The Snowlady Chronicles

Day 3 – San Pedro de Atacama

January 1, 2019

New York NY

Happy New Year!

Since we are in Atacama during the winter (July 23) , we found that many of the mountain passes are closed due to snow storms. So our wonderful guides had to adjust. So today, we started the day with a hike (at 10000ft) to a hot spring, jumped in the hot spring then had a picnic lunch. Got back to the hotel to rest a bit and then we were off to Rainbow Valley where Sandra enjoyed a downhill mountain biking tour while I did a walk about in the area and took photos. This place is amazing!

Our hike to the hot spring. It was not easy as I did not have hiking boots – big mistake!

Wild donkeys

We hiked

And hiked.

Changed quickly into our bathing suit and jumped in the hot spring and then out and quickly changed as it was cold!! But had a great picnic lunch after the hike and dip in the hot spring. One kid though had major altitude sickness so our guides helped the parents and got him to lower altitude quickly. Thank god, our guides acclimated us well!

Then we were off to Rainbow Valley where Sandra did a downhill with our guide.

To end the day, we enjoyed art made in 2400 BC

Day2 – San Pedro de Atacama

January 1, 2019

New York, New York

Happy New Year!

While going thru my blog during the end of the year, I realized I did not finish my travel blog for the fabulous birthday trip to Atacama and Bolivia that Sandra and I took during the summer (but it was winter in Atacama and Bolivia!). Our first full day in Atacama started with a fabulous breakfast at our luxurious hotel Awasi and then to our morning excursion to the Valley of the Moon where nature makes sculptures through wind and water. However, parts of the Valley of the Moon are the driest place on earth where they have not had a single rain drop in over 100 years! The Mars Rover was tested here because it was thought the terrain is similar to Mars. It definitely was dry but oh the scenery.. exquisite.

After another gourmet lunch, we went on our afternoon private tour of Los Flamencos Natural Reserve where there are 2 salt flats with flamingos that we visiting. I had no idea flamingos can live is such cold weather. The flamingos here are native to Chile and are quite cute. They were the the highlights of the day but the sunset was also spectacular.

After a busy day, we had yet another gourmet meal, we relaxed in the evening to get enough rest for our next excursions.

Valley of the Moon

Exploring a cave

the salt creates some beautiful work in the rocks

On our way to the Natural Reserve for Flamingos we saw the oldest tree in Atacama

And stopped by a small town to do some shopping (we bought hand made scarves)

And saw a cute llama

The salt flats of the Natural reserve of Flamingos

Purpose of the Visit – Legacy Museum and the Memorial to Victims of Lynching

Saturday November 3 2018

New York, NY

Blustery Fall Weather

Besides seeing Billy, one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Birmingham was for us to take a road trip to Montgomery to visit the newly opened Memorial to Victims of Lynching. After the Civil War and until the Civil Rights Act, many blacks were lynched by mobs in the South. The somber yet beautiful memorial was built so that those that died from this horrible death are not forgotten. It was pretty sobering to see the names. Most were lynched for no reason but bigotry, hatred and racism. Every American needs to visit this place. Especially those that still want the Confederate Flag.

Every hanging "box" had the name of the county and State, with the names of the people who were lynched. Some names were unknown. Billy first learned that lynching took place in Tuscaloosa Alabama, home to University of Alabama

After the Memorial we went to the Legacy Museum to learn about slavery but also injustice to minorities that continues to happen to this day. No pictures were allowed so no photos but it was impressive and a great learning experience. However, both Billy and I were drained emotionally after the visit. So we took a walk to the Alabama river which was nice but empty! It seems no one walks around the town whether in Montgomery or Birmingham.

On the way back to Birmingham, we decided to stop by a Southern Barbecue Joint recommended by Zagat – The K&J Rib Shack, which really is a shack. I had the best black eyed peas, fried okra and collard greens ever. And the ribs were pretty good to! Delicious but messy..

We then headed back to Birmingham, rested, and then headed to go eat again. First we decided to go to a speakeasy in the Avondale section of Birmingham only to find it closed for a private event. Avondale supposedly is an up and coming area but literally there were only 3 shops at a corner. So we took an uber to where we had dinner reservation and Hot and Hot Fish Club. We found an empty Irish bar and had a drink before we headed to dinner. Hot and Hot Fish Club was OK. They were out of many things which was disappointing. Billy and I thought Highlands Bar and Grill was much better.

The Vulcan! We saw it while walking to the Irish bar

Last night so ordered a nice Bordeaxu

The dessert was great – persimmon cake

My steak was OK

The next day we went to Galley and Garden (same restaurant area as Hot and Hot Fish and Highlands Bar and Grill) for a Southern brunch. Well, this place did not disappoint. We had the best tomato salad and shrimp and grits. Great way to end our weekend together in Birmingham!

Weekend in the Magic City (Birmingham) with Billy – Day One

October 20, 2018

Birmingham, Alabama

Cool with Mist

Birmingham, Alabama – the Magic City. What enticed me to go here? Well, 2 reasons: 1) Billy is going to school at University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and this article from WSJ>. Since Billy is graduating in December, time was of the essence so picked a weekend where there was no Alabama home football game to come over.

I was able to get a room at one fo the oldest hotels in Birmingham – the Redmond, which is said to be haunted and is where Hank Williams the controversial country singer died. I don't know anything about him but apparently he was an OK guy but his son not great.

I got in late on Thursday night, worked in the AM and while waiting for Billy to arrive, spent a couple of hours in the afternoon at the Civil Rights Institute and Park to learn about the movement. Birmingham is a symbol of the movement and became notorious as the world was watching the struggles of the blacks and other minorities peacefully fight to be treated equally.

The Civil Rights Institute is a must see for every American student (and our current President). It shows in a positive way the struggles ordinary people did including children to fight for their rights to be treated equally. I was very moved and motivated to never be complacent when I see injustice.

At the square in from of the Institute where the infamous March for Equality started in Birmingham, one can experience what the folks endured while trying to get equality. Here, you experience what it was like to March, while police with police dogs were threatening to attack.

Water guns were used to stop the peaceful protesters including children.

Symbol of the Protest: We shall never forget so that no one from any ethnic background suffers injustice

The Great Martin Luther King. We desperately need someone like him today to lead.

The experience to the Civil Rights Institute starts with a movie about the history of Birmingham and ends after the Civil War where the slaves were freed but not "free". The screen rises to the entrance and this is the first installation you see.

The institute highlights how local governments discriminated against blacks and minorities through funding and segregation

The Great Rosa Parks

Across the street from the Institute is the 16th Street Baptist Church, where 4 little girls were killed by bombs planted by the Ku Klux Klan in 1963. This tragic event was a turning point for the civil rights movement. The FBI found 4 of the members to be responsible but because of discriminatory behavior of the courts of Alabama at that time it took years to prosecute. It was finally done in 1977 when one was finally prosecuted and found guilty and two in 2001 and 2002 respectively. The fourth never got tried…

Billy arrived as I was finishing my tour so met him at the hotel, and we decided to go to the famous Good People Brewery for a beer of course. As it was located near the railroad park, after a beer we walked the park and also saw the illuminated tunnel ( not too impressed) and walked back to the hotel.

Where it all started – The Good People Brewery

The entrance to the illuminated tunnel. We ran into several folks high on drugs

During our walk back, we passed by one of the remaining movie palaces of the South.

The highlight of our first day together was dinner at Highland Bar and Grill which won 2 James Beard Awards. First one for their desserts and second for the restaurant. I wanted to go for the desserts by Dol Miles who learned to bake from her mother and her Aunt who worked in a high school cafeteria. And yes, we had the Coconut Cake that was out of this world. The food was great, but I have to say it worth a plane trip fro the desserts.

Highland Bar and Grill – service was impeccable

The infamous coconut cake

Billy so excited to have oysters. Last time he had them was in NYC

The Magic City – Birmingham

Berlin with Jackson

Saturday September 8, 2018

New York, NY

Cool, Cloudy, Autumn is almost here

After a full and fabulous day in Prague it was time for us to take the train to a another city that was on my bucket list – Berlin. As a treat I got first class tickets on the train for Jackson and I. It was a bit confusing to figure out where we were sitting, but we managed to find it. The train ride was very nice and beautiful. After about 4 hours, we took a cab to our hotel – The Waldorf Astoria, another splurge as Berlin is where I send Jackson off to his adventures around Europe. Thought he would enjoy staying in a nice hotel before he starts his trip.

We found that our hotel was next to the famous zoo and also a shopping district. After we settled in the hotel, I decided to walk around and go shopping as Jackson needed a few things for his solo trip. Berlin is very happening! And is a shopping mecca. When I got back, we decided to go to a local Italian place for good pasta and had an early night.

The next day, we had a full day walking tour. Our guide arranged by the hotel was fabulous. We first took the metro to the former East Germany side of Berlin to visit the Eastside Gallery. Here we saw some of the most famous paintings on the Berlin Wall. Although we were "east" Berlin, we saw very little evidence of the old communist environment. New apartments and buildings were rising everywhere! Problem though I found out is that there is no industry so apparently there is tension with the Bavarian region as the Bavarians feel they are "funding" Berlin. Nevertheless, the energy level was high throughout the city.

From the East Side Gallery, we walked along the Eastern Wall and learned about the dark history of that wall where many people tried to escape. We then took the metro again and started our walk towards Berlin's famous Unter den Linden Boulevard – Linden Tree Boulevard. It did not disappoint. It truly is a beautiful street. And so much to see. While heading towards the Boulevard, we explored many of the sights and also passed the famous Museum Island. But unfortunately did not have the time to visit any. You truly can spend 3-4 days just visiting the museums in Berlin.

After a lunch break, it was time to continue our tour. We walked by checkpoint Charlie, which is a major disappointment as its fake. But we were very impressed with the Jewish Memorial. We also stopped by a parking lot which is famous as Hitler's underground bunker. We ended at the beautiful Brandenburg Gate and ended at the Reichstag Building where we had dinner at the very famous Kafir Dome Restaurant on top of the Reichstag. Jackson had the waiter choose his meal and ended up having veal hearts but he loved it.

The next day was an easy day for us. I shopped for souvenirs and Jackson joined me briefly but spend most of the day resting. We also had to get his bag reorganized for his big adventure. For our last dinner together we went to a famous weiner schnitzel restaurant known for serving a huge portion. Jackson become famous there for having 2 orders of the huge schnitzel!

The next day, we had to get up early as Jackson had an early train to take to his first destination of his adventure – Budapest. My week with Jackson was one of the best weeks and also very special. Can't wait to hear about his adventures! Its his first time traveling overseas on his own.

Jackson and I on our way to Berlin

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The old clock tower by our hotel. It seems to be a meeting place

The East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall

Two of the most famous paintings

Walking towards the Unter den Linden Boulevard

The Spree River

Our guide pointed this out – tiny sculptures on a street sign

Some famous scenes from Unter den Linden Boulevard: Berlin Cathedral

The TV tower the East Germans built

The Atles Museum on Museum Island – very impressive neoclassical building

The New Guard House Memorial – for victims

A very moving sculpture of a mother and her dead son in the New Guard Memorial

The bricks below represent where the Wall used to be.

Humboldt University

The fake Checkpoint Charlie but at the real spot

Jackson and his lunch

The Reichstag – the most important government building

The powerful Jewish memorial

The Brandenburg Gate

The most famous parking lot which used to be Hitler's bunker

View from top of the Reichstag

Our fabulous dinner at Kefir Dome Restaurant at the Reichstag – recommend it

Our last dinner together – Jackson had 2 servings! at the trendy Borchardt

My trip with Jackson was memorable and special. I'll never forget it.

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A First for Me and Jackson – Prague

September 3, 2018

Hot and Humid, when is fall coming?

New York, New York

This week has been a somber week where I found out 2 of my clients died and my best friends mother, uncle and nephew passed away on the same day but with unrelated causes. Reminds you again that life is short and to make every day count. And made the trip I took with Jackson even more special and hope he looks back at this trip with fond memories years from now.

So second part of our one week whirlwind tour of Europe was to the beautiful city of Prague. A city that I've always wanted to visit as it has been on my bucket list. We had some hiccups getting to our hotel (I accidentally took out 1000 USD in Czech Crowns instead of 100 USD) and the taxi driver took us to the wrong Hilton. But made it to the right Hilton which was the most beautiful and walking distance to the Old Town. After unpacking and resting a bit, we headed to our first adventure which was to have dinner at Divini's one of Prague's best restaurants and it did not disappoint. It was not only gorgeous but the food was fabulous and the staff was extremely nice. Jackson thought it was one of the best restaurants he's ever been to!

After a good nights rest, it was time for our full day private tour with our terrific guide Maria. We did a walking tour of Prague which meant I walked over 20000 steps in a day! Our first stop was the entrance to the old town. The buildings in Prague are gorgeous.

Entrance to the old town

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Maria is a professor of Music and is very knowledgeable about the history of Prague. She is also of Jewish descent so showed us where the Jewish museum is and the Jewish sector. Like many Eastern Europeans of Jewish descent, her family was also impacted by the holocaust where her Aunt's family was sent to the "extermination camps" near Dachau and were killed as soon as they arrived at the camp The Jewish Museum reminds the Czech's of the dark history.

The Jewish Museum

Prague is a vibrant city where one can experience theater, music, art in every corner it seems. The famous opera house was smaller than I thought but even more beautiful than in the photos that I've seen.

Opera House

Cubism: Maria also pointed out buildings that were built with the influence of the Cubism movement. The House of the Black Madonna is still known world wide as a fine example of Cubism architecture. It was built around 1910 and a black madonna statue can be found on the right side of the building near the second floor.

The House of the Black Madonna

Everywhere you go there are beautiful buildings.

Our next stop was to the Strahov Monastery where we took the tram up the mountain. There was a hiccup there too as the tram did not take the usual route so it took us longer that expected to get there. Just like all churches, temples, etc, the monastery is located at the highest point of Prague. I've always wanted to go to his monastery and go to the famous library. It is very hard to get in but Maria with her connections got us inside the library which was just amazing! Jackson was very impressed. The monastery was built in the 1100s and was destroyed several times from fire, wars etc but in the 1600s the abbot of that time built the library which is a hidden jewel of Europe and contains over 200000 books written since the 1600s.

The Strahov Monastery Library – Gorgeous!

Magnificent collection of Globes

Books that are very very old

And of course, there is a hidden door

And beautiful and practical furniture. The chair slides into the desk and becomes portable

And because its a monastery, there is beer. We had lunch there where Jackson enjoyed the beer produced at the monastery.

We then walked towards the famous Prague Castle but encountered art along the way. For example, the paintings on this wall was done to provide an optical illusion which you see…

here! Amazing

The castle of course was magnificent but we loved the scenery the best.

We then walked down the hill back into the old town, where we stopped at one oldest pub in Prague for a beer and "snack"

Having a "snack" at U Glaubicu, a 700 year old pub in Prague

Jackson and I then said our goodbye's to Marie and walked back to our hotel via the famous Charles Bridge. We had our snacks at the hotel's executive lounge long with copious amounts of drinks including specialty drinks made from local liquors and called it the night as we had to get up early to take the train to Berlin – our next and last stop

Adventures with Jackson – Day 2

September 1, 2018

Sunny and Pleasant

New York, NY

After a good nights rest, we got up early as we had a full day. We met our guide at 9am at the hotel and took a taxi to our first stop – Dachau. It was an emotional and somber experience. I thought i knew everything about concentration camps but realized during the visit, I have much more to learn. For example, I did not know this but Dachau was the "model" concentration camp. It was here that the Nazi's experiemented the "process" and "model" of running a concentration camp and replicated elsewhere. In addition I learned it was not an extermination camps. The extermination camps were killing centers where people were immediately killed. I was horrified to learn the number of extermination camps that existed during the Nazi regime. Dachau as a concentration camp was a working camp, where people worked in horrendous conditions with very little food. Over 30000 people died in this camp. I was overwhelmed with horror on the size of the camp and also saddened to think of how many people died and suffered in this camp. Today, its a peaceful and an educational site, so that people never forget how "easy" evil can take over.

The infamous sign at the Gate: Arbeit Macht Frei – Work sets You Free…..

After an emotionally draining morning, we then took a taxi to go to one of Germany's most famous palaces – the Nymphenburg Palace, the Versailles of Germany. It was Jackson's first visit to a European palace and it did not disappoint and was a good way to end the day. It did not disappoint as it was an over the top baroque style palace that both Jackson and I enjoyed. We ended the day hanging out in the executive lounge at the hotel and had an early night as we had to get up early to catch our flight to the next destination – Prague!

The hall of beautiful women

San Pedro de Atacama

July 22, 2018

Calama and San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Cool (as it is winter there!)

My BFF and travel buddy Sandra has a special birthday this year, so we took a very special trip to Atacama and Bolivia. Our first stop is Atacama – one of the driest spots on earth at about 7000 feet as it is in the Andes. Although I arrived without any problems, Sandra's flight from LA was delayed AND they lost her luggage so not only was she delayed in arriving but had NO luggage. Fortunately, we are staying at the posh Awasi Resort (which we highly recommend) and they took it on themselves to help track her luggage.

So on this first day, we didn't do much but enjoy the landscape as we drove the 100 kilometers from the airport in Calama to Atacama. Big Skies and snow capped mountains – quite a spectacular introduction to Atacama. We also explored the "shopping" district which consisted of cute shops on a dirt road.

At the Awasi, 2 four hour tours a day and all meals, house wine and cocktails are included. So on the first night we had a gourmet meal and as a surprise, a birthday cake for Sandra which eased the stress of not having luggage. We had an early night, as we were both tired from the travel and on the next day we have a full schedule so needed to rest up.

Munich with Jackson – June23-June26

Saturday August 11, 2018

New York, NY

Thunderstorms

For my nephew Jackson's high school graduation gift, he wanted funds from the family to travel to Europe. And he asked me if I can do the first leg with him to get started, to which I replied YES!! It was one of the best two weeks of my life. For the first week, he visited me in NYC, where for the first time he took a plane by himself. We did a lot of fun things in New York, including watching Hamilton the play – Jackson' s first broadway show, ate ramen, NYC steak, Indian food, sushi at Sushi of Gari, and Yakitori at Torishin. Yes with me, it was all about eating. However, while I was at work Jackson explored NYC by using the subway and went to Top of the Rock and the 911 Memorial. And before you know it, it was time for our first vacation together.

And is started with a problem. Originally, we were to fly KLM to Munich via Amsterdam. Well, early morning, I got notification that our KLM flight was cancelled due to "mechanical issues". But Delta was able to get us on an Air France flight connecting to Munich via Paris. Only issue is we will arrive about 4 hours later than expected in Munich. Anyhow, the good news is we got on another flight. Unfortunately though, Jackson and I could not sit together and the huge double decker Airbus so we were separated and did not meet again until in Paris. From Paris to Munich it was easy going.

Once we arrived in Munich and our hotel, we decided to go out for an early dinner given we both did not sleep on the plane (it was an overnight flight). So, we went to the infamous Hofbrau House – famous for the crazy beer parties during Octoberfest. Jackson had his first legal beer at Hofbrau House! How cool is that!

After a good nights sleep, and fabulous breakfast (Hilton got me upgraded so we could use the executive lounge and have a free buffet breakfast), it was time for our private walking tour of Munich. This is the 5th time I've been to Munich but the first time I'm seeing Munich as all the previous visits have been for business.

So we walked around the old town with our fabulous guide Elizabeth who pointed us out to things we would have never noticed on our own. Of course, we saw the famous Munich clocktower (although it was cloudy and rainy so the photo isn't great) and the famous Rathaus which was fab, but take a look at the photos of some other things we saw. We ended the day at a restaurant serving Augustine beer and more Weiner Schnitzel which is one of Jackson's favorite dishes. Great first day to start our trip!

Had to have a pretzel while in Munich

Jackson's first legal beer

The famous Isar River, from one of Munich's oldest bridges

The entrance to the "old town"

The new Jewish Synagogue: It does make a statement

Old and New

Monument to the LGBT folks persecuted by the Nazis

The famous clocktower at the Rathaus – Government Buildings

Sister cities of Munich

Gargoyles of the Rathaus

And a very well maintained Michael Jackson Memorial in front of the lux hotel Bayerichter How

Ludwigstrasse

The Opera House

Back to Hofbrau House where we learned that "regulars" keep their beer mugs here

The Hofbrau House cask

Enjoying dinner after a fab walking tour – Augustine beer, pork knuckle and weiner schnitzel

Iceland! Last Day: Horses!

July 4, 2018

New York, NY

Hot and Humid

Oh my goodness! While loading photos from my Europe trip, realized I never posted the blog on our last day in Iceland! Here it is:

On our last day, we fulfilled one of Nicky's item on her bucket list. To ride an Icelandic Horse (not a Pony!!). I also agree to do it albeit a a beginner. Iceland has very strict rules to protect the native species including the Icelandic Horse. Once a horse leaves the country they cannot come back. They were introduced to Iceland by the Norse and have been a working horse in Iceland since – mainly used to herd sheep. They are very sturdy, strong and amazingly can trot at high speeds.

I'm not a horse woman so was not sure I would enjoy the "walk". First challenge was to get on it. I was told to grab the mane and hop on! Didn't go well the first time but after the second time was able to hop on with little help. My horse was a beautiful brown horse who loved to eat and also be in front! But he was a cool horse that made sure I had an enjoyable ride. While heading out, ran into Nicky who was trotting on her horse with the guide like a professional. Given I was a beginner, we took a leisurely stroll across the lava fields. It was a great way to end our trip

We both thoroughly enjoyed our long weekend in Iceland. I would love to go back in the summer to see it "green" and also to see the puffins. I highly recommend visiting this friendly and beautiful country.