This posting is out of date order so that those reading the English blog will know that Geert & Irma are okay due to the earthquake that struck Chili today. I will translate below their first email after the quake. Postings 15-20 come as soon as possible.
AND PLEASE NOTE THAT IRMA HAS HER BIRTHDAY ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 3.
21. "Everything is in order after the shock. "
From Martin (Irma's dad): This morning Irma and Geert send the following email:
We were rather early this morning brought out of our bed through the earthquake but all is in order. It was, however, very spectacular, such an earthquake from 8.8. The house where we were sleeping is standing up; only some dishes and bookcases thundered down. No GSM reception, so back after electricity and then of course internet. We are going now to try to sleep a bit more (it is now 6:30 a.m. hier) and tomorrow help clean up the debris.
Placed by Dad (from Irma) on 2-27-10
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
13. Recipe for Kip Kapu (translated by Geert with my modifications)
Ingredients Needed for 2 servings:
300 grams chicken breasts or tenders (filet)
250 grams penne pasta
500 grams fresh spinach
4 pods of garlic, cut in small pieces
100 grams parmesean cheese
pepper
salt, olive oil
1/2 cube of chicken bouillon, dissolved in a small amount of water
Preparation:
Rinse the spinach leaves and boil them for 10 minutes until they are weak("melted")
Let the spinach cool off in the drainer.
Cut the chicken in small slices and saute them for 6 minutes in olive oil on a high fire; Season with salt and pepper and add the garlic during the last two mintues.
Cook the pasta until it is "al dente".
While the pasta is boiling, cut the spinach and mix it with the sauteed chicken and the bouillion. Heat the mixture.
Serve the pasta, topping it with the spinach chicken mix and sprinkle with parmesean.
Serve with an ice cold bottle of Chilean Chardonnary..........................Enjoy...:-)
Ingredients Needed for 2 servings:
300 grams chicken breasts or tenders (filet)
250 grams penne pasta
500 grams fresh spinach
4 pods of garlic, cut in small pieces
100 grams parmesean cheese
pepper
salt, olive oil
1/2 cube of chicken bouillon, dissolved in a small amount of water
Preparation:
Rinse the spinach leaves and boil them for 10 minutes until they are weak("melted")
Let the spinach cool off in the drainer.
Cut the chicken in small slices and saute them for 6 minutes in olive oil on a high fire; Season with salt and pepper and add the garlic during the last two mintues.
Cook the pasta until it is "al dente".
While the pasta is boiling, cut the spinach and mix it with the sauteed chicken and the bouillion. Heat the mixture.
Serve the pasta, topping it with the spinach chicken mix and sprinkle with parmesean.
Serve with an ice cold bottle of Chilean Chardonnary..........................Enjoy...:-)
12. Wednesday 10 February 2010 About Horses & Penguins
NOTE from the translator: Sorry for those of you who might enjoy the English version. I've been unable to post again until today.
12. After the extreme physical conditions during our walk in Torres del Paine (camping with a maximum temperature during the day of 10 C was very cold, even with fleece clothes and thermal underwear, and not to mention the huge amount of nutritious "ready to eat" food that we had with us), we decided to stay a few days in picturesque Puerto Natales to get our strength back. :)
Also we treated ourselves to a horseriding excursion in the area. The horses were saddled in Western style and that takes a bit of getting used to. You guide them very differently than yo do with horses saddle in the English style. I had, when I booked, asked for a fast excursion and that request was met----one galloping followed immediately by another and we could indulge ourselves on teh sprawling pampas. Kapu was immediately renamed Gaucho Gerardo (a Gaucho is a South American cowboy) because he galloped enthusiastically after a few cows, loudly calling out "la cena, la cena" (my dinner, my dinner).....
From Puerto Natales we took the bus to the city of PUnta Arenas. That is the most southern city of Chili, and at the same time of the American mainland. (Ushuaia in Argentina is a bit farther south, but is on the island of Vuurland adn therefore that does not count, according to the Chilian people...)
The wind is strong here, and then immediately it's good again, but with wind gusts to 120 km/hour if you are not lucky. It is sadi that on some of the street corners they hang ropes on which the people can catch hold to, but we did not see any of those. We made a walk through the city, to a beautiful viewpoint, which was very handy because there we could find immediately the coordinates for the next part of our trip:
Also we visited the cemetery. It reminded us of the Recoleta, the cemetery that we visited in Buenos Aires, with huge tombs where the entire family lays happily together. But as we walked more to the back, we came upon what looked like flats or apartments in a sort of neighborhood for people in not so good economic circumstances. First we thought urns were in those but it turned out that the coffins were cemented into the walls, each neatly above the other. On the one hand, smart because it avoids use of a large amount of space and on the bottom row they stick the coffins 3 deep.
In the hostel where we stayed there occurs some rather strange scenes.
We would like to tell you that this hostel is a cover for illegal cocaine transportation from Punta Arenas to the rest of South America........................But that is not so. :o)
Our hotel was in fact the departure point for the Brazilian and Spanish athletes who were taking part in the "Wenger Patogonian Expedition Race"----a race through the unexplored southern part of South America that will test the team. During one week they complete a course with use of a kayak, a mountain bike and on foot. Also they must do some climbin over one part. The sacks of white powder that you see are a protein mix, a sort of "power food". Further, they take with them, among other things, the following delicacies: plastic sacks filled iwth a mix of cream potato powder, milk powder and parmesean cheese, which during the completing of the course they mix with cold water and drink. That is something we should have thought about for our hike!!!!! Geert's back pack would have been a bit less heavy. :)
The host at the hostel is also a happy Frenchman. After we arrived, we were immediately provided a glass of the local beer. Our towels, on the other hand, we had to go ourselves to look for in a cabinet later that evening. It is a chaotic pile and so is the included breakfast; you must go yourself in the storage area adn the refrigerator to look for everything. Sometimes new guests called, but then the host was at the supermarket or he was a few blocks away talking with someone and then we showed the new guests around and told them how much a room costs......On one evening we stood in front of a locked door (it was 12:30 a.m. in the night) and then we had to throw stones against a window until someone finally let us inside.
And what was more to experience in Punta Arenas? It appeared that there were penguins in the area. Therefore we wanted to go and see them. We bought a ticket for the ferry boat that would take us there. During the time we waited for the ferry, we took a few photos: (see Dutch Blof for the photos).
Once the boat sailed, we were sent, by a young Chilian girl in a direct but friendly manner, from the deck to the inside area. There she told us the following: (first in Spanish and then in a sort of "language" that at some point could have been English): "Hello, my name is Jessica and I am your guide for today. We will sail for two hours to the island, then you can walk around there and after that we will sail back. We will go very close to the penguins, but you are not allowed to touch them because they bite". Further she told us still more details over what sort of penguins and more, but what for you blog readers would be of little interest. We wnjoyed the two hour boat ride going out on the deck and having a beautiful view.
Once we reached the island, Jessica began to scream at everyone like a crazy person and waved her arms as if she was in panic. She wanted everyone to stay close by the boat. The wind was blowing rather fierce................and that's putting it mildly. We were blown out of our socks, so to speak, and the blowing sand got into places in large amoutns where you really don't want to have sand (ears, nose, between our teeth....) Because there seemed to be a threat that the boat could float away, we were only allowed to remain there for about 10 minutes. Enjoying the waddling Penguins could not really happen because we had to do our beset to just stand up straight. Kapu nevertheless was able to make a few photos.
Now it is enough for us with the cold and windy climate. We fly to Puerto Montt, which is a bit further north. To be continued..........
Written by Irma 10 February 2010.
12. After the extreme physical conditions during our walk in Torres del Paine (camping with a maximum temperature during the day of 10 C was very cold, even with fleece clothes and thermal underwear, and not to mention the huge amount of nutritious "ready to eat" food that we had with us), we decided to stay a few days in picturesque Puerto Natales to get our strength back. :)
Also we treated ourselves to a horseriding excursion in the area. The horses were saddled in Western style and that takes a bit of getting used to. You guide them very differently than yo do with horses saddle in the English style. I had, when I booked, asked for a fast excursion and that request was met----one galloping followed immediately by another and we could indulge ourselves on teh sprawling pampas. Kapu was immediately renamed Gaucho Gerardo (a Gaucho is a South American cowboy) because he galloped enthusiastically after a few cows, loudly calling out "la cena, la cena" (my dinner, my dinner).....
From Puerto Natales we took the bus to the city of PUnta Arenas. That is the most southern city of Chili, and at the same time of the American mainland. (Ushuaia in Argentina is a bit farther south, but is on the island of Vuurland adn therefore that does not count, according to the Chilian people...)
The wind is strong here, and then immediately it's good again, but with wind gusts to 120 km/hour if you are not lucky. It is sadi that on some of the street corners they hang ropes on which the people can catch hold to, but we did not see any of those. We made a walk through the city, to a beautiful viewpoint, which was very handy because there we could find immediately the coordinates for the next part of our trip:
Also we visited the cemetery. It reminded us of the Recoleta, the cemetery that we visited in Buenos Aires, with huge tombs where the entire family lays happily together. But as we walked more to the back, we came upon what looked like flats or apartments in a sort of neighborhood for people in not so good economic circumstances. First we thought urns were in those but it turned out that the coffins were cemented into the walls, each neatly above the other. On the one hand, smart because it avoids use of a large amount of space and on the bottom row they stick the coffins 3 deep.
In the hostel where we stayed there occurs some rather strange scenes.
We would like to tell you that this hostel is a cover for illegal cocaine transportation from Punta Arenas to the rest of South America........................But that is not so. :o)
Our hotel was in fact the departure point for the Brazilian and Spanish athletes who were taking part in the "Wenger Patogonian Expedition Race"----a race through the unexplored southern part of South America that will test the team. During one week they complete a course with use of a kayak, a mountain bike and on foot. Also they must do some climbin over one part. The sacks of white powder that you see are a protein mix, a sort of "power food". Further, they take with them, among other things, the following delicacies: plastic sacks filled iwth a mix of cream potato powder, milk powder and parmesean cheese, which during the completing of the course they mix with cold water and drink. That is something we should have thought about for our hike!!!!! Geert's back pack would have been a bit less heavy. :)
The host at the hostel is also a happy Frenchman. After we arrived, we were immediately provided a glass of the local beer. Our towels, on the other hand, we had to go ourselves to look for in a cabinet later that evening. It is a chaotic pile and so is the included breakfast; you must go yourself in the storage area adn the refrigerator to look for everything. Sometimes new guests called, but then the host was at the supermarket or he was a few blocks away talking with someone and then we showed the new guests around and told them how much a room costs......On one evening we stood in front of a locked door (it was 12:30 a.m. in the night) and then we had to throw stones against a window until someone finally let us inside.
And what was more to experience in Punta Arenas? It appeared that there were penguins in the area. Therefore we wanted to go and see them. We bought a ticket for the ferry boat that would take us there. During the time we waited for the ferry, we took a few photos: (see Dutch Blof for the photos).
Once the boat sailed, we were sent, by a young Chilian girl in a direct but friendly manner, from the deck to the inside area. There she told us the following: (first in Spanish and then in a sort of "language" that at some point could have been English): "Hello, my name is Jessica and I am your guide for today. We will sail for two hours to the island, then you can walk around there and after that we will sail back. We will go very close to the penguins, but you are not allowed to touch them because they bite". Further she told us still more details over what sort of penguins and more, but what for you blog readers would be of little interest. We wnjoyed the two hour boat ride going out on the deck and having a beautiful view.
Once we reached the island, Jessica began to scream at everyone like a crazy person and waved her arms as if she was in panic. She wanted everyone to stay close by the boat. The wind was blowing rather fierce................and that's putting it mildly. We were blown out of our socks, so to speak, and the blowing sand got into places in large amoutns where you really don't want to have sand (ears, nose, between our teeth....) Because there seemed to be a threat that the boat could float away, we were only allowed to remain there for about 10 minutes. Enjoying the waddling Penguins could not really happen because we had to do our beset to just stand up straight. Kapu nevertheless was able to make a few photos.
Now it is enough for us with the cold and windy climate. We fly to Puerto Montt, which is a bit further north. To be continued..........
Written by Irma 10 February 2010.
Monday, February 8, 2010
11. Sunday 31 January 2010
With 30 kilos on our backs going up the mountain and back!!!
Puerto Natales
Bus trip from El Calafate to Puerto Natales.
The town of Puerto Natales is the base point for walking tours through the Park Torres del Paine. It is on a creek from the sea and also right by the mountains. That is something you have in such a narrow land as Chili…
Torres del Paine
And then we went 4 days walking through Torres del Paine. Ik have to report from Geert that only his backpack weighed 30 kilos and the backpack from me only 20 kilos (this is a rough estimate since we naturally have no scale with us).
Photos show:
Advanced scouting techniques were placed in order to show our route.
And this is the tent.
Totally on top with----a bit difficult due to the clouds---a view on Torres
And now still a few more views of our hike………………..
Placed by Irma 31 January 2010.
Labels: no toilets, Torres, dirty toilets, walking stick.
With 30 kilos on our backs going up the mountain and back!!!
Puerto Natales
Bus trip from El Calafate to Puerto Natales.
The town of Puerto Natales is the base point for walking tours through the Park Torres del Paine. It is on a creek from the sea and also right by the mountains. That is something you have in such a narrow land as Chili…
Torres del Paine
And then we went 4 days walking through Torres del Paine. Ik have to report from Geert that only his backpack weighed 30 kilos and the backpack from me only 20 kilos (this is a rough estimate since we naturally have no scale with us).
Photos show:
Advanced scouting techniques were placed in order to show our route.
And this is the tent.
Totally on top with----a bit difficult due to the clouds---a view on Torres
And now still a few more views of our hike………………..
Placed by Irma 31 January 2010.
Labels: no toilets, Torres, dirty toilets, walking stick.
10. Friday, 29 January 2010
Does Anyone Want an Ice Cream?
After a week in Buenos Aires th etime is ripe for more news…..
We have otherwise had everything great: a look at many important places; hours walking around in the different neighborhoods/areas of the city and enjoying a coffee or beer on one of the many plains or sidwalk cafes; went swimming in a GIANT open air swimming pool, with first a medical control to see if you had any athlete’s foot or head lice. The pool lies right under the runway of the domestic airport (spectacular!); enjoyed the BEST ice cream of all time with flavors such as tiramisu, banana split, Tramontana and still other wonderful flavors which I have no idea how to translate from Spanish to Dutch. In short, Buenos Aires is a wonderful city, a world city!
BUT because we nevertheless had no desire to stay there for 6 months, we took a local flight to El Calafate. This is a town in the far south of Patagonie where according to the taxi driver--who picked us up at the airport---it almost never rains. We stayed two days….and we had two days rain, luckily with once in awhile during the two days a bit of clear weather. The weather actually was not predictable; you could sample all four seasons in one day (what a few days later was proven with a few hours of sunshine followed by cloudy skies, heavy hail, rain and once again a beautiful blue sunny sky).
The city of El Calfate itself it really boring, ugly, touristy. The former water purification station has been rebuilt into a casino (you don’t want to know how ugly---no , we don’t have any photos) and there is a wide avenue with one tourist shop after another. Geert and I had the same raction: leave as quickly as possible! But in the area of this dragon of a town is the most beautiful glacier in the world; therefore, we disregarded the town itself and remained there. Now a few impressions of El Calfate; Perito Moreno is the name of the glacier. Formed out of snow that is blown through a small pass in the Andes Mountains, this huge ice has formed slowly over innumerable but many years. The glacier flows through a long but small lake to the other side. The lake therefore splits the glacier in two parts and because of this there are differences in the water levels between the two lakes, which action continuously affects the glacier itself. From that there are really fanciful forms in the ice and you hear the glacier literally cracking and thus on a regular basis big pieces fall and thunder into the water. The biggest piece that we saw falling down was so high as the glacier itself---about 60 meters---and at least 10 meters wide.
S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R!!!!!!!
Beautiful, breathtaking, this is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen in my life!!!!(Other than Kapu, who is more beautiful J . The whole day we stood looking and listening and looking and listening….and we also took a boat ride along the glacier. On the photos uyou get only a small idea of what we saw. In reality it is 1000 times better.
And now we are in Chili--in Puerto Natales--and it suits us here great. Argentina was nice, but Chili is really very COOL!!!! Here they cook good, they are much more warm and friendly, they have the feeling to make a restaurant decorated in a way that makes it enjoyable and warm, and also the landscape is more varied and colorful. Now we will go a week walking with our backpacks. So long as we are not during this eaten by a puma, you will hear more from us later.
Does Anyone Want an Ice Cream?
After a week in Buenos Aires th etime is ripe for more news…..
We have otherwise had everything great: a look at many important places; hours walking around in the different neighborhoods/areas of the city and enjoying a coffee or beer on one of the many plains or sidwalk cafes; went swimming in a GIANT open air swimming pool, with first a medical control to see if you had any athlete’s foot or head lice. The pool lies right under the runway of the domestic airport (spectacular!); enjoyed the BEST ice cream of all time with flavors such as tiramisu, banana split, Tramontana and still other wonderful flavors which I have no idea how to translate from Spanish to Dutch. In short, Buenos Aires is a wonderful city, a world city!
BUT because we nevertheless had no desire to stay there for 6 months, we took a local flight to El Calafate. This is a town in the far south of Patagonie where according to the taxi driver--who picked us up at the airport---it almost never rains. We stayed two days….and we had two days rain, luckily with once in awhile during the two days a bit of clear weather. The weather actually was not predictable; you could sample all four seasons in one day (what a few days later was proven with a few hours of sunshine followed by cloudy skies, heavy hail, rain and once again a beautiful blue sunny sky).
The city of El Calfate itself it really boring, ugly, touristy. The former water purification station has been rebuilt into a casino (you don’t want to know how ugly---no , we don’t have any photos) and there is a wide avenue with one tourist shop after another. Geert and I had the same raction: leave as quickly as possible! But in the area of this dragon of a town is the most beautiful glacier in the world; therefore, we disregarded the town itself and remained there. Now a few impressions of El Calfate; Perito Moreno is the name of the glacier. Formed out of snow that is blown through a small pass in the Andes Mountains, this huge ice has formed slowly over innumerable but many years. The glacier flows through a long but small lake to the other side. The lake therefore splits the glacier in two parts and because of this there are differences in the water levels between the two lakes, which action continuously affects the glacier itself. From that there are really fanciful forms in the ice and you hear the glacier literally cracking and thus on a regular basis big pieces fall and thunder into the water. The biggest piece that we saw falling down was so high as the glacier itself---about 60 meters---and at least 10 meters wide.
S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R!!!!!!!
Beautiful, breathtaking, this is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen in my life!!!!(Other than Kapu, who is more beautiful J . The whole day we stood looking and listening and looking and listening….and we also took a boat ride along the glacier. On the photos uyou get only a small idea of what we saw. In reality it is 1000 times better.
And now we are in Chili--in Puerto Natales--and it suits us here great. Argentina was nice, but Chili is really very COOL!!!! Here they cook good, they are much more warm and friendly, they have the feeling to make a restaurant decorated in a way that makes it enjoyable and warm, and also the landscape is more varied and colorful. Now we will go a week walking with our backpacks. So long as we are not during this eaten by a puma, you will hear more from us later.
9. Thursday 28 January 2010
The Home Front : Belgium vs. Argentina 6-4
No, this (the title) is no football result. The Red Devils (Belgium’s national team) now have our Dickie (Dutch coach) as coach but they are not so far along that they can win over Argentina.
This is in fact an answer to Geert’s newest sign of home sickness in the last blog: his question over the Presidents of Belgium. Naturally so long as Albert sits on the throne, we don’t have one president, but we have indeed still 6 Minister-Presidents. More therefore than the four in Argentina that Geert reported on. And then here in Belgium not one after another in one month. Still going on!!!! At the same time!!!!!!
Therefore, dear world travelers, no need to feel uneasy. In Belgium nothing has changed.
For the Belgium readers is this all very clear. For the Hollanders I have explained more .
Click on “REACTIES”.
Placed by Dad on 28 January 2010.
The Home Front : Belgium vs. Argentina 6-4
No, this (the title) is no football result. The Red Devils (Belgium’s national team) now have our Dickie (Dutch coach) as coach but they are not so far along that they can win over Argentina.
This is in fact an answer to Geert’s newest sign of home sickness in the last blog: his question over the Presidents of Belgium. Naturally so long as Albert sits on the throne, we don’t have one president, but we have indeed still 6 Minister-Presidents. More therefore than the four in Argentina that Geert reported on. And then here in Belgium not one after another in one month. Still going on!!!! At the same time!!!!!!
Therefore, dear world travelers, no need to feel uneasy. In Belgium nothing has changed.
For the Belgium readers is this all very clear. For the Hollanders I have explained more .
Click on “REACTIES”.
Placed by Dad on 28 January 2010.
8. Thursday, 28 January 2010
Trivia Time in Argentina
--a metro ride in Beunos Aires costs 1.2 pesos or in euros 20 cents
--a steak of a bit over a pound, thus enough for two persons, purchased at the local supermarket (Coto) which is like in Belgium Delhaize Supermarket (or in Texas Kroger) costs 7 pesos or about Euros 1.20
--despite that, 30% to 40 % of the Argentines live in poverty. The Argentine Statistics Office actually stopped a few years ago with publishing numbers, because “they are working on a new method of measuring such.”
--more news in the meat industry: in Buenos Aires there there daily about 100 breast operation. Thus, (and I am roughly quoting) about 200 new boobs per day!!! Private health insurance includes for every two years the availability of one plastic surgery procedure. The cosmetic industry is therefore a booming business in Argentina and the people talk about medical tourism to this country because the prices in the West are much higher than in Argentina.
--Certain goods and services such as air flights, entry costs for the national parks and so on cost for the foreigners (including world travelers) up to 2/3 more than for Argentines.
--Between 1880 and 1920 Argentina was one of the richest countries of the world. That happened because of immigration from Italy and Spain but most of all because of the massive sale of meat to European nations, starving after the first World War. After a short increase in it economy during the Second World War, the country declined .
--People call Buenos Aires “the Paris of the south” becaue many buildings have a look of being French and because the city is filled with very expensive housing for the elite, chic and wide avenues, parks, statues and so on. It follows from the decadence of the beginning of the last century: some families were so rich that they filled the ships that transported the meat to Europe with all sorts of expensive things, building materials, furniture, art and so on so that the ship did not have to return empty.
--The losses to the British in the Falkland Islands war stood for a so-called loss of face for the meglomaniac military dictators so that in 1983 for the first time democratic elections were organized. Argentina is really still a young democracy….in December 2001 (period of the fall of the economy) there were in one month 4 presidents. ….. (which brings up) how is it doing in Belgium right now?
Placed by Geert on 28 January 2010
Labels: Steak, Paris, Boobs
Trivia Time in Argentina
--a metro ride in Beunos Aires costs 1.2 pesos or in euros 20 cents
--a steak of a bit over a pound, thus enough for two persons, purchased at the local supermarket (Coto) which is like in Belgium Delhaize Supermarket (or in Texas Kroger) costs 7 pesos or about Euros 1.20
--despite that, 30% to 40 % of the Argentines live in poverty. The Argentine Statistics Office actually stopped a few years ago with publishing numbers, because “they are working on a new method of measuring such.”
--more news in the meat industry: in Buenos Aires there there daily about 100 breast operation. Thus, (and I am roughly quoting) about 200 new boobs per day!!! Private health insurance includes for every two years the availability of one plastic surgery procedure. The cosmetic industry is therefore a booming business in Argentina and the people talk about medical tourism to this country because the prices in the West are much higher than in Argentina.
--Certain goods and services such as air flights, entry costs for the national parks and so on cost for the foreigners (including world travelers) up to 2/3 more than for Argentines.
--Between 1880 and 1920 Argentina was one of the richest countries of the world. That happened because of immigration from Italy and Spain but most of all because of the massive sale of meat to European nations, starving after the first World War. After a short increase in it economy during the Second World War, the country declined .
--People call Buenos Aires “the Paris of the south” becaue many buildings have a look of being French and because the city is filled with very expensive housing for the elite, chic and wide avenues, parks, statues and so on. It follows from the decadence of the beginning of the last century: some families were so rich that they filled the ships that transported the meat to Europe with all sorts of expensive things, building materials, furniture, art and so on so that the ship did not have to return empty.
--The losses to the British in the Falkland Islands war stood for a so-called loss of face for the meglomaniac military dictators so that in 1983 for the first time democratic elections were organized. Argentina is really still a young democracy….in December 2001 (period of the fall of the economy) there were in one month 4 presidents. ….. (which brings up) how is it doing in Belgium right now?
Placed by Geert on 28 January 2010
Labels: Steak, Paris, Boobs
7. Monday 25 January 2010
Buenos Aires in pictures.
Buenos Aires is a world city!!! Following are a few photos of it s beauty.
Plaza De Mayo (with Sabrina)
La Boca
Street Tango
Puerto Madero: Irma is on the pedestrian bridge
Geert in San Telmo
Recoleta Cemetary
Metal Flower: (a giant statue, where the leaves open and shut with light sensors…)
Added by Irma on 25 January 2010
Labels: Beer, Buenos Aires, Tango
Buenos Aires in pictures.
Buenos Aires is a world city!!! Following are a few photos of it s beauty.
Plaza De Mayo (with Sabrina)
La Boca
Street Tango
Puerto Madero: Irma is on the pedestrian bridge
Geert in San Telmo
Recoleta Cemetary
Metal Flower: (a giant statue, where the leaves open and shut with light sensors…)
Added by Irma on 25 January 2010
Labels: Beer, Buenos Aires, Tango
Note from the translator: I’m putting in red any comments I have that are directed at explaining a translation point. I’ve stumbled with a few words I’m not familiar with but now have a good source to check out dutch words I’m not so familiar with. An online dictionary.
Also to view the photos, go to Irma and Geert’s Dutch blog.
Also to view the photos, go to Irma and Geert’s Dutch blog.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Translation of the Journey Begins for Irma & Geert
First, a word from me; Irma and Geert are from Belgium; well, actually Irma is Dutch but moved to Belgium years ago and now is a Belgie. She's my cousin's daughter. They have begun a long trip that is taking them from Brussels to a number of countries and if you read this you will see how the trip is going. Irma is posting on her blog in Dutch so she's asked if I might post in English (since I'm already translating her trip comments to English for her American family). Hence this blog (incidentally my first blog) was born.
1. Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Where it all began ...
Giri and Kapu at the Rooster Passage (street) in Brussels ... where it all began (Irma says this was just a test to see if the image upload works since a photo was included. Giri and Kapu are nicknames that stem from a trip they made to the Himalayas and the guide could not say Irma and Geert. So Irma is Giri and Kapu is Geert.)
Posted by Irma at 22.12.09 2 comments
2. Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The big plan
On January 19 we leave to go around the world! Our first stop is Buenos Aires in Argentina. Approximately a half year later we will return from Moscow in Russia flying back to Brussels. In the meantime we will go to Chile, Los Angeles, New Zealand, Australia, China, Mongolia and Siberia. On this computer site, you can read and look (photos) how it goes with our trip ...
Posted by Irma at 23.12.09 0 comments
3. Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Welcome To Russia Part 1: applying for a visa
No easy guys, those Russians. To apply for a visa you must arrange the following things:
****passport photos, with your signature on the back (ok, that was easy)
****a letter written in English that you have a travel assistance insurance that is valid in Russia (Europe Assistance looked a little weird at us when we asked, but they still agreed to help us)
****thermal underwear, ski jacket, hat and glove----------------- the waiting room of the Russian Embassy is .... outside, also at -9 degrees, and you only go one by one, through the metal detector of course,
Duh :)
****the sum of € 35 per visa
****and last but not least: an official letter from a person or organization in Russia that they have invited you to Russia.---------------------Oops (we thought), how do we get that, anyway just look thru my address book ... no Russians listed. An old love perhaps? Sorry but unfortunately no. Fortunately there is at the site of the Russian embassy a link to a Russian Internet company that shows that for $ 30 (use credit card) they will invite a person to Russia. Okay, almost all things over there are so easily settled with possibilities like that! And I thought that Belgium was a “monkey land“.
So the visa question became a bulky file ……………….poor pine tree - and the Visa was picked up this morning.
4. Tuesday, 19 January 2010
The home front NOTE FROM LILYAN: here the story is picked up by Irma's father (my cousin in Belgium who is also Dutch born).
Giri & Kapu have asked me to act as a columnist in this blog, on a regular (or perhaps unregular) basis. They were a bit vague about why, but I suspect that this is the first sign of premature homesickness. Walking around over the Argentine pampas, the Mongolian steppes and the Siberian permafrost, they will be deprived of news from the homeland.
The local newspapers are still difficult to read, having only at hand one book with "what and how in Chinese". And CNN is not everywhere. Moreover, even on CNN they hardly know where Belgium is ("Are you from Brussels? Nice, I love Denmark")
And how can you as a Belgian go six months without knowing if Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (BHV) is split, or if there are yet more new strange things being done by Michel Daerden? The Dutch readers of this blog (NOTE ADDED by LILYAN----ditto for the English speaking readers) are probably now in a state of confusion .......But before you type in BHV in Google: Do not do this. You will get 2 million hits. And if you look on Wikipedia: The article on the split of BHV is longer than the article about atom splitting. If you Dutchmen understand nothing of BHV, no worries. Most Belgians also understand nothing.
The strange things that are done by Michel Daerden are easier: look on YouTube and remember that this man is a Belgian government minister. But, with 6 governments (or is it 7?) in this country there can sometimes be a joke among them.This column will keep our world travelers and the Dutch readers informed of the latest developments in Belgium.In about ten minutes Irma and Geert will be here in Bekkevoort, the last stop before Buenos Aires. They still want a little of “stew a la Mama” to eat tonight before they go in the plane.So that's the second sign of premature homesickness.There will be more going on with this trip ..........
Posted by Dad at 19.1.10 0 comments
5. Tuesday, 19 January 2010
THEY LEFT.
Finally ..... the backpacks and travel bags are packed. One weighs 30 pounds and one about 13 (?).
And the stew a la Mama eaten.
On to Zaventem and of course check-in goes smoothly………………………Not so.
"The maximum weight per piece of baggage is 24 kilos Madam. You must therefore pay extra € 35.”
Irma’s frugal Dutch genes sprung into play. So Irma and Geert began calmly and quietly repacking, staying there at the check-in counter with a lengthening line forming behind them. After about 6 kilos of books, travel guides and “how-and-what-in -Russian” guides are moved to the backpack, finally the farewell photos could be made.Now an hour to London and then in 15 hours via Sao Paolo to Buenos Aires .......
Posted by Dad at 20.1.10 0 comments
6. Wedneday 20 January 2010
The first impressions
We are in Buenos Aires, we are relaxing and having our first Argentine beer (Quilmes for the connoisseurs). What a contrast to last week:There is much to check and review for travelers going away for a half year, and Kapu and I walked through the house during the past 2 weeks like chickens without our heads, totally unorganized . Everything Kapu put somewhere to pack, I was always a second later moving to an entirely different corner of the house.A lot still had yet to be settled, the house needed to be tidy because we have temporary tenants and we naturally had to pack our suitcases. We had endless discussions about what we would and would not take. I definitely did not want to drag with us too much junk, but on the other hand, I can’t go 6 months only in shorts and sandals. So dresses and boots and even more had to go along.
Kapu found then the basis for saying what junk he could take with us. He didn’t need a lot of clothes so the room he didn’t need for that, he thought he could fill with books: "Because I like reading when I travel" . When we finally found that in both suitcases, after packing, there was still room, then that space was filled with more books (under my loud protests). What happened to all those books you have read the previous post.
And then there were the farewell parties, in addition to the fact that they are deadly if you want to leave on the trip well rested, people brought us a bit of everything. So we got a few useful farewell gifts (super thanks everyone for this !!!): euros (very useful in South America), half a bank card, a champagne cork, a survival guide for tough guys with the chapters that include "How to prevent an attack from a polar bear” (very useful in the southern hemisphere) and "how to survive Christmas with your family” (hide behind the Christmas tree), another book (with 399 tips from experienced travelers), and then also a medal from St. Christopher that should protect us against accidents while traveling. Oh and last but not least our mascot Sabrina (a small plush giraffe).
But we deviate, so Buenos Aires. After a much too long - but nothing more significant - flight, we took a cab to our hotel in the Palermo district. A nice place, the hotel has a shared garden / living room / kitchen, and every day we can have tango lessons. We are especially taking time to get over the long journey, the jetlag (fortunately only 4 hours time difference) and ending up on the bottom side of the globe. To make this as pleasant as possible, we have just gotten a stash of beer, wine, bread, cheese, sausage and we have discovered that the Argentines are not much in touch with the concept of ecology. In total we bought 11 products in the local supermarket which were packed by the friendly young lady with a broad smile who was at the checkout area and who packed them in at least 6 different plastic bags .... Well when the bag is half full, it’s considered full. Oh and if you put a bottle of wine in the plastic sack, then that is put into a second sack because heavens forbid if that should break!!!!!
Kapu has now 2x already had a compliment because he speaks Spanish so well, but he rattles on with anyone, as though he never did anything else.
The next few days we will further explore Buenos Aires. Tuesday we fly to the south to El Calafate and from there to go to in Patagonia.
Posted by Irma at 20.1.10
Moela said Enjoyed the photos at the airport, enjoying reading your adventures, will print for Tante Lies and will translate for Bill 24.1.10
First, a word from me; Irma and Geert are from Belgium; well, actually Irma is Dutch but moved to Belgium years ago and now is a Belgie. She's my cousin's daughter. They have begun a long trip that is taking them from Brussels to a number of countries and if you read this you will see how the trip is going. Irma is posting on her blog in Dutch so she's asked if I might post in English (since I'm already translating her trip comments to English for her American family). Hence this blog (incidentally my first blog) was born.
1. Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Where it all began ...
Giri and Kapu at the Rooster Passage (street) in Brussels ... where it all began (Irma says this was just a test to see if the image upload works since a photo was included. Giri and Kapu are nicknames that stem from a trip they made to the Himalayas and the guide could not say Irma and Geert. So Irma is Giri and Kapu is Geert.)
Posted by Irma at 22.12.09 2 comments
2. Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The big plan
On January 19 we leave to go around the world! Our first stop is Buenos Aires in Argentina. Approximately a half year later we will return from Moscow in Russia flying back to Brussels. In the meantime we will go to Chile, Los Angeles, New Zealand, Australia, China, Mongolia and Siberia. On this computer site, you can read and look (photos) how it goes with our trip ...
Posted by Irma at 23.12.09 0 comments
3. Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Welcome To Russia Part 1: applying for a visa
No easy guys, those Russians. To apply for a visa you must arrange the following things:
****passport photos, with your signature on the back (ok, that was easy)
****a letter written in English that you have a travel assistance insurance that is valid in Russia (Europe Assistance looked a little weird at us when we asked, but they still agreed to help us)
****thermal underwear, ski jacket, hat and glove----------------- the waiting room of the Russian Embassy is .... outside, also at -9 degrees, and you only go one by one, through the metal detector of course,
Duh :)
****the sum of € 35 per visa
****and last but not least: an official letter from a person or organization in Russia that they have invited you to Russia.---------------------Oops (we thought), how do we get that, anyway just look thru my address book ... no Russians listed. An old love perhaps? Sorry but unfortunately no. Fortunately there is at the site of the Russian embassy a link to a Russian Internet company that shows that for $ 30 (use credit card) they will invite a person to Russia. Okay, almost all things over there are so easily settled with possibilities like that! And I thought that Belgium was a “monkey land“.
So the visa question became a bulky file ……………….poor pine tree - and the Visa was picked up this morning.
4. Tuesday, 19 January 2010
The home front NOTE FROM LILYAN: here the story is picked up by Irma's father (my cousin in Belgium who is also Dutch born).
Giri & Kapu have asked me to act as a columnist in this blog, on a regular (or perhaps unregular) basis. They were a bit vague about why, but I suspect that this is the first sign of premature homesickness. Walking around over the Argentine pampas, the Mongolian steppes and the Siberian permafrost, they will be deprived of news from the homeland.
The local newspapers are still difficult to read, having only at hand one book with "what and how in Chinese". And CNN is not everywhere. Moreover, even on CNN they hardly know where Belgium is ("Are you from Brussels? Nice, I love Denmark")
And how can you as a Belgian go six months without knowing if Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (BHV) is split, or if there are yet more new strange things being done by Michel Daerden? The Dutch readers of this blog (NOTE ADDED by LILYAN----ditto for the English speaking readers) are probably now in a state of confusion .......But before you type in BHV in Google: Do not do this. You will get 2 million hits. And if you look on Wikipedia: The article on the split of BHV is longer than the article about atom splitting. If you Dutchmen understand nothing of BHV, no worries. Most Belgians also understand nothing.
The strange things that are done by Michel Daerden are easier: look on YouTube and remember that this man is a Belgian government minister. But, with 6 governments (or is it 7?) in this country there can sometimes be a joke among them.This column will keep our world travelers and the Dutch readers informed of the latest developments in Belgium.In about ten minutes Irma and Geert will be here in Bekkevoort, the last stop before Buenos Aires. They still want a little of “stew a la Mama” to eat tonight before they go in the plane.So that's the second sign of premature homesickness.There will be more going on with this trip ..........
Posted by Dad at 19.1.10 0 comments
5. Tuesday, 19 January 2010
THEY LEFT.
Finally ..... the backpacks and travel bags are packed. One weighs 30 pounds and one about 13 (?).
And the stew a la Mama eaten.
On to Zaventem and of course check-in goes smoothly………………………Not so.
"The maximum weight per piece of baggage is 24 kilos Madam. You must therefore pay extra € 35.”
Irma’s frugal Dutch genes sprung into play. So Irma and Geert began calmly and quietly repacking, staying there at the check-in counter with a lengthening line forming behind them. After about 6 kilos of books, travel guides and “how-and-what-in -Russian” guides are moved to the backpack, finally the farewell photos could be made.Now an hour to London and then in 15 hours via Sao Paolo to Buenos Aires .......
Posted by Dad at 20.1.10 0 comments
6. Wedneday 20 January 2010
The first impressions
We are in Buenos Aires, we are relaxing and having our first Argentine beer (Quilmes for the connoisseurs). What a contrast to last week:There is much to check and review for travelers going away for a half year, and Kapu and I walked through the house during the past 2 weeks like chickens without our heads, totally unorganized . Everything Kapu put somewhere to pack, I was always a second later moving to an entirely different corner of the house.A lot still had yet to be settled, the house needed to be tidy because we have temporary tenants and we naturally had to pack our suitcases. We had endless discussions about what we would and would not take. I definitely did not want to drag with us too much junk, but on the other hand, I can’t go 6 months only in shorts and sandals. So dresses and boots and even more had to go along.
Kapu found then the basis for saying what junk he could take with us. He didn’t need a lot of clothes so the room he didn’t need for that, he thought he could fill with books: "Because I like reading when I travel" . When we finally found that in both suitcases, after packing, there was still room, then that space was filled with more books (under my loud protests). What happened to all those books you have read the previous post.
And then there were the farewell parties, in addition to the fact that they are deadly if you want to leave on the trip well rested, people brought us a bit of everything. So we got a few useful farewell gifts (super thanks everyone for this !!!): euros (very useful in South America), half a bank card, a champagne cork, a survival guide for tough guys with the chapters that include "How to prevent an attack from a polar bear” (very useful in the southern hemisphere) and "how to survive Christmas with your family” (hide behind the Christmas tree), another book (with 399 tips from experienced travelers), and then also a medal from St. Christopher that should protect us against accidents while traveling. Oh and last but not least our mascot Sabrina (a small plush giraffe).
But we deviate, so Buenos Aires. After a much too long - but nothing more significant - flight, we took a cab to our hotel in the Palermo district. A nice place, the hotel has a shared garden / living room / kitchen, and every day we can have tango lessons. We are especially taking time to get over the long journey, the jetlag (fortunately only 4 hours time difference) and ending up on the bottom side of the globe. To make this as pleasant as possible, we have just gotten a stash of beer, wine, bread, cheese, sausage and we have discovered that the Argentines are not much in touch with the concept of ecology. In total we bought 11 products in the local supermarket which were packed by the friendly young lady with a broad smile who was at the checkout area and who packed them in at least 6 different plastic bags .... Well when the bag is half full, it’s considered full. Oh and if you put a bottle of wine in the plastic sack, then that is put into a second sack because heavens forbid if that should break!!!!!
Kapu has now 2x already had a compliment because he speaks Spanish so well, but he rattles on with anyone, as though he never did anything else.
The next few days we will further explore Buenos Aires. Tuesday we fly to the south to El Calafate and from there to go to in Patagonia.
Posted by Irma at 20.1.10
Moela said Enjoyed the photos at the airport, enjoying reading your adventures, will print for Tante Lies and will translate for Bill 24.1.10
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