San Francisco

ARRIVAR
Friday night in San Francisco saw me sneak into Dropbox HQ to steal all their secrets. Well actually, all I did was join in their happy hour and drink all their cocktails - but I think that's an upgrade.

And of course, what does a body do when their back in San Francisco? If they have any lust for food and character, they head to the Mission. Grue's stellar recommendation saw Himani, Grue and I pig out at Pakwan on 16th in the Mission. No-frills Pakistani joint where you order at the counter, pay in cash, BYOB, and go crazy when the food arrives. Pictured above are tangdi chicken, seekh kababs, fish kabab and daal palak (you know, to assuage our consciences). A most memorable meal that makes the parking hassles in the Mission totally worth it.

Now if you're in the mood for Thai food, I say.. go to Thailand! But if you've got a life that you can't just skip out on, fine, you can safely make do with Marnee Thai on 9th in Inner Sunset. Another stellar recommendation from my man Tones (he's getting awfully good at this restaurant business - wonder if he gets a cut). The photo frames and news articles on the wall proudly proclaim "best of blah blah" and "top Thai chef of yada yada" and I think: "Yeah okay, we'll see."

And see we definitely did. We got the coconut dumplings (look almost identical to appams in Kerala!) and the talay you see in the pictures. The dumplings were sizzling hot, super soft, and tasted mildly sweet. The talay was spicy, and earned my respect on account of the long, whole stalks of green pepper I saw used so often in Thailand. I haven't eaten at a single other Thai place in the US that uses these.

A word about San Francisco: Man this is a cool city. Golden Gate Park is huge - and on a sunny day, just perfect. And if you can get two people called Janette Fong and Neville 'Su Yong' Bowers to join - that's a perfect Saturday afternoon stroll.

A word to all you board game geeks out there - and there are a lot of us. Dominion is a great game. Be warned - there is no board. Just cards. But it's so much fun. Nice way to settle in after an aggressively spicy Mapo Tofu meal from Mission Chinese.

WINE & DINE

California farmers' markets are basically on the cutting edge of farmers market-ing anywhere. Fresh oysters and ceviche for breakfast? Apparently.

Starting our morning with the Mountain View Farmers' Market was a great idea. This is a place where even the baggies of salad mix come with pretty (and edible) flowers.

With Louise and Team Korea (Shane + Parents of Shane) leading the way, our winery tour in Morgan Hills kicked off with Guglielmo. Most of us picked up their ruby port. Delicious. After a pretty good Thai lunch, we hit up the Clos LaChance winery. The venue makes you feel like you're in Tuscany. [Having never been to Tuscany myself, I am relying on the word of my travel companions. But I can see where they're coming from. The place is very pretty] But the wine was meh. Feel free to avoid.

The highlight of the evening was home-cooked hot pot dinner. Here's Louise modeling the fresh tilapia we picked up. We also picked up what looked like enough hot pot rations to feed a medium sized Chinese infantry unit, but ran through almost all of it through dinner.


Day II of wine tasting saw us swap a Nisha for a Divya, and trade up from Morgan Hills to Napa. We started with a very personal wine tour at Delectus, one of Shane and Louise's favourites. Had never tasted wine right out the barrel before. It's rough. But educational. [Kind of like Karnani's core strategy class, I realise with some amusement]

Shane's darling parents took us to lunch at the venerable Bouchon. French food in a casual bistro setting. Between the enormous crab, lobster and mussel platter, the delicious bread and an enormous shank of lamb - I was pretty much done for at the end of the meal. Locomotion was an effort, and I think we all needed a nap. But there was more wine to be tasted, so on we went.

V. Sattui is a cool place, especially the subterranean cellar/bar where we did our tasting. The standouts for me were the dry Reisling and the Gamay Rouge (a rouge with a surprisingly big body). But the king of meads at this place was definitely the Madiera. At $45 a pop it taxed our poor grad student wallets. But I have a feeling it's going to be worth it. [As I write this at 35,000 feet, I really hope that bottle's doing alright in the belly of this plane]

AND THE REST
It's about that time in a travel blog when the writer (and I use that word generously) kind begins to lose patience. And I'm sure you've had enough too. So for the sake of my memory, and your sanity, here's a quick rundown:

- If you're in Milbrae, eat dim sum at Hong Kong Flower Lounge. They have shau lung bao. And it's pretty good. They also blanch the brocolli in front of you, which is cool. Oh, and their rice porridge (chok) is extremely well-made. I was all Oliver-Twist-can-I-have-some-more with my bowl after I'd had my first serving.

- If you're in the Mission (and let's face it, if you have taste, you will be), try Limon. Ceviche, fried chicken, vegetarian empanada (tastier than Argentinian humitas, btw!) are all great. Great drinks too.

Day 9: Exodus

I couldn't tell whether the palour hanging over our heads that morning was from last night's doings, or from the thought of most of the gang leaving for Ann Arbor that afternoon. Huynh and I shopped for breakfast, and by noon we had all trekkers fed, packed and ready to head out into the city for one last hoorah. Most of the crew had last minute shopping to do, but not Jonghwan.

I remember him sitting across the breakfast table in his yellow rain jacket with a particularly determined look on his face, and then saying the words "I want to go to the ocean," before heading out. A part of me was a little worried about what he meant and what he was going to go do. He would have to eventually make do with a glimpse of the Rio de la Plata - BA was still relatively inland from the Indian Ocean.

Amrita, Hunyh, (memory fails me) and I made it out to Teatro Colon only to find the gods of English-language-tour-timing had forsaken us for the day. Huynh did make a valiant (if unknowing) attempt to break into theplace without paying for ticket, but didn't make it very far.

The find of the day was a little bakery outlet in the shopping streets close to Florida, where we were literally handing a steel dish to pick out any 15 pastries for 10 pesos. 15 for 10. What.. is wrong with these people?? So naturally we made out like a bunch of gluttonous bandits before we went on our way, snacking as we window shopped. Among the stuff we bought were a cellphone charger, scarves, alfajores, and sundry gifts for some lucky people back in the US.

Later that afternoon Amrita, Sawna, Hunyh and I bid almost tearful goodbyes to our 12 trekkers as their bus pulled away. That was okay though - another week and we'd be back in Ann Arbor with the lot of them.

Us 'parents' enjoyed a relatively peaceful dinner that night in the Las Canitas neighborhood at a place called Morelia, which specialized in pizza parilla style. Not bad at all. Great empanadas too. A fine bit of excitement occurred when Sawna discovered a fake 100 peso bill in her possession. The restaurant wouldn't take it of course. Smart little buggers.

Day 8: City by day, Tango by night

Scrambling to get to a 9 am tour bus pick up after a 3 am night at a nightclub (Rumi, not bad) is always going to be difficult. Somehow we all made it. And so it was that a lazy bus ride and light sightseeing got underway. Casa Rosada and La Boca featured heavily on the tour, and we finished up at San Telmo market. And that was just the way most of us wanted to spend the afternoon - traipsing around a crowded Buenos Aires market, picking up gifts, drinking mate and eating cajetas.

With a group this big and enthusiastic, everything's a production. And given our own room at this mate house - we kinda went to town. Hundreds of mate glamour shots later, we cabbed it back home to our apartments.

The highlight of the weekend of course, was Tango night. I don't have group pictures on hand, but trust me, we all looked very spiffy decked up to tango. And in the capable (if forceful - in a good way) hands of our instructor Julietta, it was only a matter of minutes before we were like.. totally redefining the way that Tango should (never) be danced.

This took place at a lesson-dinner-show tango place. And so after the lesson we were treated to a very solid dinner and a fun stage show. Of course, this being our last night in Argentina as a big group, there was much toasting and speechifying. Remember that this was at a tango show, so all that merrymaking didn't go down too well with the patrons at other tables. I'll have you know it was Amrita's table (NOT mine) that came close to being thrown out on account of disturbin' the peace.

It was indeed tragic that Jonathan had to miss the show. Not that he couldn't make it. He totally did. He was at the same table as I was. He just wasn't... all there. You know?

After the show wrapped up we insisted on continuing as if we owned the place - and so eventually the owners pretty much had to usher us out. (It was getting to be just that kind of night)

The afterparty at home was just a sordid affair that needn't be described here. Suffice it to say there was rowdiness and assault with deadly shaving cream thrown into the mix. If you don't understand what that means - you should feel fortunate.

Day 7: Of Peruvians and Quilmes

[You'll notice with great relief that my blog entries are much skimpier here on. I seem to have run out of steam. This is not necessarily a bad thing.]

Standing in line for an hour to check in at Mendoza airport may have its drawbacks, but it gives you a chance to see your fellow travelers in action. We will forever remember how the typically quite and very polite Jongwhan brusquely debarred line-cutters from well.. line cutting by drawing the tape across their path. That gave us about 10 minutes of amusement.

Back in 'civilization' in Pallermo our thoughts turned to shopping, so we cabbed it to Plaza Serrano for some 10 peso hot dogs, scarves, wallets, coffee and sundry other things. Some of us made it to Florida St. to buy more blue-and-white Argentina-themed stuff. I will forever remember being stunned by the sight of a full-on espresso machine and barista setup at the McDonald's on Florida - making excellent coffee. Why don't we have that elsewhere in the world?

The high point of the day (and for some, perhaps of the trip), was the amazing evening we spent with Willie and his family in La Boca. Dinner with Peruvians is someone everyone should do at some point in life. Our evening featured Willie's puppy, his grandma, his darling wife (a week away from having a baby!), his cousins, friends, a parilla grill with kilos upon kilos of meat, lots of Quilmes, and some very spirited dancing. And of course, like any civilized cultured, Willie and the boys drank out of one cup, passing the bottle around.

A night to remember. Of course, making it out of La Boca alive for the second time was also something to be celebrated.

Day 6: Wining and dining in the Andes

When you wake to a crisp, sun-bathed winter morning in the foothills of the Andes, you're in a good mood as it is. And if you've happened to have the first full night's sleep in nearly a week, you can't be blamed for being extra chirpy. Especially if you walk downstairs to the dining room and find yoghurt, pastries, coffee and toast waiting for you.

Eugenia herded us onto the bus and we were off to our first winery in Lujan de Cuyo, just outside Mendoza. And it didn't take us long to be greeted by the Andes, rising high in the distance, snow capped all the way to their top. The previous day had just been bad weather - the mountains had been there all along.

Our first winery was Alta Vista, a small-to-medium scale setup owned by a French family, who of course, kept their private stash locked away (in plain sight) in the winery cellars below. The guide said something about them flying into Mendoza a few times a year to pick up bottles. Damn. Nice life. I also want.

It was here that most of us were introduced for the first time to the Torrontes varietal. It makes for a dry white wine with sharp, almost tangy flavour, and a lot of complex things going on in the background. But it was dry. And sweet tooth that I am, it gets no love from me. Only respect. There was also olive oil for the tasting - wineries in Mendoza seem to nurture olive trees quite easily, it seems. I don't understand how olive oil could feel both light, and creamy at the same time - but it did. Well done, and stuff!

Our next stop was Lagarde, a more well-known medium sized winery that clearly knew what it was doing. I'll have you know that along with a nice buzz (Wolverines are lushes, we just are), we were also developing an appreciation for how complex, and artful the wine-making process can be. Synthetic vs. natural cork, oak vs. steel barrels, concrete vs. stainless steel tanks, the angle at which bottles are rested as the wine sediments - there's a seemingly unending depth to which you can take the art. Pretty cool.

The lunch that followed is an an experience that is forever etched into all our memories. We walk into the compound of what looks like somebody's home estate turned into little mini-restaurant dining rooms, and are greeted with a feast that is quite literally befitting of kings (or that French family that flies in just to pick up their private wine, I'm sure). There were probably eight types of cured meat, a dozen side dishes of vegetables, purees and sauces, cheeses, stew, dessert, and of course, wine. If we all felt sluggish on the last winery visit that followed, you know why.

I do believe Eugenia had saved the best for last. Carmello Patti, pictured smiling next to Bryant here, is an expert wine maker who quit the large scale wine business, and started out his own small operation in a single shed. For Carmello, it's very, very personal. And we were taken on an intimate tour of his small but capable setup. We signed his guest book - so if any of you reading this happen to visit him years from now, say hello, and try to find a big "GO BLUE" in his books.

Dinner that night was at La Lucia, a restaurant on the same drag as El Pelanquet that some of us scoped out. And it was a good choice. Almost as memorable as the rump steak I had, was the restaurant's peculiar taste in restroom art. The men's room had a drawing of a.. little person, striking a strange pose, with.. no clothes on. While that may sound only odd, and not scary, trust me on this - it was. And by the end of the night, the entire crew, girls included had taken a look. Thank you La Lucia, for a great meal, and some memorable amusement!

Day 5: Mendoza (Oh look it's winter in Ann Arbor)

You'd think that after four consecutive days of being sleep deprived, waking up early and possibly hung over, we'd learn to call it quits earlier at night and take it easy. Well that's the thing. You'd think. Turns out that we, on the other hand, aren't that bright. We woke to a 7:30 am pick-up and flight to make our way to Mendoza. But Iguazu had been brilliant, and so even if some of us were a tad queasy on the plane - we were happy on the inside.

However, Iguazu didn't seem to happy to see us. Clouds. Rain. Temperature like Ann Arbor around Thanksgiving? Somewhere around us the gorgeous Andes were alleged to rise out of the earth. But it was too cloudy and misty to spot them that morning. At one point during our bus tour of the city that day, it even started snowing. At this point I'll bring your attention to the fact that just that morning, we woke up near a tropical rainforest. Ah Argentina.

On the plus side, our guide Eugenia (eww-hen-ya) turned out to be a darling. And Sawna's joy knew no bounds when, after arriving at our hotel she found all of zero flies in our room's bathroom.

Mendoza, as it turns out is a pretty huge place. Not some remote tiny-town we mistakenly assumed it would be. With origins in the cattle route between Buenos Aires and Chile, Mendoza is a desert town that owes its rise to a flood irrigation system and a dry, multi-altitude climate that makes the grapes happy.

The high point of the day was stand up, sit down - El Palenque - a delightful tavern-restaurant with amazing food and atmosphere. Have to say I got some of my best shots with the prime lens right here. It was here that we discovered caprese empanadas. And the carne empanada here was probably the best - spicy! 

Day 4: Of heights, ziplines and nightclubs

Riding around in an open, military-style truck at 7 AM on a winter morning in Iguazu is a surefire way of waking up. Which is for the best, considering our rappelling and ziplining ambitions that morning.

I remember the exact moment when the group of us harness-clad, mostly first-time rappellers (rappell-ees?) walked up to the railing on the bluff we were supposed to go over. There was a very perceptible "Holy shit, we actually have to do this!?" look in some people's eyes. Or perhaps it was just me, and I'm just projecting willy nilly.

The instructor, who had clearly seen countless groups of sheepish rappellers through this task, gave us clear instructions - keep your feet apart, stay perpendicular to the rock as far as possible, and kick off with both feet when you jump. Seems simple enough, right? Well it is. In theory. A little problematic to carry through when you're actually hanging off that rope, brain-bucket of a helmet on your head, and a 50 ft drop below you. But we did it. All 16 of us. I think the inspiration for a lot of us was the thought that a couple in their fifties who was part of our group was also going to it. And if they can do it, we definitely should. So it was shame, or the fear of shame that propelled some of us over the edge. And it all ended very well. Kicking off the rock and scooching 15 or so feet down the bluff with each jump was definitely fun. In the end, the most dangerous thing about the whole affair was the eager mosquitoes waiting for us at the bottom.

A quick trek and truck ride brought us to the ziplining platforms. The scary thing about the whole affair wasn't the zipping through the air, but standing on the rickety staircase (and I use that term generously) to the first platform. Don't let Nicole's radiant representation of St. Michigana fool you - we weren't happy waiting on that contraption.

Nighttime:
The evening started with (what I hope was) a romantical surprise for the MBA1 crew, as their leaders had wine, cheese, meats, crackers and candlelight waiting for them in the garden area by the pool.

[I wish I had pictures to prove this, but I guess I was way too busy pushing bottle after bottle of wine to man a camera that evening]

Later that night, the crew hit up Cuba Libre, an unsuspecting Iguazu night club that should be grateful to us. Because we definitely brought the party with us. The place went from  three people (aside from the bartender and the DJ) to a thumping party in half an hour after we arrived.

My most memorable images from the evening: Yoon bringing shock and awe by break dancing and doing the worm out of nowhere. And.. a certain someone getting up onto the high top table with the.. err.. dancer girl. It was.. amorous. Let's leave it at that.

Good day, no?