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“Sounds like we’re at war”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s been a great week or so for Argentine sports. First Manu Ginobili helped lead the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA title. Then on Sunday Angel Cabrera became the first Argentine to win the U.S. Open. And last night, the Boca Juniors defeated Brazil’s Gremio for the Copa Libertadores de America.
As I’ve written before, I’m not a huge soccer fan. But I love the people’s passion for the sport. The Copa final consisted of two games: one last week in Bs.As., and one last night in Brazil. I read that some Brazilian fans spent all night Tuesday screaming and shooting off firecrackers outside the Boca players hotel (a Holiday Inn) to try to keep them from sleeping.
It didn’t work. Boca, which had taken the first game 3-0, won this one 2-0. The fun part was watching what happened afterwards. The television stations stayed on the field for probably an hour afterwards, filimng the players as they clasped each other’s backs and hopped around like bunny rabbits. Later, as a group, they ran down the field and dove face first onto the grass.
Meanwhile, the streets of Buenos Aires came alive. Groups of men sang chants. Cars let out happy honks. People shot off fireworks, which echoed off the city’s tall buildings. Listening to the celebration from his balcony, my friend Stanley turned to the rest of us and said, “Sounds like we’re at war.”
Boca fans gathered at the Obelisk in the center of town to continue the celebration, and surely some stayed up to greet the team when they arrived home around 5 a.m.
I went to bed, knowing I needed to get up early to greet the repairman coming to fix my heat. I hadn’t had any for six days, but all’s well now.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Buenos Aires
TSA right, or wrong?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When officers of the Transportation Security Aministration stopped a mother trying to get through security at Reagan airport in Washington DC with her toddler son and a sippy cup, it set off a controversy.
The mother, Monica Emmerson, claims she was threatened with arrest for trying to carry the cup with four ounces of water through the checkpoint and she accidentally spilled the water on the floor. The TSA claims she was treated professionally and that she spilled the water deliberately and was asked to clean it up, and they released a video to support their version of the incident.
Whad do you think? Was TSA right to stop her, since liquids are prohibited? Does it look like the water she spilled was an accident or deliberate? Do you think TSA could have handled it differently?
Here’s a link to the video: http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/content/multimedia/video/index.html?clip=20546
Permalink | Comments (60) | Post your comment | Categories: Travel in 2007
Back from Iguazu Falls
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I wrote an entry mid-week, but must’ve messed something up because it never appeared. Sorry about that.
Anyway, I spent three days this past week in the north of the country, visiting Iguazu Falls. If you’ve seen the movie “The Mission,” with Robert DeNiro, you’ve seen the Cataratas, as they are called here. The story goes that when Eleanor Roosevelt first glimpsed Iguazu Falls, she murmured, “Poor Niagara.”
And they are absolutely awe-inspiring. The waterfalls — there are 285 of them in all — lie along the border of Argentina and Brazil. You can view them from either country, but I stuck to Argentina because Americans need a $100 visa to cross the border into Brazil, which didn’t seem worth it for a few hours. And the Argentine side is spectacular. Most impressive is one called “The Devil’s Throat,” where you can stand on catwalks and watch water pour about 800 feet down, not that you can see to the bottom for all the mist rising up. You’ll be soaked by the spray in minutes, but it’s worth it to hear the roar of the water and watch the swifts who make their nests behind the falls gliding through the vapor.
The park itself is lush and green and full of butterflies — small, brightly-colored “mariposas” that land on your shoulder or your shoe if you keep still a minute. Then there are the South American raccoons, which have long snouts and no fear of humans, especially humans with food. You’re not supposed to feed them, but like Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo, the park raccoons will snatch meals right off your table if you don’t keep an eye on them.
The sun was shining and the temperature was in the low 80s — a nice break from the chilly 50s of Buenos Aires. And I befriended a world history teacher from Mississippi who spends her summers traveling overseas. Donna is 60 and doesn’t speak any Spanish. She usually travels with groups of teachers. This was her first solo trip, and she was sharing rooms in hostels with 20-somethings as she moved through the country. She’s adventuresome and funny.
Now I’m back in BsAs. Spent Friday night with my friends at the Dorothy Parker and last night went to see “Sweet Charity” with some girls from school. (Yes, girls!) Afterwards we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant, which was a nice change of pace. I never would’ve thought I would miss refried beans, but boy did they taste good!
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: Buenos Aires
How does Dollywood strike you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You just know going in that Dollywood’s going to be tacky, hokey, a hillbilly Disneyland, says travel writer William Schemmel.
But soon after passing through the turnstiles, he says, you look around and think: Disney could take some cues from Dolly.
The theme park created by Dolly Parton in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., is full of country music, country food, crafts and rides. Schemmel says Parton has given the park a soft Appalachian spin.
You’re never more than a few steps, or a few minutes, from live country, bluegrass, gospel and pop, on a half-dozen stages more than 40 times a day.
Have you been to Dollywood? Did you like or dislike it?
If you haven’t been, would you go?
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment |
Waiting for a passport?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Are you waiting for a passport and getting anxious because your trip is closer and closer, but the passport is somewhere off in the distance? What I’m hearing from people is that they can’t even get an answer on how far off in the distance the passport is — nobody can tell them whether it will arrive tomorrow or weeks from now.
The State Department has admitted defeat, and announced that air travelers to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda won’t need a passport to re-enter the U.S. if they can show proof that they’ve applied for the passport (travelers by land or ship have until at least January 2008 to get a passport, but it’s likely that deadline might be pushed as well). People who haven’t applied for a passport by the time of their trip won’t be allowed to leave the country.
This is one of those, on-the-one-hand and on-the-other-hand issues. On the one hand, if you knew you were planning to travel outside the U.S. this year, and you knew there would be a crush of people wanting passports, why did you wait until January to apply for, or renew, your passport? On the other hand, wouldn’t you expect you’d be able to get a passport in a reasonable amount of time, say 4 to 6 weeks? Wouldn’t you expect that the government would also be expecting a crush of people to apply for passports and staff accordingly? Any business so ill-prepared would be out of business soon. What do you think?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Passports
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Dollywood is a park for all ages, they have rides for very small children all the way to the breathtaking rollercoasters.There are plenty of shows all the way from Bluegrass To Rock n Roll and magic. Food and snacks are abundant and reasonably priced. I... read the full comment by Cletus | Comment on How does Dollywood strike you? Read How does Dollywood strike you?
Hey silly stuff, you are awesome.... read the full comment by Serious stuff | Comment on Back from Iguazu Falls Read Back from Iguazu Falls
The name says it all! Wake me up when something really happens. The articlea are sooo moving and cooool.... read the full comment by Silly Stuff | Comment on Back from Iguazu Falls Read Back from Iguazu Falls
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