Shimo in Sao Paulo

by Adrienne Wilson on

Have you ever been to the China Latina restaurant?  Probably not.  It’s right around the corner
from my place and if you haven’t guessed by the name they specialize in both Chinese and
Mexican foods in the same establishment.  Interesting, but I’m not game just yet.  Maybe because it’s some
dive of a place across from a ton of endless construction going on at Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL.  Maybe because
it’s not in some splashy, upscale, exotic foreign locale. 

And that’s why Sao Paulo’s, Shimo gets away with fusing Brazilian and
Japanese cuisine.  It’s Sao Paulo. It’s the size of a shoe-box, they’ve got a glass kitchen facing the street, and
it’s just HOT!  It’s IT!  Sake caipirinhas and palmito sushi are just a sampling of some of the mixes
found on the menu.  Never had either before, but I’d be sure to taste them both while in Sao
Paulo.   Wallpaper* has a great snippet of everything Shimo has to offer if you’re looking to head down to
Brazil anytime soon.  Certainly sounds like a fun one to visit.

Non-talking Heads

by Erik Olsen on

When I was
living in Santiago, Chile, the one place I
wanted to visit more than almost anywhere else was Easter Island. The island has a powerful allure, not just for
it’s famous statues, but for the mere idea that people actually settled there, lived there, thrived, and thn
mysteriously disappeared. Archaeologists tell us that the Easter Islanders went through their natural resources
and ended up unable to survive. Some like Jared Diamond also tell us that this could be our own fate if we’re not
careful.

But we’re not there yet, obviously, and the guy driving his SUV to work thinks less about Easter Island as a tale of
conspicuous consumption than as a tourist destination. So be it. And so,
here is a decent tourist
tale of a visit to Easter Island. A bit of that history is here, but also some talk about how the island fares as a
tourist destination. And yes, I still want to go.

Going Amish

by Erik Olsen on

There are other ways I can think of to spend a vacation, but what
do you think of the idea of hanging out with the Amish? Sadly, when I think of the Amish, my mind immediately goes to
scenes from the Harrison Ford film Witness, which I suppose is
rather pathetic of me. So perhaps a trip like this
one, where you go and hang out with the Amish, have dinner, churn some butter, raise a house or two, would probably
do me some good…expand my cultural horizons, as it were. (hey, btw: what ever happened to
Kelly McGillis?)

Individualized Travel Crap…Cheap

by Erik Olsen on

An interesting site dedicated to individually-sized items that might make a
good stop as you prepare for a trip. From little cereal boxes to little mayonnaise packets to
toothpaste the site has a ton of stuff.

If you go impulse shopping here, just remember to pack out what you pack in.

Reykjavik Arts Festival

by Erik Olsen on

The
Reykjavik Arts Festival is underway and could be a wonderful
cultural diversion for those headed to Iceland in search of the country’s other attractions like volcanoes, spas and wonderful hiking. The festival goes until June 5.
The Reykjavik Arts Festival has been held biannually since 1970 and annually from 2004.  The Festival is one of
the oldest and most respected arts festivals in Northern Europe.