Costa Rica - Ghost Town

Didn't I Just Leave?
Back for work for ten days, not exactly happy about it.  Doesn't help that everyone is gone - probably to the beach for the holidays.  The streets in my neighborhood, Barrio Escalante, are completely empty.  All the stores and restaurants are closed.  My favorite cafe is hermetically sealed - the elves are taking advantage.  I drive into the heart of downtown hoping for a breakfast in the central market.  If there is a sadder downtown in the world, I've not seen it.  It's a weather beaten cinder block gulag that even the devil himself has abandoned.  On every corner a clutch of equally weather beaten humans eye me hungrily as I pass.  Central market - closed.  I am starving by this point.

Adirondacks - Snowbound

Skiing for Dummies

Black ice stretched our Syracuse to Speculator drive from two hours to four.  As we crawled along behind a trail of cars we saw an overturned cable van and a truck that was wedged into a wall of trees.  We were lucky to have escaped - it was slow going and almost dark by the time we arrived.  We were there to ski (men) and snowboard (women) and we awoke early the next morning, bought ski pants and headed over to Oak mountain for our "intro to" classes.

Syracuse - XMas

All the Fixings
The Chans got the full Christmas treatment.  Tree trimming, light hanging, present wrapping, stocking stuffing, egg nog drinking, fire in the fireplace starting and a lot more....

Brooklyn - Family Visit

Surrounded by Chans

Two of Jean's cousins arrived for the holidays.  They are the kids of Jean's mom's sister: Sijia and Yiquan.  Sijia is a big traveler and had been to NY before.  Her brother had never been out of Asia and was most worried about the cold.  My landlady, who is in Florida for the winter, offered them her apartment.  We hit the ground running - a fancy lunch at Bouley where none of us took pictures, to my surprise.  Then a basketball game - Brooklyn Nets vs. the Golden State Warriors.

Manhattan - Culture

Nutcracker

Sal bought us tickets to the Nutcracker in Lincoln Center.  We gladly left work on a frigid Thursday night at 6pm sharp, hopped on the 1 train for three stops and stepped into the Koch theater on Columbus and W. 62nd.  The theater is grandly built - a jewel in a jewel box with a large marble anteroom and suspended walkways leading to the theater's inner tiers.

Costa Rica - Food

Good, As Usual

My Tico colleagues (Tico is the word for a Costa Rican person) are constantly surprised that I eat like a local.  I'm not sure why, the food here is tasty.  Rice, beans, veggies and a meat, usually pork.  What's not to like?  Even at work, the standard is high.  This is from our cafeteria - so nice to get a solid lunch with real plates and silverware.

Costa Rica - Hiking

Tapanti National Park
Tapanti, a few kilometers from where I was staying, is recommended for those looking to escape the crowds.  It's no surprise, given the roads that lead to the entrance.  Broken black-top gave way to gravel and bridges barely wider than my car.

Costa Rica - Coffee

Growers, Not Roasters
I was out early to drive to the nearby coffee plantations.  The views were stunning.  Folks from Cartago are very proud of their home province and I can see why.  Of course, the flip side is the amount of rain needed to create this greenery.

Costa Rica - God Bless the Sun

I Agree with the Incas
When I opened my eyes at 5:45am, it was already light out.  The sun was pouring in and the curtains were dancing in the breeze.  The birdsong was deafening.  I'd awoken from a bad dream.  I popped out the bedroom door and got my first look at paradise.

Costa Rica - Out to the Mountains

Coffee Growing Country
In the mountains southeast of San Jose the coffee farms dominate.  I booked a room through AirBnb in a small town called Rio Macho, on the edge of Tapanti National Park.  I was interested to learn more about coffee other than how I like it served.  On Friday afternoon I told my Costa Rican colleagues my plans and they all looked at each other quietly, as if to decide which of them would deliver the bad news.  "It's only 38 kilometers away" I said.  Carlos, the boss of our operation in Costa Rica, responded "on a Friday night in San Jose, 38  kilometers may as well be three-hundred and eighty!"  Friday is pay day here and the locals cash their checks and party, clogging the roads in every direction.

Brooklyn - Foreign Languages

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
It's a hobby, my language study.  Earlier in the year I was studying French, Spanish and Japanese at the same time but have taken a break from French.  It was too much.  I have a tutor for both Japanese and Spanish.  I meet them once a week (virtually and otherwise.)  Each country gives a series of tests you can take to prove your proficiency.  Spain has 6 levels and I am studying for level 3.  Japan has 5 levels and I am studying for the first level.  Strangely, Japan is the only country that doesn't test your ability to speak.

Manhattan - Back Again

Politics Takes its Toll

Due to politics, my boss got kicked out of our building in Long Island City.  He moved to one of our buildings on 52nd and Broadway and asked that I go with him.  I managed to negotiate keeping my office in Long Island City and getting another by him.  I will go to LIC in the mornings, workout in the gym there at lunch, eat in the cafeteria and then take the train to Manhattan.  My new office looks out onto Broadway.

It's weird, I am back in the building that was in when I first joined the company in 95.  Strangest of all, I am now in the same building as the ball and chain.  She is on a higher floor, of course.  Double trouble!

Costa Rica - Fancy

San Jose's Beverly Hills
Escazu is in the southwest corner of San Jose.  It's the fanciest neighborhood I've seen so far - lots of Argentinian steak houses, manicured lawns, skinny babes in yoga outfits and shiny new malls.  I visited one so new that not all the stores had opened yet.

Costa Rica - Eruptions

Thar She Blows
Turrialba is her name, she's about 40 miles east of San Jose.  Not a full eruption, but enough to close the airport for a few days and annoy the hell out of everyone with a constant coating of ash.  You feel it on all surfaces.  As soon as you clean it off, it's back an hour later.  Keeps the outdoor cafe people pretty busy wiping down tables.

Costa Rica - Back Again

Two Weeks of Work, Some Golf Thrown In
Flew down Saturday night and woke up early Sunday to play a round of golf.  The course is an Audubon-certified wildlife sanctuary, for what that's worth.  I saw a wide variety of birds, many floating around on top of the hundreds of small lakes dotting the property.

Costa Rica - Memories of the Shroom

Gonna Miss It

Andre has the shroom on the market - for $300k.  If he can sell it he plans to move to the south of France - since "they take better care of the elderly there."  He said he hasn't gotten one bite in a year and even if he can sell it for the list price, he would lose money on the deal. Seems like it's over-priced by half but what do I know.  One thing is for sure - it will require a unique buyer - one who is willing to buy a hand-made house.

Costa Rica - Escalando una Catarata

A New Experience
Directly behind the crowded neon streets of Jaco, wedged between sharp mountain, lay the rice fields of Herradura, They sparkle and sway in the sunlight like a jade carpet.  We drove through them on a muddy clay road, the original road to San Jose prior to the highway, with our guide Josue.  We were headed up to the mountain peaks.

Costa Rica - Manuel Antonio

Hiking and Beaches all in One

Manuel Antonio national park is a two hour drive away and promised hiking, animals and beaches.  We hopped in our car after breakfast and headed along the coast on a two lane highway.  The sixty miles took twice as long as the hour they should've, mostly due to trucks struggling on the uphills.

Costa Rica - Local Flavors

Street Side Refreshments

A mile down the road from Andre's, where the dirt road becomes tarmac, we tried a local delicacy - un granizado.  It's a cup half-filled with milk powder, topped with shaved ice and a gooey flavor of your choice.  I picked root beer though I didn't know that until I tasted it.  You let it slowly melt and mix together.  They give you a spoon and a straw so you can attack from above and below.  Very sweet!

Costa Rica - Breakfast

At the Top of the Shroom
Our host Andre is French.  He spent 25 years in Africa as a hotelier then left 20 years ago to resettle in Costa Rica.  He built the mushroom ten years ago.  He is retired now and only started renting out the middle of the shroom  8 months ago.  He was surprised by the success of it.  He is booked 20 days out of the month during the low season and during winter he is fully booked from Dec to Feb.  He donned his chef whites to make our breakfast, as any self-respecting Frenchie would.

Costa Rica - Out of the City

First, A Brief Conference Call
On Thursday night I switched to the fancy hotel by the airport so I could pick up the Dough that night.  Her flight was three hours late due to bad weather in Newark.  By the time she got in it was close to midnight so we crashed.  Next morning, I didn't go to the office - the benefits of technology - we "worked" by the pool...

Costa Rica - The Quirks

Strikes, Daylight Savings, Traffic

I'm back in Costa Rica, my mind churning as it usually does, wondering "why don't I like this place?"  It's a mild dislike, similar to what I feel for tequila.  Costa Rica is a quirky place.  It seems better on paper - no army, democratically elected government, diverse geography, two oceans, mountains, etc.  When I got here the taxis drivers were striking against Uber, driving slowly and blocking traffic.  The violence of the response seemed to be out of proportion - police in riot gear cracking heads, making arrests.  Then again, after driving around San Jose for a few days I began to understand.

Azores - The North Coast

Just as Beautiful
We took a drive along the north coast later in the week.

Azores - Up the Volcano

Trekking Along the Caldera's Edge

When you live in a caldera and decide to take a hike, you eventually have to go up.  We chose a route that took us up to the edge of the caldera, along it and back down.  It was about 8 miles in total.

Azores - Home

Lakeside inside the Caldera
Our cabin was located in a small village called Sete Cidades near a bridge that bisects two large lakes inside the caldera of a large volcano on the western tip of the island.

Azores - Fighting Jetlag

And Mostly Winning
Our flight left Boston at 10pm and four and a half hours later with a five hour time shift, it was breakfast time when we landed.  We had to stall for time since we couldn't check into our cabin until 4pm.  We picked up our rental car - a Smart - the latest model, which is super sporty and would come in handy on the hairpin roads.  We headed to the western edge of the island to a natural hot springs called Termas de Ferraria.

Azores - First Impressions

Flowers, Cows and Greenery
The Azores are nine volcanic islands at the intersection of three tectonic plates 800 miles from Portugal.  Measured from the sea floor, they're some of the tallest mountains on the planet.  We visited the largest island, Sao Miguel, which is approximately 30 miles long and ten miles wide.  The top five industries are agricultural - tourism is not in the top ten.  It's a stunningly verdant, beautiful place.

Boston - Days 2-3

From the Boonies to Beantown
After breakfast we packed up and headed out.  First stop, the Quabbin reservoir, which was built in the 30's to supply drinking water to Boston.  Four small towns were sacrificed to create the largest body of water in the state,  Half a mile long and 150 feet deep.

Massachusetts - Day 1 of Trip

Mini Smart Car Roadtrip
We drove the Smart Car slowly to Boston for our Azores flight.  We were in no rush.  We left on Saturday morning and before long the Hungry One was asking about lunch.  "We're not even out of the Bronx yet!"  I said, laughing.  We settled on a Trinidadian restaurant in Bridgeport, Connecticut called Bobby B's.  We sipped Guyanese lemonade as we waited for our food to arrive.  It was about 100 degrees inside so I kept popping out to get some air.

Azores - Up Coming Trip

Hiking and Volcanoes
The last time I was in the Azores it was unplanned.  I was flying TAP from Lisbon to NY and we made an emergency landing there.  This time, it's on purpose.  We're flying direct from Boston on July 11th.  If you want to fly from NY, you have to go to Lisbon first then fly back....

Brooklyn - New Neighbor

He Adds Class to the Place
We sat down to breakfast this morning and turned our attention to the backyard as we usually do.  No birds, no squirrels, no action at all.  Unusually quiet.  Then Jean yelled out "look - there's an owl up there!"  I jumped out of my seat and pressed my face into the window, squinting up into the sky.  Quite a surprise.  An owl in Brooklyn?  He's hard to see.  Can you see him?

London - Best of the Isles

No, Not Beer - Cheese
Luckily, my colleagues love cheese.  We went to a cheese shop last night and stocked up on three interesting varieties from the British Isles.  On the left is a Stichelton - an unpasteurized blue that uses the original Stilton starter.  On the right, something called "Stinking Bishop" from Gloucestershire, which is washed with fermented pear juice of the same name.  Not shown is a Welsh variety called Gorwydd Caerphilly.

London - Catching Up

With Old Friends
I worked with this dude for three horrible years in Paris.  Wayne, my counterpart from London, made the weekly trip to Paris and without him I might not have made it.  He always had a way to make me laugh and lighten up.  He retired a few months back and we caught up in a pub near Covent Gardens. It was great to see him.

London - The Agency Lifestyle

It's a Step Up from Cubicle Hell
The UK office of our department shares space with some of our ad agencies.  What a difference that makes.  Both Saatchi and Leo Burnett share the building.  After a hard day, you can take the elevator to the pub for a drink.  Matter of fact, this is London so you can drink any time of day.

Paris Getaway - Part 2

Gorging and Walking

Joseph, Ileana and Jose wanted to take a bus tour and see all the main sights.  I walked them to Notre Dame, which was about fifteen minutes from where we were staying.  They caught a bus from there.  I had other plans - the usual Paris plans: walk around and eat.  Repeat.  One thing you could rely on in Paris is the same old spots would be there waiting for you with the same old good food.

Paris Getaway - Part 1

Twin Birthday Celebration
I found out that Joseph, one of my Costa Rica colleagues, had a birthday a few days after mine so I suggested we all go to Paris to celebrate for the weekend.  I didn't expect them to accept, I figured I would be going alone.  Joseph had been to Paris a few times and he talked the others into checking it out for the first time.

London - The National Pasttime

Arsenal vs Swansea City
When our London colleague asked if there was anything we were interested in doing while in London we asked for the impossible.  His eyes widened when we asked for tickets to an Arsenal game.  "You lot are quite cheeky, aren't you?" he asked, laughing.  Some how, some way, he came through.

London - Fifty in Style

French Rules
I guess I should have celebrated my birthday with a typical English Sunday roast, but nope, not me.  French all the way.  The Frenchies are paying for it, so it seemed only right.

London - Back in the Fancy

Marylebone
On the other side of the scale, away from those neighborhoods that an English colleague said were for the "common" people (yes he actually said that out loud),is Marylebone.  It's pronounced MAR-LEE-BONE, which I tried to explain to the Costa Ricans without success.  "Just stop looking at the letters and listen to what I'm saying Mar-Lee-Bone."

London Bus Rides - Part 2

East End - Shoreditch

I asked my Engliish colleagues which neighborhoods I should avoid and then made sure I visited each and every one of them.  Brixton was to be avoided at all costs and close behind was the East End - which is said to be rough around the edges.  I took a bus from Brixton to Shoreditch and found it to be in the middle of the classic gentrification.  

London - Bus Rides Part 1

Brixton
We are staying in the posh neighborhood of Kensington.  If you only walked around here you could be fooled into thinking all of London is dripping with money.  I sought out some regular neighborhoods by bus, the first one the epicenter of rioting in the early 80's.  Much of the music I listened to at that time was coming out of London and it referenced those riots in Brixton.

London - The Sun

It Actually Exists!
Today, for the first time in five days, the sun peeked out for an hour.  I ran outside to get a shot for posterity, I may not see it again any time soon.  I've taken many walks around Kensington and I must admit, it is a beautiful, if impossibly expensive, place.

London - Stealing

Meet My Fellow Thieves

Joseph, Jose and Ileana - my colleagues from Costa Rica.  We're here in SW London, smiling, pretending, hand-shaking and lunch-sharing.  Meanwhile, we are secretly figuring out how to steal jobs from London and put them in Costa Rica without upsetting the British unions.  It's a crap job.  I am not particularly proud to be involved in it.

London - Museums

The V&A
The Victoria and Albert is the largest museum of design and decorative arts.  It wasn't my first choice but when I saw the line to get into the Natural History museum, I made the most of it.  Turned out to be very interesting.

London - Touchdown in Kensington

Trying to Adjust the Brain
I've never been a big fan of London and coming here from Tokyo doesn't help.  I had to have a talk with myself this morning to adjust my attitude.  Few get to travel for work, I am staying and eating for free so make the most of it, I told myself.  I am staying near the Earl's Court tube station in SW London, a ten minute walk from Hyde park.  This is a shot from my hotel.

Tokyo - Japanese Practice

Occasional Stuttering Success
I spent a bit of time before the trip learning the two Japanese alphabets - Hiragana and Katakana.  Each has about 100 letters and both are used along with Chinese Kanji (symbols) in written Japanese.  As a result, I would stop and stare at signs like this, an advertisement written in both Katakana (first line) and Hiragana (second line.)  I translates into "starting point" though I have no idea what the chickens have to do with it.

Tokyo - Meiji Jingu

Tokyo - Meiji Jingu
The Meiji Shrine was built in the middle of Yoyogi park to commemorate Emperor Meiji and his wife.

Tokyo - Smoking

Tokyo - Skoking
They've cracked down on smoking over the years in Japan.  There are many more no smoking signs and fewer places to smoke.  They warn you in Japanese and English, so there are no excuses for breaking the rules.

Tokyo - Food

Tokyo - Feed
We tried a wide variety....  This is us in a bar that measured 7 feet by 4 feet - I am not exaggerating.  Smallest bar I've ever seen.