medellín, COLOMBIA

i wasn't sure how many days to stay in Medellín... so i only decided to stay for 3 nights. i also had a friend here who i just met in Mexico City back in August, and i was debating to contact him. i'm weird like that and overthink if i am bothering someone... and i don't want them to feel obligated to have to spend time with me. 😅

Guatapé - town known for it's colorful designs!

long story short, i did message him and we spent 2 days doing touristy stuff together even though he's from Medellín!! we went to Guatapé, which is a town about 2 hours by bus from Medellín. 

Lunch in Guatapé

Once we got to Guatapé we were hungry and had lunch right away. i tried a typical Colombian dish called bandeja paisa.

bandeja paisa dish~

The next day Alex + I went to do a walking tour in Comuna 13. Which is a community that was deeply impacted by the drug trade during the 80s and 90s, and has undergone a significant transformation.  it's now one of the safest and touristy sights to visit in Medellín. what a drastic change to when it was controlled by guerrillas, gangs, and paramilitaries. 〰🔅

It was a very interesting tour and i learned a lot about this community. it started off as a hot day, and then all of sudden it was downpour of rain!! luckily, our guide had umbrellas, but it was still a very wet + still hot tour. ☔

i didn't do much in the city of Medellín since my time there was short, but i really enjoyed the two places i went to. and i'm glad that i did message Alex to meet up!! it's funny how once i feel a little more comfortable or used to a new place, it's time for me to leave!! i didn't plan out my days for each location i went to... i am deciding once i arrive... maybe i should plan ahead?? but i'm enjoying just being able to go with the flow and learn as i go too. ☺

santiago, chile 🏔

i did not know what to expect when i decided to come visit Santiago~

i just thought it would be neat to see what life is like in Chile. luckily, Michael's niece is half Chilean, and she put me in contact with her cousins here!! they gave me some great suggestions on where to visit.

Santiago is a giant metropolis surround by gorgeous mountain peaks covered in snow. 

At the top of the Sky Costanera with the Andes in the backdrop.

i arrived on Thursday, September 22nd, and this is the one place that has been more strict with COVID19 restrictions. most people have masks on outside and inside. when i arrived to the airport and went to customs + immigration, they "randomly" put a colored sticker on you. if you had red, you had to do a rapid PCR test. luckily, i got the yellow sticker and didn't have to get tested~

once i arrived to the hotel, i showered and got ready to walk around outside to the tallest building in South America. i checked the weather the day before i arrived, and thursday was the best day out of the few days i was here, to go to the tower and see the views of Santiago.

the next day i did a full day trip to the coast!! i had to get up at 6AM to be ready for my pick-up at 6:50AM... and of course they were running late due to picking up other passengers, but eventually we got everyone and headed to the coast. the first stop was in a wine outlet building in Casablanca. it was freezing cold!! 🥶 and i did not pack for cold weather. luckily it was supposed to be a quick stop, but guess what? the bus broke down and we had to wait 1.5 hours for another transport coming from Santiago. eventually two tour vans came and the group got split into two. we made it to Valparaíso and passed by Pablo Neruda's home there and walked around to see the street graffiti art. We also went to Viña del Mar and drove along the beach. It was interesting to see the difference between the city life and the coastal life. i know i definitely enjoy the beach life more. 😎 after a late lunch we headed back to Santiago and i finally got back at 7PM. oh yah! i had a nice lunch with a couple from Bolivia. we communicated in Spanish and English. haha. i tried my best. ☺

Valparaíso

arte

Viña del Mar

so i befriended the tour guide since i was the only English speaker in the group, and it turned out that he grew up in the greater Seattle area! we hung out Saturday evening and walked around Saint Lucia Park. i mustered the courage to go by the Metro, and it turned out to be very straight forward to use!! at the viewpoint at the park we met a mother-daughter pair who were from Peru and they were so nice! chatted with them for awhile and exchanged contact info. 

Nuevos amigos~ 🇨🇱🇵🇪🇺🇸

then on Sunday i ended up spending the day with the mother-daughter duo. we walked to San Cristobal Park... we walked forever! it was nice to be able to meet them and spend time together. they were super friendly and patient with my Spanish.

Sky Costanera from the Japanese Garden.

At the top of San Cristóbal Hill.

my last full day in Santiago was chill. i spotted a ramen shop and when i went by on Saturday the wait was 2 hours! so, i decided to go back on Monday for lunch when they opened. it was super delicious!! 🤤

Mayu Tamago Miso Ramen

 

i signed up to do a walking tour in the Yungay Barrio, and it was neat to learn about the history there and see the murals depicting the revolutions of the people in Chile.

mural 👽

i'm glad that i was able to come visit Santiago. i hope the next time i come i can visit the natural sites!!

3 days in Buenos Aires 🇦🇷

 los últimos tres días en buenos aires fue esclarecedor. 🌟

Argentina's flag in front of Casa Rosado.

I did NOT do any research before I came to Buenos Aires, and I did NOT know at all about the economic crisis. I vaguely recalled knowing someone from Argentina, whom I met from another friend in Seattle. So, the few days before I arrived I sent him a message on Instagram, and he informed me NOT to withdraw cash from ATMs or the banks. I thought to myself, that's strange... BUT I had no choice since I wasn't carrying any US dollars.

After I arrived at 4:05AM on Monday, September 19th, my friend picked me up from the airport and we drove around doing a little sight seeing before I could check into my accommodation. I also did NOT realize the place only accepted cash, so this really messed me up!! The ATMs charge US$10 to withdraw cash, and I had a limit!! This led me to look up more information about the economic situation in Argentina. I found this one article by the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/06/business/inflation-argentina.html. 

The inflation prices have been sky rocketing. Like no joke... My friend and I went to a poke restaurant in Palermo Tuesday night, and when I looked on Google photos at the menu, the price of the Ahi Tuna Bowl that I wanted was $1400 Argentine pesos back in January 2022... when I went this past week it was $2300 ARS. Even when I went to the ATM each day to collect the cash I needed to pay when I check-out this morning, the ATM fee charge was $1450ARS on Monday, and by Wednesday it was $1550ARS. 🤯

I definitely was not prepared, but most restaurants will take credit card... but they charge at a higher rate. They said it's better to pay in cash. I am just not used to a cash society... growing up in the states I learned that credit and credit cards is key to building my credit score, blah blah blah.

Besides the crushing loss of taking cash out of the ATM, I really did enjoy my time in BA. I felt safe, and I walked around for miles!! 

Mafalda characters in San Telmo

El Caminito in La Boca barrio.

Buenos Aires widest street~

Bookstore inside a former opera house!!

I was craving pho!! 

Next time I come back to Argentina, I'll do my research... and I hope I can explore some of the natural sights as well... There's so much to explore and experience in this world!!! I'm pretty damn lucky right now to be on sabbatical and can travel... ☺❤

muchisimas gracias buenos aires por visitirme estos ultimos dias.

last days in Rio 🇧🇷

so... I was able to do the last three things that I mentioned in my previous post!! 

Luckily, the weather was sunnier on Saturday and Sunday, before I flew out Sunday night!! 💫

On Saturday morning, I took an Uber to where you ride the cable cars up Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). It started off cloudy, but eventually the clouds moved and you can see all of Rio de Janeiro from the top!! 🌞

óla rio!! 🇧🇷

Copacabana Beach 🏖

Cristo Redentor on the top of the hill ♰

Since it was my last full day in Rio, I booked a guided tour to see a favela in Rio. The one I booked was to visit the biggest and most well known favela in Rio called Rocinha. 

Walked from the top to the bottom! 💙

It was quite the experience to be able to walk through the favela! Down the narrow paths and stairs. Smell all the smells, and see how life is really lived in Rio. We only get a glimpse into life here... and one can only imagine the rest.

[Sunday, September 18th]

It was my last chance to go to the viewpoint and see the Cristo Redentor (Christ Redeemer). I arrived at the railway station 10 minutes before 9:00AM, and I thought it was pretty early. Sure enough it was not that early because there were plenty of people at the top taking a zillion selfies with Christ. 

I only spent 30 minutes up there because it was so crowded!! Also, how many selfies does one need with a statue of Christ?? 🙈  It turned out to be good timing because it takes some time to get down and out of this area... I noticed a coffee shop I wanted to try when I came here on Tuesday, and I couldn't go up because it was too cloudy... SO I walked down to the coffee shop and then went back to the apartment to check out. The last thing I really wanted to do before I left Rio was to have Japanese food!! I know... kinda random and I know it won't be the same as in Japan... but I thought... since there's such a strong Japanese population in Brasil... I must try the Japanese food!! AND so I did... 😋 the broth was good, but the noodles were not ramen noodles. Overall, the meal hit the spot and I was content!!

Ramen from Azumi Restaurante Japonês in Copacabana

After I finished lunch, it was about 1PM and I knew I wanted to get to the airport by 6PM... so I decided to go check out some museums before heading to the international airport in Rio.

Museu de Arte Moderna (Museum of Modern Art) *Free Entry

Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow)

I really enjoyed visiting the Museum of Tomorrow! You do need to purchase a ticket, but they store luggage for free. I was very intrigued by the temporary exhibit on the Amazônia (photo from above). I was also very moved to see the recognition of human impact on climate change on the planet. There are 5 exhibits: Cosmos, Earth, Anthropocene, Tomorrows, and Us. Each exhibit had a narrative walkthrough.

Terra - Earth Exhibit

Nós - Us Exhibit

"Which tomorrows can we imagine?"

And just like that... my time in Brazil had to come to close... 

Flying from Rio to São Paulo to Buenos Aires [9/18-19]

rio de janeiro → "river of january"

i first arrived to Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday afternoon, but i mostly stayed by my apartment in Ipanema. everyone kept telling me how dangerous Rio is, so i definitely had that engrained in my head when i arrived... i was nervous to go walk around by myself, and i kept thinking someone is going to try to steal from me. yes, people would look at me, maybe because i stood out from the White European ancestry, Black African ancestry, or mixed ancestry, which are the main demographics of Brazil. People from Rio are called Cariocas, which means "white man's home" in the native Tupi's language. it's interesting to me to be in a place where i stand out, but majority of the people around me are not native to the land here too... i wonder where all the asians are.

today I felt a bit more comfortable in the area I am staying at... I did typical stuff I would do back home in Seattle. I went to get my nails done, I had coffee and sat in a coffee shop called Cafecito, I went to the gym, and I went to the supermarket. it's kinda nice to feel like a local and see what life would be like living in another city even if you do not speak the language or look like anyone else around you.

Sand Art on Copacabana Beach

yesterday, i tried to go to the Cristo Rendentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue, but it was too cloudy... so i did wait around a little and then i decided to go another tourist attraction: Escadaria Selarón~

tomorrow is supposed to be another rainy day, so we shall see what i end up doing (do I need to do anything?)... the weather on Saturday and Sunday is supposed to be sunny... so if it is, then maybe I'll try to go to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain), do a favela tour, and see the Cristo Redentor... I leave Sunday night for Buenos Aires!! 

Murals on a wall near Escadaria Selarón

bye bye Brasília 👋🏽

one week in the capital of Brazil went by really quick!!

last weekend in Brasília: 

live samba music and feijoada at Brasília Choro Club

Brasília TV Tower

Pontão do Lago Sul

It was such a pleasure and honor to get to spend a week with Juliana & Camila!! I learned so much about Brasília and about Brasil. I am learning some Portuguese at the same time too!! Just enough to get by. Luckily it is categorized with the "romance" languages with Spanish, and written with similar characters too... so I can read most things, but not everything is the same as Spanish or English. Brasil is the only South American country where Portuguese is the official language!! 

Some things that I have observed so far are:

• most restaurant of food establishments have you pay after you finish eating or drinking ✓
• tip is included in the bill 💰
• NO products in the toilet!! flush only your excrements~ 💩
• hang dry your clothes culture 🌞
• Lunch self-service places weighs your plate by the kilo 🍽

I'll be in Rio de Janeiro until Sunday, September 18th!! Which will give me 2 weeks in total in Brazil... it seems long and short at the same time. I wish I had more time to spend in São Paulo too!! BUT that would just mean for me to have to come back to Brazil. ☺

*I also saw that the Seattle Education Association and Seattle Public Schools have come to a tentative agreement, and today (September 14th) will be the first day of school for the 2022-23 school year. Best wishes to all the educators who fought for the much needed supports for students, schools, & your community!!! ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽

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trekking in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park

 a magically cosmic journey to the chapadas~ 🌟👽🔮

On Tuesday, September 6th, my friend Juliana drove us to an area north of Brasília known as the Vale da Lua (Moon Valley). We hiked into the moon valley and were able to swim in the pools of water. It's called Vale da Lua because of the rock formations and it's known for being a mystical place.

After Vale da Lua we drove to a small town called São Jorge to have a late lunch and find a place to stay for the next two nights. I kept seeing the word cerrado, and that reminded me of Spanish which means closed, but for Portuguese and this specific area it is the type of landscape and is translated to English as "savannah." We found a restaurant that was open named Restuarante Sabor do Cerrado, and we are charged by the weight of the food by kilo. This is the first time that I weighed my plate of food in Brasil, and Juliana said it is common for lunch places to do this in busy places in the city too.

São Jorge is a small town located at the entrance of the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park. As I mentioned, this area is known for its cosmic energy, and they have lots of natural crystals. As we approached the town, we saw many green aliens. You can also find them all over the town and in gift shops. 

The next day [Wednesday, September 7th] we spent the whole day in the national park hiking 11km!! We did the Saltos do Rio Petro Trail, which consisted of seeing 4 main sights. Since it is the dry season (May to October), we can swim in the water for the last 3 locations.

Entry into the National Park~

Mirante dos Saltos (120m)

Garimpão Waterfall (80m)

Carrossel Waterfall 

Corredeiras Rapids

It definitely was a tiring hike!! Especially since it is the dry season. I had at least 2 liters of water, and I wish I had more!! 😰 I was so ready to get back to our chalé (cottage) to shower and then go eat dinner!!

Entrance to Chalés toa Rosa

On Thursday, we did another short hike to Cachoeira dos Cristais, which was a waterfall and pools. As we entered the main waterfall location, we were told there were 2 snakes. Luckily they were not poisonous, and no one bothered them so they left on their own.

Even though it is the dry season, and the temperatures were in the 90s (farenheit)... the water temps were very very cold in all the locations I mentioned above. It was very challenging to get in the water, but once you got in and swam a little you'll warm up... and then get out and warm up in the sun on the rocks too.

It was a beautiful experience to be out in nature outside of Brasília, and I am so grateful for Juliana for showing me this amazing nature. ☺❤