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While in Argentina, we contacted Alberto Grimoldi, a friend and classmate from HBS.  Alberto is a consummate gentlemen and the nicest guy you could hope to meet.  Although he had just returned home from international travel, he immediately invited us for dinner and insisted on collecting us at our hotel.  We were excited to see […]

Buenos Aires is said to be the Paris of the South. Indeed, Buenos Aires has many of the same traits that make Paris the city it is today. Both cities have an extensive Metro, tiny shops along the old cobblestone roads, traffic on the paved roads, a great importance on fashion, and tiny boutique restaurants, […]

It all started with an email from Dana White. She and her family are also traveling around the world this year (www.6explorers.com) and they visited Argentina last fall.  As we were trading notes, she said something like “In the unlikely event something happens and you need help, the Goulds [another family from Dover] are in […]

Road School was one of the most challenging and enjoyable parts of our year-long adventure, but alas, the last day arrived today.  I could see the children putting on brave faces to mask their sorrow.  All they can look forward to now is a bit of summer reading.  It was a bittersweet milestone. If the […]

 Soccer is not only the most popular sport in Argentina, it’s also the one people get the most aggressive over. At first we were very worried about going to a soccer game live. When our friends the Whites went to a soccer game where River Plate and Boca Junior played, some fans started lighting things […]

The most pleasurable way to enjoy Buenos Aires is to spend time in the quiet neighborhoods, soaking up the café culture and European-style architecture.  There is nevertheless some touring to be done! Starting in the city center, we joined a free walking tour (a tip is expected) that had been highly rated by TripAdvisor.  Piggy […]

It’s currently under construction, but where is Piggy and who actually sang from the balcony there? Send your guess to katherine@365saturdays.org

Santiago as a touring destination?  The city tour takes you to the presidential palace and other major government buildings, a public square, the fish market, a cathedral, a pre-1500s history museum – all within close walking distance.  The 1700s architecture is pleasant enough but not as large or dramatic as you might expect for a city […]

We had only 72 hours in Santiago, the capital of Chile, so we didn’t have a lot of time to cover much culinary ground.  However we did experience a few noteworthy taste highlights. Top among them was the coffee.  To our surprise and delight, we discovered that it was impossible to find a bad cup.  […]

Piggy was visiting this famous building in Chile today.  Can you guess where we are? Email your guess to katherine@365saturdays.org

Today we went to a high school with goats. It was a high school for kids who were very poor and had troubles at home. From 13-17 years old you were allowed to attend and when you graduated you got a diploma in agriculture. You got this because the founder of the school thought the […]

Last month in China we had an important decision to make.  The latest update of the trip itinerary had a three week gap between the end of Latin America and the beginning of Africa.  How would we spend early May? At that time we wanted a change of pace and did not know what to […]

“Ms. Wilcox, please report to the check-in counter for a message.”  I hear my name over the PA system as I am eating soggy pesto spaghetti in the airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador.  We are waiting to board our flight to Costa Rica. The four of us race to the counter, half-expecting a message from our […]

The water was warm but a shiver chilled my shoulders.  We had jumped off the Zodiac into deep water and there was nothing to see below, except blue light fading to black.  Our guide swam toward the distant sea cliff.  “Come on!  Let’s look for sharks!”  A dozen people swam eagerly after him, including my son.  I […]

This just in: Criminals escape from Tortoise Prison. Guard says he was outrun. No one surprised. Currently ten prisoners are unnaccounted for: 1) Sid the Sea Lion; A massive fellow of almost 1,000 lbs, Sid was imprisoned for his disgusting play-lion habits. He has had over 50 girlfriends and he is currently one of the […]

When you’re grown up, happy becomes something different.  It isn’t what you felt when you were a kid, that feeling that washes over you like a wave and carries you along,  leaving an ear-to-ear grin or fits of giggles  in its wake.  As an adult, I think happy gets pushed aside by feelings of accomplishment, […]

Red and blue footed boobies are a famous kind of bird native to the Galapagos islands. We saw a lot of them this past week and they were my favorite animal.  I divided the blog into three sections, one for blue feet, red feet, and Nazca. Blue Footed Boobies I personally preferred the blue footed […]

Our week in the Galapagos was spent on the Evolution, a comfortable boat with 18 crew, 31 passengers, 2 highly qualified guides – Jorge and Wilson, 2 Zodiac inflatable motor boats (the “Pangas”), and enough snorkeling equipment for all.  The days fell into a steady and active rhythm – up at 6:45am, hit the beaches for […]

This week Piggy took a cruise around the Galapagos islands.  Can you guess the island where her cruise started and ended?  Email your guess to katherine@365saturdays.org Last week Piggy was at Machu Picchu in Peru.

We made it to Quito, Ecaudor last night and will be taking a flight to the Galapagos Islands this morning.  We are hoping to find turtles, sea lions and dancing birds. Peru has been one of our favorite countries, and we are working on pictures and blogs to share the story.  You will not see them […]

Peru turned out to be one of my top three favorite destinations on this trip so far[1].  It is a country full of vivid color, dramatic landscapes, rich history, and tradition.  Plus, the food is delicious and the dollar goes far.  We will definitely be back. Here are some of the highlights of what we […]

We were waiting in line for the toilets.  The ride from Machu Picchu to Ollanta had been almost two hours and Nature was calling. As I waited for the kids, I entertained myself by eavesdropping on conversations of those in line.  One group of four women was particularly interesting.  They were American and about my […]

As we watched the view of Machu-Picchu, I thought about the llamas. There were three adults and one baby which I desperately wanted to touch. When Maria finished showing us some awesome ruins of houses we slowly approached the llamas. The adults were just chilling, eating grass. But the baby was running around like a […]

  Machu Picchu: One of the seven wonders of the world and a religious sanctuary, home to 600 Incans including a high priest and the chosen women of the Incan nation; “The Sun Princesses/Virgins.” It was discovered by several people, but a man named Bingham was the first to bring news of it to the […]

The tour of the Peruvian Andes started with a flight into Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire.  Today it is still a significant mountain town of 400,000 people.  Cusco is 3400 meters above sea level and that is quite enough to induce sickness, which we felt.  Sam’s plan anticipated this and she sent […]

Peru’s varied terrain gives it an excellent base for gastronomy.  There are fresh fish and shellfish from the coast, enormous corn kernels and delicious potatoes from the mountains, and juicy tropical fruits and plantains from the jungles.  The meats include venison-like alpaca and duck-like guinea pig legs.  The best dishes here are complex – blending ingredients […]

  If you strategically omit patience and our tempers, our record on what we’ve lost so far is really not so bad. With more than twenty countries and countless transfers by plane, train, bus, boat, and taxi, it’s a miracle we haven’t lost all our worldly possessions.  Fortunately, we haven’t lost anything irreplaceable, like say, […]

Piggy was feeling a bit sick because of the altitude here in Peru, but she had a wonderful time in this place.  Where is she?  Email your guess to katherine@365saturdays.org

      On April 20 we sadly bid farewell to the Asia/Australia time zones – our home for the past three months – and entered a new chapter:  South America!  We were all excited to see a new continent, but first we had to get there.  The itinerary called for a journey on April 20 from […]

Are we entering the Chinese century?  During the eighteen days in China, we tried to decide. Today’s China is a winner because it joins two things that should not go together:  a government of absolute power and a fast-paced market economy. China’s march to economic success started with a commitment to low-cost manufacturing.  China imported […]

There is so much history in China… let’s take up the challenge to cover it briefly and discover how modern China got to where it is today. There is evidence of prehistoric man in China going back well past 50,000 years.  Pottery, stonework and other signs of village life start roughly 8,000 years ago.  Some […]

Our last stop in China was Shanghai.  We had just two days of touring here, leaving several much-needed free days available to catch our breath.  Aside from cooking classes and fan/sword-dancing, we watched an acrobat show, visited an old garden, strolled the riverside Bund and toured the well-stocked Shanghai Museum.  (Luckily we had added three […]

We walked through the park watching all the couples dance by. Saturday mornings were when everyone local got together to dance at the park. You could see people of every age dancing in the main square, and more selected groups with private instructors. I watched as a group of old ladies did the most ridiculous […]

We took two cooking classes in China:  the first was in Beijing (see Dumpling Daze post) and the second was in Shanghai.  The cuisine in Shanghai is characterized as less sweet and slightly spicier, but is nowhere near as spicy as that found in Szechuan province.  Our lesson at The Kitchen Studio focused on home […]

Well, almost.  The high-speed train we took from Nanjing to Shanghai is as sleek and shiny as a silver bullet and, at 300 km/hr, goes almost as fast.  Everything in China seems to be new and improved, or at least improving.  Transportation is no exception.  This particular train is less than a year old and […]

Our feet stuck to the giant sticky pads as powerful jets blew air all over us. Reaching the other end of the chamber, one of the accompanying employees opened the air lock. We stepped into the clean room where people in full body suits were all working at their designated stations. Most of them wore […]

Our guide Lily said, “Here it is!” We gazed up at the memorial of Sun-yat-sen, the first official president of China. It was Sun-yat-sen who helped organize the revolution to overthrow Puyi, the last emperor. The walkway was lined with trees instead of the usual sculptures of soldiers. For Sun had not wanted armed men […]

After Beijing, we entered a hectic stretch that covered three cities in six days.  The first stop Xi’an was the original capital of China and is the home of the Terracotta Warriors, a variety of tasty local restaurants and a superb calligraphy school, all described elsewhere.  Here we visited the Xi’an Museum to see excellent […]

During our travels we’ve shopped many a tourist stand and we hereby award a prize to the merchants of Yongshuo in the Guilin region.  They are the most rapacious we have met so far!  Another prize goes to the curio dealers of Xi’an.  As our guide Gerard explained, they have a wide range of yesterday’s […]

We got out of the car and were immediately mobbed by old ladies waving guns around, shouting at us. My mom’s face went stony, and we tried to get away! They chased us until we were forced to stop and take out some money. Then we bought two of the first lady’s water guns and proceeded […]