Peru, December 2010

Testing Blogger on my iPad. We arrived in Lima on Friday just after Midnight. Rode the dark side streets of this mega city, mostly thru neighborhoods. Got to our lovely hotel with a courtyard in the happening area of Miraflores.

Went the next day to the most amazing museum the next day - a private collection of Herrara Larco. Dumbfounded by the size and variety on display. So many cultures... Moche, Nazca, etc., dating back to 1 A.D. The Inca were the last, around 1537 when the Spanish came and changed things forever.

Had a great upscale light dinner at Astrid y Gaston, very Novo Andino, goat tamale, osso bucco, and other delicacies. We have been eating a ton of great ceviche. And had a few of the national drink, Pisco Sour. We got a lesson tonight at our hotel on how to make them. 3 parts Pisco, a white grape brandy, 1 part lime juice, 1 part simple syrup, 1 part egg white (which makes it almost healthy!). Put it in a shaker with ice. Shake hard for 10-12 seconds. Pour. Enjoy. (We are.)

We Are Leaving Cape Town

It couldn't last forever. We have had a great (make that amazing!) 15 months in Cape Town. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. Chevron is sending me back to California -- and thankfully, to a good job. Times in the industry are tough, and sending the expensive "expats" back home is part of the deal.

So we will be leaving Cape Town the end of May, and I start my new job June 1. We are doing our best to enjoy everything we can our last few weeks here. Kate is working with the moving company.

In an odd twist, we will be moving back to our place in Berkeley, sub-letting (!) from our tenants (!!), while they take a sabbatical. (He's a UC Berkeley professor.)

Watermelon in January

Kate and I both spent time in the States visiting family over Xmas. What's really funny are the things that make you really realize you're living on the other side of the world.

It's not the 30+ hours of plane flying. You get on a plane and 12 or more hours later you're somewhere else in another similar looking airport.

What made it hit me was going to the grocery store yesterday with Kate. She just got back the day before, and we needed to stock up on food. So we went to this store called "Fruit and Veg City." It is definitely summertime. The first thing we see walking into the store are huge watermelons. (See picture of me -- this thing must weigh well over 30 pounds!) Add to that peaches, plums, mangoes, corn on the cob. It must be summer!

A few weeks ago we got stuck in the snow in Portland! It's nice to be back in South Africa.

Holidays 2009

I'm not sure this will work well. I'm uploading our Christmas letter.


Click each page of the letter to get a bigger version.


Greetings from Frankfurt. Ed is having quite the odyssey getting back to Cape Town, (including an unexpected 9 hour delay, including a 3 hour bus ride from Dusseldorf).


Happy new year to all!!