Summer Splurge : Gaining Pounds, Expending Europhia

So we finally managed to get out for our annual July 4th vacation after a couple year hiatus, when life seemingly had taken over.

These vacations are special time with family, pointing the idiosyncrasies, discovering a few new ones and having a good laugh, discovering hidden latent talents on the R&R path– and above all finding a few teachable moments that vacation seemingly offer as we tryst with the unknown, and the ongoing empowering-uplifting moments. Our July vacations in the past had taken us to National Parks like Banff, Jasper, Yellowstone, Bryce, Zion, Acadia and some pretty incredible European locales in London, Paris, Scotland and more ...creating wonderful memories. This one turned out special also, as we hit the much heard of Mediterranean coast of Europe.

The blog link is here, that was written hastily while waiting for the flight out at Barcelona airport; a brain dump of sorts before memories/details evaporate. So excuse the brevity as I brace for the mad scramble of the real world tomorrow.http://vacation2go.blogspot.com/2014/07/summer-splurge-gaining-pounds-expending.html

Time has been a precious commodity lately, and unlike our previous years, we did not have the luxury of planning out this one to the prior detail. We booked our cruise through cheapcruises.com almost three months prior. NOTE: Costco prices were not as good – almost $2500 more. The prices though kept dropping after, but we didn’t have that priceline type price protection. Our airline was booked after price check via Google flights and we then called Sunnyvale travel to book our tickets. Our Rome hotel was booked by looking over blogs, which recommended Campo Di Fiori location. We found our hotel CASO BLANCO based on a Lonely Planet recommendation – and we booked it by calling the hotel directly. For Barcelona we honed upon the La Ramba street happening area based on a friend’s recommendation, Hotel ORIENT ATIRAM – which worked out very well for us. AirBnB is a great option too worth exploring, but we haven’t had the mind shift yet to adopting this new approach. That was enough work already.

We were looking for a cruise vacation to make it easy for us; packaged excursions, food and room taken care off. Italy, France, Spain here we come….our first foray into the Mediterranean! We had a choice to go Norwegian Cruiseline or with Celebrity Cruises. Based on the reviews, the rating, we picked Celebrity for our 7 night cruise. There are many blog sites by cruise aficionadas, and based on reviews we decided to pick the cruisingexcursions.com day excursion package, instead of the celebrity packages that were way more expensive. We booked our day excursion package a couple weeks prior to our flight out from SFO. The few negative reviews for crusingexcursions.com at the blog were overrated – we didn’t have any issues with the excursion company – everything was managed well. Now Norwegian Cruise hits some fairly large cities in their 7 day cruise, whereas Celebrity hits the smaller ports; but the quality of the Celebrity cruise experience is so much better with Celebrity – you get the absolute 5 star experience. We actually saw the Norwegian cruise ship and Celebrity side by side and we were happy we had booked on Celebrity. It was advised to carry Euros with us (as against travelers check) – and that may not have been necessary in retrospect, as mostly everyone takes credit cards. But do brace yourself, it ain’t the Italian Liras anymore – this place is super expensive for the US $. The cheapest place on earth is now America. What!

We land in Rome jet lagged and sleep deprived. Rome has a special fascination after watching the HBO series Rome and those weekends at Bellagio and Venetian. They were a total fake, and this was the real deal. It was blazing hot – the sun beat down hard. The cobblestones all over the city radiates the heat back into our faces – and the one thing we discovered, our skins started peeling within a few days of our stay (tip – use sun screen). We had been advised to be careful with pick pockets – so we were ultra careful with our passport, wallet, luggage everything – staying away from crowded areas all through our European trip. After a quick taxi ride to the hotel we were checked-in into our bed & breakfast room @ 10 in the morning – an option that may not have been possible with a regular hotel….and we were out and about. Rome is definitely fascinating with so much history all over the city. We had only 24 hours to wrap our excursion – and our bed and breakfast location was ideal. We did get the 24 hour hop on, hop off pass – but that may have been not necessary, as this b&b is so ideally located. Our first stop was the coliseum – the inspiration for all stadiums across the world. Hard to imagine that in 20AD these magnificent monuments had been constructed. The grandeur the vision was mind-boggling. The tourists from all over the world had descended upon Europe now – people from Australia, India, America, parts of Europe enjoying the splendor of a Rome vacation. Excavations still uncover buried ruins that continue to pop up all over the city. The summer time ambiance in Rome was very special in spite of the heat. After the Coliseum, we made a trip to the St Peters Basilica / Vatican which was eye popping. Back to our BnB, we went for a stroll to our targeted dinner at the restaurant that Justina from CASO BLANCO had recommended. The bridge over the river Tiber was a very nice walk – with a mela going on under the bridge. We enjoyed the evening dinner in the “ghetto area” right across the bridge – which was actually a hotbed of happening. Tourist and locals, walking together, people dining outside - just a fabulous summer evening in Rome. The pizzas were special and the food was just enjoyable fare. We took a walk after dinner and discovered a concert going out door with hundreds sitting and enjoying late evening after diner (What no dancing?). Most European cities are designed with a town square in mind – where grotesque heads would be hung up for days as a lesson in those times bygone. But now they have become a place where the locals, tourist, circus acts, musicians, peddlers, hang out – creating this fantastic ambiance. The next day we visited the Forum and Pantheon. We walked a lot, but the views were spectacular and the pictures delightful. Romans in general are a friendly bunch and readily accept the “foreigners” who descend like wave upon their city.

Onto the cruise ship, docked at the CIVITAVECCHIA port. That is quite a drive from the area – and it took us almost 130 Euros to get to the port. With our luggage, train travel to get to the port seemed cumbersome and we took the easy way out. The cruise ship was just an elegant experience, every minute detail taken care off – daily/weekly maintenance ongoing. As our son pointed out, they even had a guy just for standing and saying “GOOD MORNING, Goooooood Morning, Yoooohooooooooooo” – every morning. This one compared very well with the Disney cruise vacation we had taken a few years ago that had set the bar for us (Blog here) . Celebrity cruise (perhaps like many others) have now started charging for soft drinks – whereas our cruises in the past at least had soft drinks covered. Cruise ships in the past did not have a walking area but this one did and many of us chose to exercise the walking area – 8 loops a mile on the top deck. The cruise experience is definitely evolving. Vegetarian options were extensive yet limited – even though this particular cruise ship had an Indian section available as part of the buffet on the top deck. The evening sit down dining experience – included in our package- also provided a few vegetarian options. Celebrity cruise evening dining has 2 menus – a menu that does not ever change, and then another which changes (left side, right side). There were other sit down restaurants on board that were available for E150 /person/dining and we didn’t feel they were worthwhile. There was constant marketing of these restaurants and not many were going with these “extras”. Silhouette Dining, our package sit down restaurant on deck 4 was where we dined most evenings. The service was great. We had read that folks had actually talked to the Maitre’d and gotten special Indian dinner customized per request (chole baturay, paav bhaji etc). That did not work for us and we got tired of the standing Indian buffet in the OCEAN VIEW restaurant on the top deck – that were sometimes brought down for our sit down dining. The Indian buffet had a couple vegetarian choices but they were standing fare. There wasn’t any dal – but typically canned lentil dal like. The papaddums, raita, aaachar were great and available every single meal. Wi-Fi access is super expensive on board and that leads to families doing things together at times, kindle reading and our boys made friends with 25 other boys on board playing basketball sometimes until 2AM. The food was fabulous mostly. The one suggestion that we have for Celebrity is to cut down the proportion sizes that were served at the buffet. There was so much food wastage it was downright disgusting. Some innovation to reduce proportions and reduce wastage would be very good. For example, dessert containers could be trimmed down to a quarter size, croissants could be reduced to 25% of the size they were being served. With so many choices, the natural inclination is to try out too many things. Unfortunately with a cruise vacation, we stop watching the calories and it starts manifesting quickly into the waist line, before you can say EUROPHIA . The cruise ship formal dinners (two evenings during our 7 day stay) was quite elaborate – best to bring a suit, tie / bow tie along. It is the opportunity to take pictures and preserve the memories. About 50% of the cruise population was retired seniors, another 35% in the 35 to 50 bracket and then a few young couples. There was entertainment every night, sparsely attended due to the morning excursions that typically left shore at 8:30AM or 9am – we usually had to call it an early night. The jet lag also did not help for the first few days.

Day 1 excursion – Port Livorno excursion to Pisa and Florence ITALY Most excursions are made super easy by Celebrity. Take your sea card (no passport required) hop onto the bus waiting outside the cruise ship on the dock and you are off. Our tour guides at every excursion had quite a story to tell – and provide us a cliffs note version of the town, the history and even sprinkled in their personal view points at times. Our first stop was the Leaning Tower of Pisa, where Galileo conducted his gravity experiments. It is still a booming university town. Immigrants from South East Asia – primarily Bangladesh – have taken over the tourist industry all over Europe. You can’t miss them as they seek out and peddle their wares. They have a knack of knowing exactly which country you are from by just looks. They are typically on a mission to get their “green card” which typically takes a few years of “hanging out” and then they start launching their own businesses with their entrepreneurial attitude. The one handicap of taking a cruise ship – is you are time bound with the excursions. We did not have a chance to climb up the leaning tower – just enough time to take a family picture and you are back on the bus. Our expectation was a very sleepy laid back Pisa village with cattle walking the grassy paths and a lonely tower of Pisa. Not quite! This was a touristic town and right next to the tower was a magnificent Cathedral. Yes – this place was throbbing with tourists and activity. A project with every daytime excursion was discovering cafes that provided wi-fi access to download emails, and our boys downloading that new game on their phones they were craving for. Celebrity wifi packages were way too expensive and not worth it. Ordering a cappuchino, sitting down with the cell phone was a great break from the vacation (huh?). For the first time, we did not carry a camera bag, but had cameras stuck inside our back pack – which did make it very convenient. Our camcorder did not get used a whole lot – and methinks a small camera is more than sufficient for our future vacations. The camera with large telephoto lenses – just makes it very cumbersome – we like traveling light.

From Pisa our bus was en route to Florence. The mediaeval renaissance happened here; it was the Athens of the middle ages. Florence is noted for its culture, art, architect and monuments. It was a very nice walk into the heart of Florence. This was urbanity personified, Lots of amazing shopping. Our guide Roza took the excursion team to this amazing lunch experience – 3 different pastas – that our boys thought was the best pasta in the world. Maggianos pasta and Santana Row was long forgotten. Remember to purchase your favorite pasta to bring home – which we seemingly forgot to do. The gelatos were a regular component of our dessert. Lots of amazing cathedrals, renaissance architecture, cheap shopping intermixed with the brand stores – this was a mela happening every single day. We were back to the cruise ship where the crew awaited with iced towels, water / punch and a warm smile.

Day 2 excursion – Villefranche ITALY, plus Monaco and Montecarlo A perfume factory was our first stop. We discovered the details of perfume making – and it was quite fascinating. In particular, our boys wanted the job of the NOSE, who worked only 3 hours a day and got paid the mega bucks to differentiate fragrances. The sleepy town of Tze next was not a big deal. But Monaco, the jewel of French Riveria, became the highlight. Fabulous hillside homes – the weather was perfect and we were getting the California experience in Europe (huh?). No wonder our weather in Silicon Valley was referred to as Mediterranean – picture perfect setting. Our tour guide described the highs and lows experienced by the prince of Monaco in gory details. The changing of guards at the palace at noon was a ho-hum affair with hundreds gathered and flashing cameras. The race track of Monte Carlo were fabulous, the casinos very exclusive and the cars around the casino even more so - an urban skyscraper jungle all around us. We saw the Bugatti Veyron purring around, which truly made it the highlight for our boys. Monaco was Las Vegas on steroids. Made for some very good pictures.

Day 3 – Ajjacio (Corsica) FRANCE The next day we found ourselves at the Ajjacio port in Corsica, heading to Bastica. Train ride into this sleepy town – the population declined from 300,000 to 50,000 with everyone flocking to the big city of Ajjacio to work. Apparently, this town was much bigger than Ajjacio, but Napolean’s special favors upon Ajjacio, turning it the capital of Corsica has now made Ajjacio a thriving town of today. There is always talk of secession by Corsica from France (they are now emphasizing the Corsican language, culture etc) – but that movement is not going anywhere. This was a short excursion – we got back to the ship, quickly leaving our boys on the ship who were very happy to be back onboard and got back to the shore to check out the home where Napolean was born. This is a home that is visited by dignitaries from all over Europe. The audio tour guide was very well done. Interestingly, the last time we were in Europe we were at Napolean’s tomb in Paris, and this time we were at Corsican home where he was born and lived until 9 years of age. Our tour guide was very explicit in talking about the value that Napolean delivered to his hometown of Ajjacio, but not so much to the island of Corsica.

Day 4 – Sardinia Sardinia had picture perfect weather, great beaches and it was well worth taking the 20 minute hike to the beaches. Day 5 - on sea Time to do your reading, relaxing, working on the laptop – whatever. It was time well spent. Day 6 – Palma De Mallorca (orange blossom wooden train to Sallor) The wooden train ride was definitely worth it into the town of Sallor through 13 tunnels. Lemons and oranges strewn all over town, one big yellow carpet. The narrow streets were nice, the fruits and vegetables being sold in the mom and pop shops (the super markets are seemingly missing in Europe) were very California like. Not much to do in this town – but you get the feel of rural Europe. The next day found us in Barcelona the home of the 1992 Olympics. The long lines for the taxi at the port reminded us of Vegas. The taxi driver decided to play the funky math – and charged us 3 times the fare – from the port to our hotel (about 3 kms); and we didn’t have the heart to complaint as long as the pick pockets stayed away from us. Our hotel on La Ramba street was recommended by a good friend from Saratoga and it was the perfect location for us . We were unusually tired leaving the cruise ship and decided to take it easy on day 1, just exploring the La Ramba street and vicinity. There are quite a few tourist traps very close to the street. Interestingly, through our stay in Barcelona we ventured out to various parts of town, but always ended up coming back to La Ramba for our lunch and dinner. We invariably spotted a few families from our cruise ship too during our time in Barcelona. We met families from other parts of the world who had been vacationing for 5+ weeks; unheard off for Americans. We walked to the beach on Day1, which was packed every inch with people (being a Saturday). That was an experience – as we have never seen beaches packed with sardines like we did here. We ended up watching Argentina play Belgium beachside sitting outdoor in the shade. The local were rooting like crazy for Messi and his Argentina team. Spain had won the last world cup and weren’t too dejected by their early exit this time, and were now rooting hard for Messi’s Argentina. Interestingly both Messi and Nemar play for the local Barcelona club – this club is stacked to win championships. The 8th minute had a goal, and the locals erupted with GOAAAAAAAAL (yes I have that one on video). As we sat watching soccer the Spanish monologue, locals would pop in to check the score on the outdoor TV and walk away. The streets were so wide in the touristy areas, with plenty of wide side walks liberally sprinkled all over the city. We discovered TERESA CHARLES vegetarian restaurant close to La Ramba. It was a very nice sit down experience with some very unique choices. The owner was very happy to find us – chatting about his discovery trip to California – and now his daughter was embarking on creating an elegant vegetarian dining experience for Barcelona based on that learning. Mind boggling to think that he conceived of a vegetarian restaurant in Barcelona (which loves its meat) in 1979.

Day2 in Barcelona. We now purchased the 2 day hop-on, hop-off bus “Barcelona City Bus Tour”. The subway /tube is an option which would be a lot faster, but needs some skillful navigation with the various interchanges and I guess we have to be ready to walk a lot. With our Red bus, taking the green line, we ventured out to the Barcelona stadium. Lots of fancy pictures at the stadium made it the highlight. None of the US stadiums offer a tour like this – they may be missing out on an revenue opportunity. Lots of history was packed into the presentation by the stadium. We had access to video highlights, museum, press box, locker room – the works. Well worth it. Sangria Familia, the top tourist attraction had long lines and we decided to skip it for day 1. NOTE: You are better off making ticket reservations online for attractions that are a must see; otherwise you have to deal with long lines. Day3 – The rain finally hit us on our last day in Barcelona. The peddlers quickly switched over and started selling cheap umbrellas for the tourists….like magic. Today was the day we dedicated to Gaudi, We ventured out to the Sangria Familia. A blend of architecture, geometry, art, imagination, masonry, engineering, lighting, sound, divinity, worship, meditation, history and tourism all intertwined together to make it one fascinating experience. This one will be a high maintenance church once finished; has been under construction for a few decades now, and will take another few decades to finish. The Gaudi garden PARK GUELL was our next stop – but a bit too tiring to finish. We stopped over at the historical Barcelona City museum our last stop of the day. Some fantastic picturesque spots here. The dinner later at LUZIA off La Ramba was quite good. We had found a vegetarian falafel place close to the hotel that was very good too. Souvenir shopping right outside the hotel was great. The location is indeed lively! The next morning found us taking the cab ride to the Europe a short 25 minute ride (40 euros) and a nice honest cab driver. The next morning, after a quick breakfast, we took the short 25 minute cab ride to the Barcelona airport. Our flight took off, as we were checked into United by our Penelope Cruze look alike, and we bid good bye to the deep blue Mediterranean sea with its amazing tapestry of colors. Yes it was an alright vacation!

Call Travel Agents that serve Immigrant groups - and save big!

You going to India? Talk to an Indian travel agent
Going to China? Talk to a Chinese travel agent
Makes sense?
Seth Kugel finally catches on - best practices that many of us adopted long ago...
Read on


Saving money on flights by going offline

By Seth Kugel

New York Times
Posted: 02/18/2012 12:00:00 AM PST

I remember the days when it wasn't faceless online search engines that helped me find the best deals on flights, but real live people called travel agents. Ivica got me a great bargain to Croatia. Alla helped me maneuver domestic flights within Russia, with an unbeatable price. And Fanny planned my dream trip to China with expert ease.

Actually, it's pretty easy to remember those days: They were just last month. Those trips were only tests -- tests of the real-life niche travel agencies in New York City and elsewhere that serve immigrant communities, pitched against the popular airfare websites.

The result: Nearly every time, travel agents bested the Internet big boys on both price and service. In other words, the agents suggested alternate routes, gave advice on visas and acted, well, more human than their computer counterparts.

In some cases, the agents trounced the competition. The best bargain I found was for an imagined two-week jaunt to Croatia, visiting Zagreb, Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian coast.

I first tried Travelocity, which gave me an astonishingly high $2,923 round-trip fare to Dubrovnik. Orbitz came up with $1,313. Kayak's price, $1,008, was better; Vayama came up with $862; Expedia, after much shuffling of dates, was the online winner with $798.

Then I called Pan Adriatic Travel (http://panadriatic.com), a Croatian-owned agency in Queens. "John" answered -- he was really
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Ivica Glavinic, the owner, using an English-friendly name -- and asked what I was planning to do in Croatia. I told him, noting that I could fly into and out of either Dubrovnik or Zagreb.

"You don't want to go to Zagreb and come back from Zagreb!" he practically shouted -- common knowledge to him, apparently. "You want to go to Zagreb, go down the coast, come back from Dubrovnik. I'll send you an email in five minutes."

His fare: $480, taxes included. That's 40 percent off the least expensive online flight I had found. The catch: I had only an hour to commit. If I had really been planning the trip, I certainly would have. When I called Glavinic later and revealed that I was a journalist, he said those deals don't always pop up -- I had been lucky. "But I can always get you a better deal" than online sites, he added.

I don't think his boast was an idle one. In years of booking trips to Brazil through BACC Travel, a Brazilian agency based in New York (212-730-1010; http://bacctravel.com), I can't remember a time they couldn't at least slightly beat the online price.

Other tests of Chinese, Russian, Brazilian, Ecuadorean and Indian agencies resulted in victories or virtual ties with my invented travel scenarios. Only in one case -- a flight to Manila, Philippines -- did the Web score a definitive victory over a storefront agency, and then only by about $50.

As my itineraries got more complicated, the search engines had even more trouble keeping pace with the agencies. At Delgado Travel, an Ecuadorean-owned agency (800-335-4236) with branches across the United States, I asked about a trip that included Quito and Cuzco, Peru. An agent quoted me $1,213, beating (just barely) the $1,294 route I found using ITA Software, a site that finds the least expensive flights but does not book them. Vayama was second, at $1,386.

When I went to Kayak and reverse-engineered the specific dates and flights I got at Delgado, I could indeed match their price. But most of the time I couldn't. That's because many of the agencies are consolidators, meaning they negotiate discount rates with airlines on specific routes in exchange for a promise of volume sales.

It is generally true that the online engines will find the best domestic coach fares -- although even that can get complicated. Southwest flights, for example, don't appear on most search engines.

I took things up a notch with even more complicated itineraries in Russia and China. My Russian trip included Moscow, Kazan and Irkutsk. My Chinese route was Beijing, Chengdu and Hangzhou.

For the Russian plan, the search engine results varied widely, from $5,199 on Kayak to $1,373 on Vayama. Then I contacted Bella's Travel (212-730-1010) in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn's Russian enclave. The receptionist asked "Do you have a visa?" I hadn't thought of that, and it turns out they are tricky to get -- but Bella's could help, for $70 in addition to the visa fee. She then sent me over to a very pleasant agent named Alla, who conjured up a $1,301 fare. Total time spent: 15 minutes, much less than I spent online.

And you don't have to live in New York -- just seek out the agents online. A clue you've come to the right place: The website looks as if it was designed a decade ago, does not have online searching and directs you to call a phone number associated with a real address.

I tried just that with an online search for Chinese travel specialists and came upon USChinaTrip.com (909-895-8858). I emailed them with my dates and cities, and they got back to me within a few hours. Their price: $1,369. That beat out, although barely, a deal found by Fanny at Joy World Travel in Queens (718-460-5100). However, it soundly bested the online search engines again, which would have charged me $356 more for the dubious privilege of dealing with a machine instead of a human.

2012 Mayan Prophecy - Cancun/ Mayan Riveria have some fascinating stories

Undeterred by travel warnings and frightening headlines about safety in Mexico, we decided to book our Cancun trip. Cancun is definitely touristy and a destination that we had furiously avoided these years. With the end of the world in sight in 2012, and so much discussion centered around the apocalyptic omen, it seemed appropriate that we head to Cancun and check out the Mayan calendar that has been the focus of so much discussions, speculations and prophecy.

Mayan Calendar

Cancun was a deserted island until the late 1960s, when government agencies apparently ran a computer simulation called "Bugsy" to pick the most perfect spot for a tourist paradise. Cancun emerged and the rest is history. (Yes, Cancun does seems to have shades of Vegas - a strip that is flashy and as touristy as it gets). The island is composed of lagoons, marshes, jungles and coral reefs along with some incredible historical tours.

We have trended these last few years to making quick decisions and easy vacation choices. Costco for hotel ($880 for the 7 nights) and expedia for plane tickets. Absolute no-brainer decision, hit Submit (that was early November) and next thing you know, we were scampering to get the year closed out and take the early morning flight to Cancun. We considered these all inclusive monster deals, but we had visions of putting on 20 lbs on our way back, and our food and drinks being simple as they are (vegetarian and teetotalers), we decided to not opt for the ALL INCLUSIVE deals, which seemingly are a big rage for Mexico’s tourists. Summer time, the all inclusive (hotel only) deals run for $200 (food, hotel + excursions) and Winter they can run $500+. Mind you, if you don’t go for the all inclusive package, be prepared to spend $200/day for food. If you go after a hurricane hits Cancun, the prices have usually plummeted to rock bottom

Our flight was uneventful with our “full-service airline”. Be prepared to be solicited for everything as you step outside after customs. Just like taking a cab from San Franciso into South Bay, the cab fares are steep from Cancun to the hotel zone $40 to $50, but check with your travel package / hotel – they may have a shuttle running from the airport.

We were at the Marriott Casa Magna.

The hotel is great; next door to the JW Marriott. You get to pick between the restaurants @ JW and Casa Magna, as they are conveniently connected. The location of these hotels is not perfect (the Carribean seas are a tad choppy, windy - and the beach has a receding line syndrome, and sand "cliffs" of about 3 to 5 feet are emerging on the coastline to preserve the beach area for siesta loving tourists). You are better off staying near one of the shopping malls like LA ISLA MALL (Sheraton Resorts is one of the choices) INCLUDE MAP.

But it is a safe tourist town and cabs/ buses work very well to get out. Buses are $8.50 Pesos a ride to anywhere in town and their frequency is quite good. Most tourists and locals just use the bus service to get around. The cab fares in and around Cancun hotel zone are very reasonable $7 to $12.

Restaurants – We loved a couple restaurants around Marriott Casa Magn, the Thai restaurant (inside Casa Magna) and SAVIOs. The GUSTINO’s Italian restaurant in J W Marriott is over-rated, we found the service lacking and portions very small – 30% of what is typical in the bay area.

SHOPPING: The malls (ISLA MALL, FORUM mall) have the junk that we tourists seek – but the flea markets are more fun. There is a flea market in downtown MERCADO 28, which has lots of eating choices too. If you enjoy the inevitable bargaining in the flea market you may love it. But the place to strike real bargains is at Chichen Itza.You can shop for Leather, silver, pottery, postcards, hair braids, frames, magnets, glassware, art work, handicrafts, etc. The prices in the mall are …well overpriced. Don't expect to find anything "out of the ordinary" or terribly unique though, all the marketplaces in Cancun sell all the same types of things. Chichen Itza though is particularly easy to strike some great bargains. More on that later.

Suzanne our travel agent in Cancun (0529981365060) got us some great deals for our excursion trip. Our trip to Chichen Itza was through “Cancun Sightseeing” $45/adult $23/kid. Knowing these prices, you can decide if you want to pre-purchase prior to your trip on the web. Here is another tour company http://www.grayline.com/Cancun/Chichen_Itza_Deluxe_Tour#Highlights
Chichen Itza, founded in the year 514 AD, was once the capital of the ancient Mayan civilization and was recently declared one of the “7 Modern Wonders of the World.” The ruins are steeped in a magical history of bloody rituals of human sacrifice, a warrior culture, astrological discovery, and elaborately constructed Maya-Toltec buildings. The ruins are a must see for any visit to Cancun. Here is what a typical tour will cover for you.
• The Majestic Observatory
• The Sacred Cenote - Where sacrifices once took place, and you can take a dip in the cool waters.
• The Ball Court - The largest and deadliest Ball Game in Mesoamerica. The arena is 168 meters in length and 70 meters in width with perfect acoustics.
• The Pyramid of Kukulcan - Where both theology and astronomy combine to produce a unique spectacle twice a year, the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Solstice. On these days, the shadows projected over the architectural elements of the building resemble a serpent descending into the ground. Located inside the pyramid, is the famous Chac Mool sculpture and the Jaguar Throne.
It is a long drive to get to Chichen Itza, and it is highly likely the bus tour will lead you into a tourist trap, prior to lunch. Check out the offerings, but you are better off purchasing once you arrive at Chichen Itza. In fact, I would highly recommend it as THE place for you to shop for your quaint Mexican artifacts. For example, we bought a few Obsidian stones at really good prices. The prices we were quoted in the tourist trap was in the $40 to $100. And we got the same stone for <100 pesos ($7.70). The tour guide at Chicen Itza (arranged by our tour company) was excellent and provided some great insights into the history.

 The Sacred Cenote

 The pyramid of Kukulcan

 (see serpent at the bottom)

We got to Chichen Itza a bit late ~2:30pm and with the gates closing @ 5pm – barely gave us any time to explore the place though. If you are adventurous, consider renting a car for the day and driving up there….will definitely provide you more time to explore. But it is a long day (Leave the hotel @ 7pm and back to the hotel after 8pm).

So what is Obsidian is not a gemstone. It is formed during fast cooling of la va products after a volcanic eruption - that’s why they call it “volcanic glass”. According to ancient superstition, Obsidian brings to its wearer the energy of Earth, thus strengthening his spirit and healing his body. Ancient people called Obsidian "Satan's claws' fragments". A legend says the stone was named after a Roman warrior Obsidian who brought this stone from Ethiopia.. All Obsidians are talismans which offer strong shield against any negativity http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/obsidian-stone.html

The second trip to Tulum Coba was through TANSLOMEX http://www.translamex.com/– that included lunch. We got this for $50/adult $30/kid (under 12). The Tulum Coba combo is hard to find as it is not a preferred option for many. So this combo operates only on certain days.

Tulum, the great walled city, where you can be entranced by the cliff top view over the Caribbean and one of the area's most beautiful beaches. This history as you tour the ruins and learn about the advanced civilization of the Mayas is indeed fascinating.

Then it's off to Coba, much larger than Tulum, and less touristed. Here you can climb the great pyramid, one of the area's most exciting attractions. You can rent a rickshaw at Coba to be chauffeur driven around the site, or you can rent a bicycle if you'd like to give it a go on your own.

During the Coba tour, you will visit the original mayan stone stele, which is the origin about the prophecies and confusions about the 2012, the original stone stele enclosed and protected.This mayan stone stele, full with glyphs and historic writting of the mayas, is part of a serie of steles, correspondent to the Nohoch Mul group of stones, with the same name as the Coba Pyramid. This glyphs includes the real true about the 2012 prophecies, written during the Kalach Uinic. In the main stele, there is the December 21th 2012 prophecies, where the confusion and the theory begin. The theories that the tour guides have chosen to stick to is that – the Mayan Calendar was crafted only till December 21st 2012.  Another theory is that the Mayas, great wise people of the millenary cultures, have left a message for us that this not the end of the times, but refer to the general human kind mind change that we will have in 2012.

Coba is less accessible than Chichen Itza, but because the visitors tend to be more considerate of the archeology, visitors are allowed more direct access to the ruins. At Coba you will be able to climb the great pyramid of Nohoch Mul, the highest Pyramid in the Yucatan peninnsula. You also have virtually unrestricted access to many other smaller but equally impressive ruins. Chichen Itza pyramid is out of bounds, but we were allowed to climb Nohoch Mul in Coba. 29 meters tall. Going up is easy – as long as you don’t look behind. But coming down, it is a lot easier if you pair up, and hold hands – with one leading and the other following behind. The person in the lead is constantly being pulled back by the person behind and the person lagging, stepping down has the support of the person in front. If you can muster up the courage, you definitely need to climb. At the top of Nohoch Mul you can view a panorama of dense jungle with other pyramids and buildings poking up through the lush green carpet in all directions. As you stand at the top of Nohoch Mul you will have a view similar to that offered to the Mayan Priests over 1500 years ago. Be aware the climb of Nohoch Mul is not a cake walk. There are 124 steps to get to the top. The pyramid rises at a significant angle, so if you have a weak heart or very young children with you the full climb is best avoided. A thick rope down the middle of the pyramid has been provided that can make the climb a little easier.
A large number of Stelae (stone slabs inscribed with Mayan hieroglyphics) have been found and by deciphering these stelae much of the information we now know about Coba has been discovered. Due to the importance of these stelae, many have been removed to Mexico City for analysis. However a small number have been left in place. They normally have been given a small thatched roof to protect them as best as is possible from further erosion. The ball courts are fascinating too. The tour guides look to explain it all.

The rest of the time in Cancun, we hung out by the Caribbean Sea's turquoise water and the hotel pool. Many short naps, and relaxing lunches and dinners. Cancun turned out to be OK - provided us a beach vacation along with an opportunity to soak in Mayan culture. Highly recommend it!

There are other attractions like Xela, Isla Mojares etc - but they didn't creep up into our list - but definitely excursion options that you may want to consider











FROM USA TODAY
Cancun was a deserted island until the late 1960s, when government agencies created a plan to make it a tourist destination, according to Cancun’s Official Travel Information website. The island, composed of lagoons, marshes, jungles and coral reefs, welcomes visitors who wish to enjoy its pristine beaches and wildlife. Cancun sightseeing tours provides vacationers with several touring options, whether they want to traverse through the jungle, get close to marine life or explore archeological ruins.
Chichen Itza Tour from Cancun
Named one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” Chichen Itza features Maya-Toltec ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula. Tourists see structures once used for worship, human sacrifice, and mathematical and scientific discovery, such as the Pyramid of Kukulcan, the Ball Court and the Majestic Observatory. The Chichen Itza Tour by Gray Line Cancun includes round-trip transportation from Cancun hotels, entrance fee to Chichen Itza, bilingual-certified INAH guides, extra time to explore the ruins and use of Mayaland Hotel and Resort. It takes about 12 hours to complete this tour, including the hour and a half guided portion. Ticket prices vary for adults and children and depend on upgrades, such as horseback riding, added to ticket packages. Gray Line Cancun Robalo #30 SM 3 Cancun, Quintana Roo Mexico 77500 800-235-4079 graylinecancun.com
Xcaret Day Trip Tours
My Cancun Tours Xcaret Day Trip Tours provide a variety of activities for sightseers. Activities on the tour consist of visiting Mexican cemeteries and landmarks, exploring jungle trails, underwater adventures in a coral reef, visiting Mayan villages and swimming with dolphins. The prices of packages include admission to Xcaret Ecological Park, transportation to and from hotels, water activities, life jackets, Jaguar Island, the Bat Cave and a night show. Packages don’t offer meals, snacks and beverages. Xcaret provides rental lockers to store personal belongings. It also prohibits the use of suntan lotions or sun blocks that are not biodegradable; sightseers may bring their own biodegradable products or purchase them at the facility. Ticket prices vary, but children less than 40 inches tall enter for free. My Cancun Tours Boulevard Kukulkan, Km 3.5 Plaza Nautilus, Local 20 B, Hotel Zone Cancun, Quintana Roo Mexico 866-235-8889 mycancuntours.com
Paradise Sub See Explorer
Aquaworld Cancun Tours’ Paradise Sub See Explorer consists of exploring the Punta Nizuc coral reef from the inside of a yellow submarine. Visitors see the diverse marine life in the coral reef, possibly even a dolphin. Two-hour tour packages include bilingual tour guides, lunch at Aquaworld’s outdoor restaurant, bottled water and lockers. Combination packages consist of the submarine tour and unlimited snorkeling after the submarine ride. Tours begin at Aquaworld, where sightseers board a boat and take a 30-minute ride through the lagoon’s mangrove jungle to the coral reef. Upon arrival, tourists get on the Sub See Explorer and a bilingual tour guide points out marine life and underwater plant life. At the end of the tour, tourists return to the Aquaworld. Ticket prices vary for adults, children and groups and depend on whether sightseers combine packages or not. Aquaworld Coastal Avenue Km 3.5 Cozumel, Mexico 011-52-998-848-83-27 aquaworld.com.mx



Read more: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/Mexico/Estado_de_Quintana_Roo/Cancun-959663/Shopping-Cancun-Markets-BR-1.html#ixzz1jJlZ3b1U

DC to Maine

Day 1 through Day 4 New York City
Day 5 To DC via Philly
Day 6, 7, 8 - DC
Day 9 - Boston
Day 10 - Acadia, Maine
Day 12 - NJ

Pura Vida Costa Rican Style – Absolutely Directo !

Pura Vida (POO-rah VEE-dah), literally translated means “Pure Life.", rather intriguing....We asked a friendly Costa Rican to define it for us. And he spent the next ten minutes extolling the virtues of PURA VIDA. Contextually, it means “Full of Life”, “This is living!”, “Going great!” It is used as a greeting, a farewell, and anything else. Our view –  a Costa Rican expression of a leisurely lifestyle, of leisurely pace, good fortune and un-inhibited friendliness for one and all. The local population certainly make it easy for us tourists. No wonder, tourism has emerged as the major industry for Costa Ricans – casting bananas and coffee by the wayside. The tourist traffic into Costa Rica has gone up exponentially every year, and now draws more than two million visitors from all over the world.

Views of Quepos - near Manuel Antonio

As we emerged from immigration at San Jose airport....seemed quite chaotic. I was almost expecting Sakaram to tap me on my shoulders to help with my luggage. We had packed light (very unusual for us) considering the hefty airline charges for checked in baggage and it just made travel lot more comfortable. As it turned out, we didn’t buy unnecessary touristy junk that ultimately gets discarded after sitting in the garage.  There were couple things on our immediate agenda, as we exited immigration – currency exchange and the Hertz rental. The Fodor’s 2010 Costa Rica guide, that we had thoughtfully picked up from the library had tons of valuable information – that we had skimmed over on the flight. Some very valuable pointers indeed!  The Bank of San Jose located within the aiport (24 hours service) was very convenient. We didn’t have to exchange any more currency after this first exchange, and we hoarded the Colones until the last day splurge. We rented a 4WD Daihatsu Terios, which turned out unexpectedly to be a stick-shift. We loaded up on the insurance – collision, 3rd party, wind-shield/ tires coverage, added up more than the rental itself, but well worth it considering our language handicap. For the most part though, the folks we met were quite nice, affable and there is generally not a need to be extra precautions. Armed with the directions from the folks at Hertz, we were zipping along the highway heading to La Fortuna, Arenal volcano area.The initial hesitation with the stick-shift quickly faded away. There were fruit stands along the highway, and we found it a bit strange to stop roadside / on the inter-state highway, but this all was destined to change towards the tail end of the trip. We passed through towns such as San Ramon, Sacramento and San Francisco – and we were going through a major identity crisis.  We stopped at San Ramon to stock up on some snacks and drinks. We hit some rain and fog as we drove up, sometimes stuck behind a slow truck. The country side was clean, roads were great in some parts and just about bearable at others, but nevertheless it was easy driving on the narrow highways. You certainly don't want to be lost in those parts though. We kept a lookout for the the Arenal Volcano signs and found ourselves at our hotel just before nightfall.

The next few days were spent at Hotel Montana De Fuego with some excellent views of Arenal volcanoe, which one of our friends had recommended. It was located a couple miles from the Arenal National Park. The lush tropical vegetation around eased us into the vacation spirit. The hotel was probably at 30% capacity and our evening dinner at the hotel restaurant was great, thanks to all the extra attention.  The meals had an almost home cooked flavor to it and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The kids ended up playing pool prior to dinner and the itouches and iphones were active thanks to the Wi-Fi. My blackberry had international coverage turned out, but AT&T and it's alliances, unfortunately did not have coverage (what's new!).  We called it an early night after a stroll around the hotel's lush vegetation. The hotel TV had quite a few Spanish shows going on and we chanced upon a Brazilian based soap with an Indian theme and even snippets of Hindi interspersed with the Spanish....very interesting. Read bout it here

The next day, the rains came down hard. We had to literally coax ourselves out of that monsoon stupor for th drive upto Arenal National Park.... it was still pouring. We took a detour to the Hanging Bridges/ Arenal dam area. That had indeed some beautiful sights, and made it worthwhile. The hanging bridges are good too, but the ticket price is a bit steep and coming across wild-life is a hit or miss…..the bridges tour has been highly recommended by everyone. We ended up at Baldi hot springs. Pretty impressive array of 27 pools that inter-mix the hot springs with cooler water to make it a splendid experience (un-adulterated hot springs is at a burning 152 F). Lots of different options, spas are dispersed around the hotel. Highly recommend it! La Fortuna has tons of hotels which go a-begging in economies like these - one of which is  Springs Spa and Resort in Arenal which has 19 natural hot springs, neon red, blue and yellow birds on your balcony, a straight-shot view of the volcano. We had thoughts of heading to La Fortuna for dinner, but decided to try the hotel restaurant for the 2nd night. Later that night, our son threw up in the middle of the night and had some mild temperature the next day - which we attributed to the restaurant food. But, turns out, kids are prone to get sick after going to the hot springs - perhaps drinking the pool water? Be prepared, take some medication as that is inevitable. Coconut water helps with such cases and we had plenty of that - helped towards a quick recovery.

Next morning, we were supposed to drive up to Monte Verde, on the way to Manuel Antonio, but the upset stomach put the brakes on these plans. Having a rental provided some flexibility. We lingered around in the Arenal area before heading down to the Central Coast tourist trap - Manuel Antonio via Jaco. We had to skip the horse-back ride that we had planned at La Fortuna Water falls. We have heard the drive from La Fortuna to Monte Verde is scenic too – we obviously missed out on that. The signs are not too clear at major intersection points and we relied on local taxi drivers to direct us – who were mostly too helpful, even referring us to their English speaking colleagues. The macro directions were provided by the hotel, but we had to rely on the locals for micro directions. We stopped by roadside fruit stalls to enjoy the fresh fruits and the coconut water. Driving in the countryside didn't have too many issues – we did try to ensure that we were not driving in the night, as we share the highways with cyclists – and driving can become a tense experience. Jaco is very touristy, becoming a spring break destination for the east coast universities.

We arrived at Manuel Antonio – and headed to Casita Eclipse, where we were staying. The published web rates are $300. We had done some upfront negotiation to drop the rates at tad – but this hotel had some major challenges. Apparently, all the hotels in Manuel Antonio are over-priced, but this one was a rip-off we felt. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g309274-Manuel_Antonio_National_Park_Province_of_Puntarenas-Hotels.html We had made the cardinal mistake of making a reservation without going through the trip advisor reviews. Never again! As we parked and walked into the registration area - our kids remarked that the hotel was not very impressive. We made another mistake, we should have checked the room and that might have coaxed us to negotiate ourselves out from this one. We almost wanted to leave after the first night, but that would throw our plans astray and we had no choice but to grin and bear. We were so annoyed with the overpriced room - we ended up not taking the hotel packages. The hotel breakfast package was no great shakes @ Del Negro - with a soup-nazi type waiter.  The hotel trails ares extensive, with some wild life, but the zillion steps deterred us from exploring it (a half hour hike to the Manuel Antonio Park from inside the hotel). Monchados Restaurant in Quepos was quite good and also the Acai Sandwiches and Smoothies (above the Super Mas – across the bus stand). Banana chips flavored with lime was our favorite snack that most of the super markets stocked. The coconut water and guavas sold on the beaches and road-side were a treat too.

We negotiated the mangrove tour from the company itself - almost 50% off what the hotel offered us. The mangrove tour is worthwhile, but hyped up a tad - we were waiting to see the Boa Constrictor and Alligators which somehow eluded us. We also went through the Canopy Safari zipling experience, very safe and very well done – well worth it, includes the tarzan swings and rappelling. You just need to be a bit careful to ensure you research the safari for safety, governmental approvals prior to making the reservations. The hotels are generally good at providing that info too. Canopy Safari had an excellent set of folks manning the different areas and there is not much room for error. Make sure you put on some strong mosquito repelleant if you head out into the wilderness. We missed heading into the beach inside the Manuel Antonio State park - but that is worth checking out.

The drive from Manuel Antonio to Juan Santamaria Interrnational airport takes barely 3 hours thanks to the wonderful freeway – recently built (Make a left turn where the freeway ends once you are in San jose and go DIRECTO). We were finally back in San Jose. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near the airport after returning our rental. 

All in all, an excellent experience. We do hope to be back someday.

Mangrove Forest and the beautiful Manuel Antonio sunset

Sizzling hot - South Beach, Miami

Miami, South Beach, , Americas Riviera of the east coast – attracts millions every year. The two of us spent some quality time there last weekend, seeking to combine business with some (just a tad bit) pleasure.

As we entered Miami Dade County, we were reminded of hanging chads and the fiasco, which made US the laughing stock for a good eight years. Infamy …notoriety call it what you may! At least there are lots of 9 year old Chads walking around now…. There were signs all over of the upcoming Super Bowl XLIV, the city was all decked up in anticipation.


We found ourselves in South Beach - palms swaying over the artistic angles of a world of deco delight, tropical Bohemia at its finest. Hang out of photographers, supermodels, artists, entrepreneurs, hipsters, movie stars, tycoons, queens -  South Beach is about 23 blocks between Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. We were in the Art Deco district. This is the heart of Miami, pretty much everything is within walking distance. This district offers some unique architecture. It was considered ultramodern and chic back in 1920s and 1930s with neoclassical styles and application of exotic motifs such as flora, fauna, and fountains based on geometric patterns. It is gone totally retro now. These structures were in danger of being demolished in the 70s, but designers then began highlighting long-lost architectural details with soft sherbet shades of peach, turquoise etc. If this evokes some interest visit the Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Dr. (tel. 305/531-3484), which is run by the Miami Design Preservation League.

South Beach is a tad pricey, *not* value-for-money (to some extent), but everything good has a price to pay, right? Ocean Drive extends from 1st street to 15th and I would highly recommend staying in one of the hotels there. There are very many located outside of Ocean Drive on Collins Avenue – within the Art Deco district, but you may not get the true South Beach experience, that you get at Ocean Drive. Hmm…I wonder what the true South Beach experience is? You gotta find out for yourself. There are many splendid hotels to choose from and with the tripadvisor reviews, you cannot go wrong with picking the right one (hint – lots of reading, gory details, about bed bugs and cockroaches and much more).

I would recommend the Delano, where celebrities hangout, pool is legendary as they say and as busy during weekend brunch as one of its weekly VIP-packed parties. We ended up picking a quaint art-deco styled hotel Cardozo Hotel owned by Gloria Estefan, Cardozo Hotel South Beach - Articles 1300 Ocean Drive | Miami Beach, FL 33139 | 305.695.2822. www.cardozohotel.com/index.cfm/id/95.html... overlooking the ocean - met our needs well. The Cardozo hotel was used in many movies and seemed a tad familar to us: Hole in the Head with Frank Sinatra; Something About Mary with Cameron Diaz and Matt Dillon; Pronto with Peter Faulk; and Any Given Sunday with Al Paccino. It was also used in The Birdcage movie with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. The deal on their website was compelling, they threw in dinner vouchers, club VIP passes, valet parking and their staff was friendly and very helpful. All our reading had indicated biased treatment towards Cubans, but it was not at all visible to us. Everyone was friendly and just a huge blend of ethnicity that lends South Beach that tremendous aura.

Map is here

January is supposedly off-peak which presents South Beach in different shades. Temperatures can dip into the 30s occasionally, but we lucked out. The day-time high was in the 70s and 80s with night time dipping into the 60s, which made it quite pleasant for us. Summers are hot and only good to do some heavy baking. But January found us amidst a couple showers, but generally glorious weather. In fact, even the showers had a great Bombay feel to it.

The beach? Clear water and sprawling golden sand for miles! Even on a Thursday, the beach was relatively crowded and by Saturday the beaches were really packed like sardines – that too on a January weekend. Splendid! There are parties every day of the week at South Beach and the morning starts at around Noon or so. We would sleep in - the little pleasures of life-  and start the day with breakfast at the Front Porch. Very nice selection of breakfast, brunch and lunch to choose from, while people watching…very relaxing I must say, a wonderful start for a morning! Get used to the 17% gratuity that is automagically attached to every meal in Miami. The other breakfast place recommended is David’s Cafe off Lincoln Mall at 1654 Meridian Avenue if you would like to start your morning like a local. Lot of the cuisine is Cuban and meat based, so vegetarians may not find too many choices.

At any time of the day, take a stroll along Ocean Drive for the best view of sidewalk cafes, bars, colorful hotels, and even more colorful people. Another great place for a walk is Lincoln Road, which is lined with boutiques, large chain stores, cafes, and funky art and antiques stores. We had dinner there the last evening of our stay. It may not have the ambiance of Ocean drive, but is still hustling and bustling over the weekend. On a tiny street in South Beach, there's a piece of Spain that makes you feel as if you are in Madonna's La Isla Bonita video. The historic Mediterranean-revival-style Spanish Village -- or Plaza De España -- complete with fountain, stretches from Washington Avenue to Drexel Avenue and features charming boutiques, cafes, and a weekend market.

After breakfast, we really enjoyed long walks along the beach. Long stretch of open sand, warm waters makes it very enjoyable indeed. Take along something to sip as you walk along the shores. When you get bored with the walk on the beach, come on out and just walk on Ocean drive, inhaling the sights and sounds, window shopping or whatever else you fancy. Do not forget to check out Versace’s castle – very impressive home of Swargvasee Versace right in the heart of South Beach.

If you are feeling like a drive, get out and explore Virginia Key Beach is one of the most interesting beaches in South Florida. It’s located right off the Rickenbacker Causeway (on both the north and south sides) near the Miami Seaquarium.

And what about the clubs eh? Some of the ones recommended were Club Space, Opium garden, Clevelander, Mac’ club Deuce, Tobacco Road, Churchill”s hideway, Twist, Score and the brand new Halo. Latin nightclub like La Covacha, Kimbara Cumbara and Hoy Como Ayer. The most popular Latin Nightspot on South Beach is Mango’s Tropical Café. They have the best party geared for tourists. The office crowd visiting town on a conference (dressed in suits and ties sometimes), tourists, localities out for a good time – all hustle for a spot to check out the dancers and partake in the fun. This place gets packed! The party goes on all night long and Mango knows how to throw one. The cover charge goes up as the night gets younger. Some very good dancers, musicians on stage, along with a friendly, welcoming, inviting demeanor, make it for a fun night.

There are other clubs like Clevelander within a stone’s throw on the strip – pick one and have a good time. The hotels are generally good with providing recommendations – based on their read of what your taste is. Also, be prepared to accept VIP passes to various clubs as you stroll along South Beach – if you look like you are out to have a fun night, you will be way laid and offered VIP passes – probably happens only during the off peak, but we were all too happy picking up the VIP ribbons There are plenty of choices for dinner. Larios – owned by the Estefan family is quite good. We also had dinner at the Mango’s Tropical Café and it was good too. January, being off-peak, we felt good getting aggressively invited by the dressed-to-kill restaurant hostess’ along Ocean drive, but we could typically assess how good or bad the food was based on how crowded the restaurant was. If you decide to experience the real Cuban scene, you will have to head west to Miami to explore Little Havana and check out a local salsa club.

There is more to this obviously...All in all, we had a great weekend. Splendid place – and definitely worth a visit. A great way to splurge and kick-back enjoy the weekend – get away from it all.
Check this article out for additional details http://www.southbeach-usa.com/news/travel/2008/01/14/10-things-miami-1/


KEYWEST
We spent a day driving upto Florida Keys. It is highly recommended to stay overnight at Florida Keys to get the total experience. Ours was a day trip, and we missed getting to Everglades National Park and we were in a rush. Make sure you exit onto Homestead to check out the Coral Castle - 28655 South Dixie Highway, Homestead, FL 33033. One man’s work for a lost love – a Taj Mahal of sorts, hand carved into natural coral @ www.coralcastle.com. Also, get off at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and ride on the glass bottom the 65-foot Spirit of Pennekamp.

While many visitors seek the quaint vistas of Margaritaville in Key West- Jimmy Buffet’s favorite city has great restaurants, bars, sandy beaches and quiet mangroves. It is a bit more quiet and family oriented. We got an impression that it is more geared for Floridans getting out for the weekend. Visiting the Keys is all about the drive. Recommended stop at the southern edge of the state is the Knauss Berry Farm (Turnpike at SW 248th Street) - discover the hot-from-the-oven sticky cinnamon buns, freshly blended strawberry. Certainly buy some home made jam and local honey too! The Mutineer Restaurant parking lot at 11 SE 1st Ave in Homestead is recommended too. www.mutineer.biz/kid-frame.html
One the drive there, you can exit to Card Sound Road (SR905) – can’t miss it on the GPS. This has some very good scenes and animal life – drive at your own sweet pace. At the end of the drive, you will hit a toll booth next to Alabama Jacks. If you are hungry venture in there. www.alabamajacks.com
Keep an eye on the mile markers. Bob’s Bunz (MM81.5) serves breakfast at sunrise and a variety of sugary sweets. Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen (MM 99.4) is another recommended spot. For lunch, Buzzard’s Roost Inn on Garden Cove Drive (MM106.5) offers fresh seafood. www.buzzroost.com
Probably not worth driving all the way down south for a day trip.

Check this article out for additional details http://www.southbeach-usa.com/news/travel/2008/01/14/10-things-miami-1/

The Canadian Rockies -

(Click on any picture to Enlarge)

One of the fantastic views @ Banff

Medicine Lake - Jasper National Park (on the drive to Maligne Lake)

Some vacations are best not planned...we did one of those in July this year.
Firstly, for a variety of reasons our dates kept moving. Eventually, it became a now or never and we just took the plunge with scarcely a thought or a plan. Worked out good nevertheless!

The plan was to spend time in Seattle/ Vancouver, but just a few days prior, bumped into a few friends who were absolutely raving about the Canadian Rockies and the San Juan Islands etc. We were still not sure about our plans as we settled into the first night in Seattle. The next morning we drove into Canada with not a plan in mind.

The border crossing can take up quite some time in the summer months. This is a good website that shows the wait times for the border crossing. We picked the I-539 border crossing, which worked out very well. Summer months/ weekends, the I-5 border crossings have a typical wait time of an hour to 2 hours. The I-539 crossing has a lower volume, not many folks know about it or prefer not to use it. But Canadian immigration seems to have a lot more time on their hands at this crossing. It reminded me of the viva exams, was asked a set of good 10 questions, 9 more than I have ever been asked while crossing into Canada. Stay away from the immigration gal there (our lane moved very slow).... she is persistent and grilled me as if I was the Kumar dude escapee from Guantanamo Bay. But not to dis-credit the rest of the Canadian junta, they are one of the friendliest I have ever come across (not to discount the natives of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin where I spent some quality winter consulting time and the officer who pulled me over on a dreary winter night, only to let me drive away).

As we entered into Canada, we were still not sure which way to head, Vancouver or to the Canadian Rockies. We ultimately settled onto the Canadian Rockies after some major hungama and hesitation - it was a long drive after all.

We also didn't have a GPS - our GPS covered only the US and we hadn't had the chance to order the Canada/Mexico SD card. It was pretty amazing how the blackberry and iPhone apps worked out so very well, to the point that a GPS was hardly required. I do see the death knell of the stand alone GPS device....just a matter of time now.

Jasper
Vancouver, Jasper and Banff (part of the Canadian Rockies National Park system) form a triangle. We picked Jasper because the drive to Jasper is shorter than the drive to Banff (took us about 7 hours from the border crossing). On the drive to Jasper, we also made reservations thanks to some tourist guide that we picked up along the way. The highway into Jasper is very well maintained and I got some *very* good speeds thanks to the KIA rental, while keeping up with the Canadian brethrens who were speeding along with carefree abandon. We found ourselves in the town of Jasper just prior to sunset ~6 to 7 hours after we had done the border crossing. The rangers were as usual *very* friendly and even briefed us on dinner potentials. We settled on a pizza place, Jasper Pizza, which was pretty good and eventually checked-in to catch a few hours of zzzs.

Some of the things worth checking out within Jasper NP are Maligne Lake (take a cruise here to spirit island, will become your highlight of the vacation with some fantastic scenes, expensive and some say overrated), Gondola ride (short and sweet), Sulfur Skyline Trail Hike, Miette Hot Springs, Mount Edith Cavell (Hike to Angel glacier is definitely nice)... Pick and choose what you feel like doing. The hot springs, Gondola ride are also at Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, so pick and choose what you want to experience.

On the drive to Maligne Lake - we particularly enjoyed the Medicine Lake (see picture above). Medicine lake is a geologic anomaly, not exactly a lake but the area in which the Maligne River (flowing from Maligne Lake into the Athabasca River) backs up and suddenly disappears underground. The Lake in summer behaves like a bathtub that is filled too fast for it to drain, it becomes laden with water until it can slowly drain as the runoff is s reduced. The disappearing of water was mystical to the natives and the lake was highly revered. The lake had a quiet elegance about it and we spent some time by its shores. We felt Maligne Lake was overrated and we turned right back. There are trails and hikes that surely must offer some speectacular views.

The drive to Banff from Jasper is about 3-4 hours with some stunning sights along the way. The day time temperature all through our time there was in the low 90s - very hot considering that spring does not arrive here until late May or early June sometimes. As a result, much of the wild life lay burrowed in to avoid the heat, and we missed out some great wild life sightings, which I was told becomes a tame affair by the time we typically leave the Canadian Rockies. Well, we didn't quite experience that! Wild-life sighting is common if you take the Bow Valley Parkway (Hwy #1A) - which is slower than Highway 1 - between Banff and Jasper.

It is worthwhile to take the Columbia Ice field tour and also check out Lake Louise, Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls and Canyon etc. while driving between Jasper and Banff. From Lake Louise, you can visit Moraine Lake 14kms away (depending on time). En route, you can also visit Johnston Canyon, walk to lower and upper falls etc.

LAKE LOUISE VILLAGE doesn't amount to much, centered around a single mall, Samson Mall There's almost nothing to do in the village. There are canoe rentals on the lake and make sure you don't fall into the frigid waters. Depending on time - Lake Louise Gondola (the "Friendly Giant") can take you partway up Mount Whitehorn. You can choose between enclosed gondola cars, open chairs, or chairs with bubble domes - which can get you a unique fearful experience. A trail takes you to the summit of Mount Whitehorn, for the fearless only. There are some nice trails...Lake Louise can give you that breather in your hectic vacation schedule where you can stop and 'smell the roses'. Around Lake Louise considering checking out Takkakaw Falls, Natural Bridge and Emerald Lake

The Bus Ride to the Columbia Ice Field

The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield south of Alaska, shimmering glacial ice and snow cover some 400 sq. km with a depth of 300 to 600 meters. The Snowcoach tour onto the Athabasca Glacier is unlike any Alaskan backyard view Russia experience. We took that and it is indeed an experience! The Columbia Icefield is a true "hydrological apex," for its meltwater feeds streams and rivers that pour into the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans. Take this unique experience to the next level by spending a night at the Columbia Icefield in the Glacier View Inn. The lighting in the evening and morning hours is spectacular and is the perfect complement to the magnificent glaciers.

Athabasca Glacier

A view of the Athabasca glacier while standing atop the Columbia Ice Field.

In this pic, you can see the bus route onto the Columbia Ice Field
View from the visitor center (click to enlarge)

Banff
As you near Banff, the highway evolves into a 4 lane separated highway with a 90KMH speed limit. There is fencing by the side to prevent animals from butting heads with cars, and some 'natural bridges' enable the essential animal crossings. Very well thought out I must say! The town of Banff has a commercial feel to it in comparison to Jasper. We liked it a lot. Jasper is much smaller but has a unique identity of its own too. Strolling down Banff's main shopping street can be relaxing too as you browse into the various retail stores. Hotel choices Brewster Mountain Lodge, Lady Macdonald Country Inn, Georgetown Inn in Canmore etc. Fairmont Hotel is located at Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff and is certainly top rated.

Everyone seems to want to ride the gondola up Sulphur Mountain. The hot springs is right by the GOndola ride and that was one of the best experiences for us during this trip. The hot springs are made to flow into a swimming pool like enclave and the temperature dropped to 40C from the typical hot springs temperature of 50C - which makes it a very enjoyable experience. With the beautiful views around it, this must be one of the exotic hot springs of the world. This can be a wonderful model for other hot springs - it is certainly commercialized but enriches the whole experience. The Gondola ride up the mountains has some wonderful sights - so not to be missed.
Some Top-Rated Banff Hotels Fox Hotel & Suites , Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Post Hotel & Spa, Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa, The Fairmont Banff Springs
Some Top-Rated Banff B&Bs - Buffaloberry Bed and Breakfast, The Poplar Inn, Treetops Banff Bed and Breakfast, Banff Avenue B&B
If you stay at the Fairmont Banff springs hotel, you can do a quick stroll to Bow falls. Not sure if it is worth checking out otherwise.

View of Banff from Sulphur Mountain

While leaving Banff (heading to Vancouver) considering visiting Yoho National Park and checking out Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake. A visit to Calgary didn't fit in our itinerary and I am sure we missed out on a nice city. You also hit Glacier National Park, which has a couple attractions as well.

We left Banff on a Friday afternoon, hoping to get into Vancouver late evening. But the highway is much slower, typically one lane upto Kamloops. We hit some heavy traffic too and we decided to call it a night at Kamloops. Every hotel in town seemed to be sold out due to a variety of ongoing activities, and we had to settle into a motel, that jacked up their rates, for the night. I missed the Clinton era 40% differential in the US Canadian dollars - that would have lessened the pain - but certainly one of the hazards of unplanned travel that we were ready to face upto. The recession the world was going through certainly made this last minute travel a bit easier.

The Coquihalla Highway toll route, south from Kamloops, cuts time by heading diagonally southwest to the town of Hope.

Vancouver
Our time in Vancouver was smack in the middle of the the weekend. Prior to leaving, I had remarked that we should get our weekend reservations squared away. We didn't quite do that - our travel plans being in a state of flux - and we had to scamper to make reservations for Vancouver (once again made while driving into Vancouver). All the recommended hotels were sold out and we luckily managed to get accommodating at the SandMan Hotels - primarily based on their location - walking distance to the fireworks. The views of the city and the ocean, standing outside the balcony was wonderful, the sunsets exotic. THere was a reason why we struggled to get a hotel accommodation, the Gay Lesbian parade was happening beneath our hotel, streets were cordoned off and there was palpable excitement in the city, with multiple activities planned for the weekend including the renowned fireworks. The fireworks brought an unprecedented amount of crowd to the waterfront, reminded us of the ball dropping in NYC. But the crowd behaved well, the fireworks (sponsored by China) was spectacular and worth while.

At Vancouver, check out the views from Vancouver Lookout. Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge (SRK shot in Pardes), Punjab Marg (over-rated) are other POIs. We spent some time in Granville Island - but in retrospect we should have skipped it. YOu can park at Stanley Park and walk onto the Lions Gate Bridge ~1.1 mile in comparison to the Golden Gate's 1.7 miles. There are some lovely beaches in Stanley Park (3rd beach, Jericho Beach), but it is crowded on the weekends and parking is hard to find. Did I say the people in Canada are friendly? As we entered the parking area of Stanely Park, someone gave us their day long parking permit as they left the park. Capilano Bridge is a neat attraction - fun to walk on the dangling suspension bridge. A lady handed us a coupon (free entry) into the Capilano Bridge as we waited in line. Definitely worth walking on the bridges connecting the trees at the other end of the Capilano Bridge. Grouse Mountain Gondola ride (a short drive from Capilano) is worthwhile too. Spend some time in the Gas Town (downtown), checking out the narrowest commercial building (Guinness Book of World Record), shopping, eating etc.

The streets below our hotel had a million restaurants to pick from. Amazing choices. Stephos PLace Restaurant was highly recommended - perpetual long lines outside. Good middle-eastern food, got my mind thinking of La Shish in Dearborn.

Vancouver indeed is an exciting city and I would love to go back again - a city that reminds me of Bombay, considering the mixed living concept that is so rampant all over downtown with intermixing of apartments and commercial.

We missed out on going to Whistler (rated very highly by one of my buddies - one of the most beautiful sights). We missed out on Victoria too, and we have gotten conflicting reviews about Victoria. If you are going, better to take the ferry from Vancouver itself - instead of taking it from Seattle.

We exited Canada from the I-5 point early morning on a Sunday. There are signs all over indicating the wait time at the border crossing. We chose the 1 hour wait versus the 2 hour wait - this is a royal pain. Do not forget to get the VAT Tax refunded from the duty free shopping area before you leave Canada.

Couple things to watch out for
- Call your credit card company in advance, to ensure that your credit card will work in Canada. Usually they are blocked from being used internationally.
- If you have an iphone / blackberry, turn on the international coverage plan - otherwise you will end up seeing a hefty charge on your next bill