Pebble Beach Lexus Food & Wine Festival

Foodies, wines, friends, and lots of sunshine, what a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon indulging ourselves.

Jan Allen ATA West Coast Sales Manager

Ken, Charlotte, George, & I attended the Lexus Grand Tasting Event at the 2011 Lexus Food & Wine Festival held at Pebble Beach Saturday. 
The venue was held as a fund raiser for the Boy&Girls Club of America and CASA (a child advocates organization).  

Interacting with the Wineries

I had a great time tasting wines from various vineyards like Acacia, Bridlewood, Chalone to Signorello, Trinchero, and Wente vineyards to name a few out of the 192 wineries that was represented there.
 

Jacques & Claudine Pepin

Don't ask me anything about the wines because after the 1st couple of glasses of wine and drinking some exotic mixed drinks in between, I don't remember anything about the wines. 
If I did then the Stella beer washed it all away. 

Michael Ginor

I did noticed that when the chefs had a break, I could find them in line getting a Stella!

I am not a foodie but I enjoyed talking to some of the 84 Culinary Masters in attendance there and tasting their food. 
I can easily become a foodie after tasting some of the food at the event. 

Andre Bienvenu

Some of the Chefs represented there were Jacque & Claudine Pepin, Tyler Florence, Masahara Morimoto, Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, Roy Yamaguchi, Michael Schwartz, Michael Ginor, Daniel Joly, Andre Bienvenu, Michael Chiarello, Akira Back, and Miguel Garcia to just name a few. Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri was also there.
 

Rick Tramonto & Gale Gand

Daniel Joly

Michael Chiarello

Akira Back

Michael Schwartz

Miguel Garcia

Besides Lexus, the event had at least 54 major sponsors attending including Aruba Tourism Board. Aruba's booth had Master Chef Miguel Garcia and he had his college intern, Ever De Pena, created a very delicious meat dish which Ken thought was very yummy! 
I enjoyed mine with some red wine from J. Lohr. The dish was a Crispy Fried Chicken with Aruban Creole Sauce and Macadamia Nut Crusted Grouper with Tropical Relish. 

Ever De Pena

For the On-Line Auction fund raiser, Aruba had donated a trip for two to Aruba. 

Lin, Charlotte, & George enjoying wine

The trip is a 5 Days and 4 Nights at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino. It includes Round Trip Coach Airfare for 2 and an online Activity Package for 2. 
As an extra bonus, this includes an Island Tour with  Sail & Transfers courtesy of Red Sail Sports and dePalm Tours. This has an estimated worth of $4000!  
I would love to go to Aruba too!


Overall, we had a great time!


Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net
 

The Spectacular Iguassu Falls!

Imagine yourself awakening to the warmth of sunshine slanting through your balcony window and hearing the sound of gently crashing waves from the best waterfalls on the American Continent. Further imagine yourself drinking freshly brewed (almost locally grown) Brazilian coffee while out on your balcony terrace. You are in Argentina, overlooking Iguassu Falls!


Fortunately for me, putting myself in this idyllic scene didn't have to break my piggy bank. I had previously saved up 18,000 Starwood points so we had a free night stay at the famous Iguassu Falls Sheraton Resort and Spa in Argentina. This hotel is the only hotel in the Argentinean National Park, and was the perfect place to celebrate my husband Ken's 58th year young birthday. It was a day to remember for a long time!


Iguassu Falls is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen in my life. Not only because of the powerful waterfalls, which are impressive in themselves being almost three times the width of Niagra Falls ( 0.7miles or 1km wide and 173ft high or 53m ) , but also because of it's location in the tropical rain forest and great bird watching. Iguassu Falls drop an average 75 meters (269 feet) and a spread nearly 3 km (1.7 miles) along the border of Brazil and Argentina. During the rainy season (November – March) it flows at rates of as much as 12,750 cubic meters (450,000 cubic feet) per second!


Most of the waterfalls are found on the Argentinean side where I had the chance to see them close up from the various walkways that I hiked. Many people asked which side is the best to view the falls from, but since I got to see both sides, Brazil and in Argentina , I would say you have to see both, as each has something different to offer. In Argentina , you can view the falls from the front, the top, and from the bottom; however, the best panoramic views of the waterfalls are from the Brazilian side.


How did we get there? My husband and I took a taxi from the downtown city of Iguassu on the Brazilian side to Puerto Iguazu on the Argentina side (province of Misiones). Make sure you have your passport. The cost was 50 BRL (or about $30 US) each way for a 30 minute ride. The park entrance fee cost 60 Pesos ARS (or $15 US) per person and must be paid in Pesos.


Once we arrived at Iguazu National Park (around 8:30am), we immediately took the train to the top of the falls. As the train runs every 30 minutes, and the cost of the train is included in the entrance fee. The train was really convenient.



We then walked the 2 km (1.2 miles) about 30 minutes to get to “the most important stop”, which is technically the second stop. Here you get to a catwalk that leads you to see the Devil's Throat. This is the famous U-shaped fall of Iguassu Falls, were the water falls 82 meters (269 feet) in a U-shaped waterfall that measures 150 meters (490 feet) wide at the mouth by 700 meters (2300 feet) wide if measured along the “U” of the fall. The view here at the end of the trail is the most impressive that I've ever experienced in my life. There is so much water dropping over the cliff and with such strength and power. As you stand there in the rising mist you get completely soaked!


We then took the train back and got out at the “first stop” where you can do the “Upper Trail.” Here you see the various Argentine and Brazilian waterfalls viewed from the top of the Argentine falls. The Lower trail is where you see the waterfalls from a low river view of the bottom of the falls.






After all this walking, my husband and I decided to take the Macuco Safari Boat Tour(120 pesos pp about U.S.$30.00). This tour takes you around both the Argentina and Brazilian sides of the falls. The boat also goes underneath the waterfalls! It is an exciting once-in-a-lifetime ride.


Click on this link to see the video of the Macuco Safari Boat Tour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3L0m6YNJNk

Doing it all, the hikes, the boat, and train rides, takes an entire day. By the time we walked back to the Sheraton at about 5 PM, it was time to relax on our balcony viewing the picturesque falls with a delicious complimentary fruit plate from the hotel.

But all too soon it was time to “work,” to do a property inspection, but what enjoyable work! We met Francisco Mendieta, the Division Manager, for the hotel. He has worked there for over 20 years and practically grew up on this property. He showed us around the Sheraton and we were very impressed with all the rooms facing the waterfalls. 

The garden rooms were also unique as there were wild monkeys sitting on the balconies. Hmmm............if you stay there you better make sure to keep the sliding doors closed or else the monkeys might go into your room and play with all your belongings. When you walk along the grounds of the hotel, you will see animals that remind me of raccoons. These animals are called Caparivas, and like raccoons, they scrounge around for food. Don't feed them as they are wild with very sharp claws.

Sheraton Iguassu Falls also has a unique water spa, with 6 different stations with different types of water massages. As you enjoy the first station, it will eventually stop automatically, which signals you continue to the next station for your next water massage. Ken and I had the privilege to take a 60 minute water massage. What a great way to relax after a full day of touring and walking!



Later that night we celebrated my husbands birthday dinner at the Sheraton Hotel restaurant, Garganta Del Diablo, with a great big very tender Argentina Steak. He even got a complimentary desert for his birthday! Totally yummy! Life can't get any better than this!! We were totally spoiled.


If you are planning to see the Iguassu Falls, you must stay in Sheraton Iguassu Falls to experience this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Actually, it is the only hotel on the Argentina side of the park, so it is an absolute must. What an awesome experience located at a spectacular water fall!


->See more Brazil - Salvador Bahia 

Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net 

Mud Bath Therapy in Iguassu Falls, Brazil

Mud Bath Therapy?  I had never heard of that before!  Yes, I once had a mud bath in Calistoga, CA , where I sat in a bathtub filled with 80+ degree mud, but that is nothing like Mud Bath Therapy in Iguassu , Brazil .  So, when my cousin Lisa asked me to join her and her sister Luisa, I couldn’t resist going! It was about a 20 minute ride from the center of Iguassu to Recanto Da Paz, which is well off the beaten track, in a farming region.  As we drove we saw huge fields of soybean plants.  Sheep and chickens were running all over, and little birds were flocking everywhere, singing with their beautiful songs.  My heart was filled with joy to see such lovely and beautiful animals surrounded by all the plants and trees in this serene natural land.  When we finally arrived at the Mud Baths, I was surprised to learn that it is actually a privately owned farm, complete with an old fashion farmhouse!!  As we walked through their fenced orchards to the waterfall the staff picked, explained and gave us samples of straight from their trees:   guava, and super sweet pinha (see link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar-apple) .  Hmmm…what a treat! It was not too far before we heard the cascading of the waterfall.  The sounds of the waterfall made me feel so relaxed that I had to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths.  We then settled down in a nice shaded area and the staff came by with a small tub of mud and started to put it on my cousin Luisa.  This was not at all how I imagined a mud bath, but that was how they do it here!  After we were covered in mud, we laid down for about 45 minutes to let the mud dry.  The mud on my skin was so dry that I couldn’t wait to wash it off.  Unfortunately, though, there were mosquitoes there, so the staff stayed with us, and fanned us like royalty to keep them away.  What service!  We all felt like queens!  Once the mud was dry, we jumped into the waterfall and played like little girls, splashing cold water at each other.   There were moments we were smashing and tossing mud at each other.  I can’t remember how long it’s been since I had so much fun laughing and playing like a little girl!!  The cold waterfall water was so refreshing and cool us down in the hot and humid day.  We didn’t want to leave the waterfall, but after a couple of hours, it was time to leave; but we left with super smooth skin, and wonderful memories! After we cleaned up from mud and waterfall baths, we had fish and chips; no not the ones like back at home, but Brazilian style fish and chips.  Fried local fish served with their special drink, which tasted like lime juice but with a special perfume.  It was totally refreshing and “hit the spot.” I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed going to the Mud Bath Therapy at Recanto Da Pax.  It was a totally girls-get-away, and we all had such a blast!  Between the mud bath leaving our skin so super smooth, our bodies so relaxed, and the fun of playing and laughing with my cousins in the waterfall, we were so tired and relaxed that we all slept wonderfully that night! Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net

Exploring Curitiba and Having Fun

After spending a week here in Iguassu Falls I was ready to search for some adventure within Brazil. I decided to take a one hour flight to Curitiba . Why Curitiba ? Curitiba is the capital city of state of Parana . It is known for its rich and rather unique different cultures of South American, Asian, and European. As one of the largest cities in Brazil , it attracts visitors from all over the globe. In fact, it is becoming a model-city in terms of urban planning and award winning mass transit. Curitiba was even given the Globe Award for a Sustainable City in 2010 and was named the cleanest city in Brazil by Rede Globo Journalism With the help of Ezio Pasouinelli of the Tulip Inn (where I stayed), I decided to take a double-decker bus tour of Curitiba for $20.00 Reais (about $15 US). As I sat on the top deck, with the wind blowing through my hair and on my face, I enjoyed the all the beautiful views and sights of the city. The bus circles the city in two and half hours if you just stay on the bus. But, the ticket allows you to get off at any or all of four tourist attractions. This works our very nicely as the bus comes around every 30 minutes so you can enjoy the attractions at your own pace. To see all four attractions you should really allot all day to this tour, but because I needed to return to my hotel and catch my flight to Salvador, Bahia, I only had time to visit the Jardim Botanico Botanical Garden and the Oscar Niermeyer Museum .

The Jardim Botanico Botanic Garden is a must see sight if you're in Curitiba! Inaugurated in 1991, the unique metal and glass architecture houses a greenhouse with nationally referenced botanical specimens and French-based gardens, all surrounded by absolutely beautiful gardens. It also offers spaces for exhibitions and has a library and an auditorium. I spent over two hours wandering around and taking beautiful pictures, not to mention exploring the boutiques and enjoying local artists’ handicrafts and paintings. This is a must see sight if you're in Curitiba. Museu Oscar Niemeyer ( Oscar Niemeyer Museum ) is also known as the Eyes Museum. It is the biggest and most modern museum in Brazil. It covers 40,000 square meters, and emphasizes science, history and culture.In addition there are 16,000 square meters of available space for special art, design and urban planning exhibitions. Part of the museum itself is unique with an anti-gravity appearing constructional design which was created by Oscar Niermeye and many local artists. I would have loved to here stay all day.Unfortunately, I did not have time to see the famous Portal de Santa Felicidade (Santa Felicidade Gateway) or Teatro Paiol (Paiol Theather). Portal de Santa Felicidade is an area of the city known for it’s many fine restaurants and wineries, with roots dating back to the ancient Italian immigrants and colonists from Veneto and Trentino. Teatro Paiol (Paiol Theater)- Originally built in 1906 as a gun powder barn, it was revitalized in 1970 to become an arena theater, and became a symbol for Curitiba 's cultural change in the last few decades. Poet Vinicus de Moraes composed the song "Paiol de Polvora" for the inauguration of this building. Another reason I came to the City of Curitiba was to take the Serra Verde train tour to Paranagua. This train with its 125 year history is considered one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. Indeed it was! It travels 110 km through the largest preserved area of Brazil ’s Atlantic forest. The Mountain Range Train of Paraná departs from the city of Curitiba to Morretes everyday and on Sundays it also goes at Paranaguá. The trip takes approximately 3 hours with a mini bus return to the city. The train stopped at two small towns: Merretes (where I had seafood lunch) and Antonina. This train tour had a bi-lingual staff, I was able to get a personal view of the history in English from my own personal guide, Vivian! Here is the link if you would like to learn more: http://serraverdeexpress.com.br/en/serra/destinos. With the many friendly and helpful local Brazilians, I never had any difficulty finding my way back to the Tulip Inn from the bus station. Their friendliness and the beautiful and unique sights truly made my visit to Curitiba an awesome experience. Yes, I am honored that I have such privilege of visiting Curitiba . Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net

Exploring Brazil Day 4

Yesterday was fun. Raymond, my cousin’s husband, came home a bit early from work, took a nap to re-energize, then we were ready for action.

At 5:00 PM, my cousin Luisa, her American husband Raymond, and I drove to Puerto Iguacu , Argentina a 30 minute drive across the border. As it was Saturday many Brazilians flock to Puerto Iquacu for shopping, eating, dancing etc. Yes, everything costs lot less for Brazilians in Argentina . At the border, it took non-Brazilians like Raymond and I a while to go through the immigration process. But patience paid off!

The town reminded me like Puerto Vallarta , Mexico , but without the beach. It was rather rural or like the forest with old little casitas, shops and streets covered with cobble stones. It has a unique old town experience and feel to it.

In town, I went to almost all the leather shops but I only found one store, called Skin, which had my size (average US $300.00 per jacket). Well, I didn't buy any jackets so I headed to a specialty food store to buy parmesan cheese (totally yummy). I bought some wonderful good quality wines made in Argentina (Chardonnay), then headed off to a local restaurant and bought some take out Pintanema. I then bought a local grapefruit drink which was very refreshing for $1.50, which was a total bargain for Brazilians. Oh.....by the way, I had some of the best coconut ice cream I've ever tasted!

It was a fun and interested evening and I enjoyed it to the fullest!

Well, that's it for now. It's almost 8:00 AM and I am getting ready for my trip this morning to meet my uncle in Paraguay . Ate logo meus amigos or maybe I should say, Adios mis amigos in Spanish!

Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net

Exploring Brazil day 3

It's my 3rd day here. For some reason I didn't sleep well. I woke up around 6, so by 7 I was already up for coffee. I sat in living room and enjoyed the view with sunrise. This is a gorgeous view.

I left later to look for health clubs. First I went to Bio. I had problems conversing with them in Portuguese but someone helped me to interpret. The receptionist then called the boss who spoke
English. He wanted to negotiate with me to join the club for 70R (which is about $55 US) for 3 weeks. Yes, it's expensive compare to what I pay for in S.J. area. Since I have so much time here I think I should join anyway. After negotiating with Bio Gym, I left and went to Median Gym. They wanted the same rate but this gym is not as nice as Bio Gym so I scratch this one off my list. I also checked a few other private health clubs that only do pilates and body toning, but it's too pricey for me. These places are for wealthy and I am not
willing to pay that much ($20.00US PER HOUR).

Shopping- Hmm...........I walked all over downtown Iguassu Falls but found the prices to be quite high. I can get better quality and better prices in the US so I didn't buy anything, but I had fun.

I walked all over downtown and struggled to speak Portuguese in the shops. Luckily most of sales people are very nice and polite. They told me they understood what I wanted so it was nice. I enjoyed talking with the locals. The locals are very nice and friendly. After practicing speaking Portuguese, I believe I am getting better! So there's hope that I can definitely improve. By the way, it's funny the locals asked me if I can speak Spanish, because Iguassu Falls is on the border of Paraguay and Argentina . Hmm..........I can barely speak Portuguese.

I came back around 11:30am and took a shower. I've been taking 2-3 showers everyday to stay clean. It's hot and humid here. Well..........I need to take my siesta soon, so that's it for now.


Lin can be contacted at lin_travels@sbcglobal.net