July 16, 2014
July 14, 2014
Foz do Iguaçu + Rainiest Day Ever in the History of Rainy Days
How many of you can say you've been to a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Anybody? Any living soul reading this right now? No....not one of you? Well....I HAVE! Not to toot my own horn or anything (toot. toot.)
Ladies and Gentleman....have you ever seen such a beautiful sight? This is the Iguazu Falls or Foz de Iguaçu (Cataratas do Iguaçu) In Portuguese. It is the world's more incredible waterfall that finds its home in the area of South American where the borders of Brazil Argentina and Paraguay meet.
Who can say they hiked through a rain forest in the rain to get to the world's most amazing waterfall? This girl.
Seriously...isn't this jaw droppingly, slap your mother, hold the phone amazing? The whole time I was there I was thinking...I can't believe places like this exist on this earth. It's like something straight out of a dream.
**There's no where to go but everywhere...so get going! ~ The Green-Eyed Venuist
Ladies and Gentleman....have you ever seen such a beautiful sight? This is the Iguazu Falls or Foz de Iguaçu (Cataratas do Iguaçu) In Portuguese. It is the world's more incredible waterfall that finds its home in the area of South American where the borders of Brazil Argentina and Paraguay meet.
Now, travel back in time with me for a moment. The date is May 14, 2013. We arrived at the small, very very small Foz do Iguaçu International Airport in the middle of some light rain showers. We weren't phased, we were too stoked about what adventures the next day would bring. (Please keep this rain in mind as it will be a significant factor in today's post). We get to the hotel, check in and ask about the next day's forecast. We're told that it might rain a little....understatement of the century. It stormed all night.
The next morning, we get up super early to meet our tour guide. The first thing he does is hand us clear plastic ponchos. This can't be a good sign.
After getting some administrative things situated, we finally arrived to Iguazu National Park. It's already raining and...this is not just any kind of rain. This is the kind of rain you'd want to take cover from - torrential rain that would normally have caused me to cancel the tour and go back to the hotel and seek refuge in a door's threshold, a bathtub or something. Our guide assured us that the downpour wouldn't last long, he'd given the tour in the rain before and we'd be just fine (He was wrong). We strapped on our ponchos, tried to cover ourselves and our belongings as best as possible and headed out.
This is what it looked like....all. day. long. I've never actually seen so much rain. Ever in life.
Let me also point out that our clear plastic poncho did little to nothing to shield us from the rain. The tour lasted the entire day and it rained the entire day. Our guide had to lay towels down in his back seat for us to sit on. We were beyond drenched...all the way down to our underwear.
Despite the unwelcome, over-abundance of rain, we still managed to experience the awe-inspiring falls and it was just as magnificent as it would have been on a clear day. It's likely that I would not have appreciated the experience as much if it had not rained.
Seriously...isn't this jaw droppingly, slap your mother, hold the phone amazing? The whole time I was there I was thinking...I can't believe places like this exist on this earth. It's like something straight out of a dream.
Every time I look at these pictures I consider photography as a hobby. Despite the hurricane-style deluge, I managed to snap some pretty amazing pics; without completely ruining my camera or falling over the railing in the process.
So, it rained on our parade. Literally.
In the end, I learned an alternate meaning for the phrase, "Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain". Of course mine was a less than figurative interpretation because I actually hiked through the forest in a monsoon but it was totally and completely relevant. Just imagine, if we had chosen to cancel the tour that stormy day, I never would have seen this with my own green eyes. I would never have this story to tell. Having stories is part of the adventure, right? I think having a story to tell is one of the best parts about traveling. Of course that's not the only reason I do it but I think it makes me a more interesting person. I have stories to tell about the places I've been, tons of them, and I'm just beginning. In fact, posting on this blog is good outlet for the stories. Don't worry though, I won't tell them all here. Afterall, I need something to talk to people about in person ;-)
What's your favorite travel story? Share with me in the comments below.
**There's no where to go but everywhere...so get going! ~ The Green-Eyed Venuist
July 11, 2014
Let's Talk About Airplanes for a Moment....
The worst thing I ever did was rearrange the furniture in my office. Now I have a full frontal, mid level view out of these over-sized windows and I find myself spending large portions of the day....Just. Staring. Not much work gets done during these not so brief interludes in my day. Check out the view. Not too shabby, huh? The sky is what really gets me.
Below, I watch the cars maneuver the intersection. I witnessed the ground-up construction of that apartment complex to the right. Other times, I watch the lunch crowd meandering the streets. Above, I enjoy watching the billowing clouds. I delight in watching storms roll in and I'm even pacified by the sound of thunder and rain against this window. I hears sounds of horns honking, car alarms, jack hammers, etc. But, of my favorite peering out of my office window activities, none is more fascinating than watching a single airplane drift through the sky. You wanna know why I love watching airplanes? Because the possibilities are endless.
Have you ever taken the time to really think about how magnificent airplanes really are? A plane carries hundreds of people in the air, at incredible rates of speed, to destinations thousands of miles away in a matter of hours. Think about that....really let that settle in.
Let's have a little math problem, shall we? Here are some slightly irrelevant facts but...it helps paint the picture. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner can seat up to 335 passengers. Its top speed is 593 mph (I got my car up to 120 mph one time....is that close or nah?). Now, let's pick a destination....I'm thinking Rio de Janeiro because I love that place. Rio is 5,021 miles from Houston. At its top speed, a Dreamliner can get you to Rio in 8 hours and 57 mins. That's a little over the amount of time most of us spend sitting behind a desk at work! Can you imagine?? One single work day's worth of time and you can be in paradise!!!
It's interesting though, I've never been a huge fan of flying. Planes can be uncomfortable and stuffy, you can get stuck in the middle seat between two fat guys, you can have the misfortune of being assigned the seat by the lavatories or the seat in the exit row that doesn't recline, the seat next to the lady with the big hips that ooze out of her seat and into yours and make the whole left side of your body hot for the entire 3 and a half hour flight, and a host of other bad things. But....knowing that on the other end of that plane ride is some new and exciting adventure, I deliberately and anxiously board the flight.
That sentiment is great but, 94.7% of the time, I'm actually wondering where that plane has been or is going....From where I'm sitting, there is an airport both to the north and south of me. Literally, the possibilities are ENDLESS. But wait.....I don't think you feel me....the planes I see could truly be going or coming from anywhere. The options of destinations or points of departure are indeterminate, countless, boundless, ceaseless (I could go on but I think you get it now) and that provokes me....but in a good way and boy, does my mind wander.
Yesterday, I noted 6 planes zoom past my humble view. I imagined the first one was flying to Pittsburgh. The second one was flying to London but would ultimately land in Paris. The third plane's final destination was Reykjavik, Iceland. Plane number 4....Columbus, Ohio. Plane 5 was heading to Vegas with a stop over in San Diego. Finally, plane 6 was carrying its passengers to Zurich and I imagined I was on it. Actually, I imagined that the plane hoovered over my building and dropped down a ladder for me and when I scurried upwards onto the plane and into the cabin, the passengers cheered, the flight attendant handed me a chilled glass of champagne and the pilot pinned wings on the lapel of my jacket but....I digress.
That's enough for today. Everyone enjoy the weekend!
**There's no where to go but everywhere.....so get going! ~ The Green-Eyed Venuist
Below, I watch the cars maneuver the intersection. I witnessed the ground-up construction of that apartment complex to the right. Other times, I watch the lunch crowd meandering the streets. Above, I enjoy watching the billowing clouds. I delight in watching storms roll in and I'm even pacified by the sound of thunder and rain against this window. I hears sounds of horns honking, car alarms, jack hammers, etc. But, of my favorite peering out of my office window activities, none is more fascinating than watching a single airplane drift through the sky. You wanna know why I love watching airplanes? Because the possibilities are endless.
Have you ever taken the time to really think about how magnificent airplanes really are? A plane carries hundreds of people in the air, at incredible rates of speed, to destinations thousands of miles away in a matter of hours. Think about that....really let that settle in.
Let's have a little math problem, shall we? Here are some slightly irrelevant facts but...it helps paint the picture. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner can seat up to 335 passengers. Its top speed is 593 mph (I got my car up to 120 mph one time....is that close or nah?). Now, let's pick a destination....I'm thinking Rio de Janeiro because I love that place. Rio is 5,021 miles from Houston. At its top speed, a Dreamliner can get you to Rio in 8 hours and 57 mins. That's a little over the amount of time most of us spend sitting behind a desk at work! Can you imagine?? One single work day's worth of time and you can be in paradise!!!
It's interesting though, I've never been a huge fan of flying. Planes can be uncomfortable and stuffy, you can get stuck in the middle seat between two fat guys, you can have the misfortune of being assigned the seat by the lavatories or the seat in the exit row that doesn't recline, the seat next to the lady with the big hips that ooze out of her seat and into yours and make the whole left side of your body hot for the entire 3 and a half hour flight, and a host of other bad things. But....knowing that on the other end of that plane ride is some new and exciting adventure, I deliberately and anxiously board the flight.
That sentiment is great but, 94.7% of the time, I'm actually wondering where that plane has been or is going....From where I'm sitting, there is an airport both to the north and south of me. Literally, the possibilities are ENDLESS. But wait.....I don't think you feel me....the planes I see could truly be going or coming from anywhere. The options of destinations or points of departure are indeterminate, countless, boundless, ceaseless (I could go on but I think you get it now) and that provokes me....but in a good way and boy, does my mind wander.
Yesterday, I noted 6 planes zoom past my humble view. I imagined the first one was flying to Pittsburgh. The second one was flying to London but would ultimately land in Paris. The third plane's final destination was Reykjavik, Iceland. Plane number 4....Columbus, Ohio. Plane 5 was heading to Vegas with a stop over in San Diego. Finally, plane 6 was carrying its passengers to Zurich and I imagined I was on it. Actually, I imagined that the plane hoovered over my building and dropped down a ladder for me and when I scurried upwards onto the plane and into the cabin, the passengers cheered, the flight attendant handed me a chilled glass of champagne and the pilot pinned wings on the lapel of my jacket but....I digress.
That's enough for today. Everyone enjoy the weekend!
**There's no where to go but everywhere.....so get going! ~ The Green-Eyed Venuist
July 8, 2014
Top 50 Cities
Last week, Huff Post Travel Blog posted an article entitled, The Top 50 Cities to See in Your Lifetime. So, of course the first thing I did was click the link, review the list and count how many of the cities I had actually been to. I'm happy to announce that I've been to 11 of the 50 cities on the list. I'm overjoyed to announce that I plan to increase that number to 15 before the end of 2014. Overall, this is a pretty solid list. Make sure you click the link and count the cities you've been to. Let me know your total in the comments and if you plan to add any in the near future.
Reviewing this list got me to thinking.........I've been A LOT of places. I'm exponentially grateful for that. Sadly, this list of 50 places also makes me feel like a complete failure in my travel life. How's a lawyer lady supposed to see the world??? Especially when she has to exact justice all day? 10 days vacation doesn't leave much time for world travel. I haven't even gotten to half of the 50 on this list yet! Don't get me wrong....I've been to several other places that aren't on this list. But this is a comprehensive catalog of the TOP, MOST ESSENTIAL PLACES ON EARTH! These are places I MUST see during my lifetime! Life is short people, time waits for no man....I better get a move on. The biggest problem, however, is that I have to work to support this wanderlust of mine. Working takes up entirely too much time. Once I came across a quote - "I travel alot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine." - this pretty much sums it up. Shoot....I need to win the lottery or something.
** Travel Tip: Travel over holidays. For example, I leave for Greece the Friday before Labor Day weekend. By incorporating the 3-day weekend, I was able to extend my trip to almost 9 days total....but I'm only taking 4 vacation days #winning
So, what's your top 50? Are there any other cities that would consider a must see? Let me know below.
Also...if there are any places on this list you've been dying to see....start planning. I know most of you have vacation days you haven't used. Now's the perfect opportunity to venture outside your comfort zone. It may not be as expensive or unrealistic as you think. Even if traveling to one of the Top 50 isn't totally attainable, go somewhere....do something...make memories.....have stories to tell.
And remember, there's no where to go but everywhere....so get going!
Reviewing this list got me to thinking.........I've been A LOT of places. I'm exponentially grateful for that. Sadly, this list of 50 places also makes me feel like a complete failure in my travel life. How's a lawyer lady supposed to see the world??? Especially when she has to exact justice all day? 10 days vacation doesn't leave much time for world travel. I haven't even gotten to half of the 50 on this list yet! Don't get me wrong....I've been to several other places that aren't on this list. But this is a comprehensive catalog of the TOP, MOST ESSENTIAL PLACES ON EARTH! These are places I MUST see during my lifetime! Life is short people, time waits for no man....I better get a move on. The biggest problem, however, is that I have to work to support this wanderlust of mine. Working takes up entirely too much time. Once I came across a quote - "I travel alot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine." - this pretty much sums it up. Shoot....I need to win the lottery or something.
** Travel Tip: Travel over holidays. For example, I leave for Greece the Friday before Labor Day weekend. By incorporating the 3-day weekend, I was able to extend my trip to almost 9 days total....but I'm only taking 4 vacation days #winning
So, what's your top 50? Are there any other cities that would consider a must see? Let me know below.
Also...if there are any places on this list you've been dying to see....start planning. I know most of you have vacation days you haven't used. Now's the perfect opportunity to venture outside your comfort zone. It may not be as expensive or unrealistic as you think. Even if traveling to one of the Top 50 isn't totally attainable, go somewhere....do something...make memories.....have stories to tell.
And remember, there's no where to go but everywhere....so get going!
July 2, 2014
Stay-cationing in The Woodlands and this weekend's festivities
Houstonians are territorial. You either live in Houston or...you don't. The Woodlands is technically a burb of Houston but if you were to ask anyone that lived there, they'd swear it was it's own continent. It's far enough from the inner city to feel like a whole different venue but close enough that you don't have to go broke or forego cable for the month in order to get there.
Last weekend, several friends and I decided to continue a newly founded tradition of stay-cationing at our friend David's home in the woodlands. David's house is like an oasis outside of the city (hence our weekend usage of #outsidetheloop in all social media postings) and a perfect place to getaway for a while-with lots of room, a huge kitchen and one of the most beautiful backyards with a pool. Check out the pic below:
Gorgeous, right? It was especially perfect given that I currently completely fed up with work and my mundane daily routine. I think part of the reason I love to travel so much, of course I get to see and experience new things, but it really makes me appreciate home. I love heading south on 59 from IAH. The moment I am greeted by the Houston skyline, I get this incredible sense of H-town pride. Plus, who doesn't yearn to feel the cool sheets of their own bed after a long trip?
Despite the fact that Houston is the 4th largest metropolitan city in the US, it is seriously lacking in nightlife options for the professional, semi social 30+ crowd. Also, the 7 of us all come from different backgrounds, culturally, professionally, etc. Fortunately, our first night out we managed to find a venue that suited all our varied interests and we danced the night away on a humid rooftop deck to the sounds of a pretty cool DJ. Here are some pics of me and the ladies:
We directed our caravan back to David's Resort (I coined this name, by the way) later that night and stayed up talking, listening to music and taking a moonlit dip in the pool. If it weren't for the swarms of mosquitoes, this would have been near paradisaical.
The next morning, the women shopped and prepared brunch and some additional guests joined us. In addition to my love for traveling, I love foooooood. As does my brother. So, we kinda ended up taking over the brunch preparations. Dorian requested my famous cornbread pancakes so I had to introduce them to the group. The cornbread pancakes are a creation from my kitchen....what makes them so special is the addition of Parmesan cheese, butter and scallions. There are two ways they can be done - the easy way is to mix the cheese into the batter. The better way, and my personal favorite, is to sprinkle cheese onto the pancakes while they're in the pan on the uncooked side. That way, when you flip them over, the cheese cooks into the batter and you get this amazing cheesy, crispy crust on one side. The first time I made these for my family....I couldn't flip them fast enough! They were gone within minutes!
We spent the remainder of the day by the pool, on a mission to get me tanned. I managed to catch a few rays but I've got a long way to go before I reach my optimum shade of almondy. lol.
Finally, it was time to head home. Dorian and I spent the rest of our Saturday evening on a party bus with good friends. I didn't get a pic with my bff, Alan, but this night was in celebration of him so we definitely had to be there to share it with him.
Sunday was brunch at Hearsay Gastro Pub with #lesbellesnoir....my weekend brunch club with fellow law school grads. We met two new friends, whom essentially joined us in our quest to find the bottom of the bottomless mimosas....see the pic below:
Last weekend, several friends and I decided to continue a newly founded tradition of stay-cationing at our friend David's home in the woodlands. David's house is like an oasis outside of the city (hence our weekend usage of #outsidetheloop in all social media postings) and a perfect place to getaway for a while-with lots of room, a huge kitchen and one of the most beautiful backyards with a pool. Check out the pic below:
Gorgeous, right? It was especially perfect given that I currently completely fed up with work and my mundane daily routine. I think part of the reason I love to travel so much, of course I get to see and experience new things, but it really makes me appreciate home. I love heading south on 59 from IAH. The moment I am greeted by the Houston skyline, I get this incredible sense of H-town pride. Plus, who doesn't yearn to feel the cool sheets of their own bed after a long trip?
Despite the fact that Houston is the 4th largest metropolitan city in the US, it is seriously lacking in nightlife options for the professional, semi social 30+ crowd. Also, the 7 of us all come from different backgrounds, culturally, professionally, etc. Fortunately, our first night out we managed to find a venue that suited all our varied interests and we danced the night away on a humid rooftop deck to the sounds of a pretty cool DJ. Here are some pics of me and the ladies:
We directed our caravan back to David's Resort (I coined this name, by the way) later that night and stayed up talking, listening to music and taking a moonlit dip in the pool. If it weren't for the swarms of mosquitoes, this would have been near paradisaical.
The next morning, the women shopped and prepared brunch and some additional guests joined us. In addition to my love for traveling, I love foooooood. As does my brother. So, we kinda ended up taking over the brunch preparations. Dorian requested my famous cornbread pancakes so I had to introduce them to the group. The cornbread pancakes are a creation from my kitchen....what makes them so special is the addition of Parmesan cheese, butter and scallions. There are two ways they can be done - the easy way is to mix the cheese into the batter. The better way, and my personal favorite, is to sprinkle cheese onto the pancakes while they're in the pan on the uncooked side. That way, when you flip them over, the cheese cooks into the batter and you get this amazing cheesy, crispy crust on one side. The first time I made these for my family....I couldn't flip them fast enough! They were gone within minutes!
We spent the remainder of the day by the pool, on a mission to get me tanned. I managed to catch a few rays but I've got a long way to go before I reach my optimum shade of almondy. lol.
Finally, it was time to head home. Dorian and I spent the rest of our Saturday evening on a party bus with good friends. I didn't get a pic with my bff, Alan, but this night was in celebration of him so we definitely had to be there to share it with him.
Sunday was brunch at Hearsay Gastro Pub with #lesbellesnoir....my weekend brunch club with fellow law school grads. We met two new friends, whom essentially joined us in our quest to find the bottom of the bottomless mimosas....see the pic below:
Reflecting on this weekend.........it was definitely one for the books. Tell me about your weekend...or your travel plans for the upcoming July 4th weekend! 3 days weekends are the perfect opportunity to get away....I wanna hear from you! Oh yeah, be safe out there folks and remember: there is nowhere to go but everywhere...so get going!
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