Jump to the full entry & travel map Antofagasta, Chile I do not like Antofagasta. I will say it´s much like Algeciras, Spain, another city that will never make it to my top 10, top 50, or even top 100 fave destinations list. It´s a larger port city that is a coming hub for transportation from San Pedro and north down to the rest of Chile. I thought I´d stay a night and maybe find that it´s a decent little place. Maybe it´s not so bad, but the hostal was. I walked into Residencial El Cobre, a hostal in the center recommended by my Bradt guide. At first you could tell that it was dark and somewhat run down, but not that you haven´t seen run down places in South America (or even the US) before. They tried to make the room somewhat perky with light purple walls. (Why do hostels always use the brightest paint colors in the oddest combinations?) The bed was not inviting, but then I always have my sleeping bag. I thought, this place is definitely interesting but I can do it. Then I saw the bathrooms. The toilets hardly flushed, one still holding onto evidence of that fact, toilet paper was nonexistent, as was adequate lighting. I wouldn´t have stepped into the shower there with boots on. I´ve peed in some pretty desperate locations, most recently the desert in Perú, but nothing could have made me even pee in those bathrooms. I grabbed my purse and walked out onto the street. I just started walking, holding back tears, trying to think of what to do. I ate a salad at McDonalds, my standby travel frustration “happy place” but they did not come through for me. I had a $4 salad that was as good at McD´s US salads, which FYI is not good. I went to the tourist office and was talking to the woman there about how to get to La Portada, the only right I really wanted to see there. She asked me if I was travelling alone and I had to look away so I wouldn´t start crying to her. Well, getting to La Portada wasn´t worth the trouble of taking the bus and walking 3km, so I settled for walking around town. The street there isn´t so bad. There are lots of families and a really nice plaza. There are also more strip clubs here than in any other place I´ve seen on this trip. And they don´t bother to euphemize the names like they do with “gentlemen´s clubs” in the states. In Chile they just say “Beer and women” or “girls” next to the name on the sign. This is, after all, a port town as well as a hub for working the mines so these places probably do good business. Speaking of the mine workers, they seemed to comprise most of the guests in the hostal. Three of them were staying in the room next to me. The bathrooms sealed the deal and this just confirmed it: Residencial El Cobre is not Katie´s idea of a cozy hostal. I think I´ll opt for sleeping on the bus on the 12 hr overnight ride to La Serena. Bradt guide, you hadn´t let me down yet but now I don´t know if I can trust you. It´s funny the relationship you have with you guidebook when travelling.
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getting the heck outta Dodge – Antofagasta, Chile
Jump to the full entry & travel map Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy Hello Everyone! Today was my first day exploring Italy:) We were given a tour around Montepulciano and got familiarized with the place where we will be taking classes for the next few weeks. The apartment where my three roomates and I are staying is literally about five steps down the street from La Trattoria, the restuarant where they give us dinner each night. It has been raining off and on since we got here but it has kept the air nice and cool and we could see a giant rainbow from the apartment last night. Right now I’m eating some kind of yummy garlic pasta in one of the few cafes in Monte that has wireless. When our school building opens back up on Monday I’ll be able to upload more pictures but my connection isn’t strong enough for that in the cafe. I hope you are all doing well…pictures coming soon!:) MC
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Arrived in Italy! – Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy
Jump to the full entry & travel map Florence, Tuscany, Italy I arrived in Florence yesterday evening and at first I didn’t know if the stop on the train was correct. When I think Florence Italy, I think that it’s a decent size city. All I could see was a smallish town from my train window. It was the right station, so I was there. Being that I didn’t reserve a bed prior to my arrival, I had to play the walking game. It involves walking around with your heavy backpack and trying to find a cheap place. The second I walked off the train, all I heard was English. I must of walked for almost an hour and I probably heard non-English only a hand full of times. Which is kind of good but not really. I didn’t come all the way to Florence Italy to hear English. I came for Italian. For me, hearing a crap load of English kind of takes the fun out of traveling. I know it is a blessing when I’m in a hotel or restaurant and I have no idea what the person is saying to me, but it takes the exoticness out of the whole experience of traveling. I tried a hostal and they were all booked up. So I went nest door and found a cheap hotel room all to myself which is just what I needed after Rome. I proceeded to walk around a bit and found a bite to eat. Then I did some walking around and came upon some pretty cool churches. I hung around them for a bit and then went to grab a beer. I ended up meeting some Brazilian people and hanging with them for most of the night. Out of about 12 people, only 4 could moderately speak English past the “Hello”, “My name is” stage. So it made for an interesting night. Especially when you talk about how the US soccer team almost beat Brazil a few weeks ago. The next day I woke up kind of late and starting to walk the streets in search of expensive tourist sites. I went back to the huge church that I had seen the previous night and walked inside. It was cool to see but since I have probably seen the best of the best in churches, it was small peanuts to me. They did have a tower that you can climb for a small nominal fee($12). Since I like a challenge and love to catch the bird’s eye view of the city, I made the climb. The climb was the usual, small spiraling stairs too small for anyone over 250 lb and part of it was traffic for up and down. The view was awesome though! Afterward I followed the path recommended by the tourist info guy and I made my way to the museum de something. It was small but had a few pieces that were neat to see. Then I made my way south and got lost for about 3 hours because I didn’t want to pay the museum fees. The night was topped off by a so-so dinner of penne pasta with tomato sauce and then some beef stuff with zucchini. Florence-Not really what I expected, again I thought it was a decent size city. Other than the churches, I don’t remember many buildings over 5 stories tall and the tourist sites seem to pale in comparision to Rome. Note to self: Don’t see Rome first when traveling Italy.
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Laid Back Florence – Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Hope and optimism emanating from the announcement of the Obama Administration’s “Making Home Affordable” plan have been replaced by the cold reality that the program has gotten off to start deemed by industry watchers as “anemic”. Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/feldman-law-center-the-four-road-blocks-that-are-slowing-loan-modifications-1044272.html
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Feldman Law Center – The Four Road Blocks That are Slowing Loan Modifications
With so many options today, it’s hard to know which depression medication you should take. A few options you should look at as well as alternative treatments that may work are therapy, prescription drugs, and herbal remedies. Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/things-you-should-know-before-taking-depression-medication-1044265.html
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Things You Should Know Before Taking Depression Medication
Feldman Law Center – News by Feldman Law Center — A little known aspect of the Obama Administration’s “Making Home Affordable” plan is the “Net Present Value” test which essentially determines whether a loan modification or a foreclosure and sale will provide a better return for the investors behind the mortgage in question. Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/feldman-law-center-bob-the-homeowner-versus-net-present-value-1044264.html
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Feldman Law Center – Bob the Homeowner versus Net Present Value
Filed under: Accessories , Contests & Giveaways Triple threat necklace. Photo courtesy of Target Get ready to win a necklace from the hottest new Target collaboration — Hollywood Intuition! You know all those pictures you see of celebs like Rachel Bilson, Halle Berry and Jennifer Aniston shopping in Los Angeles? Well, a majority of the time they’re at the Intuition boutique — it’s the hot spot for trendsetters and, not so coincidentally, the paparazzi
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Win a Celeb-Worthy Hollywood Intuition Triple Chain Necklace
Filed under: Style in the News , Vintage and Retro Emma Watson chose vintage Ossie Clark for a recent film premiere. Photo: Tim Whitby, Getty Images. Emma Watson just made red carpet magic in a vintage Ossie Clark gown at the London premiere of “Harry Potter,” and it’s a good thing — looks like, going forward, vintage will be the only option for wearing the brand.
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Ossie Clark Closing Its Doors
Today in the present scenario, having beautiful wigs is in fashion and also making a remarkable fashion statement for all, also people who are suffering from some kind of skin disease or disease like cancer, for them there are some wigs that will not going to let them feel complex when interacting with others. Also there are so many online stores that provide you with wide variety of wigs, as per the requirement.
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Real Hair Wigs and Hair Extensions – Today’s Latest Fashion Trends
Twitter Contest Giveaway: Pacific Outdoor Vancouver Messenger Bag As part of the Matador Twitter contest , we will be spotlighting cool gear we’ll be giving away to lucky readers As part of the Matador Twitter contest , we will be spotlighting cool gear we’ll be giving away to lucky readers. The material for this classic bag is a mix of polyurethane, nylon, and polyester, resulting in a waterproof material perfect for protecting your gear in any weather.
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Twitter Contest Giveaway: Pacific Outdoor Vancouver Messenger Bag
Bruce James Talbert Gothic Hall 1868 Bruce James Talbert was considered by many of his contemporaries to be the leading designer and decorator of interiors of his period. His career spanned the 1860s right up to his death in 1881. Talbert was a broad designer and included furniture, textiles, metalwork, wallpaper, carpets and tapestry as well as planned interiors within his design career.
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Bruce James Talbert and the Constant Interior
I’m loving Vera Wang ’s new collection of decadent, over the top bib necklaces for Fall 2009/Winter 2010 ! The necklaces look like a combination of vintage crystals or beads, put together with silk flowers and ribbons. They’re bold statement pieces – and are definitely for dressy events only. Let the necklace be the focus of your outfit, you don’t need any other jewelry to compete with these necklaces. Want to see what I’m talking about
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Sparkling Jewels from Vera Wang
Attention bargain shoppers! Neiman Marcus Last Call Sale is going on NOW! You can save up to 75% on all those drool-worthy designer handbags from Marc Jacobs , Cole Haan , Burberry and many more! It’s a great excuse to pick up a new bag for yourself! (Image: Neiman Marcus) This Michael Kors Templeton Satchel is on sale for $763, regular price is $1695! Definitely a bargain and white will look wonderful for summertime and easily transition into fall to make those dark outfits pop! The cool white leather bag features comfortable shoulder straps, gold hardware and side tab details. A chic bag for a great price! Post from: Splendicity . Check out our new community features ! Michael Kors Templeton Satchel
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Michael Kors Templeton Satchel
Filed under: Style in the News Carla Bruni wears the same Chanel dress twice! In March, at the Hadassah fundraiser with Slomo Mo-Yosef (left); and with husband/President Sarkozy on Bastille Day (right). Photos: AFP/Getty Images Carla Bruni spent her younger years as a fashion plate and has been wowing official crowds with her great sense of style ever since becoming French First Lady. But perhaps even supermodels can use a style pointer now and then! The First Lady of France is taking a play straight out of Michelle Obama’s stylebook by recycling her looks.
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Carla Bruni Takes a Cue From Michelle Obama – Wears Same Dress Twice
It may seem a minor part of our style–no pun intended–but the location of our hair part can define how we look – and moving that part can change our entire appearance! Sxc.hu Don’t stress though. I consulted celebrity stylist Robert Ramos , and he gave us some fabulous tips and tricks to find the most flattering part for our face! Long-Faced Gals If you have a narrow face, avoid center parts because it elongates and extenuates the narrowness of the face
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Where to Part?
After 132 races, the Australian Mark Webber, who debuted in the Formula One at the Grand Prix of Australia in 2002, achieved with merit his first victory by imposing himself with absolute dominance in the Grand Prix of Germany, which is the ninth event of this season’s calendar. Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/f1-mark-webber-imposes-and-triumph-in-the-grand-prix-of-germany-1043620.html
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F1 – Mark Webber Imposes and Triumph in the Grand Prix of Germany
Forex trading is a profession with feet where you jumped your 24 hours daily life day new forex alert around the globe five and one half days per week. The merchant market forex / currency begins from the start is where Tokyo trading Monday around 9am their time is 7 PM on Sunday in New York and ends around 16 pm (est) Friday in New York. Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/currency-trading-articles/difference-between-the-sponsor-forex-forex-traders-and-currency-traders-1043611.html
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Difference between the Sponsor Forex, Forex traders and Currency traders
“How can I get rid of Smaller Pores?”, “How Can I smooth my skin?” and many other questions might be in mind of many women who are actively surfing online to find the best solution recommended by others. Therefore I’d like to give my 5 professional skin care tips that will allow you prevent or remove smaller pores: Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/smaller-pores-5-professional-skin-care-tips-to-get-rid-of-smaller-pores-which-may-cause-acne-1043607.html
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Smaller Pores – 5 Professional Skin Care Tips To Get Rid Of Smaller Pores Which May Cause Acne
With the rampant popularity of Twilight and other vampire storyline copycats, Karen Walker has produced a creative and humorous “Celebrate Sun” sunglasses line for summer. If a vampire can’t be out during the daytime, why don’t they just put on a good pair of shades? The ad campaign is truly genious with adorable hipsters donning a funky pair of Karen Walker shades and, of course, a large pair of fangs. So cute! Image: The Pipeline You can see the rest of the ad campaign on The Pipeline . Karen Walker is a designer from New Zealand who is known for her unique and whimsical looks. She finds inspiration in the “weirdo-heroes” from classic movies like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club (pretty awesome!). Image: Barneys Karen Walker Derby Doomsday Sunglasses $180 The sunglasses in the “Celebrate Sun” line have an exaggerated statement look, which perfectly matches Karen Walker’s designs. The frames come in many different shapes, but still have a cohesive look as a collection with a oversized thick plastic and unique colors and patterns on the frames.
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Karen Walker Sunglasses for Vampires
Continuing from yesterday’s post about Bruce Nauman’s 1981 sculptures South America Triangle and Diamond Africa with Chair Tuned, D.E.A.D. : … Both sculptures reminded me of American behaviors that I’d read about in the 2007 International Committee of the Red Cross report that concluded that the Bush administration tortured detainees
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Bruce Nauman’s hanging chairs become us, part two