10 Aug 2009

Ulaan Ude - Moscow through the Transiberian Train!!

Crossed the Mongolian-Russian Border and headed to Ulaan Ude, the first stop towards Irkutsk and the Baikal Lake area. In irkutsk I visited the Lenin statue, some churches, the Ul Lenina St. and walked about through small beautiful residential areas. Again, found the skateboard geeks square, this time surprisingly with very beautiful girls just watching (this was a new feature in this type of setting).

I also took a minibus to ListVianka, a small town on the shore of the Baikal Lake, quaint, relaxing, perpetuously calm seeming town. I enjoyed my day there, so relaxing. Met a couple of Russians who seem not to be shy with visitors. Met Nadia and Tanya while having lunch on a café and met Sveta and Irina at the port. Just trying to chat with lousy Russian and English language skills.

On the train to Irkutsk (15 hours) I met a group of travellers with whom I spent some time having nice and joyful conversations. One of them, Sergey, a Russian that lives in Switzerland told me to contact him, perhaps he might help for a job search.

I bought a train ticket to Tomsk, a town near Novosibirsk some 14 hours from Irkutsk and I was told the train departed at 10:22pm and mentioned the word Moscow. I did not get the point then. Went wandering to the city and returned at 9:30pm to realise that all train schedules are programmed at Moscow time!!! Five hours of difference in Irkutsk. The train departed at 3am Irkutsk time. So, again, I slept at the train station. Don't know exactly at what time I will arrive to Tomsk.

On the train to Tomsk (34 hours) I met a girl called Olya and had a great time trying to understand each other. Also spoke with Kisonok a girl that studies Automatization engineering

In tomsk, ufff!!! So many beautiful Russian girls, now I feel Russia could also be a good living destination. At the end, I am in a search for happiness and a couple seems to be a relevant part of it.

I met Maryana at the Theater hall of Tomsk while listening to a military band, and after we spent the afternoon together walking through churces and some beautiful neighbourhoods of Tomsk. At the evening, I returned to a fountain plaza where I listened old fashioned music and met Ksusha and Okcaha (Akzana), two very beautiful girls, cousins, who were just, also as me, watching the sunset there.

In Tomsk I visited some churches, the Art Museum, a couple of parks, the Lenin Statue, the sidwalk of the Tomsk River, Tomsk University and some old style wooden house neighbourhoods.

Slept again in the trainstation, and departed towards Yekaterinburg (30 hours). On the train I met Kristina Valutina, a very kind girl from the Malta Island and also met gorgeous Sasha, who we seemed to feel somehow innocently attracted. We spent the whole journey talking and playing with Gavril, a wonderful 6 year old kid, quite hyperactive but very amusing and joyful to be with.

In Yekaterinburg, again walked and walked and walked. Went to some churches, taped some Russian Orthodox rituals, went to the City Pond and Theatre, visited Pr Lenina (always the high street). And met Carlos Projoro, a Russian who at first asked him directions to the Lenina Street at a bus stop, and whom by an odd destiny faith, I met again in a restaurant square. He seemed to be a bit off the wall, not so Ok mentally, but was quite funny, I plays the flute and Peruvian flutes for money at corners. Somehow he hides from police for some reason and seems to know all the street urban artists who salute him as we walked. Without any explanation, he walked with me from 12 pm all afternoon until 12 midnight that we finally got to the right train station after I got confused and lost going to another train station. I practically sent him home, otherwise seemed he would hang on with me till the next day. He spoke fluent spanish but seems he learnt it in a phrase repeating fashion, thus, had already constructed specific phrases to memorise and repeat. This time, at the train station, I really felt cold while sleeping, In Yekaterinburg is was around 5º C. (summer!!!) and it was raining. The whole day was quite chilly.

Anyway, managed to visit some churches, the restaurant and shopping square, some parks, internet, city hall, some metro stations, and the wrong train station!!!

I am now on the train to Moscow, I have met a group of whitewater river rafters who are returning home after a month of outdoor trekking. Their names, Eivgeni (from Kazakhstan) Dima,

I also met a group of scouts who sang the whole route, well just part of it, I really enjoyed singing with them. There is a very beautiful girl on the train but seems not interested at all to cross a small look. Seems like the type of girl I could love, but not any results yet. J

It seems Ivgeny might help me in sightseeing a bit in Moscow and after in St. Petersburg where he lives. We may also just as an experiment, try to search for job options!!!

Again, random thoughts and stories

Chezwan Chinese food (perhaps misspelled). There is one style of chinese meal that I end up enjoying quite a lot. I first tasted it with Saffron and her friends, the urban artist group. They invited me to dinner and well, the style is as follows.

A big pot with stock is set on fire in the middle of the table. Then, a variety of meats, noodles and vegetables are set aside to be added to the stock and then cooked to your taste.

The first time, I must say I found it quite dissapealling, I had that same meal another three times, By the last two, I discovered the secret!!. You have to be bold, spontaneous and adventurous, just add whichever souces, species and flavours you have at hand. Then you start discovering the true delight of this food style. The last meal was just gorgeous!! A combination of shrimps cooked with vegetables, spicy and sweet sauces, sesame and peanuts, noodles, dipped in another soy sauce, just delicious!!!

The only bad end, in China, perhaps because of food, I became a teen again, developed Acné!!! L

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Women – In a descriptive purely informational and in a research fashion, unfortunately only leaded by observation method (lacked the whole scientific process) I will relate the type of women I have met by nationalities. Some men might find this revealing.

If I were to marry a woman, I perhaps would be very happy with a Turkish one, they are not only beautiful, but they are lovely, hard working and very considered women, whom to be loved and made happy by any decent man.

Iranian women showed to have very beautiful eyes, this perhaps highlighted, as are not allowed to show any other part of their body, except the face. Overall, wonderful people and culture (except their government and rulers L).

I must say that with a few exceptions, Indian and Nepalese women were not exactly my favourite cup of tea, though might seem spiritual.

Thai and Laos might be to the attention of those who are interested in commercial sex and able to pay for it. I am sure this is not the average rule, though, unfortunately is what you are able to see as a traveller.

I was named by my Italian pals, as The Dicapitatore Cinesse, meaning that I decapitated Chinese women as I felt very attracted to their body type, though I did not like their face style at all, perhaps only one extremely beautiful I saw in Hong Kong. So, when I felt attracted to a women spotted at distance, It was a matter of time, for when I saw her face and immediately she was decapitated on sight!!!

Mongolians seemed to me, very beautiful and attractive women in all senses, though I was not able to meet one, as to give a deeper and more valuable description.

Finally, but not the least, I think that at least to my friends in Mexico, they would find all their unimaginable fantasies and desires… fulfilled in Russia. In this field, Russian Girls appeared to me as an infinite source of beauty asset. I just cant walk and think clearly with this gorgeous view!!! It seems though, there is the ubiquitous price at the end of the road where all Russian women seem to be quite chunky as they age. Perhaps my mind is not so clear now, as I have been on a diet in this field, I may be quitting now with such a delicious offer and variety. I better stop writing!! J

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This trip started as a mode of thought for a future line of action for my life. Though I don’t know where I will end in the near future, this has made this trip, extremely emotional. There are so many thoughts, feelings, memories, aims, dreams and fears that I cant explain or even understand myself. It has really been the most exiting and deep of all my adventures. More than a travel, just some time to try to understand myself, as it seems I had been escaping from myself before.

By now, I have learned to shower or so, in the train toilets. Just by parts, with my sandals, get naked, start and clean totally in a matter of 15 minutes. I am quite proficient now and attached to detail in cleaning all areas. This as I am substituting hostels by trains now, trying to keep on the final budget just before I get a job anywhere.

Silence in The Sands of the Gobi Desert.

The next morning I had to decide to either go to Terelj Natural Reserve Area or to Khor Khorin. Tours in Mongolia are quite expensive and time consuming. I may sound banal, though at this point of the trip, I have to make every dime worth as I reach Europe, money is finishing, and I don’t want to be stranded far away from my return ticket nor to pass by without smelling the flavour of each beautiful place I have been through, it would otherwise be a pitty and missing the opportunity of this amazing trip.

Terelj seemed too “normal” though it was an unexpensive, one day trekking. On the other hand, Khor Khorin, is 8 hours away and any decent tour to the Gobi Desert involves at least 10 day trip which are rated in Euros (80 Euros, the very cheapest one).

At the hostel I met some other travellers, two girls, Jaime and Jessica, both from the US. Jessica had been a month or so in Mongolia, being robbed once, and a second time, when she discovered the missing money, the people at the ger where she stayed and who were going to transport her back, took everything she had “as payment”. Not very encouraging for emergency cases, I think. So, when in Mongolia, really pay attention to just everything.

She suggested me to go to Mongol Els, a place near Khor Khorin that is in the middle of nowhere and it is a transition area between the estepes and desert sands. That seemed to me more appealing. So, I took a bus to Khor Khorin and asked the driver to stop at the Bichigt Khad Ger Camp, just a small Nomadic (I assume now all must be tourist attractions) group site. Got off, and just started to walk north, towards the steppes and to some mountains you could see far away. Walked all day long, got to the mountains climbed a bit and around 9pm I set my Bivy Sack in a small flat place sorrounded by rocks, underneath a tree. Enjoyed the pleasant sound of silence again, just looking at the moon for hours.

Silence in the midst of nature, is one of the most overwhelming sensations for me, It makes me feel so many things constantly, I wrote once my heart can play from happiness and laughter to deep sadness all in a day journey when I feel the broad magistry of nature and… Silence.

Woke up the next morning for some early photos and to climb up to the summit of this small rocky mountain, again, many feelings and appreciating the wonder of the local nature, unknown to me until then. I felt again lucky of being able to do such travel adventure.

Walked all day again. For some reason, being used to walking all day, and not being a very hot day, I was really tired and dehidrated. Got to the Ger Camp beside the road and ask for some sodas, which were five times the average price. There I met an Italian who was just amazingly surprised of my trip and the possibility of doing it on my own. He had an accompanying translator because of his fear of being in an unknown country, unable to communicate. I just said I did not find it so difficult. His name, Giuliano Carceo. At the end he said Tu sei folle a Pazzo, something like you are really crazy for doing such a mad trip, in a good sense, he said. He told me that if I went to Italy, he would be happy to meet again and learn from this experience. I said I would love to.

I then proceeded to go beside the road and asked for a hitchhike, I first got an offer from a commercial driver to take me for almost ten times the price of the bus ticket. I refused evidently!! I just waited around ten minutes and a car stopped. A family, asking where I was heading to, Ulaan Baatar or Erdenesant would do too.

They gave me the lift, it seemed they were travelling in caravan with another family in another car, they went to Khor Khorin for the weekend. On the other car, the husband of the Mongolian woman was a Peruvian, and we spoke in spanish off course. He explained to me that in Mongolia only 10 spanish speaking people live there, 3 Peruvians, 3 Spanish and 4 Cubans. Some coincidence he said. Not difficult to know, as Mongolia's population is two million, of whom half live in the Capital Ulaanbaatar. He says that weather makes people not want to live there. Summer is pleasant but winter might be minus 30º C. and a bit tough on the countryside.

Got back to Ulaanbaatar and picked up my other backpack from the hostel. There I was told that there was a 9pm train to Russia, it was 8pm then. I almost ran to the train station, hard with all my stuff. Got there and discovered that I was on time for the train, but the international ticket office was closed now. Damn!!! I asked if it was possible to buy the ticket on board. I was told by the Information booth girl to ask the Train Manager. The Train Manager was a very attractive woman in her mid forties, perhaps fifties, very strong character, called Marina. Who during the whole trip, enjoyed to attend on a sort of bathtub robe and sleepers, she got of her uniform as soon as the train started to move. Some kind of service!!

With another girl's help while translating, I was 'ordered' to get on the train, and explained how much I had to pay, at the end, I had been smuggled into the train. I paid the price, but no ticket of course!! I slept at the Train Manager Cabin. Well, a bit original this time, though no discounts anyway.

¿Bebés en China? y... Mongolia!!!

Bebés en China

Pa no hacer el cuento largo, una mujer tiene derecho a tener UN hijo, el segundo te cuesta 100,000 RMB Yuanes, es decir 200,000 pesos que tienes que pagar al gobierno, el tercero 250,000 RMB Yuanes, osea 500,000 pesos. Si estando embarazada, no estás en condiciones de pagar o no tienes el dinero, te obligan a abortar. Si te escondes y aún tienes al bebé, el bebé no tiene tarjeta de identidad, no podrá conseguir trabajo ni educación, si el gobierno se entera, simplemente debes ese dinero y como una pensión alimenticia, se lo cobran de lo que tengas. No es juego!!!

Rumbo a Beijing, tomé el tren rápido, ibamos a 266 kms por hora!!! Super moderno

Mongolia son praderas hermosas que no te cansas de ver!!!

This trip is about understanding that even when things did not come out as you expected and you might be in your darkest moment, you can still be a winner, survive, and not only move on, but grab your balls to try to scale up and improve.

Esto dicho a la Mexicana…
Cuando las cosas me salen mal y me doy cuenta de que he perdido, en mi interior solamente brota una sensación de “van a ver cabrones… si creen que yo sali perdiendo, me amarro un huevo y aunque se me ponga morado (esa es frase de un amigo), voy a ser aún mejor” Así salió este viaje. Y hoy estoy en Mongolia en la mejor aventura que podría haber imaginado.

Ahora estoy viajando con el Koreano super buena onda llamado Jong Yeob. En el tren conocí a unos Polacos, tres hombres y una mujer. En un momento, ella por alguna razón estaba llorando y no se, me sentí mal de no poder hacer nada, solamente busqué en mi cartera, “algo” para darle como a un niño pa que se encontentara, le pegué en su playera una estampita de un niño sonriendo, le dije que las tengo para cuando me siento mal, tengo mis “emergency smiles”. La chica llorando se puso a reir. Después, cuando se cambió de ropa, me mostró su tarjeta de estudiante con la etiquetita pegada junto a su foto y me dijo gracias.

Los polacos me enseñaro a jugar el Mah Jong!!! Estuvimos jugando en el vagón restaurante del tren en Mongolia. Estuvimos tomando unas chelas. Por alguna razón que no entendimos, un cabrón de otra mesa, nos gritó algo mientras jugábamos, como encabronado, no entendimos. Al rato, llegó y se llevó unas fichas del juego, así que pos obviamente le hice bronca, no nos las quiso devolver, así que comencé a agarrar sus cosas de la mesa y ya mero se hacían los madrazos, en eso llego una de las señoras que atienden y le pidió las fichas de vuelta. Una de ellas, se la metió en la boca e hizo como que se la tragaba, creo nomás estaba borracho. Las devolvió y cada quien en lo suyo. Algunos curiosos me preguntaron si no le había sacado fotos, parece que eso les molesta, a lo que responí que no, ni lo habíamos visto.

Once we got of the train in Ulaanbaatar. Jong and I were walking headed to the Khongor Hostel. Note ven 5 minutes out of the Train Station and Jong had been robbed!! His bag had been opened and his Money bag being taken Hawai. How did we know? Fortunately a National Police officer (not uniformed), which we actually met at the train in a row about paying for the bed sheets as there was no charge evident. So, this guy, called Amapaa (translatade to Aramaa in Cyrilic), just reached us and told Jong that he had just been robbed and gave back the money bag!!! He then gave us a lift to the Khongor Hostel. Jong was very lucky, as he had all his money and documents in that bag!!!

Once booked at the Hostel, Jong and I toured around Ulaanbaatar, went for a Mongolian style lunch, went to the Government Building, Mongolian Regional Art Museum, Natural History Museum, with a bunch of dynosour skeletons exhibited and the Art Museum. Then visited the Gandantegchinlen Monastery, a compound of several buildings. We just went to have a short drink to a nearby bar, as it seems the city is a bit dangerous at night. You may be robbed either violently or without you noticing it. ☹

Beijing y Chengdé

En Beijing tuve la fortuna y gran coincidencia de volver a ver a Fabrizio e Ivan, italianos que conocí en el vuelo a Istanbul y con quienes pasé una semana super divertida. Total que nos volvimos a reencontrar y pasamos algunos días juntos. Durante mi estancia, conocí a muchísimos otros viajeros…

Un chavo super buena onda del País Vasco llamado Iban, Mahvish y Paul de Seattle, aunque ella vive en Seoul, Korea del Sur. Conocí a Raimondo Pictet de Padres Suizos pero nacido en Indonesia, Monika Abramczuk una Sueca altíiiisima y muy divertida, Salirse Rooney una irlandesa con mucha carrilla y que siempre estaba chingue y chingue tipo Mexicanos, Heidi de Finlandia. En el Bazar de Comida, Iban y yo conocimos a un grupo de chicas estudiando acupuntura: Cristian, Ivone e Itxaso.

Uff, cuanta gente!!!! En uno de los trenes conocí a Sandra y David, una pareja Alemana, fui al Hard Rock Café con Ana, Beatriz, Christopher, Louis y Reeve, y otros cuyos nombres ya no anoté, un grupo de extranjeros estudiando Chino.

Ya por el lado turístico, en Beijing fui al Lama Temple y al Confucian Temple and Gouzijian Museum, Fui al Forbidden City y al Gallery of Treasures, Ceramic and Bronze Galleries en el Tien Anmen Square, visité el Beijing Opera House, el Summer Palace and Lake, fui al Hou Hai Park and Lake y al Tei Hai Park. En algunas noches fui al Sanlitun Bar Street, al Wangfujing Shopping Street y al Increíble Donghuamen Lu Street Market donde comimos gusanos de seda y escorpiones (también hay cosas como Pene de Borrego y cosas así super raras). Fui al Hard Rock Café y a un restaurante llamado the Great Wall ultra riquísimo!!! También visité el Olympic Sports Center.

Durante mi estancia en Beijing, tomé un par de días para ir a Chengdé, una ciudad a 5 horas de distancia en Tren, y famosa por sus diversos templos. También saqué mi visa para ir a Mongolia!!!

Mi reloj ha estado fallando y llegué tarde al tren a las 12 de la noche hacia Chengdé. Después de llegar corriendo, sudando y ver que no llegué al tren, caminé de regreso, sin saber el rumbo y en eso un chino con señas me pide ver mi boleto, lo checa y me pide que lo acompañe. Después de pasar por una ruta laberíntica dentro de la estación de trenes, entendí que me llevaba a donde se cambiaban los boletos. A esa hora las taquillas están cerradas y solo en ese lugar podías hacer cambios. Salimos en el tren de las 12:40 am.

Que buena onda, que este chavo notó sin preguntar mi problema y me ayudó a conseguir el siguiente tren. Por cierto, en estas fechas hay mucha demanda de viajes en tren y solamente encontré boletos de “parado”, Chengdé estuvo increíble, pero han sido mis dos peores noches de mi vida. Sobre todo la primera, en donde dormí en el piso del tren, hacía un calor de la chingada y parecía vagón de metro repleto de gente. Creo en verdad, mi peor noche de sueño, dormí super mal!!!

En Chengdé visité el Mountain Resort Park, lugar que me fascinó, ya que es un parque gigante, y desde en la mañana ves grupos de gente haciendo todo tipo de deportes, cantando, haciendo coreografías de baile, algunos tocando instrumentos, cada quien por su lado en medio de la naturaleza y belleza de este parque. Fue un paisaje sumamente hermoso. Caminé por un pedazo de la gran Muralla y desde ahí “divisé” los templos a visitar. Visité 6 de los 8 Templos de Chengde, después del Mountain Park, fui al Sumí Fushou Temple, al Mutuo Zongzheng Temple (Potala Palace), Puning Temple (Ta Foa Zhi), al Yon Zhe Gong y Anyuan Temple. Todos muy diversos y padrísimos. Al último, me dejaron entrar después de rogar un poco porque acababan de cerrar.

Ese día caminé muchíiiiiiiiisimo y además ya de regreso a la ciudad, me toco caminar como una hora y media en la lluvia (con impermeable) pero fue una caminata hermosa junto al río.

Finalmente, mi última visita en Beijing, bueno, en sus alrededores, fue el trayecto a Mi Yun y de ahí a Simatai, uno de los lugares donde se visita la Gran Muralla China. Hay varios sitios de la muralla pa visitar, pero escogí este, un poco lejano, porque es donde casi no hay turistas, lo cual es casi imposible en China. El sitio es un sueño y junto con Shaan, Iban y Paul, la pasamos super divertido tomando fotos con poses chinas. Los chinos cuando van a salir en alguna foto, tienen poses super divertidas, ya se verá en las fotos.

Ayer salí de Beijing rumbo a la frontera entre China y Mongolia. De nuevo en un bus con camas, super cómodo!!! Ahora conocí a otro Koreano, super buena onda, tal vez seguimos juntos algunos días, se llama Jong. Hoy cruzo la frontera y al parecer, dicen que Mongolia es como ir a otro planeta. Sus atractivos son los paisajes del desierto, fósiles de dinosaurios y los maravillosos nómadas que van en sus “gets” o campamentos por todo el desierto. Muero de la emoción!!!

Hey, leyendo literatura sobre Russia y planeando la ruta de regreso por el Tren Trans Siberiano, descubrí la historia del nombre Kyivan Rus, el nombre que le puse a una de las pastas del Kukiaio. Ya sabía que era una zona en Rusia, pero resulta que el nombre tiene origen Vikingo y que era una zona de control de guerra y de intercambio de mercancías en una zona entre Ukrania, Bielorrusia y Rusia!!! El nombre Kyivan Rus surgió de un Tsar y de ahí comienza el nombre de Rusia aunque hasta varias décadas después...

Life… Under construction site

Qingdao

Después de Shanghai,me dirigí a una ciudad llamada Qingdao (se dice Chingdao), según que una ciudad muy padre estilo Alemán debido a que era una región alguna vez ocupada por los Alemanes. Es también un gran atractivo turístico por sus playas, 44 kms de playas diversas, repletas de turistas.

A pesar de que la cuidad no me pareció tan hermosa, en Qingdao visité muchos pequeños lugares, cada uno con un sabor especial, como perdidos dentro de esta ciudad con pequeños toques alemanes diría yo.

En el Kai Yue Youth Hostal (si, si, si, me dejan entrar y todo) conocí a un chavo llamdo Oliver, oriundo de Inglaterra. Sinceramente, a los 10 minutos de conocerlo, me pareció el sujeto más teto y aburrido del planeta, ¿planeta? La galaxia entera!!! Su forma de hablar y la conversación era, bueno, yo nomás quería ver como me zafaba. Hasta los que atendían el hostal nomás lo veían así como “uta, ya llegó este wey!!!”. Me hizo plática mientas desayunaba y me preguntó pa donde iba, le dije los lugares que pensaba visitar y me preguntó si me podía acompañar. Por momentos me quería zafar de el, pero al final, recordé la filosofía del viaje… “Dije abierto a todo ¿no?”. Total que le dije que “Si, encantado!!”. Fue un poco incómodo al principio para ambos, el wey no se decidia pa donde, además “le urgía” una tarjeta telefónica porque quien sabe quien le iba a hablar, pero no recordaba su número pa poder cargarle crédito, vamos, medio un desmadre el wey. Entre toda la ruta, entre que eran sus últimos días ahí y nos fuimos a comer, sinceramente ya pa medio día, teníamos una conversación super interesante. El wey es ingeniero en sistemas y trabaja en una compañía que hace software para naves espaciales, “con razón” era como tipo geniecillo y medio por eso ultra tetillo. Pero terminó siendo buena onda y hablamos de cosas chidas. Fue raro, ir contra un instinto inicial y descubrir en una persona que la verdad era un hígado, poco a poco alguien interesante.

En Qingdao visité el Lao She Park, el Tianhou Palace que está junto a la Christian Church sin mucho chiste la verdad, nos perdimos buscando The Guest House, que era una casa de verano de antiguos emperadores (estaba increíble) y en ello encontramos el City Observatory desde donde ubicamos todos los lugares de interés. De ahí nos fuimos al Huashi Tower Stone Villa (un pequeño castillito junto a la playa), caminamos por la Nº1 Bathing Beach (las playas solamente tienen números como nombres).

Visité también el Xiauyushan Park, una torre estilo pagoda en la cima de una montañita junto frente a la costa, y caminando llegué al Navy Museum, al Zhanqiao Pier donde al final hay un “Art Museum” que verdaderamente tenía una mierda de exhibición, aunque es interesante ver la estructura pagoda en al final del muelle rodeado de mar. La zona tipo Alemán, podría decirse que está en el Peoples Hall, donde se encuentran hoteles y tiendas fresillas. Por la noche visité la Catholic Church, ubicada frente a una explanada con varios pequeños locales y calles empedradas, si parecía Alemán. Finalmente caminé por el Zhonghsan St. La calle de las tiendas.

Algo tendrá la comida China, que desde que llegué, cual adolecente, me está saliendo acné!!!!