Iceland (March 2-8, 2018)

I had the opportunity to visit Iceland earlier this year. Growing up, this country wasn't on my radar. I didn't know much about it, nor in my heyday of traveling, it wasn't on my list of places to go. It was only in the past 10 years or so that it's really hit the mainstream. I'm impressed at the efforts that the country has done to boost their economy. I remember a moment in time where it seemed that everywhere I turned, there was an advertisement promoting it as a stopovers destination between North America to Europe. And then just hearing more and more people talk about their travels there.
Although a small country, there is so much to see. I only had a couple days to really explore and stayed in the area around Reykjavik. I took a couple bus tours to visit some sights further out of town, but felt like I had just scratched the surface. I didn't explore any parts in the north of the country.
Anyway, below are just some photo highlights of my trip. I would most definitely like to go back. I wouldn't mind going back again in the winter, but I would also like to go back in the spring/summer to enjoy the green and sheep that apparently wander around.

In an around Reykjavik, I did a lot of window shopping (by far, my favourite was Geysir). I always feel tempted to buy blankets. The wool blankets were beautiful, but how many blankets can one have? I already have more blankets than are necessary...
In thinking about a souvenir and/or something special to pick up as a memento from the trip, I thought about getting a lopapeysa. Well, they sell them everywhere, and that was a little overwhelming for me. I was nervous about the authenticity and quality of the sweater. I also got overwhelmed by all the choices of colours and patterns. In the end, I went to the Handknitting Association of Iceland shop, which I thought was a nice concept. As one would expect, I spent a couple hours there hemming and hawing. Getting opinions from anyone and everyone. Narrowing down my options. Feeling conflicted about my choices. But in the end, I'm happy with what I walked out with. The sweater is a little itchy, but I tend to layer it, so it's not quite so bad. Not sure if that's something that will diminish with time.

When traveling, I often visit concert/opera halls. Typically, these venues are pretty spectacular on the inside and outside, and the Harpa was no exception. I didn't have a chance to take a tour of the building, so I'll have to keep that on my list of things to do next time I'm there. The architecture is pretty incredible.
The kind of honeycomb-esque glass structure looks great from the outside and inside. In the evening, the building is lit up with different colours. It's right in the harbour, so the backdrop is incredible. I imagine it would be pretty breathtaking in the evening. Even during the daytime, it was gorgeous. I could imagine just bringing a book to read, and sitting with the sun shining through the glass. What a neat space.

Geysirs
Not just a beautiful store, there were legit geysirs in Iceland. I think this was the first time that I'd seen geysirs. It was kind of fun standing around in the cold waiting...and waiting...and waiting. And then whoosh! Everyone had their cell phones, video recorders, and cameras at the ready - just hoping to catch that moment when the geysir erupted. In fact, there were groups of photographers (seemed to be an organized group) with all of their cameras set up on tripods just waiting. I guess taking pictures of a geysir would be a skill!
Geologists must love Iceland. And I wish I understood more of the discipline to truly appreciate the country. Geothermal energy was a common phased that I heard on the trip. I guess I have been to other places with this phenomenon, but it just seemed so much more prevalent here in Iceland. I have a rudimentary knowledge that the core of the earth is super hot. And it just boggles my mind that there's bubbling water underground. These (kind of) calm looking pools of water are in fact death traps. Ok, fine. The steam does give you some clues, but the other parts which aren't steaming really do look harmless. Doesn't that just look like a dainty stream? Nope. The rock says beware!

Waterfalls, waterfalls, and more waterfalls
I mean, waterfalls are beautiful, but they aren't astounding to me. I wonder if growing up with Niagara Falls has any affect on that. Don't get me wrong, they are natural wonders, but by the second waterfall, I wasn't sure if I needed to see any more. Perhaps it would have been a little different if it weren't the winter. Apparently in the warmer months, there was an option of walking behind one of the waterfalls (the Seljalandsfoss, here to the left). But wait, I've done with in Niagara Fall too. Hmm.
These next pictures are from the Skógafoss waterfall. In terms of the height and volume, the waterfalls were impressive, but I guess just looking at them from afar isn't as exciting as waterfalls that I've heard you can swim...especially if you've seen many waterfalls before. The neat thing about the Skógafoss waterfall is that you could walk up pretty close to the base of it (you could also climb stairs to get to the top - which was nice to get a little workout in after sitting on the bus for a long time).
As it was winter, much of the water surrounding the base of the waterfall was frozen. I suppose due to the splashing of the water and misty droplet, the ice has a pebbly kind of quality. It was fun to shuffle and slide along the ice and feel the texture of it. It made for a really neat icy wonderland.
While I may not sound the most enthusiastic about the waterfalls, it was still pretty magical to see little waterfalls craved into the side of a rock face or mountain. As we drove past on the bus, it made me wonder how long these waterfalls had been there, how long they took to develop, and what they would look like in ____ years. Nature is pretty impressive.


Black sand beach
Another out of this world experience was visiting the black volcanic sand beaches in of Reynisfjara. Do a little bit of googling to see images of the beaches and the iconic basalt columns. Un. Real. This would have also been a cool destination to be over the course of a day - to see it in different light.
I had this weird mind-trippy moment when we arrived to the beach (this picture here is of the Three Trolls, or Reynisdrangar). I was walking along on the black sand, and it's literally black. So I don't associate sand with the colour black. I was staring at it, and I honestly had a moment where I thought I was walking on asphalt. Like, I kept looking down thinking that this was a fresh layer of asphalt (but somehow more fine grained) than just hadn't been steamrolled yet. Then, I finally knelt down to touch the sand. And yeah, it felt like sand. It was so bizzare. It felt like sand, sort of looked like sand, but my brain wasn't ready to accept it as sand.

Food adventures
It might be affordable to get to Iceland, but once you're there, things are expensive. Everyone I spoke with emphasized this, and commented on the cost of food. They weren't exaggerating. Meals would be at least $50. I had a soup for lunch on the last day of the trip, and it was $30. It was a really good soup (lamb stew - one of the items that was on my list of things to try), but still. $30!!! 

Other items on my list included:
- puffin
- whale
- lamb
- fermented shark
- dried fish
- skyr 
- black licorice

In the end, I was too frugal to get a rack of lamb or anything more significant than the lamb stew (including a sheep's head). Next time. The whale, I found out, really varies depending on how it was prepared. I had gone to a seafood shack earlier in the trip that was recommended to have a good lobster (well, technically langoustine) soup (it was good), and saw whale on the menu, so ordered it. It tasted similar to liver. I mentioned this to someone local, and she immediately told me that it hadn't been prepared properly. Later in the trip when I went to another recommended restaurant, I tried whale again, and it was a much better experience. It was here that I also tried puffin (similar to duck). AND I tried the hákarl. This stuff is legendary. I wasn't really sure in what context I would be able to try it. I didn't think that I would purchase it from a store. I had been warned about the intense ammonia smell (and taste?!?) so it would have been a little crazy risking it in my hotel room. In the end, I was telling the waitress about how I wanted to try it, and she kindly offered me a cube. 
It was literally a 1cm square cube, and that was all I really needed. It was served frozen, as was explained to me, the way to keep the odor at bay. I was instructed to wait for the cube to thaw before eating it. And as it thawed, the smell did come through. It was interesting. It smelled like ammonia, I could feel the ammonia vapour in my nose and back of my throat. But it tasted fishy. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. But that smell. Wow.
I also went to this popular hot dog stand. I got the hot dog with all the toppings (except for raw onions - those give me a headache) and it was pretty tasty. Sweet mustard, remolade (mayonnaise), ketchup, and the bonus fun topping: fried onions. It was also a lot more affordable than other food options, so I have to admit that I had a hot dog for a couple meals.
Skyr was something that I picked up at the grocery store to try. The plain kind was obviously flavourless and a little bland. Kind of yogurty, kind of not, it was a good breakfast and snack that I often brought with me on my bus tours.
I don't really get why folks in the Nordic countries like black licorice so much (especially when it's salty), so I was skeptical when people told me of the popularity in Iceland. Luckily, when it's covered with chocolate, it's a little bit more palatable. It also didn't seem quite as salty as I remember it being when I tried it in those other countries. I basically went into the Bonus store and got one of every Lakkris option. The classic chocolate covered licorice, the ones with a marzipan center (ok), the ones with a licorice powder coating (gross), and the ones with a caramel center (yum), and even the one with the spicy powder coating (yuck).
Also at Bonus, I picked up some Harðfiskur. I probably should have gotten a smaller packet (because it's still sitting in a cupboard in my kitchen), but maybe I'll suddenly get a craving for it and be glad I have it. 

The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is one of the mega-touristy things. And with mega-touristy things, you never know if it's going to be "worth it". People had told me that going to local swimming pools should instead by a priority, so I wanted to make sure that I did both. 
As I said before, Iceland is unreal. Like, the local swimming pools are heated geothermally. The hot water that comes out of taps is heated geothermally. I was told that the cold water is actually cooled down. Like, it's backwards from what we're used to. "Regular" water is hot, so they need to put effort in to generate cold water. The local swimming pools are a combination of swimming pool and hot tubs. And everything is outdoors. So yeah, I'm visiting in the middle of the winter, but swimming outdoors. But of course, that's fine, because the water's so warm! The location that I went to had a bunch of different pools/tubs - each indicating its water temperature. One with lanes for swimming (again, so weird to be swimming outdoors in the winter, but in water with a perfectly comfortable temperature - 37 degrees), one for tots to wade in (32 degrees), a pretty normal-ish hot tub with a bench around the perimeter and water jets (39 degrees), a hot tub that was basically a foot and a half deep (and seemed to be the perfect depth for lying in) with this kind of lip thing on the edge (perfect for resting your head) (also 39 degrees), and then a series of smaller tubs of varying temperatures (12, 39, and 44 degrees). Of course, I had to try all of them. It was obviously chilly going from tub to tub. The warm water was really comforting in contrast to the cold winter air, but in fact, I found most of the tubs a little too hot for me. The cold tub was a little much for me (I could only manage standing up to my calves in it for a short period of time before having to dash to to a warmer pool), but hopefully it did at least a little bit of what it was supposed to do and get the old blood flowing out of my feet which were so tired from walking around throughout the trip. There were also steam rooms, but I tend not to enjoy those, so I didn't really make use of them. I had gone one a weeknight, and perhaps only and hour and a half before they closed and the place was packed. People of all ages - groups of friends, families, tourists, locals...you name it. I think me favourite was lying in that one shallow pool and just staring up at the stars in the night sky. It was an unforgettable experience.
But the Blue Lagoon. The trip was relatively last minute, and as soon as it was confirmed (maybe two weeks prior), I went on the website to try to book a ticket. Things were pretty much already sold out. And of course it wasn't cheap. I decided to go with the most basic package (which I think was perfectly fine in the end) and shelled out additional cash to get a bus ticket to get there (as it's not close to the city). On the bus ride there, I fell asleep (I'm like a baby in a moving vehicle). When I woke up, I literally felt like we were on another planet. The landscape of Reykjavik looks kind of, I don't know...normal. It's by the water, there are cute cobblestone streets, some interesting buildings with architecture that's different from what I'm used to, mountains in the distance, some greenery, some snow...you know, normal. But I woke up to what I imagined Mars would be like. Well, maybe not Mars because it wasn't red, but like, it literally looked like another planet. Now, maybe there are other parts of the world that look like this, but I had never experienced them before. And I had only been on a bus for about 45 minutes. 
Anyway, I wander around for a bit until I'm a little less groggy. And looking to one side, I see the terrain above. Then to the other, I see this:

I mean, seriously. It's unreal. I'm not sure if I have ever seen clearer water. And that blue. The white silica deposits really made for an incredible sight. And I hadn't even entered the Blue Lagoon yet!
The Blue Lagoon was spectacular. Worth every penny. It exceeded my expectations. I can't think of enough superlatives. It really was everything I could have imagined and then some. I basically spent the whole day there. I had wanted to see the place during the day and in the evening, so I strategized accordingly. 
After a couple hours of taking my time, exploring the different parts of the lagoon, soaking up the sun and healing properties of the water, I took a break to let my pruned skin get back to normal. I took advantage of the lounge chairs that were set up indoors, had my Skyr and other snacks, took a wee nap, and read my magazines (and, gasp, some papers for work). 
Then, when I felt well-rested (and honestly, this trip and outing was the much needed excuse to actually give myself a a little R&R and pampering), I went back into the lagoon for round 2. I got my free mud mask and drink (naturally, I opted for the Skyr smoothie - as if I hadn't had enough!) and just continued to take it all in.
It had been a long time since I remember feeling so at peace. So relaxed. Content. Both the night that I left the swimming pool and the Blue Lagoon, I felt good. I was thankful to get to that place again.

The Northern Lights
Seeing the Northern Lights has been on my bucket list. You see pictures of this colourful glow - it looks so magical. I happened to be there at a time of the year when prospects to see the lights were decent. So, like much of the rest of the trip, I booked an excursion to see the lights and hoped for the best. I got lucky. Our bus stopped at a first location where we all got out and waited around in the freezing cold. I literally was wearing all of the layers I possibly could and was still freezing. I can't imagine how cold I would have been had I not purchased my lopapeysa the day prior. I wore that wool sweater proudly for most of that trip and goodness, they are warm! Anyway, after a couple minutes at this first stop, we were told to get back on the bus and drove off to another location where there were already a couple other buses. Soon after we got there, the guides excitedly said, that the lights were visible and we all scurried off the bus to take a look.
Naively, I thought my camera would be able to capture the lights. I also thought my eyes would too. I mean, what I expected to see what what I had seen in pictures. While I did see some slight glow and moving of shapes (kind of cloud-esque, but more wavey), it didn't really have the impact that I was hoping. I use the longest exposure on my point and shoot digital camera that I have, and all I get is a black screen. So I stand there, looking at this kinda foggy-ish scene. I breathe in the crisp air and just think how lucky I am to be here, to be one with nature. 
I wander over to a gentleman who has a camera on his tripod and ask him how his pictures are turning out. The man, from Japan, has limited English so we aren't able to communicate much through verbal language. But he seems to be enjoying himself and the photos that he's taking. I ask him if I would be able to see some of the pictures and he kindly obliges. 
I take a look at the screen and there are the images that come to mind when I think of the Northern Lights. He kindly lets me take a look at the screen every so often when the colours change (and boy did they ever - greens, yellow, oranges...). I end up giving him my email address asking him if he would be willing to send me some of the images. A couple days later, I receive an email from him with a series of fantastic photos. Such a small connection between strangers and I'm feeling such warmth. It kind of reminded me of moments at the Torino game where I asked strangers to sell tickets that I wouldn't be able to use. Anyway, a big thank you through cyberspace. Although I didn't take them myself, the photos that I received are among my favourite from the trip.

Red lava fields and horseback riding 
On the final morning of my trip, I booked a horse riding tour. I love animals, and I'd heard about the special breed of horses in Iceland (look at how fluff they are!). I thought that going on a horse ride would be another great way to rest my mind, while being out in nature and also to take in yet another type of terrain of the country.
Again, venturing out of the city, we got to an area with lots of stables but also surrounding by fields. These red lava fields are apparently protected areas that cannot be build upon or tampered with. And yet again, I felt like I was on a different planet.
I don't have any experience riding horses, so the excursion made me wish that I could learn a little bit more about riding (when the horse was walking, I was fine, but when he started trotting, I had a little trouble - obviously we never even got to the point where I could experience the fifth gait of the horse).
Still, I enjoyed being in the fresh air and admiring the scenery. The Red Lava fields, I guess would be more Mars-like than the region near the Blue Lagoon. Even during our short excursion, we were able to see different type of terrain. The large rectangular area in this picture was apparently a bunker created for World War II.


Suffice it to say, I had an incredible trip. I felt like I experienced a lot in a short amount of time, yet I feel like I only just got started. And like many of my posts, I feel like this one dind't do the trip (or country) justice. I hope to be able to go back soon.

Montreal murals

Each year, Montreal hosts urban artists for Mural Festival. Montreal seems to be quite impressive in terms of its support and involvement in the Arts.While I haven't been out and about specifically during the festival to see the progress of the newest murals (these pictures are from way back in 2015), I do appreciate the urban art as I go about my daily life. It's great to see art in the city, it's impressive the scale of many of these pieces.

When I see a piece that I don't remember seeing previously, I struggle to remember what the building looked like as a blank canvas. The pieces, while they obviously stand out, also seem to fit right in. It would almost seem a shame to have a blank canvas just bursting with potential.
At times, I worry that the city will run out of places for new murals. I wonder if that's actually a legitimate concern?

I was scanning through the festival's website, and it's incredible. Sometimes I think of doing a mural hunt just to be able to see all of them, but I also enjoy just stumbling across the art as I go about my life.
I wonder what inspires these artists? I wonder if there are certain things that are more "mural-able" than others. Does everything look good scaled up?

I also am interested to understand more about the artists' process. What skills have they developed to be able to do their work? What kind of mathematical reasoning is taking place? And how much of it is unconscious? A couple years ago, I had the opportunity to get to know an urban artist who started describing his process to me. It was clear that there was a lot of mathematical thinking, but he was adamant that there was none. And this is something that exists in many different contexts (why do I feel the urge to cite different sources here - NO! This is not an academic paper!).
Anyway, I'll probably wait until the weather gets nice again (which won't be for a long time - sigh) before I actively try to go on a mural hunt. No doubt that plans for the 2019 edition of the festival are already well underway. I wonder what spaces will be used for this year's murals.

H.E.R. - I Used to Know Her Tour

I haven't been a concert person. In fact, before this recent experience, I had only attended one concert - New Kids on the Block when I was in Grade 5. A group of classmates were going, and I thought it was the socially appropriate thing to do. An my parents decided to send my brother along, I assume to ensure that I would be safe in the crazy crowds downtown. Anyway, neither my brother nor I were particularly interested in the music or the band. And the venue was so large that NKOTB were just little figures bopping around on a stage far away. I wonder if that experience was the impetus for me now being willing to splurge on shows/event.

Actually, now that I think of it, I have been to a couple more shows. In undergrad, there were some concerts related to Frosh Week and other university-shenanigans. None of the bands were particularly to my taste, but again, I went because that's what you do. Wait, and I've been to some concerts as part of the Montreal Jazz Festival and other festivals in different cities.
But I haven't paid to attend many concerts. I think the NKOTB one was the only one I needed to pay for the ticket.

So, I recently had the opportunity to attend a concert. Let's be clear, I'd never heard of the artist before. People have commented on how they find it strange that I don't listen to music. When out and about, a lot of people have headphones on...so I guess it's pretty normal for people to have a soundtrack for their life. I guess my soundtrack is my own thoughts and general city noise. Or, people marvel in the fact that I don't have a stereo or any decent music playing device in my house. I appreciate it when I visit other people and there's music playing, but I guess I just haven't put it into my own life. And when I do listen to music, I don't think I'm on the cutting edge of things. So, yeah. I had never heard of H.E.R. before. But I'm game for experiences and outings, so I went.

Upon arrival to the venue, a couple thoughts crossed my head:
1. I feel old
2. I feel unhip
3. I like being surrounded by diversity

The concert was great. I was perplexed because the tickets themselves has seat numbers on them, but that clearly meant nothing. It was cool being surrounded by people who were singing along to songs that I'd never heard of. I liked the music. It was interesting to think about the choreography of the whole show. The role of the supporting artists, cameos, the band, the visuals, the progression of songs, the choice of the artist playing the guitar. The songs seemed more varied than I thought - like, I wouldn't have thought that all of the songs were by the same artist. There were some songs that I liked better than others, but in general, I had a good time. The venue was cool. Small, but not too small. You could go on the main floor or up into the balcony. It was held at what used to be the Metropolis - which back when ON kids used to go to QC to party (I guess they still do so, but I mean, when my generation of ON kids used to go to QC to party), was a place to go.

I guess I'll need to think about whether I want to go to more concerts in the future. The tickets weren't the cheapest. I mean, cheaper than tickets of other shows that I've attended, but did I enjoy the experience enough? There are no bands that I love enough that I would know all of the songs. I'm an old lady with a broken body, so standing for long periods of time isn't pleasant. I think I enjoyed the people watching and taking in the experience itself the most, and the music, while I did enjoy it, at times ended up being background to the rest. So, we'll see!

Journees de la culture

Les Journees de la culture happen every year in QC...so I'm not quite sure why this year is the first year that I've gone since I've moved here. I think last year it showed up on my radar, but the even had already passed. So I bookmarked it and put it in my calendar for this year. Definitely at the top of my list for the event was to go to the Cirque du Soleil headquarters. I've always liked Cirque and have seen many of their shows. There's a show coming to the city at the end of the year, so if I'm around, I'll definitely get tickets.
There are so many events offered as part of Les Journees. When I filtered the list to ones in my area, the list was still super long. There were a couple open dance rehearsals that I thought might be interesting. As were workshops offered by the École de joaillerie et de métaux d’art de Montréal and the Centre des métiers du cuir de Montréal. With some other commitments that weekend, I ended up only having the Saturday to take in the festivities so I focused on the Cirque. I went to the headquarters as I'd always wanted to and it was awesome. I sat in on some open rehearsals of performers learning acts of touring shows, walked through the costume departments, and even tried my hand at plate spinning (success!!!) and the diabolo (not as much). On the Cirque property was a massive garden (kale, brussels sprouts, eggplants, squash...) and some apple trees. Strangely, that was the most impressive part of my visit.
Just across the street was the École nationale de cirque, which also opened its doors for the weekend. There, I got to watch some of the senior students put on performances that were in the works for their final end of the year show. I try to go to the end of the year shows every year. The productions always good, and the prices so affordable as compared to shows put on by professional companies. Anyway, many of the performances seemed to include a contemporary dance vibe to it. I wonder if that's a current trend in the field or maybe it's coincidental that the performers all have that component in their work. Maybe it's strategic to show that they are a multifaceted performer for when they hit the job market. Already impressive, I wondered what differences there were compared to the professionals already hired by Cirque.
Anyway, it was nice to get out in to the city and have an extra opportunity to appreciate the arts. Hopefully it will be a regular event in my calendar each year.

Cremeux (le) Kaltbach

The cheese sampling still continues. I seem to have settled into hard cheese. Although I started with brie and for some reason thought that "real cheese" was supposed to be soft and slightly stinky, I'm now at a point where I'm going to keep trying different things, but I kind of have a "type" that I like, so why not stay in the same vein for awhile? Actually, what I've tried to do recently is buy one hard and one soft cheese each time, but once in the shop, it's hard for me to actually take the plunge if when tasting, it just seems to make sense to buy things that immediately taste better to me.
Anyway, I seem to like creamy cheeses. For the hard cheeses, there's more of a variety that I like. Salty, nutty, fruity...I don't seem to like the cheeses that are a little sour.

Anyway, This time, I got Cremeux (le) Kaltbach. A Swiss cheese, the Kaltbach is quite mild, but creamy. It's pretty nondescript otherwise. I guess some might find it a little boring, but for me, it's an easy cheese to have with bread. Maybe add tomato and/or salad. I just imagine adding this to my traditional picnic repertoire.

One-way street adventures

I live on a one-way street. But it's only been a one-way for the past two years. I haven't actually done the calculations, but I don't think that there's an insignificant number of people who drive the wrong way down the street. Does it not strike them as odd that all the cars parked on the side of the road are facing the other direction? The street isn't long enough that the cars couldn't realize where they've went wrong and turn around. Or, how many know exactly what they're doing and just don't care? It's also curious to watch the reactions of others watching these cars.
And here I am, perched on my balcony, looking down on the world (literally, and at times figuratively) watching it all unfold.

The power of music

It's incredible the affect that music can have.

Tonight, I attended Phénix, which was part of Complètement Cirque. When Stravinsky's Firebird started, I immediately got chills. It's just one or two notes, and I already know. 

Rachmininoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini gets to me every time as well. I usually get a chill, and then I start to tear up. I mean, number 18? C'mon.

There are many pieces of music that I associate with different memories and my reaction to them is related to my feelings about the experience, but some pieces of music are just so powerful that I cannot help but have a visceral reaction. Sometimes movie soundtracks are equally as effective.

Las Vegas (December 19-23, 2017)

This is the second time that I've been to Vegas. The first time was the summer of 2001. That was a long time ago. I have spotty memories about the strip, but I'd like to think that's more because there wasn't the strip like there is today rather than me not really remembering my visit. Truthfully, I think it's a little bit from column A, a little bit from column B. The only strong memory that gave me a sense of nostalgia was watching the fountains in front of the Bellagio Hotel.

Anyway, I've been wanting to go back to see some more shows and marvel in the spectacle of the strip. Because it really is a spectacle.
Just walking around the strip is fun. You can people watch, window shop, and explore different worlds in the different casinos. I'm not a gambler, but I enjoy them as an observer. The lights, the sounds...I'm repeating myself, but it's a spectacle!
I guess it's so much of a spectacle that I was just living in the moment of it all. While I did take some pictures, I kind of surprised at how few I took and most of them seem to be from the evening even though I wasn't actually out and about in the evening very much. And my strongest images of Vegas don't seem to be reflected in the pictures that I have so I'm not really sure what happened there.
The resources that have been invested into the resorts is incredible. From the casinos, the restaurants, the shows, the hotels, the shopping...it's unreal. The Vegas strip is another world. I mean, c'mon - they basically re-created a chunk of Venice and stuck it in the Nevada desert. There are canals outdoors. There are canals indoors. Only in Vegas. It's crazy.
But it's also a little (well, a lot) over the top. I like window shopping. And window shopping in boutiques that I wouldn't regularly shop in. But that's basically ALL that's there. I never thought I would get tired of window shopping, but I did. It's extreme. It's an overload. It's too much. It's Vegas. And again, Vegas is a different world.
Oh, I had a Rush Hour 2 moment when I saw the forum of Caesars Palace. That was funny.

For the most part, I stayed on the strip. I just wanted a couple days to get away from things. The semester has just ended, and I was feeling exhausted. This was a little escape before spending some time with family for the holidays and then having some more quiet time before starting back up for what I knew would be a busy start to the New Year.
On the trip, I fell into a nice pattern of sleeping in, taking my time in the morning, a quick check in to work (although I did didn't do anything work related for about two days at the beginning - which felt like an eternity, but quite nice in the end), and then heading out for relaxing stroll (I was staying on the north end of the strip) towards the main drag before immersing myself in the spectacle of it all.
I basically chose a different section of the strip to explore each day and wander around, window shop, and soak in the lights and sounds and scenes of it all. I'd find some random, silly places to get food that were either: a) places that in my head were so typically American (whatever that means) that I couldn't get at home...for example, In-N-Out Burger and The Cheesecake Factory, or b) something Vegas-y (again, in my head)...for example, Bobby's Burger Palace. I'd head back to the hotel just after dinner (unless I was going to see a show) for a quiet night in and an early bedtime.

For the time of year when the weather was already cold and I wasn't spending as much time outside, this trip was nice because I spent the whole day outside (well, expect when I ducked into the resorts to explore) walking...walking...and more walking. And during the day the sun was out. And the sun felt nice. It was about 10-15 degrees during the day. While this wasn't the warm beach weather that a lot of people go to at this time of year, this was perfect for me because I didn't want to sweat, I just wanted some warmth. It was like a warm hug. and I needed those. When the sun set, it got quite cold (desert, right?), to the extent that I ended up wearing my winter coat that I had worn in-transit. And I had my toque on every night walking back to the hotel.

I saw two shows. I was only interested in seeing Cirque du Soleil and I had no problems splurging on tickets. There was one show that I have always wanted to see: O. I had such high expectations, and was not disappointed. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, mouth-open in awe, totally mesmerized. I know the soundtrack inside and out, and I was finally hearing it in the theatre...and it was amazing. I'd seen scenes from the show, videos on their website and other places, and I was actually watching it live in front of my eyes...and it was amazing. It's great when something you build up in your mind, and have been waiting and waiting for is everything you imagined it would be.
The second show, I wasn't too sure of. I mean, I knew I wanted to see more than one show on this trip, but other than O, I didn't have something that I desperately wanted to see. After looking into all of the other Cirque shows, I decided to go with KA. I like acrobatic shows, so this seemed to be one that would fit the bill. I actually saw this show earlier in the trip than O, and as soon as I got to the show venue was getting giddy. There was an act in the lobby of the venue.
And the theatre itself was amazing. Other Cirque shows that I had seen were in the big top or arenas. This (as was O) in a legit theatre. And everything in the theatre was part of the show. Cirque shows usually have pre-show acts going on in the aisles, but this was taken to the next level. As you can see, the "wings" of the theatre extend out into the audience and there were performers everywhere. And the typically "in the aisles" interactions are as floor-level, but this took it literally to another dimension - there were sights and sounds coming from all around and at different heights.
The show itself did have some interesting acts, but as a whole, but there were some moments that I didn't enjoy as much. In my opinion, the show seemed more focused on the narrative rather than the acts. And it actually didn't feel like there were as many acts as I was used to in a Cirque show. In part, I think this was because I interpreted some of what the company might have identified as "acts" as "narrative". Remember, I like acrobatics and spectacle, so the acts that I didn't feel delivered, I probably just saw them as transitional. Yet, there were moments of the show where I was open-mouthed and/or beaming with excitement so I really can't complain too much.

Vegas has enough to entertain. It's a place (for me) to go just for 3 days. Walk around, get a couple shows in, marvel at it all...but then you're done. There's only so much, that I feel that you can do until you get bored of it. Unless you're there in weather where you can go to the pool (which I wasn't), love to gamble (which I don't), or take an excursion further away from the strip like the Grand Canyon.

There was one day that I did go off the strip. And kind of sussing out where I was going, it wasn't too far away, so I decided to walk there. So that's the crazy thing, the strip is a weird bubble. It's like thing that had clear boundaries. Not really in a physical sense with a fence or something like that, but this sense of, on one side of the street are LIGHTS! HOTELS! SPECTACLE! FLASH! SHINY! NEW!, and then the other side of the street are strip malls, poverty...reality. And no pedestrians. There are pedestrians everywhere on the strip. Yet, you walk the same distance (or literally even just one block) in the opposite direction and all of a sudden you're the only one on the sidewalk. In one instance, I was waiting for the streetlight to cross the street and a gentleman who was panhandling in the middle of the intersection came over and asking if I was lost and needed directions. I got confirmation of where I was heading to and felt (imagined, or real, it's unclear) eyes staring at me from the inside of cars driving by. I have a colleague from the US who jokes about Americans and on many occasions, he has spoken about how "everyone in the US drives". When I was walking off the strip, it was this interesting experience and, not really "realization", but I guess some sort of internalization of sorts. About a lot of things (not just about driving vs. being a pedestrian). Interesting emotions and thoughts. So I appreciated having that moment.

Mexico (Dec 22-29, 2015)

Perhaps it's the fact that I'm longing for a vacation that involves sun, sea, and sand. Anyway, I went to Mexico WAY back in December 2015. It had been about 25 years since I did one of those all-inclusive trips and almost the same amount of time since I visited the Yucatan Peninsula.

But, is was the first time that I went somewhere terribly warm when it was terribly cold at home. It was a shock to my system. For real, a 60 degree shift in temperature wasn't the greatest. I actually spent the first couple days sick. I think I arrived with a little bit of food poisoning (from home, sigh), and then I probably had a little bit of heat stroke, added with jet lag (which never really seemed to affect me previously, but you know...age and stuff). But it got better, and really - it's was such a luxury to be able to take this trip so I have no complaints.

Anyway, in addition to relaxing beach-side, I had the chance to take in some sights including some that I had been to all those years ago.

Chichén Itzá
When I lived in CH, I went back to Leysin - the place where my Swiss memories began. I hadn't been there in 10 years. It was magical being back.
In 1994, I went to the Yucatan Peninsula for a week. ON A SCHOOL TRIP. I was in elementary school. What school does that?
Point is, this 21 year timespan has been the longest timespan of me returning to a place. Who knows what I would remember.
I don't remember arriving to the site and the layout. When I got my first glimpse of the pyramid (El Castillo), I kind of thought, "Yeah, that looks about right".  But there wasn't really the emotional response that I thought that I would get. Something that gnawed at me (which I knew from doing a little research before arriving) was that the pyramid was closed off so that it couldn't be climbed. I remember climbing that pyramid back in '94. While I have the pictures to prove it, I physically remember it. I remember climbing up on the relatively steep slope. I remember the chain in the middle that could be used to support you on the way up/down. It was a funny feeling thinking of that while standing there just looking at it now.
Walking around the site didn't bring back a lot of memories. I wonder how long my memories typically last and what keeps some memories stronger than others. Nonetheless, it was interesting seeing the ruins for what felt like the first time. Everything was vaguely familiar because I remember learning about them, but nothing looked familiar. Do I remember learning about these because I experienced it (even though parts of the experience have faded) or the in-school learning experience was really powerful?
The most powerful moment I had was when I stepped into the Great Ball Court. I had this moment of, "Oh my gosh, this is EXACTLY how I remember it." It was a crazy moment. Seeing the hoops high up on the walls. Just being in that massive space. It was eerie. But awesome at the same time. I wanted to stop time. It made me pause. It made me reflect on my life, my experiences, and my good fortune. To have visited Chichén Itzá not just once, but twice...it's pretty incredible. And I've walked the site not just once, but twice. And all the people who have walked those same spaces between my trips, and even leading up to the first visit. To think about the people to didn't just looked around and marvel at the sports game that was played in that space (for example), but the athletes who played in that space all those years ago.

Tulum
I have even fewer memories of Tulum. Just that I probably have the exact same picture from '94. It's a picture that probably everyone takes and is found on so many postcards.
Again, I enjoyed visiting the site for what felt sort of like the first time. I enjoyed learning about the site, also for what felt sorta of like the first time.


Cenotes
In '94 we went to a cenote. My memory of it was that I wore my contact lenses, then went underwater, then opened my eyes underwater. Then my contacts fell out. And then the rest of the visit was pretty rotten because I couldn't seen anything.
This time, I still wore my contacts, but I also wore goggles. Huzzah!
This time, I visited two cenotes.
The first felt very much like the one I went to in '94. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the same one, but I don't actually know. Just a relatively small pool. Other than my memory about loosing my contacts, I remember it being dark. Looking down, I remember darkness.
The second was something completely different. Cenote Dose Ojos was like out of a movie. It was the first time that I wish I had a GoPro or some sort of underwater camera. It was crazy - I felt like someone pushed me into a 3D-underwater movie. Sounds silly, right? I was literally underwater, so what was so different about it? It seemed hyper real? I think it was the colours. The clear water, the blues. The rock formations and underwater caverns. The space that seemed to go on forever and ever. The cenote is popular for scuba divers (of which, I am not), so I would be looking at these masked creatures from a distance. Their slow motion and languid movements. So, which I've swam underwater before, this was the first time (that I can remember) that it was in a context such as this, scenes that I had only seen on a screen. Hence my connection to a movie. As such, I can only assume that in the future, if I have the good fortune of experiencing something similar, I will connect to this newer, lived experience, rather than to a lived theoretical knowledge.

Akumal Beach
One of the highlights of this trip was Akumal Beach. Again, an experience that could have benefited from underwater technology. Here, I had the chance to swim with turtles (another new experience). We didn't have to do anything special to encounter the beautiful creatures - just get lucky and keep our eyes peeled. Some were small - some were larger, but regardless of their size, they were elegant. Casually swimming about (or so it seemed), I too viewed these creatures from a distance above. In fact, I hovered above them, back up to the sky, head down in the water that I had a sunburned patch on my back. I so watched to get closer to the turtles, to connect with them, but there was no way of knowing whether they too wanted to connect, so it was better to leave them be, in their own space and place. But I thanked them for their presence and was so grateful for the experience.

Cancun
A day trip in to Cancun was disappointing. I mean, I was already uncomfortable with the reality of the sprawling tourist resorts. The stark contrast with the local communities. I get cabin fever at these all-inclusive beachy trips, so I do like the chance to go out and explore. In my mind, I guess I thought that going in to Cancun would give me a chance to see more of Mexico, but instead, I felt as though I was seeing more of the same. Instead of the isolated resorts near Playa del Carmen that seemed more scattered - here was a whole region of resorts gathered together creating a seemingly non-Mexican community of sorts. It felt like a vaguely familiar neighbourhood from somewhere else (in America?) just strategically placed near beautiful beaches.
But, I guess it is what it is, and what somehow something else that is, is Coco Bongo. A case is "once is enough", I realized quite quickly that this wasn't my scene. It was a spectacle (again, to experience), but only reinforcing my notion that I was in this strange, artificially constructed place. I can see how an outing to Coco Bongo would be exactly what they would be looking for in a trip to Mexico, but for me, no.
As I said at the beginning, it had been so long since I'd taken a "resort" kind of vacation. I was still a child when I last went. As a child, my priorities and interests on vacations were one thing, and this trip was a chance for me to discover what my adult self wanted out of such a trip. As much as I crave a getaway to somewhere warm, with water and sand, many of these locales bring a reality that in part, the point of this trips is to get away from - reality. I know that I would like to find opportunities that lend itself to a more balanced and authentic experience.