Downtown Tampa

For Christmas, I got my first SLR camera. I usually buy clothes and shoes or more clothes. I'm not happy with my size these days, so it was time to get a decent camera. For the past month I have been using it with auto mode. I decided it was time to learn how to use it. I've always had a good eye, but I don't know anything about photography. I know some things about colors, composition, proportions... not enough. My mother is a painter and I used to draw. This is like learning a (fun) new language. I was lucky to see Kyle, an amazing photographer and friend, during Christmas. She gave me a lesson on aperture and camera settings. Also, my brother in law gave a photography basics book for Christmas that I've been reading. 

I worked half day last Friday and headed to Downtown to play with the camera. My favorite part of downtown is the new Waterfront Park and the Tampa Museum of Art overlooking the Hillsborough river and the University of Tampa (UT). The Museum and the park were renovated in 2010. I haven't been inside yet. I tried going on Friday, but it was closed due to the "Art after dark" event. Later I learned that it is free admission after 6:00 PM on the "Art after dark" days. I need to find out more about this. UT has always been one of my favorite sites in Tampa. I always take out of town visitors to see it. This was a beautiful warm winter day (around 25 C/80 F). I could see the UT students across the river laying in their bathing suits. It was the perfect day for that. 

University of Tampa in the background

Tampa Museum of Art

Tampa Museum of Art

Downtown Tampa

University of Tampa

Hillborough River and University of Tampa

One legged bird

University of Tampa

Skypoint and Element, the 2 high rise residential buildings in Downtown

Children's Mist Fountain

The birds like the view too

The Glazier Children's Museum is also located in this area. I love the mosaic that they have on the walls.

Someone taking a nap

After taking too many pictures in the park, I drove towards my favorite City mural. This is a few blocks away and I don't know how long it has been there. I saw it years ago because Fly Bar is next to it.

Later, I decided to drive around where we live now. We moved to our new place in September and there are several hotels around. This was the view from one of them. I drove to our apartment complex and headed towards the trail to watch the sunset while I read. I was supposed to go to spinning at 5:30 PM, but I was enjoying a slow Friday afternoon. 

My favorite reading spot

Sunset over Tampa Bay

If you want to see some pictures taken by a real photographer in downtown and UT you have to see this and this sessions from the talented Kyle Hepp.

ABCs of Travel

Some of my favorite travel bloggers did this post last year. I loved learning more about them and reading some old posts. I kept thinking what my answers would be for these questions. Here they are but I will never top Andi or Oneika's list. My travel bug didn't start until after college. I really regret not doing a study abroad year or even just a summer. During my undergrad I was too worried trying to graduate fast and with honors. I wish I had known that "grown ups" only get 2 weeks of vacation a year!!!!!!

Age you went on your first international trip: 18!!! Blame my parents for not taking me out of the Country. Just kidding. I was happy going to San Andres Island since I was 3 years old once or twice a year. When I was growing up I always wanted to travel to Orlando and visit Mickey Mouse. Our US visa was in process for 13 years, so my first trip to this Country was when I moved here. My travel obsession began only a few years ago because I didn't want to be around certain people. I traveled alone during weekends and stayed at my friend's house. I loved not having to depend on someone else to travel because I couldn't afford hotels by myself. That is probably why I went to the same places over and over. Traveling helped me to open my mind to many things. 

San Andres Island

Best foreign beer you’ve had and where: I don't drink beer but I love Aguila light Micheladas (served in a glass with lime juice and salt)

Cuisine (favorite): Italian

Destinations – favorite, least favorite and why: Most of my life my favorite place was San Andres Island. I don't think I can pick only one favorite place. Some of the Cities that I love are Venice, NYC, DC, Cartagena, and San Francisco. I like them for many reasons but mostly for the architecture. My least favorite is San Juan, Puerto Rico. I expected a lot from this trip and was disappointed plus it is expensive it rained the whole week.

The Painted Ladies

Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: Seeing New York City's skyline as I landed in the big apple for the first time. I was there for 3 days and I loved every single minute. I have been to New York several times and I still find it fascinating.

Favorite mode of transportation: I love flying. It is fast and someone else does the driving. Did I mention that I hate driving?

Greatest feeling while traveling: Probably when the pilot says "Welcome to..."

Hottest place you’ve traveled to: When you go into the hiding tunnel of the San Felipe Fort in Cartagena, Colombia is the hottest and most confined place that I've ever been. It is worth seeing so please do not be stopped by the heat. However, I live in Florida and all the summers are hot and humid.

Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Everyone was nice in Mexico!!

Journey that took the longest: After our wedding in Colombia going to our honeymoon in Hawaii. We started flying from Cali, Colombia to Miami. Then we drove home to Tampa (4 hours) to catch 2 flights the next morning to Hawaii. We missed our connection in LAX and spent the night in LA. It was more than 48 hours in transit. Hawaii is so beautiful that it was all worth it.

Keepsake from your travels: I started my souvenir collection buying souvenirs for others. One coworker collected Hard Rock Cafe pins and I stated buying one for her. After a few trips I started buying one for me as well. Now all my friends buy me pins if they travel. I also liked to get magnets for my mom's collection and suddenly I started collecting them to. I used to get just one per site but I got 10 from our last trip to Quito. I also like to buy things typical of the place visited like a mask, a ceramic, or a picture frame. All I can say is that I'm a big souvenir person.

Hawaiian Tiki

Ecuadorian Mask 

Our Fridge

Colombian Chivas

Ecuadorian Magnets

Let-down site – why and where: El Yunque, Puerto Rico. We paid around $70 to visit the rain forest. I grew up in a tropical Country, so the vegetation was the same!!! I was in the same tour with other Hispanics and we were all bored. All of the Europeans and Americans LOVED it. I can't say that it isn't worth visiting, it just depends on what you have seen before. For me it was just another mountain.

Moment when you fell in love with travel: The exact moment was when I went back to Colombia after 4 years of not going home. I went back 4 times in the following 6 months. I was in Grad school, with a flexible schedule, and a broken heart. Then I decided to start get a real job :(

Flying over Colombia

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: The Waldorf Astoria, NYC was probably the most elegant. I recently stayed at Viceroy Hotel in Miami and I am in love with the pool and the spa. I also loved the Ganseenvort South Beach and the ShoreClub South Beach. Miami has very chic hotels where I would love to stay for a weekend. 

Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling: Everything!!! I can't stop taking pictures while traveling. Sometimes I feel that I am missing out because I am too busy taking pictures. I just got a new camera and this is probably about to get worse.

Passport stamps, how many and from where: I don't know... I have 2 passports and I get a stamp every time I go into and out of Colombia. I haven't been to a lot of Countries because I always get home sick. Im working on that.  

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: New Orleans. I was 18 and the nice places were 21 and up. I was with 2 (old) aunts trying to go into a live jazz bar. We ended up in the weirdest place on Bourbon Street. 

Recommended site, event or experience: I really liked the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. I've always been intrigued by World War II probably because of my dad who has read many books about it. I spent almost all day inside looking at the many objects from the Holocaust, watching stories of survivors, historic 1940s films, and reading about the horrors of it. There was also a moving exhibition about the genocides in Darfur. I left the museum crying. During this trip, I traveled alone to D.C. and stayed with my best friend. She was at work while I walked around the City. This was my first of many trips to D.C. I loved doing the tourist sites alone without pressure and meeting my friend at night to share the pictures. Years later, I took my parents to this museum and again spent many hours inside.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Nice hotels!

Touristy thing you’ve done: I love all touristy sites. They are famous for a reason. The key is to travel in low season to avoid the crowds. How can you miss out on Times Square or the Golden Bridge Gate just because they are full of tourists?

Unforgettable travel memory: Traveling with my parents to D.C. and this time I was the their guide. That same summer we traveled to Hawaii along with one of my sisters. After many years of not taking vacations with my parents I really enjoyed it. I would love to travel with them again. They are going to Germany in May for my dad's 70th birthday. I am trying to see if Andre and I can go with them.

Visas: I don't have one, never had one. I moved to the US as a permanent resident. I will need one for China and I don't know where else... I don’t need a visa to go to Brazil because of my Colombian passport. Where do I need a visa to go to?

Wine, best glass while traveling and where: The home made wine that we got in Venice for just 3 Euros. We had a second bottle of another wine with lunch and I got a little drunk. I never drink during the day and during the whole trip back to Rome I had a terrible hang over.

Italian Home Made Wine

eXcellent view and from where: 230 5th Avenue, New York City. This bar is located in a rooftop and it has the most amazing view of the Empire State Building.

Years spent traveling: 27

Zealous sports fans and where: I'm not into sports and I tend to stay away from the stadium if there is a game. I almost stayed in Madrid for a Real Madrid game. Our flight was canceled and later it was just delayed. I would like to go to La Bombonera in Buenos Aires for a River vs Boca Juniors game just to have the experience. I don't really care about any team.

Looking Ahead in 2012

My travel plans for 2012 are still in the air. Actually, there are no plans. I want to go somewhere exciting and new. However, I don't think I will be going somewhere any time soon. Planning a trip makes me have something to look forward to. My husband just started a new job which means no vacations for  a while and I should be good and not ask for any days off for a while. This situation leaves us with only short weekend trips. 

This year I want to plan a short trip to Key West. After 12 years of living in Florida I still haven't been to the Keys. Andre hasn't been there either. Last year, Airtran started a direct flight from Tampa to Key West at very reasonable prices. The hotels are always expensive in Key West, and I will probably have to wait until after April since Florida's high season is from November to April. I have also considered going to Puerto Rico for a weekend. Puerto Rico is my biggest travel disappointment to date. I liked San Juan, but it was expensive and in my opinion not really worth the price. Airtran and Jetblue have direct flights from Tampa to San Juan. I'm waiting for a flight from Tampa to Mexico and Dominican Republic. Those constant Cheap Caribbean emails make want to make me jump in a plane to an all-inclusive for a few days.  

Last year, we discovered Sanibel Island. This beautiful place is only 2.5 hours south of Tampa. I never expected to like it so much. It did have an island feeling and it is just one short bridge away from Ft. Myers Beach. We want to spend a whole weekend here and rent beach cruisers. There isn't much to do in Sanibel besides relaxing. There is a ferry that takes you from Ft. Myers Beach to Key West. I always wanted to do this trip, but it cost almost the same as the direct flight from Tampa. 

Sanibel Island, Fl

Sanibel Island, Fl

Another weekend trip that I want to do this year is to the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. I am not a huge tennis fan, but I love watching good tennis matches. Many years ago I went to this tournament, and loved the experience. I checked for tickets for the men's finals and the good seats are already sold out. I need to buy tickets now if I want to find some decent seats. 

I am a planner and I like to book things in advance. We have enough miles for 2 domestic tickets in Delta and we were thinking about going to California. My sister lives in San Jose, and San Francisco is one of my favorite Cities in the US. My sister is in Tampa indefinitely and we can't book our flights. She would kill me if I go to California when she isn't there. For now, I will keep dreaming about where to go in 2012 and hopefully won't go crazy with my 8-6 days. 

Chao Quito

Our flight to Miami was scheduled at 6:00 PM which meant we had some time to say good bye and do one last thing. Before leaving we both wanted to eat a Hamburguesa El Corral. This is a Colombian chain restaurant that makes the best hamburgers that I've ever had. I never eat hamburgers unless they are from this place. We had a kid's size burger as our early lunch. Andre drove me to El Jardin (shopping center) and I was surprised to see several stores of my favorite Colombian clothing brands. After our trip to Cali for our wedding I was disappointed that I couldn't buy anything because we were too busy. I am a quick shopper and I was able to buy a few things in less than one hour. 

We got ready for our second lunch at Vaco y Vaca before going to the airport. I had a steak with rice and salad. Steak is one of the things that I can't eat often because I don't like it too much. I also had my last cup of Juan Valdez coffee. 

It was very sad to say goodbye to Andre's family. We spent a week with them and we were not ready to  leave. I hate goodbyes and the airport makes it worse since there are some many people around you doing the same. I always cry and seeing them cry didn't help. I know that we will be back in Quito soon and I am happy to do so. Quito is a beautiful City with many things to see and do. The New York Times published this 36 hous in Quito article which I found completely true. We will try to always fly with LAN from now on. Our experience with them was wonderful and the personal screens made the flight short. We decided to spend the night in Miami since our flight arrived at almost midnight. The next morning we drove to Tampa and got psychologically ready to get back to work the following day. 

Quito Day 7, Cotopaxi

This was our last full day in Quito. We woke up early to drive to the active Cotopaxi Volcano. Unfortunately, there was a lot of traffic getting out of the City and Andre had never driven there before. We missed the entrance a few times. The signs are very confusing and when we asked for directions (twice) they sent us in the opposite direction. We knew that the Cotopaxi gets cloudy in the afternoon. The roads were extremely nice and in very good condition. The problem was that we kept seeing the volcano, but could not find the entrance. Our only reference was that if we reached the town of Latacunga, we had to turn around. 

Getting out of Quito

Getting cloudy

Getting close to our destination

We finally reached the entrance by 1:00 PM. We started to drive towards the base of the volcano. We decided not to drive the extra hour to the base of the volcano because it was raining. I was sad to turn back but I knew that it was a bad idea to drive a small car in a muddy road. 

The entrance to the Cotopaxi National Park

Tour guides anyone?

This is where we turned back. From this point is 1 hour drive to the base

Restaurant offering Coca tea for the high altitude sickness

My failed attempt to visit the Cotopaxi

Cloudy Cotopaxi

Zoom in of the Cotopaxi

This is what the Cotopaxi is supposed to look like. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it up close. I had a glance when we were driving on the highway before it started to rain. We will return in our next trip and hopefully we will have better luck with the weather.

First sight of the Cotopaxi from the highway. Photo Credit: Alan Falcony

Cotopaxi. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

After we got back, the storm was already in Quito. This was very heavy rain and we were lost again. This was our last night and we had plans to go out with some of Andre's friends and his 2 sisters. While we were waiting to be picked up, there was an earthquake. It was only a 4.0 magnitude, but I haven't felt one in a LONG time. I got dizzy, then scared, and I couldn't stop my nervous laugh. This is very annoying to every one who is really scared. Thankfully nobody was scared as mild earthquakes are common in South America. 

On our last night we went to a restaurant/bar called La Naranjilla Mecanica. This was a hip place with unique decorations and comfortable couches. We order food, had a few drinks and went to sleep at around 1:00 AM. I found this bar in the list of Lonely Planet's things to do in Quito.

We only had a half day left in Quito and we did not want our trip to end.

Quito Day 6

The closest shopping mall to where we stayed is El Bosque. Most days we went there to get some Juan Valdez coffee. We also loved a movie store that sold cheap DVDs. This day was a day to relax. We woke up early, had lunch at home, went to the mall, shopped for Ecuadorian candy and snacks to bring back home. We might have brought at least one carry-on full of chocolates and food. 

View from El Bosque' food court (Quito's airport is the long-flat-green area)

Juan Valdez, El Bosque

Later that day we spent some time with Andre's family. That night, we had an invitation to a meat fondue at one of Andre's friend. We had a good time. I enjoyed listening to their childhood stories. Andre's friend was supposed to drive us to the Cotopaxi Volcano the following day. That night we found out that he could not take us. Since we only had one last full day in Ecuador, I was disappointed. The Cotopaxi was the one things that I wanted to see during this trip and I was going to have to wait. Andre got directions from his friends, and he said he knew how to take me there. I was excited for the following day. I have never seen snow!! Actually, I have but I was only 3 years old. I don't remember anything but there is a picture to prove it. 

Quito Day 5-Part 2, La Ronda

After a busy day around City, we headed out with one of Andre's friends to La Ronda. This is a narrow street in the historic downtown where the colonial houses have been renovated into bars, restaurants, shops, and hostels. Apparently this has always been the bohemian street in Quito so the bars are not new. I wanted to go back during the day and take better pictures of this beautiful street. Unfortunately, we didn't have many days left in Quito and we did not return to the Center. It was a cold night like most nights in Quito. The days are warm when it is sunny, but the nights are always cold.  Make sure that you always carry a jacket if you are staying out all day.

La Ronda, Quito

Tiny doors and balconies

While you are walking La Ronda, there are poster-like signs with the history of the street in English and Spanish. 

I found this great map in the official Quito Travel Information Website. There is a lot of information for anyone that is planning a trip to Quito. The website is also available in English. 

La Ronda Street is the orange line. Photo Credit: http://www.quito.com.ec/

After walking La Ronda for about one hour we decided to go to El Panecillo to see the City from this hill.  La Virgen del Panecillo, is located on top of the hill and it is visible from most of the city. The downtown looked beautiful from el Panecillo. There is a restaurant located in el Panecillo called Pim's that has a beautiful view of the City. The churches and streets are all very well lit. I gave up with night pictures and all of these were taken with my iPhone. I love instragram and how it makes poor quality pictures look better. 

La Virgen del Panecillo at night

After looking at the Virgin we went to La Mariscal to have dinner and some drinks. This is the main tourist night district in Quito. There are lots of bars and restaurants in this area. The Quiteños call it "La Zona" or the zone. We decided to go to La Plaza Foch to the third floor to Sports Planet. While we were waiting for our dinner, I went downstairs to the Juan Valdez to find a cute t-shirt. There are 11 Juan Valdez Cafe locations in Quito and that made me very happy. One of those was very close to us and most mornings I had my daily coffee from there. I could not have asked for more. 

My daily Juan Valdez cappuccino