No Soy de Aquí ni de Allá – El Café de Acá

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Mba’e Teko, loosely (very loosely) translated is “What’s up?”

I had memories from a time gone by. Of a café that was one of the few at the time that had food that was inherently Paraguayan, good coffee when it wasn’t “hip” to serve it yet, and one that was decorated in a cozy, quaint, and original way. Memories of a café located not far from my first house and taste of independence. Time travel is not a reality yet, and since actually going back to those years is not possible, I decide to revisit the place that stood the passing of time, expanded, and was still operating.

Perfect locale for a meeting with a friend that I haven’t seen in probably 40 years. What a treat it was! Our conversation non-stop as if we had seen each other yesterday. But back to El Café de Acá…

The outside where we sat (looking from the inside).

We sit in the front outside patio for we are both still very much in the cautious mode. I decide to kick my diet in the butt and forget that it will get grander by it, as I have been doing pretty much every day since I arrived, and order a mbejú cuatro quesos (the one in the link does not have the addition of 4 types of cheese), a spin to the traditional mbejú -a staple in the Paraguayan merienda (the equivalent of British high tea) along with a cocido quemado (which is basically coal burnt yerba with sugar made into tea). I was a happy camper! My favorite foods and a friend; I’m in bliss. Perhaps it is why I didn’t find a flaw in the slow service.

On my second visit I go at an “off” time for I wanted to ensconce myself in a little corner of the main room and read and enjoy my food.

Decorations and quirky touches are adorable though in each visit all the rest started to go downhill. I like their napkins where people write their musings or draw.

I choose another typical food that reminded me of a breakfast my mom use to make for me, mandi’o chyryry. Mandi’o is cassava/manioc in guaraní (the second official language in Paraguay) and chyryry is -I’ve been told, for I never learned Guaraní- fried. But it’s more than that, it has cheese and chives.

It was good though not to mom’s standards but I won’t lay that onus on it. I accompanied it by fresh juice and ordered a cappuccino as well. And here starts the problem.. I am not a coffee snob though I know my coffees. This one was watery even when compared to American coffee. I informed my waiter and he replaced it. The second one, though it looked just as yummy, was just as bad. So I asked for a cocido that I knew was good. To their credit they did remove the coffee from my bill.

The juice, the bad cappuccino, and the delicious cocido.

On my third visit I come armed with my laptop to do some writing since I had seen many people busy with theirs on my last visit and head over to the back patio which seemed inviting. I order a “Paraguayan Breakfast” which consists of a small orange juice and scrambled eggs with bacon, french toast, and fried manioc/cassava. Don’t quite know why they call it Paraguayan since there’s nothing furthest from it (except for the cassava). I open my laptop and hard as I try there is no way I can connect to its WiFi. The waiter comes to “aid” me and aids not, suggesting no course of effective action. My food comes and I start to eat as do the mosquitoes, feasting on my right leg even when the fan is aimed right at me. I move inside. By then my eggs are eaten but the french toast is not, however, it is stone cold. So I ask that they please heat them. And I wait. And wait. And wait. I get up and ask about them. Enseguida. Which in Paraguayan means any time between now and the end of time. I’m surprised when they are soon set in front of me. They come with a tiny amount of maple syrup. I use it all in the first two toasts and ask for more. And I wait. And I wait. And I wait. Finally I receive a refill… of honey. So I get up, for the waiter is nowhere to be seen, find him, and tell him it’s not what I asked for. I hear him say to the “refiller”: “She doesn’t want this.” And I wait. And I wait. And I wait. So I get up again and ask where is the maple syrup and get the answer that they had no more. Nice of them to say so. So basically I’m not able to use my laptop (though it seems others are), I’m not enjoying my food -it’s just sort of okay- and I am getting aggravated by the service. I think I’ll retain the memories of a time long gone spent here and forget the recent ones (except for the first one with my friend) and not give this place another try.

I thought it fitting to end this review with my visit to the bathroom…

Pipes get plugged up a lot here so they ask to not even throw toilet paper in the toilet.
The sink to wash your hands is adorable and as you look down there is a reminder of where you are.

Air Berlin

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I wasn’t expecting much.  In fact I wasn’t expecting anything at all one way or the other when I was booked on Air Berlin.  My flight was from Chicago to Berlin.  All I cared about was that it was taking me to Europe.

What I got was extreme good and bad.

First for the good.  When a lady sitting next to me turned out to be a walking perfume bottle I asked to be moved to another seat.  The flight was full except for 3 seats and the flight attendant made a concerted effort to see if one was a window for me to sit at.  He was unsuccessful but reported back and checked on me throughout the flight.

Though we were delayed and left late, we arrived early.

If you are anywhere the Chicago area, they are direct from Chicago to Berlin and it seems that there aren’t many airlines that fly that route.  

They hand you a bottle of water during the flight eliminating the need to ask for it and giving you the ability to access it whenever you want.

They don’t charge for headphones.

They are cheaper than other airlines.

Now the bad.  Their seats are beyond cramped.  There is so little room, I who am relatively short (5’5″) could not cross my legs without hitting the seat in from of me.  I am not exactly wide either and there was almost no free space on each side of me.  If you are claustrophobic don’t fly this airline.  I’ve had a ton of more room on domestic US flights.

The entertainment system is subpar.  Not much of music to choose from or movies or TV series.  Some are only in German, no option to pick other languages.  The sound on it is close to atrocious but then that is so with most airline headphones.

The indifferent.  Except for one AirBerlin person at Berlin’s airport who was borderline rude, most of the ground floor personnel is acceptable.  As my ma would say:  “ni fu ni fa” which means neither here or there which is so much better than just plain rude.

The food is airplane food.  Blah but not bad.  I was grateful to not get those horrendous fake eggs that most airlines serve for breakfast.

 

Two Bunch Palms

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I have hesitations when I book a room at Two Bunch Palms.  Two Bunch Palms, Desert Hot Springs

Two Bunch Palms is located in Desert Hot Springs, CA.  It’s a two-hour drive from Los Angeles on the 10 E.  The drive is monotonous but picks up when you see the massive windmills along the road.

Two Bunch Palms, Desert Hot SpringsI did a spa program on Two Bunch Palms about 14 years ago.  Back then the resort had placed us in the Al Capone suite, aptly themed (with bullet holes and all) to honor the one-time resident.   Today, traveling on our own dime the price of the suite is a bit too steep for two nights so I go for a standard room.  But since I know the resort well I specifically ask for room 13A which is close to the grotto and out of an actual walking path.  It’s located diagonally from the Al Capone suite.

When I make my reservation I request it or the 1 bedroom villa #13 Villa #13 next to it.  I tell them I did a program on their resort and it seems that they could care less.  First sign that maybe I was making a mistake.

When I arrive they tell me they assigned me room #3.  No, it wasn’t a mistake.  Room #13 wasn’t available.  So I go to it and though relatively acceptable the room is on a pathway and gives me more of a motelish feel than I would like.   I head to reception, where a dear older gentleman is returning a key saying that he just walked into the room they assigned him and found a naked person on the phone.   Turns out that the key opened a wrong room.  He was a bit frazzled.  So was the person in that room (who apparently had called reception as he walked back).

I explain to the girl that I would prefer to change rooms.  She says that they are at capacity but will see what they can do.  And she tells me she can upgrade me to Villa#17 Villa#17Backyard (a one-bedroom) that isn’t that far from the grotto. By the way if it has an A attached to the number it’s a standard room.  I checked it out and it was perfect.  It does not have a bathtub but I will use the grotto as my private tub.  🙂  It has a lovely little back yard.  On the way to the parking roadrunners cross the road.  The cartoon immediately comes to mind.   Also an advantage is that it is not further up where you have to walk a bit of a way to get to the grotto (like the Casablanca suites).  A plus with the Casablanca suites is that they have a jacuzzi but my main thing is the grotto, with the natural hot mineral springs, so I like to be close to it.

We have dinner at the Casino Restaurant.  WaitingRoomI had the grilled salmon, my partner had the chicken.  Service was very good, prices where a bit high and the food was okay.  Breakfast, on the other hand was wonderful.  Breakfast And just nothing beats eating dinner and breakfast in your robe (many others where in them as well).

The grounds of Two Bunch Palms are beautiful.  Very tranquil. ResortView  BabyElephantWide  Lake

The lake has the turtles, ducks, fish and all follow you around in hope of a snack.

It also has a “cold” (meaning not a natural hot spring) pool.

ResortView1

I remember the grotto -where the hot mineral springs water flow- all to ourselves when we filmed. Grotto  This time it was a bit on the crowded side (late night there where about 6 people in it, early morning about 10-14).  It is relatively small.  Has one section at 104 degrees F and the other at a lesser temperature.  I would give you more particulars but when I checked in they gave me no information on the waters or the hot springs though they seemed to have given info to other guests.   What info I can give you is that it is absolutely relaxing and purifying.  Your skin feels so soft and your brain floats in a state of bliss from the calmness that the waters infuse in you.  Even when at night you can see the bats flying up above.

 As I relax and float in the healing waters my hesitation about Two Bunch Palms float away as well.