Where in the world?

May 10. 2012.
I believe that was the highest cliff I have ever jumped off of. Not saying I have jumped off many, but after today I can say I became a bad ass. The 50+ foot cliff at Ricks in Nigril Jamaica was definitely a breath taker. For the amount of time I was in the air on the way down I probably could have wrote this entry. Good times in Jamaica mon! Prior to this jump, our adventurous day had started at the Blue Hole. Which is about a 35 foot jump into a beautiful hole in the earth down into a natural mineral water pool. Down there we enjoyed the additional spa treatment from the local Blue Hole business boys who showed us a great time. They got the mineral, Lime, from a whole down there in the rocks and exfoliated our skin with a nice mud mask on our whole body! Well, most of it. I made him do my feet! Best back wood experience of my trip! After that we cut up a fresh picked mango that was perfectly ripened and shared it while we watched the professionals do their tricks. On the way to this "blue hole", we saw all kinds of culture, animals, nature, and just raw Jamaican life. Very cool! Huge hogs were being fed as we passed a swamp... Most likely being fattened up to send to the butcher shop. It's the kind of place that will make you want to be a vegetarian! There are lots of wild goats roaming the land too. Cute little goots. They use them for a their meat and I guess use their skin to make instruments. Sad, but true. I played a drum that was made with goat skin. They don't use them for milk or cheese, which I thought was odd!

The cliff

Well yesterday topped off the trip with a few more cultured Jamaican experiences. Let's summarize what we did here in a matter of 3 days. First off we arrived off the bus at the Samsara hotel, deep in Nigril, West about an hour and a half away from the Montego Bay airport. It was a beautiful drive in by Clifford,our driver, or as we called him, "mister Red bull." Don't remember why but it was an inside joke at the time!

When we arrived, it was on! Jessica, my good friend who I met a few years ago, was waiting for us on her red motor scooter. She was gleaming with her glowing skin and Jamaican good spirits. She is now what we call a Jamerican. We talked for a lickle while in the lobby, (Lickle is the J slang for little) made friends with the hotel staff, upgraded to have air conditioning, changed, and then the adventures began. We were off right away to Ricks Cafe where we saw the cliffs and the guys jumping at sunset, which they do a good job of. Flipping, twirling, handstands, and all that crazy ish they do for good clean fun! This was the same Cliff I ended up jumping off 2 days ago! My courage was strong in Jamaica mon! We grabbed some jerk chicken outside the entrance where there was a guy cooking it up for a good price, and an amazzzzing taste!! After Ricks, we rode over to Jessica's place where we experienced some outdoor craftsmanship that her husband is very much into. She lives in the communities of Nigril. Her husband, Nigel is the creator of Almond World. He makes almond drops, almond oil, and just plain almonds that he finds in the Almond trees of Jamaica. He is always coming up with new things to make out of the almonds. Fresh mon! After Visiting with them for a while, meeting the neighbors and partaking in Jamaican activities...which involved baby chickens, fresh caught crabs, dirt bikes, kerosene, bare feet, dancing, JB's rum and a spliff. we decided to go back to the hotel and get some sleep for our big next day.

Next day was the water day. ===7 Mile Beach===baby! This beach is very well known for its stretch of relaxation across a white sandy beach with crystal clear aqua water. Extraordinary. We were there for about 2 hours baking in the sun so I could finally get a tan and look like I went to Jamaica! When we first got there it was very quiet, and then crowds began to flood in and then the party got started! We decided to take a glass bottom boat tour and go snorkeling. Or as they sounded when they said it, "Snarkeling." Gorgeous water, gorgeous fish and coral, perfect temperature, perfect day! I enjoyed that very much. We picked up some chicken and beef patties for energy before we headed out. Patties are a very common and likable dish for Jamaicans. They are like a meal on the go with protein and carbohydrates to keep you fueled for a while. And might I say, deeeelicious! They sort of look like a big empanada.

Our boat Captain, Marlon and co captain O'Brian (The black Irish man) were very entertaining and helpful on our boat tour. We learned a lot about the ocean floor. And came to the conclusion that if you ever get bitten by anything, just have someone pee on you. Even if its not a jellyfish. It will cure any bite. Silly.

On the way back we caught a few raindrops, but the good thing about it is that the sun comes right back if you just keep smilin! I picked up a pound of fresh Jamaican coffee on the way out to give to my mom for Mothers Day and a few other souvenirs. Then we headed to a mans house named "Thunder."
Interesting character to add to the bunch. Very stereotypical rasta man. Basically lived in the jungle where we hung out and sat on chairs made out of trees, played his goat skin drum, his untuned guitar, and chatted about random stuff. He used to live in Jacksonville, Florida and New York, where he met his wife and brought her over to Jamaica. Then he gave me a pot leaf and a coco bean said "dare ya go muh girl." haha. I love meeting new cultures. Its just so mind opening. He invited us to come back later on for a cook out and party. He was so excited he got to start a fire for us and entertain the American girls. He was a very genuine person and sincerely generous with his pot leaves and coco beans. hahaha.

Things learned:
1. An almond tree has leaves with a rounded edge and small brown pockets that you crack open! The shells turn from green to brown and thats when you know they are ripe!
2. Sea grape trees AKA Coccoloba uvifera, are all over as well. They use sea grapes for eating raw, cooking into jellies and jams, or fermenting them into sea grape wine.
3. Ackee is a fruit. The edible portion of the fruit is cooked, drained and sautéed with seasonings and codfish to make the national dish.
4. Mother crabs that are pregnant go into the ocean to wash away their eggs and the babies all crawl back to the bush to grow up. At this time there are millions of tiny crabs marching towards the bush, which I witnessed. It looked like a sea of red as they marched together. That's why they call it the crab march.

We got to experience actual crab hunting the next night when we went to the bush with Nigel and a few of his friends. The night was young as we sped our dirtbike of 3 passengers to a random entrance to the bush and entered at our own risk! The rubbish was intense at some parts. Like briar patches and such. But we got through it and ended up catching about 24+ crabs! Catching crabs in Jamaica takes some skill. We all had flash lights but I could barely see to walk much less understand how these guys would see a crab scattering about. We would be walking and all of a sudden they would just dive, grab it by the middle and throw it in the bag. Very paleolithic style. They are big blue crabs. And after they scrub Each one very througlly, get them ready for cooking, and marinate them jerk style... They are ready to boil up for a nice crab fest for all to enjoy in the neighborhoods of Nigril! All of the people here are very friendly, welcoming, and stay true to their roots. Very real people with stories to tell and live their days working hard and partying harder. It's all about the rewards life has to offer. Weather it be a relaxing finish to he day in a natural mineral pool, or time spent conversing with their family and playing some music. Their are no worries in Jamaica. That's why they say "jamaica No Problem." because their really aren't any problems here. They live a simple life, so there is no need for drama and extra baggage.

Overall, the trip turned out to be a success. I was sad to leave, but there must be an end to every story. Or just an intermission. Where will Kgonext?

Jamaican words and phrases:
Meegle- Middle
Lickle-Little
Wha'appen?-What's up?
Bashment -Party
Ley Ley-waste Time

Favorite quote:

"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, because none but ourselves can free our minds." -Bob Marley

Meditation

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Arriving in Lima was not nearly as confusing as Chile, thank god. And the best part, no taxes! It was a nice night, cool breeze and low humidity, although it was humid enough for my hair to do strange things. The bus ride to the hotel took us through a few different classes it seemed. Very poor, very rich, and middle class. There was one road along the coast that really intrigued me. Reminded me of Malibu beach in California, with a nice restaurant on the pier. As we made our way up to the hotel, you could see the Ocean with the moon light gleaming. It was beautimus. We arrived around 10pm. Lima is not necessarily a place I want to go out and explore at night. One of those places you would rather just hang out at the hotel bar. I believe day time activities are much safer for exploring! So we went up to the top floor and had a few Pisco sours before retiring to bed. Pisco sours are saweeetttt!

Next day we woke up and did what we came to do. Shop. We took a cab about 20 minutes away to arrive at an outdoor/indoor mall called “the blue market.” which ironically, has a very bad paint job of blue on the cement walls that surround it. Lol. This is a place where a lot of goods are sold. Lots of electronics, expensive brands, pirated movies, collector action figures, phone accessories, toys, hats, basically whatever you can think of. There are infinite amounts of vendors and Peruvian people all around trying to get you to buy their products. We go to get Lacoste and Polo shirts for people back home and ourselves. They give really good prices that you cant beat in the states! And even if they are boot leg, they look and fit the exact same way! Anyway, after we spent about 3 hours of scrummaging around the blue market, a phone cover, 200$ worth of clothes, hats, and belts later, we head upstairs to grab a bite to eat. And let me tell you, just like the ladies and men that fight over your business with Merchandice, they do the same thing with restaurant choice. You will have about 3 or four people giving you suggestions of what to eat. The way I handle situations like that is walking away So i can decide for myself! First of all, it’s my belly and I want to look at pictures to see what looks the best to put in it!! This country is so pushy. I know they are trying to make money whatever way they can, but sometimes I wish being American didn’t mean— “rush
The Americans!” sell sell sell!!! I just want to experience it like a Peruvian lol. Speaking fluent Spanish would probably help a lot, right? Anyway, the food is great. I’m Latin, so I am happy with the style they have. We got 2 thin steaks, rice, salad, and some sweet bananas for $5! That’s a deal doll! We scarfed that down and headed back to the hotel. Afterall, it’s only a 24 hour layover! Crunch time. Side note: Ladies on the streets have boiled quail eggs for sale. Just a little snack! No thankyou! Thank god I had my mom to guide us back. She’s way better at Spanish than I am. We caught a cab back to the other side of town, and hit up the Indian market. This market was more artsy and not as crowded. It was the home made Peruvian souvenirs that people go to to buy the authenticity of the city. We bought a few cute things for my nephew and looked around. Got him a really cute duck hat, they say it’s the new “in” thing for babies.
I just looked around for a minute because if we were there any longer I would have made bad choices and bought everything. One cool thing about Latin countries and I’m sure in a lot of countries as well but don’t see them as often, is the fact that there are a lot of people who play instruments such as the flute, guitar, bongos, on the streets. They have no other way to make money I’m sure, but it makes for a good feel while you tour the city and puts a smile on your face. Kind of like a Venice, Califonia vibe. This one guy was playing the theme song to Titanic on the flutes while we shopped at the Indian market. Jack and rose always inspired me. On the way back to the hotel I saw things like men in sombreros and capes, small candy stands with a man hidden inside, cool architecture, ice cream bikes ( not trucks) schools, restaurants, poverty, music, lots of things happening. Our day was filled with move move move. So the first thing when we got back I did was take a nap, take a shower and then we headed to the airport to come home!

Arriving in Santiago, Chile— 36 hours ago was not on my list of things to do. But of course, having the incredible flight attendant mother that I do- it turned out to be our Wednesday afternoon activity. And I have to say, it has been a blast. Not only did I get to tag along with an awesome crew but got to fly down in style with a fabulous seat in first class. These seats are sick! They lay completely flat, and have a back massage! This is high-tech.

8 hours later after a few glasses of vino, we arrive.

First dilemma of the trip is at the airport. I get down to customs to buy my Visa for visiting the country ($140), and they tell me ALL the bills I have are unacceptable because a few of them had tiny rips in the top. If you ever go to Chile, make sure you either have acredit card or $$ that is in great physical shape!!

So after switching out my American dollars for Chillayan money, I go wait in line again. This time, I find out it has to be American money! Of course no one told me, they leave it up to you to read the small print. So I have to go right back up to the guy who changed my money for me and ask him for the 140$ back. Of course he gives me 127$ because it was a 13$ fee for exchange. I wouldn't usually be this frustrated, but I had no sleep on the plane and my mothers entire crew was waiting on a bus to go to the hotel. (Not to mention, I did not know how to find them)

So, after a few tears of frustration ran down my face, he ended up giving me all the money back. Problem solved. My next blog will be about- What tears will do to a man- (How to get what you want)

After that panic attack, and a wild goose hunt for my mom, we take the bus ride down the Costanera highway along the Mapocho River to the beautiful Shereton that sits in front of the outstanding Andes mountains. Gorgeous.

First things first, we need a nap. And by nap I mean 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

CHARGED.

We wake up, grab Jerry, one of the crew members, and go on a God sent adventure. I think one of my favorite things about Santiago is the talented artists that reside here. From jewelry to paintings, shoes, hats, scarves, hippie-like accessories, clothing, crystals, wood carvings, music- to sculpture, architecture, and textiles. The work that people put into these hobbies is very admirable, being an artist myself.

This trip we took to the arts and crafts zone was quite the hike! Yet very lovely. The amount of stray dogs is heaping. It breaks my heart to see so many wondering around looking for food. I actually decided to name one of them. A very special one. ¨Chica." I figured she was cute and small and it fit for her.

Coming to South American countries is exciting because I get to practice the Spanish language! Not that I am very good at it, but being able to interact with locals is nice. It sort of breaks your fears of speaking out loud in a language not so natural to you. I had a conversation with a man that spoke no English, and it made me feel good about my broken Spanish skills. He understood the point I was trying to get across and I learned a little about him as well! He was a driver for the restaurant, (When people drink too much wine) and originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has lived in Chile for 15 years and loves it here. His name was Braulie. He told me I had beautiful round eyes. Nice guy!

The people here are a little hard to read. I would describe them as either very friendly, or very rude. I just feel like I have gotten a few weird looks That's just the impression I am getting. I'm sure there are people out there with a happy medium.

So after the trip downtown, we walked back to the hotel where we joined the rest of the crew for happy hour. Little did we know, happy hour lasted from 5pm to 4am. This group was definitely one of winners. I have to say, the time spent with them was well worth my 140$ visa. (That last for 8 more years)

We hit up a spot called Restaurant Mare Nostrvm. Very classy and RED. I could actually smell the paint it was so fresh in there. We managed to build a table for all of our party of 9 to sit at. It took 9 drunks and a waitress, but we did it!

Vino all around. White and red, Blanco y Rojo. Chile has a very nice selection. And by the 5th bottle, it didn't really matter the taste, red mouthed and gray teeth, we had a flat out great time. And mind me, I am the only one under 40.

We also had a round of gas water and sin gas water. That's water with gas and water without. As the night went on, I began to like the bubbly water. Made for a nice spritzer.

One thing that really surprised all of us, was the cold food. Not until the main course did it seem like they had any type of cooking utilities in the back. Cold mashed potatoes, crab meat, and lobster for a starter, some type of cheese and fish eggs with a cilantro dressing, salad, and to top it off, a SHOT of cauliflower soup. Cold. Muy frio. At this point it didn't matter if it was funny or not, we were drunk. Everything was hilarious. So you can see why cauliflower shots gave us a chuckle. Maybe you had to be there. Either way, the laughs accumulated more and more. Fabulous time had by all.

I will add, the main course of Chillayan Sea Bass was splendid. Topped with a tomato sauce and served with HOT mashed potatoes, my mom and I enjoyed it. And to end the wonderful meal-Flan. With caramel and raspberry sauce, it was dessert for champions. I was pleased!

Let's talk about the walk back. Wow, who would have thought old people were so fun! Just kidding… they aren't THAT old. The people of Santiago could probably hear our howling laughs miles away. Of course, having a few nuts in the group (Me being one of them) to ignite the laughter, had a lot to do with our drunk in public disaster. A disaster that lasted for a few more hours, as we fall into the doors of the hotel. (The ones that spin around of course. Making about 3 rounds in that small space of an entrance, we made it to the hotel bar where we ordered 2 MORE bottles of Vino. Old people can drink! haha, JUST KIDDING, they aren't that old.

As we stumble into the couches of the night, it looks like we are doing a team meeting and having a re-cap about what just happened. For some reason that's how I looked at it.

The bar soon moved out to the patio as we continued to obnoxiously joke around and make fools of ourselves. Matty, one of the flight attendants was cracking me up. She has the voice of a Cuban mixed with a belligerent New Yorker. Shes a nut. The troopers of the night had to be Matty, Jon, Mary, and I. Jon is also a character. His knowledge of wine, and other crazy information about who knows what was great. We must have laughed until 4-5am. The fun finally settled down as the patio closed and we made our way to the rooms.
Side note: I don't know if it was the city lights or the clouds, but I was disappointed in the stars. I used to dream as a child to see the stars in Chile. The internet told me they would sink down into my face. That didn't happen.

Next day, with plans of 10am mountain hike, did not happen. Instead, we woke up at 1, and decided to take a trip to the hotel gym. That was not bad! Sauna and steam room, made it like a trip to the spa! I am rejuvenated and think I will go make one more trip to the city to grab a shot glass to add to my collection. I found a few other souvenirs to bring home including a cute home made sweater for Ayden, my 2 month old nephew. I am very satisfied with the little piece of Chile I am taking home and can't wait to return!

Thank you Santiago, for a great 36 hour lay over.

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January 2010- I moved out to California to begin a journey with myself and start fresh. The trials and tribulations I experienced in the two years that I lived there was all well worth it. I learned a lot being on my own. Weather it was good or bad, the experiences i went through contributed to who I am today and it all makes sense in a universe coming together kind of way.

To sum up some of my journey-
I began a job as a receptionist for my Aunt who is a family doctor. I engaged in new friendships. I spent a lot of quality time with my cousins, Aunts,and grand parents. I got a gym membership. I bought a car. I drove up and down the coast, seeing all the beautiful beaches. I shopped at Ralph's and Trader Joe's a lot. I ate YogurtLand, a lot. I sold Avon. I partied in Hollywood with my best friends for a summer. I spent time in Malibu, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Huntington Beach, and Venice. I spent a lot of money. I gained a taste for new genres of music. I drove to Vegas. I high fived nearly everyone in Vegas on an April night. I died my hair red. I made a best friend. I made a few best friends. One was Swedish. I met people from all over the world. I got a medical marijuana card. I smoked a lot of different pot. I realized I don't like pot. I met famous people. I partied at houses worth over a 3 million dollars. I got pushed in a hot tub with all my clothes on because I asked to be pushed. I drank wine in a roof top hot tub over looking LA. I visited all the tourist attractions. I realized TV portrays Hollywood to be quite different than what it really is. I realized a lot of people do drugs. I don't do drugs. I think San Diego is a lovely place. I think the California burrito is over rated. A California burrito has french fries in it. I do not enjoy that. I quit my job. I became a live in nanny. I lasted as a live in nanny for a month. I moved to LA. I met a boy. I fell in love. I went ice skating. I took a Hollywood tour. I saw celebrities exiting the Grammy Awards. I saw a riot in the streets. I climbed to the top of Runyon canyon. I worked an event at the Santa Monica pier handing out free Double Tree cookies. I made 100 bucks. I stole a water from the trust system at a park. I had a picnic at the park with hot food that I made for my bf and I. I learned how to throw a frisbee, and throw it well. I got in below freezing water at Laguna Beach. I climbed a rock that stood over 40 feet. I ate at In and Out. I got a job at a talent agency. I hated it. I quit. I had the best sushi of my life. I danced in the street. I heckled Tom Green at a comedy club. I sat next to Will I Am on a flight to LA in first class. I spoke to him about life and relationships. I made peanut butter out of airplane peanuts with him. I went to Jay Leno. I shook his hand. I won a Tshirt. I went to a Dodgers game. I did not like the Dodger dogs [over rated]. I had Horchata for the first time. I had interesting conversations with interesting people. I started questioning what love is. I went to my first music festival in San Francisco. I learned what heady means. I learned what Pachouli means, well what it smells like. I drove across country twice. I made music. I listened to new music. I was a movie extra. I auditioned for a TV show for fun. I got a call back. I had no head shots at the time to follow through. damn it. Life got sad. Life got happy. Through it all I made some awesome memories and will keep them close to my heart. I will always go back to Cali.

August 2011- My roots pulled me back home. But not for long! Kgowherenext?