Cancun & more!

Matt, handsome as always!...with an enviable tan! (wish I had one) and me (taking the picture..duh!) going towards Isla Mujeres...very nice and relaxing day!

Chichen Itza Mayan Pyramid, one of the 7 Wonders of the World!...yes we were there and It's amazing!!

Cenotes from the Yucatan Peninsula, they are extremely deep, but we (well I) had the courage to actually swim in it!...Matt was more than ready...but me, just the thought that there is no floor underneath for miles! just scares me ...nonetheless...we did it! it was very exhilarating!

Going to Isla Mujeres!

What a view!! I could live like this!

Matt and Me in one of the restaurants of our All Inclusive Hotel!

View from our room

Walking down the steps to get to the Cenote

USING ATM'S & CREDIT CARDS OVERSEAS

How to access your money without it putting a hole in your wallet?
To many people, this is the last thing on their minds when planning a vacation but you should know that you are in for a big surprise!

I am a huge fan of Capital One credit card, who does not charge any foreign transaction fee, despite the fact that Visa or MasterCard charges them (Capital One) a 1% transaction fee, that most banks, in turn, pass on to their customers.
Capital One literally takes a 1% loss on every purchase you make using their Credit Card! How nice of them, right! ...I'm a fan, for sure!

Bank of America has alliances with certain banks (PNB Paribas in Paris & Barclay's in the UK), and for that, you are not charged for using your debit card to withdraw money from those banks. However, if you find a Barclay's in Spain, for example, you do get charged.

Flyerguide, has a very handy list of banks and their associated fees for international debit transactions.
Just click on the link below, and find your bank.

http://www.flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Credit/Debit/ATM_Cards_and_Foreign_Exchange

Ridiculous Renfe!! ...I dare you to try to use it...

As my upcoming trip to Spain & Portugal is slowly but surely approaching, (too slowly if you ask me!)...today I was finally able to book my means of transportation from Barcelona to Madrid...
Train of course!...its not really cheaper, being that Europe has so many low airfare airlines, which by the way, they tend to be too restrictive for travelers who, like me, are crossing the pond!...they will measure your bag, weigh it several times and if you bought one souvenir too many!...its about 10 euros per kilo!...no kidding...train please!!
So, Renfe...the Spanish train website that we all love!...OK being sarcastic...there's even a special place in Trip Advisor on how to outsmart Renfe.com and have the purchase go through...
Did it work you ask????
Wait!...let me tell you all that I had to do...
I read all fifty some points from Trip Advisor on purchasing train tickets on Renfe...
I tried to register my Capital One MC with MasterCard Secure Code...a link from Capital One...of course, it directed me to: Verified by Visa!...I'm not kidding!...so,  this didn't work.
Called Capital One and was on the phone for about 35 minutes after which I realized that we were getting no where and they were of no help, I hung up...Thanks Capital One...btw, why then, do you have a link on your website to register your MC's with MasterCard Secure Code https://tdsc.53.com/mcsc/activate

Decided to go with my debit card instead, although they charge a foreign transaction fee,unlike Capital One, but OK I thought ...what ever it takes...did the Verified by Visa and worked out fine...card registered https://usa.visa.com/personal/security/vbv/index.jsp  ...all OK so far.

Went to Renfe.com, found my train ...5 minutes later, the purchase seems to have gone through...but wait!
the Bank declines the purchase!...I forgot to call them and let them know I was making a purchase on a foreign website!
Call the bank, 45 minutes with countless personnel...countless tries on Renfe.com (full name with middle initial, without middle initial, verified the card #, tried other cards ...no luck!
I must have tried 10 times throughout the day...nada...no tickets!

So, other option is to go with the U.S. based company RailEurope.com http://www.raileurope.com/europe-travel-guide/france/how-to-book-train.html?WT.mc_id=google.Destinations+Country.cpc&WT.campaign=1942&WT.term=france+trains&WT.content=z2FS2Zrk&WT.source=google&WT.medium=cpc&WT.srch=1
found out they sell the same tickets for 2x the amount...because well, they know about renfe.com and the drama it is for U.S. clients and other's to get the purchase to go through, would be like winning the lottery...so they can charge what ever...but me, no way, I was not giving up...

Found through Trip Advisor, that people recommend another website Rumbo.es http://www.rumbo.es/
a Spanish website, but way easier than Renfe.com...
got back on the phone with my debit card bank's fraud department...seems that there was still a restriction on my card, so they blocked it and stayed on the line until i tried my luck with rumbo.es...
(which they charge 9 euros as their broker fee...but still way less than going with RailEurope.com...)
BINGO!! GOT TRAIN TICKETS BABY!

*Another website that people use is petrabax.com http://petrabax.com/ which you input your information on the train you are looking into buying tickets for, and they call you back...which they eventually did...but I had already won the lottery, remember! ..with Rumbo.es...but I might use them for my other train ticket from Madrid to Lisbon!...we'll see how it goes!

Editing my blog is definitely becoming an adventure...

So, not that anyone reads this, but I've changed the colors, background etc, etc...about a million times in the past few days, which is driving me crazy. I think this qualifies as an adventure, one that I have put way too much energy in, and I'm sure I have much better use of that for something better, being Saturday and all...but I can't let it go, I want it perfect!
Like we say in Spanish..."ya pone el huevo!" ...which translates to "lay the egg already!" ... I know, I know...what difference can it make?, its what's on the inside that counts, right?, or in this case, it's the writing that counts...come on now...you know what a little makeover can do? :)
I've looked at other blogs,(ok, I've been spying on other blogs) and they all inspire me to update mine...maybe I have "blog jealousy"? But hey you can always improve right?
maybe is the fact that I'm always in search of something better, maybe because I love change...
right now it will stay like it is...for the next few hrs...and then I'm sure if you come back later today, it will have changed again...sorry! :)
If you like any of them, definitely let me know, I little encouragement never hurts!
Happy Saturday everyone!

Argentina con Amigas!

Sil's Birthday!...Girl you're still older than me! jaja...even if by 10 days!(Cumple de Sil!...Amiga, seguis siendo mas vieja! jaja aunque sea por 10 dias!)


With Vero, Eli and Matt in "Parque Independencia" ...Rosario...(Con Vero, Eli y Matt en el Parque Independencia, Rosario...)


Being Silly!
(Boludeando!)


BBQ night with awesome friends @ Kari's house!
(Asadito y Geniales Amigas en la casa de Kari!)


My former house (the one in yellow)...It was not yellow when we lived there! wow...that is very yellow! jaja
(La que era mi casa - la de amarillo!...que no era amarilla cuando vivia ahi..ehh ojo!! ....que amarillito ehhh!!! )



Matt with his cousins!! he learned lots of spanish in this trip!
(Matt con los primos! Aprendio mucho Español en este viaje! )




Downtown Rosario, Argentina (Left) , Stock Market in Rosario (Right)
Centro de Rosario, Argentina (Izq.), Bolsa de Comercio Rosario (Der.)



With friends in Arroyito, Rosario (home of the best team ever..."Central"
Con amigas en Arroyito, Rosario...donde esta el mejor equipo..."Central"




The best sandwiches ever...in BCN they would call these "bikinis" ...these will rival any....In Rosario they are called "Carlitos" not sure why...they have: thin, crustless bread, ham, cheese, salsa golf (kinda like mayo and ketchup but no pickles, so not really 1000 Island, green olives, heart of palm and rosted red bell pepper! ...mmmm...I sooo want one right now!
(Los mejores sandwiches del mundo...en Barcelona los llaman "bikinis" ...estos le ganan a cualquier otros...En Rosario Se llaman "Carlitos" no se porque...Estos tenian: jamon,queso, salsa golf, aceitunas, palmitos y pimientos morrones...mmmm como me comeria una ahora!




Beautiful Monument to the Flag in Rosario, Argentina (Left), Luna, Matt & Magi (each of our kids)
Hermoso Monumento a la Bandera en Rosario, Argentina (Izq), Luna, Matt & Magi (los pendex de cada una de las amigas) jaja




Hanging out with friends...we did a lot of that...how I miss you guys!
Boludeando con amigas...cuanto de eso hicimos! ...como las extraño!



One of the gorgeous streets in Rosario!
Una de las hermosas calles en Rosario!

Ireland

The pictures above were from my daytrip to Wicklow, Ireland. This was an incredible place, where pictures you take look like postcards...truly a place to go "camara happy". I don't think Ive ever seen so much green.. gorgeous bright green...even the trees! I bought the tour from the T.O. in Dublin (which was a former church transformed into the Tourist Office).

The picture on the Left is the Celtic Cross, you are suppost to hug it and make a wish! The
picture on the right is a random street in Dublin.

View from my hotel room (Left) Eliza Lodge...very conveniently located in Temple Bar...the area with all the pubs! ..On the right, is my friend "P" from Argentina living in Dublin, we had so much fun...our fav bar was Porterhouse...& their Strawberry Beer!

Tourist Office (Left) previously a church...& Temple Bar area (Right)...this picture was taken on a street around the corner from my hotel Eliza Lodge -how convenient!

Georgian style houses (Left), Me and "P" in Temple Bar (Center), Grafton Street famous for its shopping (Right)

Guinness factory and the Irish Stew with Guinness Beer in it! they make it inside the factory in the restaurant....this stew was sooo good! I also got to try and perfect my Beer pouring skills in the 4th floor of the factory and I even got a Certificate!

Paris and Versailles

The one on the right is a bedroom at the palace of Versailles, France...boy...would I love a bedroom like this! ...the palace is a must and totally worth a visit!
It's very easy to get to from Paris by metro... The one on the left was my room at the Hotel Sorbonne in Paris...modern version?...coincidence?..I think not!
By the way, great, inexpensive hotel, great area near everything.

Hall of mirrors (Left) and Bed of Louis IV (Right)



Versailles palace church (Left) and Palace from the outside (Right)

Streets of Paris... and Arc de Triumphe

Inside Notre Dame (Right) and Outside Notre Dame (Left) beautiful!...I was able to go up to the top, which requires lots and lots and lots of little tiny stairs...but way worth it for the incredible views!

Finally made it to the top of Notre Dame!...incredible views...on the right is a picture of Notre Dame up close once I got to the top.

These ones needs no introduction...

My favorite area of Paris has to be the Marais (the Jewish Qtr)...I took a wonderful walking tour on a chilly afternoon...then after the tour I went shopping in the gorgeous shops bought some perfumes and other things I didn't need! ja ja and bought from a street vendor a Ham & Cheese Crepe and Vin Chaud (hot wine) ...needless to say...i was very happy & warm...it was by best day in Paris! for sure will go back...