stuck on the detail

Puente de la Mujer / Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Puente de la Mujer ("Woman's Bridge") is a footbridge in the Puerto Madero district of Buenos Aires that spans the Rio de la Plata. It is unique in that is an asymmetrical arrangement with a single mast. Cables suspended a portion of the bridge which rotates 90 degrees in order to allow water traffic to pass.

beached whales

La Playa / Santa Marta, Colombia
Like beached whales, these well-worn fishing boats lie in the sand on the beachfront waiting to be rescued and put back into the water. On the northern coast, Santa Marta is an important maritime center for Colombia and at one time commercial fishing was its mainstay. It is now primarily known for its beaches including Tayrona National Marine Park, an ecotourism destination.

la sandía

Carrera No. 4 / Santa Marta, Colombia
One of the best things about Latin America and the Caribbean is the abundance of fresh fruit year round. Though when in Costa Rica last week, while it seemed there was fresh picked watermelon (or la sandía) overflowing every roadside stand, it didn't taste nearly as sweet as what we get across the street at our local market. Perhaps ours are chemically-enhanced to improve that delicious watermelon flavor.

shuckin' corn

Outdoor Markets / Otavalo, Ecuador
The Otavalo outdoor markets outside of Quito are famous for the variety of produce and other goods offered - all of which is locally produced. These happy women are obviously shucking corn in anticipation of the Memorial Day bar-b-que.

trippin' to the tropics

Centro Histórico, Palacio de la Inquisición / Cartagena, Colombia
Off again trippin' for the long Memorial Day weekend (plus a few more days) - this time to Costa Rica. We are going to the area around La Fortuna which is the Arenal Volcano district in the northern jungles. Forecast is very hot and very sticky - perfect volcano weather. Oh, and the Palacio de la Inquisición (photo was taken in the courtyard) was the site of over five hundred religious executions and was only closed late in the 18th century. It is now a museum and memorial to the victims of the Inquisición.

pretty in pink

Plaza San Martin / Buenos Aires, Argentina
The beautiful Plaza San Martin in the Retiro neighborhood of Buenos Aires was in full bllom of the Silk Floss Tree, also known as the "drunken tree". After taking advantage of the marvelously delicious and inexpensive Malbecs, I can appreciate the name.

colonial cartagena

Cartagena De Indias Cathedral / Cartagena, Colombia
Located on the Plaza de Bolívar, the main cathedral of Cartagena is a beautiful example of Latin American colonial architecture - having been built in the late 16th century. The city of Cartagena De Indias was discovered by the Spanish in the early 16th century and immediately grew into a strategically located port for shipping and slave trade.

repair required

Av. Rodrigo de Bastidas / Santa Marta, Colombia
Last night (and technically into this morning) a major installation occurred - now requiring repair. I am April's fool.

wings

San Telmo / Buenos Aires, Argentina
Captured upon landing on this dirty sidewalk in the San Telmo neighborhood, this brown butterfly's wing pattern took looked exceptional beautiful.

the coke side of life

Santa Marta, Colombia
Coca Cola - we all know it's not great for your health - but your life? For some years, there has been an ongoing Campaign to Stop Killer Coke with one of the main impetuses for the international campaign against Coke allegedly being the assassination and intimidation of members of the SINALTRAINAL union that several years ago had organized workers at Coke-controlled FEMSA bottling plants in Colombia, including this one in Santa Marta. Apparently, managers wanted to rid the plant of the union in order to boost their power over workers and their bottom line. Bang bang.

big things in little boxes

Autoridad Portuaria de Cartagena / Cartagena, Colombia
Or is it lots of little things in big boxes.. Lots and lots of shipping containers at the Port of Cartagena.

shake those tail feathers

Plaza Pierino Gallo / Cartagena, Colombia
It's a snowy monday morning - which makes it hard to get out of bed, shake my tail feathers and get moving. It's going to be a busy week and having to deal with snow (which means idiot drivers) first thing does not help.

we have-a bananas today

18 Carerra / Santa Marta, Colombia
Santa Marta is located on the northern Colombia coast of the Caribbean sea and backdropped by the beautiful Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains. I was particularly looking forward to revisiting Santa Marta as I had been there a number of times back in the mid-90's for business purposes (not what you're thinking). The city was vaguely as I remembered - hot, dry, somewhat dirty, and with lots of people going about their daily lives - not a tourist town. As obvious from the above photo, there were lots of fresh fruit vendors which reminded me not to eat fruit off the streets unless you can fully peel it - and even then.

domaclature III

Iglesia de San Pedro Claver / Cartagena, Colombia
San Pedro Claver Corberó was a Jesuit who, due to his remarkable life and work, became the patron saint of slaves of Colombia and of African Americans. He was beatified July 16, 1850 by Pope Pius IX and canonized January 15, 1888 by Pope Leo XIII. San Pedro Claver died in 1654 in Cartagena where he spent most of his life dedicated to the abolition of slavery. Cartagena de Indias was an important port in the slave trading business with many coming from Africa and then sold into slavery. The cathedral, which has this beautiful dome centered over the intersection of the nave and the transept, houses the bones of San Pedro Claver in a glass coffin in full view under the altar - a somewhat gruesome toothless skull and draped skeletal frame.

gentrified dungeons

Las Bóvedas / Cartagena, Colombia
Las Bóvedas, or dungeons, are strategically located between the forts of Santa Clara and Santa Catalina. They are considered to be the last major construction project during the colonization of the walled city of Cartagena. The structure, built between 1792 and 1796, has 47 arches and 23 vaults and was originally designed for munitions storage but is better known for its use as dungeon cells during the Spanish Inquisition which gripped Cartagena de Indias until the early 19th century. Las Bóvedas has recently been restored and now serves as retail space for handcrafts, antiques, bars and galleries.

no. 2 urchin

Espanola Island / Galapagos Islands
Walking the beach of Espanola Island, I came upon this spiny pencil sea urchin "has been". Looks to me like an overused ashtray - place your butts here, please.

decaying beauty

San Telmo / Buenos Aires, Argentina
As one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, San Telmo was inhabited by the wealthiest families of Buenos Aires until the early 1870's Yellow Fever epidemic forced those who could afford to move North. With the passing of time, San Telmo's appearance has changed and it has now become one of the trendier neighborhoods for the arts. It is a great neighborhood of colonial buildings and narrow, stone paved streets; perfect for walking with lots of coffee shops, tango and jazz clubs - and antiques. Every Sunday there is an open air antiques market where, as we did, you can spend endless amounts of time wandering through the vendors capturing glimpses of a Buenos Aires past.

monday is market day

El Mercado / Quito, Ecuador
We spent a morning wandering around the enormous outdoor markets just outside of Quito. There was an abundance of woolen and other fabric goods, as well as fresh produce and meats - lots of raw meats just hanging in the open air. It was a warm day - I can only imagine what bonus bacteria came along with it. I suppose if you've been eating it all your life, no worries - but not for this gringo. We went for the panama hats instead.

pink flamingos are divine

Floreana Island / Galapagos
Unlike Divine, infamous for her/his antics in John Water's cult film "Pink Flamingos", these Galapagos flamingos are graceful, stately, long-legged - and don't weigh 300lbs. They reside in the salt water lagoons of Floreana Island, formed by shallow flooded lava fields. One particular lagoon called Punta Cormorant is particularly good for spotting these lanky birds. They are usually seen perched on a single leg (for reasons unknown) though this one must have been feeling a bit unstable as it has both feet firmly planted in the mud. And flamingos love mud. They're born in mud nests, breed in mud, and feed on mud. Unlike most birds which feed using eyesight, flamingos only use the sense of touch. They feed by stirring the mud around with their feet, then sticking their heads under water, turning their unique beaks upside down and straining out tiny crustaceans, mollusks, and algae. The flamingo's characteristic pink coloring is caused by the beta carotene in their diet. The source of this nutrient varies by geographical location and species diet but shrimp and blue-green algae are the most common sources.

last tango in ..

La Boca / Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tango - probably no more passionate and sensual of a dance exists. And to truly feel its power and beauty, one should experience it impromptu on the streets of Buenos Aires. The tango originated in the lower-class neighborhoods of BA and was derived from the fusion of various forms of dance and music, melding together through the significant European immigration of the late 1800's. It quickly became popular throughout society, as theatres and street barrel organs spread it throughout working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of Italians, Spanish and French. And for a modern twist on tango music, I highly recommend listening to GoTan Project, an amazing trio (French/Argentine/Swiss) based in Paris whose music is clearly tango but with electronic elements introduced throughout. The song "Santa Maria (del Buen Ayre)" is captivating - it takes me back to La Boca every time I hear it.