O.Fournier Vineyard is located in the Uco Valley, Mendoza. Upon approaching the grounds, one wonders if a UFO has just landed...the building is shaped like a flying saucer. The vineyard is located just 15km from the Andes mountain range. The O.Fournier logo is an ostrich, pronounced "choi-ko". Our wine tour agency, Ampora, arranged a private lunch for Galib & I and we were lucky enough to have a very kind couple from Switzerland join us. Our English speaking guide, Luli, was very educational, providing us the history of Mendoza and informing us of the wine making process. The lunch was a [View Full Entry]

---

---

Ampora Wine Tours was a small office we stumbled across while walking in Mendoza. The manager, Kai, speaks English, (as well as Spanish and German), so it is easy to communicate your wants and needs. On the top of our list of wineries to visit was "La Linda", because Naz gifted us a bottle from his visit to Buenos Aires in '07. However we soon learned that "La Linda" was a wine, rather than a vineyard. The vineyard is "Luigi Bosca". Ampora set up an appointment with Luigi Bosca and arranged a driver as well. Unlike Naramata, when attending vineyards in [View Full Entry]

---

---

The Vines of Mendoza was a unique tasting room we discovered within the first day of arrival to this magnificent city. More than a typical wine bar, the Vines of Mendoza offers various services from private reserve tastings from boutique vineyards to wine & cheese pairing evenings. Our first encounter was a special private reserve tasting of the "Las Reservas de Argentina" set in an intimate modern dining room. Our educator was very passionate and knowledgeable about wine. Argentina only offers Argentinian wine, therefore citizens know their product. The Vines selects and serves over [View Full Entry]

---

---

Ask any of the locals in Buenos Aires which is area one must be wary of, and they all seem to name, La Boca. Really? Well, everyone knows how I rise to that challenge...tell me that a place is a little sketchy and I definitely want to check it out!!! La Boca is the home of the famous football team (known as soccer in Canada), Boca Juniors. The stadium, affectionaly known as "La Bombonera", the Chocolate Box, as it is shaped like a rectangle. The stadium gives off a major energy vibe. Even though a game wasn't on, you could feel [View Full Entry]

---

---

Going to Uruguay via Buquebus, well the experience was not exactly what we had envisioned. We called to confirm our tickets, which they did, however upon arrival we were informed that when we called earlier, the ticket agent booked us a duplicate sets of tickets, therefore she cancelled both. Ahhhh! This is where taking some Spanish lessons prior to travelling would have been a smart thing to do. We managed to get the Montevideo to Buenos Aires booked, which we attempted to explain in sign language that we need to get there, in order to come back. They just wouldn't book [View Full Entry]

---

---

When Galib said that we should go to Buenos Aires for our honeymoon, I jumped at the idea. Good food, good wine, warm weather, and a place where neither of us had travelled before. Little did I know, how good the food & wine was, and how beautiful the weather would be. Temperatures averaged 30-35 degrees. Sure it was hot & humid, but the air conditioning and park lined trees balance that out. Argentineans are so friendly. Surprisingly, several people speak English, so getting around is not a problem. Spanish is a lovely and romantic language and easy to learn. The [View Full Entry]

---

---

Can you find him? This is one of the main means of transportation in some villages. Can you count how many people? I'm guessing you can't go very fast with that many people on the muddy roads... [View Full Entry]

---

---

Galib enjoyed a bit of time off in Mombasa, Kenya. He read some books, dranks lots of coffee and relaxed in the sauna and steam room. The hotel also featured a nice blue pool. He fell in love with a restaurant called "Tamarind", feasting on a dish named "lobster swahili". The room was quite nice, Galib was startled when a monkey was staring at him through the glass. You can see in the photo that the monkey is staring right at Galib's stuff. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Galib flew in a helicopter to check out a local village, Kurmuk. He has now been there a few times to report on the local conditions and current situation, which changes from day to day. To put things in perspective, Damazin is located at 11°46′0″N, 34°21′0″E. Vancouver is located at: 49°15' N 123°6' W. Galib comments further on his experience: "The Sudanese are very social people with a great deal of pride. I love driving to work everyday by the villages and by the schools in the city and see the beautiful children, the girls with head coverings and pan [View Full Entry]

---

---

Cinnamon takes Manhattan North America » United States » New York » New York » Manhattan By Cin and Galib June 23rd 2007 Cinnamon and Galib The Big Apple I met my friend Sabrina in New York for a weekend get away. This was my third visit, so I am getting to know the city very well, although there is always something new to discover. In only a few days, Sabrina & I covered shopping at Filene's Basement, DSW, Tiffany's, explored Greenwich Village & Chelsea market, ate lunch at Morimoto's, had a picnic in Central Park, trekked through Lincoln Centre, watched [View Full Entry]

---

---