Grinder backpacking South America
February 10th, 2019 at 10:18:43 AM
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We flew from Medellin to Cartagena on the 23rd at 7pm.When we landed we took an Uber to our hostel 20 minutes away. When we arrived we handed the driver 50,000 for a 17,000 ride and he informs us that he has absolutely no money on him... Kyle and I ask the hostel worker who has no money as they have made their deposit already for the day so we headed to the nearest convenience store to buy water so we could get change. 20 minutes later our driver has been paid and his Uber rating has gone down. Kyle and Amy took a swim when we arrived and I went to the food truck park down the street as I was starving. I had a Thai crepe with chicken in a curry with mushrooms and almonds, weird combo but it was tasty.
Later that night we walked to the plaza square where people go to drink and eat at night. There were about a half dozen local food carts and a couple hundred people just hanging out. They were hungry so we stopped at a restaurant where they ordered a pizza and pasta... Kyle then complains that his pasta is garbage. Well yes that is what happens when you order Italian food in a small town in Colombia!
The next morning I woke up hungry around 8 so I went and had a quick hostel breakfast before going back to bed for a couple more hours. That afternoon we went to the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, basically a giant old castle. The castle was very cool but beyond steep to climb. It was also about 3000 degrees outside so by the end of our time exploring we were completely wiped.
It was even hotter in the tunnels.
Kyle is 6’5 and therefore was way to tall to stand up in the tunnels.
We went to the mall down the street so they could look for more tank tops. I got a waffle with ice cream, cookies, brownies, chocolate chips and sauce in it. Very healthy I know! I then proceeded to drop it on the floor and then purchase a new one lol. Maybe it was a sign because I had a terrible reaction to the dairy and instantly regretted having the waffle with ice cream. I met up with Kyle and Amy after they were done lunch and we grabbed some groceries so Kyle could play chef for us for dinner.
Back at the hostel we went swimming for a while before I got my first injury of the trip! There was a sharp tile in the pool and I managed to find it and slide my foot across it leaving a decent amount of blood coming from my foot. The owner of the hostel disinfected my foot and then wrapped me up in way more bandage than I could have possibly needed. Why is it that I manage to always injure myself abroad? After swimming I went back for another crepe this time with garlic shrimp and pollack inside, also very tasty.
We took it easy that night, Kyle made steak, potatoes and broccoli and we hung out at the hostel.
I slept in until about noon the next day. Amy and Kyle were going to an island for about 30 hours (I had no interest) so I was on my own for the day. I dropped off our laundry to be cleaned and then went to an Arab restaurant that the owner of the hostel suggested to me. I had shrimp in a garlic sauce with fried plantains to I assume dunk in the sauce.
After my exhausting morning (not really) I took a well deserved nap. I then woke up, watched some Netflix and continued my terribly tough day.
I walked over the to the plaza to get some street food for dinner. I started with a breaded cheese stick and a fried beef and potato ball. They weren’t great as they weren’t hot, could have been better. Hot dogs are heavily used in Colombian dishes but in this plaza you could get an actual hot dog on a bun with loads of other things on top. I got the choriperro which had a glob of cheese, ranch and ketchup, potatoes, cabbage and fried potato sticks like a hickory stick. They topped the whole thing off with more of each sauce. The dog was actually really good and a massive mess to eat.
There is this street by the plaza, I don’t know the point of it but it’s awesome looking.
After eating I took a taxi to Bocagrande to the Master Royale Casino. I played 10k minimum BJ and lost 30k pesos. The casino was using chips from the old Atlantis Casino for 5k chips so I kept a 2500 chip. I walked ten minutes to the Rio Casino but they were using the same chips as all the other Rio casinos.
After walking around Bocagrande for a while I took a uber back to the hostel. I got him to drop me off at the food truck park as I was hungry again. I had baby potatoes with mushrooms, cheese and chicken on top. There was a gravy that reminded me of a dish my mom makes with mushroom soup, corn, cheese and noodles. The dish was quite tasty but I burned the crap out of the top of my mouth.
The next day I slept in as I was up until 3:30 am with an upset stomach. I rolled out of bed around noon and decided to go exploring. I walked past the plaza and just kept walking. I ended up in an extremely local area. People looked at me a little funny as I was the only tourist around but they didn’t seem to care much that I was there. I got an arepa that was grilled, opened up and stuffed full of beef, chicken, chorizo and mozzarella. I figured this was a great food plan with my upset stomach from the night before. (Maybe not?!?) The arepa was extremely tasty but I was still hungry after.
I made my way back to the plaza where the cart beside the hot dog cart was making some sort of weird creation. The bottom of the plate was a mixture of hot dogs and I think beef. They then topped it like the hot dog the day before, cabbage, potatoes, globs of cheese, the sauces and fried potato sticks. I decided after watching to order one, the large was only 2,000 (less than a dollar) more than the small so if figured why not? Well because it’s an insane amount of food that’s why. I ate about half of it and then I was going to feed it to the stray dogs but a Venezuelan man asked if he could have the rest so I happily gave it to him.
The white stuff is cheese melting and the pile beside it is the meat.
It was bigger than it looks.
Random graffiti that I liked in Cartagena.
I walked back to the hostel and took it easy for the rest of the night as I had an early flight to Bogota and then Lima.
I took this on the bridge that night back to the hostel.
Kyle and Amy we’re back from the island and were bruised beyond belief. Apparently the water was really choppy and they had to hold on for dear life as the boat bounced them up and down. (It’s been two weeks since that boat trip and Kyle still has massive bruises on him. We talked about the island and they confirmed exactly why I didn’t want to go. I’m not one for roughing it and the island was definitely roughing it.
That’s all for Colombia for now. Overall I loved the country, the food was excellent minus the death shawarma. The people are kind and the cities are beautiful. I highly recommend that everyone visit if they get the chance.
Oh!!! I almost forgot, I met Starlin Castro of the Miami Marlins, he is a dick lol. I was in line behind him and saw his Marlins equipment bags, then I realized that I recognized him. I was pretty sure it was him and almost 100% sure after I looked up a picture of him. After I checked my bag I said hi and asked if in fact he was who I thought he was. He confirmed his name and shook my hand. I asked if I could get a picture to which he says "for money", what a dick. You make 11.9 million a year lol.
I didn’t pay for this picture lol.
Later that night we walked to the plaza square where people go to drink and eat at night. There were about a half dozen local food carts and a couple hundred people just hanging out. They were hungry so we stopped at a restaurant where they ordered a pizza and pasta... Kyle then complains that his pasta is garbage. Well yes that is what happens when you order Italian food in a small town in Colombia!
The next morning I woke up hungry around 8 so I went and had a quick hostel breakfast before going back to bed for a couple more hours. That afternoon we went to the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, basically a giant old castle. The castle was very cool but beyond steep to climb. It was also about 3000 degrees outside so by the end of our time exploring we were completely wiped.
It was even hotter in the tunnels.
Kyle is 6’5 and therefore was way to tall to stand up in the tunnels.
We went to the mall down the street so they could look for more tank tops. I got a waffle with ice cream, cookies, brownies, chocolate chips and sauce in it. Very healthy I know! I then proceeded to drop it on the floor and then purchase a new one lol. Maybe it was a sign because I had a terrible reaction to the dairy and instantly regretted having the waffle with ice cream. I met up with Kyle and Amy after they were done lunch and we grabbed some groceries so Kyle could play chef for us for dinner.
Back at the hostel we went swimming for a while before I got my first injury of the trip! There was a sharp tile in the pool and I managed to find it and slide my foot across it leaving a decent amount of blood coming from my foot. The owner of the hostel disinfected my foot and then wrapped me up in way more bandage than I could have possibly needed. Why is it that I manage to always injure myself abroad? After swimming I went back for another crepe this time with garlic shrimp and pollack inside, also very tasty.
We took it easy that night, Kyle made steak, potatoes and broccoli and we hung out at the hostel.
I slept in until about noon the next day. Amy and Kyle were going to an island for about 30 hours (I had no interest) so I was on my own for the day. I dropped off our laundry to be cleaned and then went to an Arab restaurant that the owner of the hostel suggested to me. I had shrimp in a garlic sauce with fried plantains to I assume dunk in the sauce.
After my exhausting morning (not really) I took a well deserved nap. I then woke up, watched some Netflix and continued my terribly tough day.
I walked over the to the plaza to get some street food for dinner. I started with a breaded cheese stick and a fried beef and potato ball. They weren’t great as they weren’t hot, could have been better. Hot dogs are heavily used in Colombian dishes but in this plaza you could get an actual hot dog on a bun with loads of other things on top. I got the choriperro which had a glob of cheese, ranch and ketchup, potatoes, cabbage and fried potato sticks like a hickory stick. They topped the whole thing off with more of each sauce. The dog was actually really good and a massive mess to eat.
There is this street by the plaza, I don’t know the point of it but it’s awesome looking.
After eating I took a taxi to Bocagrande to the Master Royale Casino. I played 10k minimum BJ and lost 30k pesos. The casino was using chips from the old Atlantis Casino for 5k chips so I kept a 2500 chip. I walked ten minutes to the Rio Casino but they were using the same chips as all the other Rio casinos.
After walking around Bocagrande for a while I took a uber back to the hostel. I got him to drop me off at the food truck park as I was hungry again. I had baby potatoes with mushrooms, cheese and chicken on top. There was a gravy that reminded me of a dish my mom makes with mushroom soup, corn, cheese and noodles. The dish was quite tasty but I burned the crap out of the top of my mouth.
The next day I slept in as I was up until 3:30 am with an upset stomach. I rolled out of bed around noon and decided to go exploring. I walked past the plaza and just kept walking. I ended up in an extremely local area. People looked at me a little funny as I was the only tourist around but they didn’t seem to care much that I was there. I got an arepa that was grilled, opened up and stuffed full of beef, chicken, chorizo and mozzarella. I figured this was a great food plan with my upset stomach from the night before. (Maybe not?!?) The arepa was extremely tasty but I was still hungry after.
I made my way back to the plaza where the cart beside the hot dog cart was making some sort of weird creation. The bottom of the plate was a mixture of hot dogs and I think beef. They then topped it like the hot dog the day before, cabbage, potatoes, globs of cheese, the sauces and fried potato sticks. I decided after watching to order one, the large was only 2,000 (less than a dollar) more than the small so if figured why not? Well because it’s an insane amount of food that’s why. I ate about half of it and then I was going to feed it to the stray dogs but a Venezuelan man asked if he could have the rest so I happily gave it to him.
The white stuff is cheese melting and the pile beside it is the meat.
It was bigger than it looks.
Random graffiti that I liked in Cartagena.
I walked back to the hostel and took it easy for the rest of the night as I had an early flight to Bogota and then Lima.
I took this on the bridge that night back to the hostel.
Kyle and Amy we’re back from the island and were bruised beyond belief. Apparently the water was really choppy and they had to hold on for dear life as the boat bounced them up and down. (It’s been two weeks since that boat trip and Kyle still has massive bruises on him. We talked about the island and they confirmed exactly why I didn’t want to go. I’m not one for roughing it and the island was definitely roughing it.
That’s all for Colombia for now. Overall I loved the country, the food was excellent minus the death shawarma. The people are kind and the cities are beautiful. I highly recommend that everyone visit if they get the chance.
Oh!!! I almost forgot, I met Starlin Castro of the Miami Marlins, he is a dick lol. I was in line behind him and saw his Marlins equipment bags, then I realized that I recognized him. I was pretty sure it was him and almost 100% sure after I looked up a picture of him. After I checked my bag I said hi and asked if in fact he was who I thought he was. He confirmed his name and shook my hand. I asked if I could get a picture to which he says "for money", what a dick. You make 11.9 million a year lol.
I didn’t pay for this picture lol.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 10th, 2019 at 10:30:40 AM
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It just took me over a hour to upload these photos to imgur, the wifi in San Pedro De Atacama is horrendous. I will try to make the next post in Calama tomorrow but I’m not holding my breath.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 10th, 2019 at 1:13:49 PM
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So in SA you take an UBER but have to pay in cash rather than him getting paid via a credit card UBER already has on file? Not good!
February 10th, 2019 at 1:24:32 PM
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I'm still laughing about you hanging around a place called Bigmouth all day and eating huge quantities of street food. Seems like you found a home there...lol.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
February 10th, 2019 at 1:32:37 PM
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Quote: SOOPOOSo in SA you take an UBER but have to pay in cash rather than him getting paid via a credit card UBER already has on file? Not good!
Yeah, that is weird. My only experiences with Uber was in Italy and it worked the same as US, billed to credit card on file.
February 10th, 2019 at 2:57:45 PM
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Soopoo paying by cash in all these counties is my choice. My credit card gives me crappy rates on exchange. I’m always carrying the foreign currencies so I prefer to pay cash.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 10th, 2019 at 3:00:16 PM
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Quote: beachbumbabsI'm still laughing about you hanging around a place called Bigmouth all day and eating huge quantities of street food. Seems like you found a home there...lol.
That sounds like a personal insult, I call for Babs to be suspended for 2 weeks please! Mike? Where is Mike when you need him?
Btw I had to read back to figure out where you got big mouth from lol.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 10th, 2019 at 3:14:54 PM
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Looks like you're having fun. If we ever meet I'll let you take a picture of me for a dollar, (I make less than a million a year).
I thought I'd seen the umbrella's before so I looked it up in Google where there are scores of them from all over the world. And I just might make that into a patio.
And in case you are missing it I'll do my best to fill in with an EBesque edification:
You were smart to not take that boat
ride. People die every day on boats
like that. Your friends are lucky they
just got a few bruises.
What were you thinking by eating
street food? Of course you got a
sick stomach, which is why I never
eat anything other than unbleached
flour. In most of these countries they
can't afford real meat so what you are
probably eating is the leftover cuts
thrown on the floor in American meat
processing companies.
I thought I'd seen the umbrella's before so I looked it up in Google where there are scores of them from all over the world. And I just might make that into a patio.
And in case you are missing it I'll do my best to fill in with an EBesque edification:
You were smart to not take that boat
ride. People die every day on boats
like that. Your friends are lucky they
just got a few bruises.
What were you thinking by eating
street food? Of course you got a
sick stomach, which is why I never
eat anything other than unbleached
flour. In most of these countries they
can't afford real meat so what you are
probably eating is the leftover cuts
thrown on the floor in American meat
processing companies.
February 10th, 2019 at 5:06:14 PM
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Quote: HullabalooLooks like you're having fun. If we ever meet I'll let you take a picture of me for a dollar, (I make less than a million a year).
I thought I'd seen the umbrella's before so I looked it up in Google where there are scores of them from all over the world. And I just might make that into a patio.
And in case you are missing it I'll do my best to fill in with an EBesque edification:
You were smart to not take that boat
ride. People die every day on boats
like that. Your friends are lucky they
just got a few bruises.
What were you thinking by eating
street food? Of course you got a
sick stomach, which is why I never
eat anything other than unbleached
flour. In most of these countries they
can't afford real meat so what you are
probably eating is the leftover cuts
thrown on the floor in American meat
processing companies.
Coming to PG's defense, some of my happiest 'culinary' experiences have been street food in various impoverished unsanitary countries. What compares with with fried scorpion and deer penis liquor on the streets of some poor village in China?
February 10th, 2019 at 5:15:08 PM
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Quote: PokerGrinderSoopoo paying by cash in all these counties is my choice. My credit card gives me crappy rates on exchange. I’m always carrying the foreign currencies so I prefer to pay cash.
In that case, how can you be upset with the Uber driver for not having change? I didn't even know it was an option to pay cash for Uber. I highly doubt any Uber drivers are driving around in the US prepared to make change.
February 10th, 2019 at 5:39:08 PM
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Quote: MaxPenIn that case, how can you be upset with the Uber driver for not having change? I didn't even know it was an option to pay cash for Uber. I highly doubt any Uber drivers are driving around in the US prepared to make change.
I don’t expect them to carry a lot but almost all of them have had change and I’ve taken Uber all over the world.
Soopoo I totally agree about the street food. I actually prefer street food a lot of the time when I’m travelling.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 10th, 2019 at 9:35:58 PM
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FFS, I even had my voodoo doll ready for just this situation.Quote: PokerGrinder
Kyle and Amy we’re back from the island and were bruised beyond belief. Apparently the water was really choppy and they had to hold on for dear life as the boat bounced them up and down. (It’s been two weeks since that boat trip and Kyle still has massive bruises on him. We talked about the island and they confirmed exactly why I didn’t want to go. I’m not one for roughing it and the island was definitely roughing it.
Even though I missed my chance, I assume you have lots of street food left to consume.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
February 10th, 2019 at 10:29:53 PM
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Why the hearts tho? And why is your pokergrinder doll on its back spread eagle? Nvm don't wanna know ;)
100% risk of ruin
February 10th, 2019 at 10:38:20 PM
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Don't be jellouse, it's not very christian like.Quote: RogerKintWhy the hearts tho? And why is your pokergrinder doll on its back spread eagle? Nvm don't wanna know ;)
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
February 10th, 2019 at 10:59:35 PM
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Quote: RogerKintWhy the hearts tho? And why is your pokergrinder doll on its back spread eagle? Nvm don't wanna know ;)
Axel likes to insinuate that others are gay, you know why that is don’t you?
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 10th, 2019 at 11:01:33 PM
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Quote: PokerGrinderAxel likes to insinuate that others are gay, you know why that is don’t you?
He claims he only does it to guys he likes. Is that a hint?
100% risk of ruin
February 11th, 2019 at 11:47:49 AM
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You guys are the ones who brought gay into this. Roger saw hearts and a spread eagle doll and got all excited and jellouse. Do you know how hard it is to find a picture of a voodoo doll in a boat? I saw the hearts and knew somome would comment on that. I thought, so what, it was a appropriate since I don't really want PG to die (just suffer for a few weeks).
Happy backpacking.
Happy backpacking.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
February 14th, 2019 at 7:11:52 PM
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How did you know the man you gave extra food to was from Venezuela?
Did you have a chat or something?
Why didn't you mention the name of the island Kyle/Amy visited?
1) It is a secret.
2) Strange/weird things happen there.
3) You do not know the name.
4) It is a difficult spanish word to remember or spell.
My Guess
Did you have a chat or something?
Why didn't you mention the name of the island Kyle/Amy visited?
1) It is a secret.
2) Strange/weird things happen there.
3) You do not know the name.
4) It is a difficult spanish word to remember or spell.
My Guess
#4
February 14th, 2019 at 7:25:24 PM
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Quote: RogerKintHe claims he only does it to guys he likes. Is that a hint?
Jellouse
February 14th, 2019 at 8:28:24 PM
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Quote: KeeneoneHow did you know the man you gave extra food to was from Venezuela?
Did you have a chat or something?
Why didn't you mention the name of the island Kyle/Amy visited?
1) It is a secret.
2) Strange/weird things happen there.
3) You do not know the name.
4) It is a difficult spanish word to remember or spell.
My Guess#4
I assumed based on the fact that currently there are tons of homeless Venezuelans in Colombia and Cartagena especially. Also Venezuelans look a bit different than Colombians. Basically I made an educated guess.
Kyle and Amy went to Isla Grande. I just didn’t think it mattered what island lol.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 14th, 2019 at 8:38:11 PM
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Quote: PokerGrinder... Kyle and Amy went to Isla Grande...
Isn’t that where Jurassic Park was located?
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
February 15th, 2019 at 5:37:26 AM
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Quote: AyecarumbaIsn’t that where Jurassic Park was located?
Jurassic is Isla Nublar. I looked it up, I didn’t know that off hand.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 15th, 2019 at 9:09:09 AM
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No nasty food poisoning for you yet? Okay, Ill check back later.Quote: PokerGrinder
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
February 15th, 2019 at 10:30:40 AM
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Quote: AxelWolfNo nasty food poisoning for you yet? Okay, Ill check back later.
Haha no I’m doing very well on that front, thanks buddy.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 15th, 2019 at 11:21:17 AM
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I know some good restaurants here in Vegas, such as Firefly Tapas. Next time you are in town it's my treat. They have a great romaine lettuce salad you should try.Quote: PokerGrinderHaha no I’m doing very well on that front, thanks buddy.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
February 15th, 2019 at 11:46:05 AM
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Quote: AxelWolfI know some good restaurants here in Vegas, such as Firefly Tapas. Next time you are in town it's my treat. They have a great romaine lettuce salad you should try.
I’m sensing a trap...
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 15th, 2019 at 11:55:50 AM
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Quote: PokerGrinderI’m sensing a trap...
I don't think you look like a potato at all, Admiral!
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
February 15th, 2019 at 12:52:27 PM
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Quote: beachbumbabsI don't think you look like a potato at all, Admiral!
That went way over my head?!?
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 15th, 2019 at 2:34:39 PM
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Quote: beachbumbabsI don't think you look like a potato at all, Admiral!
Like this?
February 16th, 2019 at 12:14:30 AM
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Quote: PokerGrinderJurassic is Isla Nublar. I looked it up, I didn’t know that off hand.
Thanks. It turns out Isla Grande had a dinosaur park on it after all. Drug kingpin Pablo Escobar built it as part of his Casa Grande.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
February 16th, 2019 at 3:47:10 AM
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FWIW, just one guy's thoughts & recollections about that little.incident about making change I just got to reading, in case it is any use. I had that "sorry Sir, have no change" or "not enough change for all of that" thing happen to me more than several times from a variety of small vendors in some other countries. One day a local friend told me it was known as "a thing" specifically for foreigners, done as a way of tipping oneself, particularly in some areas of their capital city that got a lot of travelers coming through. I found that easy to believe, with what I'd seen about some informal differences in local vs. foreigner pricing practices & the like.
At the time, while agreeing with the above, someone else who I believed to be well informed also suggested that after some big exchange rate movements the small denominations were legitimately in chronic short supply from time to time, because the gov't didn't have much incentive to pay the unfavorable foreign exchange cost of the fancy imported counterfeit-resistant paper stock & stuff to make them with small values.
But that was all not anywhere in South or Central America and it was quite a while ago, in a couple of countries on the other side of the globe. Whatever, none of those experiences of mine are recent, because I took to making a habit of stocking up on small denominations for countries where I expect to do cash transactions because of infrastructure making electronic payments sometimes problematic or unfavorable extra transaction costs or whatever. FWIW.
Appreciating your descriptions of your experiences very much.
At the time, while agreeing with the above, someone else who I believed to be well informed also suggested that after some big exchange rate movements the small denominations were legitimately in chronic short supply from time to time, because the gov't didn't have much incentive to pay the unfavorable foreign exchange cost of the fancy imported counterfeit-resistant paper stock & stuff to make them with small values.
But that was all not anywhere in South or Central America and it was quite a while ago, in a couple of countries on the other side of the globe. Whatever, none of those experiences of mine are recent, because I took to making a habit of stocking up on small denominations for countries where I expect to do cash transactions because of infrastructure making electronic payments sometimes problematic or unfavorable extra transaction costs or whatever. FWIW.
Appreciating your descriptions of your experiences very much.
Suck dope, watch TV, make up stuff, be somebody on the internet.
February 16th, 2019 at 5:13:31 AM
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I try and have small bills and coins on me most of the time. Problem is some days I end up using all the small stuff and I’m stuck with just the big stuff.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 23rd, 2019 at 6:35:36 PM
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It has been a week, where you @?
Are you back in the CA cold or are you still enjoying the SA summer?
In case you missed it, the Jets beat the crud out of VGK the other night.
Are you back in the CA cold or are you still enjoying the SA summer?
In case you missed it, the Jets beat the crud out of VGK the other night.
February 23rd, 2019 at 7:38:19 PM
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I’m in Aruba, headed back to Colombia in the morning for a couple of days.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 24th, 2019 at 4:42:19 AM
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Quote: PokerGrinderI’m in Aruba, headed back to Colombia in the morning for a couple of days.
Great trip report! Concise, but full of all the details we need to know. I'd suggest adding at least one picture of bikini clad girl on the beach to make it complete.
February 24th, 2019 at 4:57:58 AM
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Well I have a lot of posts still to come when I get home but no bikini clad girls.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 24th, 2019 at 6:41:15 AM
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Time for some minor trivia while we wait for PG to get a good internet connection: Why is that style of swimwear known by that name?Quote: Hullabaloo... bikini ....
February 24th, 2019 at 6:50:01 AM
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Quote: DocTime for some minor trivia while we wait for PG to get a good internet connection: Why is that style of swimwear known by that name?
Bikini Atoll was the site of early tests of nuclear weapons. The swimsuit was supposed to (figuratively speaking) have the impact of an H-bomb going off
My goal of being well informed conflicts with my goal of remaining sane.
February 24th, 2019 at 10:22:43 AM
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Quote: PokerGrinderWell I have a lot of posts still to come when I get home but no bikini clad girls.
This is the first time I have been disappointed in you and your posts. How can you not have at least one beach shot with bikini's?
At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
February 24th, 2019 at 12:28:20 PM
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I don’t want to be the creeper taking pictures of half naked girls, I just want to be the creeper looking at the half naked ladies.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
February 24th, 2019 at 12:58:00 PM
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Quote: PokerGrinderI don’t want to be the creeper taking pictures of half naked girls, I just want to be the creeper looking at the half naked ladies.
We all need to pitch in and get PokerGrinder a pen cam or a hat cam before his next trip.
February 24th, 2019 at 2:46:38 PM
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Aruba? I guess only girls have to worry about spiked drinks.
Bikini? Misssionaries always try tomake local females cover up, even in hot climates.
Street food. Its fresh, prepared under constant scrutiny and always subject to competition.
taxation by street vendors or casino dealers is often a risk.
Bikini? Misssionaries always try tomake local females cover up, even in hot climates.
Street food. Its fresh, prepared under constant scrutiny and always subject to competition.
taxation by street vendors or casino dealers is often a risk.
February 24th, 2019 at 5:19:02 PM
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It looks like it will be a while before we get the next installment of this adventure so I'll just insert a Bobesque reply to keep things going. Kind of a prequel to the real thing.
Why would anyone in their right mind want to go to
Machu Picchu? It takes forever to get there, the place
is crawling with foreigners, and you can hardly breath
because the air is so thin. It's really not much more
than a bunch of rocks anyway. I'd rather watch a video
of it on my big screen from my Lazy Boy recliner. At
least that way I won't have to worry about running into
that wacko Shirley Maclaine.
Did you have a dinner of guinea pig while you were in
Peru? I heard they are delicious. My wife's, sister's,
grandson's daughter had a guinea pig. I was at their
house for a reunion and asked the daughter if the
guinea pig was on the menu. I don't know why, but
that seemed to upset her.
Why would anyone in their right mind want to go to
Machu Picchu? It takes forever to get there, the place
is crawling with foreigners, and you can hardly breath
because the air is so thin. It's really not much more
than a bunch of rocks anyway. I'd rather watch a video
of it on my big screen from my Lazy Boy recliner. At
least that way I won't have to worry about running into
that wacko Shirley Maclaine.
Did you have a dinner of guinea pig while you were in
Peru? I heard they are delicious. My wife's, sister's,
grandson's daughter had a guinea pig. I was at their
house for a reunion and asked the daughter if the
guinea pig was on the menu. I don't know why, but
that seemed to upset her.
April 4th, 2019 at 11:13:20 AM
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I had a 9:30 am flight from Cartagena to Bogota before flying to Lima later that day. I ate the hostel breakfast of mandarin oranges and the most tasteless pancakes I’ve ever had. It tasted like she forgot an ingredient. I was able to order an Uber without much trouble, I wasn’t sure if Uber would be possible as they were more scarce in Cartagena. The driver texted me and asked how many people he was picking up. I told him one as Amy and Kyle were on a later flight to Bogota. The driver showed up in the smallest Uber that I’ve ever seen. We might have been able to take one more person with luggage but 3 were never fitting.
The flight to Bogota was uneventful. I had lunch in the airport, bandeja paisa one more time. It was more expensive (airport duh!) and not as good as the one I had in Medellin but it was edible. I had a 3 hour layover in Bogotá, at some point during that Amy and Kyle showed up as we were on the same flight to Lima.
We got to Lima, ordered an Uber and headed to our hostel. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Uber? It makes life so simple, price is set before you order it, you know who your driver is and it gives the driver directions to where you need to go. Such a great app!
This is where the night got interesting. We paid the Uber and went in to check into our rooms. At the desk I realized I had dropped my iPhone in the Uber. I immediately panicked and tried to find it everywhere. When I realized it was definitely in the Uber we made a claim on the app saying that I had lost it. We waited for a response, easy to say I was in a pissy mood.
We went for dinner to this chicken restaurant. They specialized in roasted chicken and they do a very good job of it. I had the 1/4 chicken with sweet potato fries. I love sweet potato fries!
We stopped at a convenience store and grabbed some drinks. We headed back to the hostel, had to backtrack a bit but we eventually got there. This is why I buy a SIM card in every country so this doesn’t happen. I hadn’t had a chance to buy one yet with the whole missing phone problem.
I went to bed sad and irritated that my phone was still gone. Around midnight Kyle came into my room to tell me the driver was downstairs. I leaped out of bed beyond excited! The driver gave me my phone and I gave him a hug. I gave him 100 soles ($40 CDN) as a thank you. I was so ecstatic to have my phone back and since I got it back I’ve double and triple checked that I have it everywhere that I go.
The next morning we had the hostel breakfast before taking the free walking tour. The breakfast included a banana which I appreciated as I never seem to get enough fruits or veggies while travelling. The tour was one of the worst that I’ve ever taken. The guide seemed more interested in taking us somewhere and giving us time to explore the area than telling us about anything to with the city or it’s history. Tours are great because you get to learn about the places that you are but she seemed to have missed the memo. I wasn’t alone either as more than half the group made comments to me about how bad the tour was.
A few things about the tour, we got to try pisco sours which is similar to a whisky sour if a whisky sour tasted awful. It was way too strong for my liking but I was in the minority in this one.
Artist at work
We saw the changing of the guard at the palace.
She gave us so much time in this area that I had time to go get a SIM card while quite buzzed I might add as the pisco sour was insanely strong. We then went to a store called the chocolate museum where we were able to try raw cacao beans. We also tried different chocolate spreads with either nuts or fruits added. I loved the peanut butter chocolate so much that I bought one to use on my morning toast.
Our next stop was the market where the guide walked so fast that she lost half of our group. I had trouble keeping up with her as she darted through the market saying almost nothing. When she realized she lost half the group she made a half hearted attempt to find them before deciding to leave without them. They did eventually find us later in the tour but still how do you leave half the tour behind?
The tour ended in Chinatown. This was interesting as I’ve never seen a Chinatown with absolutely no Chinese people. We were told that most of the Chinese people had left Peru years earlier but Chinatown still existed. From there 6 of us tried to go for lunch at Al Toke Pez which is a hole in the wall that comes highly recommended online. We waited 35 minutes for an Uber that never came before two of the guys had to leave for the hostel. The four of us that remained ordered a new Uber that came very quickly. Al Toke Pez was even better than I thought it would be. I got the lunch combo of seafood rice, fish and seafood ceviche and chicharron. Everything was excellent! My favourite was the seafood rice, I plan on going back when I will be in Lima for 2 days near the end of my trip.
I love hole in the wall restaurants!
That night Kyle and Amy has reservations for a 12 course tasting menu ($170 CDN each) at a Michelin star restaurant. My plans included a different highly regarded restaurant called Punta Azul and some casino chip collecting.
The first two casinos (Atlantic city and Fiesta) I went to took a combined 60 soles from me. I was surprised how normal these casinos looked, they were very North American. So much so that the second casino had more tables in USD than their local currency. After this I went for dinner at Punto Azul. I had the grilled octopus on potato salad.
The octopus was grilled with an olive glaze which was very tasty, the octopus was perfectly cooked. The potato salad was odd as it was cold under hot octopus. I thought when I had ordered it would be hot potatoes, the joys of a language barrier.
After dinner I went to La Hacienda where they had a few tables, I made a quick deposit before leaving with my souvenir. Next was Majestic Casino which tried its best to be a Vegas casino. Their limits were larger and they had $25 chips where all the others used $20 chips that are rarely seen in North America. Another difference was that dealers sized into the players chips when paying where the other casinos would spread the chips for the camera and then put it beside the winning bet. Sizing into the chips makes the game a lot faster. I walked to all four of these casinos as they were within a half hour of the hostel.
My last stop of the night was one at a casino that I thought existed but I couldn’t be sure. The casino has a site but google maps seems to think it doesn’t exist. Google maps however does have the casino’s restaurant so I took an Uber there. Turns out that google was wrong and the casino does exist. I went upstairs where the tables were only to find out that they only play in USD for some reason. Luckily the cashier was able to change soles to USD and back again with no commission. I don’t understand why some foreign casinos use USD instead of their local currency, it makes no sense. I managed to lose 33 soles playing $2 USD BJ. I took an Uber back to the hostel and went to bed. We had an early bus to Paracas in the morning.
Lima was a neat city but because of time contraints we only spent a few days there. Lima the city wasn't that exciting but the food scene is incredible! They have 2 of the top 50 restaurants in the world (actually 2 of the top 20), they are the only city to have two on the top 50 list. I think if you had a week to spend you could just spend it eating your way through the city. It's not all about the high end restaurants either, they have amazing food for every price range. My food at Al Toke Pez was only $8 Canadian while my meal at Punto Azul ran me around $20 for a fancier restaurant.
The flight to Bogota was uneventful. I had lunch in the airport, bandeja paisa one more time. It was more expensive (airport duh!) and not as good as the one I had in Medellin but it was edible. I had a 3 hour layover in Bogotá, at some point during that Amy and Kyle showed up as we were on the same flight to Lima.
We got to Lima, ordered an Uber and headed to our hostel. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Uber? It makes life so simple, price is set before you order it, you know who your driver is and it gives the driver directions to where you need to go. Such a great app!
This is where the night got interesting. We paid the Uber and went in to check into our rooms. At the desk I realized I had dropped my iPhone in the Uber. I immediately panicked and tried to find it everywhere. When I realized it was definitely in the Uber we made a claim on the app saying that I had lost it. We waited for a response, easy to say I was in a pissy mood.
We went for dinner to this chicken restaurant. They specialized in roasted chicken and they do a very good job of it. I had the 1/4 chicken with sweet potato fries. I love sweet potato fries!
We stopped at a convenience store and grabbed some drinks. We headed back to the hostel, had to backtrack a bit but we eventually got there. This is why I buy a SIM card in every country so this doesn’t happen. I hadn’t had a chance to buy one yet with the whole missing phone problem.
I went to bed sad and irritated that my phone was still gone. Around midnight Kyle came into my room to tell me the driver was downstairs. I leaped out of bed beyond excited! The driver gave me my phone and I gave him a hug. I gave him 100 soles ($40 CDN) as a thank you. I was so ecstatic to have my phone back and since I got it back I’ve double and triple checked that I have it everywhere that I go.
The next morning we had the hostel breakfast before taking the free walking tour. The breakfast included a banana which I appreciated as I never seem to get enough fruits or veggies while travelling. The tour was one of the worst that I’ve ever taken. The guide seemed more interested in taking us somewhere and giving us time to explore the area than telling us about anything to with the city or it’s history. Tours are great because you get to learn about the places that you are but she seemed to have missed the memo. I wasn’t alone either as more than half the group made comments to me about how bad the tour was.
A few things about the tour, we got to try pisco sours which is similar to a whisky sour if a whisky sour tasted awful. It was way too strong for my liking but I was in the minority in this one.
Artist at work
We saw the changing of the guard at the palace.
She gave us so much time in this area that I had time to go get a SIM card while quite buzzed I might add as the pisco sour was insanely strong. We then went to a store called the chocolate museum where we were able to try raw cacao beans. We also tried different chocolate spreads with either nuts or fruits added. I loved the peanut butter chocolate so much that I bought one to use on my morning toast.
Our next stop was the market where the guide walked so fast that she lost half of our group. I had trouble keeping up with her as she darted through the market saying almost nothing. When she realized she lost half the group she made a half hearted attempt to find them before deciding to leave without them. They did eventually find us later in the tour but still how do you leave half the tour behind?
The tour ended in Chinatown. This was interesting as I’ve never seen a Chinatown with absolutely no Chinese people. We were told that most of the Chinese people had left Peru years earlier but Chinatown still existed. From there 6 of us tried to go for lunch at Al Toke Pez which is a hole in the wall that comes highly recommended online. We waited 35 minutes for an Uber that never came before two of the guys had to leave for the hostel. The four of us that remained ordered a new Uber that came very quickly. Al Toke Pez was even better than I thought it would be. I got the lunch combo of seafood rice, fish and seafood ceviche and chicharron. Everything was excellent! My favourite was the seafood rice, I plan on going back when I will be in Lima for 2 days near the end of my trip.
I love hole in the wall restaurants!
That night Kyle and Amy has reservations for a 12 course tasting menu ($170 CDN each) at a Michelin star restaurant. My plans included a different highly regarded restaurant called Punta Azul and some casino chip collecting.
The first two casinos (Atlantic city and Fiesta) I went to took a combined 60 soles from me. I was surprised how normal these casinos looked, they were very North American. So much so that the second casino had more tables in USD than their local currency. After this I went for dinner at Punto Azul. I had the grilled octopus on potato salad.
The octopus was grilled with an olive glaze which was very tasty, the octopus was perfectly cooked. The potato salad was odd as it was cold under hot octopus. I thought when I had ordered it would be hot potatoes, the joys of a language barrier.
After dinner I went to La Hacienda where they had a few tables, I made a quick deposit before leaving with my souvenir. Next was Majestic Casino which tried its best to be a Vegas casino. Their limits were larger and they had $25 chips where all the others used $20 chips that are rarely seen in North America. Another difference was that dealers sized into the players chips when paying where the other casinos would spread the chips for the camera and then put it beside the winning bet. Sizing into the chips makes the game a lot faster. I walked to all four of these casinos as they were within a half hour of the hostel.
My last stop of the night was one at a casino that I thought existed but I couldn’t be sure. The casino has a site but google maps seems to think it doesn’t exist. Google maps however does have the casino’s restaurant so I took an Uber there. Turns out that google was wrong and the casino does exist. I went upstairs where the tables were only to find out that they only play in USD for some reason. Luckily the cashier was able to change soles to USD and back again with no commission. I don’t understand why some foreign casinos use USD instead of their local currency, it makes no sense. I managed to lose 33 soles playing $2 USD BJ. I took an Uber back to the hostel and went to bed. We had an early bus to Paracas in the morning.
Lima was a neat city but because of time contraints we only spent a few days there. Lima the city wasn't that exciting but the food scene is incredible! They have 2 of the top 50 restaurants in the world (actually 2 of the top 20), they are the only city to have two on the top 50 list. I think if you had a week to spend you could just spend it eating your way through the city. It's not all about the high end restaurants either, they have amazing food for every price range. My food at Al Toke Pez was only $8 Canadian while my meal at Punto Azul ran me around $20 for a fancier restaurant.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
April 4th, 2019 at 1:10:03 PM
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With that much froth they almost certainly put egg white in that pisco sour. That's usually skipped in a whiskey sour (at least, outside of Babs' fancy east coast hotel restaurants). Did that cause the taste issue? or was it the pisco itself?
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
April 4th, 2019 at 1:20:31 PM
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A proper whiskey sour has egg white in it doesn't it? I'm not sure what the taste was that I didn't like, I don't drink much so it was also just too strong for me. I'm mostly a beer person.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
April 4th, 2019 at 1:51:41 PM
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Quote: PokerGrinderA proper whiskey sour has egg white in it doesn't it? I'm not sure what the taste was that I didn't like, I don't drink much so it was also just too strong for me. I'm mostly a beer person.
Yes, and most nicer bars and restaurants do use it. Your corner bar that uses sour out of a bottle probably won't.
At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
April 4th, 2019 at 2:04:56 PM
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I'm told its used mainly for texture not taste.Quote: DRichYes, and most nicer bars and restaurants do use it.
April 4th, 2019 at 3:02:10 PM
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Quote: FleaStiffI'm told its used mainly for texture not taste.
That's probably true. It gives the drink a silky texture. I love a good Whiskey Sour.
At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
April 4th, 2019 at 5:36:50 PM
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I've wanted to go stuff my fat gringo face in Peru for some time, and you're making me want to hop on the next flight.
That food at Al Tok looks as good as you describe.
I didn't know all the Chinese left Peru. That's interesting. Some of the Peruvian restaurants in LA serve their version of Chinese food. I read that this was due to the large Chinese population in Peru. Where did they go?
That food at Al Tok looks as good as you describe.
I didn't know all the Chinese left Peru. That's interesting. Some of the Peruvian restaurants in LA serve their version of Chinese food. I read that this was due to the large Chinese population in Peru. Where did they go?
