Surprise … Happy Mother’s Day Mami!

Another trip, and so soon after Vanuatu … not for me, but for Alex! With the envious position of being in between jobs, Alex decided to surprise his mother in New York for Mother’s Day … as you do!

Singin’ in the rain … New York style

Alex with his mum and sister Angie

Booking his ticket with frequent flyer points at the last minute, and only letting his younger sister Angie (who was born in New York and lives there with his mum) in on the secret, he literally rocked up in New York on Mother’s Day.

His mum, Rocio, had absolutely no idea, and was dumbstruck when there was a knock on the door and she turned around to see Alex … absolutely and most definitely gob-smacked!

Smiles all ’round

Alex spent the next two and a half weeks hanging out with his mum and doing a bit of shopping.  Whilst Alex hates shopping as much as I do, New York isn’t a bad place to be when you need some new clothes for a new job!  I am glad that it was his mum and not me helping him out. Two people who hate shopping, shopping together…uuuuuugggggggh!

Relatives of his, Connye and la Negra were also visiting from Ecuador and staying with Rocio. Tag team … they left and then Alex organised for his Aunt Mariana and cousin Michelle to come visit from Chicago. Another surprise, which I was privy too via skype. There was a knock at the door and when Rocio opened the door, she almost had her second heart attack in only a few days! Rocio had not seen Mariana in some twenty years!

Lots of love, laughter and tears would fill Alex’s almost three week stay in New York.

Enjoy the story that Alex has ‘written’ with his pictures!

Ombi

Ear to ear smile

Dedicatoria: A mi madre … tu que eres una amiga sin igual, tu que siempre brindas una sonrisa a quien sea sin importar su status, color de piel o actitud. Tu madre que no decaes y luchas por tu vida cada dia, tu madre que vives para tus hijos y familia y los cobijas con tu amor y carino pese que no estan a tu lado. Tu madre eres un ser humano sin igual… gracias por ser parte de mi vida y de mis dias, gracias por tu amor, buena energia, y excelente sentido del humor. Te amo;la pasamos genial.

Dedication: To my mother … you are an incomparable friend, you always offer a smile to everyone regardless of their status, colour of their skin or attitude. You always stand with your head up high and strive to get through each day; you live for your children and family and provide them with love and warmth even though they are not by your side. You, mum, are an incomparable human being … thanks for being part  of my life and my days, thanks for your love, good energy, and amazing sense of humour. I love you; we had such a good time together.

Times Square panorama

Tia Mariana and Rocio … grabbing the bull by the …

Home made ‘patacones’ (fried plantains)

Brotherly/ sisterly love

Angie showing her brother a good time in downtown NY

Tia Mariana and cousin Julian

Chelsea graffiti, oops ‘street art’

With Tia Mariana, Michelle and Julian (‘el huambrito’)

Manhattan Civic Centre

L to R: Cruz Elena, Connye, la Negra and Alex

Breathing fire … old Nabisco factory at the Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market

In a New York state of mind …

The NY High Line … ex train track now park

The High Line chicks, Rocio and Angie

Rocio and ‘la socia’ (Mariana), Staten Island

It had to be a done … google this!

Enjoying a Peruvian dinner

Say hi to the man … well, the sticker of the man anyway

Outside Freedom Tower (site of the Twin Towers)

God sure is too busy to help out in frenetic New York

Times Square panorama

Mother and daughter, Mariana and Michelle

Angie and prized family member Juicy

Pigeon

‘Las socias’

Bueno verte sonreir Rocio

Ready to go!

As usual, I find myself asking where time goes.  It’s the middle of March and we’ve been already been back from our last overseas sojourn for over two months yet, somehow, I simply haven’t been able to find the time to put ‘fingertips to keyboard’.  Well, here goes!

Leaving Melbourne Airport for the USA

We were ready to embark on a different type of trip this time; Dad was coming with us to meet the family in Ecuador. We would be going for almost six weeks, and would spend the first few days in Florida, USA. Bags packed and everything under control, he would have two ‘experienced guides’ to show him the way! It was exciting. Alex and I have been together since 1999 and Dad has never met anyone from his family as they mostly live in Ecuador, with the exception of his mum and sister in New York and cousin in Fort Myers, Florida. There is no short cut to get to Ecuador!  It’s long and it’s tiring, but we decided to break up the trip and stop over in Fort Myers before going on to Quito.

Almost gone … Melbourne Airport

There was NO WAY that we were going to be late to the airport on this trip. My super-organised Dad was going to make sure of that!  He slept over our place the night before, and ensured that we were all on time.  Fulvio, my brother, was here to pick us up by 7.30am and we left by 8.00am. We checked in and made our way through passport control and the security checks.  Dad was surprised at how much rigmarole we had to go through.  It had been about 17 years since he’d flown last, and things have certainly changed since then. I couldn’t help but think that this was nothing, wait until he got to the USA! All in order, we got through and had Dad participate in our ‘coffee before take off’ ritual. Dad was excited and so were we.  I was really excited at the thought that not only would Dad now get a ‘live’ insight into my world but that he would also get to meet the family and the country that was now part of my world and that I had grown to love so much!

Flying from Melbourne to LA

The first part of the flight, Melbourne to Los Angeles, took approximately 15 hours.  The flights were
Qantas/ American Airline code share with this first part being Qantas. As usual, I slept for most of the flight, whilst Alex and Dad watched a number of movies. We had a couple of hours stop over in LA and then we went straight through to Miami where we were picked up by Alex’s cousin Christian. It was then an approximately three hour ride to Fort Myers, where Christian lives with his partner Frankie. It was wonderful to see him again.  The last time we had seen Christian was when we went on our around-the-world trip in 2006. He and Alex grewup and lived together in Ecuador.  They are more like brothers than cousins!

Dinner at Chili’s

As we drove we laughed, chatted and reminisced.  Christian had heard so much about Dad and Dad so much about Christian. We had a lovely four days together, but as you can imagine it went all too quickly.  Dad was not overly impressed with the American cuisine but loved our meal at Chili’s, where we stopped for dinner soon after Christian picked us up.  The food was actually quite good, if I may say so myself, but talk about super-size-me portions! I know that in Australia we talk about our growing obesity problem, but we just don’t seem to be as big here. I am always shocked at the sheer size of so many people when I visit the USA.

Sunset at Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Christian is a qualified nurse and is now doing further studies.  So, between working in a hospital full time and studying, flat out mode is usul for him.  Luckily for us he was able to take a few days off and we were able to see several things together. Apparently it was winter in Florida!  Yeh right, 26 to 30 degrees; shorts and t-shirt weather…  that’s not winter! We went on some lovely walks through some national parks, saw the Everglades, and even went on a mini-train ride through a local park.  All very low key and relaxing. We also went to a variety of shops, including, Wal-Mart, and it just blew Dad away.  He was stunned at the amount of everything and anything.  All that you wanted, in whatever size, make and colour … and that included food! One day we visited Fort Myers Beach, and had a walk along the shore as well as the pier, where we were afforded some spectacular views at sunset.

Train ride through a local park, Fort Myers

And almost as soon as we had arrived, it was time to go!  Four days is hardly enough to do anything, but we had managed to do quite a bit, and Dad had finally met the Christian whom we had spoken so much about! Before we knew it, we were back in Christian’s car, returning to the airport. Hugs, kisses and some tears all around, and then we had to go through the whole rigmarole once again. Passport control isn’t thaaaat bad, but the security checks … OMG!  They do my head in! Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out!  Before we knew it, we were on a plane and flying to Ecuador, which was another three and a half hours (add: Melbourne to LA, 15 hours; LA to Miami, 5 hours; Miami to Quito 3.5 hours).

Time to leave!

As we were arriving in Quito at about 7.00pm, the views of the city as we descended were spectacular! The ‘old’ airport that we flew into has actually closed since our return (mid-February 2013) and the new one at Tabebela has opened. The old airport sits smack bang in the middle of the city, whereas the new one is some 20 kilometres north east of the city.  It has been a long time in the making, as whilst flying in to the old one may present some marvellous views, high altitude, a cramped runway and towering volcanoes nearby make it one of Latin America’s most challenging airports for pilots.

Christian with Thomas, Quito

 As Quito’sairport (old) is rather small, it hardly takes any time at all to get through passport control,  grab your bags and walk out.  As we were going through passport control, we could see some of Alex’s family waving through a glass panel above us!  How exciting this was going to be!  I still could not believe that after years and years of asking Dad to come and visit Alex’s family in Ecuador he had finally said yes! We grabbed our bags and in no time we were walking out of the doors, where we were greeted by Alex’s Dad, brother Rodrigo, sister Karen, brother-in-law Christan and Auntie Gladys. It was quite emotional really, and as Dad would comment later, he felt immediately at home.  He too had finally met his second family!

Take it easy! At almost three thousand metres above sea level, the second highest capital  on Earth is a bit thin on air!  As I explained to Dad, it takes at least a few days to acclimatise, and even walking can feel like exercise.  He would find that out soon enough! It was so good to be back … I am blessed with two families and two homes! I could see Dad just taking it all in. The Andes are spectacular!

Isabella with her new Aussie backpack

We all went back to Karen and Christian’s house, and Dad was first greeted by Denisse who ran out and gave him a big hug. In the six months that Denisse had spent in Australia, Dad had grown to love her like his own.  We all then slowly went upstairs (although they were only on the second floor, how Dad would learn to hate those steps by the end of the trip!) where we were greeted by Axel, Thomas and Isabella, our nieces and nephews. They had all grown so much; Axel at 15 was starting to look more like a young man than a boy, Thomas was now three and a half and Isabella, the almost newborn we had left behind a little over a year ago was now one and a half. More hugs all around! It really was nice to be home!

We were all a little tired (perhaps a bit more than a little) and eventually just had to make our way to bed. The next few weeks would provide us with lots of love, laughter, happy times and good memories!

Ombi

“You only live once, but if you do it well, once is enough.” – Mae West

Something a bit different at the Fort Myers Flea Market

WRONG!

Brothers in arms

Fort Myers Beach

Boardwalk walk … Fort Myers

Fort Myers wildlife

The famous Florida alligator

Alex and his cousin Christian

Christian & Dad, Fort Myers Beach

Fort Myers, Florida

At the Fort Myers Flea Market … heart attack special, USA style!

Christian and Dad in Fort Myers, Florida

Pasta with Ombi’s homemade sauce, at Christian’s house

As the sun goes down, Fort Myers Beach

On the Fort Myers Beach Pier

The time had come; for once in our lives we weren’t rushing around like chooks with our heads cut off, and we were able to get to bed at a reasonable time on the eve before we set of…..well, before the usual 3am, anyway! The days before were certainly a mad scramble (yes, that was the same as usual!) as we finished packing, buying odds and ends as well as buying presents for our family overseas. Time has never been my best friend, and this “enemy” always seems to rear its ugly head just as we get ready to go overseas. Yet, with this whole time love-hate relationship going on, we still managed to pull it all together, and early on the morning of Saturday May 16th, we were off! Ride to the airport, compliments of “Dino’s Taxi Service” (my Dad) – nope, some things never change! Saying goodbye to Dad was easy, as such trips for us are a common occurrence!

We had purchased the Melbourne – New York sector of our flights using our Qantas frequent flyer points, and the routing was: Melbourne – Sydney – LA – New York. We worked out that that was about 20 hours of “bums on seats” time, and didn’t include the stop overs! One way! The flight over was predominantly fine. The plane food, whilst no gourmet delight, was edible and the movies excellent (you MUST see the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas). Add to that that I am a good sleeper on planes, and the time seemed to go rather quickly. Having said that, by the time we hit JFK Airport in New York, we were knackered, so to speak.

Alex’s mum, Rocio, and little sister Angie (who isn’t so little anymore!) were waiting for us with open arms. They were so glad to see us, and there were hugs all around! Whilst Alex had seen them both in January this year (you may recall that Alex was in the USA), the last time I had seen them both was in August of 2006, when Alex and I began our 16 month around the world trip. It was great to all be back together again. On the ride back home there was lots of laughter, chatting and story swapping. I was so happy to see Alex reunited with his family again, as I know how much it means to him.

We were blessed with a gorgeous springtime climate, with daily temperatures of between 19 and 23 degrees celcius, and virtually no rain, which was great ( I know, I wouldn’t be saying this in Australia!) Jeans and t-shirt weather. We would be spending a fraction under two weeks here, and as always, time was not enough. Not that I ever feel that it is. There is always so much to do, and catch up on. Our first night was spent relaxing, eating Alex’s mum’s home-cooked Ecuadorian food, and catching up on…….everything! Needless to say, we went to bed in the early hours of the morning, despite the fact that Alex’s mum had to get up at 4.00am the next morning to go work!

We spent the first few days hanging around the apartment, relaxing and not doing much at all. Alex had worked up until the night before we left, and I had caught some chesty bug on the plane which had me coughing and wheezing (and…..shock horror…..I virtually lost my voice!) No, luckily no Pig Flu! After a few days, we figured it was time to step out into the concrete jungle. New York, New York! Where does one start? In the centre of course! And the centre would be? Times Square! Wow! Good wow or bad wow, that is the question! Full-on, information overload, crowded with people, flashing digital (I almost wrote neon!) advertisements of every colour and description, frantic energy……just some of the words, I would use to describe this hub of activity. I found it to be a veritable “Consumerism on Steroids”! The who’s who of any brand that was worth anything in the 21st century were all screaming, Look at me, Look at me!” Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Panasonic, Swatch, Sony, only to name a few. Right amongst all of this the famous Naked Cowboy was struttin’ his stuff. Who’s is the Naked Cowboy, you ask? Some long blonde haired American dude, who wears only his white jocks, cowboy boots, hat and strums a guitar. Go figure! (For you Harry, OIFA!!!!!!!!!) But let me tell you, the gals, local and foreign alike, were loving him!

Alex and I sat down close by and people watched as we ate our home-made lunch. Amazing! It really is a jungle out there, and the variety of animals phenomenal! (We even saw a “Naked Cow-girl!). There is a hype and a buzz that is quite indescribable. Having said that, Alex and I felt that we had to get out! The messages, both subliminal and overt, in relation to what we should buy or be seen with were overwhelming. We walked away, as the chaos continued behind us. The Big Apple is bigger than ever. Take the word bigger in whatever way you wish! It’s no big secret that New York is not my favourite place on earth (nor Alex’s), but as a friend said to me, “Maybe you’ve just got so much to compare it to!” True!

New York shopping? What can I say…unless you want brand and label stuff (and Alex and I both categorically refuse to wear labelled clothing on ethical grounds), I don’t feel that it really has any more to offer than the likes of Melbourne, especially if you live next door to Ms Shopper of the Century, aka Lizzie Leveridge. Lizzie can show you a better bargain than anything you can find in New York! True! Seriously, it’s just that Alex and I don’t get off on browsing a street lined with Tiffany’s, Versace or Gucci and friends, let alone buying their overpriced products, which needless to say are made in China! A little aside here: In Australia, I bought a little stuffed multi-coloured kangaroo for my new little nephew, Thomas, in Ecuador. I had to laugh when I saw where it was made. It read, “Designed in Melbourne, Australia. Hand-crafted in China”. Translation, “Made in China”!!!! Let’s call a spade a spade! Whose scab labour are we paying for?!

OK back to New York. As an observer, I was also taken aback by the amount of truly obese people, and more to the point, really obese children. Having said that, I have always said that I find American food to be rather unhealthy. Either too much fat, too much sugar, or both! I was bringing snacks from home when we would go out for the day, as the street food just wasn’t calling out to me. It looked and smelt like heart-attack material.

A highlight of my time in New York, was catching up with some very dear friends of mine. First with Kobie, Liz and Daniel, and then Joanne, Mike, Alex and Irene.

Kobie is a very, very special friend of mine who I have known for practically half of my life. She is Australian, but has lived in the States (Massachusetts) for years, with her partner, Liz. The last time I saw them both was in August 2006, only months after their little baby Daniel, was born, when I stayed with them in their house. This time, they all came to New York, where the three of us stayed in a hotel, close to the city centre, with Daniel. It was wonderful just hanging out and reconnecting after such a long time. During the day, we would go out and do fun things like walk around Central Park, or other parts of the city, and at night, after Liz and Daniel would go to sleep, Kobie and I would stay up and talk into the early hours of the morning. We only had a couple of days together, but they were so special: full of laughter, tears and re-connecting. Alex did not stay with us, but on the Sunday, he and Angie met us at Central Park, so Kobie, Liz and Daniel were able to briefly catch up with him too.

Catching up with Joanne and her family was also a highlight. We spent a day with her, husband Mike, and son Alex out in Brentwood, Long Island. I met Joanne some 18 years ago, after I had worked on a summer camp in Indiana, in the USA. I remember it clearly; it was in Colorado Springs. We struck up a friendship immediately, and the rest is the proverbial history! After meeting her that first time, I even went back and stayed with her. Hey, she offered, and I accepted. For those of you that know me well, you would also know that if I say, “I will come and see you”, that I truly will. I am a woman of my word! Since then I have only seen Joanne a couple of times, but our bond defies both time and distance. I without a doubt, consider Joanne to be one of my most valued friends.

Back at Joanne’s house…….we spent a brilliant day, catching up whilst ploughing through the “smorgasbord” that Mike had prepared for us. Despite the fact that Mike is an exceptionally warm, intelligent and kind-hearted individual, he is also a brilliant cook. Go on Mike, show America how it’s done! Without a doubt, some of the best food I had on this trip in the USA. We started with bruschetta, prawns, corn chips, potato chips and Mike’s own home made tzatziki, and later followed up with a range of barbecued meat, sausages and veggies. Yum, yum, yum!!!! Of course, it wasn’t all about the food! Another surprise that day, was a visit by Irene. Irene is a friend of Joanne’s whom I met 18 years ago, but had not seen since. I thought that Irene looked just the same….Irene commented, however, that I no longer “looked like a kid”…after all, I was in my early 20s when I met her! It was only a day, but proof that life really is about quality and not quantity! Neither time nor distance can ever take away what we hold dear to our hearts!

Apart from those few getaways, our time was spent with Alex’s mum and Angie, and some of her friends, like Isabel, Adolfo, Betty and Samantha. Many a night were spent with Rocio (Alex’s mum), Alex and I chatting and swapping stories. There is always so much to chat about, but never enough time. Unfortunately, Rocio was unable to take time off work, so we had to do the best with the time we had. In addition, getting up at 4.00am is no mean feat! (That’s the time that Alex’s mum usually gets up for work). We really hope that she will be able to come out and visit us some time soon. We skyped the family in Ecuador several times, so we were also getting excited that we would soon be seeing all of them too!

And so, our time had promptly come to an end. Having said that, 12 days are barely enough! Part 2 of our trip would be almost three weeks in Ecuador. As we had organised our Melbourne-New York return trip using our frequent flyer points, we had to purchase the New York-Quito return trip in addition. Thus, after flying to Quito, we would have to come back for a night (where we would stay with Angie and Rocio again), before flying back out to Melbourne. Mind you, whilst we flew into JFK Airport (in NY) from Melbourne, we flew out of La Guardia Airport (also in NY) to Quito. Again, we then flew back to La Guardia Airport from Quito, to then have to fly out of JFK to finally get back to Melbourne! Confused? Join the club! You can add jet lag to that confusion too, but more on that later!

Soon we we were off. My favourite continent, South America, awaited!

It wasn’t really that hard to say goodbye, as we knew that we would be coming back, if only for a night!

Ombi

PS Scroll down to the bottom of this blog to see a video of some guys dancing in a train, as we were travelling from Quens to Manhattan!

Dedication: This is for Kobie and Joanne. Thanks for being such wonderful people, and such special friends. Both of you have touched my life in an indescribable way, and I am a better person for knowing you. Both of you hold a very special place in my heart. Joanne, you know that I will come out and see you again. Kobie, I cannot wait to see you, Lizzie and Daniel in Australia this October!

A few words from some of my friends:

“Advertising is a valuable economic factor because it is the cheapest way of selling goods, particularly if the goods are worthless” – Sinclair Lewis (1885 – 1951)

(Photos: 1.-New York taxi. So, who looks relaxed? 2.-View of New York, taken on train, coming from Queens. 3.-Alex, Angie and his mum, Rocio, taken outside their apartment, in Queens. 4.-Times Square, New York. 5.-The Naked Cowboy, Times Square, New York. 6.-His rival….the almost Naked Cowgirl, Times Square. 7.- So, who IS the trophy? Please explain! 8.- L to R: Kobie, Liz and Daniel, New York. 9.- L to R: Daniel, Alex, Angie and her dog, Juicy, in Central Park, New York. 10.- Ombi and Joanne relaxing in her backyard, Brentwood, Long Island, New York. 11 – Mike, the Master Chef! 12.- Alex and his mum. 13.- Trains running less frequently during peak times in Manhattan….and that would be……Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 14.- Kobie, Ombi and Daniel being silly! 15.- This kiss is for you Paco…gotta luv those shoes! Quirky enough?!) 16.- Below is a video of some guys dancing on a train we caught between Queens and Manhattan.)

Everything happens for a reason, or so they say! One good thing to come out of the stuffing up of the dates on our Samoa trip was that we would come back one day earlier, actually giving Alex some time to organise himself to fly out to the States (originally, we would be arriving back in Melbourne on the Saturday and he would be flying to the States the next day; the “updated” version saw us arriving on the Friday, which at least gave him a day to pack). In hindsight (which is truly a marvellous thing, most would agree), he would have been pushing to get himself ready and packed, based on the original schedule. Part of the getting ready phase was as much psychological as anything else, as Alex mentally prepared himself for the transition from laying on a beach in Samoa to the snow and minus temperatures he’d read about in New York!

What was Alex going to the States for, and why wasn’t Ombi going? Well, no we’re not velcroed together, but for all reasons pertaining to travel, I wouldn’t mind to be. On a serious note, he was off to San Francisco to attend the “Apple MacWorld Conference & Expo”, on a scholarship he’d won through Melbourne University, where he works in IT. In plain, un-techy language, it means that he went to a conference that delved into all things to do with Apple Macs (to all of you other techno dyslexics…..they are a type of computer, not a new species of apples!) After his week in San Francisco, he also flew to New York to see his mum and little sister, Angie. I was saving my holidays for a New York/ Ecuador trip we had already booked for 5 weeks in May and June of this year.

As I was not there with him, this entry will be short and sweet (a rare occurence!), and I will touch upon some of his highlights. Whilst in San Fransisco, Alex stayed at the Hotel Des Arts, which our friend Richard originally found. Now, you may recall me having mentioned Richard and Jo before. They are two of our dearest friends, and “co-partners in crime” in as far as they love to travel and explore the world on par with Alex and I. We usually play travel tag team, whereby either one of the couples is overseas somewhere. Whilst Alex and I were on our 16 month sojourn, they somewhat grinned and beared it. Now, it was their turn, as they took off in early January to do Central America for 6-8 months. Why would I be jealous? I’d already done it, right? Wrong! Anyway, they would be flying to Central America via LA and San Francisco, and would be in San Fran around the same time as Alex, so…….they would be able to catch up…..and they did….and stayed in the same hotel! Now, you simply MUST take a look at their blog, http://www.thedemeesters.blogspot.com%27/ The photos are amazing!

So, it goes something like this: Ombi (the single girl!) meets Jo and Richard in 1999 on a windswept plain in Patagonia, Argentina. They become friends. Ombi keeps travelling, gets to Ecuador and falls in love with Alex. Upon Ombi and Alex returning to Australia (2000) they catch up with Richard and Jo, and a strong bond and friendship is cemented. Fast forward………in 2007, as part of their trip around the world, Alex and Ombi meet Ricardo, a Mexican-American, in Guatemala, and another new friendship is born. In January 2009, Alex, Richard, Jo and Ricardo (who lives in San Francisco) all catch up and have dinner together! Now maybe I am getting a little excited…..but you can’t tell me that travel doesn’t rock! You have to love a story like this!

After almost a week, Alex flew to New York, where he spent some quality time with his mum and sister Angie. It wasn’t a week of outings or excursions, but just a time for Alex to reconnect with his mum, and spend some quality time with her. I was so glad that he was able to do this, and I know that he was too. He has a very special bond with his mother, especially considering that they have lived so many years apart. Alex tells me that they chilled out, went shopping together, and just relaxed in each other’s presence. Alex’s happiness will always be my happiness, and knowing how much this meant to him meant even more to me. Saying goodbye to her this time, I believe, wasn’t so hard, as we are both going back there in May of this year. I know, you can’t take that travelling “thing” out of us now. It’s too far gone!

As you can see, this is my very brief take on Alex’s two weeks away. Most of what he felt remains in his heart, and without a doubt, what my words (for once!) cannot convey, his photos will!

Dedicacion: Este blog lo dedico a mi suegra y gran amiga, Rocio. Me siento orgullosa de tenerte en mi vida. Eres una persona muy especial, valiente y buena. Espero que todo lo que das te regresa. Gracias para haberme “prestado” tu hijo Alex, que es la gran amor de mi vida. Acuerdate que siempre vas a tener mi apoyo y mi amor. De tu Gringa Loca que te ama montones, y de parte de tu hijo Alex que te adora.

(Photos:1.- Alex and Angie at the Jackson Heights train station in Queens, NY. 2.-Minus 14 degrees celsius in NY. 3.-Alex at the Apple MacWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco. 4.-L to R: Ricardo, Jo, Richard and Alex catch up for a meal and a chat in San Francisco. 5.-Ricardo and Alex in San Fran. 6.-Alex and his mum, Rocio, in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY. 7.- Alex and Angie having some fun in New York. 8.-Angie and Alex , with the Empire State Building, Manhattan, in the background).

Travel is often go, go, go! Sometimes it’s also about being quiet, and in the moment, but it’s a big world out there with so many opportunities, feelings, sensations, cultural practices, and most importantly, people! The challenge for us, each day, is how we will tackle the way in which we wish to interpret what we see! There is no formula, or bar code, except to go with the heart. I believe that each day brings a plethora of opportunities, and our destiny helps with what we will “get out of ” that particular day! It has been a gift to be able to experience what we have thus far, and I feel overwhelmed with the knowledge that although we have a year of travel, we will barely scratch the surface!

The flight from Santo Domingo to Miami was pleasant, the wait in passport control was not! 1000 questions, fingerprints, and eyeball scanning! “The freaks” were asked if we had jobs, and how it was that we were travelling for a year…….our salvation was that we were Australian……”You Australians do have a reputation for going walkabout for long periods of time, don’t you!”, said the passport control officer. He was quite nice, if not obscenely meticulous, even having commented that Alex was from Ecuador (although he is travelling on an Australian passport, his birthplace is listed as Quito). “When was the last time you visited Quito”, he asked Alex.

We were picked up by Alex´s cousin Christian, and his partner Frankie. We had not seen Frankie in over two years, and the last time we saw Chris was in Ecuador, in January this year. As many of you know, Alex grew up with Chris and so they are like brothers. I adopted Christian too! When I lived in Ecuador, he was my salvation! He was my support and closest friend as I learned to live in a country so very different to my own.

We hit the popular and well known South Beach, for a walk and a hamburger …mine was a soy one, of course! After that it was a two hour and some drive back to Fort Myers, where the boys live with Charo, who we also know from Ecuador.

The week that we spent in Fort Myers was actually very relaxing, and we did not do anything overly strenuous. We took time out to spend with Chris and Frankie, who had both taken some time off work. We visited beaches, did some short walks in the mangrovy type parks for which Florida is famous, and on the night before we left we went to Sanibel beach, on a small private island close by, to watch a spectacular sunset….whilst swatting ¨nosee’ems¨ ……these horrendous, tiny little bugs that you cannot see and bite like crazy! I was not a happy camper! Not only are my scarred filled legs recovering from previous insect bites in the Caribbean and scars from falling on my walk up Pico Duarte in the Dominican Republic not so long ago, but a few days ago I tripped over whilst going for a run near Chris´s house….and you guessed it, two nice big, crusty grazes, one on eack knee! As Kath and Kim would say……….NIIIIIIIIIIIICE!!!!!!!!!!

Alex and I also both had our hair cut. As Frankie is a hairdresser, and an excellent one at that, we thought this would be an ideal time for a ¨trim¨. Well, Alex went for the trim….and Ombi for the chop! My hair was pretty ratty and tattered on the ends, and I would have had to have taken off several inches. Nah, that´s not me…all or nothing…so I told Frankie to go for it. I think he was more shocked than I was! To use Nike´s slogan, but in a poitically correct way, I said, ¨Just Do It!¨ It´s very short and cropped, and hey, it´s only hair, and it will grow back!

Many of you would either know or have heard me speak about one of my closest and dearest friends, Rita Garcia. You would also probably know that Rita´s parents, Aida and Octavio and sisters, Maribel and Esther are like my second family. And I certainly love them as if they were my own family! Well, Rita´s Auntie Dora and Uncle Gilberto (Octavio´s brother) live in Miami, and we went to have lunch with them on our last day in Florida. What an absolute pleasure it was to meet them both, and Dora´s mother too, who has just turned 94. It was exactly like being with the Garcias in Australia…..warm, loving and spirited people! I really did not expect any different. And what a truly special feeling to meet the family of people that you love. They made us feel very welcome indeed.

To my special friends, the Garcias in Australia and Los Angeles (Maribel and family) : Thank you for being such a special and important part of my life for so many years. You have always loved and supported me like your own, and I feel proud to be the fourth, adopted ¨Garcia Girl¨. As all of our families have grown and expanded, that love has continued to flow! Each and every one of you have a very special place in my heart and I love you very much!

Ombi

(Photos: 1. Christian, Franko, Ombi & Alex. 2.Christian, Franko, Ombi at Sanibell beach 3. Franko ready to chop. 4. After the big chop. 5. Dora, Alex, Ombi & Gilberto in Miami)

Back in early October, when we were staying with Alex’s auntie in Chicago, we noticed a lot of Halloween preparation going on! Although Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October, preparations start early!

As we strolled through the streets surrounding the area we were staying in, we took the opportunity to observe, interact with, and take photos of the “street art”!

Have a laugh and enjoy!

Ombi