I forget: I've seen more older people with severed limbs here than in any city; I was told by a young Vietnamese boy "Honey, I love you"; older women really DO wear pointy straw hats here; pollution from all the mopeds is terrible; the Viet currency has the funniest name in the world - it is called the Dong; I am the only blond in the entire country right now; I look so foreign, locals just hound me to sell anything to the point that I am tired of going out and fighting it anymore.

I walked to Reunification Palace which is the seat of government and is also a museum in some ways kept exactly unchanged since the Vietnam War. Strangely, the areas still used by the President are also unchanged since the war - meaning very bad condition and very bad taste. Look at the photos - one room actually has a stuffed leopard and a chandelier in it amongst 70s carpet.

Most interesting was going to the roof and seeing a helicopeter there from the war; also interesting was the bunker in the basement, kept as a museum used just as during the war. The ending was very interesting - a museum of pictures and mementos about Vietnam's occupation by the French, the American war and subsequent victory by the Communists. What was most interesting was not that it wasn't factual, and in some ways very fair, but also very slanted anti-American; there was not a single positive comment about the American war. I'm fascinated and will likely want to read more about it politically (rather then the 1.5 million movies on the battles).

Then went shopping, including buying a linen print of communist propoganda. This was truly a fascinating store, much of it so anti-American that it actually made me feel bad; curiously, some other Americans were in there as well looking to buy a print, but they said exactly as I felt: "Well, we're not going to buy any war posters." There were many that showed USAF planes burning and crashing from the sky, some posters showing South Vietnamese soldiers tied up on a post and being shot. Fascinating. I ended up getting something not quite so harsh but still rather Bolshevik. Very cool.

I have so much crap to take home! I look forward to sleeping tonight and just relaxing in Tokyo tomorrow; I think I will just stay at the hotel, relax and other than go for a walk just work in my room. A lot of catching up to do!

Ho Chi Minh City

I've fallen in love with this place!

The people here are so nice, the service level is just astounding. Everyone smiles... the city is bustling with so many people, it is amazing. The food is great and of course it is incredibly cheap!
An oddity: I tried to place a call today to Switzerland, but apparently it is illegal to call there from Vietnam. A strange political fallout from a communist country? I thought Switzerland was neutral...

Had a 90-minute Thai Massage here, feel great. The Park Hyatt Saigon is just truly amazing, extremely luxurious in a city where you just would never expect it.

All day shopping and relaxing tomorrow, then off to Tokyo at midnight!

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Wow, what a place.

In the first ten minutes of arrival I experienced more culture than I had in 3 days in Sinagpore... the airport arrival outside of the baggage claim was filled with more people than I have seen at any third-world airport, but unlike the chaos that usually ensues, it was eerily controlled - no screaming babies or people asking for taxis, rather, just 3,000 people looking at us hoping we were their loved on/associate/friend/potential ride/whatever...

As we drove down the streets, what really struck me was how at there were almost no cars, but about 300 mopeds at each stoplight. Intersections filled with mopeds, one guy was carrying a shell of a computer between his legs while driving it. Along the streets, it looked like lots of little colourful buildings similar to Mexico City without the grafitti - but in front hanging from the telephone poles were not only a few cables but hundreds of them, as if the growth to commerce has been so fast they haven't had time to put the cables underground.

The drive to the hotel was past Reunification Square - a park with a museum holding two tanks from the Vietnam war, with big red flags and building sized posters of crowds of happy people.


The hotel itself is stunningly gorgeous, a throw back in time. When you enter you feel like you just walked into 1948 Saigon. Gorgeous potted palms, huge shuttered french paned windows and a grand piano adorn the lobby.... the male employees in white banded shirts and black slacks, women all in long black robes, both uniforms perfectly pressed and hair clean and kept back. Rooms are just stunning, old simplicity...

Had dinner in an open air local restaurant, with a tree in it. The outdoor edges were covered with a sail underwhich were the kitchens... freshest vegetables I have ever had, we had to make our own spring roles by hand... neat. Cheap as hell.

But now I am just exhausted so going to sleep...

Singapore

Oh, the joys of webcams!

Setting up the webcam has been hilarious... when I go to the computer the dogs are invariably in the room locked up. It is funny to look in and spy on them when Andrew is not there... generally they are bored waiting for someone to come home, but my favorite is to knock on the desk and shout out "who is it?" They run around barking acting like someone is there and it was just me playing a game with them from Singapore!

The amazing thing is to see Jake will bark when he hears me walk around or talk on the phone here in Singapore. His ears are so good he can tell it is me and he barks thinking I'm home . Whenever I mute the speaker, he is quiet. Truly amazing.

My last day here... yesterday after going to breakfast I went shopping... my God I spent a lot of money. My credit card got security halted and I could not clear it until 11pm last night because of the time difference. How frustrating! I really was spending a lot of money!

Today it is raining a bit... I am off to Ho Chi Minh City for a conference, so I have to pack and run soon. Danielle and Mark are coming over to the house so while they have a beer they will go on the Webcam and say HI to me in Singapore where I will be having coffee... a party 6,000 miles away and I'll be a part of it! Too cool!

Singapore

I'm always surprised how busy it is here... like New York, tons of people everywhere... and they just shop shop shop. That's ME tomorrow.... I so badly need some new clothes, I am going to spend lots of money. But luckily it is the shopping sales - "The Great Singapore Sale" is from 26 May - 23 June and I'm in the middle of it!

So tomorrow will be just to take it easy... nice, given how hot and humid it is. It is 82 degrees - feels like 92 - and it is almost 10pm! Crazy...

off to bed!

Buenos Aires - photos

You know, getting older is kind of a funny thing. I still get thrilled about opening a luxury hotel - all the activity, seeing the finishing touches, the buzz of excitement in the community. But it is tempered with so much more now - I miss home, Andy, my friends, my parents. My mom is in Ireland - how was her trip? Dad mentioned how well the lawn looks; what did he do to get it that way? Andy's been dealing with the rain in Chicago - has it been that dreary? Are the dogs restless? How is Kim's new job? Funny how I'm more rooted than I ever dreamed I would be. Yet I am happy about it, it keeps things in perspective.

The hotel here is really amazing, and I can't wait to come back and see it in operation. The people are just so wonderful, really warm and truly excited about working at such a spectacular place. Room 208 is just AMAZING, I can't even believe what it will be like with all the activity, guests rushing past the Piano Nobile forgetting they had reserved a Spa suite or a table in the dining room near the cheese room. Just a wonderful place. I can close my eyes and see it happen, but for now, it is just construction and dust dust dust everywhere! The staff gave me a wonderful, personal sendoff... I was very touched...

I haven't worked out for two weeks, I've been sick, working on emails from 7am-8am and 10pm-12am every night, plus dinners and drinks... what a trip! All I want to do is sleep... sleep... sleep... but until then, how about a 12 hour trip from B.A. to Chicago?!?!!!

Look forward to my next trip here when I can actually visit the city! What a concept!

And on a final note... yes, I have now heard of Diego Maradona!

Buenos Aires

Raining today after 4 beautiful days of sun and near-70 degrees. We've been working nonstop downstairs in the basement of our beautiful hotel that is about to open. It is exciting! I look forward to my next visit... after many delays, it appears relatively ontime.

A lot of fun on this visit but a lot of work, too. I have never laughed so much and worked so late. Every night lasts until around 11pm because everyone in S America dines late. So strange to go to dinner at 10pm with almost noone in a restaurant and leave at 11 or 11.30 and see the place full!

The Recoleta district is full of trees and nice buildings....

Leave for home tomorrow!

Sao Paulo - photos

I love this hotel! Truly amazing.... not only is the food incredible and the decor nothing short of perfect, the hotel unpacked all my clothes while I was in meetings and the rest is being sent down to the laundry. I didn't even ask to do this, and I can't wait to get the clothes back because they will look GREAT as if I just bought them from the store! Best hotel in the company!

Literally worked all day and exhausted but looking forward to sleeping in late and then going on a city tour, then come back and change for a fun night of dinner...

But now, off to a massage at Anakena Spa at the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo...

Santiago de Chile

Another long day yesterday... very hot here, unusual for this time of year; I am certain it must have been 80 degrees F. Pollution was real bad, you could barely see the Andes. The new freeway is finished, it now only takes about 25 minutes from the airport to the hotel - it goes for 6km directly under the river in a tunnel.

Will be working most of the time, I am hoping to have some free time later today to at least go to Pura - a great local art store in Las Condes - as well as maybe the nearby mall for a walk; but I am here for work and honestly don't have much free time due to meetings and training...

This morning the Andes look so beautiful as the sun rises over them. Such a spectacular setting for a city!

Earthquake in Mendoza!
(earthquake map to the left, this quake in red)

In a deep sleep, I was awakened at just a few minutes past 6am by a quite strong quake. It lasted I would guess 15 seconds and was in a rolling motion - I was sufficiently certain that the quake had awoken my colleague Maria, so I called her in her room.... and yes, Maria was wide awake!

I tried to look on-line to find a registry but so far haven't found it listed.... will keep looking, but if it was centered here, my guess it was between a 5.0 and a 6.0. Definitely strong enough but no damage, I'm sure....

Lest anyone forget, Mendoza was famously destroyed by an earthquake in 1861; its wide boulevards and strategically placed plazas were created to allow buildings to crash into the street yet provide space for people and emergency equipment to move around them to the official congregation points - the plazas. The ruins of the cathedral remain to remind the residents of just how dangerous the area is...

The USGS posted this on their website... a 5.1, but at 129.5 miles, very deep in the earth... a good guess by me!

MAG UTC DATE-TIMEy/m/d h:m:s LATdeg LONdeg DEPTHkm Region
5.1 2006/05/09 09:02:27 -32.374 -69.266 129.5 MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

link: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php

Mendoza, Argentina - photos

Cloudy skies this mid-Autumn day in Mendoza. The wide boulevards appear as tree-tunnels with ceilings of orange and gold. The plazas are quiet as any typical Sunday afternoon, the occasional family or couple walking by.

Such a pretty little city. The hotel welcomed us in open arms as always; after settling in, I called Dave who runs www.vinesofmendoza.com. He has a tasting room on the edge of the plaza and he knows my friends Aimee, Kim and Cheryl. We had a nice glass of Cabernet and talked about our mutual friends and what we are doing in life. It was a fun, relaxing conversation in a comfortable slick tasting room just steps off the Plaza Independencia. He invited us to an asado, which is an Argentine barbeque, tonight at 9pm.

After our talk, Maria and I walked around the streets and up through the park to the lake. A long walk, but very nice on a Sunday afternoon. Very peaceful, but it was funny to see some Americans (obviously) walk by in their t-shirts and shorts (too cold for that) and dogs. Now it is a rest with a glass of Malbec by Trapiche (just had this in Chicago last Thursday!) in my room before a walk through the art fair and then the asado!

Aeropuerto - Santiago de Chile

It amazes me how great it is to fly down to South America... because there is relatively no time change to North America, there is no jet lag, only what I call travel lag.... that is, just feeling tired from being in a seat for 12 hours. Since I had dinner on the flight to Miami, I literally skipped it on the flight down and slept 20 minutes into take off, waking up only 45 minutes before landing. That's 7 hours of sleep on a flight! I feel a bit groggy but good!

Flying down here is so cool, along the Andes mountain range. The sun was just starting to rise - that deep blue/red colour on the horizon - and you could see the outline of the mountains, still snow capped of course. Incredibly gorgeous. Nearing landing, as is usual this time of year, you can see the low fog hugging the valleys, nooks and crannies of the low mountains. Pretty. At least not enough to delay my arrival!

I am waiting in the Admirals Club (strangely like its namesake - an old ship Admiral's office, wood and plaid seats - yuck) drinking my powdered orange juice waiting for Maria. She is getting in any minute from México D.F. and then we fly together to Mendoza. Today, we will meet Marlenne at the airport, then after getting settled to do some wine tasting and join an asado - a traditional barbeque of Argentine beef. Yummy! Oddly, Aimee's friend Dave moved to Mendoza so there will be an MSU contact there... we're everywhere!

Ok, off to finish my Tang...

Washington, DC

Fourth week of travel in a row.... wow, I'm tired. At least the weather here is great... the hotel runs an apartment building next door, it has been nice to "live like a local" for a change. I went to the supermarket on Monday and bought food for the week; went for a walk in Georgetown on Monday, then nice to be able to walk to the health club and relax a little more instead of living in a hotel for a week. Comfortable.

Next week I'll be in Chicago the whole week.... hooray!

Always forget how nice the city is here. Georgetown is so charming; cobblestone streets and old colonial row buildings with cherry blossom trees shedding their buds. Very pretty.

I also am now totally addicted to American Idol. I was for sure that Ace (the pretty boy) would be kicked off this week, but he actually did alright - the pretty dumb chick, Kellie, is for sure saying sayonara. She totally messed up! A fun thing to follow while I'm traveling... I call Andy after every singer commenting on who was the best.

Home on Friday!!!

Mexico City

I'm famous! Check out the publication of some brief questions asked of me at my conference here in Mexico...

http://www.eyefortravel.com/index.asp?news=50445

Next stop, Entertainment Tonight!

Mexico City

I'm always surprised how much I like this city; perhaps because I'm staying in the nicest area, Polanco. Parks, cafés, boutiques all over. The architecture is great - old traditional Mexican homes next to modern marvels. Really eclectic, neat, upscale.

The first day here it was so clear you could see the mountains, but not today... very smoggy, which is per the norm. Warm though, nice to be here in April - that is, if I every get outside!

Worked a ton, that is the worst part of work travel. I work until midnight, then get up before 7am and work more. Work work work work work, it is truly exhausting.

Home tomorrow... and Minneapolis next week!

Washington, DC

In town to help re-open the Park Hyatt Washington. Flight delayed due to rain at ORD... funny how a 3 hour delay seems like no big deal as long as you travel domestically... even if I were flying to California, it still would be shorter than most international trips...

Always surprised every time I come here, which isn't often. It is a pretty city with so many things to do, yet I never take advantage. This year my H.S. reunion is here (20th, no less!) and it will be at the Grand Hyatt. I stay there tomorrow night... city is sold out, so my first night is in Crystal City - not exciting at all.

Weather incredible, I hope I get a chance to enjoy it. Probably not tomorrow however - I have an 8am conference call, a 9.30 meeting, then a 12pm conference call and more work the rest of the day, dinner at 7.30 and a conference call to India at 10pm. I'll be pooped...

Ciao for now... (p.s. watched American Idol for the first time last night, that girl Paris is quite a singer!)

Cancun – post Hurricane Wilma - photos

What an interesting journey.

A trip to Cancun to revise the pricing for one of our two hotels in Cancun, and I must admit, I was fascinated with what a “disaster zone” might look like. I had heard the news reports that much had been cleaned up; however, when I tried to book a room, I could find few hotels and the rates were high. This was an indication to me that things weren’t auite back to normal yet. Boy was I right.

From the airport, you couldn’t tell – even leaving it, it was perfectly clean and manicured, as always. However, a few kilometers in and you could see many of the trees stripped of their colour, many simply with their tops removed. About 10 kilometers in, the road rides a levee of sorts; on the lagoon side the edge was filled with toppled, naked trees.

The Hilton is the first hotel at the edge of the hotel zone, and immediately one can see the sign and patches of paint stripped, the glass roof gone and many windows boarded up. As you enter the hotel zone, you continue to see such damage, interspersed with completely rebuilt hotels (Fiesta Americana, Le Meridien) next to hotels that had been really badly hit (the Aqua, which was completely torn apart; the Gran Melia, whose glass domes – four of five – were completely gone; the Sheraton, which was literally leveled, now just a sign and bare grass with specks of rubble).

The Hyatt Cancun Caribe managed relatively well considering; “average” damage. The Hyatt Regency was torn apart, now stripped bare even of its doors by the insurance company. Nothing left but a skeleton.

I think the most amazing scenes were those of the Gran Melia – it is such a large hotel, to see such damage was astounding – and the edge of the Hyatt Cancun Caribe one could look in at a room from the beach and the iron rivets inside the concrete were literally bent up. I could look straight into a room from the beach, nothing left, no wall or windows.

Wow, the power of a hurricane!
But in all this damage, the people were keeping the places as clean as possible and working hard to restore…

Tokyo

Well, we're at the airport waiting to get home. Tokyo has been a bit of a surprise. We arrived to a blinding snowstorm, they had their heaviest snowfall in 10 years the day we arrived. About half a foot! Coming from where we left Bali which was 85 degrees at 11pm, this was a shock to our system...

We took the subway (clean, a little confusing to figure out) to the Dingka-gai (Electric Town) area to check out all of the electronics. It was a blast... especially when we adventured into a Pachinko Machine Gambling place. I had totally forgot about pachinko machines, we had one as a kid - kind of like a pinball machine but many more and smaller balls, and very colourful. Unlike with a pinball machine, though, you turn knobs to get the balls into certain holes (whereas in pinball you move bumpers to keep a single ball from the single hole). People were gambling with the number of balls they were gathering, then they turn them in. Fasinating.

We also then walked into many electronic shops and realised we don't need anything (!!!), so we went to these anime toy stores. Totally cool - Andrew bought a doll for around 5,000 Yen ($50) that is a sexy girl wearing a band uniform. Artful, different. Awesome.

At night we went on a tour of the Park Hyatt Tokyo and then the hotel took us to drinks and also took care of our dinner at the New York Grill - where Scarlett Joahnnsen and Bill Murray had dinner in Lost in Translation. Quite a treat, and the blizzard finally cleared to show a spectacular view of Tokyo - all snow covered under the city lights.

Today we went to a famous shrine (forgot the name) - we wished for a friend of ours to get well and got a fortune. Then went to Ginza where we went down a side street and bought lunch at a place that spoke no English and thankfully had pictures on the menu of the food - tempura vegetables on rice plus noodle soup. Safe and easy. Finally went home, packed and here we are!

Final note - the airport must be further away from any major city than any other airport/city combo in the world. It takes over an hour to get to the airport from the city edge!

Look for a note for photos, will post them when we get home. Actually looking forward to it! Time to go see Andy, he's bored watching TV in Japanese...

Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia

This place is awesome. We already have two full suitcases full of stuff to bring back from Bali and we still want more! Extremely inexpensive and truly wonderful. Today is our fifth day here, so here are some of the highlights:

- Five hour spa day at the Bali Hyatt, in Sanur, just north of where we are now (the Grand Hyatt). Massages, milk bath, even lunch. Truly relaxing and amazing.

- Ubud is art, art and more art. Never seen so much art lining the streets for miles even getting there. Very touristy but well done.

- People here very poor and life is difficult. At the Grand Hyatt there literally must only be 20 guests in a 750 room hotel. Every local we talk to says work is "bad", you're the "first customer in a week" or a month even. The Balinese don't consider themselves Indonesian and are unhappy about the terrorism - only that. Very happy people despite such difficult working environment.

- Went to Monkey forest, with a temple, etc. Monkeys everywhere, at first amazing, now just irritating, but it is interesting to see them wherever there are temples. Aggressive, grab at your sarong/backpacks for anything.

- Temples everywhere, so beautiful but there is one every 500 feet. Get a bit desensitised, but they are truly amazing.

- Took a drive and got lost (worst driving conditions I have seen anywhere, period). But we got lost at the most amazing place, in the middle of nowhere and found out later we were in the center of the island - rice fields, small villages, poor, spectacular scenery. Can't wait to get the pictures published.

- Went white water rafting in a gorge in a rain forest, jungle with waterfalls and hanging bridges all over. Never seen anything like it, every once in a while a hotel will be perched 1,000 feet up the cliff from where we were. Truly spectacular, out of Jurassic Park.

- Massive rain storm last night, about the loudest thunder we've ever heard. All night! But rain is only part of the day, then gets clear or partly cloudy rest of day.

That is it for the time. Can't believe trip is almost over, leave for Tokyo late Friday and then there all day Saturday, come home on Sunday. See you all soon...

Kuala Lumpur

What a great trip so far.... we've had nothing but splendid weather, lots of fun and rest. Hard to believe we aren't even half way through the trip. Our last day in Thailand we went on an elephant ride, it was awesome. Andy fed a baby elephant and hugged it, it was so cute - it even danced and played the harmonica for us!

Kuala Lumpur has been as hot and humid as I remember, just miserable - although not quite as bad as last time. We toured the mosques and went to the Petronas towers where we also had lunch. Amazing to see an area filled with culture, then take the train and 10 minutes later be in a mega-mall. This city is filled with such yin and yang. I'm in the executive club lounge at the Hilton (ha ha - got an upgrade thanks to American Airlines, they have no idea I work for Hyatt) and we're about to go off to Petaling Street, which is a huge section of streets in Chinatown that are covered over the top of the buildings and have a street fair at night.

Tomorrow, off to 8 days in Bali!

Ciao for now...

Hua Hin, Thailand

We are doing well here in Thailand. After a grueling 30 hour trip to Bangkok (thank God for the Cathay Pacific business lounge in Hong Kong, at least a little luxury on the trip), we had an amazing river tour of the Bangkok canals and visited the Grand Palace just as the sun broke out and it hit 90 degrees. Boy was it hot! But when we get the pictures up when we get back, you'll have to see it - just amazing. We also went to a transsexual cabaret show which was... interesting.

Now in Hua Hin, a tiny town on the coast. Beautiful hotel and a cute town, did the night market last night. We've already got tons of stuff and we're only at day 4 of our vacation!Today we are going to hike to the little hill at the end of the beach and visit the temple. Then I am taking a Thai kickboxing class after spending time by the pool... tomorrow we are taking elephant rides and more pool time before heading to Kuala Lumpur.

Already feel a world away and we only started the vacation! Weather cooler than normal, except for the one hot day, it has been mid 80s and sunny all the time.
Biggest surprise: how clean Bangkok is and how friendly everyone is. A very, very happy people.

Until next time... got a beach to visit...