Gee Wilikers

Maybe not so common a saying these days, but the G. Wilikers shop is alive and well in Solving, CA.

Traveling with Pets in California National Forests

I'm going to break one of my rules and share the names of my traveling companions in this blog. Angus gave me permission to photograph him for this article. I asked him to spread his wings, and this beautiful Macaw graciously obliged.

I was most surprised to meet such a handsome fellow in an unlikely place named Likely, CA. This Mackaw travels in a spacious room in an enormous motor home with a mated pair of humans. He converses with them during their travels and gives his opinion on the DVDs the humans provide for his entertainment. His neighbors in the upstairs flat are much smaller, but equally beautiful representatives of the avian family.

Buddy the Wonder Dog was at the top of his game on the Big Foot search. As the 5 day migration of humans into non-urban territory was wrapping up, he became quite animated as he tried to alert another mated pair of humans that a small, furry hitch hiker had stowed away on the undercarriage of their truck. They graciously accepted his warning, but chose to drive on to their urban territory without verifying Buddy's report.

Bixbie the Wonder Weiner showed the group that it is not the length of your legs, but the size of your spirit that matters in a wilderness hike. He accompanied the mated pair of humans who provide his ecosphere on a mile and a half hike up the Soup Springs trail in the Modoc National Forest. Brave little Bixbie hiked up and down an altitude change of 700 feet during the mile and a half hike.

Sadie the sweetheart accompanied her male human as he motored around the 6900 yard golf course. Thanks to this white German Shepard's expert coaching, her human male was able shoot an 84 on an incredibly windy day.

Wishbone Ash in Texas

Every airport has its own unique style. True to form, everything is bigger in Texas. Does this count as art, architecture or humor? I'll let the reader be the judge.

The Five Most Important Spanish Words

I've begun traveling a lot in Latin America. I know a little Spanish, but don't really speak the language. However, I've found that with the following five words, most Americans can get by in Latin America.

• Please         Por favor
• Thank you   Gracias
• Food           Comida
• Beer            Cerveza
• Bathroom     Baño

The Most Important Spanish Sentence

When preparing to travel to Lima, I didn't have much time to brush up on my Spanish. I'd taken 3 years of high school Spanish, I live in California and read bilingual signs all the time, so I thought I'd be OK. I practiced a few phrases with my daughter like Yo quiero Taco Bell, Donde estan los banos, Mi espanol is muy mal and Hablo espanol un poco solamente, which she promptly transformed into Hablo espanol un puerco solamente, to the amusement of all.

However, hard reality struck when I tried to dial the taxi from the airport. I found that hearing people speak a foreign language is very different from reading it. And outside of the hotel staff, very few people spoke English in Lima. I quickly memorized another phrase: Despacio, por favor, or Slowly, please.

The most important phrase (other than Donde esta mi taxi?) that I wish I had learned is Como se deletrea? or Can you spell that please?

Agua sin Gas?

For some people, sin is their favorite four-letter-word. But what does sin have to do with water in Peru?

When traveling abroad, you are always warned to avoid drinking the local water because of risk of gastric distress (also known as Montezuma's Revenge, or less politely "the runs".) When I was preparing for my trip to Latin America, the stats I saw were that up to 40% of travelers suffered from some distress and around 30% had to limit their activities because of it. So I resolved to follow the recommendations and always drink bottled water.
But wait, every Spanish class I've ever taken teaches you the phrases like Necesito un vaso de agua, or
I need a glass of water.  Never in my life have I heard someone explain how to ask for bottled water in Spanish.
Even reading the bottle doesn't help. I know what agua is. And sin, in Spanish, simply means without. But what does gas mean? I pulled out my Spanish-English dictionary, looked it up, and found that gas, in Spanish, means... gas.  A lot of help that was.  Water without gas.
It wasn't until I was shopping a few days later that I figured it out. While reaching for my agua sin gas, I noticed beside it a nearly identical bottle of agua con gas. Then it hit me - gas is carbonation! So if I want a bottle of carbonated water, I ask for Agua con gas, por favor. And if I want just bottled water, I ask for Agua sin gas, por favor.

Lima - City of Three Surprises

Three things surprised me about Lima.

1. As I sit typing this block entry, a short fireworks show began across the street, for no apparent reason.

2. When you order pineapple juice (jugo de pina), the waiter asks if you want it chilled or fresh.

3. Tuna is a green fruit, not a big fish.

The World's Favorite Chicken - in Lima

Day 3 in Lima. My Spanish is improving un poco. I've learned to say things like "I don't see my taxi" (No veo mi taxi.)

After the wonderful meals I've had so far, I find I'm not very hungry tonight. I'd rather dive into the hotel's pool and get some exercise, so I decided to try some fast food, Lima style.

Kitty corner across the street from the JW Marriott Hotel is America's favorite chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken. It has the familiar red & white logo and the Colonel's picture out front. I walked in dreaming of buttermilk biscuits, one of my favorite treats. Unfortunately for me, that love is not shared by the Peruvians in Miraflores. I tried to order the corn poppers, but got chicken nuggets instead. And when I tried to pay, it seemed the world had come to an end and it was my fault. You see, when I took a cash advance at the ATM this morning, the smallest bill the machine dispensed was a S/.50 or 50 Sol note. With today's conversion rate, that is worth about $17.85, not a lot of money.

Judging by the reaction at KFC, $17.85 is, in fact, quite a lot of money in Miraflores. The cashier's eyes got large. The entire restaurant staff came over and just stood and stared at the bill in her hand. They finally found someone who speaks just a little English. He asked me if I had anything smaller. I dug out a S/.10 note and sighs of relief were heard all around. My husband emailed me later with "Good job, Twoflower. Show everyone the golden Rhinus. :)"

I wonder what would have happened if I'd handed over the S/.100 note?!

Drinking in Peru

Drinking in Peru

I've been a heavy drinker since my teens. To this day I remember the article I read when I was 13 that started it all. It recommended I drink an 8 ounce glass of water before each meal to make me feel full, and help me eat less. And shucks, if you've ever been to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, you've noticed they always keep your water glass very full, too.

Like many young adults, my drinking hit its peak during my college years. I remember riding my bike home a few miles in the summer heat, walking in the house and downing one 20 ounce glass after another, until I'd drunk a full half gallon of ice water. Back in those days we'd never hear of water intoxication. I was hard core, but I was one of the lucky ones.

After college, I found myself slipping into my old habits at work. Yes, coffee was nice, but you can't drink coffee to keep yourself awake on 100 degree California summer days. So I'd sip on a one-quart pick-me-up of ice water to keep me going through the day.

Sunday night found me at LAX preparing to board an all-night flight to Lima, Peru. I had a late dinner and some cranberry juice before boarding the plane. Then I boarded the aircraft, strapped myself in, put in the ear plugs and hoped I wouldn't snore too loudly on the flight down.
Much to my surprise, when I woke up on approach to Lima, I wasn't very thirsty. Once I got through customs, I bought a bottle of water from a vending and chugged about a third of it. And that was it. I had a glass of orange juice with lunch, but that one bottle of water lasted me all day. I added a tiny little bottle of San Pelligrinos with dinner and I have satisfied my daily fluid needs. What a pleasant contrast to semi-arid California, where I am always thirsty no matter how much water I drink.