Science of the Mid-Afternoon Slump

An explanation as to why food coma occurs and why, in the absence of a full-fledged nap, however temporary, there is nothing we can really do about it.

Sushi Siam Morningside - Cut Off!

I was having a leisurely mid-afternoon lunch of pad thai on the outside porch area, and noticed that a busser for my table was wearing a tie that said "Eternal Life Eternal Jesus", with the last word in big, bright letters (looking around, the dress code appeared to be blue shirts and black ties). When he picked up stuff from my table or dropped off the take-home bag, this not-so-subtle message on the tie was inches from my face.

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I did not welcome this intrusion into my line of sight, and actually was kind of annoyed (beyond the message itself, this was a restaurant at which I was paying to dine, including the busser's salary). Afterwards, I went in to ask the manager if such a tie is part of the regulation issue uniform and told him that I did not appreciate being proselytized. The manager didn't really understand what I was getting at (at first he told me "well, the guy is Christian" -- congratulations for him, but that still doesn't change the fact that the tie is inappropriate in this context), and was otherwise utterly indifferent to my expressed concern.

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By this point in time I was officially upset. Accordingly, this place is hereby CUT OFF!

A Genuine, Heartfelt Good Riddance

Prince of Political Darkness Ducks Out

Rove's Escape to Texas Should Not Mean an Escape from Responsibility for His Wrongful Acts

9 Days of Freedom

6-28 Thrs.

36,000 Feet Over Bolivia

If the negative connotations of Latin America bring to mind inefficiencies, unduly long lines and things simply not working properly, then one enters Latin America immediately upon setting foot in the Miami International Airport.

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I chose to visit Salta mainly through a process of elimination: it is one of the more temperate areas in the country during winter. Having been to BA once in April 2005, this time I had wanted to check out one other part of the country in addition to some time in BA.

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I woke up on the plane (which finally left MIA at 12:30 a.m.-over an hour late) and noticed some light filtering in under the pulled-down blind. Curious, I lifted the blind up and beheld a spectacular sight: the Andes mountains rising below me and extending for as far as the eye could see. We were directly over Bolivia, and I could spot a few villages tucked in the alpine valleys.

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I was supposed to be on a 11:50 a.m. flight to Salta but missed it. Fortunately I was able to get a flight for 1900 (7:00 p.m. – I am now switching to military time), leaving me about 5 hours to go into town. So, instead of wandering around Salta in the afternoon, I took advantage of the few hours I had in BA.

Took a US$ 5 cab ride in and had lunch at Gran Victoria (a buffet, or tenedor libre). The food quality was not that great but, as expected for a buffet, there was quantity. The steak I ordered was juicy but a little tough. I noticed an Asian guy and woman who appeared to have some positions of authority, which may explain the several Chinese food items in the buffet (including the most pedestrian, yet irresistible, of all such dishes, sweet-n-sour chicken).

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While one will rarely see the following in the U.S., trinket sellers are a fact of life here. Indeed, at least 3 peddlers (child and adult) came into the restaurant in Microcenter at which I was dining during the intermission between my flights. They will come into a restaurant, place a trinket on your table (e.g., toys, travel-size cosmetics), walk around and then come back to see if you’ll buy it. Just shake your head “no” when one approaches as you’ll be fine. It’s more annoying than dangerous.

One thing that is kind of disturbing to see is the little kids selling trinkets. One of the peddlers I saw today was an extremely cute girl no more than 4 years old, selling packets of individually-sized tissues. I couldn’t help but to give her a peso; didn’t take the tissues.

6-30 Sat. - The Mysterious Andean NW

Yesterday was a day trip/safari heading west through the Parque Nacional de Cardones (a type of cacti), with the ultimate destination of the small town of Cachi. It was amazing: snow-capped mountains, winding valleys and, in places, 100s of cacti as far as the eye could see. I saw wild vicunas (a relative of the llama) in addition to domesticated sheep, cows, goats and horses. Particularly cool was that you could lift up roof hatches of the truck, stand up on the seat and check out the sights while moving along.

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Cachi is a small town whose residents are mainly of indigenous heritage. We checked out the archeological museum and had a little time to wander around town. We took a different route back to Salta for some of the way, which featured red-hued rock formations sprinkled with cacti.

Having received a 0500 wake-up call for an early morning departure, it was a long day which lasted about 14 hours. Although my group of 12 rode in a nicely equipped 20-seat offroad-style truck (including an onboard bathroom – very important), the majority of the journey was on winding, unpaved roads, which is actually physically demanding on the passengers. Also, because it is a desert-like area, the temperatures fluctuated greatly, from pretty chilly (40s) to fairly warm (70s).

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After chilling out for a bit after cleansing immediately (it had been a dusty day as well) I headed out to try some locro, a traditional meat and vegetable stew. After a little asking around I found a place that served it. My first sampling of locro was especially good and really hit the spot after 2 days of travel and its attendant stresses. Sampled a llama empanada as well, but since there were other ingredients therein I couldn’t really identify its specific taste. Food and drink is pretty inexpensive – 3 empanadas, locro, a glass of wine and cortado for ~US$ 9.

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After about 11 hours of sleep (at long last) I had some time to walk around prior to my mid-afternoon city tour. A lot of vendors out in a park on the walk to the teleferico/gondola; picked up some great souvenirs and gifts, mainly leather and cloth products.

Having missed the hotel breakfast I quickly found a bakery/panaderia, and tried a churro for the first time. A fried pastry stick typically filled with dulce de leche or chocolate, it was tasty but honestly I don’t need the taste of fried goodness for my first meal of the day.

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The gondola ride up San Bernardo Hill (300m, 984 ft.) above the city is unquestionably the first thing one should do in town. You get a panoramic view of the Lerma Valley, and you can do a 360 degree walk all the way around the top. You can also see one snow-capped mountain peak that is not visible from the ground.

After the gondola ride and a walk back towards the town center, it was time for a lunch of rabbit stew, followed by a cup of coca tea (“when in the Andes…”). Beyond providing a bit more of an energy boost than a cup of regular tea, I couldn’t really tell if the tea had that much of a noticeable effect.

Continuing with the theme of taking in the Andean environment, that night I had a llama fillet for dinner. I can’t really compare it to beef or chicken, and would describe it simply as tasty grilled meat.

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Sunday in Argentina is a pretty dead time, and a lot of shops were closed in that morning. Having a few hours to kill before the flight to BA, I read a little bit in the main plaza, checked out the Cabildo museum (former government building – a lot of interesting items and very well done – no English on the descriptions though) and then went to a café for a light lunch (5 especially good empanadas and a coffee for less than US$ 3 – wow).

Landed in BA around 5:30 p.m., took a private car/remise to the hotel and had a fugazeta (basically a pizza with just cheese and onions) at a nearby spot that I remembered from my previous visit. 10 ½ hours of sleep later, and despite feeling a little throat soreness, I was ready to hit the streets.

7-2 Mon. - A Break from Walking in BA

It is sunny and in the 50s, which when walking produces the anomalous feeling of being slightly chilly while sweating profusely (the sweating and throat soreness mentioned above, as it turns out, were a sign of a moderately bad cold to arrive very shortly thereafter).

By the end of that day it was apparent that, yes, I had a cold (while on vacation, by myself, in a foreign country – great). Even though I taken vitamins before leaving and had brought anti-bacterial gel to carry in my bookbag, the stress of travel plus the plane ride from Salta (which was full and replete with people sniffling and sneezing – it is wintertime here) is likely what did me in.

By no means, however, did I dwell on the negative. The cold impacted my plans to the extent that instead of taking as many long walks as I would have liked I just took cabs instead, and I just didn’t have as much physical energy as I would have otherwise. If nothing else, even though my sense of taste was dulled I could still enjoy and savor steak.

Postscript - Back in One Piece

With the increase in tourism in since 2001, there has been so much writing about BA that I am not sure what words and phrases have not been used to describe the city.

At a simple level, BA is very much a mix of the modern and traditional. As opposed to the styrofoam-centric food delivery in the U.S., there you will see waiters with trays of coffee in ceramic cups and food on regular (covered) plates walking to nearby offices – a quaint touch.

To me BA is infinitely fascinating. After NYC it is my probably my favorite place to walk around. I am taken in by the architecture, people, food, culture and history. With the varying European and American influences, while still being in a Spanish-speaking Latin American country, at times I have genuinely felt like I didn’t know where I was (in an adventurous, stimulating way). At a bare minimum, I am glad I got to check it out while the exchange rate and economic situation permitted. The potential for volatility and fluctuation is ever-present in this regard, and one simply cannot speculate how long it will continue to be a good deal (albeit increasingly less good) for American travelers. I am very enamored of the idea of travelling without a significant change in time zones, so I suspect that my next travels will take me elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere.