Pass to the World

Hard Rock Casino

2009-11-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from this weekend at Hard Rock. While everyone else was focused on gambling, I decided to snap some shots. Here's the result:

Busch Gardens, Tampa

2009-10-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Busch Gardens is one of the best parks to visit if you're a thrill seeker, like me... and if you're a nature/wildlife geek, then welcome to the jungle! This park is hosts Florida's largest zoo which is home to many endangered/threatened animals.

Whether you go on the monorail, train, safari truck... or just a plain walking safari, you can get a close-up view of lions, tigers, hyenas, Nile crocodiles, among other wild beasts.

Of course, not only are the animals one of the main attractions but also the big rides!

Sheikra is one of the newest and biggest roller coasters here (also known as Griffon in Busch Gardens Europe and Virginia). This ride is only about 210 ft tall and is located on the highest points of the park.

"A little known fact...: After designing the ride, B&M told Busch that trains would be too heavy. They could either make reduce the number of seats or make the trains floorless. Busch opted for the floorless trains and thus they were able to tout the World’s first floorless dive coaster." - Via thecoastercritic.com

Montu is the second biggest and fastest steel coasters. Upon arriving at the Egyptian-themed station, guests board the trains which hang right below the tracks and begin their climb.

The Wild Surge is one of Busch Gardens' newest attractions. This is a tower ride which lifts riders up the tower with multiple drops. Similar to Islands of Adventure's Dr. Doom's Fearfall except it's not as intense...

Ybor City, Tampa Bay

2009-10-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I went on a road trip with my sister and Bryan to Tampa Bay. On our first night, we decided to visit a little place called Ybor City (northeast of downtown) which is a strip about a mile long full of restaurants, tattoo shops, clubs, bars, movie theaters, etc. Perfect place for a college student.

There were no people at the time so we just walked around in the middle of the roads and took a few pictures here and there. Of course, after 10 PM, people were starting to line up at the clubs and bars. It looked like they were having an early Halloween celebration as well since there were people walking around in their costumes.

Ybor City was founded and inhabited by immigrants from different backgrounds-- mainly from Cuba, Spain, and Italy. I think this explains why the street was so colorful, noisy, and lively. Don't be fooled by the party scene, though, some of the people we encountered here actually looked a little intimidating.

Italian food was our choice of late night dining. We each had calzones which were delicious... we even took the left overs back to our room!

Miami Sunset

2009-10-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

As Laura and I were leaving the beach after our photoshoot at the beach, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful scenery in front of us. So, I parked my car in the middle of the road and snapped a few shots.
One of my first sunset photographs :)

Click on picture for larger view.
View pictures from the photo shoot here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mariacphoto/

St. Augustine, Florida

2009-10-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

St. Augustine is known for being the oldest city in the United States and a historical icon in Florida; established around the 1560s by Spanish immigrants. This city is so basic and small, we had to walk almost everywhere; however, there are certain areas that are a little isolated, in other words, houses felt as if they were a mile apart from each other.

The first place we visited was the Old Lighthouse which was built in the 1870s. Literally old. It's still rather sturdy, though. It has survived all kinds of storms, several hurricanes, and lightning strikes.

There used to be an oil lamp behind the lens which would be rotated by a grandfather clock and wound up every 2 hours or so.

(Below) This is what the inside of the lighthouse looks like: a 219 feet staircase. The oil lamp had to be carried up these stairs every 3 hours. Add that to Florida's summer heat. Oy!

Every now and then I would stop and take a break or take a few pictures. This was one of my favorite spots.

Of course, the top was also my favorite spot.

Next, we visited one of St. Augustine's ancient cathedrals, the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine. This place is a historical landmark since it is the first European religious site built in the United States. Of course, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside so I snapped a few shots before going in.

Castillo de San Marcos is also an important historical site. It was built by the Spanish in the 1690s in order to protect the city and people of St Augustine. Here, you can either go on a "self-tour" where you just wander around the castle or go on a tour with the park rangers. There are also people around the castle dressed according to the period giving demonstrations and presentations on the weapons they used during this period.

I loved this place simply because it was very unlike any other place in Florida. It was very historical, the art and architecture was beautiful and unique. It poured the whole time I was there and since we only walked to places, the humidity and condensation caused my camera to have some technical problems which was a drag since there were so many beautiful places to photograph.

Islands of Adventure: "The Adventure Goes On"

2009-09-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Whether you live in Florida or not, a trip to the theme parks is a must!
I recently visited Orlando and I have to admit, even though I've been there several times already, the thrills and the fun are still there. We got tickets online for 2 parks and were only about $70 (as opposed to the gate price which is higher). Of course, once we got to the parks, it was a sea of people, so we decided to get Fast-Pass tickets (for both parks) for only $30!
I recommend you always check online for ticket and hotel pricing since there are always cheap deals.

The first night, Bryan, Elliot, and I ended up rooming together. Talk about awkward.... but it was fun.
We were on International Drive, right in front of this attraction called The Slingshot, a ride where you're basically launched a few hundred feet into the air (similar to reverse bungee jumping). Of course, no one wanted to ride it with me, so we avoided that one.

Toon Lagoon is one of my favorite parts of Islands. It's so colorful and lively, it feels like being part of a comic book.

Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls is one of the really wet ones! I was almost dragged to it and I thought I would just get wet... but I ended up getting SOAKED! And if you want to get even more wet, you can just stand on the bridge right outside of it. As the boat comes down, it splashes water to the sides.

Jurassic Park's River Adventure is also a wet ride; at first you're on a smooth boat ride which turns bad once T-Rex finds you. It's a lot of fun but I prefer the Ripsaw Falls over this one.

...aaaand, if you're into big rides, Marvel Superhero Island is the right place for that. I went on Dr. Doom's Fearfall for the first time and it was so much fun! At first you're launched a few feet up and when you least expect it, you're blasted a few HUNDRED feet! This ride reminded me of how much I used to hate heights, so if you get motion sickness, I'd say go on it and get over it!

The Incredible Hulk's Coaster and Dueling Dragons are one of the biggest rides in this park. One of the cars on the Dueling Dragons broke right before we went on it, talk about an adrenaline rush! The best way to get the most out of these bad boys is to go on the front row. Also, make sure to keep your eyes open and your arms up, it feels like you're flying!

City Walk!

When Places Don't Live Up To Our Expectations

2009-09-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

When my family and I started planning on our first trip back to our native country, Argentina, we didn’t know what to expect. Maybe we did know, or maybe we had mixed expectations… I did, at least. It was very easy for me and my sister to forget all the things we left behind and the things we were lucky enough to have here that we always took for granted, being able to walk to the neighbor’s house without being harassed by someone on the street or hanging out with our friends at the mall, etc. It was very easy for us to forget we came with absolutely nothing just like it was very easy to take for granted everything we were given in this country. Once I landed in Argentina and left that tiny, overcrowded, and unorganized airport, I immediately felt how far away from home we were. It was inevitable. I kept my mind open, though and I was always learning some new, whether it was good or bad, it showed me a different way to view the world. With that said, I listed a few things I learned on my first trip outside this little bubble that is North America.

Things don’t work the same way they do in North America. People will bribe you, try to hurt you, steal from you, etc. and there is absolutely no one you can sue or complain to. The best way to prevent all this is to toughen up and be aware.
Just because you’re a tourist, doesn’t mean you have priority over everyone else. It just means you have money and people will take advantage of that, your best bet is to try not to act so much like a tourist.
Travel books will only show you the pretty places. Don’t resort on these! They’ll only raise your expectations, don’t expect to get the same picture once you get there.
Keep your mind open, always. I found this to be the easiest way to enjoy my trip. Go to the urban areas, talk to random people, ride the bus, walk around the city when it’s freezing cold, get out of your comfort zone and you’ll find that some things are not as bad as we often think they are. Oh, and you’ll also learn to view things from a different perspective.
Even if you go to the most expensive places, don’t expect to get the best service. Refer to the first two bullets.
Don’t be so judgmental about the culture or the way people think. I found this to be one of the hardest things to do, until I realized that these people have probably never left their hometowns, they don’t have the same mindset I have, they haven’t lived what I’ve lived (and vice versa) and that’s fine, it’s one of those things that makes you learn about other cultures.
Show appreciation and gratitude. In the end, when you come back home, think of all the things (material or non-material) you have and consider yourself lucky. Not everyone has the freedom we are able to have here, not everyone gets the respect we get here. Consider yourself lucky for having that job you hate so much, or for being able to have an education. There are millions of people out there who don’t have that opportunity to get an education or a decent job and it’s not because they have choose to live that way, it’s simply because some things are not granted as easy.

(Feel free to share your experience about a trip or place that didn’t live up to your expectations. I want to hear your story!)

Buenos Aires Zoo

2009-09-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

The Buenos Aires zoo was another one of those “fun times” I had on my last days there. Of course, compared to the zoos we have in the United States, this one wasn’t as wild but it was a cool experience because we were able to get really close the animals. Safe or not, it was fun!

One of the things I really wasn’t expecting to find here was the wide variety of animals (polar bears, panthers, leopards, camels, llamas, etc.). There were also a lot of animals running around lose, somehow, that’s was so surprising.

On the other hand, the living conditions of these animals was actually sad, some of the cages were very small or overcrowded. But then again, the living conditions in any zoo are upsetting. What animal would want to live in a cage for the rest of its life, entertaining people?

Mama and baby goat

Feeding the antelope

Look familiar? It's the famous monkey from The Lion King. Called Mandrill.

Believe it or not, this lizard was actually running around loose. Yikes!

My sister was feeding the llamas.

My sister is responsible for the next few pictures (the snake series). Due to my snake phobia, I couldn't even dare to open my eyes.

This shark was only about 30 cm. long! Definitely not like the ones we have in America!

Another one of those little guys running around unleashed. This is a Patagonian Mara (above)
and a “nutria” (below).

Buenos Aires: Exposed

2009-09-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

Buenos Aires had its highs and lows, but I must admit, it was one of my favorite places to visit. With its strong European influence, historical buildings, varied culture, charming old neighborhoods… it is most definitely, an amazing city.
My first impression of Buenos Aires was that it had a European feel and at the same time it felt like being back in New York City; it is very noisy and congested, the nightlife is basically 24 hours long, the energy of the city is crazy non-stop. There is always something to fill every one of your senses.

Day 1

Upon landing, the first thing we noticed was this soccer stadium that belongs to the soccer team River Plate. Thousands of fanatics come here each year to watch their team play, and when World Cup time comes around, the whole country stops working just to watch the games! Sports are one the specialties here and are taken very seriously, especially soccer.

Funny story about buildings in Buenos Aires, the majority are so old that they don’t have elevators! Oh surprise, we had about 10 pieces of luggage which we ended up carrying to the apartment. (Note: it was only two flights, but 10 massive suitcases make those two flights look eternal)

Day 2

In this city, we either walked or took the subway train (people have cars, but where’s the adventure in that?). So, we took the subway from this place called Alto Palermo, to Plaza de Mayo where we went on a little tour around the outskirts of the city.

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The first place we were taken to on our tour, was called Cabildo de Buenos Aires. This building was used as housing for the government during colonial times (the declaration of independence was signed here!).

Back in the 1600’s, due to lack of maintenance and funds (one of the common characteristics of the city), the building was in ruins. Eventually, an “extended version” was constructed but again, due to lack of funding, it was suspended. Now, this place is only about 2 thirds of the tower that was built later on (which had 11 arches) and serves as a museum.

Right across from Cabildo, on the same plaza (note: plaza is the same as park or boulevard), sits the government house, called “Pink House” (Casa Rosada).
If you ever watched the film “Evita”, this is the original place where Madonna filmed one of the main scenes!

Soldiers were one of the most unusual things I encountered in Buenos Aires; if you look closely, on the picture of the Pink House, there are fences surrounding the house all around, but that wasn’t the only thing surrounding it… these guys were walking all around it throughout the whole day!

I’m not really sure but I suppose they’re meant to serve a security guards since people often come to this plaza to protest.

National Congress Building

Av. 9 de Julio is considered to be the widest avenue in the world; the obelisk -one of the main icons of the city- sits at the end of 9 de Julio, towering a massive 223 ft over Plaza de la Republica. This whole intersection becomes a massive celebration ground after major soccer victories, thousands of fanatics gather around this place to celebrate whenever their team wins a match.

Caminito was definitely, one of my favorite places in this city. This place was completely built up and inhabited by Italian immigrants over 100 hundred years ago. Something I learned from this tour: since all immigrants arrived at the port, it seemed logical to settle by it; they were so poor that they built these tiny houses where large families lived in out of wood and corrugated iron and were painted with left over paint from the ships (hence the variety of colors).

Now, this old Italian neighborhood is crowded with thousands of tourists, artists, tacky souvenir shops, art markets, and restaurants.

Above: a couple dancing tango outside a restaurant in Caminito
Below: a moving statue of a gaucho (which is the Argentine version of a cowboy)

Luna Park is one of the biggest arenas in the city and has hosted tons of events and internationally famous people like Frank Sinatra and Luciano Pavarotti.

Wine, Mountains, and Snow

2009-09-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

Mendoza is the wine capital of Argentina. One of the cool things about this country is that drinking is not frowned upon… in fact, it’s promoted! So, if you happen to be there during the summer (December to March), you’ll be lucky to be part of the biggest wine festivals ever. The biggest events to go to during this festival include:

Vendimia Parade: Usually happens in February, on a Friday/Saturday night and includes gauchos and local department beauties (in the run to become the Vendimia Queen) going around the city on massive floats giving out grapes or walnuts from their department (or county).
Election of the Queen and After-Show: This is a beauty-pageant like competition; one of the queen “contenders” is elected to be queen (usually happens in mid-February) and a very impressive show of fireworks and choreographed music wraps up the celebration.

There are tons of wineries and wine museums in the city and since it’s so close to the Andes, trips to the mountains or outdoor adventures are actually pretty fun!
The first days, we visited a few vineyards and wineries, unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to even sample any wines but the ones I did have were very good, although some were actually very rough.

This place (above) was half winery, half art museum. I was lucky enough to even snap this shot because security there was so strict, I thought they belonged in the military. In other words, wine is almost sacred here.

Crushing some grapes to make wine. Talk about a tough job!

Mountains and Snow

I have to admit, the cold weather in Argentina was not fun; however, spending a whole day in the snowy mountains was one of the best experiences, ever.

On our last days, we decided to rent some ski boards and head to the mountains on a tour bus. We visited more historical sites, includingPuente del Inca. Towards the 19th century, crossing from the city of Mendoza to Chile was a mission, especially during the winter because people would literally freeze to death. To prevent this, Puente del Incawas built; it served as refuge to the mail men who traveled back and forth between both countries.

This is where we stayed (below), Penitentes, a ski resort located right on the border between Chile and Argentina. There are about 25 runs of different lengths where you can ski, snowboard, ride snow sleds, etc. The good thing was that there were so many runs and they were all so big that we almost had it all to ourselves. So…. we didn’t run into anybody when we were attempting to ski and felled miserably.

…. like my mom, who was skiing the wrong way

She tried, though.

And my sister and cousin who decided it would be a good idea to share this tiny snow sled.

Food and drinks were very expensive here…. so, when we got thirsty, we just grabbed a snowball and ate it.

Towards the end of the day, our hands were so numb that we only managed to make this tiny snowman.

Pack up and Travel Back in Time: Argentina After 7 Years

2009-09-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Going back to Argentina after 7 years produced different reactions in me; my opinions and expectations often changed from negative to positive (and vice versa). At first, I was shocked as to how different the lifestyle was, but I was always learning something.

Touring around Mendoza immediately brought back childhood memories of going on family trips to the mountains and observing all kinds o animals (cows, horses, chickens) around us. In Mendoza, and other regions of the Northern part of the country, it is very common to have a horse and occasionally go horse back riding from the mountains to the city.

Unlike the country side of Mendoza, the city was more exciting and eventful. Hundreds of people go to places like Plaza Independencia (below) to drink mate with their friends, visit the arts and crafts market, enjoy live music or theater, or just take advantage of the big skating ramps

This historical site, called Manzano Historico, is all the way at the top of the mountain!

One of the things about Mendoza is that it’s very ancient, it’s out of the ordinary to see new places being built each year; therefore, every place, monument, park, plaza, etc. is historic. Thousands of people come to sites like Manzano Historico and Cristo de la Hermandad each day to go on tours and enjoy the tourist attractions that this place has to offer.

(Below: Cristo de la Hermandad)