Travels

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Latin America, Here I Come!

One of the better benefits of my job is the ability to travel all over Latin America. I've gotten to see some beautiful and interesting places.

Venezuela

One of my Microsoft co-workers took us up to "El Ávila", a very, very steep mountain that separates Caracas from the ocean. This is near the area that was affected by the torrential rains two years ago, causing massive land slides. In these pictures most of the vegetation has re-grown and it is a beautiful view!

In these pictures, José Montelongo is driving us up El Ávila with his trusty black Jeep Cherokee named Matea.

The steepest road I've ever driven on	A view of smoggy Caracas	Another Caracas View
A country store up on the mountain	The steepest road I've ever driven on	Looking towards the Ocean
A great shot of the deep blue sea.

Mexico

Teotihuacán! No need to say more. It is one of the best pyramids sites in Mexico, just a few miles north of Mexico City. We had a driver take us up there on a day that we didn't have to work too hard. One of the better ways to get carsick is to try working on your laptop while the driver careens through the streets of Chilangolandia!

Sheraton Suites Santa Fe	Trying to work on the trip out and back	Steps on the Pyramid of the Moon
Replica of how massive Teotihuacán used to be	Stone carving of Quetzalcoatl	Steps of the Pyramid of the Sun
On top of the Pyramid of the Sun	Steps on the Pyramid of the Moon	On top of the Pyramid of the Moon

Brazil

In one word, WOW! Beautiful beaches, lots and lots of FOOD. But, it's a 12-hour flight. My buddy from work, Sergio Rubinato Filho took me on a wild ride from Rio to Sao Paulo. We rented a car after a conference we had in Rio and then drove down the coast. It was an amazing trip and I learned a ton about a country that I think could be one of the next superpowers.

View of Rio from Corcovado	View of the Christ statue on Corcovado	Eating some fine food at Barra Grill (Seafood Churrascaría)
Getting a bite to eat in Paraty	Wandering the cobblestone streets of Paraty	Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn

Argentina

Kind of bleak, sort of dreary (we were there during wintertime for them. . .) but holy cow can those folks DANCE! Sergio Klarreich from MS Argentina took us around and showed us the town. The Microsoft offices there are right on the waterfront facing el Rio de la Plata, but Montevideo is so far on the other side you can't see it. During our stay, Aerolineas Argentinas was just about to go under, so those Argentines decided to STRIKE!! They blocked the highway out to the airport, they blocked the ticket counters, they were OUT OF CONTROL! You can see them camped out and waving the flag all over.

View of Rio de la Plata from Microsoft's offices	The window from which the previous picture was taken	Tango, not just a dance, it's a martial art!
I had my camera set for the fastest exposure and they are still blurred!	Another example of the pure speed of Tango!	Strike campers at EZE airport
A very long Argentine flag	The flag wavers, disturbing the peace

Colombia

Bogotá is by far the most beautiful city that I've ever been in. It is really unfortunate that there are so many problems there, or I would recommend it as one of the best places to visit in Latin America. The hospitality of the residents, the food, the culture, the colonial history, it all combines into one great experience. I had another of my Microsoft co-workers who was so kind to take me around town and show me the sites (and keep me in the places he considered safe). Andrés Forero did a great job showing me the finer spots in Bogotá.

My pink hotel, el Hotel Pavilion Suites	A view from one of the parks above downtown Bogotá	These buildings were constructed in the 17th century
More beautiful Spanish Colonial buildings	The Colombians know how to decorate a church!	One of the views from downtown Bogotá towards the mountains
Co-worker Andrés Forero, my gracious guide in Bogotá	U.S. Military planes on the tarmac in Bogotá