September 24th, 2010
I had the genius idea of singing up for a free bike ride called "Bike to the Bash". Ok, so the idea was not mine. A friend suggested it, but I did not hesitate. It's a ride to San Antonio, where the cyclists will end up at the "Bash at the brewery", a live music event organized by the Lone Star brewery.
Being a free event, with free entry to the concert, it was a matter of signing up and hoping you would get selected the day they would pick the names out of the hat. And it seems, I was one of the lucky cyclists who will be joining the ride.
So, here I am, ready to join the ride tomorrow. 
Bike ready CHECK
Camelbak filled with Gatorade CHECK
Clothes ready CHECK
Glasses CHECK
Bandana CHECK
Ride wristband CHECK
Tyre repair tools CHECK
Energy gel shots CHECK
Phone, ID, money CHECK
Timing watch CHECK
iPod CHECK
I think I got everything covered... Now, why all this preparation, you're gonna ask. Well, San Antonio is not exactly down the road. In fact, it is an 80 mile (129km) distance from here to our final destination. All 165 of us will be setting off precisely at 7am, intending to get there some time in the afternoon. So yes, I do need to be prepared.
Am I nuts? Probably! Hell, I don't even like the music they'll be playing at the festival. I'm only going for the fun of it and to see how I'll cope with such a long bike ride. Luckily, another friend is also on the ride, so we'll get some good laughs in.
Time now is 8.30pm and I'm going to bed already, because I got a 5am wake up call ahead of me. I'll keep you posted if I survive this.
M.
If you don't, I know just the way for you to get a good idea of what it's all about.
I just launched a new photoblog based entirely on Austin and its quirky elements.
Of course, you will not find many photos in there yet, since I only launched it yesterday, but my goal is to be shooting more of Austin and to be introducing a new entry every single day, so this website should keep me in track.
Feel free to register for updates, or to be checking it whenever you feel like. I'm sure you'll see many things you will enjoy. Hell, it may even make you want to come and visit me. :)
M.
18/08/2010
I don't know what came over me today, but I started going through a bunch of my photos from Buenos Aires. I have some of the best memories of my life from that place. I miss the city, I miss my friends, I miss the dances, I miss the alfajores, I miss the graveyard of bottles in my kitchen. I spent 2 remarkable years in that city.
Here is small selection of the good times we had in the city of good winds...
M.
10/07/2010
It's been ages since my last post, I know. A lot of things happened in the past 2-3 months, which, to be honest, I am not going to write about. So, if you already know about all the things I've been up to lately, great. If not, then you are probably not even supposed to know.
A bit more than a week ago, D. and I boarded Charlie to embark on a relatively short road trip.
Ultimate destination: Huntsville, Alabama.
Her mom was throwing a surprise party for her dad, so we were going to be part of the surprise.
We set off on Thursday the 1st. To get there, we covered just over 1300 kilometers but before arriving, we stopped at Birmingham for a couple of nights, to see a few friends.
Somewhere in Texas. Agreed, 4th of July was closing in, but still... On cupcakes???
We found this representation of a hanging on the side of a highway. Crazy thing, it was part of the landscaping of a lawyer's office!
Found an Athens in Texas.
And then one in Alabama.
The pig is a local landmark for Alabama.
So is Hooters and its educational events...
Did you know that Birmingham has a beach??
When we made it to Huntsville, the "What The Fuck???" moments kept pouring in... Huntsville is known for many memorable elements.
Big shopping centers.
Delicious beverages.
Life changing questions.
And its rocket and space program history.
Seriously, there are rockets on the side of the interstate.
You don't see that every day!
The welcoming committee?
The party was a great success, her parents were happy to see us, we stayed 2 days and then we went on our way. Now, having plenty of time to get back, we decided to avoid the interstates and drive back through backroads and small towns. Keep in mind, we are talking about some of the most stereotypical "southern" states one can visit. Driving through the small, unknown town of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and East Texas is not something to be taken lightly. Time has indeed stopped in many of those places.
However, that does not mean we digressed from the WTF theme of this trip.
A giant crawfish in Alexandria, Louisiana. Mind you, the whole city seemed to be "closed for remodeling", a sign many stores decided to decorate their fronts with.
Back in Texas. (Making sure nobody misses it.)
A police car in Jasper, Texas! (?!?!?!?)
A choo-choo train in College Station, Texas.
It was a short trip with immense amounts of fun, but I'm happy to be back in Austin. :)
M.
24/04/2010
It's great not needing to work! You have the freedom to catch all these crazy events and then some. (Funny enough, it's now a year that I have not been working and it seems like I'll be sticking to this pattern for a while still. :) )
Does anyone out there remember Eeyore, the blue donkey from Winnie the Pooh? Well, on the 24th of April his birthday is celebrated and only a place like Austin would throw a huge party in the park in his favor.
This past saturday, the 24th of April, the whole of Pease park was full of happy, silly people wearing any costume you can possibly imagine, were painted in all colors of the rainbow and were smoking all herbs known to man... The fun and laughter went on strong till sundown, when everyone dispersed and headed out o the afterparties.
I seriously friggin love this city!!!
M.
21/04/2010
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the wedding of D. and C. in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. They live in San Francisco, which is also where I met them, but they were going to have an intimate ceremony with 40-50 people in Mexico, so it was a real honor for me to be there.
They wedding was held on the beach of the Grand Sunset Princess, an all-inclusive resort right on the turquoise waves of the Caribbean sea. Endless acres of land, incorporating a number of restaurants, pools and other amenities to accommodate the guests of their 1500 rooms. The term "all-inclusive" means that once you pay for your room, all consumption of any kind is free within the walls of the resort. In other words, we're talking about a heavily alcohol-infused culinary extravaganza while lounging by the side of the pool.
The whole resort was beautiful and luxurious beyond belief. Most people there, however were a little bit too pretentious, shallow and loud for my tastes, so the night time was more appealing to me.
As for the wedding itself, breathtaking. A beautiful ceremony, right by the beach, hosted in between two palm trees, graced with the presence of many joyful, elegant participants.
The bride and her father
Obligatory, cheesy, post-ceremonial photo
It was a quick, 4-day escape to a gorgeous part of Mexico, filled with fun people, exciting memories and lots and lots of food!
M.
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