With the desire to travel...

I realized long time ago I suck at keeping up with a diary or blog. Oh well. Why dwell? One thing I find funny about traveling for so long is that one looses contact with almost everyone. I check my email and I have none except from my mother. You would think I would have from my girlfriend, but she's traveling with me. I expect one from friends and all, but I guess it's a two way process. Although I've taken initiative sometimes, but never get a response. :(
Oh well. I am also lazy in writting emails. I'll try more....

Changing the subject, check this out...

The picture that you see above was taken in Salvador, Brasil. I was hanging out with Sara and our new bahiano friend Jose. I took this picture when we were at Jose's favorite spot in Salvador (I forgot the name!!!). This is the best picture I've taken so far (for my taste). There is a lot more (Machu Picchu, Foz de Iguacu, Lago Titicaca, Uros, Condor flights, beaches in the NE of Brasil, Colombian Jungle, tigre in Buenos Aires, etc, etc, etc) but this picture I love for some weird reason. I feel it is me in that fishing boat.

We met Jose through the wonderful organization Servas. Sara and I spent 6 wonderful days with him going to a bunch of different places. During the weekend he was very nice and took us to Praia de Forte. We ate great food and had countless of wonderful conversations. He says that if anyone wants to go to Salvador, to send them his way!

Salvador has a lot to offer and has wonderful people to meet. Not only that, but Salvador is a city that mantains its African roots at its best! I hear Carnaval is a party that must not be missed, but unfortunately for us, that Carnaval only happens in February. :(

Sara and I were in Salvador May 12 to 16, today is May 31st. Shows you how bad I am in keeping up with a blog. At the moment I'm in Pereira, Colombia. What a wonderful country Colombia. You'll have to wait for my next entry. :)

i'll try to keep up with my journals....
Bueno, I suck at keeping journals. I am currently in Buenos Aires and I have to say I like this place. There is a culture of a lot of cafe, chilling, drinking tea, etc. there is a lot of meat, left and right. i love meat, i am a full carnivour. (spelling?) It waas veery interesting coming from Peru to Argentina. you notice the difference in race and social class. apperently here in argentina people have too much pride so they don't show that they don't have money. they try to dress in style even with the little money they have. we had dinner with a porteña by birth, and she explained that the change of economy of argentina has affected the culture a little, but that porteños don't want to believe what has happened.
speaking of dinner, we ate vacio and un tiro de asada. we drank vino de casa, pan y eggplant, y empanadas, todo por 10 $USD!!! para 3 personas! increible!

i dont know what my last entry was but we've done a lot in the past month. before BA , we were in puno, a city near lago titicaca (puma gris en quechua). the lake was amazinly clean! i'll have pictures after my trip, its annoying uploaading pics. speaking of which. my camara has a staiin on the lens...i took it to a service place for sony here in BA. i hope they can fix it! 50 dollars! i'm going to complain to sony once i get back to the states.

machu picchu has left a mark on us. we both have knee pains! after 46 km in four days with a lot of altitute and a lot of going up and down ... our knees didn't like it.

i finally got sick ... meaning i got that dreaded travelers diarreha. it wasn't too bad, 8 times in 24 hours.

alright, i'm tired. we got tix to go to the boca juniors game this wednesday fpr copa libertadores! i'm pretty excited!

Well, what can I say ... as expected I suck at keeping a journal. I didn't write anything while I was in Bogota nor Miami ... I'm going to forget everything I've done..... ok, I won't do it now, but I will force myself to write later on...
for now, an outline....

miami
nice beach, full of hotels, still sore with our feet, everglades, wrestle an alligator, airboat, a lot of packing had to send home..... time share for being cheap and hassle of post office .... money .... cramp dorm room .... french sandwish place. airport owl. little havana, domino park, ross, hard rock,

bogota
mirador ... parque de las pulgas, villa de leyva, tunja, caldo de costilla en la mañana. esmeraldas, citi bank,

lima
caminar un monton. mar, larco mar, miraflores, isic card, sara feliz en los buses, citi bank, enchufle,

i'll have more later, i hope!

So I haven't written much lately ... I'm really bad at keeping a blog! I prefer traveling than spending an hour keeping up a blog ... specially when I have to pay for it. But I know that later on I will regret it. I remember reading somewhere that humans only remember 10% of their everyday, it might be less!!! So I'll try and keep a blog, if not, at least a notebook. The picture I posted here is of bad quality ... I'm taking pics of 5Megapixels and I reduce them to put them online.

Anyways, people in Nassau are GREAT! They are so helpful with everything! Today Sara and I got stuck in the southwest of the island (New Providence) with the moped we rented. The belt broke and we were in the middle of no where... around 5 people stopped to ask if we were O.K. A Texaco trailer stopped almost causing an accident with a huge tank of gas! But everything was ok and we survived....

One of the people that stopped was nice to let us use her cellphone and call the moped company. They later came (after an hour) and exchanged mopeds with us. We continued our journey of looking for virgin beaches!

Before the moped incident we went to the Bacardi factory here in Nassau where we had an open bar (unfortunately for me I was driving!) and a tour of the facility. I got to try proof 157 rum! It was really gooood! And they have this liquor called Nassau Royal made with a tint of vanilla! It is soooooo goood on the rocks! They also mix it with a drink called Bahama Mama - fruit punch, nassau royal, rum and something else i forgot!

Something else that is a must see (or do) is to go to the market place under the bridge to paradaise island where you can have conch fritters and conch salad with a local beer. That reminds me.... I need to take a picture of a conch before i leave!

Also, one must swim in Jaws beach and love beach. And, for the next trip to the bahamas, I want to go to the Family Islands here! Apperently, a lot better than Nassau!

overall, nassau is a great people place, but not a lot of beaches! but people, wow. super respectful, friendly, and open. when we asked if we could do X, all they would say would be 'ya man ... just make sure to stay on the left hand side!'.

Al fin! Another chapter in my life has been written ... Berkeley no more...at least not for a while. So I finally turned in my report and presented my MS project this past Monday. It wasn't bad at all, I was given very good feedback and some good questions were asked. I hope to publish part of the thesis, hopefully it all works out.

It was interesting how fast time goes by ... five years ago I was waiting anxiously the day I would receive Berkeley's decision to accept me, and now, I am off ... to see the world (or part of it) and move to the other coast ...

Who knows why people do it, move from coast to coast .. I met a bunch of people in California that were born in New York and moved to the west coast (better weather they say)... I say ... better people (just kidding). Then some people, like myself, move to the east coast ... for what? Better snow? Not really, I don't even like the snow. I say a different experience, an opening of mind, or just want to try something different. But how different is it? Aren't all humans the same? I guess not. Bigger buildings? Longer party hours? Better metro system? More coffee shops?

I haven't really found out the reason why I'm moving to NYC, I never really thought of it. I've been there four times now and I always enjoy it, but I enjoyed Europe a lot .... I'm not moving there. So why NYC, what is it about the big apple that pulls me to it? The melting pot? The 'big' opportunities? What 'big' opportunities?

I think it has to do with the opportunity of experiencing something different. After traveling to Europe and Mexico the summers of 2002 and 2003, I realized that there is so much more to experience outside my bubble of Diamond Bar, Berkeley, Guatemala, and LA. The travel bug hadn't hit me, and I was content of just chilling in the west coast. Then the desire to live outside of California hit me, once I saw how different it was. (I just contradicted myself, it's ok, it is just a blog, not a final essay). I think that is the reason, difference. Yet, is experiencing difference a good thing? .... I'm pondering too much, I should stop.

A VIEW OVERLOOKING SF

So right now is 1:03 am on Saturday March 19th, 2005. I have my Masters project presentation schedule for Monday 21st at 10 am. I am about to finish my report (or at least the first draft) tonight. Right now, some simulations are running that take forever! But after that, if the results are right, I can just plug them into my almost done report and voila! Masters report a la Gonzalez. Then I have to prepare my presentation slides, which I hope do not take long since I have a lot of equations to write. :(
But anyway, now that I have a clearer idea as to what's going to happen, I can finally start planning my trip....

So Sara and I decided that our first stop on our trip is going to be South America, we are still trying to decide between going to Caracas or not. The plan is to go to Miami, then fly to either Bogota or Caracas, and then visit Colombia for a good 2 weeks or so, then travel south to Peru, Argentina and Brazil. After 2.25 months, we plan to come back to the states and I plan to go to NYC to look for a place to live, she might go to Iran and visit her family. For sure though, we are going to S. America. Since I have no time right now to search for tickets, Sara has taken the extreme difficult task to find a cheap special like the ones we had found before. I hope it doesn't take her long, I can't wait to buy the ticket!

So I'm still waiting for my simulation to finish.....

So I found out that at least 20 of my friends from I House 2003-2005 will be in Europe this summer. I spoke with three of them today about meeting up with them somewhere in Europe. I think that would be soooooo coool!
If most of them could meet for at least a weekend somewhere in Europe, it would be awesome to have an I House reunion in a different continent!
:)

Ok, so we were supposed to buy our RTW ticket this week but it didn't happen. What has happened is that some plans have been changed and the RTW trip will have to wait to some other year. :(

I am extremely disappointed but hey, no worries. We will still get to travel and the reason for the change is a good one.

First, I don't have control over the dates I have to be in Los Angeles. I went to the interview this past Tuesday and was told that I was going to be called back either March 25th or April 29th. They cannot tell me a specific date but they did say that they will let me know by March 15th when I'll be called back.
Since I have to be back in LA one of those dates, I cannot make plans of going to South America if I have to be in LA April 29th. I looked into buying a Roundtrip ticket from Lima2LA and it's expensive! So there goes that idea.

Second, I am in the process of moving to NYC and I want to look into the possibility of buying property. If I do such a thing, I need to be around to look for the property, get a loan, sign the contract and close the deal. I thought about doing all of this after my trip but I'll be working and won't have time, waste money in rent, etc. So there goes that idea of traveling all 4 months.

But hey, never the less, I will get to travel somewhere (Europe, Caribbean, who knows). There are many possibilities and I won't know until I finish my duties here in San Francisco (in other words, finish writing my masters!). I am trying to finish this ASAP so I can pack up and take everything down to LA and then hit the road to NYC and then travel.

We'll see what happens. I guess I need to change the title of this blog to ... who knows?!

So I was browsing today the various options of flights that exists. It all started with the idea of going to Miami for a couple of days before we start our trip. We both have a free rountrip ticket using Southwest.
Well, then we found out. Hey, Miami to Caracas is only $174 one way with Avianca!!! Then I started looking for South American airpasses and called LAB (bolivian), Varig(Brazilian), and then I stumbled into LAN. So I called.....

The first time I called I spoke with this Chilean lady that was very rude and impatient. I understand I can't make up my mind but with her, I had an itinerary in mind. Then she said that I needed to go to an office of LAN in US. The closest to me, she said, is in LA. I told her I lived in SF and I just wanted information, and she insisted I go to LA to get information!!!
Soo I hung up and called again. Luckily I spoke with someone that actually cared this time, her name: Luz. So I told her my situation: I want to spend 2 months in South America the cheapest possible way. I want to visit Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and Brazil. What can you offer me?
Then she asked if I was flying into South America with LAN, I was like, LAN who? She was like, mmm, the company you just called. I said no but she said if I fly from Miami to Caracas with LAN, I can buy the South American airpass. So I went along and told her that I would buy a ticket with LAN from MIA-CCS. So she said::: South America pass starting in Caracas and ending in Caracas = $770!!! Includes Bogota, Lima, Cuzco, Arequipa, Buenos Aires, Rio, Caracas!

I was like: WOW! And the Rountrip from MIA-CCS-MIA is like $372. So for around $1250 inlcuding taxes, I can do MIA-South America-MIA! So that got me thinking, WHO NEEDS STA AND AIRTREKS?! I can buy a rountrip ticket from MIA-Europe-MIA for like $500.

If I do this, I save myself around $800 and I get to see more of S.America and don't have to pay to go to Cuzco. :)

So much for travel agencies...... (although, I'm probably going to buy something from them, Eurail, flight to Europe, or something).

So I started this blog for three reasons:

1. To keep a journal of my trip so later in life I can look back at this wonderful experience. I hope there is an easy way to download one's entries onto the desktop. I should have checked into it before....

2. To keep in touch with my friends and family. Last time I traveled it was a pain trying to keep in touch with everyone and people would get spammed, some people didn't even want to know about my trip. So, whoever is interested can come and read this. If you visit, let me know you care, leave a comment!

3. For anyone that is interested in doing a RTW, or is just interested on my travels. I hope I keep this interesting. So I don't know you but you like what you find here, leave a comment!

That said some entries in here will be for cause number 1, 2 or 3.
For example, this one is for me. Just to know why I do things and to remember the events that are going on before my trip.....

I got three different quotes today for airfare. The original plan was to go to S. America, Easter Europe, and Southeast Asia. Now, I can't decide where to go...

FIRST: US$3853, but if we pay cash... US$3718 (airtreks)

Los Angeles, CA - Lima [Lacsa]
Lima - Cusco - Lima [TACA International]
Lima - Buenos Aires - Rio de Janeiro [Aerolineas Argentinas]
Rio de Janeiro - Lisbon [TAP Air Portugal]
Overland On Your Own
Athens - Bangkok [Emirates Airlines]
Bangkok - Los Angeles, CA [China Airlines]

Second...: $2737 (STA)

LA-Dallas-Lima AA
Lima - Buenos Aires TACA Peru
Buenos Aires-Sao Paulo TAM Linhas
Sao Paulo - Paris TAM Linhas
Frankfurt - Singapore Qantas
Singapore - Sidney Qantas
Sidney - Fiji Air Pacific
Fiji - LA Air Pacific

THIRD: US$2829 but if we pay cash: US$2730
Los Angeles, CA - Miami, FL [American Airlines]
Miami, FL - Bogota - Lima [Avianca]
Lima - Cusco - Lima [TACA International]
Lima - Buenos Aires - Rio de Janeiro [Aerolineas Argentinas]
Rio de Janeiro - Lisbon [TAP Air Portugal]
Overland On Your Own
London - Los Angeles, CA [Virgin Atlantic]

The first two itineraries are for RTW travel and go with the original plan. The third was a thought Sara and I had. Maybe we want to spend more time in South America and Europe? Quality vs. quantity?
At the same time, if we travel more cities, less opportunity to get bored? I wish I had more time....say one full year! I would without doubt choose itinerary number 2.
Now I have four months, and a limited budget. Well ... I can't complain, I'll travel either way, now the question is.......where to?
I guess I'll have to change my title if I decided to go to 2 continents instead of 3?
I love how travel agencies say... these quotes are valid right now, we'll hold it for a week, but cannot promise we will keep the price. I can't buy my ticket until the end of next week, hopefully prices don't change!

If any of you reading this are thinking.... can I really do an around the world trip? Well, you can.......
This link has many inspirational comments and ideas as to why everyone can take a year off 'life' to go around the world! I read this today and somehow had managed to learn most of what the website said by reading other sites and my own desire to travel. Actually, reading everything on the link got me extremely excited for this trip! And I haven't finished the trip and I'm already excited about taking another RTW trip later on in life! I don't think I'll ever stop! Imagine, retiring and going around the world for 2 years! Nice!
I highly recommend the link, has a lot of information!
About my trip.....still waiting for time to pass so I can start the journey!!!!

I LOVE THE SKY WITH CLOUDS!

So Sara and I went to our Servas interview yesterday. We were interviewed by Connie. A really nice lady that opened the door to her house with an open heart. We felt really comfortable right from the beginning.... she was making fun of infomercials and people that rely on technology all the time. She's an "old fashioned girl." She said, "people say email is cheaper, but it really isn't, you have to pay for the machine and the internet service, where as all you need for a letter is 37 cents, a pen and paper." And she had a boyfriend and she made fun of the old dude. "This is my boyfriend, if you really could call him a boy...." We talked very little about the interview, we just had a conversation about traveling, and random stuff. We got very excited for the Servas organization.
After the Servas interview, we went to STA travel to find a cheap round the world (RTW) ticket. We met Sally, our travel agent, and she will send a quote to us by tomorrow with our desired itinerary...........

LA-Lima-Buenos Aires-Rio de Janeiro-France-overland to Athens-Bangkok-Bali-LA.

She said it probaly will cost us around $2500-$3000. Hopefully it's true!
We also looked into our train passes in Europe, around $500 for all the cities we want to go in Europe: Paris, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Munich, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Venezia, Siena, Florence, Napoli, Sorrento, Bari, Athens.

Sally also told us about this travel insurance that STA offers, apperently seems very reliable and cheap: $340 for 5 months! That's cheap compared to others I've read about....

I just read the entry and it seems as if we have planned a lot. We really haven't, we're just extremely excited. I can't wait to buy my ticket!

So I haven't bought my ticket yet. I can't wait until that is over with. I cannot buy it until an interview February 22nd because I do not know when I'll be called back.
I'm done with getting vaccines though, my arm hurts. I got a lot of vaccines. I like the saying in Spanish: 'Mas vale prevenir que lamentar.'
I do not know if I have mentioned it before, but during my travels I plan to be part of Servas organization. This organization is made up of Hosts and Travelers and it is based on on understanding, tolerance and world peace. Well, I have my interview with a US Servas member tomorrow and I'm very excited to learn more about the organization and to become a member....

I've been told that traveling to the countries I'm planning to in such little time is not the best idea. I wish I had more time. I really want to go around the world and get to learn from each continent: Latin America, Eastern Europe, and South East Asia. I have 5 months to do all this, and like 10 different stops by plane and like 20 all together. I went to Europe once for 2 months and visited 28 cities. I have to admit, I was running left and right.
I guess it all depends on the time and what I want. If I wanted to learn just one culture I would just go and live there for the five months I have, but I rather get to see MORE.
Alright, I gotta work. Can't wait to leave!
I found out today that I only need visas for Brazil, Cambodia, Thailand. I still need to find out if I need a visa for Australia, Fiji, and Indonesia.

VIEW FROM TREASURE ISLAND!

I'm older than twenty one and I am younger than the Titanic.
I love to dance and I don't like mean people.
I currently live on Treasure Island San Francisco and I'm finishing my Masters @ UC Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering and a certificate in Management of Technology.

I'm about to embark on a 4-5 month trip around the world (sometime in March) and I would love to meet up with anyone anywhere I am going. ALSO, I would love to get any ideas from anyone that is or has been in the following countries: Guatemala, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia.

I have a list of friends that I will visit during my trip, but would love to meet new people as well! I leave around March 10th!!!!

The base of my trip are 3 continents: South America, part of Europe, and South East Asia....but the countries I'm going to are flexible.

Sara (my girlfriend) will be traveling with me. VERY EXCITED!

The idea of this trip started my first semester in Grad School. I learned about Airtreks.com (a website that sells RTW tickets) and read about stories of traveleres that had traveled the world. Some people took 1 or 2 years off their 'life' to go travel around the world. Since then, I always had the idea of going around the world to learn about different cultures and to share my own culture. I'm looking forward to the idea of feeling free and independent. Now that I know I am actually going around the world, I can't believe it...not until I am on the plane to Peru!

If you would like to know more about me, click here to go to by website. I update it once a blue moon, but it has recently been updated!

One more thing, I would love for you to post a comment on my Global Guest Book.....it's actually pretty cool!

SIGN MY GUEST BOOK!

SHOW YOURSELF!