Hello, Cusco!

I’ve been lacking in blog updates lately because of 2 things: 1) traveling; and 2) work!  I took a side trip from La Paz to Buenos Aires for 10 days, but I’m in Peru now!  City #4, Cusco, aka Cuzco.  It's charming, cute and cozy.  I haven’t explored much yet but, this Sunday, I’m embarking on a 4 day hike of the Inca Trail, which leads up to the top of Machu Picchu.  Can’t wait!  I have a ton of work to do before I go, so it's nose to the grindstone for the next few days and the reward is one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World.

Side note: Tuesday, we celebrated 100 Days of Remote Year!  We are a little over 1/4 of the way done with our travels, and just under 1/3rd.  Cusco is our last month in South America and then it's on to Europe!  

One thing that bummed me out big time -- yesterday, I realized that my favorite camera lens is broken.  (85mm prime)  This was probably my best lens, and I think maybe it was damaged when I was traveling.  My camera bag may have been dropped at one point in the airport, and I think that lens was attached to the body.  The threading seemed to be bent a bit and when I tried to reconnect it, it was super tight, and I think it scratched the lens contacts.  UGH.  At least, I’ll be in London soon and I will be fixing or replacing it.  There are some camera shops here in Cusco, but I’m not expecting them to have this specific piece.  

Oh well, lesson learned: travel with your least expensive lens attached to the body.  

More coming soon!  Best of La Paz photos!  Buenos Aires side trip photos!  Salt Flat photos!  Stay tuned...

In the meantime, here are some pics of Cusco from my hotel:

The Cafe here at the Hotel

La Paz - Mirador Killi Killi

There’s a spot in La Paz called Mirador Killi Killi.  It’s got stunning 360ish views of the old city and is a premiere make-out spot for young lovers.  

You can see why.  My peepers were peaked as I snapped some sunset scenery.

Hope you like! 

Super wide shot of the old city.

The illest of all, Mount Illimani!

Just love the colors in this city!

Looks a little like Legos...

El Prado - Parties & Protests

El Prado is a popular, tourist-y type of main drag in La Paz.  My hotel, Hotel Copacabana is right in the heart of it.

On Sundays, they have these art-walk type parties called Feria Dominical Del Prado, with live music, arts & fun things for kids like big chickens! 

The view from my Hotel Copacabana window

Check out this cool funk band:

One thing that has been consistent through all of my travels in South America so far, is protests.  Granted, I've only been to a few cities, but in Cordoba, Buenos Aires, La Paz, etc, there are protests ALMOST every day.  

El Prado is a popular street for protestors.

Most of the time, the protests are peaceful, just marches or assemblies of the passionate population.  But, you always know they're happening because of the powerful sound of explosives (David would be proud). 

Here is an example of a peaceful protest (with explosives) -- just some folks marching on El Prado.  (View from my hotel room)

Once in a while, the protests do get a little violent.  This was the first one I saw.  

A group of people were protesting in front of the Ministerio de Justicia.  (You can see them at the bottom behind the trees)

Then, the riot police showed up, and for a good 5-10 minutes you heard the fracas on the front line.  

The people pushed back and, eventually...

...the people won.

And the riot police retreated.   Check it out:

Panorámica - El Alto, La Paz

Eric, Lisa, Kelly, Adam, Liz and Adam Lev (bottom)

La Paz, Bolivia is a magnificent mountainous city about ~12,000 ft above sea level and El Alto, is the fast-growing plains city just above La Paz (~13,600 ft).  In a city like La Paz, it makes sense to have a public transportation option like: Mi Teleférico, aka “cable cars”.  

One night we rode the Mi Teleférico Red Line up to El Alto for a party on Avenida Panorámica.    

Myself, Jeff Sloan and Leah Dungo

The timing was perfect, the sunset was scintillating and the panoramic views were perfecto.

A good chance for me to practice portrait photography.  

And, overall, a moment of amazing imagery, camaraderie and memories.

Eric Scheibling

Liz Garrison

Juliane Manansala

Samantha Johnston

Tom George Edwin Andrew

Melissa Brown

Public Speaking Workshop - Saint Andrew’s School

Thanks to our local contact here in Bolivia, an amazing super-woman super-star Viviana Coloma, I was invited to speak at a prestigious private school here in La Paz: Saint Andrew’s School.   

Vivi and I before the event!

Saint Andrew's is a very innovative and progressive school system with strong Catholic values.  Students learn multiple languages from an early age, and the school prides themselves on strong academics, with an emphasis on technology, sports and building well rounded students. It was an honor to be invited to speak.  Just look at this campus!

The topic of my presentation was "Speak to Succeed: The importance of strong communication skills in today's global economy."   I did my best to inspire the juniors and seniors and encourage them to embrace public speaking - I even gave them a chance to speak on stage.  4 brave students got up to speak and I was very proud to see them accept the challenge!

This was a unique experience for me, as I usually perform workshops for professionals.  But it was very motivating to speak to students and try to get them excited about communication.  

I always feel that even if I only inspire one person, the event is worth it.  And, I'm pretty sure I was able to motivate a few.

A small group of students approached me after the event and thanked me.  This made my day.  I sincerely hope that we keep in touch and I can continue to inspire them to achieve their goals.

I'd say the event was a success.  And now, I want to do more workshops for students around the world.   

THANK YOU, Vivi Coloma.  You inspired me, you pushed me, and I am so thankful for your help!

Salar de Uyuni - Short Film

World’s largest salt flats (~11,000 sq km), Salar de Uyuni was on my Bolivia bucket list.  It’s hard to describe the beauty of this desolate, dried up lake.  Looks like snow.  The exceptionally clear blue skies combined with white as far as you can see make for a brilliant backdrop to shoot a film.  

Mi amigo de Los Angeles, Patrick, aka Pootee the Explorer is creating one short film in each of our 12 cities.  So, Patrick, Jonathan and I set out to shoot in the salt flats.  

I am one of the actors, although I don't have any speaking lines.  In the film, we communicate through telepathy and voice overs will be added later.  The script is still in production...very curious to see how it plays out.  Knowing Patrick, it will be hilarious!

Jonathan, played the role of one of the rare 'Salt Flat People'.  Kudos to este hombre for welcoming the body, face and hair paint!  Poor guy had white on him the rest of the trip.  He was able to take a shower at our hostel, but they yelled at him when he was taking too long.  And, then I think he got a rash from the paint.  Actin' ain't easy!

Salar de Uyuni.  Lo que es un lugar perfecto para una película!  (What a perfect place for a film!)

Stay tuned for said film...and more stories n snaps from the Salt Flats.

Iguazu Falls, aka Paradise

Waterfalls, rainbows and butterflies.  EVERYWHERE.  Iguazu Falls.

A few weeks back when I was in Buenos Aires, I took a trip to Iguazu Falls, which borders Brazil and Argentina.  The trip was nothing short of spectacular.  There are anywhere between 150 to 300 waterfalls in Iguazu depending on water levels.  It’s paradise.

Way on the left is Brazil.  On the right is the Argentina side which has way more falls.

The first place we went was Devil’s Throat, which features waterfalls over 80 meters high.  It was hard to take pics because you got immediately soaked.  

Devil's Throat

But, check out these birds at Devil's Throat.  Hundreds of birds flocking in and out of the falls.  

I’ve never seen so many butterflies in my life (except in an indoor sanctuary).  If the weather is hot and humid, they’re everywhere.  Check out this one just airing out its wings and putting on a show for me.

Sometimes, the butterflies will land on you if you’re lucky.  I was jealous of my friends who had one land on them early in the day.  Until, this little lady landed on my shoulder while we were walking to lunch.  

No joke, she stayed with me for over an hour -- I even went into 2 lunch spots before deciding on the buffet.  Went up 3 times to get food.  She stayed on my shoulder.  

Finally, when we were eating dessert, she started to crawl on my stomach!  Then, she flew away...BUT, sure enough, she came back and landed on my cell phone!  I caught the moment on video, below.  She stayed there for the remainder of lunch, while I paid for my food, and finally about 2 minutes after I left the restaurant, she flew away.  Magical.

It was approximately 90 degrees and ridiculously humid the entire day.  It is a sub-tropical climate after all.  The highlight of the day, was taking a boat ride INTO THE FALLS.  Just like a theme park river rapids ride, everyone gets soaking wet!  They literally drove the boat right into the falls, 4 times!  It was thrilling and perfectly refreshing after sweating like a beast in the humidity.

Check out this boat, about to drive into the falls!

Iguazu Falls is probably the most beautiful, magical place I’ve ever been to in my life.  In addition to the butterflies, we saw monkeys, lizards, spiders, coatis, vultures, toucans, etc.  Tropical jungles have the most species of wildlife on Earth. 

Here's a video that captures the essence of Iguazu Falls, aka Paradise.  

(For more pics, visit me on Facebook)

Climbing Mount Huayna Potosi

Snap from the drive to the mountain.

Last week, I changed my Facebook cover image to a sunset snap of Huayna Potosi (in the Andes), ~25km from La Paz, ~6,088 meters, aka 19,975 feet.  What I didn’t mention is that I was mentally preparing to climb to the top of it.  

I didn’t want to say anything because I’m no mountain climber.  I’ve never used an ice axe and had no idea what a crampon was.  I’ve done some pretty grueling hikes but, this was a whole 'nother beast.  

Zoom view of the beast!

Tom was the man with the plan.  Derryl, Jonathan and I were just crazy enough to go along with it.

Tom George Edwin Andrew, from Australia.  4 first names, 1 bad ass dude!

Tom, (left) Derryl (center), Jonathan (right)

The tour company says the hike is for beginners.  And they teach you the ropes before the big attempt.  Sounds perfect!  

The base camp is about 2 hours from La Paz and resides at ~4720 meters, aka ~15,485 feet.  Isn't she a beaut?

First day, you hike up to the glacier for ice climbing training.  The guides don’t speak English, but you’d be surprised how much you can learn from a good guide, and limited Spanish.  

Hiking up to the glacier for training.

Jonathan was a BOSS on the ice wall!  

Training took ~4 hours including the hike out and back.  EXHAUSTED.  Maybe this is going to be harder than we thought...  

But even if we didn't make it to the summit, this place is breathtakingly beautiful!

The mountain doesn't look so big from this angle, does it?

Just another gorgeous view of a valley in the area.

Clouds, meet Mountains.  Mountains, meet Clouds.

Second day, the plan is to rest in the am, eat lots of food and then hike up to the high camp, ~5,300 meters, aka ~17,400 feet.  We get to high camp in the late afternoon, eat dinner, go to sleep around 6pm, and wake up at midnight to embark on the climb.  (You need to set out in the middle of the night because you can’t trek when the sun is out, or the ice will melt.  You don’t want that.)

Hiking up to High Camp.

It was super foggy and cloudy near High Camp!

But, we're loving it!

The crew!

Some of these views are otherworldly!

There she is!  High Camp!  Hangin' off the edge, right behind it is a massive glacier.

Most people can’t sleep at the High Camp altitude (17,400 feet).  You need time to acclimate.  It’s hard for me to sleep at midnight, let alone 6pm, but the ice climbing training and the hike to High Camp with the full pack was exhausting.  I tossed and turned, but got a few cycles.  Unfortunately, Jonathan, Tom and Derryl started having stomach issues and did not sleep much either.  Uh oh.  Bolivia can be cruel on the ole tummy.  

We get up at midnight, prepare our packs, eat some carbs.  I hate the cold, so I put on 4 layers of socks, 4 layers of pants, 2 shirts, 2 jackets, 2 pairs of gloves, and a trusty Sox ski hat that my parents gave me.

And, I have just enough time to snap a long exposure of some dim light off in the distance.  That's the glacier in the foreground.

Put my crampons on, headlamp on and ice axe in hand.  It’s go time.  YIKES!  The feeling was not unlike preparing for a marathon, or a Ragnar Relay Race.  You don't sleep much.  You know it’s going to be grueling.  But, you cherish the challenge!

You’re tethered up to your guide the entire way.  Celestine in front, then myself, then Jonathan.  Tom was with Felix, who we called “Gato”.  

Our High Camp was the highest of all the camps, and we were the first ones on the trail.  Just mentioning because it’s pitch black and no one is ahead of us to show us the way.  Trailblazers, we were.

I’m pretty glad it was pitch black, because some of the areas were pretty steep.  And by pretty steep, I mean really steep.  And the trails were only about 18 inches in some points.  We had to jump over crevasses, scale some walls with our ice axe, trudge up super steep hills, and methodically march up moderately steep hills.  

One step at a time.  Careful.  Focused.  Stay calm, and try to breathe.

The funny thing about altitude, is that the higher you go up, the harder is to to breathe.  A fellow climber told us that around 5,600 meters your vision may start to get blurry.  

Altitude is no joke.  

Lucky for me, my eyes did NOT blur.  My breathing was solid.  But, the higher we went up, it just became more exhausting.  The wind was blowing wildly.  It got reeeeeeally cold.  The conditions became fierce.

Celestine never told us much about how far we were to the summit and we didn’t ask.  We just followed the leader.  But, he did tell us when we got to 5,800 meters, aka 19,030 feet.  Wow.  That much more to go!?

The last ~150 meters is a 45 degree wall of compressed snow that is unbelievably challenging, and is a true test of your mental toughness.  Like the last 6 miles in a marathon: x10.  

A little while later, my shoelaces had come undone, and my gaiters were flapping (protective layer that goes over boots).  We stopped for a moment for Celestine to fix them for me.  Such an awesome guide!  

He tells us we have 15 minutes left to the summit.  A few climbers were coming up behind us.  Jonathan says, “Vamos!  Let’s go, we didn’t come this far to come in second!”  

One step at a time.  WE DID IT!  The first human beings to reach the summit on May 11th, 2016.  (My parents’ and my sister's wedding anniversary.  My late grandmother’s birthday.  A special day.)

Jonathan and I.  Exhausted. but exalted!

It took us ~4:20 minutes to climb to the top of Huayna Potosi.

The summit is razor thin, I couldn’t even believe it!  The walkway seemed less than 12 inches wide.  But, Celestine showed us how to navigate and where to sit.  And we followed his orders.  

It was so cloudy, but this pic shows just how steep the peak is.

The feeling of getting to the summit is indescribable!  6,088 meters, aka 19,973 feet above sea level.  Humans are not meant to be up here.  I can’t believe it.  WE DID IT!  

This was the single hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life, by far and away.  Forget marathons, or Ragnars.  This was a whole new level.  

I am so proud of our tethered team!  Celestine was meant to guide me--he is also 38, and a marathon runner. And a GREAT leader.  He does this a couple times a week!  

Celestine, he's been a Guide for 8 years. Felix, for 6.

And, Jonathan was the most phenomenal teammate!  I can’t believe how strong he was, especially with a nasty stomach!!!  Poor guy was ill the entire time, but pushed through like a champ.

About 15 people got to the summit that day.  We stayed up there for about 15 minutes.  It was so cloudy, and foggy.  But, it cleared for a moment or two, and I was able to get some pics.  

The ridge line is razor sharp!

Another guide shared some warm coca tea with us, that made me feel all mushy.  

We savored the moment.

But, then I realized.  Now we gotta go back down.  

Realizing my legs are shot!

It took us another 2+ hours to get back to High Camp.  My feet were killing me.  I think I will lose both big toenails.  

Thanks so much to Derryl for getting a snap of us trekking back down!

The final stretch! At this point, the sun was really hot and we were so spent!

Oh yeah, and then we had to climb back down almost 2 hours from High Camp to Base Camp, with ALL of our gear in our heavy packs.  Which was absolutely GRUELING.

But, it didn't matter.  Because we conquered Mount Huayna Potosi.

Finally got back down to Base Camp and literally, could not move.  

Cholitas Wrestling!

The slogan: Cholitas Wrestling: “Only in La Paz do you get to see the local ladies dishing out more punishment than your local bouncers on a Saturday night!”  I can’t even explain how happy this event made me.  It was pure joy.  Best $15 USD I‘ve ever spent.  (Sorry, Patrick. We WILL go back!)

The ladies are fierce!  The pageantry was pure beauty.  And, I love how the refs are actually part of the match.  

The night was one to remember for us Remotes.  It felt perfect.  Only thing that would have made it better is if Raul got me my steak chimi sammy a lil sooner.  But, then, I may have taken my eyes off the beautiful ladies in the ring!

Trust me, watch the video:

There were male wrestlers too.

Fan favorite!!!

Yup, she is spanking her bottom!

Yeah, we had fun.

Pure joy. 

Jacek!!!

Landing in La Paz, Bolivia

Sunday night, we landed in La Paz, the highest capital city in the world: ~12,000 to ~13,500 feet above the sea.  The altitude is no joke, and many Remotes were immediately sick.  Thankfully, I’ve avoided any alto affliction BUT, Tuesday, I fell prey to the stomach sickness.  

They tell you not to drink the water here; beware of street food; don’t eat the fruits, because they are rinsed in water; etc.  I’ve been really conscientious, but who knows.  It’s almost impossible to avoid.  As most stomach bugs, it hit HARD.  Felt like I had Kuato en mi estomago:

Good thing I brought some stomach meds with me.  And, glad I got it out of my system now (fingers crossed).  I’m not going to go drinking the water or anything, but hopefully, Kuato stays in hibernation.  And, I can enjoy the majesty of La Paz, Bolivia!!!  

I LOVE La Paz already.  It is so unique and unpretentious.  The city is built on hills and the landscape is gorgeous.  It is literally breathtaking.  Stay tuned for more, but here are a few snaps:

BAFICI - Aardman Animation QnA

The Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente (BAFICI) is an 11 day film festival that happens in April.  The event spans 27 different venues around BA.  

I was exploring the Centro Cultural Recoleta area, and noticed some familiar faces on signage for BAFICI.  Good ole Wallace n Grommit from Aardman Animation Studios!  The British animation studio is celebrating 40 years and was a big part of BAFICI. 

Lucky for me, the Creative Director of Aardman, Merlin Crossingham was speaking in a free Q&A seminar!  He spoke about the challenges that small animation studios face; he showed process clips where he was acting out scenes playing Wallace; and he even sculpted some clay on stage while speaking.  I got to talk to him after the event!  Not gonna lie.  I was a little starstruck.  

One of the coolest stories about the claymation process: before every feature film, they purchase about 2 metric tons of clay for each color that they’re going to use for each character.  Films take 4-5 years to produce, so they can’t rely on the color being the same if they need to order a new batch from the clay manufacturer.  So, they stock up before the film, and they mix the massive amounts of clay in large bubble gum mixing machines that they bought from the Wrigley bubble gum company!  Fascinating.

Very thankful to get to see Merlin speak, and shake the man’s hand.

Check out the cool bathrooms at the Centro Cultural Recoleta building!  Really cool design!

Buenos Aires Street Art

We landed in city #3: La Paz, Bolivia!  But, I’ve still got more to say about my beloved Buenos Aires!  

I saw 5 art museums, each with their own style.  But, some of the best art in Buenos Aires is on the streets.  Just like New York City, or Venice, Cali, street art is part of the cityscape.  It is encouraged and celebrated.  And, I think it's beautiful.

In BA, there are no restrictions on street art by the government.  All you need is the property owner’s consent.  Some street art is political and some is just playful.  

They have graffiti tours featuring some of the coolest art in the city.  But, I didn’t do anything formal.  Just kept my eyes open as I walked around.  

Here are some of my favorite pieces from my neighborhood: Villa Crespo & Palermo.  This is just a small fraction of the amount of art around the city.  Muy bueno!!!

Becoming a Successful Digital Nomad

Trying to explain Remote Year to people was challenging.  Most cannot grasp the idea of working remotely while traveling.  Seems too good to be true?  But, it could be possible for YOU!  My fellow Remote, product guru Charles Du, is launching an online course: “Becoming a Successful Digital Nomad - The Complete Guide”.  

Charles has traveled to over 30 countries while working remote and is an award winning product manager, designer, speaker, teacher, etc.  He is also a magician at the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood!  

In his new course, you’ll learn to strategically transition your full time job into a remote position; earn sustainable income while traveling; live a healthy life on the road and maybe even find love in remote places?  

Here are a few sample clips from the course.  

How To Find Remote Work from the Founder and CEO of Remote Year, Greg Kaplan  (More Info)

When I first started talking to my employer about Remote Year, they were slightly concerned about me being remote.  But, they valued my work, and we were able to adjust my role to something that was a little less integrated with the engineering team.  I transitioned from the product UI development, over to the Marketing design team.  A huge win!  

Here is another sample clip from the course with my fellow Remote Casey Hekker.

How Casey Convinced Her Company To Let Her Travel, (More Info)

If you've always wanted to travel the world, it is now more possible than ever.  We live in the digital era and wifi is available all around the globe.  It's very possible that you could travel and earn a living at the same time.  

If this sounds exciting, or you're slightly intrigued, check out Charles' Course on Kickstarter!  

Communicate Like Cousteau

One of my goals for this Remote Year is to host 1 public speaking workshop per city.  12 cities, 12 workshops.  In LA, my workshops were called Communication Community.

 

On Remote Year, I’m calling it “Communicate Like Cousteau”.  (RY3 code name = Cousteau)    Jacques Cousteau was a true Renaissance man.  A revolutionary scientist, explorer, filmmaker, conservationist, photographer, author, etc.  

Remote Year 3  is comprised of 70 professionals from around the world, who are all incredibly bright, innovative and adventurous.  We have artists, engineers, writers, photographers, entrepreneurs, etc.  And, we are ALL explorers.  Pioneers of the digital nomadic world.

Cousteau was also an orator who often gave speeches about his ground-breaking work and political views.  I think Cousteau would be proud of us.  And, I hope we honor his name.  

Workshop #1: Cordoba, Incutex TechPub

In Córdoba, the first workshop was held on March 23rd, in the Incutex co-working space's conference room, the TechPub.  We had 9 in total, and the theme of the night centered around the late, great actor, comedian, and philanthropist Robin Williams.  There will never be another like him and I like to use him as an example of just how far you can push yourself in public speaking.  He was a master.  

We started off with some improv games, and for vocal warmups, we impersonated some of Robin's most famous movie quotes from Aladdin, Good Will Hunting and Good Morning Vietnam.  "Bueeeeeenaaaaas noooooooches, Cooooooooordooooobaaaaaa!"

Members of the group got up and told short stories based on something they are passionate about.  Super proud of these people for pushing themselves!

• Laura - Goal of traveling to all 50 states but the requirements are that she must stay over night and must do a cool event!  
• Travis - Tried over 40 times to get the most epic zip line frisbee YouTube video but the alas, 2 golden opportunities were left on the table as the frisbee was dropped!
• Brecht - Was involved in the Belgium version of 'Boy Scouts' and has filled various leadership roles, including organizing fun activities where the kids would play baseball and get crazy dirty!
• Tanya - Reminisced about how delicious the fresh cucumbers from her garden back home are and how she can't wait to return and get back to her gardening!
• Eric - Talked about his love of mountain biking and going to the top of mountains in California so he could fly down the hills!  He very much prefers downhill riding to uphill.  ;]
• Kelly - Comes from a very active family and always needs to be doing something!  She found her love for endurance running, and now has finished a 50k race!  Very impressive!
• Patrick - Shared the story of how Turd Bird was born, and how he hosted a WrestleMania style cage match event in his friends' backyard!

And lastly, we had a keynote speech from Melissa, who shared a hilarious life story that was honest, relatable and inspirational.  Melissa involved the audience in the speech and had us in stitches with her humorously daring topic!

Workshop #2: Buenos Aires, La Ninina

The 2nd workshop was a little more challenging to host. Our co-working offices didn't quite have the space for the type of event I wanted.  I had to go outside the inner circle, which presented logistics and linguistic challenges!

La Ninina is a local cafe in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires and a favorite amongst my fellow travelers.  They have a gorgeous 1st floor private room that screamed 'BOOK ME!!!' as soon as I saw it.  There is a window overlooking the kitchen, which reflects a lot of light into the space and creates a comfy ambience. 

For this second workshop, the group doubled in size.  18 total attendees.  I think using EventBrite to track invitations AND having the event at such a cool venue helped to bolster the numbers.  And, perhaps word got around that these events are actually fun?  

The theme of the night centered around the late great musician: Prince, who was an incredibly talented musician who liked to take risks.  While some of Prince's quotes are less than inspiring (See list) I really liked this one, as I feel it is very apropos to the fear of public speaking:

Prince: "The most important thing is to be true to yourself, but I also like danger. That's what's missing from pop music today. There's no excitement or mystery."

To warm up the audience, I had them alternate verses of famous Prince songs: Kiss and 1999, which was hilarious because none of us can hit the high notes like the legend himself!  We then had an interactive discussion about the various ways to use our voices to enhance our speech.  After the discussion, I invited audience members up to tell a short story.  Following the stories, we had a brief critique of the storytellers, talking about both positive aspects of their stories, and offering a few areas for improvement.  Here's a recap:

• Richard - Heartwarming story of cooking mac n cheese for his family, almost losing a finger in the process, and his mom’s home-cooked redemption.
• Arestia - Wowed the audience with a wonderful story of a documentary film she worked on featuring an Olympic equestrian rider and the stunning farm location they got to film on.
• Adam - Story of riding old, rickety motorbikes in Vietnam, and then having to hitch a ride in a chicken truck where they got pooped on.
• Sam - How she became a young firestarter, trying to burn a piece of paper for a school project and almost burning her house down while her father took a nap.
• Abby - Spoke about the preparation of her valedictorian speech for her high school graduation, and how she does NOT have a passion public speaking.
• Johnson - Suspenseful tale of being on a boat in Croatia with a girl and having to swim down to the bottom to rescue an anchor that got away!
• Miranda - Her story centered on her clumsiness while mountain biking with friends on a tiny children’s bike, swerving to avoid a boulder, busting open her head, and getting rocks implanted in her skin.  OUCH!
• Tom - Giving a best man speech in Sri Lanka, and trying to be so cute by giving the first half of the speech in Sri Lankan, inadvertently insulting half the audience!
• Jonathan - Remembered the first time he had sex, and his mother somehow knowing that it happened, and asking him personal questions about it afterward!  Hilarious.
• Kelly - Story about how she and her friends were mistakenly locked in a prison for 3 hours as college students!  Girl has done HARD TIME.
• Mihai - A skiing adventure gone awry---the story of him driving 1.5 hours out of the way of their desired ski resort while his buddies were snoozing!
• Charles - Had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand, as he recalled taking the test to become a magician at the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood!

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with how the first 2 workshops have played out.  I'm excited to host the next one for La Paz, Bolivia, and giving myself more time to plan and prepare.  I'm also looking to open the workshops up to the local community, which will be a way for me to push myself out of my comfort zone.  

Stay tuned to hear how it goes!

BA Museum Review Pt 4: MNBA

Nacional Museo de Bellas Artes (MNBA)

The last of my 4-part Buenos Aires Art Museum review series.  (There are more than 4, btw, but I have so much more to talk about, like the scintillating Street Art...)  

Bellas Artes, aka Fine Arts.  The granddaddy of all 4 art museums.  It's finer than a fine wine.  Magnificent.  Grand.  Reminiscent of the Washington DC National Gallery of Art.  Like a second cousin once removed.

Fernanda's Fave: William Adolphe Bougeureau, The First Mourning, 1888

This museum features the best of the best.  Both Latino Americano artists, and classic artists.  I've already mentioned some of my favorite Latino Americano greats in my 3 prior posts, but Bellas Artes has all of them and more:  Jorge Macchi, Julio LeParc, Edgar Degas, Antonio Berni, Alejandro Xul Solar, Emilio Pettoruti, and Leon Ferrari, to name a few.

Emilio Pettoruti

The classic list is muy impresionante: Van Gogh, Goya, Monet, Manet, Rousseau, Gauguin, Kandisnky, Modigliani, Pollack, etc.  

Amadeo Modigliani

Each chamber is breathtaking.  The deep, rich wall colors complement the chosen works perfectly.  Everything moves in harmony.  I’m no curator, but I feel major kudos are due to the master who assembled this temple.  Fernanda, do you agree?

Oh, Macchi, you had me at hello.

FINAL REVIEW

Ok, 4 museums in 2 days.  At that rate, it's easy to get fine art fatigue and tune out of your senses.  Art requires full attention.  But, each of the museums offered a unique experience, allowing us to re-calibrate and re-focus. 

If I had to pick one to return to, it would probably be MALBA.  But, that may be because I fell in love with Jorge Macchi.  And, the Latinoamericano art vibe is so vibrant and fresh for my North American palette.  

But, Menesunda at MAMBA is a one-of-a-kind attraction that I'll never forget.  Disney could borrow some of these installation concepts for future theme park attractions.  

MACBA tickled my minimalistic mentality in a way that only architecture can.  Brehm, you would love this.

And, of course, Bellas Artes is easily the best overall experience, offering a bit of everything for all art aficionados.  

If you've got only one day in BA, I'd probably say go to MALBA.  But, you'll so close to Bellas Artes, that you might as well make it a twofer.  

BA Museum Review Pt 3: MALBA

Museo de Arte Latinoamericanos Buenos Aires (MALBA)

I can’t say enough good things about MALBA!  Love the pristine modern space with the super high ceiling, massive windows and never ending escalators.  Muy excellente!

The photography exhibit Marcados by Claudia Andujar is incredibly powerful and a must see.

Image taken from the MALBA website:  http://www.malba.org.ar/en/

And the work of Juan Tessi Cameo was a nice warm up for the main events: Jorge Macchi Perspective and the Latin American Art 20th Century.  

Jorge Macchi is now one of my favorite artists.  I didn’t take many snaps because I was too busy picking my jaw up off the ground.  Brilliant.  Stunning.  Standing ovation.

The permanent collection of Latin American Art from the 20th Century alone, is worth visiting the museum for.  Incredible energy, and dynamic artwork.  I could stare at Antonio Berni's Manifestacion for hours.  They even have work by Frida Kahlo, Roberto Matta, and Diego Rivera, to name a few well known Latin American artists.

So many amazing artists, but Alejandro Xul Solar’s Neocriollism work is particularly powerful.  

Image taken from the MALBA website:  http://www.malba.org.ar/en/evento/jeff-koons-ballerina/

Oh, and how could I forget Jeff Koons’ Ballerina, that greets you when you arrive?

Este museo es fenomenal!  Visit MALBA them on Facebook.

Next Museum to be reviewed:

Nacional Museo de Bellas Artes

BA Museum Review Pt 2: MACBA

Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Buenos Aires (MACBA)

The Contemporary Art Museum is right next to MAMBA and it is a great complement to the Modern Museum.  

Minimalism is the main motif in MACBA.  'MAC' might as well stand for 'minimal and clean'.

While a bit smaller than the other 3 museums we visited, the space was brilliantly curated and aesthetically on point.  The American oak wood floors are begging to be sat on, as evidenced by the pic of Fernanda below.  The ramps connecting the various floors are beautifully spacious, and provide sneak peeks of the art you're about to see. 

I loved the work of Magdalena Jitrik, especially this HUGE piece: Orquesta Roja, 2008.  

And the Algunas Chicas photography exhibit by Adriana Lestido was beautiful. 

But, I think my favorite set of work was Leila Tschopp, whose simplicity in form and color was striking.  

Two thumbs up for MACBA.  But, sadly, I think it gets overshadowed by the big MAMBA next door.  :[

Next Museum to be reviewed:

MALBA...

BA Museum Review Pt 1: MAMBA

Another rainy weekend in Buenos Aires made for memorable art museum adventures!  

Lucky me, I met the most amazing mujer, mi novia nueva Fernanda, who is studying to be an art curator.  She showed me 4 museums in 2 days: two in San Telmo, and two in Recoleta. (Both are awesome artsy areas of BA)

First up, MAMBA!

Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires (MAMBA)

When you walk into MAMBA, your first view is a winding staircase.  Unique, powerful & playful.  I realized later it was built on roller coaster tracks!

MAMBA is probably my favorite museum of all 4 we went to.  I think because of the great bathroom icons...

Or, maybe it was the cool staircases...

No, I think the real reason is because it is home to the most impressive installation I saw all weekend: La Menesenda, by Segun Marta Minujin.  This walking tour of 11 rooms had twists, turns and was full of surprises!  Simply magical.

And of course, the Paradox at the Center exhibit was outstanding!  

Overall, I highly recommend MAMBA, (which has nothing to do with Kobe Bryant or his recent retirement) and if you go, you MUST see La Menesenda!

Stay tuned for Buenos Aires Museum Review #2...

MACBA

Buenos Aires Offices: La Maquinita

We have two co-working offices in Buenos Aires, called La Maquinita Co.  Both are modern, hip spaces with high ceilings.  Very cool creative environments.  I highly recommend checking them out if you’re in BA!

Thankfully, I’m only 5 blocks from:

La Maquinita: Villa Crespo

And, I’m only ~10 blocks from:

La Maquinita: Palermo

StorySLAM!

My fellow Remote Arestia Rosenberg is a Moth StorySLAM Champion!  A StorySLAM is an open mic storytelling competition.  Storyteller names are picked out of a hat randomly and each person has 5 mins to share a story based on the theme ‘del dia’. Arestia hosted a StorySLAM last night, and of course I wanted in.

Our theme was ‘New Beginnings’.  My story centered on being accepted into the local culture here in Buenos Aires.  There’s a group of rough n tumble looking local guys that hang out on my street corner.  The first night I met one of 'em (Jorge), he put his arm around my shoulder and I thought he was trying to jack me.  But, unless this is some long con, that was not the case.  Jorge, Diego, Christian, Machi, etc.  They’ve accepted me into their group.  Every time they see me, they invite me to hang.  Sometimes, I just chill on the corner stoop and shoot the s$#% with them.  It’s amazing.  

11 other Remotes got up and shared their stories too!  Sensational!

We laughed, we cried, we smiled and sighed.  

Makes me really proud to see people pour their hearts out in front of a group.  Public speaking can be incredibly therapeutic!  It can be incredibly thrilling.  It can be incredible, if you try it.  If you embrace the excitement, you will enjoy the adrenaline!

And, being vulnerable, and honest with the crowd is so important.  Open your heart to the crowd.  Let them into your life.  And they will welcome you with open arms and warm love.

Wish I got pics of the storytellers, but I was so enthralled by the stories.  Next time!