Oh, there you are...

The most ridiculous thing happened to me today. Actually, why do the most ridiculous things happen to me? My life really is a sitcom. 

Something feels loose around my butt, but I don’t think much of it. I eventually head to the toilet as I need to pee. I proceed to lift up my skirt and my underwear drops to the floor... like a diaper where the glue from the tabs becomes unsticky and it decides to unravel and go “bloop” on the floor. 

Maki soup. 

Seven years has come again. What I mean is I only get to eat it, on average, every seven years when I am in Binondo--Manila's Chinatown.

Maki is a thick brown soup full of tender slivers of pork. That description, and probably that photo as well, are definitely not doing it justice. It must be tried. For me, it's one of those dishes that elicits childhood memories. And always one of those foods I ask for when visiting grandma. Every time I ask, she can't help but smile and say, "Your favorite."

After about an hour drive, we arrived at the starting point-- telecommunications towers stationed about two-thirds of the way up Chachani Volcano. Here you notice the tranquility and pure quality of the air; a marked contrast to the manic pace and pollution that envelops any urban area, including Arequipa. The sky is a vivid blue and the puffy clouds passing by are so defined against the landscape. The scene is absolutely mesmerizing as you stop to take in the impressionable views of Misti, one of the other volcanoes bordering Arequipa.

This is interrupted by my need for a bathroom. I'm told to just go somewhere out of view. If only it were that easy. It's moments like these when I have "penis envy." 

Instead, I head for the telecommunications tower. If a guard lives there, there must be a toilet. I managed to avoid doing my business in nature, yet again. Unfortunately, there was no running water, but I spot a drum of water outside and like a girl scout, grab a bucket full to flush and wash my hands.

My friend Thomas and I decided to do an excursion on Chachani, the highest of the three volcanoes surrounding Arequipa, Peru. I mean it seemed like an easy decision. It was between hiking in bitter cold conditions towards the snow-capped summit outfitted with crampons and an ice axe over two to three days versus spending a sunny, but brisk half or full day biking downhill. I opted to bike this time around.

The following morning, we end up arriving at the office before our guide and were left to hang around outside like vagrants. Eventually, we settled accounts and signed a waiver and release form, except I couldn’t complete it as I didn’t know my passport number. I just started traveling and hadn’t yet memorized it nor realized that it would be a standard question throughout my travels. All I knew was my social security number and parent’s home phone. Not helpful. And for some reason, I didn’t bother bringing along the photocopy of my passport that day.

The staff was insistent that it not be blank, so as all good friends do, Thomas reassured me that there was no need to provide the actual number because I could count on him to identify my body in case my bike decided to careen off the side of the mountain.

Holy gosh! Dinner parties galore.

I discovered PlateCulture, a website that connects food lovers. Who can say no to meeting new people and understanding other cultures over good food?

Spent all morning at the US Embassy*, but worth the trouble. Just added new pages to my passport (28 to be exact)! Boy is it fat. Now time to look at booking some more trips. =)

Flight Fox

You'll have to pay a finder's fee. But if you've got a complex itinerary, it might help to seek the advice of experts who are all bidding for your service.

I really appreciate the efforts of this company to solve the plight of those pesky airline baggage fees, but this is a bit ridiculous. It looks more suspect than helpful. What do you think?

Lazy Day in NYC

OMG. I thought Kayak was already an awesome tool to find the best flight deals. >>Check out Adioso. I just compared the populated fares for a search from KUL to PUJ (for work) and there was a $1000 difference!