Guatemala in all its' Glory

My last year in Optometry school has been a whirlwind. 

Between external rotations and mission trips, people think that I travel for a living. 

Not true, but I wish it was. 

In February, a group of 5 of us Optometry students traveled to Guatemala to provide eye care to over 4000 patients in a small town around Lake Atitlan. The experience was life-changing and humbling to say the least. Meeting the Guatemalan people made us all feel very fortunate. 

We went with the I Care International group who takes volunteers of all kinds. If you are ever interested in providing care or volunteering, please visit their website here.

 

Atitlan is a Mayan word meaning...

"The place where the rainbow gets its colors."

Lake Atitlan is the deepest lake in Central America and is surrounded by three volcanoes: Toliman, San Pedro, and Atitlan. It is located about 5 hours sketchy bus ride west of Guatemala City. 

There are many villages that surround the lake, each with a different dialect of Mayan language. There are boat tours that can take you to some of the villages where you can learn about the different cultures each has to offer. 

  

The 5 of us girls were able to spend some time in a village across the lake, Panajachel, where we went to the gorgeous Atitlan Nature Reserve. At the reserve, we went on a crazy and amazing excursion that included a beautiful hike up the mountains and ziplining.

Coffee Lovers, listen up! 

If you're ever in Panajachel, visit my friend Mike at Crossroads Cafe for the best coffee in Guatemala. Seriously though, people travel from all over the world to visit him!

 

A few of us were lucky enough to embark on a journey to the Mayan Ruins in Tikal. Again, so breathtaking and amazing to see these structures still standing today. Tikal is a site of ancient history in the middle of the Guatemalan rainforest. While touring, we saw multiple spider monkeys that howl at night, and some huge tarantulas.

 Guatemala was such an amazing experience, not only because of the sites we managed to see in our short time there, but also because of the people we were able to provide care to. 

I will be embarking on more mission trips in my time, and you should too!

Crimson

Outfit details:

Black Crop: H & M

Vintage Red Gaucho Pants:

Bangle: Hermes

Purse: Céline

"Bright reds - scarlet, pillar - box red, crimson or cherry - are very cheerful and youthful. There is certainly a red for everyone."

~Christian Dior

The Monday Blues

Outfit details:

Blue floral skull shirt: Alexander McQueen

Black Skort: Hello Parry

Choker: Chanel (Spring/Summer 2014)

Studded bracelet: Hermes

Black Purse: Vintage Chanel

"The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night."

~ Haruki Murakami

Where the Turf Meets the Surf

 If your a Southern Californian, summer time means TONS of events like county fairs, concerts, beer fests, oyster fests, wine fests, etc. Unique to San Diego are the infamous Thoroughbred Horse Races at the Del Mar Racetrack and Comic Con. Both events draw travelers from around the country and sometimes around the world. 

This past weekend, one of my best friends and I went to test our luck at the horse races in Del Mar.

Del Mar's Racing season starts off with the infamous "opening day at the races". This is when people come all decked out to the nines, with all sorts of crazy and large hats to enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather, drink some cocktails, bet on some horses, and look beautiful while doing it. This year, I was unfortunately not able to attend due to clinic, ::cough:: slave labor ::cough::, but every day after that you will always find people all dressed for the occasion.

 

Admission is $10 to enter and bet on up to eleven races. 

Sometimes you can find 50% groupons for admission though! Groupon is featuring a deal now! Click here.

 

 Before races, it's advised to go to the Paddock area, where they show the horses and saddle them up before their upcoming race. This gives you an opportunity to see how the horses look, and see which ones may tickle your fancy to bet on.

Betting begins at $2 per horse, per race. For the cheapies out there like me, you can bet a horse to Win, Place (come in first or second), or Show (come in first, second, or third). There are many other bets you can make and other betting terms, but I won't bore you with them here, you can find that information on the 3rd page of your race program. 

The race program also gives you some hints and background information on some of the horses that may be likely to win. The race program also shows information on betting for races that are occurring at the Saratoga Racetrack, Sacramento Racetrack, and others across the US.

The beauty of the Del Mar Racetrack is that you can get up close and personal with the horses at the paddock, being only feet away, and also while the race is occurring. It's such a beautiful site to see such strong and muscular animals whizz by you in the blink of an eye.

 

The Del Mar Racetrack also features FREE concerts on Friday evenings right after the races. The concerts are Free with race admission, and it's definitely something I've grown up doing. In high school my friends and I used to buy tickets for the last 2 or 3 races, and then stay for the concerts. 

This year artists like MAGIC!, Weezer, Steel Pulse, Steve Aoki, the Counting Crows and more, will be playing on Friday evenings. Check out the concert schedule here.  

Del Mar Racetrack is definitely a fun destination. Go bet on your luck today!

"Where the turf meets the surf

down at old Del Mar

take a plane

take a train

take a car. 

There is a smile on every face

 and a winner in each race 

where the turf meets the surf at Del Mar." 

~Bing Crosby

Good Eats

 This weekend, one of my close friends introduced me to two newer eateries in San Diego. 

Last night we had dinner at Stone Brewing Company's World Bistro and Gardens. A hidden restaurant with a beautiful outdoor garden patio in the Liberty Station area of Point Loma. I'd never even been to Liberty Station! It just goes to show how big San Diego is! The garden and outdoor patio is GORGEOUS. Below  are some great panoramic photos you can find on their website.

 

They have about 70 different beers on tap between the restaurant's bar and the garden bar, and their menu has a variety of cultural dishes to be enjoyed. We started with the Poke Tacos and we each got an entree of Sea Bass with udon noodles.

 

 

Today we went to Cafe Cantata, a new edition to the upgraded Flower Hill Mall is a great cafe to get some work done, catch up with friends, hang out, or just play some checkers. The cafe is very spacious and has and outdoor patio area as well. The decor is very modern with Californian ambiance. Lots of wooden furniture and succulent centerpieces to top it off. The menu is delicious and their items are very vegetarian and gluten free friendly.

 

I decided to indulge in the Vegetarian Soy Chorizo Scramble. Bomb dot com! Especially when paired with the sourdough wheat toast and fruit as a mini dessert.

 

 

Their Quote of the Day:

"Nothing is too small to know and nothing is too big to attempt."

~William Van Horne

 

Africa and Asia in a few hours...

Last weekend, I set out on a Safari that took me through Africa and Asia, in just a few hours! 

The San Diego Safari Park, formerly the Wild Animal Park, is exactly what the name indicates. It's a "zoo" hidden away in the Escondido San Pasqual valley with TONS of land, 1,800 acres to be exact. This land is dedicated and maintained for the numerous African and Asian animals to roam and live lives much like they would in the wilderness. So it's not like a zoo, where animals are cooped up in small exhibits, completely humanized, they live out in the open.

 The SD Safari Park is a great opportunity to see how animals interact and live in their natural environment. Here they only house animals that live in the hotter climates such as those that come from parts of Africa or Asia.

 

#baewatchin

 

The NEW Tiger Trail Exhibit is beautiful with up to 4 tigers that can easily be seen.  

 

The SD Safari Park offers numerous types of "safari" adventures where you can get up close and personal with the safari animals.  Check out more information about the different safari adventures at their website above. We chose the Caravan Safari.

The Caravan Safari takes you on a two hour adventure in a caravan that drives right INTO the Asian Savana and the African Plains. You drive right up to all the animals that live on the land, and you also get to feed some giraffes or rhinos while on the ride! Though this Safari ride seems pricey, it is totally worth it and I highly recommend it. It's a once in a lifetime experience where you get to be just feet away from Asian Gazelles sparring, rhinos taking a swim, being able to feed giraffes, and see much more! It's the best way to see the animals and interact with them. Below are some photos and a snapshot from the video of us feeding the giraffe.

 

 

Because it was so hot, we had to stop for water breaks often. Phew!

 

 

We wished there was a pool out there to cool down like the rhinos did.

 

 

“Crocodiles are easy. They try to kill and eat you. 

People are harder. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend first.”

~Steve Irwin

"Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away..."

Since my life was completely consumed by school the past several years, I'm making this summer one of the best I've had by crossing off a bunch of adventures on my Bucket List, especially now that I'm back in San Diego for a few months on clinical rotation.

Most people don't know this, but I'm afraid of heights. The thought of going 1500 feet above ground in a balloon is just ridiculous to me. Like really, I want to find out the physics of how a balloon filled with air can hold hundreds of pounds of weight. Anyways, I thought I'd plummet to splat in no time. But it's one of those adventures that isn't too risky that can help me conquer my fear of heights.

I went on a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the beautiful vineyards in Temecula, CA. Of course starting at 5:30am is not ideal for a bedhead like me, and I really regretted it when the alarm went off, but let me tell you, it's completely worth it. We flew over dozens of wineries in Temecula with breathtaking views of the mountains surrounding this city and glimpses of the coastline.

Hot air balloon flights are so smooth, it's like you're floating...unreal. I was afraid of descending, because it literally just looks like your dropping hundreds of feet in seconds, which you are, but it doesn't feel at all scary. It's the most peaceful and beautiful thing to do when watching the sun rise over Temecula.

Sunrise balloons is awesome! You take off right next to Monte de Oro Winery. The sunrise balloon flight is about a 3 hour adventure. The flight contains a free breakfast with mimosas, pastries, and coffee before boarding the balloon; 100+ professional photos before, during, and after your flight; and a champagne toast during the flight with cheese and crackers to munch on. Seriously, who wouldn't want to pop bottles hundreds of feet above ground in the open air while standing in a hot air balloon? Turn up. You can also stay to do a wine tasting after the flight.

Sunrise balloons offers great deals of about 50% off on groupon and livingsocial during the spring and summer and it's a steal! For more information about the flight and others they offer, visit their website Sunrise Balloons

"Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away..."

~ Frank Sinatra