Valley of Longevity

Legend has it that the people of Vilcabamba, Ecuador are among the oldest in the world. Locals assert that it is not uncommon to see a person reach 100 years of age and it is claimed that many have gotten to 120, even up to 135. The town is located in a lush, green valley, often called the Valley of Longevity.

Vilcabamba is frequented by backpackers. It is a bit out of the way for tourists who only have a few weeks to see Ecuador. One can wonder whether the backpackers who do come, come for the beauty of the valley or for certain plants that grow here, the consumption or smoking of which can take you to an entirely different world. (I spotted several smokers at our hostel.)

We spent Christmas at the Hosteria Izhcayluma which sits perched on a hillside outside the town. The location is great, with fantastic views. The terrain is very nice, with beautiful gardens and the rooms are comfortable, though basic. The food is good to.

The only downside I could find is that there isn't much Ecuadorian about Izhcayluma. The management is German and some of the staff is European too. The week we were there many tourists also were German, Swiss or American. Personally, I like to get away from the tourist crowd, this hotel ended up being the crowded tourist spot, especially the bar at night.

All in all, Vilcabamba and the gateway city of Loja are worth a week of your precious vacation time, especially if you like to hike and roam the streets of an old Ecuadorian city.

I was looking for longevity, but came home with the runs :-(

Wii hunt

I want a Wii! But the problem is that they are impossible to find. Online you may find one, but the you'll have to pay almost double the suggested retail price. In stores the shipments are sold within moments after they arrive. I don't understand why Nintendo can't supply enough Wii consoles so everyone who wants one for Christmas can get one. (Though maybe I do understand, the short supply obviously helps the buzz and free publicity.)

Wiis are so popular in the U.S. that friends with Wiis are throwing Wii parties. Also, I heard a piece on the radio about how Nintendo is marketing the Wii to the elderly. Several retirement homes have received free Wiis and Wii bowling tournaments are popular there. A Nintendo rep will explain the game to the players. As a result, seniors aren't just buying the game console for their grandkids anymore, they also want it themselves. "Let's go play Wii at grandma's!"

Anyway, I asked for a Wii in Ecuador. They're sold out here as well. I was hoping that perhaps the electronics stores in Ecuador would have some in stock since a $300 holiday gift is a particularly expensive one here. No luck for me. After the holiday shopping craze I might be more lucky. (Too bad I can't buy one in Europe, since the electric and video systems are different. I understand there is no Wii madness there.)

Zure Lappen

For the holidays both my grandmothers sent me gifts. One a nice card, the other zure lappen and a marzipan banana with an image of Sinterklaas. The card is universal, obviously, but zure lappen and Sinterklaas could be unfamiliar to some of you. So, see for yourself:


Zure Lappen are sour mini "rugs" that are very tasty, but also not that great for you. Sinterklaas is Saint Nick, he precedes the "ho-ho-ho-ing" man with reindeer who is set to visit houses across the world this week.

From Wikipedia: "Sinterklaas is the basis for the North American figure of Santa Claus. It was during the American War of Independence, that the inhabitants of New York City, a former Dutch colonial town (New Amsterdam) which had been swapped by the Dutch for other territories, reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, as Saint Nicholas was a symbol of the city's non-English past. The name Santa Claus is derived from older Dutch Sinte Klaas."

I think I will have to share this Dutch candy with my colleagues. Some of them have already vowed never again to eat any candy I bring to work after I brought old fashioned Dutch licorice a while back.

Holiday Parties

It's that that of the year again. People are throwing lots of holiday parties. This year I plan to attend three. That means, two down and one to go. Last week I joined my friend Christel to the AR Edelman holiday party in a hip club in San Francisco. There was food, drink, a raffle and fun discussion, including updates on gossip related to Microsoft's executives.

Picture courtesy of Christel

On Saturday I experienced my first McAfee holiday party at the posh Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. There was food, plenty of deserts, drink and also a raffle. This party was bigger, as McAfee has substantially more employees than AR Edelman. There was also dancing, though I was a wall flower and socialized with colleagues and their partners.

I must say, the CNET holiday parties from previous years were actually more laid back and plain fun than the two I have been to so far. But I guess that's the difference between two corporations and CNET Networks, the "different kind of media company."

The upcoming week I'll be out at the Friends For Youth Holiday Social, graciously hosted by one of my fellow board members in her beautiful house in Menlo Park. This will be a small gathering, a pot luck.

It is a busy week, because on Saturday I am moving to San Jose!