Joshua Tree and Death Valley

In third grade, we did projects on the National Parks, and I got Joshua Tree.  I was really disappointed at the time, because everyone else had cool places like Yellowstone and Grand Canyon and I had a weird place that people only knew about because of a U2 Album (look it up, kids, it's one of the greatest recordings ever).  Pretty much all I remembered was little desert animals and funny trees.  When we did our Western trip in 1992, I hoped to go there but it just didn't fit into the route or itinerary. 

So this trip, I was determined to get to Joshua Tree.  And it was awesome.  I drove out from Temecula, listening to "This Podcast Will Kill You" along the way (which is also awesome, and everyone should listen).  I arrived from the South, checked in at the ranger station to get a map and guide, and paid my entrance fee.  The guide made it easy to plan out a route that included several short hikes (about a mile) through a variety of landscapes.  I'd expected funny trees- and there were plenty of them- but I hadn't anticipated the beautiful rock formations that dominated the park landscape.  This was childhood-me's dream- lots of things to crawl over!  I didn't do much climbing because I was alone, but it was tempting!  I ended up hiking about 5 miles total, which didn't feel like much until about the last half mile.  From one of the overlooks, you could see the San Andreas Fault.  I was determined to stay until dark, so I found a parking lot that didn't close at dusk, and I waited.  Luckily it was one of the few places in the park that got cell reception!  Once the sun went down, the starts came out.  Even though there was a quarter moon, there were still so many stars.  I was in heaven!  It was cold outside so I didn't stay too long, but I got to see so many stars!

A few days later, I headed north from LA to my second national park, Death Valley.  I decided that since I'd been at the lowest place on Earth last fall at the Dead Sea, I should go to the lowest point in the US. It was a long ride- five hours up there- but it passed quickly.  I drove into the park from the south again, and I was in the middle of NOWHERE.  There was no one around, not another human in site, for about an hour of the ride.  Then suddenly, there were cars and we were approaching the Badwater Basin, aka, the lowest point.  I parked and walked out to the middle of the flats, taking in all the beautiful scenery.  The mountains in the distance beyond the salt flats were just majestic. 

There definitely wasn't as much to do here as in Joshua Tree.  I drove the Artist's Point loop, enjoying the colorful mountains (not as good as Argentina!).  I also stopped in at the Furnace Creek visitor's center to pay my user fee and check out some of the displays there.  Honestly, just the drive through was magical.  I left via the Western road, going over some towering mountains, again alone in the world.  Once I left the park, I was driving down between Death Valley and the back side of King's Canyon/Sequoia, and the mountains to my right were almost too big to believe.   The drive home was long- it felt much longer than the drive there. But overall, it was a day filled with the beauty of nature.

I'm so grateful for our National Parks here in the US.  We have such vast natural resources and beauty, and the nation has been great about preserving that for visitors.  I think getting to every park might be my next checklist, since I've been to all the Wonders of the World now (clearly writing this from the future.  Stay tuned). 

San Diego

When I was 12, my family took a big trip to the Western US.  We drove around for a month, seeing many of the famous American sights- Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, Hollywood and the Golden Gate Bridge, etc.  It was a great trip.  While we were in Southern California, I fell in love with San Diego.  I decided that I was going to live there.  I want to be a Marine Biologist, so I could work at Sea World. I came home committed to learning Spanish.  I dreamed of Palm Trees.

Alas, that wasn't meant to be, but San Diego will always have a special place in my heart.  I just never got back there, until now.  What a shame, because my memories were correct- it is a really awesome place.

My friend Kim and I had four days to enjoy the San Diego sunshine.  We started in the best possible way- breakfast at Breakfast Republic.  They had pancake flights!  Can't decide what kind of pancake you want, no problem- get sample of three different kinds.  Though choosing just three was equally challenging... We then walked around the Liberty Square area for a while, seeing the High Tech High that my school keeps talking about, then meandered into Stone Brewing for a sample of their products.

In the afternoon we went to Old Town, which is a section of the city that keeps the California mission frontier feeling alive.  You can visit a preserved hacienda, and walk to the blacksmith shop, the old church, and several other historical sites.  It's also home to some amazing Mexican restaurants.  We ate on the patio at Cafe Coyote, HUGE servings of tacos and enchiladas.  It was DELICIOUS!  We finished in the area in early evening, so we took a Lyft up to La Jolla, to see the Sea Lions and the sunset.  There were so many people out walking around. 

On day 2, we had another amazing breakfast, sharing the chicken and waffle tower at Hash House A Go Go. This town takes breakfast serious, and I love it!  Then we walked to the Zoo, and spent the day with the animals!  It had definitely expanded a lot from what I remembered! I loved the koalas, and even though we had to wait in a long line to see them, the pandas were adorable.  We walked until we were exhausted, then rode the narrated bus around for a while.  From the park, we walked down through the Artists Village at Balboa park and into the Gaslamp District for some beer tastings and dinner.   It was a lot of walking but terrific day.

Our third day, we both agreed that less walking was the goal.  We Ubered to Devil's Dozen donuts and ate on their awesome rooftop terrace.  The view was great, but it was really cold and windy!  Then we walked along the harbor checking out the old boats, submarine, and the huge air craft carriers that were in port.  We shopped in the Seaport Village for a while and had a great lunch on the water.  Sick of walking, we had a chill afternoon and then went to Ocean Beach for some brewery hopping.  We met up with Kim's cousin for a late dinner in town.

Our last day together, it was all about Sea World. I'm well aware of the controversy about the treatment of animals there, but I am so appreciative of all that I've learned from the parks and their outreach work.  I wanted to be one of those trainers when I was a kid, and I still marvel at the orcas every time I see them.  It was a very relaxed day, but lots of fun. We ended up back at Pizza Port for dinner, and went to Modern Times brewery to finish out the night.

Kim had to leave early the next morning, and I picked up a rental car and drove over the huge bridge to Coronado. I walked around the famous Hotel grounds for a while, then hit the road to Temecula, where I was staying the next few nights.  I had to do mundane things like buy new sneakers (mine totally wore out in these four days).

San Diego as an adult far surpassed San Diego as a kid.  I couldn't have asked for more.  We relied on Lyft and Uber exclusively to get around, which worked out great.  The city had plenty to entertain, an amazing beer scene, and beautiful sunshine, just what was needed after the winter blahs at home. 

pancake sampler- cinnamon role, strawberry cheesecake, and pineapple upside-down cake

Old Town

Sunset at La Jolla

Chicken and Waffle Tower

Koala at San Diego Zoo

Panda at San Diego Zoo

Giraffes at San Diego Zoo

Artists' Village in Balboa Park

Donuts from Devil's Dozen

Star of India, in port

One of the brewery flights we tried

Sea Lion at Sea World

Penguin showdown

Love this flying dolphin!

Hotel Coronado

A Week in Guatemala

I was so excited to go to Guatemala and then I got spooked.  I booked the trip based on the recommendations of my many students from Guatemala, taking their advice to figure out a week long overview of the country.  And then I started to research and talk to other travelers.  Most people said they were too scared to go.  The US government rated Guatemala as a Level 3 country, which means try not to go there. I started seeing all of this and I panicked.  Yup, the seasoned traveler who had no problem traipsing through Egypt alone got scared.  And I pulled back a lot of what I'd planned to do, regrettably so now.

Because Guatemala was awesome. I had NO problems there- zero, zip, nada.  I should have done more.  I should have been bold.  I hope someday I can get back and see the things I'd missed.

The first day there I arrived at 2 AM, so I took a rest day.  The hotel had a lovely pool, and the weather was finally warm enough to sit out in the sun.  I read books, relaxed, ate some great food, and geared up for the next day.

I booked a city tour, that ended up being with another couple from the US.  We visited a scenic overlook outside of town with a view of the volcanoes first, followed by a drive down the Avenida de las Americas, where different countries had built monuments on the many plazas.  From there we drove into the city, past the halls of government to the historic center.  We strolled down the busy pedestrian street 6a Avenida, noting the famous arch over the road and the Art Deco shopping arcades that led to the Plaza de la Constitution.  The main square was huge, with a giant fountain in the middle.  There were Red Cross trucks on the perimeter, giving first aid who to any who came by.  The guide explained that there was a lack of medical care in the region and many people relied on those trucks.

We went into the huge Cathedral on the square, which was simple but massive.  It's weird to see such European architecture in the Americas.  Afterward, we walked down the block to the Mercado Centrale, a massive fruit and vegetable market.  Most of the people selling bought fresh from farmers that morning.  The food was so vibrant and inviting.  Our final stop was out in the hills, at a fancy shopping zone with beautiful views.  The tour was a good overview of the city and the guide was fantastic.  It was definitely the way to go to get an introduction without wandering alone.

The highlight of Guatemala for me was Tikal.  I've been reading about Tikal since college and have wanted to see the giant pyramids for a long time.  I did a one day trip, which meant leaving at 4 AM to catch a flight to Flores.  From there, we were joined by an archaeologist guide who led us through the site.  We lucked into a ride up the long walk into the center of the site.  We stopped just before the Great Plaza and walked through the rest.  The pyramids were amazing, and our guide definitely knew a lot about the Maya people who built them.  We were able to climb several of the structures, thanks to wooden staircases place near the building ruins.  This preserved the structure while still allowing views from the top- genius.  I was super excited to see the spot where a scene from Star Wars was filmed too. But mostly, I just loved the jungle setting of these ruins.  I loved the way many were yet uncovered (though excavated, an important distinction from our guide).  I loved all of the wildlife!  We saw spider monkeys, coati, leaf cutter ants, and agouti in the park.  Mostly, I loved the hidden history still being unveiled as the jungle is slowly cut away.  The day was long, as we then had to fly back to Guatemala City, but totally worth it.

My last stop in Guatemala was Antigua, a pretty little colonial city.  It was the capital until its location near 3 volcanoes made it undesirable.  In fact, the volcano Fuego was letting off some steam when we were there!  The main cathedral was a huge yellow Baroque building with tons of white plaster decorations.  We couldn't go inside because it was a festival day, but the exterior was lovely.  The famous arch over the road that features in so many publicity shots for the city was done in the same colors. It connected sections of the convent to the chapel.  We wandered through markets and shops, visiting a jade jewelry producer who highlighted the history of the stone in the region.  We also saw the main square, main Cathedral, and houses of government.  The fountains, the flowers, and the colonial architecture made for beautiful pictures.  For lunch I tried Pepian, a meat stew that would have been delicious without all of the cilantro. 

I should have done more in Guatemala.  I'm kicking myself for not going to Lake Atitlan.  I know it's not hard to go back, but I wish I hadn't gotten so freaked out about being mugged or kidnapped or whatever.  I walked around Guatemala City on my own with no issues multiple times- evidence that you shouldn't believe everything you read online.

Oaxaca

Have you ever had something to eat that completely confused your brain?   You're not sure you like it, you can't really describe it, but you can't stop thinking about it?  That's me with a good mole sauce.  I love mole, I'm fascinated by it, I love trying to figure out all of the flavors that meld together in it.  So when planning time in Mexico, I knew I was going to the home of mole- Oaxaca.

Oaxaca turned out to be the perfect little town to visit for a week.  There were nearby ruins (Monte Alban), lots of fun local artists to visit, a fantastic history museum in the cathedral cloisters, and so much good food.  There was a torta truck parked in the park near my hotel, and their sandwiches were AMAZING.  I had one almost every day.  There were also chocolate shops in town that served frozen chocolate milk beverages with fresh ground cocoa, putting any Starbucks drink to shame.  And there was mole, black and red and yellow varieties poured over simple chicken and rice.  YUM.

One thing I really wanted to do was take a cooking class to learn how to make mole.  It ended up being a great experience.  We went to the market first to buy all of the ingredients, which was great except for the huge bunches of cilantro that smelled so foul.  But then we went back to the chef's home, where there was a huge kitchen set up in the courtyard.  We made chicken with mole, soup with zucchini blossoms and huitlacoche, tortillas, memelas, and tamales stuffed in banana leaves.  Everything was delicious when done except maybe the soup.  Huitlacoche isn't really my thing. 

I also did a day trip to Monte Alban and the surrounding villages.  Monte Alban was a Zapotec city that is now in ruins high on a mountain top.  The long platform is edged with the remains of houses and temples.  There was even a ball court, though that section was damaged in the earthquake last September so it was closed to visitors.  The buildings were impressive for their location at the top of the hill.  You could see both ranges of the Sierra Madre mountains in the distance. 

The Museo del las Culturas de Oaxaca was definitely a fun way to spend a day as well.  The museum is in the cloisters and monastic quarters of the cathedral (itself a marvel of gold and beautiful carving). It highlights the history of the region from the earliest inhabitants to the colonial period and the independence movements in Mexico.  The many windows gave beautiful views of the surrounding hills, and you could even peak into the church from the balcony level.  I loved the set ups that showed how early Mexicans lived, like the kitchen exhibit and the beer brewing equipment.  There was a huge bookstore on the main floor but it was pretty much all Spanish language texts. 

I wasn't feeling great during my week in Oaxaca- a sinus infection that wouldn't quit combined poorly with the elevation.  I spent a lot of time walking in the sunshine, stopping to rest in the many parks, and just soaking up life in this perfect little Mexican city.  With the many old VW Beetle cars, the delicious tortas with stringy Oaxaca cheese, and the amazing chocolate, this was a Mexico I could fall in love with. 

inside the cathedral

kitchen exhibit at Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca

view from the museum

Monte Alban

Alebrije- spirit animals

making tamales

ingredients for guacamole

Mexico City

On the road again!

You know how you have an image in your head of a city based on tv, history class, etc?  I always pictured Mexico City as a sort of Southwestern Metropolis, with lots of sandstone and adobe on the buildings.  With carts on the corners of food for sale and people driving old cars.  Boy was I wrong.

Mexico City is as modern as any city I've visited.  It's glass and steel and concrete, with lots of green space mixed in.  Cars were new and clean, and I was able to zip around with Uber as easily as in the US.  I was completely impressed.  There was still a lot of food on the corners though, delicious food.

I arrived after dark, and the first thing that happened was an ATM ate my card.  OY.  I was able to turn it off with the app, so I wasn't too worried about being robbed, but it was hard not to see it as an omen of bad things to come.  I was able to get some cash with my credit card (and had a spare packed in my luggage to use for the rest of the trip) and took a cab to the hotel. I was staying in the Roma district, which meant driving by all of the tacos al pastor stands.  I was in love from first sight.

The first day, all I wanted was to be outside in the gloriously warm weather.  I think I walked 10 miles.  I started at a few small parks by the hotel, seeing the statues and fountains in each.  I worked my way over to Chapultepec park, which was incredibly lively.  It was still school holiday here so everyone was out and about.  I spent a long time just people watching, checking out the carts selling chicharones, toys, popcorn, and drinks.  Eventually I made my way over to the Anthropology Museum.  I LOVED this museum.  It highlighted human activity from evolution through migration and through the many tribes that inhabited what is today Mexico up until the Spanish conquest.  I loved the mix of indoor and outdoor space, and the combination of recreation with artifacts.  Seriously, this was a great museum.  I felt my archeology classes from college coming back to me.  Olmec!  Toltec!  So many great artifacts here.

After the museum, I took the long way back to the hotel. I saw a bakery selling the famous cakes for 3 kings days.  Some of them were HUGE.

On the second day, I headed for the historic center.  WOW was it busy!  There was a huge carnival set up on the Zocalo for the holidays, and so many people were there.  I skirted the edges and headed for the Tenochtitlan ruins at the back of the square.  I was not expecting to see such a crowd.  The ruins were phenomenal.  I paid to walk through them and the attached museum.  The museum was phenomenal, a good compliment to the Anthropology museum.  It was surreal to walk around the ancient temples right in the middle of the modern city.  It felt a bit like Rome or Athens in that regard.

From there, I visited the Cathedral, quickly because a mass was occurring.  I walked down the pedestrian street to the Museo de Bellas Artes, with its beautiful glass domes.  I got to talk to some children practicing their English in the nearby Dali sculpture park, and watched many more playing in fountains nearby.  I saw a massive Diego Rivera mural in a tiny museum, and watched a political protest on the way to the Revolution Plaza.  From there, I wandered home, stopping for delicious churros back by the hotel.  It was a long day out and about, but the weather was beautiful and I got to see a lot of the city.  The next day was a holiday, Dia de Los Tres Reyes, so I celebrated like a Mexican, with cake in the park, coffee, and sunshine.

Day Four was all about Frida.  I used Uber to get to the Coyoacan neighborhood, south of where I was staying.  It didn't take long to get there. The line was crazy long to get into her house, so I booked online tickets for later in the day and set off for lunch.  A blog had recommended going to Mercado de Antojitos Mexicanos Juanita for fried quesadillas, so I braved the crowds, got a seat at the counter, and ordered two amazingly delicious quesadillas.  I watched as they pressed the tortillas before filling them with cheese and chicken.  They were then folded and fried in a shallow wok-like pan, and served super hot right out of the oil.  YUM.  After lunch I explored the parks and cathedral there, then made my way through the markets back up to Frida's house.

Friday Kahlo always makes me think of Ms. Pelaggi's high school Spanish class.  I'm so glad that my language classes involved so much art instruction.  Her home was fascinating.  There wasn't a lot of art there, but it highlighted the challenges of her life and gave a lot of insight into Mexico during the early 20th century.  The gardens inside the blue walls were beautiful.

The rest of my time in Mexico City was spent wandering around, visiting the many parks and taco stands, just soaking up the sunshine.  I loved this city, despite the air pollution that left my throat scratchy, and I'm so happy I had this time to explore.  It gave me a much better understanding of modern Mexico, broke down some stereotypes, and definitely broadened my horizons. 

Parque Mexico

from the Museum of Anthropolgy

Snake sculpture ruin from Tenochtitlan

Main Cathedral Entrance

Cakes for Three Kings Day

Fountain in Coyoacan

Frida Kahlo's house