Flying High in Style

When MT emailed me end of day Friday I was exhausted, just wrapping up my first closed deals at work, finally. He needed to know immediately, did I want to take the open seat on Lisa's business charter flight down and back to LA on Saturday - YES or NO?? Business class IS all that, just ask anyone that has flown more than 6 hours up front on a commercial airliner. But I'd never flown on a private charter jet before.
"I'm in!!!" I quickly replied. "What kind of aircraft is it?" I added.

Our good friend Lisa Dybal is one of two on call pilots for the planes owner. She was flying down to Southern California to pick up some of the owners relatives to bring them up to the Bay Area for the day and had some space on the down and return legs.

"Dude - I am not shittin' you ... Italian turbo prop," was his answer awaiting me when I got home to pack and run out the door. Turns out that the Piaggio Avanti II is the world's fastest turbo prop business class airplane cruising at 25,000 feet above the earth at about 400 mph.


Reading Private Jet Life magazine on the flight down, Stephen Tyler of Aerosmith who is featured on the front cover, talks about his love for charter jet flying. It's contagious. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves but all I can say is - OMG!!!

Kickin' It in San Jose, Costa Rica

So I had to hang back in San Jose for a bit and catch up on editing and processing of over 3000 images, not even 50% of the shoot yet. Today I was craving a hamburger right around lunch time and set out away from the computer and drives looking for such. Went through the Hotel Del Rey, where all the rich, older and single Americans hang out and pick up on readily and available woman painted up and lounging around. Muy caro y aburido.

Then I bumped into Oscar who hangs mostly on the street and who showed me around a few nights ago. He needed a dollar for his first beer of the day. Then rounding the corner onto main pedestrian walkway, I see The Burger Factory and know I must go in. Pretty decent Latin American hamburger with fries and a guanaba fruit drink. After an entertainment news briefing on the television mounted up in the corner of the burger joint on the successful transition for Bow Wow from his start with Snoop in the rap world and now getting a big flash in Hollywood, Woody Allen's 'Purple Rose of Cairo' began, which I really enjoy. First time I saw that was when I was 17 and traveling in France with Brad Carpenter before our senior year of high school. I came back to the hotel and watched the rest of the movie and then took a lazy Sunday afternoon nap.

Now, as I continue to edit and process images, no where near close to being finished, having missed the Bunge Jumping tour this morning (was at the hotel lobby at 8:30AM promptly) Hank Williams wafts from the jukebox from the bar across the street called Nashville, a place where retired older American, Canadians and Australians sit around and get sloshed talking about nothing over double Johnny Walker Red label scotches. It is raining warm and steadily as lighting and thunder boom in the background, a typical afternoon during the rainy season in the tropics.

Forgot how dangerous cable TV is... after 'Purple Rose of Cairo' I caught 'Along Came Mary', most of it, which I had only seen parts of before. I found myself laughing even though its soo stupid. Ben Stiller is so good at playing a complete loser!

Costa Rica = Pura Vida

Not surprising to find that Costa Rica is different than Argentina, to say the least. It's sunny and WARM, laid back, lush like I don't know what and... I've only been here 1.5 days.

Tomorrow is some volcano, a church some where and I can't remember what, then another volcano and then the Carribean coast on Friday for 4-5 days. That mean killer snorkeling, yummy Criole food and a trip to the islands off the coast of Panama, the turtle park... and who knows what else.

A whole lot different than San Telmo and Palermo, Buenos Aires...

It's Over...

After sleeping all day on a couple of different AirBus A-320's and dragging my tired self through the airport in Lima, I wake up and find myself in San Jose, Costa Rica. Never been here before, never even wanted to but am now stoked to be here even though its 'the rainy season'. It's a hell of a lot warmer than BsAs. I'm back on the road and this is about the exact opposite of the big city life of Buenos Aires.

The joy of traveling... my plane ticket today was actually for tomorrow but I showed up a day early with too many overweight bags with most of my worldly possessions in them. Can't believe I broke THE cardinal rule on traveling light... why do I have that damn Photoshop Camera RAW book in my bags that weighs like 2.5 kilos?!

My salida from Buenos Aires was so hectic and haphazard that I had no idea what really went down. Well, I do remember I went to the Boca Juniors game yesterday with Luis and his two sons Pablo and Martin in the freezing cold rain for one last blue and gold victory. Of course, how could I forget my final bife de lomo steak at Desnivel San Telmo? Oh... was shooting at Palacio Alsina nightclub (on the gayest night of the week, literally) at 1:30am, 4 hours before my flight left was scheduled to leave had I chosen the correct day to fly.

Chau for now Buenos Aires, don't cry for me too much Argentina and lots of hugs and kisses to mi familia porteña which I will miss dearly... for now. And an extra special thanks to Tommy for all of his hard work, patience and diligence on this past assignment. The good news is that its never to late to teach and old dog new tricks in this digital age we live.

Carla in San Jose

I'm hot, I'm 22 and I'm Brazilian... ta bien?