All Good Things... [Buenos Aires]

May 2017

This "final" update, to my Remote Year, has been the hardest to start. Buenos Aires happened back in May and it's taken me months to want to put some brief thoughts about my experiences because I've been going through so many feels in regards to my thoughts about ending one of the best and unique experiences of my life. I had spent a year with these people and Buenos Aires is where all these feelings came to a head when we had to address the fact that we wouldn't be seeing each other for much longer. But, these hard fact feelings didn't take away from the amazing experience that was Buenos Aires which had to be one of the foodiest cities we had traveled to. So, i'll spend this time speaking on a few of those experiences.

Buenos Aires felt like a home almost immediately. It is a very modern city that felt like a mesh between Barcelona with sprinkles of New York tossed into the mix. The city has a huge urban sprawl yet manages to inject so much greenery into the surroundings that you never get that "concrete jungle" feeling you might get in an equally sized North American city. There seemed to be endless little pockets of neighborhoods just waiting to be explored and the people make you feel so welcome that exploration is exactly what you are compelled to do.

One of the first things I got to check out was a performance known as La Bomba de Tiempo which gloriously takes place once a week. It seems like huge portions of the city's population show up to see this improvisational percussion ensemble do what they do best which is get the whole crowd moving with their infectious, body moving rhythms. I couldn't help but get swept up in the feel and vibe of the crowd and lush sounds. It's definitely a spectacle that was worth the cost of admission and then some.

Music and food seem to be the lifeblood of Buenos Aires, as almost all activities seem to have a little mixture of one or the other. Another great music centric act I got the opportunity to check out was Fuerza Bruta which would best be described as an audience participation music theatre performance/experience. One moment you'd be watching a performance on stage, in front of you, and the next moment a translucent plastic stage contraption would be lowering above your head where performers would be frolicking above you while they are partially submerged in water. Then, once you were just starting to get your barrings together, you'd be bombarded with an entirely difference performance act where you find yourself encapsulated in a parachute material that covers the entire crowd while music pumps at you from all angles. Let's just say...it was an "experience". 

Buenos Aires offers all types of experiences but nothing truly prepared me for all the wonderful food the city had to offer. Most of the food revolved around visiting various parrillas (barbeque joints) which offer mounds and mounds of meat as far as the eye can see. I thought I was a heavy meat eater before trekked to this city but the porteño people showed me that I was just an apprentice when it came to consuming the flesh. They've got the grilling technique down to a science with their various techniques of raising, lowering, & spinning the meat. But the only technique I had to master was lifting the fork from my plate to my mouth. And, I believe I started to get the hang of it. 

One last thing I'd like to mention about the city is just the sheer amount of local art you find canvasing so many the walls. I discovered that the local people don't shun graffiti artists but actually embrace them because many artists came along after much political strife so it was their way of expressing themselves or their neighborhood's feelings. It's refreshing to find a city where all forms of art are celebrated and not condemned. With everything I experienced, I would say Buenos Aires is bursting with life with all of it's flavors and it oozes out of the seams of the city. It can be felt in the streets, homes, studios and just about anywhere you can imagine. And, although my Remote Year ended in this month, I know that I will someday find ways to make it back to Buenos Aires in my future travels.

Highlights

• Empanadas, empanadas and spicy empanadas
• Witnessing the amazing La Bomba de Tiempo which is an improvisational percussion ensemble that brings the house down
• Eating non stop meats at all the Parrillas (bbq joints) (My favorite was Parrilla Don Julio in Palermo)
• Participating in the spectacle known as Fuerza Bruta
• Taking a side trip to Montevideo, Uruguay
• Watching a Tango show at Tango Porteño
• Eating at Fukuro Noodle Bar and seeing all the dope graffiti splattered inside and outside the building
• Seeing BadBadNotGood perform their jazz influenced wizardry
• Saying "Auf Wiedersehen" to all my Remote Year comrades 

Ending Eve [Cordoba]

April 2017

Being in Cordoba became the month that I really started to think about how the end of Remote Year was about to become a reality. Most of Remote Year was about living in the moment and never really harping on the past or the near future. But, once we were in the second to last month; it was hard not to think about how our motley crew of travelers was soon coming to somewhat of an end. I didn't let this sour my experiences in Cordoba but it definitely was something in the back of my mind.

Cordoba is a young college town with amazingly beautiful architecture nestled in the middle of sparse and lush forests and farms. Every night there seemed to be hordes of college students partying and cars driving by with obnoxiously loud sound systems yet, oddly enough, this city offered me the chance to slow down a bit as there seemed to be less stimulation available compared to Lima. Cordoba offered chill night bar hopping, trekking its endless forests and hikes, and mediocre food to explore. And, this isn't a dig at the food scene of Cordoba but when I compare it to the other cities, it falls very low on the list.

I spent much of the month figuring out what I planned to do once Remote Year was to end. It was scary and also exciting to plan my "life after Remote Year". And, I spent the rest of the time exploring the bar and restaurant scene with my fellow Remote Year family. We all talked about how, although Remote Year was "ending", we all planned to keep in close contact with each other, over the years and forever ever. This was one of the best months to start looking at all we had accomplished and to imagine what we wanted from our futures together. 

Highlights

• Visiting a monkey sanctuary
• Celebrating Malbec World Day
• Eating plenty of asado (barbeque)
• Trying milanesa (pounded piece of fried breaded beef) for the first time
• Empanadas, empanadas and more empanadas
• Visiting the spooky town of Capilla del Monte and hiking Uritorco mountain - well known for UFO sightings
• Visiting a local musician who showed us the secrets of one of the most historical trades in Argentina through the process of making the traditional native drums called the bombo drum. Also got a chance to learn how to play some simple beats on the drum. But, unfortunately, this is when I learned that my blackness didn't automatically endow me with some type of divine rhythm skills. 
• Meeting a local girl who was able to school me on many local bands and types of local music including: Viaje a un Minúsculo planeta, Goyeneche & Juana Molina
• Watching a performance of the local soulful band known as The Reverend Sons Of...

Veni, vidi, ceviche [Lima]

March 2017
This month I also took a "side trip" to the Galápagos. Read about it HERE.

The previous month, in Medellin, offered the most beautiful green scenery that one could ask for but Lima offered an equally beautiful ocean front scenery that has to be seen to be believed. It is very cliche to talk about the weather and the "vibe" of a city yet there's no better obsersvation to speak of when talking about Lima. The weather was absolutely perfect. The type of weather that compels you to leave your home and leisurely walk around with child-like wonder and awe. And you quickly feel the vibe of the Peruvian people who are equally warm and welcoming. You got the sense that everyone minded their own business yet didn't come off as cold or distant. There was so much to do and see in Peru that there was just a general sense of joy spread throughout the city. Whether you felt this along the boardwalk, around the various neighboorhoods, or if you found yourself in the beautiful Historic Center.

I spent much of my time touring the charming barrio(neighborhood) of Barranco. It somewhat reminded me of the fantasy town of Spectre from the movie Big Fish because you almost feel like you are in a dream-like state as you walk around and see all the smiling faces mixed in with the quaint surroundings and architecture. The neighborhood could come off as hipster-ish to the untrained eye yet there was no pretentious attitude present. Just a sense that heaps of artistic minded folks lived and played there. 

I also spent a large chunk of time in the historic center of Lima which showcases the best there is to offer in regards to Spanish colonial architecture. Everywhere you looked was a snapshot worthy building that may or may not have had a modern relevant use. This isn't a dig at Lima but often times you would find buildings that had amazing historic architecture on the outside yet on the inside was a plain modern bar with no real character. This didn't take away from the beauty but was definitely something noticeable and somewhat jarring. And I topped of my visits to the historic center with a tour through the Catacombs of the Church of San Francisco. So much history is well preserved in this establishment that it felt like taking a trip back through time. Perhaps a darker time in the countries history. 

Since Lima is a coastal city, one of the parts of its history I had the most anticipation for was the ceviche. I had thought that people telling me, "You must try the ceviche in Peru" were over-selling it or that the legends weren't true. I've had ceviche plenty of times before in other corners of the world and since the ingredients were pretty simple, I assumed that perhaps it wouldn't be that noticeably better in the city of his birth. But, I admit, i was very wrong. I must of tried ceviche more than 10+ times and each time seemed to get better and better. Lima offered so many delicious combinations of fish, spices and accompaniments. And, I wouldn't be overselling it by saying each bite was nothing short of orgasmic. I quickly noticed that often times silence among friends, is a common occurrence, when consuming ceviche which is the best compliment you can give when dining. I plan to return to Lima just for the ceviche alone. Amazing city.

Highlights

• Bike tour around Lima
• Eating plenty of Lomo Saltados (sandwhich version also)
• Seeing Otto the Skateboarding Dog along the boardwalk
• Tasting the best ceviche in my life (the best being at Canta Rana)
• Spending many days walking around the barrio (neighborhood) of Barranco
• Site-seeing with Eve
• Checking out the photography exhibit of Mario Testino at MATE
• Visiting the Pedro de Osma Museum of Colonial Art
• Touring the creepy catacombs of the Church of San Francisco
• Tasting a Pisco Sour at Bar de Hotel Maury which is the place it was invented
• Visiting the House of Peruvian Literature
• Taking a side trip to the Galápagos islands. Read about it HERE.

Wild Life. My "side trip" to the Galápagos Islands

One of the phrases that quickly gained traction in the Remote Year program was "side trip". Since Remote Year offered a planned 12 city / 1 year itinerary; we considered all this destinations to be the main portion of the trip and any city/country that we decided to venture to, on our own, was considered a "side trip". And one of the major side trips I did was heading over to the Galápagos Islands. I have wanted to visited these islands forever but the desire only deepened after I had recently heard a Radiolab podcast about the islands and all the amazing wild life that only exist on this unique archipelago.

So, I took a week off from Lima to hop over to Galápagos with a couple of remote friends. We had absolutely no plan after our arrival which is a common trend with all the people I've been traveling with throughout the year. We have no trouble just figuring it out as we go. And luckily, it just so happens that the person sitting next to me on the plane ride over was a marine biologist that worked for the Charles Darwin research station. She was able to give me a history of the islands, tell me all the different places/islands we should visit, and, to top it off, she even arranged for us to take a small yacht cruise so we could hop around the islands and visit sites that you can only trek if you have a licensed guide.

On this cruise we met other travelers who were in just as much awe as my group due to the fact that, every few minutes we were surrounded by all types of wild-life including: HUGE tortoises; large iguanas; finches; albatrosses; blue-footed boobies; sea-lions; sharks; and even penguins. And i'm probably missing some of the things we saw as we hopped from island to island in this place that has a name that sounds like you are making it up. That's what I think when I hear "Galápagos". It has the kind of name that friends may not even believe you when you say you visited there.

One of the most memorable moments took place on the last night of the cruise. Our boat was suddenly bombarded and attacked by hundreds of flying fish that were able to fly so high that they landed on the 3rd deck of the boat. Once we were just getting acquainted with our aquatic flying friends; we then noticed our boat was quickly being circled by 15+ medium sized sharks that were now in the neighborhood to get a late night bite. And, in a Disney movie like fashion, we then noticed that a few sea lions had teamed up with the sharks in the late night hunt instead of being hunted themselves. Now, I will admit; we were all quite a bit drunk this night but this event TOTALLY happened and was a perfect way to wind down our "out of this world" adventure on our last night.  Galápagos is a collection of islands off the coast of Ecuador but, honestly, it feels like a different planet where wild-life is given the priority and humans are the foreign invaders.

Highlights:

• Snorkeling with sea lions, sharks, tortoises and all the other various wild-life
• Touring the Charles Darwin research station
• Visiting the "mailbox" on the island of Floreana that requires that the letters be hand delivered, all over the world, by those come to visit. So, you look through all the letters and if you find a letter marked for a city you plan to visit soon; you take the letter and personally deliver it to the recipient.
• Visiting the El Chato Tortuga Ranch which is a large farm with thousands of HUGE tortoises
• Island hopping all over
• Meeting new international friends on the cruise
• Meeting Salome

Green on Green on.... [Medellin]

February 2017

I was simply stunned when i first arrived in Medellin. Everywhere I looked were massive amounts of cartoonish level greenery that seemed to go on and on and on. There's no wonder that the official nickname for the city is "City of Eternal Spring". I even heard that a study was conducted where they asked people to describe various cities by using just one color to encapsulate the overall visual scheme of a city and people always easily chose "green" for Medellin. Now, I don't know the details of this study but Medellin is so majestically lush that green is the only way to describe the overwhelming beauty that you you feel blessed to witness. And luckily, locals realize how beautiful their city is so every bar, restaurant and even the malls, go out of their way, to incorporate an open aire design to their structures to allow for the plant life to seep into every nook and cranny as though you were in the forest itself. The beautiful cannot be understated. 

Now, I know that Medellín is infamous for nefarious reasons but those days are burned deep in history and what has risen from though ashes is a country that has learned from it's past mistakes and managed to create a utopian like bohemian micro-society that craves innovation, compassion and new beginnings. During my stay, I met so many young entrepreneurs who were not blind to their countries dark history but decided to use the strength that allowed them to survive those dark days and funnel that energy towards new businesses and community renewal. Medellín feels much like a society that is quickly going through a renaissance and that energy is infectious, even to travelers. 

One if my most memorable moments was when I took a "side trip" to the small aquatic town called Guatapé. The quaint town is just as green as Medellín but also has what seems like hundreds of mini interconnected waterways scattered all across the landscape. This was a relaxing weekend spent with friends where we got a chance to experience a slower pace of life that outskirts of Medellín had to offer. 

Overall, Medellín quickly became and remains one my favorite cities and I could easily see making a possible future home there. I will return.   

Highlights: 

• Playing paintball at one Pablo Escobar's old estates (i'm in no way condoning or celebrating the actions of this lunatic but he remains an interesting character nonetheless)
• Checking out the Parque Llares area
• Visiting the beautiful town of Guatapé 
• Having a relaxing weekend on a resort in Guatapé with friends
• Partying in a finca on the outskirts of town
• Climbing to the top the El Peñón rock in Guatapé
• Relaxing & drinking with an amazing local in Parque del Periodista (Park of Journalists) 
• Watching every amazing sunset from my balcony
• Meeting Eve