Teaching English in Monterrey, crossing the usa/mexican border

After a few days of workshops in Dallas, it was finally time to go to Mexico. We were all excited to teach English and to get out of Dallas. For many of us, it was our first time to America’s Southern neighbor.

mountain range in Monterrey, Mexico- Hugo Morel

As we got on the bus, we had no idea how long of a bus ride we were in for. Once about 8 hours passed by, we arrived in Brownsville, Texas. A border town with lots of social problems. The atmosphere completely changed, you could cut the air with a knife. The city looked very poor, broken houses everywhere. It was as if, we were in another country and not the USA. The people walking on the streets looked very tensed and scared. This was completely another world.

Once at the border, the air became thicker. All the guards had semiautomatic guns. This was not a laughing matter. The border control made us get out of the bus and checked our bags on a white table, as shown in the picture above. As one of the guards was checking my bags, I looked him in the eye by accident. The other two were quick to put their hands on their guns. It was as if, I was some type of criminal. The lives these guards live, there is not much smiling. I didn’t felt love here and I only sensed hate mixed with fear.

USA/Mexican border on Christmas day, Hugo Morel

After the scare from the border control, we passed through the border. On Christmas day, we were finally in Mexico. You can see the differences and it was heartbreaking. A lot of women showing off their bodies on street corners. There were a lot of men just sleeping on the floor with a look of despair. The hopelessness in people’s face, made us realize how lucky we are to be Americans. Seeing all this, made us want to teach even more.

another shot of the Mexican mountain range , Hugo Morel

We finally arrived to where we were going to teach, the University of Tecmilenio. Unfortunately, they did not allow us to take photos of the school or the classroom. As the classes started, we saw the looks in the adults’ faces. Their faces expressed friendliness and warmth. As we taught more English, their faces lite up and English was finally clicking. This experience was so amazing. A lot of the adult students, invited us to their homes. The stories they gave us really touched our hearts. Many of them, have seen crimes unthinkable. Coming to the USA, for a lot of them, was their only way for a better life. The rest that will stay, learning English is needed to getting better jobs. This was one of the most memorable experiences on my travels.

outside view of the school we taught, Hugo Morel

Thank you for taking you time to read this post. Drop a like and a follow. Much love!! Love you guys so much! Next we will be heading to Cambridge, Massachusetts for my friend’s graduation at Tuffs university and explore Boston!! Take care and stay healthy!!

March 4, 2016 57

Checking Out Little Haiti

Little Haiti, a place of real culture and down to earth people. Going to Little Haiti was a very eventful time in my life. I made friendships that would open many doors and eventually this blog.

Going to Little Haiti, I do recommend going by car. Public transportation to Little Haiti is not always the best. Once you are there, most of the corner stores are Haitian owned. Make sure to check them out, when you get the chance. You can get a lot of Haitian products from fruits to candy bars.

While in Little Haiti, you must eat at a local restaurant. No fast-food or Mcdonald’s! Eating from those types of restaurants, will ruin your experience in this cultural paradise. If you want some real cultural food, always ask the locals.

A nice family owned restaurant,Hugo Morel

After asking around, I was told about a restaurant called The New Piman Bouk restaurant. It was a great place to go. It gives you the feels of being in Haiti. The restaurant is owned by a Haitian-American family. This is authentic as it gets for Haitian Creole food in America. One plate of food can feed two people. It is a great place for food at a great price.

Haitian soda, Hugo Morel

another view of the soda, Hugo Morel

Haitian Food, Hugo Morel

Little Haiti has many cultural activities. While in Little Haiti, make sure to check out the Cultural Center. The Cultural Center has many events throughout the year. From movies to social groups, Little Haiti’s Cultural Center is place to visit for anybody looking to experience the local culture.

Just want to say thank you to you all for reading and liking my posts. We reached over 100 followers. I met the person who pushed me into starting this blog in Little Haiti. Drop a like and a follow. Next week we will be going to Dallas for some workshops to teach English in mexico. Much Love!!

February 19, 2016 24

A walk through Little Havana

Little Havana, the soul of Miami’s Cuban culture. Where you can find questionably legal Cuban cigars and Cuban flags on almost every block. Little Havana was a blast to visit. My friends just arrived to Miami and we were in for a treat.

Street Art on Calle Ocho of Latin America , Hugo Morel

Memorial day weekend in Miami is very hectic. When traveling to Miami, try to avoid this weekend. You will not be able to fully experience the city because of the bumper to bumper traffic. Luckily for us, Little Havana and Little Haiti were unaffected.

IMG_20140521_185509 — Cuban and American Flags, Hugo Morel

roster statue, Hugo Morel

calle ocho, Hugo Morel

After finally meeting up with friends, we tour little Havana. Little Havana has many choices of Cuban restaurants. For more authentic Cuban, the best restaurants are on Calle Ocho (8th street). Most restaurants would serve you a huge platter of food for about ten dollars. Some are buffet style, if you want to pig out or want the most bang for your buck, these are the best spots. The only problem with buffet style restaurants, there is a lost of authenticity to the food.

twelve dollar meal including drinks, Hugo Morel

buffet style meal with Cuban “tacos”, Hugo Morel

Something you must do in Little Havana is to walk down Calle Ocho. Walking down Calle Ocho, you get to see more of the Cuban culture. From the Cuban movie theaters to the Cuban liquor. On Calle Ocho, there is a Latin Walk of Fame. Similar to Hollywood’s, The Latin Walk of Fame honors Latinos of celebrity status. This is why, Miami is called, “The Capital of Latin America.”

IMG_20140521_185837 — The Latino Walk of Fame, Hugo Morel

The deeper you go along Calle Ocho, the more influences of Latin America you will encounter. Although, Little Havana will always have Cuban roots, many Latinos from all over have moved in. Specifically, many Central Americans have made Little Havana their home. Little Havana will most likely forever be a center for the Latino community in Miami.

Cuban street art, Hugo Morel

Latino stars street art, Hugo Morel

My Mojito(a cocktail with origins in Havana,Cuba) Hugo Morel

Thanks for taking your time to read this post! Drop a like and a follow. Next week we will be in Little Haiti. Much Love!!

February 13, 2016 35

Sleeping on the beach, seeing the pope

After exploring the city, the time came for us to crash on the beach. Seriously, we slept on the beach like bums. It was a very interesting experience. This event led up to the real reason as to why we were in Rio, to see Pope Francis.

It was a nice 2013 winter day in Rio. The sun came and went at times. When the sun came out, it was extremely hot for the winter time. The type of hot that would give you a headache. Like the picture above, many of us found something to shield our heads from the sun.

SDC10701 — skyscrapers in Rio by Hugo Morel

Once lunch time came, we had to stay in line for about 2 hours to get our meal and our meal cards. The meal cards would give us two free meals per day. The pictures below were taken during us waiting in line.

more Rio’s skyscrapers, Hugo Morel

lady getting her lunch, Hugo Morel

the hectic line, Hugo Morel

Once night time came, we found our spots on the beach to sleep. We decided to explore a little around the city. Going with the flow of the crowd, we got dragged into a march from people all over the world. It was very interesting meeting and talking to them.

night time Rio’s streets, Hugo Morel

marching, Hugo Morel

After a rough night of trying to go to sleep, the pope came. The crowd was extremely cheerful. With 64.6% of Brazil being the pope’s follower (not on twitter), the beaches of Copacabana were never this filled. It was amazing to be apart of history.

the pope on the screen, Hugo Morel

the hectic crowd, Hugo Morel

skyscraper, Hugo Morel

After seeing the pope, the crew packed up and headed towards the airport. Unfortunately, we missed our flight. We had to negotiate a deal with the airlines. Long story short, we had to drive from Rio to Buenos Aires. Trust me, it was a butt-numbing experience.

Thanks for taking your time to read this post. Don’t be like the guy in the picture above, drop a like and a follow. Much Love! Next week we go to Miami!

January 22, 2016 20

Riding Rio’s Public Transportation

Rio’s metro is the second most used in Brazil. With 1.1 million riders daily and 401.5 million yearly, the metro is on a global city level.

subway entrance

taken by Hugo Morel

Waiting for the train at the station, makes you feel like you are in Brooklyn, NY at the L train Bedford ave stop. One way metro fare is R$3.50. Remember that the American dollar is about double of Brazil’s currency. The pictures below were taken as we waiting for our train. It was more modern than we expected. Being Americans, we tend to not think so highly about other countries’ subways.

taken by Hugo Morel

Taken By Hugo Morel

The picture below is one of Rio’s subway trains on the outside.

Taking Rio’s subway was very similar to New York’s. The train we took was like New York’s A train. You got your crazies and your trains’ panhandlers. The major difference is that the whole train is connected. In New York, the trains are separated by carts with doors in between each cart. While in Rio, there are individual carts but they are connected with no door dividing them. The train on the inside, looks as if you were inside a giant snake.

taken by Hugo Morel

taken by Hugo morel

taken by Hugo Morel

Walking in the subway stations, we noticed a lot of shops. Very similar to New York’s Penn station. The pictures below were taken in front of a video game store in the subway station.

taken by Hugo Morel

taken By Hugo Morel

Rio’s Public Bus system is on a world class level. With 831 bus routes, you can travel anywhere in the city at cheap rate. The bus fare is R$2.40 one way. In American dollars, the fare is a bout $1.20. Make sure to know this when taking the bus, obese people have priority seating. Make sure not to look like a jerk.

priority seating sign

waiting for the bus

Rio also has an express bus called BRT. The BRT has it’s own private lane on the highway (USA, we should take notes!). Going on one of these buses, can get you across the city in no time. The picture below is a BRT station.

Thank you for taking your time to read this post. Drop a like and a follow. Much Love! Next week, we sleep on the beach and see pope Francis!

January 15, 2016 10

Another rainy day in Rio

Rio de Janiero, Brazil’s second city. The second largest city in Brazil and the sixth largest in the Americas. Home to some of the best beaches in the world. We were not too excited about it raining in this tropical paradise.

Even with the rain, we still took in the beauty of this city. Like the guy in the picture above, we kept it rolling. No rain will stop us from enjoying our time in the world famous beaches.

Just look how empty these beaches are! It’s amazing and a rare sight for it to be a ghost town.

Even with the rain, the ocean was beautiful. The Atlantic Ocean is seen in the picture below. It looks as if a major storm is near. Luckily, it was just a normal winter rain.

by Hugo Morel

By Hugo Morel

More views of the beautiful scenery during the winter rain. It is breathtaking. Even with the gloomy weather, the views are out of this world.

by Hugo Morel

By Hugo Morel

At times, we felt like the statue down below, stuck and wet.

Look at the photo below. It makes you feel as if you are in some horror movie. No editing went into this picture.

Thank you for taking your time to read this post. Drop a like and a follow! Much Love! Next week the rain clears and we will be exploring Rio in the sun. Happy New Years and stay safe!

January 1, 2016 10

Rain in São Paulo

São Paulo, Brazil is the Americas’ and the Southern Hemisphere’s most populated city. We were so excited to finally be here, in Brazil’s Manhattan. It was towards the end of a 2013 July when we arrived and we were once again reminded the Northern Hemisphere has opposite seasons.

It was raining when we got to São Paulo. Even with the rain, the city still looked amazing. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is winter in Southern Hemisphere The picture below is São Paulo’s Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge. The bridge is a world class landmark. When an image of São Paulo is shown, the Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge is usually in the picture.

The Bridge is similar to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Although, not as famous as the Golden Gate Bridge. Both bridges represent their city in a world class level. The picture below is a close up of the Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge.

The Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge was created in an unusual form of an “x.” The picture below are skyscrapers with the Bridge’s reflection on the windows. You can see more of it’s “x” form.

São Paulo’s skyline is so amazing. It really does make you feel like you are in Manhattan. The picture to the side, looks similar to when you are driving out of Manhattan and heading to Yonkers, New York.

Another beautiful building in the world class city. The city’s skyline and buildings, truly make you feel like you are in any American city.

published by Hugo morel

The city’s subway and public transportation is very modern. It’s able to compete with Moscow’s. Which, Moscow, has the busiest subway in the world. The pictures above are examples of the city’s public transportation.

sao-paulo-metro-subway-map-new — brought to you by google

The picture above is a picture of São Paulo’s metro map. In 2013, the metro fair one-way was R$2.90. Which was about $1.45 in american dollars. The actually price of metro fair now, probably went up. Just remember one Brazilian Real is about half an American Dollar.

published by Hugo Morel

Published by Hugo Morel

São Paulo is a beautiful city. Very similar to New York City, with it being one and a half of NYC’s population, São Paulo is truly breathtaking.

Thank you for taking your time to read this post. Drop a like and a follow! Happy holidays and we hope you enjoy it with your love ones! Much Love! Next week we will be in Rio de Janeiro.

December 25, 2015 3

Crossing the Brazilian border

Brazil home of the bikini, the Brazilian wax, Capoeira and some of the best soccer players in the world. We were extremely excited to visit Brazil. We only wish it was easy for us to get there. The crew went trough a lot of trials.

It all started in the Misiones province, Argentina. We used a bus company named CATA International. The company was awesome, they treated us well. We just took them on uncharted roads. The picture below is one of the buses getting stuck in the mud. It took us about an hour to get the bus out.

IMG_20000108_132950 — published by Hugo morel

The Picture below is the Iguazu River. The river is connected to the Iguazu falls. Starts at the falls and flows into Argentina. The Iguazu falls is one of the new seven world wonders of nature.

Before going to Brazil, we stopped by the Iguazu falls on the Argentinian side. I was unable to take photos of the of the falls due to not wanting my camera getting wet. The pic below is brought to you by brazil bookers. We when were at the falls, we took a boat tour. It was amazing, unfortunately I had my mouth open. Ended up swallowing two mouth fulls of water. This was when I got sick.

We crossed the border into Brazil after waiting for an hour. Once in Brazil, you can tell the difference in the soil. The Brazilian soil has a more Orange tone to it. The soil looked more fertile compared to Argentina’s. During our first day in Brazil, one of the buses’ battery died on a train track. The train was running at full speed, there was no time to get of the bus to evade the train. Luckily, the train’s conductor saw the bus and stop just in time. The picture shows the scene after the train stopped.

Once the whole train episode was settled, we went to change the battery of the bus. In the process, one of the bus drivers got acid into his eye. Unfortunately, he lost vision in that eye. I wish much fortune to this bus driver. This is why I highly recommend CATA international. They did so much for us and they went the extra mile.

50f958af-e3de-4a41-b5d2-acc69dcb4c31 — brought to you by google

Thank you for taking your time to read this. Drop a like and a follow. Next week we will be in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Much love!!

December 18, 2015 19

San Ignacio Miní and the Guaraní

San Igancio Miní is a mission founded in 1632 by the Jesuits or the Society of Jesus. The mission located in the Misiones Province of Argentina. The Province of Misiones is located between Brazil to the north and Paraguay to the northwest.

San Igancio Miní, like the missions of California and the Southwest of the USA, was created in order to spread Christianity. The Jesuits’ mission, pun intended, was to covert the native population called the Guaraní. The Guaraní are the native inhabitants of what is now mainly Paraguay but also in some parts of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Bolivia.

crafts made the Guaraní with European influences

Pottery made by the Guaraní

The photos above are pottery and crafts the Spanish made the Guaraní make. The Spanish profited from Guaraní’s handcrafts by trade.

This is a clay blue print of what San Ignacio Miní looked like in it’s prime. Before the indigenous people destroyed it.

A painting of San Ignacio Miní, when it was active.

A full view of the mission, in it’s prime.

The mission’s ruin. Gives you the feeling of being in Rome.

The picture above was once a church. The fall of San Ignacico Miní was due to the suppression of the society of Jesus. In 1817, the Guaraní destroyed the mission and many others in the surrounding areas.

The mission of San Ignacio Miní is highly recommend to go, if you are into culture. The ruins of the mission have such a deep and rich history that you can easily get lost in. Make sure to stop by!

Drop a like on the post and follow! Thanks for reading and next week we will be going to Brazil. Much Love!!

December 11, 2015 1

Night Time adventures in Mendoza, Argentina

The City of Mendoza is located in the province of Mendoza. As the province’s capital, the city has a lot to offer. To see the city’s true beauty, you have to experience it at night time.

The night brings the city to life in a whole new perspective. The darkness brings an element of excitement to this city. The beautiful south american sky will only leave you in awe.

Published by Hugo Morel

Walking down it’s street at night, the city makes you feel like you are in some European city. Mendoza has an interesting transportation system. They have trolleys similar to San Francisco. I really do recommend coming here and trying the public transportation system. You get a better view of the city.

Another familiar sight, similar to when I was in San Rafael, Argentina. The Havanna coffee shops in Argentina are comparable to the Starbucks in the USA. Make sure, to stop if you like coffee and pastries.

Every time I see an American restaurant outside the USA, I tend to have mixed feelings. There is a sense of culture lost.

At night, the city’s fountains shine more. It is truly beautiful, to see the lights hit the water as it shoots up.

published by Hugo Morel

Looks like Forbes is also in Argentina. Want to be a millionaire by age 40?

When traveling at night, in any city, make sure to always look at your surroundings. Argentina is a generally safe country but still be on the look out. I was warned by locals that teenage drug-use is high and they tend to commit crimes. Just watch out for local punks.

December 4, 2015 4