Penguins and Penguins II

On Monday for Canada Day, the first image in my blog post shows a photo of Jay and me at the Vancouver Waterfront. We are not big fans of selfies. Of course during most of our lives, we had to ask strangers to take our photo if we were both to be in it. That type of shot always emphasizes the location. It also give one a chance to actually talk to someone who one doesn't know. Asking for or accepting help is a human trait. This is a skill that Gen Z has never learned to do in person. 

--- Anyway, sorry for getting sidetracked.   I keep a Flickr album with pictures of Jay and me over the years.  Interestingly, it only has around 125 pictures in it.  So, I added the Canada Day photo as the most recent one. While looking through the album, I noticed that two images had something in common. 

One was taken in 2007 and the other 2022.

 

This image was taken in Hollywood, California.  We were inside the Dolby Theatre back when it was known as the Kodak Theatre.  There was some sort of blue-screen arrangement and we were able to get this free Polaroid snap.  Obviously, it was when that particular original, animated movie was being promoted.

We didn't know that fifteen years later, we'd be standing among real penguins.  During December, we were on a cruise that'd left Miami and went through the Panama Canal and down the western side of South America.  After rounding the Cape Horn, we headed straight for the Falkland Islands.  We'd arranged to go to Volunteer Point in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle.  It was an amazing day among these quirky creatures.  We continued onwards for our extended winter stay in Buenos Aires.

There's No Airport Like Home's

Day 122 - Okay, the title won't win any awards, but it sure feels nice to be in the New Westminster apartment right now! This is the last entry of the 2022-23 winter for us. 

We made it home after 11 hours from EZE to DFW and then another 4 hours from DFW to YVR.  Quickly out of the airport here and Uber-ed home at record speed. 

We didn't sleep a wink last night but still managed to do a lot of business this afternoon at home. I insured the car and we went uptown to stock a few things in the fridge.  Completed so many other little jobs too.  It was a pleasure to switch on the power and have the Internet and the dozens of Google Home devices link up.  Sweet.

 

Our Last Evening Walk in BA

Day 121 - Last night was our last walk around the area of Buenos Aires near the national Congress. We have enjoyed staying there and nightly walks in the large plazas by our Airbnb have been the norm. Tonight was our last, though. 

Tomorrow, we don't fly until 8:00 pm which means going to the airport in the late afternoon. For some reason, we weren't able to check in online. So, we will be sure to get to the airport three hours before our flight to Dallas/Ft. Worth. It's an eleven-hour flight!  We will have ample time to catch the AA morning flight to Vancouver. 

Monday's blog post will most likely be tomorrow afternoon from our apartment in New Westminster, British Columbia.

 

The New Seven Wonders of the World

Day 120 - Jay and I were too late for the 'Seven Wonders of the Ancient World'.  We arrived on earth a few thousand years too late!  We visited the only one which remains.  In fact, we have visited the Great Pyramids in Egypt on several occasions.

Now, a list called the 'New Seven Wonders of the World' exists.  An initiative was created in 2001 and Internet users were polled.  Participants selected their favourites from a list of 200 existing world monuments.  The list was narrowed down to just these seven.  Jay and I realized we recently visited our last missing site on the list of seven when in Brazil.  I thought photos taken at each location would add a bit of panache to this blog posting. 

#1 COLOSSEUM

ELLIPTICAL AMPHITHEATRE IN ROME

#2 GREAT WALL OF CHINA

SERIES OF FORTIFICATIONS BUILT ALONG THE HISTORICAL BORDER OF CHINA

#3 MACHU PICCHU 

15TH-CENTURY INCA SITE IN PERU

#4 CRISTO REDENTOR

STATUE OF JESUS IN RÍO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

#5 PETRA

ARABIAN HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL CITY, JORDAN

#6 TAJ MAHAL

A WHITE MARBLE MAUSOLEUM IN AGRA, INDIA

#7 CHICHÉN ITZÁ

PYRAMID AT CHICHÉN ITZÁ, YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO

I Must Weigh 2 Lbs. Less

Day 119 (of our 2022-23 winter trip) - It looks as though it's pretty close to being four months since we left New Westminster on this winter trip. We will fly back toward Canada on Sunday evening and get into YVR at noon on Monday.   As we generally go away for five months, this winter has seemed a tad short. We realized that situation back when we were making plans though. Therefore, we have organized a bonus trip for the upcoming month of June.  I'll provide more info on that as it gets a little closer. 

I hadn't yet had a haircut during the past four months.  I kept putting it off even though there was a barber at street level practically underneath our apartment.  This morning, I finally went into the shop with my phone's calculator open. I wanted to know how much it would cost. Argentina's prices go up often due to uncontrolled inflation.  (It didn't affect us because we changed money a little at a time at the ongoing rates.)

The boy quoted an equivalent of a few cents less than US $4, so I agreed and sat down in a chair. I got the side cut at numero uno. I didn't get the back cut although it's now more than shoulder length. It has taken too long to dismiss such an effort!  I did tip 200 pesos, but that works out to only US $0.53.

 

Patagonian Mara

Day 118 - In January,  Jay and I visited the free, Buenos Aires Eco-Parque. I described the former zoo in that blog post but included only a single photo of a Patagonian mara.  They are largish rodents and probably deserve as much affection as would be offered a rat.  However, I fell in love with them.  Before we leave Buenos Aires, I really wanted to go back and say goodbye to the weird, mouse-rabbit-deer-ish animals. 

The last time we were visiting, I had only my phone.  However, today I brought the little zoom camera.  I took photos of some other creatures in the park; however, for this blog post, I'm sticking to only maras.  They run around the entire grounds.   We estimate that there must have been at least 100 of them, although they congregate in smaller groups.  Today, we noticed a number were obviously offspring because of their smaller sizes.

I wish one were small enough for me to put in my luggage to take back to Canada this weekend.  However, they are skittish and will not allow themselves to be touched much less transported.

 

The Packing Struggle

Day 117 - Packing luggage is one of those things that everyone hates but has to do at some point. Whether you're going on a vacation, a business trip, or just visiting your relatives, you have to face the dreaded task of stuffing your belongings into a suitcase.

But why is packing so hard? Well, for starters, you have to make decisions. Lots of decisions. What clothes do you need? How many pairs of shoes? What toiletries? What gadgets? What books? And don't forget the chargers!

Then you have to deal with the space issue. No matter how big your suitcase is, it always seems too small for everything you want to bring. You try to fold your clothes neatly, but they end up wrinkled and crumpled. You try to squeeze in your shoes, but they take up too much room. You try to organize your toiletries, but they spill and leak everywhere.

And then there's the weight issue. You have to make sure your suitcase doesn't exceed the airline's limit, or else you'll have to pay extra fees or repack it at the airport. You weigh your suitcase at home and it seems fine, but then you get to the airport and it's suddenly over the limit. How did that happen?

Packing luggage is stressful and frustrating. It makes you question your life choices and wonder if you really need all this stuff. It makes you wish you could just travel with nothing but a backpack and a passport.

But hey, look on the bright side. At least you're going somewhere! And maybe next time you'll pack smarter and lighter. Or maybe not.

credits:  Bing Chat, Midjourney

Broader Horizons

Day 116 - These pictures were from our walk in the neighbourhood plazas near the Argentinian Congress.  The weather, even at night, seems very muggy now.  Because we're in the southern hemisphere, I translate the month of March as being equivalent to our September.  I was expecting that it'd cool down a bit by now.  I do see that we have a bit of rain forecast for later in the week.  Maybe that'll change the present weather pattern.  

This summer has seen a historic drought in this country. We haven't noticed living in Buenos Aires but it's the worst in 60 years.  It will seemingly affect the nation's agricultural output.  Argentina is the world's top producer of soybean oil and the third for corn.  Given the tense financial situation of this country, any reduction in export income will not be welcomed.

It's interesting how newspaper statistics really don't hit home unless one has actually been to the location in question.  This is true for understanding almost every aspect of a culture.  Our world would be a much more compassionate and less ignorant place if a larger number of people had travelled in it.

Asian Elephants Have Small Ears

Day 115 - Today, it felt too hot to do any thorough exploration. We did take a morning walk around this area, and most assuredly will do so again tonight. From next week, I'll miss having such a grand view of the Argentinian Congress when we walk out the main door. 

I was comparing and found that by now, during some previous years, we'd already had a pretty good plan for our upcoming winter.  In fact, there have even been times that we've booked flights, events, or housing in March for the following winter. However, I cannot say we're got much in the way of concrete plans yet for our 2023/24 winter. We generally leave near the end of October and so we'll most probably do this same again. We usually get back in March or April and so I'm sure we'll repeat those behaviours too. 

The location is what is up in the air. I think we'll be heading to Asia again. We will likely spend some time in Sri Lanka visiting with Jay's sisters again.  The little island, formerly known as Ceylon, is nearly on the opposite side of the globe from Vancouver.  That means we can approach from either the east or west. That choice may boil down to being one of the big decisions for our winter sojourn. We could surely combine time in either the Middle East/Africa or South East Asia.   How lucky we are!

An appropriate photo to include today would be this tiny, crystal figurine of a decorated Asian elephant.  I do not own this because it's not real.  However, I created the #AI image with Midjourney.

 

Coming to the End of These Days

Day 114 - Next Sunday at this time, we'll be heading to the airport. We'll be boarding American Airlines for a flight to Dallas, Texas and connecting to Vancouver, Canada. It'll be the end of another retirement winter soon.

It's about now that I always feel a bit sad. When getting ready to depart, I have to acknowledge the experiences of these last four months. After going and living somewhere for a while, leaving feels a little like having to say au revoir. In places like Buenos Aires, although a shorter time here than in past locations, we've enjoyed our time and being here has felt like home. However, I can reasonably surmise that Jay and I may have far fewer than twenty winters of travel adventure remaining. And so I have to doubt whether we'll ever end up staying in this city again. 

I will miss many of the things that have become part of life since mid-December. 

 

In this photo, Jay leaves through the electronic gate from our building's inner courtyard area.

175 Sea Cruise Nights

In an effort to document our continuously expanding cruise experiences, I continue to update this information.  

UPDATED PAGE FOUND AT: 

Our Cruise History

My Addiction to AI-Generated Imaging

Day 112 - Today, we stayed home as Jay has caught a cough and cold. 

I kept myself amazed by seeing how AI images continue to improve. In the six, short months I've been active, the bar has been raised substantially.  I primarily depend on Midjourney for creating this type of image.  

All four of the following were the results of writing a word prompt.  The system then offers four choices nearly instantly.  In most cases, one will seem more like one has envisioned.  Next, the favourite can be refined and altered through subsequent revisions.  Usually, after seven or eight rounds, I'm pretty happy with the results.  I must add though that at times I move on to something else

Now, I am quite disappointed when an image of a fake person doesn't look realistic.  In this example, I tried to recreate a school photo of an imaginary girl from the mid-70s.  

     

Of course, the lighting and background can be fine-tuned to be just right as well. Here is a fawn just as the first rays of sun popped up over the mountains.

Adjectives seem to help in making an image just right.  I was looking for regal.  So I put in pride and honour to ensure the look of this collie image.  The dog of my youth was named, Sandy.  A pet can make an outsized contribution to a young person's life.  So, this photo was intended to be a tribute to her.

The software has been training on millions of Internet images.  So, it knows what a selfie is.  It can also mimic film and camera types.  Here I suggested an iPhone 12 before sunset at this fake couple's backyard BBQ.

 

I just love playing with this technology so much! I commented on Flickr to another user that before, with photography, one could only create images one could see, but that now I can create things I can only imagine!

Weather in Buenos Aires

Day 111 - While we were on our recent cruise, it seems that Buenos Aires broke all-time temperature records at around 43°C. It's not quite that high at the moment,  although the weather forecast shows it may hit 37° tomorrow. I think the winter may have been exceptionally cold in Canada this year. 

I created two appropriate AI images quite by accident. I think they represent the capriciousness of the weather quite well.

 

People Fill the Street Out Front

Day 110 - Today is International Women's Day. It's apparently a large event here and I can hear the crowds and music as I type this message.  Of course, we are at the end of the parks in front of Argentina's National Congress.  That makes this a good space.  As a general rule, Argentinians seem politically active with frequent demonstrations, protests, and large, public gatherings.

On the other hand, I felt a little tug to get back to a bit of Artificial Intelligence image generation.  Our wonderful return-trip cruise to Brazil provided me was a satisfying break from fantasy.  So, I've included three of my recent batch here:

 

Personal computers didn't come to fruition until I was in college.  It was an exhilarating time during the 80s and 90s as technology advanced quickly.  However, the most recent two decades have been evolutionary rather than revolutionary.  The sophistication of the hardware and software grew, but habits and hardware became entrenched.  Big companies grew larger but many were less willing to innovate and take risks.

Now, suddenly, it seems to me as if things are speeding up, drastically.  The push into AI will rapidly affect every aspect of how we interact with our devices.  This is all much more important than my ability to create artwork with nearly no honed artistic skills.  AI text generation is reinvigorating things as basic as Internet search.  Old, monied corporations are starting to kick things up.  I'm sort of happy to see the circle of life coming around for Microsoft.  Its consumer offerings could have simply faded to nothingness.

Now, it will be a strange irony if I end up doing most all searches in MS Bing and only ask my Google Assistant to turn off and on our household lights and appliances.

Fun times are back if they really ever went away at all!

Back in Buenos Aires

 

Day 109 - We ate our final breakfast on the MSC Musica at around 8:30 this morning. Even after just nine days, I'd come to accept that people were always going to prepare what I wanted to eat. Those days are over. 

We were due for a 10:00 am disembarkation. After putting everything into our backpacks we found our way down to the main stage and waited for the Lilac group to be called. We followed to the exit and scanned our ship cards for the last time on the trip. Busses were waiting to take us through the working port to the cruise terminal. From there we walked across the street and about a half block to wait for the Buenos Aires #7 bus. It swiftly brought us practically to our front door. 

So we are home. Well, more accurately, we have returned to the Buenos Aires Airbnb which we've rented since mid-December. We switched on the a/c units and went about unpacking. 

Jay and I have lived around the globe enough to have multiple views of what home means. Generally, it is wherever we are. Some places prove comfortably sufficient to form a stronger meaning of home. As of 2023, we'll have owned our apartment in New Westminster, BC for 27 years, so that home has been important to us. However, as I just said, home is really wherever we are.

Montevideo, Uruguay

Day 108 - Our ship pulled into Montevideo at around 1:00 pm.  So, we had the afternoon in a familiar place, even though we'd only been here once. December 18, 2022, was the day before our cruise from Miami arrived in Buenos Aires.

Because we recently found an unexpected deal on a round-trip cruise to Brazil, we are here again!  This city is nearly a neighbour to Buenos Aires.  Montevideo is smaller but it makes a nice stop.

The MSC Musica is due to leave this evening and, unfortunately, the crew will kick us off tomorrow morning.  Then, we've got only about a dozen days before we fly back to Canada.  It's going to be hard to leave summer behind and head back into spring; however, summer in British Columbia should soon follow.

 

Sailing South

Day 107 - We will spend the day at sea. The weather has included a lot of wind and rain. Right from breakfast, we encountered some gusty conditions.

 

I've been feeling under the weather today.  Actually, I feel lucky that I've been sick on a day that's not important.  We will spend tomorrow afternoon in Montevideo, Uruguay.  I can already tell that my extra sleep this afternoon will help kick me back into shape for tomorrow's visit.

Ilhabela, Brazil

 

Day 106 - This was the third day we spent on islands off the coast of Brazil.  The main reason we took the MSC Musica was to stop in the city of Rio de Janeiro.  However, the three beach days have been nice.  Today we were halfway between Rio and the larger Brazilian city of São Paulo.  That indicates we've already started going south back towards Argentina.

We had a shorter time today in Ilhabela than during the last several islands.  It was rather overcast but the humidity remained high.  Jay and I just walked for a couple of hours where the tender boats dropped us off.  Jay even ventured into the water a bit.  However, lots of orange MSC towels were there too.

Jay also noticed a lot of familiar plants and trees.  Of course, the Portuguese  were in Sri Lanka once, even though hundreds of years ago .  Some of their language made its way into his language too.  Jay always learns new connections when we are where the Portuguese were.

So, tomorrow will be a sea day as we continue to head south.  We will stop in Montevideo, Uruguay on Monday.  When heading around the cape and from the Falklands, we hit the city before going into Buenos Aires.  They are like sisters.  

On Tuesday we have to get off this ship.  We have less than two weeks remaining in our Airbnb before we fly home for spring.