How to Get Your Credit Card Declined in NYC

Top Shop!! Omgosh!!

Ha!  You go shopping with the best of the best in Soho!  Seriously, they put a guard on my card because they thought it was stolen.  Not only was I in a different state, I was spending a pinch too much in a 2 hour time span.  A pinch I say.  Ha!  You can only imagine RMK’s text to me when I tell him to call the company to remove the guard.  Hey, I rarely pay retail, and I promise I don’t go around buying a $3000 Armani dress!

Oh the damage!!

BUT, NYC has amazing, AMAZING shopping. Omgosh, forget all the other cities of my lifetime.  Hands down, girls here are so fashionable yet comfortable…well most of them.  The newest lines show up here first, and there is so much competition.  We went to so many boutiques that I lost track of their names.  You need almost 3-4 days just to shop.  We only touched on Soho and a few stores in the financial district.  So in summary, these were my biggest suggestions.

Uniqlo: Awesome Store!

1. Uniqlo

WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE.  I spent a record 3 hours in this store and went through the line 3 times.  Omgosh.  It was crowded, pushing and shoving, the wait to try on is horrendous, but so, so worth it.  There is only one in the US: NYC baby.  It’s a Japanese brand that basically is a Gap-ish type store but SO much better.  You know how I am sunblock/UV crazy: their clothes for the most part is UV Cut.  They’re all graded SPF 25 or greater.  Their shirts run about 7-10 bucks but their quality is unbelievable.  Forget the Old Navy plain t-shirt.  Their shirts a sweat-proof, SPF graded, and seamless for the most part.  They put these high-quality seams, and their $25 collared shirts are wrinkle-resistant.  Premium cotton, wool, and linen.  BTW, their wool suits run about $75-$100 but get this: stain resistant and MACHINE WASHABLE.  They swear their shirts and sweaters don’t pill, don’t change shape, don’t lose their color of years of washing.  SOLD.  I bought at least 15lbs of clothes.  Yes, my arms were sore.  I love their fit, and I wish I had time to try on their jeans, but the line was horrendous.  The girls were raving about their pants.  LOVE.

Its several stories and several blocks. Ahhh!

2. Century 21

I thought I hit the jackpot at Phoenix, AZ Last Chance, but this is comparable though you are going to spend more money.  Their stuff is the high end stuff: YSL shoes and ties, Vera Wang flats, Oakleys and Rayban sunglasses, Tory Burch purses, etc.  All for about 1/8th of the price.  A YSL tie I bought Ramesh runs about $25, and the Raybans were $49.  If only I liked aviator glasses.  I bought this cute chain purse, and they have so much unique stuff.  All 7 For Mankind, Paige, Alice + Olivia, Armani, Gucci, Chanel, etc. etc.  Not that huge of a jean selection but tons of Juicy Couture outfits and I loved their Micheal Kors and Tory Burch flats. Oh and amazing bra/underwear/lingerie selection.  Calvin Klein underwear, which is my favorite for about $3 bucks a piece.  Word of the wise, it’s packed, it’s busy, there is pushing and shoving, and the wait is long.  But I thrive in this environment.

So cool! Top Shop Finally!

3. Top Shop

Okay, so this is the store that might kill your credit card.  With my current budget, I couldn’t get anything here.  BUT if you are one of those that buys a few special pieces a year and splurges on them but are still on a student budget…I highly recommend.  It’s relatively inexpensive for what you’re getting: designer-ware of silk, cashmere, hand beaded all at the edge of fashion.  Amazing pieces that can be classic or crazy.  The quality is impressive for the price of around $75 to $120 for a 100% silk, lined dress.  They push the limit on shoes and accessories, which is how it should be.  I was dying to buy this simple red silk dress, but it was $88 I didn’t have.  Still, I can see it in my head

4. Soho Boutiques

Literally, there are hundreds, all worth exploring.  I wish there was more time.  Ton’s of unique stuff, some expensive, some cheap.  I loved the street peddlers.  Really interesting, unique jewelry.  Great maternity clothing, though I am not pregnant.  But just looking at it made me swoon at the delicious fabrics and styles.

Happy Shopping Day!!

NYC: The Food Edition with a Side of Soup Dumplings

I would suffer the soup kitchen nazi for this. Yum.

Chinatown

Oh dear, the choices.

One word…Joe’s Shanghai.  Zagat, The New Yorker, Food and Wine, New York Times, etc.  We were lucky to only wait about 20 minutes, but word of the wise: they rush you to order, eat, and get out because there is always a line!  The soup dumplings were amazing.  The pork and the crab were just short of a masterpiece.  There is a quote from the Zagat “It’s better than sex.”  Hahaha.  Don’t come here expecting awesome service.  First of all, they’re Asian, and second, they don’t care.  They’ll always have customers!

Chinatown has all these bakeries that have to die for pastries.  I love the pork buns with a hint of honey on top.  And this drink that Linh discovered: basil seeds with mango.  I love basil seeds, and I know most people hate the texture or the look of them.  But they’re so good with a hint of honey and whoever thought to add mango was a genius!!  And they’re good for you!

Kitchenette! The ultimate girls breakfast place

Kitchenette

Kitchenettes Apple French Toast...delicious

Chowchow found this little cute place.  All pink and polka-dotted.  Perfect for a girl’s brunch of creme brulee French toast and homemade turkey sausage.  I had the apple-crunch french toast, and each bite was yummy.  The creme brulee French toast is almost cake-like it’s so good.  Their peach tea was not that good because they don’t add any sugar, and I wouldn’t recommend the turkey burger.  It was dry, and you don’t come to this type of place to order a burger.  They do breakfast brunch perfectly though.

Amazing Sangria from Cocotero

El Cocotero

Warning, without reservations, or if you’re like us and show up 20  minutes late because we always get lost, the wait is up to an hour.  But so worth it for the arepas.  We each had our favorites but I loved the reina pepiada.  We also all dug into the pabellon criollo.  The plantains are perfectly cooked and delicious.

Udon Fabulous...A little too salty, but the customer service was amazing.

Robataya in the East Village

We originally planned to go to Yakitori Taisho (which specializes in Japanese meat on a stick) but they were closed!  Bummer!  So we went to Robataya instead.  This is where the Japanese go to eat home cooked Japanese food.  There isn’t any sushi or sashimi–you know what Americans mostly know about Japanese cuisine.  They had the most perfectly cooked fish with a side of sticky rice.  And the edemame was somehow sweeter and denser.  We couldn’t stop eating it.  They give you free boiled eggs with salt, pepper, and pickled vegetables.  A very cute restaurant.

New York City: The Search for the Best Cupcake

Simply Cute

Okay, okay, so our search was only at 2 bakeries…but still, we did our research and these were touted as the BEST (or just maybe the most popular)!  I regretfully never tried the chocolate one at Magnolia’s.  A tall glass of milk was definitely in order!

Banana cupcakes...or at least what is left of it.

Billy’s Bakery in Tribeca

The line was not that long at 11pm at night, but it was definitely crowded.  The people behind the counter weren’t nice at ALL!  Especially the lady putting on the icing.  She was annoyed at my taking pictures of the cute cupcakes.  We were rushed, and for what: really dry cupcakes with sooo sweet icing that they hurt your teeth.  I will say that their layered chocolate cake and their cheesecake are some of the best I have ever had. Just avoid the cupcakes.  We bought 4 different flavors, and even the red velvet, which is quite hard to destroy, was not that good at all!  I say definitely a skipper.

Double-Layered Chocolate Cake from Billys...ChowChows order that literally almost broke the plate!

Magnolia’s Bakery

This is famous from Sex and the City, and we HAD to stop by.  Super packed, pushing and shoving for some cute little cupcakes.  They are all decorated to the tiniest detail, and after being toted across town, they were still delightfully soft and decadent.  I forgot to taste the red velvet one, but the vanilla was just plain good.  Totally worth it!

Magnolias Perfect Little Chocolate Cupcakes

Honorable Mention: Dean and Deluca in Soho

I always think of Felicity, the show, when I see Dean and Deluca because she worked there.  It’s a really cute store that has everything a chef could dream of.  During my shopping frenzy, my girls were taking care of me and bought these little cute macaroons.  Delectable, perfect crispy and soft, and just the perfect amount of sugar.  Amazing.

A bite of heaven!

Bachlorette Party in NYC = Dangerous

My closest girlfriends and I hit up the streets of NYC this last weekend, and let’s just say, most of what goes on in NYC stays in NYC!  But I CAN share all the food and shopping fun we had.  The danger started with food and spread to shopping and well then…into the night.

Just a little preview:

Only just the beginning of Day 1...

Nothing like a hilarious transvestite show to start the night!

El Cocotero...worth all the wait for delicious Venezuelan food.

Rooftop drinks...Mango something rather...

Yvonne in her $800 chair spinning in circles...

What?! Delicious fruity candy for all...

And the party begins...

Nothing like penis popsicles (which were delicious btw) to end a party!

Running of the Brides

That girl is totally only in bra and underwear! Who cares if you can save a few thousands.

Welcome to Filene’s Basement Bridal Event!  It’s where you save thousands of dollars on designer dresses, once a year in some of the major cities.  Starts in the early morning where tons of ladies camp out, and when the bell rings, you run and grab all the dresses in your size.  You start trading and fitting in your dress there in the aisle.  I have always wanted to do this, even if it’s for someone else.  I can totally bring out the flip-flips and elbows to get that dress.  Give me a goal, and the AZN will come out.  Especially in the name of fashion.  Too bad it’s not happening when us girls are hitting up NYC, and I already have a dress, but it sounds like fun and a good workout!

Yup, did I tell you?  Bachelorette party in NYC!!  Sex and the City 3 is coming your way  My girlfriends are the best thing a girl could ask for.  They were my lifeline on my downs and my laughter on my ups.  I can’t wait to visit NYC for the first time, we’re doing a NYC biking tour, hitting H&M and Century 21, and eating at the best of the best!

NYC! Here we come!!

Cuenca’s Best Restaurants

Oh the meaty glory

Tiesto’s

We went to Tiesto as a celebration of the end of the rotation and a fantastic good-bye to Ecuador. I will tell, if you only could go to one restaurant: THIS ONE IS IT! The MOST amazing meat you have ever had. Ever. Forget your best steak. Forget your best piece of shrimp. RMK found it on a review site, and the stars are off the chart. Hidden behind wood-carved doors on Juan Jaramillo, the wait is 2-3 hours without reservations. The price: expect about $15-50 per person (it really depends on the alcohol, sides, and juice you order). It’s definitely pricier than normal Ecuadorian fare but probably a $150 per person meal in the US.  So worth it.

The most amazing couscous ever.

You can see the chefs cook your perfect beef in a cast iron special pan. The owner and main chef personally greets you, serves you, and invites you for a second visit. He even took a picture of us! He pushed RMK out of the way. BTW, he’s totally intimidating. I almost didn’t want to ask him for a picture.

And then this steaming cast iron pan comes out with 8 bowls of sides. Small potatoes that taste like butter but are the size of dimes. And I have never been a fan of couscous. Recipes always use a lemony/vinegar topping or they over top it with herbs like rosemary and basil with butter. This, however, is the best couscous I HAVE ever had. I ate it like ice cream.

Just delightful and perfect.

And their dessert, chocolate delight. Are you hungry yet? BTW, they gave us a jug of mora, the Ecuadorian blackberry. I gained my 15 lbs right here.

Vino’s

The perfect handmade ravioli

Who knew, South America does pasta and pizza better than the US. Handmade ravioli filled with beef or spinach or feta. A home-made sauce of butter or mushrooms (which I highly recommend). A glass of wine for $1.50. And wood-oven pizza with a crust so crunchy, you will crave it for life. The cheese is freshly made, and the brushetta is perfect in every way.  All for under $10 per person.

Perfect thin crust

We don’t recommend the desserts.  There are so many specialty bakeries and icecream shops around.  Just hit their perfect A plate: the spinach ravioli with a mushroom sauce.  Yum.

We loved their appetizers but their bread with the special dips were amazing.

El Chorro de Giron: How Chowchow Peed in Her Pants

We were hiking up in the clouds at one point. Ghostwriter as my companion.

This Ecuador trip has been riddled with hikes.  This country has preserved a lot of it’s natural beauty, so there is so much to explore.  Chowchow, who is not an avid hiker (nor am I for that matter), but RMK is–you know the type where you have to mail yourself more food on the trail as you stop by a town with a post office and bathe in freezing water found in some lake or natural spring.  Since meeting RMK, let’s just say he’s introduced me to hikes I would have never done by myself or thought of for that matter.  Anyways, Chowchow, said a whopping number of cursewords, almost vomited, passed out, etc. etc. on this hike. At one point she screamed, “I think I peed a little in my pants.”  Hahaha.  Let’s just say there was a lot of exertion to get up much less down.

The Hunchback of el Chorro with her cape! Struggling for our descent.

Chowchow other comments included “Shit, I just put my hand in poop!”  At one point, she put a towel on her back to protect her from the rain, walking in muddy, slippery terrain, falling about like a white-caped Superwoman.  I commented that without the towel, she would have better balance.  She maintained that “this is perfectly reasonable!”

You see that point at the beginning at the 2nd highest fall...far far away, that's where we ended.

Don’t get me wrong, I had to stop several times.  It was one of the hardest hikes I have ever gone on.  Slippery, muddy, rocky, over rivers beds, high elevation, seeing through fog, rain, cold, and steep, steep inclines.  Of course, RMK was fine, but he broke out in a sweat which meant it was super hard for us.  An approx 5 hour hike to get up to the 2nd waterfall, and we got lost several times.  People gave up along the way, but the view, omgosh, the end climax was amazing.  It’s literally hiking in the jungle when you get high enough, weaving through trees and spiked plants and moss-encased rocks.  We almost had to turn around, as we were running out of time, water, food, and we weren’t sure we were going in the right direction.

Our gorgeous end. The falls were amazing and loud. Monumental.

Did I tell you about our guardian angel:  Ghostwriter?  We named the dog this because we thought it was a ghost spirit in the forest.  She came out of nowhere and at the end of the hike, disappeared.  She was a beautiful German Shepard, who watched us the whole way, leading us through the trail, and waiting for us to catch up.  She loved our animal crackers, and she was just the perfect dog.  Friendly, and loyal to us.

San Juan Bosco: My Death Defying Adventure

A family of 3 with little kids crossing. This is how they get to their town.

We went on a mini-trip to the outskirts of the Amazons for a medical 4-day adventure.  At the end, we had a nice 1/2 day where we drove to the middle of nowhere.  We couldn’t find this place again if you ask us; we literally drove on dirt roads edging on the mountains and into the jungle until it suddenly ended.

Us dangling in the air...I wasn't breathing at this point.

Our fellow Ecuador medical students said we were going to take a cable car across a river over the canopies of the jungle.  Yeah, it’s a cable car alright.  A wooden seat hooked to a cable and then hooked to a motor on a motorcycle.  If you know me, I HATE heights.  Hate them.  RMK volunteered us, smiling his ray beams at me, daring me to say no.  I started hyperventilating, my IBS started acting up, and I was lightheaded.  But I got on.

I was gripping with 2 hands. Picture courtesy of Buffy Redsecker.

The seat looked like my dad made it with his leftover wooden fence, and the iron handle bars had oil on them from the cable.  And of course, no seat belt.   From an engineering standpoint, this thing has no safety anything.  I mean we are in the jungle.  RMK swung on the cable and deemed it safe to ride on.  Looking down, there were 2 ways off: the other side and death.  He told me to not freak out on the seat, because I would fall off and die.  Oh really.  Freaking out to initiate shortly.

I am sorry, but I have no pictures of the trip over because I was too scared to turn my camera on.  But the view was tremendous.  Cliffs, mountains, and forest as far as the eyes can see.  A turbulent river of death below of which I did not look down.  And the gorgeous sun just peeking up from among the tree line.

Dr. Rodas and Anita crossing. See the white sandy splotch. That's the hillside town.

Cuenca’s Favorite Meal: Helado

The largest banana split ever

Caramel, Chocolate, Coffee Ice Cream: Triple Threat

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.  If you are ever in Cuenca, you must try Tutti Freddo.  Yes, it looks touristy.  Yes, it’s always packed.  But seriously, after trying several other ice cream places, this place beats everyone over and over.  The best gelato ever in 40 something favors.  Their brownie comes very close to the US kind, and a ginormous cone will set you back a whopping $0.90!  A hugh sundae for three people: $2.10.  And flambe banana and strawberry crepes: $3.00.  Are you jealous yet?  Did I mention freshly made cones with fresh fruit delivered daily.

Helado (ice cream) is on every block, on every corner, and on a billion carts.  We would eat it on a daily basis if I wasn’t hounding RMK to fit in his suit and the idea of armpit fat with my wedding dress didn’t give me palpitations.  I’m vain like that.  Don’t worry, we have it every other day.

Delicious strawberry and banana crepes

The Amore: We're in love.

Pure Gluttony

Welcome to Ecuador

Ready for my adventure

Ok, I just looked through my posts, and I forgot to publish this.  Going back into time here:

A cute monkey that eats bananas from your hand at our hostel in Guayaquil

We have finally arrived to Cuenca, Ecuador after a pitstop at Panama, Quito, and Guayaquil.  We kind of went in a circle after Panama, but they were the cheapest tickets at around $450.  Cuenca is a gorgeous, mountainous city surrounded in green valleys with 4 rivers that divide it.  The streets are almost European-like with the decadent architecture and cobblestone streets.  Everything is cheap here: taxi rides are $1-$3 depending on where you want to go, chocolate, juice, food.  We’ll talk about food in a whole other section.

People are friendly, and RMK, ChowChow, and I roam the streets with our backpacks on our backs and late at night just fine.  Of course, be aware of your surroundings, but I have never been pick-pocketed or had my backpack opened yet.  Even in the most crowded streets.  Which by the way, Cuenca does an amazing job keeping the streets clean.  I don’t know why third world countries alway litter, maybe it’s the lack of trash cans or the idea that it’s acceptable behavior, but they have a clean-up service at all times.

Gorgeous streets of Cuenca

Still, the weather here is a perfect 60-80 degrees, but it rains everyday for about a patch of 1-2 hours.  The most glorious things: fruit is abundant and cheap.  My favorite snack: jugo (juice smoothie) in mora (blackberries).  $0.75 to $1.50.  The cheapest, most delicious smoothie ever with all my meals

Next up: Food!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers to cheap drinks and smoothies!