Ode to Eel Soup

One of the joys of travel and embracing each countries cuisine is the surprises you get when you order something that you aren't 100% sure that you know what it is. My spanish is good enough for me to read the description of the menu and take a wild guess and what the dish is. Occasionally I come across a menu item that is out of my vocabulary. In times like these I always choose to let my adventurous side out and if the waiter tells me that it's an excellent choice I'll agree to it.

While visiting Viña del Mar in Chile, i came across a word in spanish that was foreign to me....congrio.  But at the waiter's enthusiastic recommendation combined with my taste for the unknown, I agreed to give my tastebuds their first gamble with "Caldillo de congrio"

When the dish came I knew that I had ordered a fish stew of some sort. It was hot so while waiting for it to cool I googled it on my iphone and in a matter of seconds knew the truth about this dish I had ordered. "Congrio" is the name for conger eel, a species of eel that is common in the Chilean Sea.  The dish is made by boiling together fish heads, onion, garlic, coriander, carrots, pepper. After the ingrediants are boiled stock is poured in.

Caldillo de Congrio is not only one of Chile's national dish but apparently was one of Pablo Neruda's favorites as well. He liked it enough to write a poem about it entitled "Oda al Caldillo de Congrio" (ode to eel soup). Click the link to read the poem as well as the translation into english.


The soup was warm, comforting, nurturing, as if one of the most flavorful sea creatures of ocean decided to have a pool party and invited some vegetables to join in as well. My introduction to this Chilean favorite was time perfectly as fall turned to winter here in South America and I needed something to both warm my body and soul....

Peruvian Comfort Food: Chupe de Camerones

During the first wk of september I paid a visit to a city in Southern Peru called Arequipa. I know that when the average person thinks of Peru they think of Macchu Picchu. But Arequipa with its eternal sun, rich gastronomic scene, horseback riding and river rafting is one of Peru's premier destinations as well.

Being one of the country's gastronomic capitals, I simply could not resist instagraming my food findings. Most people wouldn't know what to expect since Arequipa is not highly marketed as a destination. So it was interesting to see the reactions I got from people over different pics of foods.

Out of all the food pics I took this one got the most reaction on all my social networks fb twitter instagram. Since so much interested seems to be generated in it I've decided to highlight this dish known as "Chupe de Camerones" literally translated "To Suck Shrimp"

Cold Showers and Pink Dolphins

Dolphin-red, the pink dolphin - Boto-vermelho, Boto Cor de Rosa (Photo credit: josé hilton)

The world of travel is incredibly diverse and there are a million places to go and a ton of things to do in each and everyone of them. In addition to that, you'll hear hundreds of opinions on where you should go and what people consider "fun". And the really great part is that nobody is actually wrong in what they think is a good place to go and their idea of fun. But the most important thing is to know who YOU are and what fits with your mind, body, soul, likes, and budget. That can get ultra challenging when you are reading glowing reviews about 100 different places and what a great time someone else had.

Then there is what I call "traveler's intuition". It happens once in awhile when I hear or read about a place and something jumps within me and I just know I'm meant to be there and have that experience. On this particular occasion I was reading up on places to go in Peru. I was browsing through a list of popular cities and things to do in each one of them. Then I came to a place called Iquitos, right in the middle of the Peruvian rainforest.  A city filled with amazon river tours and jungle lodges that serve as accomodation.

A Story for Tomorrow

a story for tomorrow. from gnarly bay productions, Inc. on Vimeo.



Cross-cultural relationships can be without doubt one of the most challenging type of relationships there is. Different languages, different cultures, different worlds.....at times one must wonder why anyone would take on someone who has a completely different language and culture and forsake the ease of going with someone more familiar in your own culture.

The joy of a cross-cultural relationship is that there are actually major benefits and gems to be discovered that you won't have with someone in your own culture. Problems are abound to arise whether you're in a relationship with someone from your own culture or a foreign culture. But where the draw of a cross-cultural relationship is that you won't have the same type of problems that you would have with a member of your own culture. You will have problems but it will be different type of problems.

An Encounter with the Andes

Coming from North American society we are instilled with the idea that faster is better. And in the world of travel, for the most part it is true. If one can cut their travel time in half, then why not?  However there are times when there are hidden gems to be discovered if you are willing to take a slower unconventional path. Like taking a bus from Buenos Aires to Chile instead of flying into Santiago. It may have been a 20 hr ride but that bus ticket gave me a front row seat to see the famed Andes mountain range.

The bus starts from Buenos Aires and then goes to Mendoza Argentina. From Mendoza, the coach takes you directly through the middle of the Andes mountains.   I have heard that the Andes mountains is very diverse but I didn't realize how diverse it was until I sat there glue to the seat my eyes fixated as the sights flashing before my eyes.


The landscape literally changes about every 10 mins. It would go from massive rock formations to seeing snow capped mountains and then to lakes and rivers. The scenery would go from crevices to jagged edges in the blink of an eye.  There is nothing like it in the world.  Seeing the Andes upclose was better than any onboard movie you could ever watch....

Click here to view the full album:


Andes Mountain pics

And My Favorite Word in Spanish is .......SOLIDARIDAD

Todays blog has been brought to you by the letter "S". "S" as in "Solidaridad", my favorite word in the whole spanish language.  There aren't many words in the spanish language that carry a weight or sentiment behind them the way there is in english but this is one of them.  "Solidaridad" would be equivalent to english for "kinship" or "fellowship. And that is exactly what I got a sense of one fine day when two other girls and I took a day trip to the barrio of La Boca.

La Boca is one of those neighbourhoods that you visit once just so you can say you've been there. It is an important part of Buenos Aires history because it is the first place where the early italian immigrants settled in their endeavors to start a new life. They left colorful buildings, beautiful murals, and artwork all over the barrio. However mass marketing soon arrived on the scene and La Boca has become the ultimate tourist trap. My recommendation is to only go there if you have time to kill.

Sexing It Up in the City

In light of Valentines days, todays blog ventures into the mysterious world of sex hotels (telos) in Buenos Aires. For those of you who may be hesitant to read another word, you can take a breather. There is nothing racy about this article in the least. It's more or less informative. In short, I am telling all about telos.

Sex hotels here don't have flashing lights like you would imagine one in Vegas would have.  Here is a picture  of one that is round the corner from where I live. As you can see, it looks like a plain building with a little sign.....blink and you'll miss it.

The business of sex hotels in Argentina is actually really organized. There are different chains of love hotels (like albergues transitorios) and each ones have different features. You have the option to rent a room for 3 hrs or 2 hrs at a time for a flat rate and there are rates if you and that someone special wanna stay the night with breakfast included. And this may give you a laugh but there are promos and online coupons you can get to receive a discount.

These hotels have peak times for business and low times as well. Alot of them offer a special discounted rate if you come during times of less occupancy. Or others may offer a 90 minute room rental for an extra low rate.

Telos are a very real business with staff, security, wifi, catering, theme rooms, vibrating beds and so much more. You can order room service and then food will come to you through a slot in the door so you can continue to maintain privacy and keep the mood you've set (or that you've been trying to set haha)

There is actually a whole world of gastronomy inside the world of sex hotels and some clients of these hotels have high standard and sophistication when it comes to food choices. After you satisfy one type of carnal desire you can pick up the phone and get another type satisfied to replenish you and give you strength so you can attend to your first carnal desire.



Here is a link to a great article in spanish on Planeta Joy about gastronomy in the world of sex hotels.


Eat & Fuck: la moda de comer en el telo

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Bobbing Up and Down on the Bustling Buenos Aires Bus

Image via Wikipedia

The cool breeze running through my hair was like a cold refreshing splash of water on ones face on a hot summer. Never in a million years could I have imagine that climbing aboard the big yellow Buenos Aires Bus would bring relief to my aching body. You must wonder what in the world must I have been doing to have put my body through world war three. Well, it wasn't a ton of activites........more like one BIG one. And that being standing in line for 10 hrs to see the coffin of ex-president Néstor Kirchner.

Flirting with Fair Prices in a Feria

There is no doubt in my mind that if the government and the people of Argentina had a fb page where they had to set their relationship status, their status would be set to "complicated". It seems as if every single time is ready to throw in the towel and give the "It's not you it's me" speech, the other throws a curve ball to keep them at arms length.

One of the places I hadn't been to on my last few trips was a little park called "Plaza Almagro". Sometimes exploring even the tiniest and most insignificant of places can bring gigantic results and this day was no exception.  It somehow worked out that my first visit would happen on the weekend. Unbeknownst to me there is a large open air market that happens in Plaza Almagro only on the weekends. Prices for food are dirt cheap and as a result lineups are long and getting there early is an absolute if you want first dibs.

Madonnas Sticky & Sweet Tour: Live in Buenos Aires

"I don't know if everybody knows about my history with Buenos Aires and Argentina. It's been 13 yrs since I have been here. I have an incredible relationship with this country.  There is something magical about this place and it's not tangible."     -Madonna




Dec 6th 2008, Madonna returned to Buenos Aires but this time for a performance that was bound to draw alot alot less protest than when she portrayed Eva Péron in Evita. 3 hrs and one day of presale was all it took for 70 000 tickets in River Plate Stadium.  The overwhelming response to Madges return to Buenos Aires prompted them to add another show date the very next day on Dec 7th.

Beginning and Ending Life in Buenos Aires: Don't stop believing.....

In the same way that it is fascinating to watch the seasons change, it also fascinates me to watch how each expat seems to be in a different season of life.  One expat may be at the prime of life here with business booming and everything anew while another expat is announcing that they are leaving and their relationship with BsAs is taking a final bow. Someone in the city is excitedly announcing a new business venture while another person is ending a business venture that was once flourishing.

A big key to life here is to stay grounded and good at what you do. It's fine to see what others are doing and even feel abit of envy when they are having their day while you are struggling to get established. But keep in mind that things change in an instant here and the same expat that is having a great season of their life may be the same one that is announcing that their departure a few seasons from now.

The Culture of Argentina Beyond the Boundaries of Buenos Aires City

Cityscape to the south of Cordoba, Argentina. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 




The culture of Latin America is often associated with the words "friendly"  "open" and "hospitable". At times those three words seem synonymous with one another. Being friendly and open automatically means being hospitable too.....right? After extended experience here in Buenos Aires and multiple conversations with expats that have lived here, I want to challenge that idea.

First lets define "hospitality" or "hospitable". The dictionary defines it as actually welcoming guests or strangers into ones living space and hosting them well. It's more than simply being nice to someone in the grocery store.  Hospitality denotes creating an environment for someone where they feel loved and taken in and I am not so sure that definition really accurately describes Buenos Aires.