THROUGH THE ANDES TO CHILE

 We decided to leave Buenos Aires. Yes, the architecture is amazing. The people are friendly. The media lunas (croissants) and cafe con leche are great. But, the narrow streets with skyscrapers blocking out the sun made the city a little daunting, especially when it came to using my granddaughter's GPS. We were constantly walking in circles and getting lost for hours. It was fun for a while but then it was time to move on.

Go figure that South America is cold enough to have to wear a jacket and sweater in the middle of what is summer in Canada. But, it's winter in Argentina. And, although it makes sense, it messes with your head.

Probably the most fun about Argentina was their money. You could get a whole fistful of thousand peso bills for a couple of hundred Canadian dollars. 

Outstanding architecture was everywhere in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Very European esthetically.

We headed for Cordoba and were we ever impressed by the scenery. Going through the Andes was the adventure of a lifetime. I'm so glad my granddaughter, Anastasia was there to experience it with me.

We were a little surprised when disembarking at the border to find snow on the ground. It was cold.

Cancun to Sao Paulo Brazil

 I flew to Sao Paulo in April and took a couple of buses out to a podunk little town in Brazil by the name of Concecao dos Orous where my family has rented a house on a piece of land. My son and his kids are raising chickens, cows and horses and growing their own vegetables. 

However, my granddaughter was living in a one-bedroom apartment in this little town that has a small population of only twenty thousand or so.
The streets are bricks and the hills are steep. It's picturesque but difficult for walking.

What can I tell you about Conceicao dos Orous? It's old. The showers don't work. At least the showers I came into contact with didn't work. The water never got hot and there was no water pressure so you sort of shivered and stood under trickling water, trying to get your whole self washed but struggled to actually enjoy it. 

The restaurants were few and far between. Two of them served full-course meals with hot meat and vegetables but they were only open for lunch. There was no breakfast restaurant as we Canadians would know it. For breakfast, people ate croissants and drank coffee con leche. That's the usual for breakfast in Brazil and other South American countries it seems. 

People eat a lot of croissants as well as a sort of pastry thing made from fermented plants or grains of some sort. It's a long piece of airy, light, bubbly stuff. I don't know exactly how to describe it. I haven't seen it anywhere else in my travels but it's abundant in this little town.

As you sit drinking your coffee and eating your sandwich in the coffee shop, you'll often hear a horse come trotting down the cobblestone road outside. It's a soothing sound. An ancient sound. These are the cabellaros of Brazil we've heard of. 

                                                           Waterfall in the town.

                                                                  The red red dirt of Brazil.

One of the neighbour's cows who decided to take a walk down the road in front of my house.

This floppy-eared cow hung out on the cliff just outside my house where I rented half a house for a couple of months. My house stood in front of this cliff that sometimes shed its red dirt right into my backyard. 

It was not bad for half a house except that the tin roof made a racket whenever the local cats decided to walk on it, which happened frequently unfortunately. Thus the reason I wore ear plugs to bed at night.

CANCUN!

 Well, here I am in Cancun, Mexico. I landed a month ago and found a great Air BNB right downtown in Cancun. That is, if you can call anywhere in Cancun "downtown". But, it was in the middle of town and it cost a mere 400 pesos per night. And this wasn't your shared type of Air BNB. It was a private room with a double bed and private bathroom. Complete with air con that you don't have to pay for. What more could you want besides a teensy swimming pool in the entrance way? Which they have.

Walmart is right around the corner only four blocks away. It's not exactly a Walmart as we know it but close enough. They have a McDonald's where you can get a great cup of coffee and (if you're brave) a double big mac burger. I won't do that again though because, well, it went right through me. I still have to get adjusted to the environment.

Not long after arriving, I looked up on Craigslist for a private house to rent and found a cute little apartment on the opposite side of town. It was fully furnished and had three overhead fans and two air conditioners along with all the kitchen utensils one would find necessary. 

                                                            All this for 10,000 pesos. 

However, what you really want to know about is the beach! Right? Well, the beaches here are... TO DIE FOR. And that's an understatement. Ask any tourist. This is thee tourist destination for the majority of tourists worldwide. If you love warm, turquois water touching a pristine white beach, Cancun is for YOU.

Or, if you happen to be a total tree freak like me, you'll love it here, too. Gorgeous trees. 

GERONIMO NANAIMO!

 Geronimo is an American legend. Nanaimo is a Canadian place. It's a town on Vancouver Island. And I live there now. 

RIGHT ON THE BEACH.

In fact, my bedroom window overlooks a backyard beach with a whole beautiful harbour in front of that. What a view it is. It's everything, always moving, daytime beauty, nighttime charm and mystery. It's ferries crossing the harbor to Gabriolla Island, crossing each other going and coming, shedding a most glorious light into the darkness at night and glowing white even in the sunlight. 

                                               VIEW FROM MY WINDOW!

The Rocky Mountains are in plain view today with their snow peaked caps and far horizon-ranging range. Just glorious for a background. The up-close brown beach is pebble-covered and the stage for wildlife such as Canadian geese in their flocks, ducks with their two inch sized babies, sea-gulls, and a graceful heron that patiently stands at the edge of the water for hours on end. He's not there now.

                                             NIGHT VIEW 

So far, living in Nanaimo has been like living in a dream. And it's not just the weed. I experienced sleeping on a sailboat a few nights ago. It was surreal. The rocking, the knocking, the taste of the sea air. It was like being in ancient days. Of course, the sailboat is 40 years old! So that probably played into it nicely. 

Nothing like enjoying a cup of fresh ground French-pressed coffee on the deck of a sail-boat early in the morning.  A tidy seagull sits patiently on the cabin roof waiting for his regular sausage treat. Then he patiently waits for another. 

                                      VIEW OF NANAIMO FROM A FRIEND'S SAILBOAT   

                                

Nanaimo is an island town with a friendly island demeanor. If you thought Canadians were polite, this place is triple polite. You just can't be too polite when you're in this country. Moreso here. Don't be surprised to hear, "Thank you so much" several times a day. And, in fact, several times per thank! And don't be afraid to be ever so polite that in any other country, you might feel a little awkward. Don't be. People expect it of you and of each other. You just can't be too polite. 

People apologize to you when you step on their foot. I'm not kidding. It has happened to me. I'm like, "But I stepped on your foot. I should be the one to apologize."

Their extreme politeness is part of what makes Canadians so darn likeable. Here in Nanaimo, people treat you as if they have known you for years when you've only just met. It's like that. If you don't believe me, come to Vancouver Island and see for yourself.

  One morning, Heaven came down to look at itself in the mirror in front of my window.

If the people don't do it for you, maybe the massive displays of roses will. Or the ocean to snow-capped mountains view. Or maybe the birds. I have a tree outside my window just burgeoning with birds. It's nonstop tweeting but not on Twitter. This is real life chit-chat between birds that reaches a stormy peek of noise in the evening and after the rain. They seem to be very intensely discussing things to the point where you might think they're screaming at each other in bird tweets. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful noise. I love it. 

                                                Did I mention the flower gardens?

The Calgary Tower

Are you into towers? Well, we've got one in Calgary. What would a city be without a tower? And, my son and I thought, since I've been living in downtown Calgary for 1 1/2 years, it wouldn't be right for me to go a day longer without visiting the top of said tower. Especially since it's so cheap. (General admission is $18, seniors are $16, and children are $9.)

Apparently, one could:

Experience a spectacular 360° view of the foothills and majestic Rocky Mountains. Step onto our glass floor for an unforgettable perspective of the bustling streets below and learn more about our history in our brand-new theatre room.

                   The Calgary Tower Standing Tall with a Candy Apple Red Globe at the Top.

So, we made plans to take my grandsons up the tower for dessert on my eldest grandson's birthday --February 15th -- or close to it. We called the phone number for it and made a reservation. Although it's not necessary to make a reservation, the guy on the other end of the phone suggested that it was a busy day and that if we wanted to have a seat in the restaurant, we should. So, we did.

Mind you, this was on February 18th which is a stat holiday --Family Day, which is probably why we needed to make a reservation. We were off in the car, found a lower level parking spot no problem, and boarded the elevator to the level where the tower entrance was. There was a security guard at the door to greet us with,

"I'm sorry, but the elevator to the tower has been shut down."

"WHAAAT?" we all four of us looked at each other puzzled. And I said, "What are the odds?"

If you think about it, isn't it a bit strange that at this very moment in time on this very day we chose to finally go up there, the tower elevator is shut down?

"Why?" we asked.

"On the way down, water started to leak into the elevator from melted snow or whatnot and it fritzed up the electrical works," the guard explained as best he could.

We sort of stood there, looking at him, trying to absorb what he'd just said, getting pictures in our minds of people stuck all the way up there in an elevator that's being flooded with water, wondering how long it's going to take before we can get out of there.

I can't speak for the others, but, I was coming up with a dozen questions like: Are there people still stuck up there? How many people were or are stuck in the elevator? How long did it take to get the people out? Will the elevator be running again soon? Does this happen every time it snows? Can we expect the elevator to get stuck again or will it be permanently fixed? Is this on the news?

At least two of us breathed a heavy sigh of relief and looked down at our feet that were standing on solid ground. Neither of us asked about the poor elevator passengers nor inquired about exactly how much water we were talking about. I don't think we even asked the guard whether this was a common occurrence. Maybe it was partly because he didn't seem to be in the mood to answer any more questions and partly because --you know-- we'd find it on the internet.

I found this on the official site.

Milestones

1967 Construction began February 19, 1967 and was completed in June 1968 at a total cost of $3.5 million dollars.
1971 On November 1, 1971, the Husky Tower was officially renamed the Calgary Tower as a tribute to Calgary citizens.
1985 In 1985, the Tower completed a renovation of the observation areas at a cost of $2.4 million. This project added a grill and souvenir shop.

1987 A natural gas-fired cauldron is installed on top of the Calgary Tower by Western Canadian Natural Gas to serve as an official Olympic Flame during the upcoming Winter Games.
1988 A hand-held replica of the Calgary Tower with an Olympic flame crosses Canada during the Torch Relay. Tens of thousands of international guests and athletes visit the Tower during the Calgary Olympics.
1989 Fresh off its Olympic exposure, the Calgary Tower initiates and is a founding member of the World Federation of Great Towers (WFGT).
2005 A glass floor spanning 36' wide by 4.5' was installed on the Observation Deck as a gift to Alberta on its Centennial.
2014 LED lights are added to the exterior of the Calgary Tower complementing the downtown skyline nightly with spectacular light displays.
2018 The Calgary Tower celebrates its 50th anniversary as an internationally recognized and iconic symbol of the city.


Sky 360 is the restaurant we'd made reservations for that was now unreachable. They graciously cover the cost of the elevator ride when you purchase an entree. You're also allowed to visit the observation deck for up to half an hour before and after eating. But, since this was no longer a possibility, we looked around for another restaurant that would please two young teens.

We ended up driving to the Cheesecake Cafe where we dined on chicken stir-fry, fish 'n chips, clams, and a cheeseburger. They brought the Birthday Boy a piece of cake with a sparkler on the top as a gift. (The cheesecake is to die for!)

Perhaps we'll get up to the tower in March (around my Birthday) after the elevator is no longer under construction. If we have the nerve to try it.

Spring is Here so Merry Christmas!

It's been a long time since I contributed a new post to this blog but this crazy weather in Calgary has given me something to say. And, what I have to say about the weather is,

"'T-ain't funny, McGee!"

As I wrote on my Facebook profile, it's starting to be like a really bad joke. And, I'm one person who hates bad jokes. Sorry, but, zero tolerance. For some reason, a bad joke can ruin my whole relationship with someone. That's pretty severe, I know. But maybe I just figure that if somebody has to try so hard, they should quit the funny business.

So, here I am going across the street to buy some yogurt. (For some reason, I had a craving for real, unflavoured yogurt that night. And, no, I'm not pregnant. That's another bad joke.) So, I feel the wet snowflakes whipping my face, pull up my fluffy hood and head out. On the other side of the street, I see an elderly fellow and shout out, "Happy spring!" He replies,

"Merry Christmas!" We both laugh and carry on down the street.

I buy some peanutbutter cups, having not found any yogurt at the gas station convenience shop and as I'm coming out of the store, I greet another person who calls out,

"Merry Christmas!"

I think we Calgarians and Calgary dwellers are FED UP with this extension of winter. It's just not funny anymore. Not that it ever was. But, at least winter during winter is much more tolerable than Christmas weather in spring. Even the birds seem to be fed up with it. They seem a little cranky when they flip the snowflakes off their feathers as if to say, "Come on! Enough snow already!"

Anyway, when the weather finally breaks and we get an actual spring day for a change, I'm sure we'll all appreciate it even more than if it had happened on schedule. You know. Or not. We'll see.

Calgary and the B.C. Fires

 

The Calgary Summer

This summer, Calgary has been a lot warmer than I had expected with weekly highs up into the 30's on a regular basis. Hot.

In the tropics, 32 degrees was the norm BUT it was constant. It was a consistent heat. You would wake up in the morning knowing that it was going to be 32 or so all day long. And the next day, pretty much the same. The temperature might dip slightly by nightfall. But, the temperature every day was pretty consistent, even during thunder storms. You'd never feel "cold".

So, the high temperatures in Calgary (or anywhere in Canada) seem rather extreme when you compare them to the winter weather. From plus 36 degrees to minus 45 degrees means there is an 80 degree difference in the temperature. That covers a lot of ground and it's a huge differentiation. Isn't it?

But Calgarians love the heat! They flock to the Bow River, stripped down to as little clothing as possible, wearing flip-flops and sunglasses. Just thriving on the sun. Soaking it up while they can.

Bow River Rafting

We (my son, his wife and 2 kids and I) went rafting on the Bow River last week-end. WHAT A BLAST. Who knew a piece of latex filled with air could be so much fun? And the river was rapid. There were Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 rapids. We put the raft in north of the city and let the river take us. Of course, our steering man sat at the front to guide us.

Those of us in the back yelled at him from time to time,

"Rapids! Rapids! Shoals! Shoals! Rapids and shoals!"

Of course, he was already well aware of what was up ahead but sometimes he needed another rower or two to speed us off the track of the danger. Twice we were hit with big waves that soaked us through and filled the bottom of the raft with water. Then there was the river security in their motorboats flying past, whipping the waves into rock 'n roll action. That's when we women screamed. Fun!

B.C. Fires 

Along with the intense heat, Calgary has been under a cloud of B.C. smoke quite often these days. It has usually been a haze that blankets in the weather on us. But, lately, fire burning in nearby Banff has sent bigger clouds to us.

Animals Escaping to Water

Fires Raging in British Columbia

 

Where there's Smoke there Must be Fire

Homes were Lost and People were Forced to Leave Them

These fires are out of control and have cost many people their homes. Hundreds are living in tents while the burning rages throughout the northern part of the province.

Whenever there's cloud coverage, a stench of rotten eggs accompanies it. At least, that's the way it is where I live in Elgin. Who knows where the stench comes from? It might be from an old dump nearby.

Mahogany Lake

These housing developments were built on swamp land and former dumps. Clever contractors had the swamps dug deep to bring up the water level and create a lake. Then they moved the excess dirt away and added chemicals to the lake to clean it up.

Abracadabra, please and thank-you and you have lakeside property ready for brand new lake homes. How clever is that? Brilliant. Property prices have now jumped! Useless stinky swamp land is now highly sought-after lake front property with a view. They even have a sandy beach.  Well, a dirt beach anyway.

And fishing is great! One of my grandsons caught a 7 lb trout in Mahogany Lake. That's a big meal. Of course, he uses corn for bate. That's another story.

Mahogany

Mahogany Lake

Brand New Lakefront Property