Our abode in Condesa

I just crashed in my friends Air BnB. On Christmas Eve I booked a night there by myself (way more pricey than I would normally spend on one nights accomo) but my friends arrived on the 26th. 

Our quaint little abode.

Our Air BnB host had messaged me on Whatsap saying "Dear Grace, Welcome to Mexico City. In the apartment there are regulations seals from the local administration please note you won't have any issues during your stay. The seals don't look great but unfortunately we have to wait to remove them. Cheers, Diago"

I didn't think much of these until the rest of the crew arrived. Then I decided to send to a couple of Spanish speaking friends to see what they said. A Mexican friend responded with simply "Closed by The government". My friend Bec, who lives in Perth but speaks fluent Spanish was a little more descriptive with her reply. "It's basically saying you will get sanctioned if you violate the clauses... but it doesn't say which ones".

At this point some of our travel party were concerned, as there was a lingering damp feel in the air of the apartment. They wanted to make sure it wasn't condemned.

Not so quaint official warnings on our front door.
"Scansions apply if you violate the causes"

We asked for our Diago to clarify. "It was a mistake so it taking ages to solve but actually the sanctions apply when you are building a place, not after it is being built. In this case, sanctions also apply if we remove the labels without permission". I for one choose to believed them.

As the accomodation only had two double beds I was destine for the couch. Unfortunately the couch wasn't designed in a way conducive to sleeping (see image below). Mandy found me a quilted blanket, so I folded that up as a sleep mat and slept exceptionally well. It wasn't actually that much of a blow out as the bed Mandy and Hamish had was so hard it was like sleeping on the floor anyway.

The couch

We were staying deep in the heart of 'Condesa' a delightful bohemian arty suberb. Condesa and neighboring Colonia Roma were together designated as a "Barrio Mágico Turístico" ("Magic Neighborhood for Tourists") by the city in 2011. 

Mexico City sits at 2250m. This is the 8th highest capital city in the world, with Bolivia's La Paz (3640m) the highest. 2250m is high enough to affect humans like us who are used to living at sea level. 

"Altitude sickness is a reaction to the lower amounts of oxygen available at high altitudes (due to the lower air pressure)." - this generally only occurs at heights over 3000m, at which point you have to acclimatise. 

So symptoms expected for us were just general tiredness, feeling some shortness of breath, and the desire for naps. Mandy is a #1 napper even at sea level but she did well to manage without afternoon naps. 

On day one after adventuring all day we were all zonked and went to bed at 9pm and although sleeping on the floor I still slept until 8am, an astonishing 11 hours!! 

My little LEGO Christmas tree fitted right in

This table. I want. So great.
And Diego and Lola left us lovely flowers. 

Woahh Mexico, I've never really been so I guess I should go!

I have made it to Mexico City!! The flight was fine, slept a lot (sleeping anywhere is one of my most gifted skills). I enjoyed the longest Christmas ever, sharing LEGO santas  with as many people as I could. I think the most grateful recipient was the young boy sitting next to me on the flight from Auckland to San Fran. He was suffering hell on earth when we landed due to pressure in his poor wee skull. Something my family will know I can relate to, as that was me at a child. I gave him a LEGO santa and he said "no that's your santa", I said I work at LEGO so have way too much LEGO. Then he took it. Phew.

 

LEGO Santas

When boarding our plane to Mexico City, a guy in front of my boarding paused to kiss and pray to the plane. This buzzed me out a little bit, but it's surely not a bad thing being on a plane which has been prayed for. When we landed  the guy behind me started singing 'Feliz Navida' my brother Fynn's most favourite Christmas song. At that moment I ALMOST thought I had had enough of Christmas for one year. I believe this is a good sign of the tone of my holiday to come.

The corridor where we are staying.

My luggage didn't quite make it to Mexico with me. I wasn't really surprised as due to a delay in San Fran I only just passed through American customs as my plane was already boarding, I had to run to make my flight. My pack doesn't however have legs to sprint as well as I can. 

The important things made it to Mexico

United airlines said it should arrive today at midday, so we will see. 

Update: bag arrived at 3:35pm. Just after I had left my apartment and ordered my first Mexican tacos. Luckily I was on the same block so just boosted home, put my bag away, change into fresh clothes and return just as my tacos were ready. 

My first delicious Tacos

So much Guac I couldn't eat it all alone!!
(felt like the worst sin leaving delicious Guac behind)

Also later than expected (just like my pack) my friends arrived to the apartment at 11pm that night. So I had just 24hrs alone in Mexico City. Mandy (who I was in Cumberland college with at Otago Uni), her husband Hamish, and their friends Ang and Simon. So nice to have some lovely people to explore Mexico City with for two days before we head our seperate ways for New years. 

Mandy and I

“Hollandse Nieuwe”

We biked by a 'Nieuwe Haring' sign and our local tour guide suggested we stop to try a traditional dutch snack. Not knowing what to expect Liv, Rios and I agreed. I waited outside to watch our bikes, eagerly awaiting. 

Dutch Herring a silvery fish that is most abundant in the coastal waters and the Dutch are taking it far from the North Sea. The Raw Dutch Herring it’s a typical Dutch snack and it can be bought at street-side herring fish stalls.

Olivia trying her first bite. 

Quite excited by this beautifully presented snack, complete with mini dutch flag. 

Herring is actually not eaten “raw”. Yes, it looks raw and it is uncooked. However, it is not raw, but in fact “prepared” for consumption.

After the fish is caught, its head is cut off and all the guts are removed except for the pancreas, so that its enzymes can soften the fish. They are giving it its peculiar, lovable taste, smoothing texture, and making it easier to digest. This process is called in Dutch “haring kaken”.

The herring is also salted for conservation and frozen before being sold for consumption, in order to kill all possible parasites.

So, in fact, salted herring (Hollandse nieuwe) is fermented herring.

Our fine looking dutch tour guide. 

Finding Neverland

After a big Saturday at the baseball followed by a night out in Brooklyn Sunday was not treating me well. Determined to make the most of my limited time in NYC, after a few episodes of Broad City (just to get me in the New York mood) I headed to Time Square. 

Not only is this a great spot to be engulfed in advertising but also the heart of Broadway. What better way to combat a hangover than some culture with a Broadway show. 

Time Square = tooo many people

A few months ago, as a follower of @MatthewMorrison on Twitter, I noticed him posting about his latest Broadway show. Excitedly I checked if Finding Neverland would be on when I was in New York. Anyone even a little familiar with Broadway would know that the seasons are incredibly long and I'd actually have been very unlucky if it had spotted before I arrived. 

Matthew Morrison is perhaps my favourite character on Glee. Glee is my one of my not so secret guilty pleasures. I do like to save up episodes and binge when I'm home sick. Nothing makes me feel more cheery than pop song mash ups joint with perfectly choreographed dance moves and outfits to maximise cheesiness.  

Mission in mind I made it to Broadway with a half hour before the matinee show to find where I was going and get a ticket. 

The discount ticket sellers said it was too close for the show to sell me a ticket. So I went to the box office. Although she got in trouble with the ticket booth attendee a lady told me she had a spare ticket. This women, who's name I can't recall - but let's call her Grandma, had bought all her 9 grandchildren and their three mothers from a few hours north on the train for a day in NYC. One of her grandsons had a soccer game so I became their cousin. 

 

In true American style they were very impressed I was all the way from New Zealand, and by myself! 

Grandma had bought the tickets four months earlier so they were great seats and I have her my remaining cash but it was just a fraction of the ticket price. 

Sweet view. 

At half time Grandma had to be held back from causing a scene asking a women in front of the kids to remove her hat. "It's blocking the kids view, and why is she wearing a hat inside? AND it's a darn ugly hat anyway!"

A kind girl took a photo for me with my very broken iPhone. I look like I have no hand.

Oh and also the play was great. The kids were excellent actors with beautiful voices. Such a heart warming story of course with a few tears. But a lovely afternoon. 

One Month Down!

I write from Rio de Janeiro! 

It is officially one month since I left Perth and one month since my travels began and what a great start to my #Funemployment 

New Zealand 

Although I had been in Auckland the month earlier for a brief visit it was so nice to return on happier terms. Last minute my flatmate Bec from Perth joined me for the start of my time in NZ which was great.  We relaxed at my family's Bach on Waihekeand I got to show her a bit of Auckland. Bec was lucky enough to take a crash course in meeting ALL Grace's friends and family. Faces to the names she had heard so much about in Perth. 

Bec and I on Waiheke

I headed South Island to visit my Grandma, Aunties and Uncles and a few close friends. Which was great. My Grandma in Dunedin is always lovely to see and full of great stories. She also has the best homemade muesli  

Returning to Auckland and comedy festival had started so I went to various shows Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. So great. I really enjoyed seeing Trygve Wakenshaw's Nautilus. A fellow kiwi, Trygve and I became friends when he was in Perth for Fringe World so I took my entire family along to his show fortunately we all have the same sense of humour and loved it. My dear friend Charlotte organised a surprise date day for me for my birthday present (from feb). We kayaked over to Rangitoto Island with Auckland Sea kayaks, which was an amazing. Aside from a little sea sickness on the return trip home - cured by singing 90s classics, a perfect day out! Would highly recommend. 

View from the beach to Rangitoto

A little less organised than I had hoped, after a final few days of catch ups, I left Auckland on May 4th to enter new territories, South America ! 

Chile

Santiago was my first stop. A manageable 11.5 hour flight from Auckland. I was greeted by Pablo a friend of a friend who was the most fabulous generous host !  He taught me so much about Chile. Especially about their tendency for all natural disasters of all forms, volcanoes , earthquakes, floods, fires. We went to the movies on evening and he explained to me in English the warning about what to do in an emergency "there are warnings about evacuations everywhere because an emergency will happen sometime".

I solo adventures to a beautiful seaside town called Valparaiso.  It was here in Valparaiso that I finally relaxed into holiday mode. I enjoyed wandering the street art covered lanes and calming my mind which had been so buzzy with sorting out all life in Perth. 

Valparaiso

I returned to Santiago and Pablo took me and two of his friends to his beach house for the weekend. This was bliss. Another coastal town Pichilemu is a hot spot for surfers. Pablo took us to visit the salt lakes which form when the river meets the sea. It was the most serene and beautiful place. So calm and quiet and a lovely spot for photos - of which we took many. It seemed like a rule when we left the house that all of us were required to be carrying two cameras not including our phones. 

Jetty at the Salt Lakes

Upon return to Santiago I had a couple of days to wander the streets and see a bit more of the big city before heading across the continent to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Home for the past two years to my very good friend Olivia. 

Brazil

Liv and I on a hungover mission to a secluded beach.

I have been having the best time in Brazil! Olivia and her boyfriend Rios have also been so good to me. It has been great to see where Liv has lived for the past two years and getting right in to Brazilian culture, including a fabulous glitter filled party. I write from Rio, but I have just returned from Igazu Falls which is on the boarder of both Paraguay and Argentina. I took a day over the boarder into Argentina to see the best view of these breath taking falls. It was a full on couple of days which included a spontaneous sky dive and checking out some Toucans ! 

A few days to relax here in Rio then off to Brasilia with Olivia, Rios and another friend of Livs. Should be great. 

Love Grace xx

South America, Santiago #1

I left Auckland on Monday 4th of May after almost two week of bliss back home in New Zealand to explore new territory, first stop CHILE!

I am lucky enough to have a brilliant Chilean friend, Sebastian who I have known for a number of years. He lives in Sydney. As he is from Santiago he set me up with his friend Pablo.

It was still May the 4th when I arrived. Which was a treat because Pablo is a huge star wars fan!

Welcome feasting of traditional Chilean style hot dogs.

My very poor attempt at a panoramic of the beautiful view from my room. I would like to say this skill improved over my time in Chile...it is obviously an acquired skill. 

Tree incased in crates. I like it. Simple, yet effective.

Our New Zealand Buddy Bear

Buddy Bears are a series of painted, life-size fibreglass bear sculptures originally developed inBerlin, Germany. The first Buddy Bear was created by the German businesspeople Klaus and Eva Herlitz, in cooperation with thesculptor Roman Strobl in 2001.
United Buddy Bears, however, are primarily about their message - a message of peace, international understanding and tolerance among the nations, cultures and religions of this world.

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding"

True that Albert E. 

A true chilean completos (hotdog) AMAZING. That is covered in delicious avocado.

Pit stop.
Coffee and Chileno treat, with a side of free WIFI.

I walked WAY further than I needed to got lost to the metro, ended up at a further away station...BUT I got to see this cool bridge. So colourful. 

B A N A N A S

Another beautiful sunset against the mountain back drop.

Parks and Recreation is ALL I can think every time I saw these guys!!

This was a wall surrounding a construction site...and someone had added a little peaking head and a larger boys head peering over the top.

It cracked me up every time I walked past.