Running with the Bulls!

Well, sorta.  Here is Nati running with the bulls in downtown Dallas.  I found this photo doing cleanup of my hard drive.  I took this during the immigration march in downtown Dallas last year.  

Don't Ride the Train!

So a couple of friends from Mexico City came to visit for a few days.  So we did some of the typical tourist things to do in Dallas.  Dealey Plaza, The Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center among other things.

However, I am not posting about those places in this post.  I do however have to absolutely warn you about the famous Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) streetcar.  In my almost six years of living in Dallas, I had never ridden the trolley before.  We figured we would give it a try this time around.

First of all, DART employees have no idea where the boarding points are for the M-line that the trolley runs on.   We left the Sixth Floor Museum and began to search for any DART employee along the line, so that they could inform us where to board the train.  Of course, we were given multiple answers, mostly due to the fact that there is construction all over downtown Dallas.

The internet provided us with yet another set of directions, so we decided to get in the car and go find the address provided on DART's website.  No such luck.  We parked, walked for at least half an hour until we found it.  ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE!

So we waited...and waited...and waited.  The streetcar finally showed up.  Off we go.  Here is my friend Arturo and his wife Valerie.  Happy and excited to board the streetcar.

The "operator" was probably tired of his job, as there was no explanation of what the sights were.  Not that there was much to see.  Looking at the map of the route now, I realize it is pretty much a means of transportation for drunk people downtown, as it passes by all of the restaurants and bars down McKinney Ave.  Being that it was a weekday, there was not much action to see.

Anyway, to make a long story short, avoid the streetcar at all costs as a tourist attraction.  It really has nothing to offer unless they eventually change the route to a more scenic one.

Happy to get off of the DART streetcar!!

Time for another blooper!

This is one of our favorites, AND IT HAPPENED TWICE!!!

What is it with heat and swollen fingers!?

Exhibit A - August 7th, 2009.  The day we got married in Dallas, TX.  It took me over 12 minutes to put that ring on her finger.  It did not fit.

Exhibit B - June 19th, 2010.  The day we got married in Cartagena, Colombia.  It took me over 12 minutes to put that ring on her finger.  It did not fit.

Guanajuato Mummies in Dallas

This weekend we were able to see the famous "Momias de Guanajuato" in our very own hometown of Dallas Texas.  We heard about this through a Facebook post that was promoting the event.  It turns out that a company  from Detroit has them on loan (more on this later) and they are touring the US.

The exhibit is called The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato and is located at the West End Marketplace and consists of five rooms.

Our Very Own 7 Links!! Woohooo!!

Since our blog is still a very new project, I was thrilled when Stephanie, from The Travel Chica, nominated this site for The 7 Links Project. Thank you Stephanie!   I now present you with...


Our Seven Links!!

Most Beautiful Post:    Cartagena’s Historic District

This is one of our early posts. The pictures were taken a couple of days before our wedding in Cartagena. This post shows a beautiful city and a beautiful time in our lives.
Note: Pictures by Dukes Fotografía
 

Most Popular Post:   Small Challenges
Everyone likes to see how I solved my dirty floor problem! J


Most Controversial Post:    Simultaneous Vacation
"Why on the motorcycle?", " What about work?", "Instead of spending your free time together, you are traveling to two different places?". The list of questions we got goes on and on. To tell you the truth, even I had my reservations regarding the Texas - Alaska journey. Despite all controversy, Jose Luis rode his motorcycle up north! Glad he is done with it!


Most Helpful Post: Los Cafes de Buenos Aires (1 and 2)
I have to include two posts in this category. Los Cafes de Buenos Aires, and Los Cafes de Buenos Aires 2. The first one is about the meaning of the cafes, and the second includes a list of some of the cafes we liked. Hopefully readers will grasp the importance of these spaces in the Argentinean Barrios, and have an idea of which ones to visit.

The Success of This Post Surprised Us!   Que pan tan bello!
I found a panadería Colombiana in Carrollton, TX. Finding a little piece of your country while abroad is AMAZING. Obviously, El Portal has many fans. This has been one of our most visited posts!


This Post Didn’t Get the Attention it Deserved:    Small House for a Big Star
Here I share my experience in Gardel’s museum. Although I do not tell a whole lot about the things I learned/ observed, I double checked many of the facts online. I also read about Tango in Colombia since I didn’t want to write based solely on memories from my childhood. Being Gardel such a memorable music figure, I thought this post was going to draw more attention.


Post We are Most Proud Of:      In The Mood for Marshmallow Soup?
After the “Preparation Post” by José Luis, this is our first real post. Our blog was going to be a scrap book of our travels, places we liked, and some other random stuff. I don’t even remember when we decided it was going to be a blog, but I am glad we decided so! This post is a review of one of our favorite restaurants in Dallas. It was the first step, the post that started it all.

Nominations

I am proud to nominate Comidilla (in Spanish). Diana is a Colombian entrepreneur, and an expert in food related topics. Read her blog to learn about what you should eat/ or not, and the latest tendencies regarding Colombian cuisine!

My second nomination is my brother’s blog, Visitante o Residente (in Spanish). Flavio is currently writing from Buenos Aires. He has been traveling non-stop for years in South America - especially Colombia - and Europe. He is still my number one traveling advisor!

I was lucky to meet Bobbi and Ric through Tweeter. It is great to have another traveling couple to share our experiences with. Visit Heels and Wheels to follow their adventures through Australia and South Asia!

Some of you already know I have soft spot for fashion. That is why I am proud to introduce you to Tiffany. She is an entrepreneur with a great sense of style! Read I am Style-ish to find outfit ideas, enjoy some good photography, and even learn blogging tips!

Finally, my dear José Luis has branched out. He is slowly building up his blog about motorcycle riding and traveling. Read his posts at Another Irregular Road Trip.

Que pan tan bello!!*



Bandeja Paisa

 The ice on the streets is melting (yes!) …..and it is going to refreeze later (dang!). This means that anything to be done outside, needs to be done during the day. That is exactly what we did. Lunch out - one of our very necessary errands - was at El Portal today.

I discovered El Portal some time ago (maybe a year?) through a Venezuelan coworker. Ironic it wasn’t through a Colombian person, wasn’t it? After knowing there was a Colombian “panadería” here in the Metroplex, I immediately made time to go and buy some bread. We were beyond happy with what I got: an assortment of roscón, pan aliñado, and almojabanas. There has been no turning back since then.



Sopa de Costilla.  Served with rice, avocado and patacon.



This place offers more than bread, however. If you are hungry, try some of the dishes they offer. What you see in the pictures are a “Bandeja Paisa”, a combination of steak, chorizo, rice, beans and an arepa. It is a very traditional Colombian dish. The other is a “Sopa de Costilla” (Rib Soup). The latter was the lunch special for just $6.99, and an excellent choice to keep warm. What are you waiting for? Come with a friend or your family and taste Colombia. We dare you not to love it!

Visit El Portal on Facebook or their website.

Their physical address is 2810 E. trinity mills #191

Carrollton, TX 75006

* This is listed as El Portal's Favorite Quote on their FB page.

Japanese Food

We had lunch at Hanaki today.    If you are looking for authentic Japanese food, this is it.  Today we had salad, miso soup, chirashi and green tea ice cream.  The price?  Drum roll….. $10.00!!  Have you had authentic, delicious sushi for that price before?  It is a very good Sunday lunch special!  We drive a number of miles to get our Japanese food, but it is definitely worth it!

In the Mood for Marshmallow Soup?



Rise No.1 Front Entrance

It is a cold, rainy day here in Texas. One of those days to wear your favorite sweater (or pj’s) and stay at home warm and cozy. Yet there is one place that made us go out and face the cold. Raise No. 1. Believe me, it is worth it.

This one-of-a-kind place is located in the middle of a busy sector of Dallas, close to SMU and a good number of other stores and restaurants. Rise No. 1 embraces the old and traditional to expose their clientele to a unique experience. Observe the linens and embroidery of their napkins. I loved them! Get drunk in the smell of the cheese and soufflés. Pick up a book to read while you wait for your food, peruse the merchandise, or just hang out in the nice sofa by the entrance. If you happen to go wash your hands before you eat…. (I know you will) check out the sink.

Now, let me tell you about the food. The soufflés are out of this world! In this winter day, the weather called for soup, however. I had this rich and savory tomato & marshmallow soup. The “marshmallows” are pieces of cheese. (Check out the picture below) Not in the mood for tomato? Try the French onion soup. It is one of the best I have tried (in and out of Big D). For dessert, we shared a fluffy pumpkin soufflé….

Are you ready to go yet?

Yum!!

Want to know more about Rise No.1? 

Visit their website at  Rise Souffle.

No car?  No problem!

Use Dallas by Rail to plan your visit.

Preparation

We have been working on getting the ads up and running for the blog.  A few more changes to the code and we should be ready to go.  Stay tuned for updates on our experiences in & out of Dallas!