Xanadú. Walking in… Madrid, Spain: Xanadú. Saint Valentine´s 2010 Special Weekend: 10th Part.

On Sunday 14th. after breakfast, we did the check out and went back to Madrid. We had already reserved for lunch and we went out of the hotel soon just in case the traffic would be so heavy.

We were lucky, almost no traffic, so we were closet o the restaurant 2 hours before of the time we had scheduled the reserve, so we decided to go to visit the mall Xanadu. We still didn´t know it.

In fact I'm not the kind of person who likes to spend the day at the mall. Actually I´m not even a malls fan. But… I liked this one! You see, it has a lot of leisure places, is quite big, so, it has quite a lot of stores but also restaurants, cinemas and…

A bowling:



A karts track!



And its emblematic snow zone:



The prices are not low, but comparing with going to a real sky slope, seems to be better. A friend of mine told me this was great for people just starting skiing, due it´s a safer place.

What I didn´t like was how crowded it was. I know, the place is successful, especially on a carnival Sunday plus Saint Valentine. I should go again in a different day or date to check it.

Here a view of the corridors:



(To be continued.)

Walking in... Dortmund, Germany - Football World Championship 2006

This time I´m sharing with you how the streets of Dortmund looked like on June 30th. before the match of Germany vrs. Argentina. This match wasn´t played in Dortmund, but there was a fan´s space in the center of Dortmund, with a big screen and beer stands for watching it.





They even prepared a place, very close to the train station, where you felt like going inside a football camp at the middle of a match. The entrance was like the one for the players… here you can see:



Yeap! It was a great experience! :D

Available Tours at Margarita Island.

The Venezuelan team did a great effort with the organization of the Scrabble in Spanish World Championship 2009, including even the touristic activities to do there.

They selected a travel agency in Margarita Island for us with special prices and very interesting activities to do.

In my case, this time I couldn´t know if I would go or not till so close to the travel date, so, I usually prefer to contract or at least to reserve the tours in advanced to avoid problems with spaces and similar, but this time it wasn´t possible. I´d ask to the person that was in charge of the Spanish selection if it would be a problem with the travel agency if I decide the tours I would like to take at the last moment, and he said it shouldn´t be.

So, we should travel on November 1st. and I was able to take tours decisions just on October 30th., day when I contacted Caribbean Trip, to talk about the tours I would like to take and to let them know the days I have for doing them, that were Monday 2nd. Tuesday 3rd. and Sunday 8th.

The tours weren´t just in Margarita, here the list of what we can choose:

Cubagua with Er´Corsario: Enjoy the beautiful beaches with wite sand and an spectacular adventure at this boat with all included. Activities included: snorkeling around a sunken ferry, mudterapy at the beach.

Cubagua inside the Catamarán Aquarius II: same as the one before, just I have no idea why it was a bit expensiver.

Los Roques Day Tour: flying to the Grand Roque by plane and from there a sail catamaran to surround the archipelago. Snorkeling in a coral reef.

Canaima Day Tour: I´ll explain this one in my next post.

Coche Island Tour at the North Star: sailing and snorkeling.

Coche Island Tour in a Catamaran: sailing.

Full Day at Posada Oasis at Coche Island.

Jeep Tour: at Margarita Island.

Diving Day at Los Frailes.

Discovery Scuba Diver

Open Water Diver

Snorkeling at los Frailes

You also can go to the following attractions:

Margarita Towns Museum
Watter Park
Musipan Kingdom
Waterland Swimming with Dolphins: this one was explained at my post Swimming with Dolphins.
Waterland Swimming with Seals.

So, taking into account that tour variety, the pity was not to have more days for enjoying them… and also I should say it wasn´t sooo cheap. Well! Asking to Venezuelan friends, they told me what definitely were for not to miss were Canaima Tour and Los Roques. For me was obvious to do the Dolphins swimming and in case also the seals one.

So, I sent my list of tours to the travel agency that Friday, we agreeded they´ll give me an answer of what would be possible and prices (because the prices had change)… but it was already Saturday afternoon here and I had no mail, so I called again… but all for Canaima and El Roque was already booked for that week, so the only option was to do one of them on Sunday 8th. I chose Canaima, but really sorry about missing El Roque. I also sent a list of my selections, in order, for what I would like to do on Tuesday, on Monday we´ll do the Swimming with dolphins and seals thing.

I tried to search something in internet, still trying to have the chance of going to El Roque, but what I found was without prices and it wasn´t time for start to call agency by agency. Suddenly I remind that my friend Raúl told me about a travel agency at the hotel, so, I called him to ask him to please check at the travel agency the chances to go to El Roque on Tuesday and in case the price wasn´t higher than a point, then to please do the reserve for us. So! I did all what I can!

We arrived so late at the hotel that Sunday, Raúl wasn´t on time to check the tour at the travel agency, so we should wait till Monday, but also we had the exchanging money problem, as far as I preferred this time to pay in cash, in bolivars.

On Monday I talked with the travel agency people and we confirmed the dolphins and seals thing for that afternoon, the snorkeling at Los Frailes for Tuesday. The problem was that we should pay doing a deposit to their bank, they didn´t accepted me to pay then in cash at the travel agency, no idea why, I really haven´t understand that point. Any way! We had to do juggling to have the time to exchange the money, do the deposit and to be at Diverland at 14.30 hrs. The saddest part was that once at the park, they told us we should have done a reserve the previous day, that the travel agency should know that and as far as we didn´t, we can´t do carrying out part and that the seals weren´t able that day. Afterwards we consult that with other travel agencies and they said it was the first notice they had about having to do a reserve the previous day there… Well!

As I mentioned in a previous post, the swimming with dolphins experience was great! This is something I´ll try to do again as soon as I have the chance to. A real pity the seals weren´t available as well. After that we went to watch the sunset at Juan Griego, something that a lot of people recommended us to do.

Once at the hotel, we even had time to refresh us and to change the cloth before the inauguration of the Scrabble World Championship. After that we planned to din and to go to sleep as far as the Los Frailes Tour will be on the next day. The point was that the girl of the travel agency told me a lot of incongruities, first she told me that she will go to the hotel to fix everything, then she said it wasn´t possible to pay in cash at the agency and I should do a deposit at the bank. She said the time we should be at the reception desk for going to Los Frailes was at 11.00. I had been asking at the reception desk if I had a message from her about the tour, but not. So, at 22.00 that night, I called her at her cellular, as far as till that time we still have nothing for the tour that should be done the next morning… and they she told me that tour to Los Frailes was cancelled due we weren´t enough people for doing it!! I WAS SSOOOO ANGRY!! But anyway in an educated way I told her she had spoiled me a big part of my vacations due she didn´t tried to contact me and to offer me any alternative. It was curious, but instead of offering apologies, she answered so angry, even more than me!!

Based on what happened with Los Frailes tour, I asked to asure me the one to Canaima was assured, she said she would confirm me on the next day.

That Tuesday I was at the travel agency of the hotel as earlier as possible, but first of all, the person in charge there told me the tours to Los Frailes started at 6.00 in the morning, not at 11.00 as the one of Caribbean Trip said, so, of course, at that time (9.00), was no possible at all to join any group. Both agencies offered me tours inside the island, but finally we decided to stay to enjoy the hotel… but we weren´t lucky, that day we had red flag at the beach! :(

I talked again with the girl of Caribbean Trip to check out if all was ok with Canaima´s Tour… and she said that tour was cancelled as well! Of course I said I was completely disappointed with their service, she replayed I was the only one of the group with those problems, that all the rest were so happy with their service. Ok, it could be, I won´t say it couldn´t be just me the one with bad luck with them. But obviously I DON’T RECOMMEND CARIBBEAN TRIP IN MARGARITA ISLAND.

Anyway we had a great time at the Scrabble in Spanish World Championship, at the hotel we had a lot to do and finally we did Canaima´s Tour… but! That´s what my next post is about! :))

Karaoke Night!

Oh! What a night!!


From left to right: Claudia Amaral, Carmen Vallecillo, Ivette and Graciela González.

Some videos:

Luis Acevedo started:



Florence, couple of Serge surprised us with Jeanette



Another surprise: Carlos García from Venezuela



A great duet with Yuly de Marcano´s husband:



Norma Garza from México:





Valió la Pena by Esther and Ivette ;PP



Carlos Puente





Pachanga



A view of the public:





Amparito



Dancing



Mikel



Antonio



Vandergraf

Michael Jackson: This is it!

Yeap! Of course I went to watch it! I went with Sil, my daughter, to Principe Pio cinema, today, October 31st at 16.00.

I had been so excited waiting the movie since the first time I saw the trailer, I bought the entrances asap, thinking I could miss the chance to watch it if I shouldn´t.



First of all I was expecting a crowded cinema with thousands of fans dressed as MJ… and not. We were just few people there. I want to think it was a matter of the hour I went.

The movie itself was great. Maybe I would like to have a more extended version, especially with the part of him selecting the dancers. To see the dedication he gives to every single detail to be perfect, the magic he created no matter if it was just a rehearsal, no wonder his team was shouting for joy watching him dancing and singing.

In several parts I was tempted to stand up and dance… but well, I went with my daughter, I think this is the kind of things she wouldn´t ever forgive me if I do it… (I´m grown enough to not to care what anybody else says about me… but my daughter…). I do think it was a privilege to be selected for being part of the dancers group.

I also liked the approach they gave to the movie, no yellow press, no talking about his death and what came next… it is a film about how he created everything for his last show. Actually it was done more thinking about his fans than thinking about him.

I just love it!

Argentina. Third Part: Doing Tourism in Buenos Aires

As I´d mentioned in the First Part, till now I´d visited Argentina twice. In my first visit, in 2004, I had been in Buenos Aires just 2 weekends. The second time I was there in total 7 days, but taking into account the Scrabble in Spanish World Championship days (4 days).

So, I really had short time to visit Buenos Aires, then I tried to maximize the time the best I can. For this what I do is to start with the recommendations of people I know, then I do a deep search in Google about what the place I´m visiting could offer me, I also try to look for interesting places/ restaurants/ plays / concerts at the magazines of the flight, also I collect information from the tourist information desk at the airport, the same from the tourist information desk of the hotel and at last (but not at least) ;) I ask the people of the hotel. Time to time I also buy a book of the city, but it wasn´t the case this time.

Once I have all the info about places I would like to meet, I try to find them in google maps and to see if it´s viable to do a route by my own. Usually it means a lot of time, due I would like to stay more time than what is usual when you do a concerted tour, but also you can see exactly what you want the time you want. As far as what I haven´t enough was time, in this case I preferred to do it in a concerted tour, that was planned to be in a whole day, but due the problems of the flight, it was a half day one.

I had a lot of Argentinean friends, in Guatemala and in Spain. Always they said Buenos Aires was the most European city of Latin America and a very beautiful one. They told me a lot about its beauty, so, going there was one of my dreams. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe Buenos Aires changed after Corralito quite a lot. I really don´t know, but the point is that Bs. As. disappointed me a bit. Ok, it´s big, quite big compared with most Latin American cities. Yes, there are a lot of entertainment options there, I think that was the part I liked more. But yes, there were a lot of things I liked in Bs. As, point is I wouldn´t go back to Argentina just due Buenos Aires. I really would love to but due Iguassu, Calafate, Patagonia and other places I still haven´t been.

Here my recommendations in Buenos Aires:

Caminito: this is a walk road - museum where you can “live” an important part of Buenos Aires history. You will find there a lot of souvenirs stores, tango dancers at the street and a colorful surrounding. Here some pics:



And some videos:





Florida Street: this is a commercial pedestrian street. You can find here good leather stuff, good prices, but if you have time enough and you have an Argentinean friend, there are also good outlets with better prices. You also can find here tango street exhibitions. I´m afraid I had a bad experience here. I bought some chocolates in a precious wood box, the chocolates were great, but at the bottom of the box I discovered… some small cockroaches!!! :((( Yeap, I´m afraid it was after eating some chocolates! :(( and at home in Madrid, so no possible to claim anything.

Here some pics:


Topo´s pics.

And a video:



Close to Caminito is the Boca Football Stadium, where you can go to a tour as well. I haven´t because I stayed outside with some “friends”… ;)



Palermo Woods or September 3rd. Park: it´s a magic place, worth view with enough time.



Botanical Garden: precious place, deserves you to go with time. Also has a Japanese Garden.

Blai´s pics.

For eating I really have no complains about any place I had been in, but my favorite one was La Caballeriza in Puerto Madero.




In 2004 I had an invitation for going to a family barbecue and definitely it was the best food I had in Argentina! :)

If you are interested on Tango shows, you have street options at Caminito and at Florida Street, but I had gone also to La Ventana. This is a show, I mean, you don´t find there what you would watch at the streets. But it´s marvelous! :) They offer a pack of show + dinner and even to pick you up at the hotel.



I had a “situation” going to La Ventana ;P I´d book a reserve for a Saturday night, thru the hotel. The receptionist told me to be at the lobby in a specific hour, I did. There was a Uruguayan guy, Fer, waiting for going to La Ventana as well and we started to talk. He was in Buenos Aires also due job. We were waiting for more than a half of hour after the time they told us they will pick up us, but we both considered that in Latin America that should be normal. When the time of the show was so close, we finally asked at the reception desk and they called to ask what was going on… and… they didn´t have our reserves! It wasn´t clear if the problem was a La Ventana or at the hotel, but they had no more spaces for that night, no possible at all for us to go that night… in my case I still had the next weekend to go, so I did a new reserve for next Saturday. Fer invited me to go to din and I was a bit confused about what to do (you know, due that rule about not going out with strangers… this was before going to Moscow) and was in a bit embarrassed situation, you see, he already knew I was there alone and with no plans for that night, so, it would be a bit rude to tell him no and he seemed to be a good person, so I finally thought… “Why not?” (All this in seconds, of course) and I accepted. He took me to a place he knew to din, warming me that it wouldn´t be a fancy place but with very good steaks. I´m afraid I don´t remember the name, but yes, the food was really good and we laughed a lot. After the dinner he invited me to go to a Photograph exhibition of Yann Arthus-Bertrand that was at San Martin Square. Great one! :D



It´s really worth to check out the concerts and Plays, but you should check that out with time enough in advanced or you could not find entrances. In 2004 I had seen there an Eros Ramazzotti concert! :D Btw, I think it´s worth to mention that I went alone to that concert but I haven´t feel insecure or afraid about anything and I think it´s related with how friendly are the Argentineans.

(To be continued)

Argentina. Second Part: From Madrid to Buenos Aires with Madonna´s concert in Valencia in between.

As I mentioned in the first part, the second time I went to Argentina my departure was a night after Madonna´s concert in Valencia, where I have gone with my friend Topo.

The concert was great, it was my first Madonna´s concert. I had heard that she wasn´t a good singer in lives. Maybe with the new technology her team had changed it because from my point of view, just in one song she didn´t sounded fine, but all the rest she was great.

I´m afraid I really haven´t seen her in live more or less 3/4 of the concert due I was in the yard and I´m not exactly so tall… actually I´m small… so what I have seen more were others´ necks. :( I´ve decided not to stay at the yard in a concert so long ago. I have done that for so many years, with 20 something but I started to appreciate to watch a concert being sit (or at least with the possibility to get sit if I want), more or less in my 30s. You enjoy better the performance in general, you are comfortable, you can rest every time you want, you don´t lose anything from the scenario and nobody pushes you for having a better place. The problem in Madonna´s concert was the price. Sometimes it´s not about if you could or not to pay a higher price, but about if you think the concert/theater piece/whatever, deserves the price. Yes, I like Madonna (otherwise I wouldn´t travel to Valencia before travelling to Argentina just for her concert), but I do think the prices of her concerts are so high. The point here is that she will continue with those prices as far as her fans pay them.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the concert and was great to share it with Topo and his friends.



The ones in Spain that will participate in a Scrabble in Spanish World Championship usually can´t plan to go together in the same plane. First of all, because we are from different locations, but also due we are sure about if we are or not classified just when the season is over. In some works you have to give advice about when you´ll have vacations in January, so, if you think you could be classified, you should take that in consideration. Sometimes you need to wait to know if you´ll have the money. For others the problem is about family matters. So, usually what we do is to do our own plans and then to see if by coincidence your plans match with others´. In this case it was funny because a lot of us had planned to travel on Sept. 19th. but in different airlines. So, Topo had a flight from Madrid, but some hours after mine, he will travel with Patxi and Montse, in my case I´ll travel with Blai… and yes, I have to admit that I did it with Aerolineas Argentinas again (it was the cheapest option).



So, my journey to Buenos Aires was: Madrid – Valencia on Thursday 18th by train. Madonna´s concert that night. Valencia – Madrid on Friday 19th morning with Topo, in his car and playing things like anagramming with the words of the signs or to know who was the faster one adding the cars´ numbers or singing out loud. :D We had lunch at my home and had gone together to the airport in a cab. He had to wait a bit more. I was lucky and found a way to have sit with Blai.



Blai is a quite interesting person. He´s teacher in Lloret, but his talents are multiples. He´s brilliant with math and with letters as well. He had done different games that you can find at his web. He also likes to draw (and has great ones) and to build scale models (right now he´s doing a cathedral, for example). He had read and travel a lot and you notice about that when you talk with him, you always learn something with him. He had been in the whole life of the Scrabble Association of Spain one of the best players and even had won the World Championship in 1992. Plus this all… he also dances sooo fine!!! :D Yeap, it was an honor to share with him this travel!

Of course we had been playing a bit during the flight, but also talking about his experiences in other Championships, our travels, our lives… we arrived in Buenos Aires at 5.30 hrs. more or less.



(To be continued)

Driving Rented Cars

Due reasons that would be so long and boring to explain, the last 2 months I had been renting different cars in Madrid.

I love to drive, not even the traffic in rush hour is something that could get me mad about driving… well, that reminds me one day that I took a taxi and you know, I was on those days that would like to talk not really mattering with whom, so, actually without thinking so much, I told the driver: “I really love Madrid!” and he answered: “aha, seems you don´t drive a lot at rush hours or you would think the opposite!” Well, I wasn´t on the mood of fighting, so, I just answered “well, it should be…”

But I really mean it, as far as I can have the music on, I don´t care about the traffic at all! :D Well, actually it also depends on the day… I remember a situation: I was 26 y/o, in Guatemala, rush hour in the morning, taking my daughter to school and in a so concurred avenue, the traffic light turned into green. I was the second one at the line, so I´d move but I´m afraid that line haven´t moved at all, so I was blocking the perpendicular street and the line didn´t move at all till the traffic light turned into red… :( No way to move to any place and yes, of course, the one that I was blocking started to blow the horn in a way that I really understood he was thinking about my whole family and not exactly in a nice way! I really can´t do anything and it definitely wasn´t my intention, but he kept on blowing the horn, so finally I turned my head to watch him and he start to “tell” me something like idiot, gesticulating… so I sent him a kiss… no, I haven’t even thought about it, it was the kind of things that time to time I find myself doing and immediately I think “but what I´m doing???”. Immediately I turned back my head. Well, it worked. He stop at all, I can imagine he was waiting whatever but not that from me… yes, it was a good day for me, otherwise my logical reaction I think would be related with an specific finger of mine, but well, maybe it wouldn´t be that effective anyway! ;) (And not, I´m not recommending doing that in a similar situation, this was just to give a good example of how different could be my own reaction in a good or a bad day).

Also, if you watch a lady dancing a bit while waiting at a red light… could be me… :D Yes, I know, being inside a car doesn´t mean you are inside a bubble that protects you from the glances of the people outside… but… I just can´t stop myself! (No worries, you wouldn´t find me doing that at the metro or at the bus) ;P

Let´s go back to the point. To rent a car could be something that anybody thinks it´s so expensive. It really depends. Searching in internet you can find a lot of cheap options, here maybe the point is how to know in which companies can you trust if it´s not in your own country. In this case I recommend you to search in forums, in case you have no one to ask about.

In Spain, and after a lot of searching and comparisons, my recommendations are:

Pepecar.com: it´s the cheapest one, you can find cars from 9€ per day, that includes taxes, but you have to add 16€ for preparing the car (it´s the total quantity, if you rent the car for one day, you have to pay 16€ more, if you rent the car for 20 days, you also pay just 16€ more). This renting price includes 100 kms. per day and an a just a third party insurance, if you want an all risk one, you should pay extra, something like 20€ per day. Also you should present a credit card where they will charge 150 € (again a flat rate), as deposit, in the moment you return the car they´ll cancel that charge. You can rent cars with them at their web, but also calling them by phone (so expensive to do it by cellular phone, btw) or by Halcón Viajes (I´ll explain this a bit latter). They have all the kind of cars that someone could need. The clue with this company is to rent with more or less a month in advanced, then you´ll get the better prices, if it´s for renting during the summer, better to do it with more time in advanced. This is due the rates change day by day depending on the amount of rents they have. Important: read carefully all the details before you confirm your purchase, they won´t accept any change no matter how obvious an error could be.

As negative points, renting with them you can´t return the car in a different location. In case you want it, it will cost you 100 € more.You can´t take the car out of Spain.

Easycar.com: I haven´t rent with them till now, due I always find better prices with pepecar, but it´s also a good option.

Halcón Viajes: they work with bonuses you buy at their agencies called “Week-End plan”. It means, if you want to rent a car with them, you should go to one of their agencies to buy the bonuses. They have special agreements with:

Pepecar: here you have the prices and conditions for 2009:



Yeap, could be more expensive than buying straight with Pepecar, but really depends, at summer, for example, if you haven´t done your rent with time in advanced, then this could be a better option, especially if you will rent for more than 5 days.

Remarkable: they include an all risk insurance and 500 kms. per day. You have to pay the preparing the car fee, that in this case is just 10 €, payable at the car agencie.

National Atesa: here you have the prices and conditions for 2009:





Yeap, more expensive than Pepecar, but still a good option if you didn´t find there and I should say they have the cars in better conditions.

Remarkable: you can return the car in a different location with no extra fee. They also offer renting out of Spain, but you should check it out at Halcón Viajes agencies.

Alamo: for renting in USA, you should check out at their agencies.



Anyway it´s a good idea to search straight to Alamo´s web, I have rent straight with them in Miami, very good prices and very good attention. You can also rent cars with them in all this places: (The blue ones).



Take into a count, when you rent a car, that you should ask anything about the car and to try everything before leaving the agency… and I´m not talking just about the damages the car could have, no, no! TRY EVERYTHING! Here some of my experiences for you to have an example of what could happen to you if you don´t do so!

I had rent a Ford Fusion car. Immediately after taking it from the agency, I went to the gas station that was a self service one (must gas stations in Spain are already self service). When I tried to open the gas tank… no way! I searched for any special button inside the car… nothing! The line was growing, so, I decided to go to the next one to ask for help, explaining that I had rent that car, of course… he also tried in different ways… nothing! He ask the one at the side to please help us… so, we were 3 adults, with the custom of driving cars, trying to open a simple gas tank without finding the way to!!! Finally I decided to call the attention service, but at the same moment a guy of the gas station came to ask if he can help us… yeap! He was an expert! And actually it was so easy, you just need to push before to unscrew it… like some medicines, for you to understand me. :/

I also had been several times without locking the doors when I was inside the car due I haven´t find a way to… till finally I´d ask at the agency! And yes, it was so simple but definitely I wouldn´t imagine how to! It was about pushing the small handle you usually pull for opening the door! No, I haven´t seen that before!

But actually my favorite anecdote happened to me the last Saturday… and it was the reason I decided to write this post! I had rent a Smart for Two. It´s a lovely car! With my previous experiences and taking into account this is an automatic car (I should say semi automatic do you should do more things than in a normal automatic one), I asked, from my point of view, EVERYTHING before going out of the agency. I had gone with my daughter to take it from the agency, so I invited her to breakfast, but the time for asking for breakfasts was almost over, so I told her to go to the cafeteria and the breakfast I would like to have and I should go alone to find a parking. After several times going around the block without finding a place (not even for this small car!), I decided to go inside a parking… Thanks of God! I should say! I´d park the car, switched off the lights, turned off the motor… and when I tried to take out the key… no way to!!! :( I searched for a button close to the starter, at the own key… all over the car!!! Nothing!!! :( After trying anything I could imagine, and have thought about all my options (even to leave the car with the key and to go to search my daughter to go back to the agency, but after thinking that maybe the car would lock automatically the doors once I closed it, I´ve rule out that option… and no, she haven´t take her cellular with her…), finally I´d call the assistance phone… and I had to talk with 2 different people that were almost sure I was doing something wrong (smart people! Point was to find out what exactly!), they decided to open an incidence report and to send me someone to help me, but I should give them the address and I didn´t know it, that wasn´t at the ticket neither, so I leaved the car with the door a bit open (the lady at the phone told me it would lock if I close the door), and went to search the person in charge of the parking… that once I told him my problem, smiled like saying "aha! Once more!" And came to the car with me… and yes! He can take out the key!!! Here the point was that, even when talking by the phone, when they asked me if I gear lever at neutral position, I answered yes, due in a manual car neutral position is when you can move the lever to the right and the left without problem… but in this car, you should put it completely at the right, then it´s in neutral position!! (Not even the girls at the phone new that actually). My poor daughter was really scared when I finally went inside the cafeteria! Already thinking about calling the police! :/

Isn´t it cute?? :D

Moral: ask EVERYTHING before taking out a car of a rent agency… and… enjoy the life! :)

Maybe this is a good moment to mention something else about driving in Spain. I really don´t remember now, but I think this happens just in Spain, it´s about traffic lights. In Spain you have traffic lights at the beginning and at the end of every block (as far as you have traffic lights, of course), and you should obey both, so, if for example you need to turn to the right, in the new block, at the beginning of the street, you´ll have for sure another traffic light that you also should obey, so, if it´s red, you have to stop, and yes, be sure it causes traffic jam! Anyway, for having it a bit more clear, here you have a video explaining it:



Btw: if you know other cheap and good rent a car agencies, no matter in which country, would be great if you leave the name (and the link if it´s possible for you) at the commentaries, so we all can enjoy their advantages! :D

At least I can say… I´ve lived!!! (Second Part: Being a Quake Lady)

Once I became into QL – Lady Spain, playing was my very favorite activity. I can remember entire weekends playing, just stopping for eating and for get some sleep. It was funny to try to explain that war game playing passion at work to my female colleagues… and the wondered face of my male colleagues, maybe not even really believing me. (Hehehehehehe!).

At the end of 2002 one of the Lords sent a mail talking about a LAN party that would take place in Hagen, in April 2003, the V [´ju:nien]. Hagen is very close to Dortmund, Essen and Bochum, places where several Lords live. Since I knew about the LAN party, I had clear I should go. At that time Germanwings was offering really cheap prices for going from Madrid to Colonia, I´m afraid they don´t have that route anymore. I also found very good prices at an Ibis hotel in Dortmund, because, of course, going there just for the LAN would be a bit silly, so I took some vacations days to stay a bit more, btw it was my first travel to Germany.


The Lords were really wondered about my decision of going to the LAN, some of them living just some kms. away of Hagen weren´t sure about going there and in my case, I took the decision so fast… even knowing it meant to go there carrying my PC (not a laptop at that moment, but a normal desk PC), they would bring me a screen, but I should bring the rest with me.

Curro decided to join us, but due his work, he should go just for the LAN… and yes, also carrying his stuff! (The first one wondered was myself!). And yes, sure, my family and friends thought I should be crazy for going to Germany, carry on my PC, just for meeting my klan and participate in a LAN party… well… what can I say? For me it´s just a matter of: if I want to do it and I can do it… why not to?

So, as far as the LAN was programmed for the weekend (from Friday night till Sunday midday), I decided to be there from Wednesday night till Monday afternoon. I´d arrived at Colonia´s aiport at 23:45, Voni and MadDoc went to picked me up. They made a banner for me to recognize them! :D



On Thursday morning I went alone to meet Dortmund, a city that I really like a lot. Yes! I think I should do a post about Dortmund some day! ;)

It was my first contact with Germans in Germany, I should say it wondered me a lot how well educate and how kind they are. Somebody told me that I think that because I can´t understand what they are saying, but I don´t think so. I´m sorry for saying this, but in that moment my point of comparison was Spanish people, I had gone several times to Germany and I confirm it, they are so kind, well educated and warm (that contrast a lot with the coldness image people all over the world have about them). Also was nice and wondering as well to see that foreigners living there are very well integrated, I even saw black people working in high positions, like if they would be just another German one (that from my point of view, they are, just that this is not exactly like that in Spain, that´s why I´m remarking it).

Voni took that afternoon free for being my guide in Dortmund. I had bought a tourist book about the city and already had choose the places that I would like to meet, so, when he asked me where I would like to go, I showed him the places I had selected… point was that of course I didn´t know that all of them were far away from each other, and even being like that, he showed me them all that afternoon! :P :D

Two of my favorite places I met that afternoon are:

The Bodelschwingh Castle



The Rombergpark









That night we had a Quake Lords Dinner. So, there I was! Finally meeting some my battles´ pals in real life! :D Yeap, the communication was a bit problematic due the language thing, but was really nice and exciting for me to share that dine with them. The really funny part was when I wanted to clarify a point of the menu before asking for my food, the menu was just in German and there was a word that I didn´t understood in a dish that at the first sight I liked and I asked them to translate it to me… but they forgot the word in English and started to try to explain me it as best as they could, even with gestures… what a pity not to have a video of that!! Especially when Maddoc tried to explain it was something the vampires were afraid of! Hehehe! The whole restaurant released that they were trying to explain me that word and finally someone of another table said “garlic! It´s garlic in English!” :PP



(To be continued)

Madonna´s Concert in Madrid!

Last night (July 23th. 2009) took place a Madonna´s concert at Vicente Calderón Stadium in Madrid.

From the moment they started to sell the tickets, everybody said they were so expensive (between 96 to 400 Euros) and I really don´t know if that was the point or maybe that it´s summer (but I remember Madrid Rock in Rio of last year and being summer wasn´t a problem to make the place to be completely full), but wondering, the stadium was just 3/4 full.

A speciall presence: Infanta Elena was part of the VIP public, but they took her by the normal public stands (that was unnecessary as far as I remember) and the public received her with a lot of applauses and camera flashes.

I really enjoyed a lot the concert (even after a guard told me that I shouldn´t take more videos or I´ll be in troubles) :/ and the music selection for the concert was quite ok for me... and I should tell: Wow! What an energy, muscles and resistance the diva has!

Here some videos of the concert: (really sorry about the sound quality, I didn´t know how the power of the concert sound would affect the record… and been honest I really have no idea about how to prevent it next time).



Here with the white limo at the stage:



Here celebrating: ;P



Here skipping the rope:



The time for saving the word is almost over!





Here clamming our right for a holiday! ;P (We need a holidaaaayyyy):



The moment of Michael Jackson Tribute:



Let´s continue with a bit of "Music":



And I´m finishing with a bit of “Like a Prayer”:



Of course there were more! But I´m afraid I´m taking the videos with a photo camera and the card gets full so soon! :( (Yes, to buy one more is planned…).

I really liked the concert, maybe I already got the habit of knowing that when the diva puts “Game Over” at the screens it means exactly that: it´s over! No way to encore for more and her public, that knows her, not even claim it. I´m also ok with the included songs and the performance, even after watching something that pretended to be a Flamenco dance but actually it was tap (that I like, but at least not to do it with something alike Flamenco music and a man dressed trying to simulate, and I insist, to simulate, being a Flamenco´s dancer… I think someone should give her a bit of advised about the country customs she tries to present before making it wrong). Or the moment when she pretended us to know the meaning of a Rumanian phrase just because “both are Latin languages”… Anyway! I went out really happy of the concert! :D

Madonna´s Sticky & Sweet Tour Celebration Party at Hard Rock Café Madrid

Tonight had been the party previous tomorrow´s concert in Madrid.The sponsors were: DivinaMadonna.com (fan club), Sing Star and Hard Rock Café.



I´m afraid it was less people of what I thought, I want to believe the reason was it´s summer but maybe also was a matter of not so much publicity of the event.

The entrance cost was 4 euros, including a drink and the participation on a raffle.

Around 21.30 a Sing Star conquest started. We were in total something like 10 participants but actually it was really difficult to make people to do it. At list the public was very understanding.



This girl danced prety good:





More:







A brave guy:



A group:







The good part was that all the participants of the conquest owned a price! :P And there were also a lot of posters, 3 dinners and 2 VIP Madonna´s concert entrances in raffle.



The pity: I really have no idea why, but before and after the conquest, there were no more than 6 songs being played again and again. Also just 3 songs in total as possibility to being sang at the conquest.

Anyway it was really funny. Tomorrow: Madonna´s concert! :D

Bogota Second Part: Doing a Bit of Tourism

We arrived in Bogotá just 2 days before the World Championship, trying to have at least one day for recovering from the jet lag. The other Spanish players were arriving or the same day or the day after, some of them went few days to places like Cartagena de Indias before the Championship (smart people!) ;)

So, actually Topo and I will have just 1 morning for doing tourism due we´ll participate in a Tourney that will start the afternoon before the Championship day.

We went to the Salt Mines in Zipaquirá, in a tour, with more Scrabble people. We went in a micro bus, so it was just our group.


The visit at the mines was really nice. They even have a Cathedral and a theater there.










Going back to Bogotá, as part of the tour, we went to an emeralds factory and then we went back to the hotel, but we can go walking from there, enjoying part of the tourist area of Bogotá, but some of us had the Nations Cup that will start that afternoon.

The day after we had some free hours, so Alvaro, Topo and I went to a mall with 3 objectives: mine: to buy a pin at the Hard Rock Caffe :P (yeap, I collect them), Alvaro´s one: to taste the best Colombian coffee and to find out a toys´ store with the Scrabble travel version :D (but I´m afraid we didn´t found it).

We went by taxi and it was quite interesting to see the things that made Topo and Alvaro to be curious about. It was their first experience in a Latin American Country and things like traffic, old cars, old trucks, black smoke from cars, old and crowded, really crowded buses, the color of the houses, the way people dress; impacted them both.



The special part was about how to know where to find the best Colombian coffee… so, I asked to a shop assistant on one of the visited stores and he tell us the best place was right there at the lobby of the mall, a Juan Valdez coffee shop! I should say it was the first time I heard about Juan Valdez coffee… but was funny due right after coming back to Madrid, I found out a lot of them! :D (Really no idea if they were there before, but if that´s the case, it means I less observant of what I thought I was! :$ ).



(To be continued).

A Mystic Experience: Lamas in Beijing Second Part

As far as the Lama´s Temple was the first Temple I had visit during my days in China, I was so excited with the experience and talking about it with some of my coworkers, one of them, Zoe, told me about a Tibetan Restaurant very good where she even known part of the staff, so we went there one night.

Tibetan Restaurant

Just getting inside, was completely like travelling to another world. The decoration, the music, the cloth the staff was wearing… wow!



Guess what! At the entrance it was a Prayer Wheel! Oh yes! I made it to run! :D



To select the food was so difficult, but I always like to try the food of other cultures, so finally I just let Zoe to choose the more typical things.

The first thing I got was the Yak Chas Tea, made with yak butter, tea and salt… this is a quite typical drink in Tibet. I´m afraid I didn´t like it… maybe it´s the kind of savors you should have the custom of taste them to enjoy them, so, I´m not saying it´s not good, just that wouldn´t be something I´ll drink again.



The different dishes we had were really good, you can have an idea of them here:







As I mentioned, Zoe was friend of part of the staff, so in a moment she ask the Chef to come to our table and to explain me how to cook Tibetan food… :$ Oki, I had hear the explanation and even recorder it in a video… but no, I haven´t try to do it by my own! ;P



There it was a special food offering chest:



(To be continued)