Arrived in Brazil ~ Ahhh!

I’m here in Brazil now happily scratching my mosquito bites with the wonderful company and comforts of ^home^ away from home.
Missing you all very much, will write more about the final parts in Patagonia, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo
xoxo cy

South America ~ Photos

Peru ~ Amazon Jungle & Lake Titicaca ~ 52 photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=86186&id=790580483&l=ab980145a0

Peru ~ Machu Picchu ~ 51 photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=86188&id=790580483&l=2d82d7193d

Bolivia ~ Salt Flats & Uyuni ~ 59 photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=86909&id=790580483&l=a1d9b3dc88

Chile ~ Fjords & Horseback Riding ~ 50 photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87018&id=790580483&l=9d59c8f8c6

Chile ~ Patagonia ~ 60 photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87023&id=790580483&l=8e7344a9be

Argentina ~ Patagonia ~ 45 photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87300&id=790580483&l=cd9289b90c

Buenos Aires, Argentina ~ Dec.15/16

Arrived in Buenos Aires again. It is nice to be here. We are exhausted. We slept in, we relaxed. We played tourist for a few hours through the city and were probably too relaxed...

In the evening, we went to a salsa lesson (for which we were the top of the class after an hour, I’m sure of it!) Heh heh heh! We will try this again, soon! FUN!! We then ate a steak dinner and watched a great Salsa show. Ahh, only in Argentina!

Comments on Bolivia, Patagonia, Argentina & Chile ~ Nov.29 - Dec.16 '07

*Bolivia:

So Bolivia was one of the highlights of the trip for sure. The expansive views were unknown to me. I knew earth was beautiful, but this reminded me that beauty is not just the known and even taken for granted: forests, jungles, deserts, mountains, oceans, beaches, cities, sky and space we know, but also the celebration of the unknown. Bolivia was this for me. The combination of unlikely minerals and reactions between one mineral and the other made a mysterious and wonderful, toxic and intoxicating scene that filled my eyes and heart. The colour, texture and resultant atmospheres were of seemingly unlikely combinations and were like something out of this world.

Having the constants I already know (and don’t take for granted): beautiful sunset skys, cliffs, volcanoes, dessert all mixed with the unknown and unfamiliar, made me feel so privileged and actually, quite insignificant on this earth. What an amazing feeling.

The touristy annoyances, the bothersome and often smelly transportation to arrive to this destination (including our terrible, ignorant and rude tour guide) was all extremely forgettable once we got to see the magnificence of the salt flats and the surrounding high (4600m) desert. FYI, we had a “guide” a driver and a cook. None of us could stand the guide who was quickly completely ignored by all of us leaving the remaining 4 of us to have a great time despite the excess baggage of one human. :D

*Patagonia ~ Chile and Argentina:

We arrived by Ferry. We took a 3 day ferry ride southward along the Chilean Fjords. Unfortunately, due to a scheduling problem, the ferry was a day late and the sites we were supposed to pass during the day, we passed at night. None the less the views we saw were beautiful including my first ever glacier! It was 5 kms across and about 20 meters high. What a sight! We had to punch a couple of aggressive tourists to get a good view. Joking, but I wanted to! :D Perhaps I was the aggressive tourist! Hawhaw! Gurrrr!

Patagonia is simply breath taking. We hiked a lot through the Torres del Paine National Park. The flora and fauna are spectacular. Everything is undisturbed and works perfectly with everything else. The way nature should be and for great distances. It’s so very pure there that you can truly find your inner peace.

We hiked 43kms in the first 3 days. I injured my ankle on the first day and hiked over 20kms on it none the less. Evgueni probably did about 25kms more with 2 more hiking days than I. But truly, the hiking was a part of the whole experience. Camping played another great part. We had so much fun in tents (it was nice and warm!) And one night our group of 8 stayed in a cabin with a bunk each. The space must have been about 35 square meters (about 350sf)! How you wonder?: one bunk was 2 beds high and 2 bunks were 3 beds high. These were not kiddie-bunks so the 3rd bud was at least 5 meters (18 feet) high. That night, 3 of us were ill plus me with my ankle to pamper. Suffice to say, there weren’t enough lower bunks! Oh what fun! :D

Patagonia is wild! Don’t ever ask what the weather will be like because the locals will roll their eyes and avoid answering. The answer is: everything. Why?: in one day you can have: rain, sun, hail, snow, major summer heat and major winter cold. And then there is the wind. A light wind is about 60kms/hr. We arrived at a moment where the weather was: overcast with sporadic big, cold drops of rain with an accompanying wind of 80kms/hr.

Patagonia, Chile (Torres del Paine National Park)

Hi Everyone!!

We´re in Patagonia, Chile now!
We´ve just returned from 3 days on the Pacific ocean traveling southward along the fjords, while mini-iceberg and 5km wide glacier spotting. Some in our group were sea-queasy and nappy, myself included. The 3 lazy days were followed by a strict exercise diet (4 days of hiking) through the Patagonian wonderlands (Torres del PAIN), viewing gorgeous mountains, landscapes, lakes, wildlife, trees, shrubs, skys, clouds, glaciers etc. My total mileage was 43kms. Evgueni did about 20 or so more. Cause: my boots were too tight and screwed up my ankle a bit - I lost a day. I expect to be back to normal soon! I actually scheduled it.... :P

Today it´s been sunny, warm with a warm breeze and now it´s getting cool. We experienced an assortment of amazing weather every day. I thought there were only 4 seasons, but apparently, there are more! Sunny one minute, rain, hail and powerful cold wind the next. The wind started at 90km per hour one day then mostly died the next in time to whack us with much stronger than 90kmph on another day. We saw snow which turned to ice or water. We got wet. But don´t worry about it since we were soon dried by the lovely sun, then got wet again by our sweat. Suffice to say, we were weathered and stinky. It was wonderful!
I´m now my normal clean self again though as I write this (not a scratch and sniff email).

Next we´re off to see Calafate, and Perito Moreno (huge glacier) then Buenos Aires again. I will write more soon. On the 16th I head to Sao Paulo and on the 18th Evgueni is planning to head to Montreal.

Ciao chicos,
Cybèle xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Patagonia, Argentina

Hello All!!
I hope all is well!

I don´t know if you heard... , but I just wanted you all to know that a GAP Adventures ship sank in the Antarctic. Don´t worry, it wasn´t us! :) Although we seriously considered taking that trip!!! Phew!!

Evgueni and I are doing quite well, we’re truly in the swing of things now! Packing more lightly, wearing and re-wearing clothing, washing clothing whenever we can, eating extremely hardily and delicious meals (amoeba free too!!!) etc. We’re planning wonderful and successful day trips like horseback riding, sea kayaking, whitewater rafting, hiking etc. It´s truly fantastic! We’ve been in Patagonia within both Argentina and Chile. Patagonia’s weather is truly tempermental and unpredictable! Today we saw overcast skys, rain, hail, sunshine. We managed to coincide our “undercover” ventures during the rainy times. We´re like spys! Crazy! Yesterday we spent the day outside. It was perfect clear weather to view the snow-capped volcanoes on the Chilean-Argentinean boarder. Good thing too because we horseback rode for 5 hours!! What an adventure!! And ouch! Yay for padded chairs!

We´re just about to begin the hiking portion of Patagonia. But before we do, tomorrow we head onto the ferry southward along the Chilean coast (for 3 days). Along the beautiful coast we will see the infamous fiord's where glaciers calve (forming of icebergs)... Can´t wait! We’ve got plenty of warm clothing and gravol to boot. Pacific ocean, here we come!

Well, Abba is on the loudspeaker here *my cue to depart....* Mamma Mia!! Truthfully, I´m in the usual rush so I¨ll write more later.

Take care all and Merry Christmas (naw, I´ll write before then!!)
xoxoxoxoxoxxoo
cy!! :)

After Uyuni & the Salt Flats, Bolivia, Buenos Aires & Bariloche, Argentina

*see details in Nov.29-Dec.16 entry

Hi All,
Time is extremely limited.
We are in Argentina now after having visited the southern parts of Bolivia (Salt Flats and wicked wicked open expansive spaces). Just unreal.

Well, Argentina is like a first world. It´s certainly a wonderful place to be. We spent a very brief 1.5 days in Buenos Aires and 1.5 more won´t be enough but is slated at the end of our trip.
We´re in Bariloche now (almost 8 hours) and pigged out on yummy chocolate. Twice. It´s a regular chocolate heaven. :9

We´re on our way to Chile in 2 days. And I hope to be able to write again soon.
I´m falling desperately behind on my journal, but I plan to return to it soon (Just too busy!!)

Gotta run but I´ll write more later.
xoxoxox cy
PS I´m supposed to be specific: the "we" means Evgueni and I.. in case you weren´t sure (E felt left out) :P

Puerto Maldonada, Peruvian Amazon & Cusco, Peru

Hi All,
I am in Cusco now. I´ve never taken a bumpier plane in my life. This has taken first place for freaky. Everything is fine, plane, etc. but it´s just freaky to fly over mountains - just a touch too much turbulence for me. Landing in Rio, however, still holds it´s secure first place for freaky, despite Cusco´s adventuresome landing. (eep).

Evgueni and I spent 2 wonderful days in the Amazon. Of course it only got better during our stay. We took a plane and arrived in Puerto Maldonada in the rain. The 45 minute bus ride to the river took 1h&15min as we negotiated though puddles on a dirt road. There was no view as the windows were completely foggy, no matter if you wiped them clean (good for 3 seconds) or let the dew drip the fog away. Next we took a motorized canoe for 3 hours against the 8km/hr current along a river. Since the rainy season just started the river was about 1 meter higher than usual. It was a long, cold ride. We hiked in about 15 minutes to the amazing lodge. The whole thing is open. There is a roof overhead, but we are together with the jungle! I had no problem sleeping at night, the jungle sounds lulled me to sleep. Amazon woman perhaps? Cheezy joke, I know... We had a luxurious washroom and I actually didn’t mind the cold shower.

The second night Evgueni and I discovered a really big beetle who was sharing our room (along with the other bugs of course - all overshadowed by this crazy-big beetle!!) No joke it was as long as my index finger and about an inch wide. He was stubborn and wouldn´t pose long for photos. We captured him though and will show you pics later :)

The first (early) morning in the jungle we climbed stairs past the canopy. (Very secure stairs, be assured, I wouldn´t have gone up otherwise). It was just amazing. We saw many birds (macaw’s, parrots and many I can´t think of). The misty morning dew made the beautiful scene in front of us truly magnificent. By about 7am the mist cleared and we could really see for great distances all the emergent trees (trees that extend above the canopy). The only one I could actually recognize was the Brazil nut tree and it´s sun savy vines. As for the other emergent trees, although few, I don´t know their names. Beautiful none the less.

We did a lot of hiking thought the jungle. It was wonderful. The sound of quiet was interrupted by animal sounds, fat drops of water, my feet splooshing and my breathing.

We also went to a farm where many fruits are cultivated (avocados, papaya, mango, bananas, limes, mandarin oranges, gwabana???) and several that I tasted but can´t remember ! Yikes! We also smashed open a Brazil nut shell with a big machete which then revealed a nicely organized bunch of nuts the way I´m used to seeing them in the market. (Imagine a ball with orange-like sections in it but with an additional divide through the equator). It´s funny, but I´ve never particularly liked Brazil nuts, but fresh, they are something else! They were truly delicious!! I´m a Brazil nut nut!

At night (by motorized canoe) we went searching the river for caymans. The guides spotted 2 by their red glowing eyes. I have no idea how they ever got this good unless the conspiracy of the Dutch couple traveling with us is true: they are fake caymen and the monkeys in the trees over top were pulling the strings that made the caymans move. Haha - anyway, it was fun. Pretty cool to see an endangered species in the wild. A bit like in the Galapagos!


Like I said, I am now in Cusco.
Evgueni and I explored for a day and a half. It was supposed to be a half day only, but there was a local labourers strike which impacted the daily routine hence, our Inca Trail departure was delayed by 1 day. The strike was very interesting and actually, as a (ugg - dreaded word) ´tourist´, I actually preferred the city streets being overtaken by locals- forget the cars!! It was easier to catch my breath and to acclimatize to the altitude with deep, less polluted breaths.

Anyway, if you were quick and did the math or caught the nuances between I´s and we´s you would realize that I am either writing from a palm pilot while on the Inca Trail or I’m not on it. The latter is true unfortunately.

I fell rather ill on our extra day in Cusco. It wasn´t exactly sudden as it had been a slow process which became less manageable exactly 12 hours before the (revised) intended departure. I struggled with the decision not to go, but I know my body and ignoring the signals was impossible at this point. Anyway, I am on the road to recovery. I have seen a doctor and am on 4 medications to treat ´Entamoeba hystolitica Levaduras (+++)´. A stupid amoeba.

Things are somewhat under control now as the medicine does its wonders. Evgueni was having some similar symptoms the night before but seemed okay the next day. He was fortunately - rather healthily running around on the morning of the departure. He wasn´t sure if he would do the hike or not but in the end decided he was okay and went. I´m glad for him. I will see him at Machu Picchu on the final day as I will take a train to the site and meet him there for the guided tour. I´m certain he will be shaggy (beard) as he promised and will have many stories to tell me. :)

Well, In the meantime I am here, amazed that I have hours between visiting the snazzy maroon colored porcelain in the hostel room. Can you believe they make toilets in freaky colours! I know when we lived at Banbury (the Meca of colourful porcelain), we had the canary yellow and the baby blue fixtures - but really! Sorry for any tacky graphic images that may conjure...

Anyway, I look forward to a full recovery and must credit GAP and Jesus (our wicked guide) for their help on rearranging my accommodations and travel plans and of course getting me a credible doctor to boot. The lab tests and medication were all organized smoothly and flawlessly. I feel assured that I´ve been taken care of properly. I´ve also got some very kind and sweet travel buddies who have been watching out for me. It´s been pretty good after I got over not going on the hike. (Well, I´m still getting over it to be honest...)

Anyway, enough of this,
I´ll email again soon with better, more news!

XOXOXO Cy

Ecuador ~ The Galapagos & Highlands Photo Album

60 Photos

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=86157&id=790580483&l=95d73e75da

Galapagos, Ecuador & Lima, Peru

Hi All,
E and I are in Lima now.

We had a great time in the Galapagos and also with our short stay in Quito. I'm telling you, the Galapagos are/is great. The wildlife don’t know to be scared of humans. It’s a pristine place. We are not to really interact with the animals and must respect their natural boundaries, but if they come to us it’s fine. They sometimes did!
We toured all of the public islands (to which access is very controlled over 7 days), Although there is some repetition from island to island, each has its unique attributes, ecology and history ~ and most certainly are very interesting. The “black island” was the newest of the lava eruptions (115 years old). As the volcanoes erupt into islands, over time they also shift from west to east until they get pushed under the continent of South America. The Galapagos islands are living proof of this evolution. Traveling from island to island we can see the gradual ecological progress starting with the aforementioned ‘newest island eruption’.

We saw some amazing bä-hoe-hoe patterns (Hawaiian word for rope-looking lava. As the lava cools it drys on top and the hotter lava underneath pulls the drier top layer into very interesting patters). The vegetation is still a minimal here - only 2 plants. A ground shrubby thing and lava cactus. To date there are only 3 of the cacti plants. It was like a scavenger hunt to find them. We found two. Everything else is black lava for many square kilometres. I think it was 30+ - i forget...

Anyway, there was a lot to see, it was a wonderful learning experience with the help of Gino, our great guide/naturalist.

On top of all that, we ate like kings. Yep! I'm probably gaining weight. The good thing in Ecuador is that you are 2.2lbs lighter due to the width of the earth and it's respective gravitational pull. (We took a tour and I learned this on the equator). We also learned other interesting facts that I'll tell you about later. Suffice to say, the earth is not nearly fat enough to make up for all the food we're eating!!!!

Speaking of food...... We tried an Ecuadorian specialty. BBQ'd guinea pig! Aka ‘Cui-cui’. Guinea pigs are highly respected animals as they can sense if a person has a good or bad spirit (kept as pets so they can advise - via a little noise they make for the home owners to determine if they should welcome guests into their home or not ie “cui-cui”) but they are also helpful as they can sense earthquakes/eruptions/earth vibrations well before they become unsafe. To top it all off, when some special occasion arises the Ecuadorians eat their cherished Guinea Pig!!! Go figure!! So when in Ecuador, do as the Ecuadorians do! So we did. It wasn't bad at all. The skin was tough because of how they prepare it - on a spit over the BBQ... and there were greasy parts, (both which I did not eat) but mostly, it was tender, and tasted like ahem, yes, chicken. A bit gamier but like chicken dark meat.

Anyway, the same day we took a tour of the highlands around Quito. Quito is already at approximately 3000meters, but we got up to about 4561 or so. I was okayish (headache for a day and lethargy ~ always) at about at 3000m but could certainly feel the 4600m (did somebody say HEADRUSH!). The drive was beautiful - a bit bumpy at times, but enjoyable none the less. The volcanoes in the distance, the rolling hills, mountains, valleys and rivers. The flora….. all very beautiful!

Anyway, so now we are in Lima in a super-posh hotel on the sub-penthouse level -18th floor - and about to go to a hostel tomorrow - yes, extremes, that's for sure. :)

We walked around Lima for a couple of hours today after checking-in and having a fabulous and late lunch. We heard from some kind Argentians that the food in South America only gets better as we head south (then up to Brazil). Indeed, so far so good! We've tasted some pretty unusual things... Anyway, Lima's roads are full of honking cars that drive with only millimetres of space between mirrors. The honking is for saying: watch out I'm here or go! it's green, or hi, or move, or whatever. It's constant. The city has a lot of poverty and is quite polluted. None the less, we already found some pretty gems of buildings and walking areas. For the safety conscious: about 1 in 10 women seem to wear purses, most clutching them. I didn't wear a purse. I put some money in 3 different pockets and my sock. I carried a photocopy of my documents and tried to blend in. I don't think anyone noticed my bright shiny clothes, my pale face (I have a half decent tan) or my towering size over the locals..... hummm....... I did notice that other tourists are very happy to see fellow tourists and in fact are very easy to spot in a crowd. I think my blending attempts are in vain... :)

Tomorrow, Evgueni and I will do a tour of some old parts of Lima and head to our hostel. On the 4th we will start the next part of our trip: 2 days in the Peruvian Amazon, then Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and other parts of Peru. We will be done by Nov.25 (I think...)

I will try to correspond again before heading out on trip 2/3, but in case I don't, all the best!

I hope everyone is well and that you each have a very good Halloween!! BOO!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
cy

Galapagos, Ecuador

Hi all!
Me again!!!
In the Galapagos now. So far it's been great. It's all very friendly and safe. Saw giant tortoises, swam with sea lions, snorkeled with turtles, rays and schools of fish and sharks too! *sleeping sorry. werird keyboard..., have seen albatrosses and iguanas, climb into cave... so waiting impatiently for the next 4 days...

Things are very cool and \I am feeling the pressure of time as Evgueni is counting down my seconds.... >( i mean .happy face...

beijos e abracos!
Cy

Quito, Ecuador

Hi guys!
Just a quikee!
Just wanted to say hi and that Evgueni and I arrived well.
We head to the Galapagos Islands tomorrow to see all the wildlife.

Today Ecuador is sunny and 16 degrees. Pretty cool for the equator!

So far Evgueni and I have debated about the guanabana fruit (is it in the pineapple family?) and it appears that yes, it is. But it tastes like the lychee fruit and is slippery the same way.

Other than that, we've enjoyed the lovely arrival at a posh hotel. It's fancy shmancy and I now have no idea how I'm going to rough it with a heavy pack and a sub-standard shower. We'll see, as it is all part of the adventure!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
and I'll write ASAP
xoxoxox
cy

CyE travel through S.America ~ Oct.17 '07 - Jan.3 '08

Here's a collection of email correspondence from our trip through South America.

Enjoy!

Chaos hits Mid-2007

So here’s a list of the stuff I think I did from July to October 2007. It may explain the beginning of my craziness:

July:

• Start packing house

• Open a new storage space (again)

• Vamp-up sale of house

• Refinish the basement apartment

• Fix-up the house for showing

• Put house on the market

• Continue French refresher evening courses (started May)

• Give 3 months notice to employer

• Start cleaning-up office and central filing

• Tai Chi & Swimming

• Line-up the sale of my stuff

• Research S.America trip

August:

• Sell house

• Pack more

• Sell stuff

• Give stuff away

• Considerably downsize wardrobe

• Find homes for my plants

• Organize travel insurance

• Organize finances

• Sell my car

• Get new email addy

• Close utility accounts

• Move belongings tightly into storage

• Hound my boss to assign new PM’s for my projects

• Close work projects galore and leave stuff organized

• Study French

• Tai Chi & Swimming

• Research and bookings for S.America trip

• Vaccines

• Passport renewal

• Start shopping for living abroad

September:

• Move into Mom’s apartment

• Wedding

• Last day of work (yay!!)

• Finalize bookings for S.America trip

• Study and write Advanced Sailing exam

• Start shopping for travel needs

• PACK!!!

• Go to France (take some stuff) and return

• Doctors appointments

• Evgueni visits

• Get a “world” (tri-band) phone

• Say farewell…

• Go to Montreal

• Line-up and pay for France home

• Line-up and pay for France car

October:

• Depart from Montreal to S.America!!

Cambridge & London, UK

So on Sunday morning Evgueni's friend Justin and his girlfriend Kara arrived in Paris from Italy on route back to London. Together we toured around Paris a pied (places I've been already, but nice to go again and from a different starting point). It's funny, the first time was very different than the second time. On Sunday the 4 of us headed to Cambridge, Queen's College just outside of London. It's beautiful there. Marianna would love it because it's so much like the Dead Poet's Society living. It's amazing. It also makes me think that Hogwarts is much less impressive than Rowling described in her Potter books. (They're still good).

Anyway, Justin took us punting on a little river/canal that goes through the middle of many of the um, 36 or so colleges in Cambridge. It was beautiful and fun. I should tell you what Punting is (I sure didn't know) it's like taking a gondola but the boats are a bit smaller and less fancy. I tried punting but it's harder than it looks. Well, actually, it looks hard. You stand on the stern of the boat (higher than your guests who are sitting in the boat like a canoe). You have a long rod (aluminum for beginners due to weight and wood for veterans). You push the rod against the bottom of the canal then steer the boat with the rod: rudder-like. Then there are tricks, you need to do a good push just before going under a bridge because the bridges are so low that if you try to pull the rod up too high out of the water you will hit it under the bridge. Plus, you have to remember to crouch! Also, sometimes, the rod sticks in the muck at the bottom. You're supposed to let go so that you don't get pulled in. I went in slow-motion so when it stuck I just twisted and it came loose. But when Evgueni did it, we were going fast (and more zigzaggy than me -again, see my "slow") so when it stuck for him it really stuck. We had to use our emergency paddle to go back and get the rod that was sticking out of the water oddly and in desperate want to be freed. :)

That night we went for dinner at the special Queen's College Formal Hall. It was so beautiful and colourful! The menu was: Aperitifs, (+BYOB: white and red wine) Duck and Liver Mousse with Rocket Salad and Melba toast (the real way), sirloin steak, herbed diced potatoes and Provencal vegetables (I think the lady sensed my vibe and served me extra veggies to boot!) Yay! Dessert was a Raspberry Creme Brulee, port and fairtrade coffee (something like "conflict-free" diamonds.... but not as severe).

They're big into "fairtrade foods". I'll find out more details on this soon. There was a vegetarian menu, but I don't know what it was other than the appetizer (salad of bocconcini and tomato). It looked just as nice. Anyway, because Justin is a senior and head student representative of his college, he said the opening grace and gave a warm welcome. He was also granted nice perks (this part was because he's very friendly and is well liked): extra steak, second dessert and a decanter full of extra port. Much to the chagrin of all of us (alcohol abuse all around)! We then proceeded to the campus bar for double baileys. Then to Justin's room for Champagne to celebrate Evgueni's acceptance into INSEAD. I'm not sure how we made it back to the "hotel" which was actually an unused student dorm. Very nice with a funny Egyptian theme. Interesting! But great! The next 2 days we toured London. And today I'm in Paris.

I must say, I liked London, but found it rather random and somewhat chaotic (except the Tube. That was great!). I never felt the impact of architecture and city planning in one place like I did there. its so random, there is no zoning and no rhyme or reason to buildings. Industrial with commercial, commercial and transportation integrated with residential, residential in the entertainment district and well, no seeming organization to the road systems, the crowds etc and then mix that with the unnatural direction of traffic, it's just weird. I started to get used to where and when to walk (ie crossing the street) just in time to leave - I found a good way to ease into it by walking on the left side of the street where instinct is able to reverse totally and I could better anticipate where the next car could pop-up... That's how it all felt. None the less, there were many lovely and wonderful things to see and experience.

Oh, and the fashion was so VERY random! Lots of punky stuff, with a mix of brit UK trend that we've seen in north America and also some styles that are about 25 years old or that look like they're influenced from Ireland (from movies I've seen). Less money is spend on wardrobe in London than Paris (I think - well, from appearance, I certainly hope so!) Anyway, you can wear some grubby stuff to the theatre and not stand out at all. Oh, if you change the "$" sign to pounds, the price is the same, but of course pounds are about double the cost, so that could explain the reason for the fashion). I also found a dental hygiene article in the paper stating that British lack interest... and thought this was funny based on the stereotypes I've heard. (Dr. Erlich would have liked it - or not!) I've heard things about the mouths of Brits and by the looks of this article, it may be true. I can't say I really noticed their teeth.

On Tuesday evening Evgueni and I went to see Alvin Ailey, American Dance Theatre. It was beautiful. These dancers bring traditional ballet and mix it with modern dance. They wear minimal clothing which is amazing - not so much in the 'ooohhh sexy' way, but rather, because you can actually count every muscle. Wow! They even went bare foot for the second half. Crazy!

Last night as we returned to Paris, it felt like I was coming home after being in London. Despite the language barrier, it feels more structured and comfortable here. Granted, I was only in London for 2 days, which is definitely not a fair chance! London was like NYC but with major history and slightly more orderly traffic despite the wrong directions. Biggest oddity: driving is reversed but in the "tube" on the escalators, it's still walk left, stand right. Bizarre indeed!!

Oh and PS! It's sunny and beautiful in Paris and I'm loving just being here.
:) v.happy!

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