tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135858522024-03-23T19:16:15.119+01:00Oli's World Tour 2005-2006........ (with INSEAD MBA squeezed in)Olivier's year abroad reaching all 5 continents! Currently completing an MBA at INSEAD with 6 months in Singapore, 2 in Philadelphia, and 2 in Paris.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1156960677112555312006-08-30T19:57:00.000+02:002006-08-31T01:04:49.936+02:00Good things come to an endThe last 12 months have probably been the best in my life. I have visited over 30 countries on all continents except Antarctica, completed an MBA from a reputable institution, found a job and made friends along the way.<br /><br />I am proud of this blog, and will cherish this record for the rest of my life. I have been thinking about the future of this blog for some time now and, sadly, decided that it would be best to conclude it now. My new life will no longer be blog-friendly because:<br /><br />- I will no longer be studying at INSEAD<br />- I will no longer be visiting a different country every week<br />- The confidential nature of my work would make the postings frustratingly vague and unhelpful<br /><br />For these reasons, this will likely be the final posting on this blog.<br /><br />I would like to warmly thank my readership for your support and loyalty despite my sometimes irregular posting habits. I certainly wouldn’t have been as motivated and dedicated to the blog without you.<br /><br />I was surprised to see how many “strangers” contacted me for information regarding INSEAD, travel or other topics, and it was always a great pleasure to respond to each of them. I will still receive the comments posted on the blog or the emails sent through it, and will continue to help any way I can.<br /><br />Merci et adieu!<br /><br />Olivier MineauOlivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1156950309140769592006-08-30T17:04:00.000+02:002006-08-31T00:32:51.486+02:00Getting back to workI am now very well settled into my waterfront condo, and had my first day of work on Monday. People are very nice, and the orientation was well organized. My first two days were very light, but this will change dramatically very soon. My parents were in Toronto for a few days, so we had dinner at “The Fifth” on Friday night and at Via Allegro on Tuesday night. It was nice to spend some time with them, especially in this transition period. I wouldn’t have had the courage to go clothes shopping to the extent that I did without my mom.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1156374546059686392006-08-24T01:20:00.000+02:002006-08-24T02:10:48.573+02:00Getting started in Toronto<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050722.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050722.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After clearing customs, I picked up my rental car and headed to the movers. They gave me some paperwork to take to the Customs office nearby. When I arrived, the lady had all kinds of questions and requested proof that my goods were originally from Canada. She told me that my shipment had to be inspected and that it would help if I could find bills for the furniture. Frustrated but in control of my emotions, I thanked the lady and called my parents to find out if they had the receipts. I then cancelled the movers and the elevator reservations for the next day. I then met with the daughter of the landlord, who gave me the keys to my new apartment. That night, I had dinner with Jon and then slept on his couch. The next morning, I called my contact at Customs to confirm that she had received the documents my organized parents had sent her. She had, and was impressed by how much we were able to find. About 10 minutes later, she called me back to let me know that my stuff was released from customs and that I could take possession of it. I went back to Brampton to sort out the paperwork, before dropping by Renzo’s place to chat a bit. In the afternoon, I went shoe shopping, something I absolutely hate to do. I ended up buying 3 pairs, as well as a few other things for the apartment. I then visited Jon’s work and then went to Meaghan’s neighbours for a BBQ and pool party.<br /><br />The next day, the movers delivered my stuff and I spent most of the day and evening sorting out the apartment. I had dinner at Kelsey’s with Jon, and then purchased a 32 inch LCD screen and a PS2 at Futureshop. On Saturday, I drove up to Greg’s cottage and we spent the day outside, playing Frisbee and swimming in the shallow lake.<br /><br />I accepted to start work early, so my first day will be August 28th, which is next Monday.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1156433609285139002006-08-24T01:09:00.000+02:002006-08-27T06:49:27.816+02:00Snowboarding in the Andes<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050680.3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050680.3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050668.3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050668.3.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050662.3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050662.3.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050661.3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050661.3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050664.3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050664.3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hangin' loose in the Andes!Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1156374508078130272006-08-24T01:08:00.000+02:002006-08-24T02:58:59.696+02:00Pictures from Valpo and Santiago<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050606.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050606.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050622.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050622.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050616.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050616.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050628.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050628.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050646.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050646.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050701.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050701.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050715.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050715.jpg" border="0" /></a>Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1156379806981680222006-08-24T01:06:00.002+02:002006-08-27T06:47:58.433+02:00Pictures from Iguazu, Cordoba and Mendoza<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050503.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050503.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050511.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050511.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050574.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050574.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050500.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050500.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050495.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050495.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050489.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050489.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050472.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050472.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050404.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050480.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050480.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050424.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050424.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050454.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050454.jpg" border="0" /></a>Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1156374478899460342006-08-24T01:06:00.001+02:002006-08-24T01:07:58.966+02:00Santiago de ChileThe first thing I noticed when I landed in Santiago was a special welcome sign for Canadians, Americans, Australians and Mexicans. A “reciprocity” tax is imposed on these nationalities, with Canada being the highest at U$132! After paying by welcome tax, we purchased very cheap bus tickets into town. We got off in Barrio Brazil and walked over to the Hostelling International hostel nearby. The prices in Chile are about double compared to the prices in Argentina. We dropped our bags and walked to a nearby Peruvian restaurant for lunch. We had some pisco sour, a strong local drink which includes raw eggs. We then walked downtown and visited the Cathedral, the market, and parts of Bella Vista. We had pisco before dinner at a fancy seafood restaurant. Tapan was once more asleep at the table so we took a cab back to Barrio Brasil and dropped Tapan off. Leo and I walked around Avenida Brasil for a bit before having a last drink and going to sleep.<br /><br />We got up early the next morning to visit Valparaibo, a costal town which once was the economic center of the country. It is also famous for its century-old funiculars going up the cliffs all over the city. We walked through the market, the harbour, the main streets and the main squares. After walking around all day, we had lunch at a very fancy and touristy restaurant. The seafood was fresh but not prepared well according to my taste. The wine and service were very good, however. We walked around the city all afternoon before heading back to Santiago that night. Once in Santiago, we went out to Avenida Suecia, where we had lunch at Bedrock restaurant. Around 11pm, I decided to go use the internet down the street and told the guys I would meet them in a specific bar, but Tapan didn’t get what I said so when I returned to the bar an hour later, they were no longer there. I walked up and down the party-filled street a couple of times, before I saw Leo run out of a bar to find me. It was our last night together, so we stayed out until 5am, when everything is forced to close. The next morning, we had lunch at a seafood institution in Barrio Brasil, before I walked Tapan and Leo to the airport shuttle stop. After a sad goodbye, I napped a bit in the afternoon, before walking around the evening, and having lunch in a nearby restaurant. I also made arrangements for transportation and snowboard rental equipment for the next day!<br /><br />The driver was on time the next morning to take me to El Colorado ski station, about an hour out of Santiago. After a few more pickups, the driver took me to the main office where I rented a one-piece snowsuit, gloves, googles, boots and an excellent Burton snowboard. They asked for a U$400 deposit for the board. Everyone else in the minibus was going to Valle Nevado, the ski center right next to El Colorado, so I agreed to go there also. Valle Nevado turned out to be higher, with more runs and less people. The view was absolutely breathtaking, There was a 2-for-1 special on ski tickets, so I bought two and sold one at a bit less than half-price. I then locked my bag inside a locker and hit the slopes. I made friends with a local couple who showed me around the mountain. The one thing that really sucked is that they don’t have chairlifts on one side of the mountain; they only have those things you put between your legs to drag you up. These are extremely awkward with a snowboard, as you are standing sideways rather than facing the front. About 1 hour before the bus left, I decided to take a break in the restaurant in the middle of the mountain and took a 20-minute nap. When I went back outside, I discovered that someone had taken my snowboard. There was an identical one with the reverse stance very nearby, so I figured perhaps someone took mine by accident. I advised a ski patrol, and he told me to walk back to the main complex and speak to customer service. I walked back in the deep snow and advised security. Shortly after, the bus driver arrived and when I told him someone stole my snowboard, he told me to get in and that we would settle it at the main office. I thought I was U$400 poorer all the way back to Santiago, but figured I wouldn’t let it ruin my awesome day of snowboarding. We I got back to the office, they told me someone had found my snowboard, and that I would be refunded for my deposit. Big relief! That night, I had dinner at the “Fat cow” restaurant near the hotel, and slept very well.<br /><br />On the last day of the trip, I walked around all day. I climbed the big hill to the Holy Virgin statue, which took about one sweaty hour. I visited the Pre-Columbus Art museum, which had very interesting native art. I then picked up my luggage at the hostel and took the bus to the airport. I had dinner at the airport, chatting with some Canadian workers. The flight to Miami was uneventful, and the connection to Toronto, successful. I was back to Canada for good.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1156374337619462642006-08-24T01:05:00.000+02:002006-08-24T01:05:37.916+02:00Crossing ArgentinaIguazu is located at the junction of two rivers which act as natural border between Brasil, Paraguay and Argentina. Canadians need visas to visit Brasil or Paraguay. However, any taxi driver says he can take you across and back without problems. My plane finally landed two hours late. I was hoping that I could find Tapan and Leo in town without trouble. I took a cab to the hostel, and met Leo as soon as I arrived. We checked into our triple room and walked to the bus station to go to Iguazu Park. We had lunch at the Selva restaurant, which offers a good buffet and parrillada. We then took the little train to the falls. The water level was at its lowest in 30 years, with many parts of the falls completely dry. We walked around for a while and saw different animals. Just before sunset, we jumped the rail and walked around where the falls are normally pouring. A park ranger started yelling at us. As we walked back towards the exit, he offered to give us a ride in the back of his pickup truck. We made a few stops as he lowered and stowed the Argentinean flags. Exhausted, we took the bus back to the hostel to shower and went out for dinner. I had a very good pepper steak with the best wine bottle of the trip, a Terrazas Reserva Malbec 2003. We then had drinks on a nearby terrace and there was a Brad Pitt look-alike right behind us. Iguazu was exceptionally warm, almost 30 Celsius.<br /><br />The next morning, we walked to the spot where the rivers cross and the countries divide. There were a few monuments including a Falkland Islands war memorial, as in every other center in Argentina. The Argentineans still seem sour about the defeat… We had pizza before boarding a 20-hour bus to Cordoba. We left at 1pm and we planned to arrive around 8am. The “semi-bed” bus seats recline and there is foot rest and enough legroom. They serve airplane meals and put on movies. We saw the first half of a bootleg of Mission Impossible 3, before the air conditioning broke. The attendant finished his shift and left with the DVD before we saw the end. He was replaced by another attendant who was incapable of fixing the air conditioning. We had to stop for 2 hours at a bus depot while they fixed the AC. We finally got back on the road, but the air conditioning pump made an incredibly loud noise which kept the whole back of the bus up all night. I moved to the front of the bus and managed to sleep quite well. We arrived in Cordoba just before lunch time, and had a difficult time fitting all our bags inside the tiny bus station lockers. We decided to leave for Mendoza the very same night, hence spending two straight nights on a bus.We walked to a parrillada recommended by Lonely Planet and enjoyed different meats and other local specialties. After lunch, we tried to visit several churches, but all were closed in the afternoon. Cordoba is a university town of over a million people, and is an interesting mix of old buildings and modern architecture. We had pizza dinner and Tapan was falling asleep at the table. We walked back to the bus station and boarded a bus to Mendoza. The lights went out as soon as we left the station, with no movies, no blankets or meals.<br /><br />We arrived in Mendoza around 6am the next morning. It was much colder in Mendoza than anything we had previously seen. The plan was to take a bus across the Andes to Santiago de Chile, but the pass can close for severe weather conditions. It can be open for days, before being closed for weeks. The pass had been closed the previous two days, and many travellers were anxious to get across. The bus ticket is much cheaper than the flight, and the bus ride through the Andes is spectacular. We decided to take a bus to a small village in the Andes and stay there overnight, before taking the bus across the next day. Just before the bus boarded, Tapan used the ATM to get money out and the machine swallowed his card. He was pretty pissed off and Leo and he walked over to the information desk for help. The guy called the ATM company, and they said that someone would come over soon. We waited by the machine for 15 minutes before an armoured truck pulled up and three policemen armed to the teeth and two executives jumped out of the back. I was impressed by the rapid and serious response to our problem. However, we rapidly figured out that they weren’t coming for us, but rather coming to replenish and service the machine. The lady said that they couldn’t give his card back to him and that he had to go pick it up at the bank at the end of the day. After some arguing, pleading and joking around, they finally accepted to give Tapan his card back. We missed our bus to the Mountains, and learned that the pass would be closed all day. The busses that had left that morning would have to turn around and come back. We rushed to the LAN Chile office a few blocks from the bus station and booked expensive but quasi weather-proof tickets to Santiago the next morning. After some walking around, we ended up sleeping at a basic decent hotel near Plaza Chile. After almost 3 days without changing or showering, we were all due for a good scrub. We then had lunch at an all-you-can-eat buffet and parrilla. After a heavy lunch, we walked around to all plazas and major sights around the city. In the evening, we had dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant, where Tapan was again falling asleep at the table, exhausted from the walking around and sleeping poorly on the bus. We enjoyed some of Mendoza’s finest wines, which is famous for its wine production. We walked back to the hotel and called it a day.<br /><br />The next morning, we took a taxi to the airport where they banned all liquids and gels as carry-on items, even for flights within South America. Tapan had several things confiscated. Shortly after take-off, we experienced some of the roughest turbulence I’ve even been in. The short flight was otherwise uneventful and we landed at a very modern airport in Santiago.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1156378881063003342006-08-09T02:16:00.000+02:002006-08-27T06:46:59.670+02:00Pictures from Buenos Aires and Colonia<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050280.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050280.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050404.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050404.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050334.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050334.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050377.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050377.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050356.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050356.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050302.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050302.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1154952805464211962006-08-07T14:05:00.000+02:002006-08-07T14:13:36.693+02:00Buenos Aires!I met Leo as planned at EZE airport. Since it was 6am, we figured were in no hurry to get into town, so we decided to take the 2-hour, 25 cents public bus journey into the city. The Lonely Planet indicated that we needed to take the 51 bus. As we boarded, we crosschecked the information with the driver, only to learn that there were several 51 bus lines, each coming to the airport but going to different destinations. We took the wrong bus for a while, and connected with the right one when we spotted it driving behind ours. It’s now winter in the Southern Hemisphere, so the temperature is chilly. We arrived at Constitucion, a bus terminal near the constitutional government building. The area is identified as being especially dangerous by BA standards (safe city by South American standards) at night. We then walked 20-30 minutes to the hostel booked by Tapan, the End-of-the-world hostel. It seemed quite nice when we walked into the lobby. Since it’s the low season right now, accommodations are cheap and plentiful. The rate was less than $5 per person per night. As we were shown our room, we rapidly understood why it was so cheap. The 2-bed room was small and without heating, and smelled like a hockey locker room. A small portable “tan-light” heater was hidden in the closet. As we plugged it in, it illuminated the room as if there was a second sun. I peeped through the window, only to find out that it was not actually leading outside, but rather in an enclosed parking garage. We closed it to limit fumes from coming into the room. The toilets were pretty filthy, completely flooded and with hair everywhere. The walls were paper thin, and we could hear “everything” that was happening in the room next door. We figured that it would be fine for a few days, since we did not intend to spend any time there. At least, the hostel offered free and fast internet access. A letter from Tapan informed us that he would be joining 2 days later, as he had secured a 10-year American transit visa and rescheduled his flight.<br /><br />We headed out and took the subte (subterrano, subway) to the main bus terminal, Retiro. We gathered information about going to the Iguazu falls, Mendoza and Santiago de Chile. We then walked around Puerto Madero, a chic and trendy neighbourhood on the harbourfront. We had lunch in a steakhouse, where we enjoyed a finely prepared filet mignon and a porterhouse. Argentina is rightly renown for its beef and wine products. A steak in a reasonably chic restaurant costs around $5, and a good bottle of Malbec wine is between $1 and $25+. After lunch, we purchased some ferry tickets to Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay for the next day. We then walked around all afternoon, seeing the major sights downtown BA has to offer. All are condensed within a 30-minute walk radius, so it’s very easy and pleasant to walk around. We saw the English tower, the Casa Rosa where Evita Peron made her famous speech, the Cathedral, the Congress, the oldest church in Argentina, the Obelisk etc. We also saw about 100 people demonstrating against pay cuts at the French Hospital, which happened to be located right across the street from our hostel. About 300 policemen in full riot gear were ready to quash the demonstrators should need be.<br /><br />We then returned to the hostel to change. Leo contacted an Argentinean friend, and we set a rendez-vous at Unico, a bar in Palermo. I had another steak in a restaurant in Palermo, but it wasn’t as good as the one at lunch. I only ate half of it, thinking I had enough meat for one day. We hung around Unico before moving on to a bar specialized in board games. We played Jenga for a while. We kissed our Argentinean friends goodbye (only one kiss in Argentina, not two like in Canada or three like in France) and went for a last drink in another bar, where we met some girls on vacation from Cordoba.<br /><br />The next morning, the fast ferry took about an hour to reach the port of Colonia de Sacramento. Colonia is a very small town located about 100km from BA, about half-way to Montevideo. It’s so small that Thrifty actually rents golf carts and quad bikes to get around. It was founded by the Portuguese, who were using it to smuggle goods into Argentina. Spain eventually kicked the Portuguese out. It has a fortified center, and many charming small streets and restaurants. The access to the town’s 6 museums costs about a quarter. You will find everything in the museums, from old maps to stuffed animals to weapons to reconstructions of traditional houses. It even has the skeleton of a fully-grown blue whale. We had lunch at El Torreon, a touristy restaurant right on the water. It was expensive by South American standards, and the food was ordinary. In the afternoon, we visited museums and tried different local drinks, such as their version of Sangria, which is made with white wine, or Grappa miel. (Grappa, the Italian liquor, with honey) We climbed the lighthouse, and saw pretty much everything there is to see in the town. We caught the last ferry back to BA, this time taking the slow ferry. It took over three hours to reach Puerto Madero. We missed the last train to San Telmo, where we intended to have dinner that night. It makes very little sense that the last subte is at 10:30, considering Porteños don’t have dinner before 9pm, don’t go out until 1 or 2am, and don’t come home before 6 or 7am. We had dinner at a Tango show restaurant, and I was truly impressed by the sheer strength necessary to dance Tango. The dance is spectacular. I also met a girl from Saguenay, who just arrived in BA to study for 5 months. We then visited another bar with live music, before going home around 2am.<br /><br />The next morning, Leo and I walked around and stumbled onto Cromañon, the infamous bar where 194 people burnt to death a couple of years ago. There are still many flowers, messages and pictures from the victims and for the families. I can still recall the images broadcasted on the news when the terrible accident happened. The emergency exits were padlocked, and many people did not make it out. After this sobering visit, we walked back to the hostel and saw Tapan getting out of a taxi. It was nice to see him again. We helped him with his bags and moved into a three-person room. We also met Ellie, a charming Welsh girl, who happened to move into the fume-filled room we were just leaving. We invited her to join us for lunch, and she gladly accepted. We had lunch in Puerto Madero (steak, for a change) and then went to the bus station to book a bus to Iguazu. The bus ride takes about 20 hours, and costs $50. I checked the internet and learned that flying there only costs $100. As Leo and Tapan booked the overnight bus, I purchased the Aerolineas Argentinas flight online, as I hate busses and sometimes get motion sick on long journeys. Afterwards, we walked around the chic Recoleta neighbourhood. We arrived at the cemetery 10 minutes too late, so we weren’t able to pay our respects to Evita, who is buried there. It was only 8pm, much too early for dinner, so we decided to go to the board game bar for a while before dinner. They opened the door just as we arrived, and we were their first customers of the day. We played jenga, ate empanadas and chatted away. Next thing we knew, it was passed 5am, we completely forgot about dinner and we were still playing jenga.<br /><br />The next day, we slept until early afternoon. Leo and Tapan left for the bus station so Ellie and I had lunch together, and spent the day lazily walking around BA. We had dinner in the Lavalle area, and I went to sleep early, exhausted and recuperating from the previous night.<br /><br />I showed up at Aeroparque, the domestic airport in BA, at 6:30am this morning, for a 7:45 flight to Iguazu. When I arrived, I was informed that my flight was delayed by over two hours. This means that I will not make it to Iguazu on time to meet with Leo and Tapan. I hope they get my email and we are able to meet up later on today. I am about to board the plane and Dan Brown is about to teach me what the Holy Grail actually is.<br /><br />Lastly, I am impressed at how much I am able to communicate in Spanish. I understand almost everything, and can get my messages across. Another month or two and I would likely be fluent! Too bad I can’t take any more time down here.<br /><br />I won’t be able to upload pictures until I return to Canada, but I will make sure to do so shortly after I arrive.<br /><br />¡Besos de BA!Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1154952091194696662006-08-07T14:01:00.000+02:002006-08-07T14:01:31.533+02:00Update on move from Florida to TorontoOn Sunday, my second day in Florida, I booked my flight to Buenos Aires on the 2nd and from Santiago to Miami on the 15th. I also started going through the boxes I had packed before leaving for INSEAD. I forgot how much junk I actually own… I have several boxes full of souvenirs from different periods of my life, from birth to elementary school to summer camps. I’m glad I actually kept that stuff, and I hope to be able to enjoy it for the rest of my life. The only problem is that the boxes multiply as the years pass by. I repacked some, and discarded certain insignificant items. I brought down and stacked all the boxes into the entrance hall to make it easier for the movers, and to do a little exercise. I didn’t have the courage to go through my all my clothes, 90% of which should go to the garbage or donation bin. My clothes must have at least 5-7 years on average, so I will need to go shopping before work starts. I actually hate clothes shopping, which is why my gear is so dated.<br /><br />On Monday, I continued to stack boxes and inspect my furniture. The rep from the moving company estimated that I had about 3000 pounds of stuff. I was also informed that the movers would come on Wednesday around 1pm, which leaves me plenty of time to go to MIA and catch the AA flight to EZE. I booked my return flight to Canada to connect perfectly with the return flight from South America, giving me 3 hours between the two at MIA. On Monday evening, I prepared a meal for George, a friend staying at my parent’s, and his “little brother”, Chad. I prepared salmon as appetizer and a rack of lamb as main. We also had cheese, but didn’t make it all the way to the Key Lime pie.<br /><br />On Tuesday morning, I slept in before going for ribs at Houston’s with George. Frequent readers will recall my description and picture from the Houston’s ribs around Christmas time last year. World’s best! (Special mention to Baton Rouge, a chain in Canada) I also visited George’s new house near my parent’s. It’s about 20 years old, so he’s renovating it thoroughly. I think it will look very good. I didn’t have very much to do in the afternoon, so I volunteered to prepare dinner. I purchased an unusually large whole yellowfin snapper, which I intended to BBQ. I was concerned that the outside would burn and the inside wouldn’t cook, so I deviated from the typical BBQ technique by placing a layer of restaurant-grade foil on the BBQ and cooking the fish on it. The result was very encouraging. It was very easy to flip the fish around, and it stayed nicely in one piece. I served it straight up, with Milos’s “My Sister’s” Olive oil and capers. The filets came right off the fish, leaving all bones behind. My dad, the yellowfin expert in the family, would have been proud!<br /><br />On Wednesday, I prepared my backpack for my two-week trip to South America. I didn’t want to do any laundry while over there, so I actually packed a lot (too much). I managed to make it all fit in my 70-liter bag, which is on its last miles. One zipper is completely bust, so I am keeping it closed with safety pins. The movers were right on time, and did a fantastic job of wrapping up my belongings and managed to move everything without damaging neither the merchandise nor the house. It took them just under 3 hours to complete the job of doing the inventory, marking every item and stacking it safely in the truck. I tried to make myself useful around the house by backwashing the almost overflowing pool, but ended up busting the hose and flooding the lawn… At least I learned from my mistake… George prepared yellowfin sandwiches while I completed my last tasks in Florida. Fortunately, I checked my email right before leaving for the airport. Tapan informed Leo and I that he was refused boarding at CDG because he did not hold an American transit visa and would be delayed a few days.<br /><br />He then drove me to the Tri-Rail station, which goes directly to MIA. It was the first time I ever took the train, and my experience was positive overall. The conductor was hilarious, making jokes every time he came on the microphone. There was a problem with the air conditioning. He started it at every station, but it would stay on for a minute and stop functioning. Florida in the summer is not particularly pleasant without air conditioning, so the train felt more like an oven. Also of note, the ticket controller in the train actually carried a pistol.<br /><br />At MIA, I checked in for my flight, and watched the TSA officer man-handle my backpack as if it was a bag of manure. I had a slice of Sbarro pizza, a couple of Heinekens, and boarded my flight. I was happy to find out that I had the bulkhead, which gave me nice legroom. As I cracked Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code open, I looked forward to meeting Leo, and eventually Tapan in Buenos Aires.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1154280208989498822006-07-30T19:22:00.000+02:002006-07-30T19:23:29.153+02:00Pictures from my new apartmentThese pictures were included with the ad. I made the floorplan myself.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/65%20Harbour%20Square%20-%20#2807.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/65%20Harbour%20Square%20-%20%232807.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/condo1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/condo1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/condo2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/condo2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/condo5.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/condo5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/condo4.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/condo4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/condo3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/condo3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/condo10.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/condo10.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/condo7.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/condo7.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/condo8.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/condo8.jpg" border="0" /></a>Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1154278517008827472006-07-30T18:54:00.000+02:002006-07-31T03:45:56.506+02:00Rebuilding my life in TorontoIt was nice to see some familiar faces when I arrived at Montreal’s PET (Dorval) airport. I dropped my luggage into the rental Buick Allure, which has the interior cheapness of a Geo Metro. They dropped me off at my sister’s, which I use as my base while in Montreal. Her place has almost everything I am looking for in an apartment: nice open kitchen, bright with lots of windows, stainless steel appliances, etc etc. After chatting with my sister and her housemate, I went to bed a little too early, around 10pm.<br /><br />On Friday, I woke up very early with only one mission in mind: finding an apartment in Toronto. I also activated a prepaid SIM card for my cell phone, as well as deposit some massive tax return cheques which had been sitting in the envelopes for some time. I used the following websites during my apartment hunt: viewit.ca, rentersnews.ca, mls.ca and thestar.com. All day Friday, I paged real estate agents and fixed some 11 appointments for viewing on Monday. Friday night, I had dinner with my parents at a Greek restaurant in the Greek district. This particular restaurant is said to rival the best, such as Milos, but at half the price. The chef did deliver decent food but in my opinion, could not match the finesse and exactitude of Milos. The chef is reportedly an ex-Milos, but that fact remains to be established.<br /><br />On Saturday, I did much of the same: looking at apartments online, and researching different topics such as which telephone/internet/cable TV company to sign up with and other similar information. By Sunday night, I had 3 more appointments, which brought the total to 11 on Monday and 3 on Tuesday. I hoped that it would be enough to find the “perfect” condo. I only looked at condos which were walking distance to Bay Street, which is where my office is located.<br /><br />Late afternoon on Sunday, I flew to Toronto and had dinner at the Wyndham Bristol Palace airport hotel with my Dad. I then took a cab to the Intercontinental downtown and checked into my spacious room, which had the dimension of most apartments I am looking at. On Monday morning, I started at 9am with a visit of “Radio City”, a midtown development. The pictures on the ad were very nice. I was immediately disappointed with the size of the unit when she opened the door. The finishes were nice, but there was no way I could fit my living room and a dining table. A double bed would have been a stretch in the tiny closed bedroom.<br /><br />I rapidly expressed my disappointment to the agent, but she did not have anything else to show me. I had some time before my next appointment so I stumbled onto a brand new rental community in a brand new building: the Jazz. The units were brand new, bigger than Radio City, and the location was very good. I was happy to have a backup plan should all other visits be unsatisfactory. I spent the rest of the day looking at apartments which all had some major issue, such as too small or ugly kitchen. By the end of the first day, I had visited 10 apartments (1 agent did not show) but only 2 of them were considered seriously.<br /><br />On Tuesday, I had a few visits but only two were mildly interesting. I didn’t plan to spend much more time in Toronto, and knew I had to move rapidly to secure an apartment, so I decided to make an offer on a one-bedroom apartment in the Pinnacle, a brand new building about 5 minutes from work. The unit was fairly spacious, but over my budget and with a pretty poor kitchen. My bid wasn’t sent by the agent until the next day, so I waited around at Jon’s place all day and played Grand Theft Auto San Andreas on the Xbox all day. By the end of the day, the agent informed me that a decision has not been made, and that there was a competing offer for the same amount, but with the lease starting 15 days before my offer. By that point, my irrevocable offer became revocable, so I decided to look through the ads one last time while Nathan and Jon fired away at GTA. I found two new ads in the Toronto Star website, one of which seemed absolutely perfect for my needs. Here is the ad as it was published online:<br /><br />65 Harbour Square, Live on Torontos fantastic waterfront! Best condo building in the city! 1 bedroom, fantastic designer reno, new kitchen, stainless appliances, granite bar, cable, drapes, hardwood floors throughout, walk-in dressing room by Organized Interiors, locker, high floor. Very upscale building, free bus service to Loblaws, Kensington, Bloor Street, etc, beautiful 7th floor rooftop gardens with BBQ's and large indoor pool, gym, private lounge/bar, restaurant, movie & bridge nights. 416-XXX-XXXX<br /><br />The pictures accompanying the ads made the unit seem even more attractive. When I visited it the next morning, I knew this was the one. The owner, a 82 year-old gentleman, show me around this very luxurious 20 year-old complex. It is located about 7 minutes on foot from work, very close to several grocery stores, includes parking and utilities, has a nice gym which I actually intend to use etc. The only two minor problems were that the unit doesn’t have ensuite laundry, but laundry rooms are available on every second floor, and there is only a French Balcony, which is basically a door but no balcony. Otherwise, it has a beautiful stainless steel kitchen, a huge walk-in dressing room, a hotel-like bathroom, a spacious living room and floor-to-ceiling windows.<br /><br />I told the owner that I would take the unit immediately. I offered to show him my letter of employment and credit report, but he said that in 25 years renting apartment, he’s always made a gut decision on people he trusts, and has never gone wrong. He turned down my documents and agreed to draft up the leasing agreement. He then drove me to the RBC Main branch so I could get a draft for him, and Voila! I had my apartment. I booked flights for Florida as soon as I returned to Jon’s, and we ordered Chinese food and played the addictive GTA game all evening.<br /><br />On Saturday morning, I had brunch with Jon at the Golden Griddle. I then returned the nice Audi A6 we had rented at Hertz, and I flew directly to Fort Lauderdale. I had a simple pasta dinner watching championship poker, and chatted with a friend of the family for a while, before going to sleep. I will go through all my boxes and decide what needs to be shipped to Toronto and what can stay behind. I will also buy a flight ticket to South America today to catch up with Leo and Tapan. I intend to leave on August 2nd to Buenos Aires, and fly back on the 15th from Santiago de Chile. It appears the adventures are not quite done yet this year.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1154014901135041052006-07-27T17:34:00.000+02:002006-07-27T17:45:24.896+02:00Pictures from la Côte d'Azur<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050257.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050257.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050254.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050254.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050247.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050247.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050237.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050237.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050241.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050218.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050218.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050193.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050193.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050208.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050208.jpg" border="0" /></a>Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1154014290568763112006-07-27T17:31:00.000+02:002006-07-27T17:46:56.016+02:00The French RivieraAfter sleeping a couple of hours, my phone reminded me that it was time to pick up my friend Philippe at CDG. The drive from Ile St-Louis to CDG at 6am only took 15-20 minutes, before the Paris traffic really kicks in. I arrived a bit early so I tried to trade in my Citroen C1 for a category C car, which I was paying for. I got a 307 fioul instead of diesel. Not only did it cost 3 times as much in gas, but it was also significantly less powerful than my 307 gazoil. Philippe was having a coffee when I arrived at his terminal. We quickly dropped his suitcase in the 307 and hit the road. We had a short useless stop at Orly to try to get a diesel car, as the price of fioul in France is unheard of in North America. We first stopped in Fontainebleau so I could show Philippe our house. I broke in a private property for the second time in two days to show Philippe my room and the inside of our house. We had a refreshing drink before taking the A6 down to Dijon, and getting off towards Dijon for the heck of it. Once in Dijon, we decided to head for the Alps, and took the road for Grenoble. We continued past Grenoble until we reached Bourg D’Oisan, a small village in the Mountains which is all about Mountain biking during the summer, and all ski during the winter. The Tour de France was about to pass a couple of days later, so many German and Dutch caravans where parked all along the road where the bikers would pass. We found a reasonably cheap hotel right on the main plaza. We had traditional fare for dinner, and it was ok. Nothing too great… After a quick drink near the hotel, we called it a day.<br /><br />The next morning, we started driving around 10am, and headed for the Riviera, with a couple of unplanned detours. We had lunch in a Reunionese place, where I broke the back of the chair I was sitting on while leaning back. Another god-sent message to tell me to shape up and lose weight… After lunch, we were stuck in Gap for some time as the Tour was passing nearby. Philippe pulled a nice maneuver and we were able to skip most of the jam. A few hours of driving later, we were pulling into Philippe’s parent’s summer house near Ste-Maxime. It is very nicely decorated, with a pool and a BBQ area. We jumped in the pool as soon as we arrived, while his father fixed some drinks. We had a nice dinner discussing life, work, studies and everything in between. After dessert, Philippe and I went out to see the marina area in Ste-Maxime. We went to the Casino at night, but they didn’t let me in because I had “sport shorts”. If they had pockets, I would have been let in. Sandals and dirty shirts weren’t a problem, however. We turned around, met some guys from Nanterre and chatted with them for a while before going back home.<br /><br />On the second day sur la Côte d’Azur, we slept quite late and spent almost all day around the pool with Philippe’s parents. We went for a drive in the nearby hills. We had both lunch and dinner at home. We did make it into the casino on this night. Philippe rapidly doubled his money, while I lost half of mine. We agreed that it was a good time to quit, and walked around the boardwalk before going back home.<br /><br />On Tuesday, we also lazed the day away reading by the pool and enjoying the weather. On Tuesday night, we celebrated Philippe’s birthday (and my graduation). Philippe’s dad prepared very strong sangria before dinner. After a copious dinner accompanied by fantastic local wine, his dad brought out 3 Monte Cristo, which we enjoyed with calvados and cognac while talking about life.<br /><br />On Wednesday, Philippe and I took the ferry to St-Tropez to check out the weekly market, where they sell everything from ham and cheese to clothes and decorative items. After a stroll through the market, we drove to the Porquerolle Island, which is a natural reserves protected by the government. We took a wrong turn on the highway and ended up in Aix-en-Provence. Philippe asked directions at an Agip gas station but the crazy attendant was absolutely nuts and completely ignored him. Philippe started looking at his maps and he started screaming at him like mad. Philippe told him off and the guy was so angry that he wanted to run out of his booth to fight with us. We drove off laughing our heads off and finally found the Porquerolle island. The island has a few restaurants and hotels, and caters mainly to French tourists. After a pretty bad lunch, we rented mountain bikes and explored the island. We found a beautiful and calm bay where we snorkelled for a while. The water was extremely clear, and I managed to dive to at least 8-10 meters by holding my breath. After returning the bikes and taking the ferry back to land, we drove back to Philippe’s for another delicious BBQ meal. We bought a set of 1000 bornes (1000 miles) cards and played with his dad after dinner. I went to sleep early to catch my 6:10am flight from Nice to Paris. The drive to Nice at 4am was “sporty”, but I had problems finding the rental car return center for Alamo, which is located apart from the others at Terminal 2. I proudly presented my passport to the check-in agent, who responded that I was not registered on the flight. I gave her my reference number, and she started laughing hysterically. I had booked a flight for June 20th, not July 20th! This little mistake cost me another flight ticket, this one for 160 euros! Ouch! The brand new airbus took us to CDG, and I sleep at the Ibis Hotel “by the hour” rooms for 3-4 hours at CDG, before checking in with British Airways for Montreal via Heathrow. The flight was delayed by 1.5 hours, and I only had 2 hours between the flights. I cut the security line at Heathrow, and a bunch of people followed my lead. This lead to total chaos in the security lines, as people started arguing over who should be allowed to cut the line. While security guards attempted to restore order in their line, I was rapidly screened and made my flight. It was nice to be welcomed by my parents in my hometown: Montreal! The funky INSEAD year abroad is now officially OVER.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1153588253508581812006-07-22T19:08:00.000+02:002006-07-22T19:10:53.573+02:00Breaking into Tapan's Parisian apartment<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050186.3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 506px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 448px" height="348" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050186.3.jpg" width="447" border="0" /></a><br />"Break a leg"Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1153587656123188812006-07-22T18:57:00.000+02:002006-07-31T03:51:07.970+02:00Getting my stuff back from TapanWhen I arrived to Paris, I was supposed to call Tapan to retrieve the suitcases I left behind, and stay with him before picking up my friend Philippe at the airport and heading to the French Riviera. I picked up a very crappy Citroen C1 from National Alamo at Orly and headed to Paris. I called Tapan, but it did not ring. It simply gave me an error message that my correspondent was not within range. I drove to Tapan’s and knocked on the door. Unfortunately, there was no answer. I noticed the door next to Tapan’s was leading to the garbage chute on the inner-courtyard. I opened it and noticed that Tapan’s kitchen window was opened. There was a good 3-meter wide, 3-meter deep concrete gap between the balcony where I was standing and the window ledge. I immediately rejected the possibility of jumping to the window.<br /><br />I left a note on the door and started walking around Paris looking for an internet café, which was surprisingly hard to find. I finally got found one near St-Michel and checked my email to see if there was a message from Tapan. There wasn’t so I sent him one, as well as sending him an SMS, a Skype, Morse code and smoke signals. I had a crepe to go for dinner and purchased a bottle of wine to drink while watching the fireworks of the 14th of July. I then found an Egyptian bar and had a shisha while thinking about how I could get my stuff. As I sat outside with my shisha around 1am, I watched the restaurant owner next door board up his windows, and it inspired me to somehow build a bridge from the balcony to the window. I walked back to the apartment looking for bridge building material. I reached the apartment empty-handed, but figured I would start to look inside the building. I found a cheap 3.1-meter long aluminium and wood ladder on the floor below Tapan’s and tried it on for size. It barely reached the ledge, holding with 3 inches on the ledge and less than 3 inches on the balcony metal guard rail. I pulled the ladder back and tested its sturdiness by setting it on the stairwell and standing on it. It seemed to withhold my weight appropriately. I put the ladder back in place as steady as possible, took a couple of pictures with my camera and hoped the neighbours would not catch me breaking into Tapan’s apartment. I gave myself the all-systems go, and slowly and carefully made my way across the ladder. I reached the window, reached my foot on the sink and in I was. Only then did I start shaking and feeling the adrenaline injected into my veins. I walked to the door and opened it from the inside. I also found a key which would use to lock the door from the outside and slide under it when I was done. I made myself at home, took a shower and used the internet, before going to sleep on the couch cursing Tapan’s name. It turns out he left spontaneously for Spain a couple of days before and forgot I left stuff at his house.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1153586501046561882006-07-22T18:29:00.000+02:002006-07-22T18:48:31.456+02:00Pictures from Prague and Bratislava<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050099.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050099.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050092.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050092.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050076.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050076.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050059.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050059.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050064.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050064.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050141.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050141.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050125.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050125.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050128.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050128.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050106.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050106.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050101.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050101.jpg" border="0" /></a>Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1153585259195681192006-07-22T18:07:00.000+02:002006-07-22T18:29:08.826+02:00Pictures from Vienna<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050148.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050148.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050163.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050163.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050177.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050177.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/P1050180.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/P1050180.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1153583554775353972006-07-22T17:51:00.000+02:002006-07-31T03:48:56.736+02:00A quick tour in Eastern EuropeAfter breakfast overlooking Orly airport, I flew SkyEurope to Prague in a brand new 737-800 reading my Routard guide of the city. After landing in a modern airport and breezing through customs, I bought a day-long public transportation ticket for 2 euros. I took a bus, then a streetcar to get to the 40 euro per night, 4-star hotel I had booked on HRS.com. I almost checked into the wrong hotel but finally got it right. I dropped my bag and took a tram to the center of town. I wandered the small streets of the old town and admired the main square. I then walked around the Charles Bridge area and climbed all the way to the Castle. I was walking along the river when I saw two American girls in a paddleboat very near the shore. I introduced myself and asked if I could get a short ride. After a little negotiation, the agreed and we talked as they powered the boat on the river. We got too close to some rapids and they couldn’t paddle hard enough so we crashed in some rocks adjacent to a restaurant. I abandoned ship and the girls, climbed out of the boat, onto the rocks and into the restaurant’s window. The manager looked at me, puzzled, but I flashed him a smile and simply walked through the restaurant and out the door, at the amusement of those watching. I walked all the way up to the castle and back down to the center of town. It was very hot and I was completely drenched so I went back to the hotel to shower and change. I then had dinner at the hotel restaurant which looked very nice, but the food was unspectacular. I then walked to the very large TV tower the communists built right before the fall of the wall. After a short elevator ride, the very cold-feeling observatory offered a nice view on the entire city. I dropped by a couple of local nearby bars before calling it a night.<br /><br />On the second day in Prague, I slept late and didn’t get up until noon. I went to the train station to find out the schedule for trains departing to Bratislava and Vienna. I then visited the Astronomical Tower, where a large and very sophisticated 500-year old clock with small statues enlivens every hour. I then walked to the Powder Gate, the Jewish quarter including a very interesting small Jewish cemetery where there are some many tombs that they are stuck onto each other. I then had dinner in a traditional restaurant popular with locals. I had one last pint of delicious Czech beer before calling it an early night.<br /><br />The next morning, I went to the main train station at 6:30 to catch the early train to Bratislava, Slovakia. I finally arrived past 1pm, without hotel reservations or any clue as to what to do or where to go. I purchased a one-day transportation ticket and asked for a map. The transport map was completely useless to navigate the city. I met a young American girl who was travelling alone around Europe and took a random tram into the city with her. I got off at the Opera and overheard a tour guide describe the Carlton Hotel as the best in the city. I really had to use the washroom so I figured it would be a good place to do so. I found out that rooms were 179 euros a night, much too much for my budget. I started walking around and had a traditional but ordinary lunch on a pleasant terrace. After the meal, I used the internet only to find out that all hostels and many hotels were booked, and could not find a reasonable price. I figured that worse comes to worst, I would sleep under a bridge or stay up all night or work it out somehow. I visited the castle in the city, which was quite boring and appeared recently-built. I then took a bus to the Devin Castle, the ruins of an ancient castle which lies on the shore of the Danube about 30 minutes outside the city. I walked around the site discussing with some Brazilians for a while before catching the last bus back into town. By then it was 6pm, and I still didn’t have a place to sleep. I walked across the city asking hotels but most were unaffordable or completely booked. I finally found an available room in some kind of school dorm which is transformed into a hostel during the summer. The greedy and unpleasant Polish manager told me that the only room available was a private room at 60 euros per night. He showed me to a small and filthy room with two single beds and no private washroom. He refused to negotiate so I laughed at him and continued my search. I finally found the last available room at the Ibis hotel near the castle. I had dinner on the terrace of Camouflage, one of the trendiest restaurants in the city. I enjoyed a bottle of Slovak Chardonnay with some sushi and a nicely prepared grilled fish. I then walked around for a while and sat down for a glass of wine in an outdoor café. I met two young and pretty Slovak lawyers and we talked for a few glasses. I then went to Crowne Plaza casino and watched the blackjack players for a while. I wanted to play a bit of roulette but the players at the table seemed very boring and I was quite tired so I decided to go back to the hotel.<br /><br />The next morning, I got up early and took a boat to Wien or Vienna, Austria. I met three young and pretty British recently graduated lawyers who were backpacking through Europe before starting work in the fall. We talked the whole boat trip and when they found out that I didn’t have a place to stay, the offered to show me their hostel. We got to Wien about 75 minutes after we left Brastilava and took the metro to the hostel. There was a bed available in a 12-person dorm. I took it immediately and we went to have lunch on a terrace, before walking to the St-Stephan Cathedral. After a long half-day of sightseeing, we went back to the hotel and split up. I borrowed a Lonely Planet from the hostel and read about a very nice restaurant called DO-CO right by the St-Stephan Cathedral. I walked there and looked around for a while before going to the restaurant. The waiter at the DO-CO café told me that reservations were required and that they were full. I went to speak with the manager and he rapidly found a nice table very close to the open kitchen. I ordered a schnitzel from the traditional food menu and was a bit disappointed, as all schnitzels appear to be pretty similar, while the food served to the tables around me was appeared truly well prepared. The toilets were remarkably posh, as were Camouflage’s the day before. After dinner, I walked around the city some more before going back to the hostel around midnight. To my surprise, just about every bed was already full.<br /><br />The next morning, I took the train back to Prague, spent a few moments on a Prague terrace before flying back to Paris.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1153448960780767872006-07-21T04:28:00.000+02:002006-07-31T03:48:03.386+02:00Graduation WeekMy apologies for not writing this any sooner. This delay will surely affect the quality of the posting as I cannot recall as many details as I usually do. The pictures will come in a short while.<br />My parents flew into CDG the same day I arrived from Egypt. After dropping Coby’s sister and friend, I headed to Fontainebleau to grab and drop some stuff, before heading back to Paris to stay at my parent’s rented apartment located right at the base of the Tour Eiffel. After launching the largest laundry batches ever, we grabbed a cab to Place de Clichy to eat at Brasserie Wepler, a famous seafood restaurant. My sister and I shared the seafood platter, accompanied by a bottle or two of rosé. The meal was delicious on the way in. After the meal, my sister and I joined Coby and company in St-Germain to watch France beat Brazil in semi-finals. The party on the street was unbelievable. All cars sported French flags and honked the night away. Leo joined us a short while later and we sat down at “La Rhumerie” for a bottle of old St-James rhum agricole. After the drinks, we walked around for a short while, before calling it a night. Every taxi in town was booked and the public transportation system was severely disturbed by the street mob, so we walked home from Notre-Dame to Eiffel.<br /><br />The next day, we spent some family time, had lunch at home and dinner at The Café de L’Alma, a small restaurant near our house. I had a fabulous crab guacamole as appetizer, and a disappointing mixed grill as main course.<br /><br />On Monday, I woke up feeling queasy. After an hour of uncertainty, I threw up what my stomach couldn’t handle from the seafood platter. I rested for a while before feeling better and driving my family to Fontainebleau. They had lunch on a terrace at 38 degrees Celsius while I rested at home. I showed them around campus and my home. I was still feel very upset so I drove them to the train station and headed home to rest some more. After an incident in the bush of the Champion parking lot, (which splashed my shoes…) I went home and watched a couple of DVDs drinking Sprite before falling asleep.<br /><br />I woke up in top shape on Tuesday, and headed back to Paris. We had lunch at home, including our family’s favourite rosé, Bandol’s Domaine d’Ott, before going to Paris’ newest museum, Le Musée du Quai de Branly. It contains tons of artifacts from civilizations outside Europe. After drinks at the George V Hotel, we had dinner in some restaurant. After dinner, Coby picked me up and we went to St-Michel, at Les Trois Maillets, a cabaret where singers and artists perform right on the large table set in the middle of the small and hot room. There were shows from Romania, Congo, Madagascar, Brazil etc. When we left, we were hit by a 20 euro charge on the bill, which we paid without a fuss and returned to our respective homes.<br /><br />On Wednesday, I had lunch with my parents at Poulbot Gourmand, a decent restaurant on Montmartre, with another bottle of Ott, before heading back to Fontainebleau. After coordinating with my housemates, I went to the local grocery store to get BBQ supplies and stole our BBQ back from friends who had borrowed it. Many of our closest friends came by our house, so it was fantastic to spend the last night in Bourron-Marlotte together. We watched the French game against Portugal, and enjoyed each other’s company in the house for the last time.<br /><br />Thursday was the big day: Graduation day. I woke up late and drove to Paris to suit up and pick up my parents, before heading to Versailles’ Palais des Congrès. The ceremony was fairly efficient and uneventful. All were cheered as they marched across the stage to pick up the famous 45,000-Euro document. After a quick cocktail, we drove back to Paris discussing our dinner plans. We tried to make reservations earlier in many grande table of the city, but all were booked. We tried the Cinq again, the George V restaurant, and managed to secure a very nice table. We shared the dégustation meal, which included 5 official courses, each accompanied by the appropriate wine, plus several other bits and trous normands. The service was impeccable, attentive and yet not intrusive. The food was phenomenal, and the presentation superb. They brought small stools for women’s purses, and I nearly created panic amongst the staff when I held up my mom’s jacket to the wall’s painted paper to compare the patterns. Literally 4-6 staff rushed to assist me as they thought I was holding it up to get it hung. After this deliciously fancy meal, we head back home to change for the big graduation party at Club la Madeleine, which was completely booked for our private party. I invited my sister along, and we took the metro to get there. The all-you-can-drink event flew right by, as people kissed each other goodbye. The mood got especially melancholic around 5am, when the end truly neared. After heart-breaking goodbyes, my sister and I planned to walk home before a friend offered us a ride.<br /><br />On Friday, I slept the morning away. In the afternoon, I went to the Musée de l’Homme with my mom, and we visited an exhibition on pregnancy and birth. After dinner, I visited Tapan’s new apartment on Ile St-Louis, very close to Notre-Dame. We had a drink with Leo while discussing our potential trip to South America this summer. We concluded that flying to Buenos Aires would be most convenient. Tapan and Leo have since booked their tickets from the 2nd to the 28th of August. I have not finalised my decision yet.<br /><br />On Saturday, We had lunch at home and visited the recently reopened Musée de L’Orangerie and to Invalides and the War Museum. We then had drinks at the V, before having dinner at the Bistrot à Marius, an establishment long visited by my family. Unfortunately, the food was a bit disappointing. At night, I invited my sister to Tapan’s and brought the two suitcases I intended to leave with Tapan while going to Eastern Europe. We walked around the quais around the Seine before coming back home late.<br /><br />On Sunday morning, I drove to Orly to catch my flight to Prague. All about this trip in the upcoming posting.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1152304007607140982006-07-07T22:16:00.000+02:002006-07-07T23:18:16.883+02:00PIctures from Egypt<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0345.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0345.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0261.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0261.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0248.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0248.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0374.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0374.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0195.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0195.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0215.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0215.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0164.2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0164.2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0125.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0125.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0093.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0093.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0055.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0055.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1152305338257965372006-07-07T22:06:00.000+02:002006-07-07T23:16:58.600+02:00More pictures from Egypt<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0456.2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0456.2.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0516.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0516.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0490.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0490.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0520.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0520.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0407.2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0407.2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0385.4.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0385.4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0444.2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0444.2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0456.3.jpg"></a>Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1152302206112445732006-07-07T21:55:00.000+02:002006-07-07T23:21:11.576+02:00Egypt: The whole storyLeo and I couldn’t participate to the “official” graduation trip to Tunisia because the dates were not convenient. Both our parents were coming to France for graduation, and the trip to Tunisia conflicted with their dates. We therefore decided to book a “5-star” “organized” tour of Egypt.<br /><br />We flew out of CDG T3 on Saturday afternoon in a 3 month old 737-800. There were some delays at departure so we landed in Luxor past 1am. We met our very kind female guide named Molly. She took us to the boat on which we would spend the next 3 nights. There were some disagreements on the bus as some people in our group had not realized, or were not told that they needed to pay all visits separately, although the trip is advertised as all-inclusive. We finally arrived to Edna, where the boat was parked, to have a welcome drink and meet our fellow travellers. It was the worst social event ever. It had a funeral feel to it, as no one was talking and everyone was falling asleep.<br /><br />The next morning, we were awakened at 7am for buffet breakfast. We took the bus to the Temple of Luxor and learned a little bit about the 30 dynasties of Pharaohs who led Egypt over the last few millennia. The workmanship and the amount of detail are astounding. The Egyptians built enormous structures which stand proud and lasted through earthquakes, wars and other forces. As with every other day we were there, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the temperature was around 40-43 degrees Celsius. It’s extremely important to wear 30+ FPA sunscreen and run from shade to shade. After the temple of Luxor, we visited the Temple of Karnak, were we saw the twin obelisk of the one given to France and is now standing in Paris at La Concorde.<br /><br />We then had lunch in a small restaurant with air conditioning before taking a boat across the Nile to the Valley of the Kings, where we visited ancient beautifully conserved tombs which were unfortunately raided and looted at some point. We also visited the Colossuses of Memnon, and the infamous Hatshepsout where 70 tourists were gunned down by terrorists in 1997. Today, every tourist site is guarded by numerous “Tourism and Antiquities Police” armed with WWII weapons, and Special Forces dressed in civilian and armed with UZIs. We were not allowed to take pictures inside any of the temples throughout the trip, so we only have a few to show here. The problems with our guide started that day. She was trying to convince us that the Valley of the Kings was not worth the 10-minute detour, so I had to single-handedly convince the 12 people on the bus that we should go there. The stop was on the official list of optional activities, and Leo and I definitely wanted to visit the tombs. After winning the support of everyone on the bus, she quasi-reluctantly agreed to take us there. After a long day in the sun, we boarded the boat and left for Edfou. We had dinner on board and it was pretty disgusting, as with every other meal we had on the boat. The buffet food reminded me of airplane food.<br /><br />The next day, we were awakened by an extremely loud call to prayer from a local mosque. In the morning, we visited the Temple of Horus. There’s little point in trying to describe all the temples because they will all sound the same from my descriptions, and no words can justly explain their grandeur and splendour. Just go visit yourself. After the visit, I purchased a traditional Egyptian dress for the Middle-Eastern party held on the boat that night. Leo stepped into water as we attempted to go down a submerged underground passage so we had a good laugh. On the way to Assouan, we stopped at Kom Ombo to visit the temple there, where we saw mommies of crocodile and learned about the ancient medical techniques. We also smoked our first shisha of the trip. As the boat sailed towards Assouan, we partied on the boat until about midnight. On that night, we decided that the guided-tour was much too boring and “adventureless” so we vowed to drop the tour as soon as we could and experiment on our own. In the morning, we visited the temple of Philea, which was cut into blocks and relocated to higher ground prior to the construction of the new dam in Assouan. After the visit, I purchased water and discovered that Egypt has a 50 pound note and a 50 piastre note, worth 10 times less. If you’re an avid reader of this blog, you’ll remember a similar story on my last day in Beijing last summer. I told the story to Leo and we concluded that we had to be careful not to get 50 piastres notes when we were owed 50 pounds.<br /><br />After the temple, we stopped by the papyrus and perfume “museum” where dozens of sales people tried every trick in the book to make us buy something. Leo and I appeared poor and uninterested, so they mostly hounded the other more gullible French couples on the tour.<br /><br />We had the afternoon and evening off, so we decided to hire a guy with a horse carriage to take us around. That’s when the real Egyptian adventures started. For about in $5, negotiated down from over $20, we hired him to take us to the NEW dam, the unfinished obelisk and back to the boat. He agreed and we hid in the shade of the carriage while he steer the poor beast in the blazing sun. He took us to the old dam, which is much closer and smaller. We protested that he was taking us to the wrong dam, so we when for a little circular ride and he took us to a different part of the same dam, and announced again that we were at the new dam. After seeing that we were not buying his story, he took us to the unfinished obelisk while tossing all his garbage on the street. The unfinished obelisk was closing but the guards allowed us to go up for a quick look. Our driver then told us that we had to visit the real new dam by car because it was too far to reach by horse. He took us to a friend’s garage where a guy offered us a ride to the dam. He insisted that we “get in” without negotiating the price first. Feigning to walk away, we agreed on a price of 50 pounds including 20 pounds for the dam toll. He drove us to the dam, but we were turned down because it was too late and the visits were over. We walked around quickly to take pictures, but the guards were not amused and I was afraid we could get shot if we wandered too far off the road. The dam is a prime terrorist target so they would not hesitate to defend it if they feel our wandering could present a threat. The taxi took us back to town, where a confrontation emerged. We wanted to pay 30 pounds for the horse guy and 30 pounds for the taxi, since he did not have to pay the 20 pound toll. The driver claimed that he did pay the 20 pounds so we asked for the receipt. He couldn’t produce one so we told him off. Leo gave the two guys a 50 pound bill and a 10 pound bill. Our young horse driver quickly swapped it for a 50 piastres bill and claimed we had made a mistake. Leo apologized and gave him another 50 pound bill. The joker tried to pull the same stunt again, twice within the same minute! This time, we realized what was happening so we started yelling at him. For some reason, he took out a 50 pound note from his pocket, so Leo snapped it from his hands. We therefore walked away having paid 50 piastres less than what we had originally bargained for. We managed to beat him at his own game. We laughed about the story until the end of the day. After a delicious boat meal, we joined a French couple, Philippe and Tatiana, to watch the French-Spain World Cup game in a local café. We were the only tourists in the place. I asked the owner which team most people were supporting and he responded that it was about 50-50. Spain scored, and no one reacted whatsoever. The French responded in kind a short while later, and the place exploded with cheers and laughter. The breakdown was more 99-1. (Leo is Spanish) After an uneventful few days, we finally had a very good time and that day was probably the most exciting and interesting of the trip.<br /><br />The next morning, we took a bus to Abou Simbel, two beautiful temples carved right into a mountain face. Molly had promised that we would be alone at the site, yet there were dozens of busses and hundreds of tourists. The temples were also cut into blocks and relocated following the building of the Assouan dam. The 3-hour desert bus ride was extremely worth it. I slept most of the way there. We took many pictures and explored every room before heading back to Assouan for a much needed shower. We were stuck on another boat for a good hour while the boats were being reordered at the dock. After lunch, we visited the park and walked around a Nubian area.<br /><br />Molly, our lying guide, tried to convince us to buy her Cairo tour for 100 Euros. She claimed that the pyramids would be so far from the hotel that it could cost 30 euros of taxi. I laughed in her face and told her that I could become the owner of a taxi for 30 euros. She also told our friends the French couple that they would be the only ones not purchasing the package. Finally, she would negotiate on behalf of the salesperson whenever we asked her for help, and always managed to find a better price than what she claimed was the “local price”. I was not sad to leave her behind as we boarded the night train to Cairo. We had our own little cabin, equipped with reasonably comfortable beds and a sink. As soon as the train left the station, we reached the train bar and stayed there from 6pm until 1am. We met a couple from Australia, a couple from France and a Romanian guy working in London. I fell asleep as soon as we came back to the cabin. The plan was to get a wake-up knock at 5am, one hour before arrival. Leo and I knew better, and asked to be awakened 15 minutes before arrival. We received our breakfast trays. Leo didn’t want to get up so I started kicking his upper bunk from my lower bunk. He rapidly got fed up and tossed his entire breakfast on my head. We laughed and laughed until a small bus picked us up and brought us to the Grand Pyramids hotel, located about 1km from the pyramids. Thanks again for your honesty, Molly.<br /><br />We dropped our bags and went to the Great Pyramids of Giza with Philippe and Tatiana. We managed to get tickets to enter the Kheops pyramid. Only 300 per day are sold, so we were fortunate to get them. The pyramids are breathtaking and truly leave you in awe, especially when considering that they were build millennia ago, without fancy cranes and machines. The inside tunnel of the pyramid is very narrow and claustrophobic. We finally emerged in a small, dark and humid room where the air is very stuffy. There are no inscriptions on the wall. It is a very plain room. After walking around the Sphinx and the other pyramids, we decided to go the panoramic viewpoint. We got a ride from a private car on the way up, and I managed to convince a tourist bus full of Indians to drive us back down by telling their guide that we were lost and needed to find our bus at the parking lot at the bottom of the hill. The Indians were very nice with us and offered us chocolate chip cookies. Leo and I tried to walk back to the hotel but missed our turn and ended walking a good hour and a half. We didn’t mind so much because we were discovering the city and had plenty of water. After a shower, we couldn’t find any decent restaurants around so we had fast food at Hardee’s, the Egyptian version of the American chain Carl Jr’s. After lunch, we hired a cab for the afternoon to take us to the Saqqara pyramids, the older set of pyramids located a bit outside the city. Our driver did not speak English but was very nice so we gave him 50 pounds instead of the promised 40 pounds. This translates to about 7 euros for 3 hours of service. After a quick rest, we headed for the city center. We had drinks on the 40th floor of the Grand Hyatt hotel, which holds the best view of the city of 18 million inhabitants. I was looking over the drinks menu and was disappointed by how many spelling mistakes there were, especially considering this was the top business hotel in Cairo. The manager came by and I showed him several. He thanked me and mentioned that he would take to the drinks manager. On the way out, he invited us to tour the fancy rotating restaurant on the 41st floor. The French restaurant is one of the finest establishments in the Middle East. We warmly thanked each other and proceeded to find a restaurant recommended by Karim, an Egyptian/Canadian/Palestinian/English friend of ours at INSEAD. On the way there, we asked for directions from a kind-looking guy on the street. He told us he would walk us there, that his brother lived in Montreal, and that he visited him a few years ago. Before letting us go the restaurant, he said: “Please let me get a business card from my office”. So we followed him a bit to his perfume shop, where we immediately understood what was happening. He offered us tea and started showing us samples of perfume. I started questioning him on Montreal and rapidly figured out that it was all a lie to get us to smell his perfumes. I was very firm that we did not want to buy anything, so he told us that we could buy a tiny-weeny-bikini bit for 2 pounds. We said fine, but he tried to sell us 60 pound bottles. I firmly told him that we were not interested, but he poured the bottles and started packaging them. When we refused to buy them, he looked sad and almost pretended to cry. We just left him there and went to have a rather disappointing dinner. After dinner, we were turned down at a popular Thursday hangout called After Eight on the pretext that we needed reservations and had to be couples. We then went to the Nile Hilton’s rooftop bar, which was completely transformed for the World Cup. They had astroturf on the ground, big screen TVs and the staff was wearing popular team jerseys. We ordered a shisha and some drinks while watching the end of the Swedish game. Leo was completely asleep on the couch so we decided to call it a night.<br /><br />On our last day in Egypt, we walked around the Mosque neighbourhood and the old Christian neighbourhood, before heading to the famous Egyptian museum. We had lunch on the way at a touristy place which served pigeon. I preferred the grilled pigeon over the stuffed one. In the museum, we saw countless artefacts including some from the Tutankhamen tomb. We also saw some actual mommies dating thousands of years. They were surprisingly well preserved, with teeth and even hair. The skin is dark and has the appearance of wood or rock. You could definitely recognize the person if you knew them. We walked around much more in the Old Cairo and Christian cemetery, before heading back to the museum area. We met a doctor who worked at the museum. He’s a specialist in animal mommies. More interesting even, he closely resembles Snoop Dogg, and had heard that comment before. He showed us to a liquor store and took us to a papyrus store where we talked for about an hour. I was 100% clear that we didn’t want to buy papyrus so he then took us to a perfume shop. I clearly stated that we wouldn’t buy anything so we only stayed a minute. We then parted the doctor’s company to eat “koshery”, a traditional Egyptian dish adopted from the Jewish culture. It’s a mix of beans, noodles, lentil, red sauce, lemon juice and another few mystery things. After a filling and outrageously cheap dinner, we went back to After Eight to see if we could finally get in. The doorman asked if we had reservations. We obviously did not so he asked us to wait for a moment while he checked inside. We were permitted entry and discovered that we were the only ones in the entire place. We had a couple of Sakkara beers before heading back for our hotel. We had a 5am wake-up call to fly back to CDG. I had rented a car from Alamo but it wasn’t ready so we had to wait about 20 minutes. I spotted a pretty girl with a Canadian flag on her backpack, so I walked by and wished her “Happy Canada Day”. She was a bit surprised. We talked for a few minutes and I mentioned that we were graduating. She said that her friend’s brother was also graduating this week, and we figured out that she was Coby’s sister’s friend, and that Coby’s sister was flying in from Vancouver in 30 minutes. We waited for her and drove her to Coby’s place. Small world!<br /><br /><br />Final thoughts on Egypt:<br /><br />99% of the Egyptians we met were annoying and always trying to take advantage of us.<br /><br />Everybody asks you: “Where you from?” and 90% respond “Canada Dry” when I said Canada.<br /><br />The pollution is horrible. Piles of garbage everywhere and foul smell across the city<br /><br />The heat is unbearable<br /><br />The food is bad, as far as what we’ve eaten over the week<br /><br />The traffic is absolutely crazy. People drive extremely aggressively and no rules apply, except if a policeman is nearby. Parents with babies and young children stand right in the middle of the street between to cars to attempt to cross the street. Our doctor told us that the best way to cross the street is to: 1) Close your eyes 2) Pray to Allah 3) Run! We had 3 accidents in 1 day, someone hit our mirror, someone rear-ended us and a kid hit a car door and flew over his bike.<br /><br />Overall, Cairo is the only city I’ve ever visited where I would feel strongly against living there. It’s a definite on places to visit, however.Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13585852.post-1151089111028989662006-06-23T20:52:00.000+02:002006-06-23T20:59:38.783+02:00Pictures from Montmelian party<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0543.4.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0543.4.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0558.4.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0558.4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/IMG_0553.4.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/IMG_0553.4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/DSC00844.4.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/DSC00844.4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/1600/Montmelian.3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3454/1200/400/Montmelian.3.jpg" border="0" /></a>This is what the Chateau looks like when there's no party...Olivierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16289066733181273962noreply@blogger.com0