Tag: transportation

Honeymoon in Malta – A Day at the Beach in Mellieha

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One of the reasons my husband and I chose Malta as one of the stops for our Honeymoon in mid to late October is that we wanted to mix up some beach time and relaxation with taking in the sights, and enjoying the food and wine that these destinations have to offer. Malta definitely did not disappoint in any of these aspects. For our beach time, we ended up in Mellieha Bay for a relaxing day of fun in the sun.

While many beaches in Malta are rocky, there are some sandy beaches. As you can see, this was one of the rarer, sandy beaches to visit. Since it was October 19, it was toward the end of beach season, so it was not as crowded as one would expect.
As with most European beaches, you can either be Brazilian about it and lie about in the sand on top of your sarong (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that, I just personally have an aversion to sand in parts of my body that should not have sand in them), or you can pay a little bit of money and rent loungers and umbrellas. Again, Malta wins here with the fee for rental of 2 loungers and one umbrella (and a little table) for just about 15-20 Euros. I don’t remember exactly how much it was, perhaps 16? But it was very reasonable, and they set everything up for us.

There are a few places where you can do watersports, too.

We enjoyed VERY reasonably priced refreshments, including the Maltese beer – Cisk  (pronounced “Chisk”), which, admittedly, is not so delicious. It’s like the Budweiser of Malta. But, it was cheap and cold, and just what we needed. They were about 2-3 Euros each – a steal, by U.S. standards!
The food on offer at one of the many beachside grills was mainly local specialties and some Americanized fast food. Fried chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, onion rings, french fries… and then tuna ftiras, hobz-bizejt (tuna and tomatoes), tuna and olives… tuna on pretty much everything.  Neither one of us a huge lover of tuna, we opted for a chicken sandwich and some onion rings. Again, super cheap, and again, they hit the spot.

 

The water was warm enough to swim in and beautifully clear.

 

How many other beaches have views of beautiful monuments in the background? I mean, come on.

 

Getting there: We took the public bus from St. Julian’s, where we were staying, to the beach. It’s supposedly VERY crowded in the summer high season, and it definitely was standing room only for much of the way, but where we got on, we found seats and were able to sit for the crazy ride through half of the island to Mellieha. It was almost worth it just to see parts of the island that we wouldn’t have seen normally. The bus is very cheap (like 1.50 euros for a full day) and it was nearly door-to-door service from our hotel, the Hilton Malta at St. Julians (there will be a separate hotel review later…).

The public bus stops just at the top of the beach, as the roadside is right THERE. No crazy, tumultuous walk down cliffs, rocks and other obstacles to get your toes in the sand here.

And, as with any European trip, I had to get my hands on some European Pringles. They have some pretty crazy flavors… or flavoUrs… but, we kept it tame with some Cheese & Onion this time. Of course, I had my R+F sunscreen in tow to save my half-pale mutt skin from the Mediterranean rays.

I definitely recommend making Malta a stop on your European honeymoon if you find yourself going towards mid or late October and want to try to sneak in some beach days… and definitely make it to Mellieha if you do!

The High Line in NYC

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Spring has been teasing New York City lately, and it’s kind of messed up. But on those days where it’s warm and sunny, New Yorkers flock to the High Line in Chelsea.

Sixty degrees one day, and the young female office workers ditch the tights and wear short dresses that are a little too short, a little too early. Calm down, it’s March.

The fact that the next day’s high is in the forties (or lower) snaps us all back to reality, and we realize that spring just ain’t here quite yet. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of time this spring and summer to strut your inappropriately-short-and-tight office attire around the city streets, twenty-something social media interns and fashion stylist interns. It’s just not that time yet.

However, we got a taste of spring today after we exited our boozy brunch at Fonda in Chelsea this early afternoon.  (Delicious brunch! – Will post a review next time.)

The elusive sun beat down on our hibiscus margarita-stained lips as my husband, our friend and I walked up 9th avenue and decided to stroll over down to the High Line and enjoy the brief respite from the sh*ttiest winter in recent memory.

One thing you’ll learn about most New Yorkers is that we avoid touristy things like the plague. Case in point: I hadn’t visited the Statue of Liberty until I was 26 years old and I went with a tourist I befriended during their visit to NY. So, it’s not surprising that I had never visited the High Line prior to today since its opening in 2009.

 

 
We entered at 23rd street and walked downtown toward the Meatpacking District and the Gansevoort Street exit.

 

 

Remember that time the sun was out? It was just a few minutes ago…

 

You can sit in these stadium-style seats and gawk at the traffic below you on Tenth Avenue. If that’s your thing.

I have to admit, it was pretty awesome. Oh, yeah… and it’s free.

I’ll be visiting again when the weather is nicer (as in, sunny and warm for more than a few hours at a time), and taking more photos then.

I love the architecture in the Meatpacking District.

After, we strolled around the Meatpacking District, wandered into AllSaints and coveted ALL THE THINGS, balking at the prices and decided we couldn’t afford ANY OF THE THINGS in good conscience, and took the Subway back home to LIC.

I want all the things.

It was a fabulous afternoon!

How do YOU like to spend a sunny day in NYC? Leave a comment and tell me!

Speaking too much or not enough Spanish in Argentina

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So, here’s a post with the intention of being a break from the mundane tales of my travels in South America – demonstrating what can happen when you speak either too much or too little Spanish in Argentina.

Let’s imagine for a minute that you are a gringo who doesn’t speak much Spanish, and has come to Argentina (or some other Spanish-speaking place, perhaps a mythical one called “Remolacha” – my favorite Spanish word! It means “beet”) for a finite amount of time to live. You may want to interact with the locals. Sure, you “know” Spanish. As in, you can get by in the first minute of conversation without any awkward, long pauses or a lot of “can you repeat that please?”.  There are some dangers, however, in speaking only Spanish with a cab driver you just met when you don’t really know the language, after getting a few key phrases perfectly correct. Here they are, in no particular order:

1) People will think you actually speak Spanish, and will answer you enthusiastically, and probably really quickly and in more detail than your limited vocabulary can grasp. You’ll get unnecessary news updates about what’s happening in Remolacha and launch into a conversation about their cheating wife, when all you wanted was to sit in the cab peacefully on the way to meet your friends somewhere.

2) In said responses, you will pick up every other word. You may understand what they are saying, but you probably won’t. Here, you have two choices on how to react and continue: 1) nod and smile like an idiot, changing your facial expression slightly every time you think they begin a new sentence, or 2) ask them to repeat themselves “más despacio, por favor” until they give up and stop talking to you.

3) You are absolutely shocked when they answer your “Cómo estás?” with anything else than “Bien, y tu?” You freeze up. Turn red. Stop talking. And pray that the cab ride is short and they don’t try again with asking you something that you don’t know how to answer.

4) He realizes that you’re a gringo and you get a grand tour of the city instead of being brought straight home – complete with the extra fare. Jackass.

Then there’s the opposite scenario: When you know too much Spanish after a few months and you use it often. In this case, you have impressed the cab driver with your extensive verbal skills. There are several problems that can come from this situation. In no particular order, they are:

1) The cab driver will ask you out on a date, or if you have a boyfriend. Then they will ask you out on a date after they find out you have a boyfriend.

2) You will be grilled about American politics and are asked if you know “Miguel in Houston” or “Facu in Dallas”, because you say you are from Texas. You also get to hear about they “went to Idaho once” and so they are an expert on American things. Also, do you like the Simpsons?

3) You get an extended interview about how you like Remolacha. Do you like it here? It’s very much like Texas! How long have you lived here? What are you doing here for so long? Do you have a boyfriend? Do you like asado?

Of course, there are worse things in life. You have to practice your language skills so that you get better, and you don’t lose it once you’ve got it. Practice with cab drivers and waiters/waitresses in restaurants, and anyone you know. But be prepared for the scenarios above. It’s not just me. But it’s pretty funny 🙂

An afternoon in Colonia, Uruguay

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During another trip to Buenos Aires during Easter Week, my friends and I decided that we should make the hop over to Uruguay and see what we were missing in Colonia del Sacramento.

Turns out, not a WHOLE lot. But it was still worth a visit.

We took the Buquebus over, and made a few mistakes that I hope someone else can learn from.

TIPS FOR TAKING THE BUQUEBUS:

  1. One does not simply arrive, buy a ticket, and get on the boat within a half hour. You need to buy tickets online in advance (if you can – the website was not working when we were trying to buy them online the day before), which you can do here: http://www.buquebus.com/BQBWebV2/web/ListadoDayTours. If you don’t, you must go into the terminal in Puerto Madero and find the Buquebus Turismo (travel) agency.
  2. You also can’t book a ticket for any departure within a half hour or so. So, either show up way earlier than you intend to leave, or buy them in advance online or at the terminal.
  3. You’ll need to go through immigration and pre-clear it and customs in Argentina, so be aware.
Look at me, I’m a bullring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second mistake we made was that we booked the city tour sightseeing bus that takes you on a tour of Colonia. It’s a) too long, b) not in English as promised, c) boring and d) time poorly spent. The only things we saw that were of note were the bullring and the old town.  You can actually get to the bullring by taxi or by renting a golf cart in town, and I recommend doing it that way if you really must see it. It was cool, but I’m not sure it was worth the hour or so it took to get there and back on the tour bus, when we could have spent that hour or so walking around and shopping or eating.

Pretty streets in the old town.

And the old town is where you get dropped off from the bus that you get from the ferry terminal.

COLONIA, URUGUAY PROTIP: Don’t waste your money and time on the “tour bus” and just walk the old town for the day. We wished we had more time to spend there, and unfortunately, the bus tour was so long that we didn’t have much time to explore the best part of the city.

Just a tort waiting to happen.

The city’s cobblestone streets are lined with trees and cafes, of laid-back Uruguayans drinking mate and wine and watching passersby stroll along the boulevards in search of often-overpriced “authentic” tchotchkes to gather dust in their curio cabinets for years to come.

We, however, were on another mission. We were starving. And when you’re not in Mendoza, you eat seafood. As much seafood as humanly possible.

Gates of the old town. If there’s anything I like,  it’s a good smattering of plaques.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Through all of my foodie research (including scouring TripAdvisor frantically on my iPhone while walking through said picturesque streets), we decided to try to eat at a pizza place called La Bodeguita. It looked adorable. And delicious. And we arrived 5 minutes past lunch time!!! Total bummer.As we entered the gates of the old city walls, we were immediately transported. I have no other words for the place but “cute” and “awwww”.  You just feel the history, but it’s still quaint and a happy place. There are a ton of little restaurants serving mainly the same things, but the people are happy and there’s a vibrance to the place that I just can’t describe. It almost felt like home, in a weird way.

We ended up eating at a plaza cafe called La Pulperia de Los Faroles. We had fried calamari, several pitchers of sangria and the “seafood pots”, which was like a paella. My friend got adventurous and tried these vegetarian spinach fritters, which were actually REALLY tasty. It wasn’t our first choice of a place to go, and the staff was less than attentive, but the setting was wonderful. A few groups of Candombe drummers performed nearby and we relaxed under the Uruguayan sun, spending some much-needed downtime enjoying the sights and sounds.

We had to head back to the bus terminal, after our short day of exploration and relaxation. The line was enormous (as you have to go through customs & immigration again, if I remember correctly – before you board the boat). We were all exhausted.

If I ever go back to Colonia, I will make sure that I have more than a few hours to see the old town and really get to enjoy it. There’s not much there; there are a few museums, and from what I understand, great gastronomy and nightlife. However, I’d like to go back again and see for myself. This time, I’ll do it right.

Adorable little streets full of restaurants.

 

Taking a taxi in Mendoza

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Since I am retarded and afraid of taking the bus here, I either walk, bum rides from friends or take taxis. Here is a brief summary of what I’ve experienced in taking taxis pretty regularly around Mendoza. The good, the bad, and the ugly… on 4 wheels.

Taxis here are cheap. The base fare is about 4 pesos (maybe $4.50) during the day and about 5 and change after midnight. Basically, most of my taxi rides around centro have been $10-15 pesos (or $2.50 to $3.75). 

On the whole, most of my taxi-cab experiences have been quite good here.  Some of the drivers are pretty young and hip, and try to speak English to me even if I’m speaking to them in Spanish, asking where I’m from, telling me they know someone in Texas, etc.  And nearly every single male driver I’ve had that drops me off at my apartment after dark waits for me to get in the door before they drive off. It’s something I’m grateful for, and it’s them going out of their way to make sure this gringa is safe on their watch.

The drivers are sometimes crusty men in their 40s who talk very little, drive a little too fast, and rebuff any attempts at friendly conversation. But they don’t normally overcharge or try to screw me over because I’m a gringa.  Me gusta mucho.

The worst experiences I’ve had here are very few and far between. One was last week, when taking a cab back to my apartment, I got in and gave the driver my address. He nodded, and we were off. We got to my neighborhood, and he missed a turn. I was going to say something, when he pulled over a few blocks later next to another cab driver to ask where my address was. He never asked ME where it was, and took me five minutes out of the way. I told him I knew where I lived and could direct him. Then, finally, when we arrived at my apartment, he made me pay the full fare. Dickhead.

Then I had a woman driver last night. Now, I’m a girl. I am a girl who can drive. Usually, I don’t find many women to be good drivers. Sorry, it’s true. This woman was no exception. She was rude, abrupt, and drove erratically. She also didn’t tell me she didn’t know exactly where I lived until we turned down a street near my apartment (that was a wrong turn, since the streets are mostly one-ways and she turned too soon, and would have to loop around to get in front of my apartment) and I made her let me out on the corner. No sooner had I paid her and shut the door did she speed off in search of other customers to be a bitch to. She wasn’t about to wait around to make sure I didn’t get raped or anything walking by the abandoned, dark construction site. Gracias.

There are also taxis you can order, called a remise. They come in handy on Sundays when there are less people around and less taxis available to be hailed on the street.

Buenos Aires Day 3: The bus tour

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BA is a giant city. A cab from Palermo to San Telmo is about $20 pesos each way. This is fine when there are more than one of you, but if you’re traveling solo, it can get really expensive. Which is why on Day 3, my first full day alone, I decided to play tourist and buy a ticket on the Buenos Aires Bus. For 24 or 48 hours, I could then hop on and off the bus as much as I wanted, and it goes to pretty much every are of the city you’d want to see if you’re visiting, all in less than 3 hours.

Unfortunately for us, there was a Boca Junior game going on in the afternoon, and therefore no tour buses were going to the neighborhood of La Boca. I’m not sure if it’s because it was going to be too crowded, or because it was going to be too dangerous. Either way, I sadly didn’t get to go to La Boca and take photos of the colorful houses and figures on Caminito.

Grabbing the bus from the stop nearest the zoo, we went from there to the last stop which was right by the Casa Rosada. This area was beautiful, and it’s a good thing, too, because we were forced to get off the bus and wait for the next tour to start in 45 minutes or so. At least that’s what I think they were telling us when we were forced to get off. Either way, I capitalized on the opportunity and walked to the square to take photos of the Casa Rosada and surrounding buildings. It was beautiful.

After an hour or so of tooling around, I got on the next bus headed around the route and we cruised through the city on the way to San Telmo.  On Sunday afternoons, San Telmo is full of people buying and selling antiques (or crap, depending on your tastes), as well as hand-made crafts and other things that make good gifts for people back home. There are tango shows on the street and street performers here and there doing everything from playing classical guitar to posing as statues.  I wandered around the San Telmo market on calle Defensa and Plaza Dorrego for a few hours, then made my way back to the bus stop to pick up the rest of the tour.

Seriously, if you’re ever in BA on a Sunday – go to San Telmo!

We passed by buses of Boca fans who were singing and chanting and making rude gestures to just about anyone who would look at them, so I’m pretty happy that although I’m a big soccer fan, that I was NOT going to the game.

We drove through the modern barrio of Puerto Madeiro, which just feels like you’re somewhere in the US, and around the city up to Chinatown and the barrio of Belgrano before we looped around and I got off the bus near my apartment. It was freezing outside at this point (in the late afternoon) and being on an open-top bus was no longer enjoyable.

Pretty forgettable take-out Chinese for dinner, and some American movies on the tv, and I was a happy camper.