Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

• Miami Did You Know

  Friday, February 12th, 2010

  There are lots of interesting things about the city of Miami Florida that maybe even many residence do not know. It is funny how people can live their whole lives in a place and not know many of the facts of the area. Here are a few little mindless bits of info about Miami since you are looking for a room at one of the great hotels located in Miami Florida. They may be just random pieces of info to keep in mind as you travel around the city.

  Miami is known for the Art Deco Architecture at least that is what seems to come to mind when people think of Miami. The Art Deco District does contain the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the world. There are over 800 buildings with this certain style in fairly concentrated area of Miami. Speaking of over 800. There are over 800 parks in the Miami area. Some of the big national parks include the Biscayne National Park and The Everglades National Park. There are a few county and state parks such as Crandon Beach County Park and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. Bill Baggs was a popular editor of the Miami News who campaigned for the civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s.

  There are three professional sports teams in the city including the Florida Marlins baseball, Miami Dolphins Football and the Miami Heat Basketball. All of which would be a great night out while staying in town. Miami is of course the diving capital of the world. There are more than 50 ship wreck sites that divers are allowed to explore. There is even a 727 Jet that was sunk near by to give a better reef for the marine life. So these are only a few things that are around Miami after you visit maybe you will have your own list.

• West Virginia University

  Monday, February 8th, 2010

  Ah, the beautiful state of West Virginia. There is such a spectacular amount of geographical wonders and incredible views that it is nearly impossible not to be completely enchanted by this state’s beauty. Oh, and I’m not from there or anything. Heck, I didn’t even grow up there. But I was captivated by it from the time I was a child and heard John Denver singing Country Roads. This was a live concert and it was incredible, but the song itself, well and his straightforward sincerity belied passion gave it such power. That was my favorite song for something like three years and it still has a special place in my heart.

  When it was time for me to consider colleges I was looking through a catalogue while waiting for a mandatory meeting with our high school guidance counselor. I’ll never forget the feeling I had when I flipped the page and saw the ad for West Virginia University. Instantly I knew that this was the school for me and that it was also the opportunity for me to fulfill my dreams of living in West Virginia. I went ahead and applied for three colleges, which my parents insisted on for some reason though I knew where I wanted to go and fortunately I was accepted. My mom, dad and I took three days to visit Morgantown and the campus of West Virginia University. We stayed in one of the best hotels in Virginia, which also happened to be close to the school.

  It was an incredibly beautiful campus and I was instantly in love with it. Well, truthfully I loved the school, the city and the state well before I ever visited it. I had a great time in those years and will never forget my undergraduate days. I went further east to pursue my graduate studies and then ended up all the way out west for my doctorate degree. I established my career here in California, though part of my heart will always rest in West Virginia. I haven’t been back for about ten years though I would love to take a couple of days and maybe stay in that same hotel my parents and I did before I went to school. Take me home country roads, take me home.

• Prague Dancing House

  Thursday, January 28th, 2010

  Prague is a city that breathes mystery, invoking a constant sense of the uncanny.  It is also one of the most exciting cities in the world, culturally, where an evening’s entertainment can run the spectrum from mainstream attractions to the most experimental and underground innovations.  It is a city that is known for its careful hipness, where the excellent tastes of the locals help to fuel the inspirations of some of the world’s most daring artists.  You get the sense that you’ve walked into an elaborate cultural dialogue, and the most splendid thing is that you’re invited to participate in the shaping of new world culture.

  It’s one of the most affordable cities in Europe, too, which doesn’t hurt in attracting young, alternative artists looking for a community that is active, vibrant, and always seems to be creating new and fascinating things.  It’s easy to get around, with hotels like this where you can find great accommodation in the neighborhoods you want to see.  There’s so much to see here, and it’s very likely that one visit won’t be enough.  But if you do get the opportunity, you’ll be struck by the haunting atmosphere, the fantastic coffee houses, and some of the most interesting buildings in the world.

  Gothic architecture is all around, but so is some of its more unusual cousins, such as the deconstructivist Dancing House.  The design in by Croatian Vlado Municic and Frank Gehry, and is certainly one of the most spectacular buildings in the city.  Vaclav Havel lived next door, and had planned to turn it into a cultural center.  That hasn’t been realized yet, but the effect on visitors is astonishing.  In this city of ghosts, here is a building that resembles two people dancing, and the effect can be pleasing and spectral all at the same time, adding to the remarkable visual appeal of this city.

• New York’s Football is not Soccer

  Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

  Weather wise, it wasn’t too cold outside today, so we stepped outside our USA hotel in New York and took the subway to Harlem then walked our way back to Central Park. Before we reached the park, we stopped off at a corner market to buy some interesting foods that would make for a great picnic while we were in the park. We strolled through the northern section, which is a wooded area, we were joined by other New Yorkers enjoying the weather as well.

   

  We then came upon open ground and happened upon a local football game. We thought this would be a great place to sit and enjoy our picnic while watching the game. We couldn’t tell what was happening most of the time, but that didn’t seem to matter, the game proceeded on without us understanding. When we finished off all that we purchased, which was enough for four people, we continued on through the park. We finally made our way to the edge of the park where the Guggenheim Museum is located. We didn’t fit the Guggenheim into our already packed itinerary, but just seeing the beautiful building was worth the pass-by. Leaving the park, after a great relaxing day, we caught the subway to Grand Central Station.

   

  We spotted a local bar that overlooked the spectacularly stunning ‘Arrivals’ hall, so we stepped in and ordered a Manhattan Cocktail! We’ve been waiting to order one ever since we arrived, we giggled as we ordered them. We spent over an hour just watching all the bustle of the commuters going about their business. It was hard to drag ourselves away, but we had a final destination for the day, and that was to the Empire State Building. We wanted to make sure that there was some daylight left by the time we reached the top, so we could watch a New York sunset, then watch the city light up. We arrived just as we planned and made it to the top, without a hitch and we caught the most awesome sunset, then a fantastically lit skyline of New York at night. Wow! This so far has been the highlight of our trip so far.

• Spooky Seattle Scene

  Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

  When you visit a premier hotel in Seattle you will get a chance to see the Space Needle, Pike Place Market Pioneer Square and its near by underground tour. It seems there are many places around Seattle that claim to be haunted and the underground of Seattle is not only interesting because you learn about the design of the city but because there is a ghost inside.

  Seattle has gone through many changes since the first settlement. One of those early changes was when the original downtown experience the Great Seattle Fire in 1889, burned to the ground and needed to be rebuilt. They had had some trouble with poor drainage because it was built on a tidal plain. The city planners wanted to make some changes and raise the streets so there would be better management of the sewage. The building owners were eager to rebuild and the city was taking to long to get the plans into action so they ended up rebuilding at the same low level as the original site plan.

  The city did finally get to the raising of the streets but now you have many sidewalks and building entrances sitting up to 36 feet below the street. People climbed in and out of the buildings from the street for a while but eventually the buildings would have to be modified. When the building entrances were raised through out the city the old sidewalks had to be covered over. This area is now called the Seattle Underground. Visitors can take the Seattle Underground Tour to see some of the old buildings and their original storefronts that are now abandoned under the current city sidewalks.

  The underground has some ghosts and has had visitors for many years coming to see if they can see the apparitions. There have been some television and film movies that have used or referenced the underground. It was a feature in the TV movie The Night Strangler which starred Darren McGavin in 1973. Even an episode of Scooby-Doo played in with the underground. The more current third season of Ghost Hunters also featured the underground sidewalks.

• Cousins Reunite at National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton

  Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

  Mikey and his cousin Paul spent almost every afternoon together from the time they were five until the day Paul and his family moved to Dayton, Ohio when they were fourteen. Last summer Mikey was allowed to fly by himself to Dayton and spend a week with Paul and his family. This was exciting for the sixteen year old, though to be honest he was also a little nervous. Never having flown alone, and really not having flown much in his life he was worried about getting lost in the airport or somehow missing his flight. Of course he never expressed these minor concerns to his parents or friends, to whom he had bragged about his upcoming trip, and acted as though he was an old pro at traveling alone. This didn’t fool his mother, who had always had an instinctive understanding of what her son was feeling, though she felt he would be fine and the experience would be good for him.

  His mother was right, and Mikey had no difficulty navigating the airport and landing himself on the plane. Fortunately, the pilot took care of the rest and safely guided not only Mikey, but the other passengers to the Dayton International Airport. Paul and his parents were there in the baggage area waiting for him and both of the boys were immediately struck with how different the other looked. This caused and unexpected hesitation in their greetings, which was something they hadn’t experienced before. Typically and without thinking they went straight into talking about the latest ballgame, music release or movie. Mikey found himself almost wishing he could stay in one of the hotels Dayton.

  This abrupt sense of awkwardness lasted through the evening when Mikey noticed he was more comfortable talking to his aunt and uncle than his cousin, who really didn’t seem to have anything to say either. However, the next morning the whole group headed out for a sight seeing tour of the city and their first stop was just outside the city at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Both of the boys were instantly amazed with the oldest military museum in the United States and became so engaged with the displays of missiles and aircraft they forgot their newly acquired difference and when right back into an ease of conversation and mutual understanding. This lasted the rest of the day and the remainder of Mikey’s trip and it turned out to be a great experience for both of them.

• Five Thousand Years of Art in New York

  Monday, January 11th, 2010

  There is not another city on the Earth quite like New York City.  And, in all the Earth, there’s nothing quite like the museums of New York, particularly the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Founded one hundred and forty years ago in 1870, the museum’s purpose was to keep a library of art, which encouraged and developed the study of fine arts, as well as applying the arts to “manufacture and practical life,” and advance the general knowledge.  Just ten years ago, the museum’s trustees affirmed that statement but also added that the goal is to study and exhibit their collections as well as encourage appreciation for works of art that represent human achievement at its highest level.

  Currently, from now until June 6th of 2010, you’ll find the museum is keeping its word with an exhibit featuring five thousand years of Japanese Art.  The Met acquired in 1975 over four hundred pieces of Japanese art from Harry G.C. Packard, which gave the museum one of the best collections of this kind in the West, with art work from the Neolithic period up through the 19th Century.  The Five Thousand Years of Art exhibit is meant to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Packard Collection, and present archaeological artifacts, iconographic Buddhist scrolls, screen paintings of the Momoyama and Edo periods (16th to 19th Centuries), ceramics, as well as Heian and Kamakura period sculptures (9th to 14th Centuries).

  One of the main features of the exhibit is the masterworks of two artists from the 16th Century, acquired just last year.  The artists are Kano Sansetsu, who lived from 1589 to 1651, and Kano Eino, his son, who lived from 1631 to 1697.   The father’s work is a set of sliding door panels known as the Old Plum, while the son’s work is two six-fold screens, titled One Hundred Boys.

  If you’re a new visitor or seasoned traveler to New York, the Met is a prime destination spot, which you’ll find in Central Park on Fifth Avenue, running from 80th to 84th streets).  Whether you already live in Manhattan or have traveled from abroad to find one of the hotels New York USA offers, you’ll want to join the five million others who visit the museum each year.

• It Takes a Decade to Raise a Village

  Friday, January 8th, 2010

  Greenwich Village was a very different place in 1969.  Not that I have any idea, but I can imagine, and it’s what everyone told me when I was living there in in 1985.  Everyone said that it had changed, and it wasn’t nearly as good as it used to be, that it had become too commercial, and that no one was really doing any interesting work here any more.  They all said that outside of luxury hotels, New York City just wasn’t getting any better, and that what we were seeing then was the end of an era.  Or perhaps it was the last gasp that we were all witnessing.

  In 1996 I returned to New York, after having lived away, working as a photojournalist in Guatemala.  That was going to be a short trip, to cover some of the more visible after-effects of the war, and to put together a story about a growing movement just to the north, in Chiapas.  Things were much more complicated than they appeared, of course, as they always are, and I wound up living there for a few years.  Long after the job was over, I decided to stay, because there were interesting connections I was making with some of the local communities, or maybe they were making them with me.

  Either way, when it was obvious that the money was long gone, an old friend wired me a ticket back to the city.  She told me that New York had changed a lot, that it simply wasn’t the same as it was when I lived there nearly a decade before that.

  It’s hard to anticipate where any road is leading, and when you’ve decided to change jobs, from journalist to anthropologist, there’s really no telling.  But it did surprise me when I realized that after having lived in Port Au Prince, I would be moving back to the city once again, to do a project in urban ethnography.  This was, by far, the most rewarding work I’d done, and not just because it’s what I’m doing right now at this moment.  I like the people I work with now, and it’s fulfilling.  But it also fascinates me when people tell me how Greenwich Village has changed, that it’s never going to be the same, and not nearly as cool as it was in 1985.

• Sore Feet and Garlic in San Francisco

  Friday, January 8th, 2010

  I knew before arriving in San Francisco that the city will be hilly, but hilly doesn’t quite cover it. Some of the hills are very steep and there are plenty of them. I was really thankful for the cable cars as I made my way to the Castro district to a restaurant called the ‘Squat and Gobble‘. The restaurant was one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the whole world. The view and the service was supreme. I thought I’d probably starve while I was in San Francisco, but there were many places that cater to the vegetarian, some are expensive, but the dishes are divine. I had no idea a San Francisco restaurant could be so good.

  I was here to spend time with a dear friend, and she just amazed me with her sense of taste. I was stunned at how she impressed the wait staff when she recognized most of the ingredients in the dishes and how she knew what leaf was served with the dessert we ordered. I mean, really! She knew which rose plant the leaf came from! After my glorious meal, we caught the tram back to my hotel and had a few beers.

  The next day was pretty calm, which I appreciated. My friend took me shopping and later that evening we hiked it up to North Beach and went to a restaurant named the ‘Stinking Rose‘. Garlic was in everything they serve. When I walked in, my senses were hit with garlic, I think I could even hear garlic growing. I told her we won’t be able to socialize for days because we’ll reek of garlic. She told me not to worry about it, because once I take my first bite, I won’t care about the after effects. She was right! I never knew I’d like garlic permeating everything I put in my mouth, but every bite was so savory and delicious.

  On my last day, she took me to Coit Tower, which gave me a perfect view of all of San Francisco, the Bay area, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and a great view of Lombard street, Crissy Fields and Fisherman’s Wharf.  We then walked some very, very steep streets. I think we walked some 15 miles and my feet can testify. My feet were so glad to get a chance to chill when I caught my flight back home.

• The Colorful Los Angeles: Venice Beach

  Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

  One of the bohemian and artistic areas of the greater Los Angeles area is Venice Beach.  After two years living in LA, it became one of my favorite spots to walk around during the weekend afternoons, as you really do not know what you may see on any given day.  From the spooky little apartments along the boardwalk to the multi-million dollar homes of the movie stars along the coast, this is one area that while the real estate prices have soared, the eclectic and the spontaneous, and the mix of people from different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds has remained varied and interesting.

  One day I waved to Angelica Houston has she tended her garden, drank a carrot juice and watched a street sense basketball game at the courts just on the southern tip of the beach.  That Saturday was completed by the drummers on the beach at sunset, a tradition that has been taking place for many years, one which draws at least one hundred bongo and conga players on any given Saturday.  Some of the best Los Angeles hotel accommodations can be found along Venice, as well as up the coast a bit in Santa Monica and Malibu, giving you easy access to the beaches without the annoyance of spending hours in the LA traffic nightmare.

  At one time, Venice Beach was an uninhabitable marshland.  However, as most creative entrepreneurs do, Abbot Kinney saw something in the marshes that others had overlooked.  He decided that he wanted to create a Venice in America, with canals, gondolas and Venetian architecture.  While the beach was affected by World War II and the Great Depression, and suffered greatly from the gang activity in the early 1980′s, it is now one of the most visited sections of the city.  A mix of culture, art and music, Venice Beach is collective melting pot creating a whole, the vibe of Southern California.  From clothing vendors, to artists, to street musicians, to fortune tellers and the body builders of Muscle Beach this is one many areas of Los Angeles which remains steeped in the history of the generations that came before, and those that are living there today.

• Singapore UFO Catcher

  Monday, December 28th, 2009

  Being in Singapore is always an unreal experience.  There’s always a sense that all the cultures in the world are going to come crashing into each other at once, and it’s not a bad feeling at all.  In fact, it feels exactly right, that this is the most interesting place in the world to be right now.  There are many tourists who come here for the usual tourist attractions, looking to get lost in an exotic place and have some quiet adventures in their hotels, and at the shopping malls.  This isn’t a bad way to spend your time at all, since there’s a lot of the world represented in these places, giving a glimpse into new fashions, and new trends in hospitality and relaxation.  There are also a host of other entertainments, and lots of live shows that show off local talent, as well as bringing in excellent acts from all over the world.

  There are also many people who come here for the food, and this is very reasonable, because the restaurants in Singapore are some of the very best in the world.  There are so many different things to try, and all types of cuisines, and it’s a kind of world tour in itself to taste everything that’s offered here.  The street stalls can also have some very scrumptious meals, but the restaurants are where you can see the city in action, because they really do it up right at dinner time!  My favorite thing here, though, is the local kids culture, and the way it expresses itself in the streets, or really, in the arcades.  There are many good places to go to have a fun arcade experience, places like East Coast Park, with tons of cool games.

  Arcade culture here is very intense, and very exciting.  It’s not just about the games, where new technology meets the science fiction obsessions of the people,  but that’s certainly part of the fun.  It’s also interesting to see what kinds of prizes they have, and UFO Catcher has some of the best gifts around.  There are even some sites that are devoted to selling the prizes from this game.  It’s a good example of how arcades work here, because some people play it just for fun, for the chance at grabbing the toy with the claw.  But there are some who take it very seriously, and share secrets and hints online so that you can learn all the good techniques for working the controls exactly right.  But what’s most fun is to be in the arcade and watch the people, and see how this side of Singapore works.  It’s a great way to meet people, and learn about another way of looking at the world.

• Nestled Snow Chalet

  Monday, December 28th, 2009

  xWay up in the wonderful Switzerland Alps lies a nestled snow chalet in a town called Saas Fee. It is like stepping back in time as you approach the village. Winding your way up the  mountain through the endless valleys of glacier and snow you can’t help but get that smiling tickle of excitement in you belly. Then the it really kicks in when you have to leave your car in the car park. As you enter in it just opens up into a place out of some older time. Yes, this old mountain farming town is now a splendid resort town. Filled with activities to keep visitors busy all year round.

  In the summer, visitors check into the Saas Fee hotels and prepare for mountain top adventures. There are some spectacular hikes to take. Mountain climbing is at its best here. Others like to bring their mountain bikes and take in as much of the mountain as they can pedal. Then there are the amazing festivals that go on all summer long. There is a film festival usually in July for a couple of days. They show the films that have won awards in the international film festivals. Then there is the food festival that goes on in August. It is a food, wine and light hike in the mountain thing. The cable cars and gondolas are open year round and they start you on the journey with the cable cars and then you hike along a trail that has little food and wine stops along the way.

  In the winter this town and it’s neighboring resort towns come alive with the snow. Now you have some real competition coming around. The Ice Climbing World Cup is going to be held their this year in January 2010. It takes place in the glacier village. They build a 30 meter high wall of ice and then enclose most of the area so that they can have stands for people to watch. Then you can get out into the fresh mountain air and see the snow boarders compete in the Style Session. The create a half-pipe and slope to do their competition on which happens in April

• Red Devil in Malgrat

  Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

  I couldn’t remember her name long enough to speak it at the most important moments, and not because I couldn’t forget her, but because she talked so fast.  She would be speaking for only ten minutes, but there was information about the time she tried to follow the Neal Cassady trail on the train tracks, apparently she only got to three hundred, the weigh of an albatross, literally, she knew, and then something about the price of marzipan in southern Mexico.  That’s the moment when she would suddenly stop and ask me to remember her name, and I just couldn’t because my head was spinning.  She had that effect on a lot of people, and she certainly had it on me.

  Whatever it was, it was some kind of strange magic, and I don’t know how I lost track of her.  The last time we were together, we were in Malgrat de Mar.  Hotels were everywhere, and we found the most charming place, not too far off the path, but far enough that we were on our own.  It was a great way to catch up on all the lost conversation, and I do remember one particular night when she woke up speaking.  She may have been dreaming, and may have caught herself in the act of talking in her sleep, but she kept going, and it eventually started to make sense.  When she asked if I remembered her name, like she always did, I was ready.  It was right there on my forearm, we’d been to Red Devil to get my first tattoo in Spain.

  These stories always end sadly, and I don’t know if they need to end any other way, sad is sort of perfect.  She was sort of sad, really, and I’d like to say, one morning, I woke up, and she was gone.  I’d like to say she left a note that went on for twenty pages about the relationship between Johnny Appleseed and real estate, and how that was the beginning of the end, or at least an excuse about going to Red Devil Tattoo herself, but nothing as good as that.  It was more simple, where we both woke up one morning, and the weather had turned to autumn, and we both knew it was over.  Nothing more, nothing less romantic than that.

• Cochem and the Lorelei

  Monday, December 14th, 2009

  It’s always a love story when there’s a castle involved.  I’ve known this since I was just a kid, and because of that, I avoided castles for as long as I could.  When I decided to ignore the advice of a fortune-teller last summer, and went off in pursuit of a woman who reminded me of someone else, just to get over someone else before that, I knew I’d made the right decision.  Now I even think that the fortune-teller knew I would ignore the advice, that this was also in the cards.  But her name was…her name was…in this story, we’ll call her Lorelei.

  We’d met about a month before I became entranced, and nearly crazy, but when we met, it was one of those stories that sounds even sweeter in retrospect, and at the time, it was also something that I knew would change the way I experience heat and flame.  She found me in a cafe, I was wet and no longer interested in the usual things that please other people in the world.  She must have had a soft spot for gloom, because she was sitting next to me and talking about places like Cochem, hotels close to castles where you could hear stories written on the whispers of the Rhine, and she also told me some secrets about how to transcribe music from the beyond.

  She was so charming, and so spooky, that I fell under a spell.  At the time it was almost like drowning, but now I see it as the feeling you get before you wake up.  There were moments in there that turned into nights, and after a rain storm passed, she said she was passing through, too, and I didn’t know what she meant.  A month later, I was trying not to sleep because every time I closed my eyes I would dream about her.  She said that somewhere between the south of Slovenia and the narrow part of the Rhine I would meet her double, her shadow, that might know the gesture to unlock my heart.  One night, at the edge of near madness, I whispered her name to myself one last time, Lorelei, and I’m still too melancholic to know for sure if the river answered.

• Eighty-one Miles from Greensboro

  Monday, December 14th, 2009

  The truth is that I haven’t spent that much time in the South.  A little time in Florida, a few nights in Louisiana, a few days in Alabama, and we’re done.  However, I have spent some time studying North Carolina and its cities, particularly Greensboro and Asheville, because I’m interested in film and film-making, and North Carolina is a state generous to film-makers, attracting attention from anyone who wants to contribute to the art of cinema.

  Greensboro itself, is the third largest city in North Carolina, with an estimated population of about two hundred and sixty thousand and lies where the I-85 and I-40 meet in central part of the state in the region of Piedmont (literally, the “foot of the mountains”).

  If you were to check in today to one of the hotels Greensboro offers, you would find the city has combined with Winston-Salem and High Point to create the Triad, an area containing about a million people, filled with history and parks.  The city gets its name from a Major General, Nathanael Greene, who commanded the American forces in 1781 at the Battle of Guilford Court House.  Americans lost that particular battle but because of the casualties dealt to the British, Lord Cornwallis pulled his armies out of North Carolina and thus allowed American and French Troops to defeat him in Yorktown, Virginia.  Twenty days of siege later and the American Revolution was finally over.

  It’s points of history like these that make me realize I need to investigate places like Greensboro more.  After all, as a citizen of the West Coast, and someone who didn’t travel East of the Mississippi until a quarter century of my life had passed, all I really knew about North Carolina I learned from 1960s television and The Andy Griffith Show, in which the fictional town of Mayberry was located about thirty miles or so from Raleigh, North Carolina, which, in turn, is located about eighty-one miles from Greensboro.

• Caribbean Tip of Sand

  Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

  As the ships come into the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea they will pass Cancun. If they are smart they will stop and spend a little time unwinding from the sway on the light white sandy beaches. They can find a Cancun hotel right on the beachfront and relax.

  This area is as old as it gets. It is known as the Mayan Coast as it sits on the Peninsula of Yucatan. Of course the name comes from its previous inhabitants the Mayans who had settlements from Brava to Punta Allen. They were people who were very advanced in their knowledge of the earth and the sky. They have built what seemed to be the unbuildable for their time and they predicted things that only time will tell if its true. The Spaniards came to the area in 1519 and they have built this area up to what it is today. The country of Mexico finally realized that tourism was a very important ingredient to keeping their economy strong so they slated  Cancun as a great place to invest. They have been pulling in investment dollars since around 1967. This helped them fund the addition of entertainment and accommodations to the area.

  Visitors should spend time both sides of the area. The north side is were all the tourist resorts are with their amazing developments. This is were you can find all the party, shopping, planned trips and accommodations. The south side is where the small little quaint villages are surrounded by untouched beaches. The second largest reef in the world, the Gran Arrecife Maya, can be accessed from the south side. This is also the area to explore many deep sea caverns, caves and under water rivers. Better get your Padi scuba divers license. Then grab a knowledgable guide to get the right gear and take you out into the wonders of the local seas or forest. There is so much nature here in Cancun Mexico to take in.

• Four Trips to San Francisco

  Monday, December 7th, 2009

  The first time I saw San Francisco, I was about five years old, with my parents, visiting for the day from Sacramento, California.  Even then, I knew this city was one of the world’s great cities — the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay, Fisherman’s Wharf — all of it formed an immediate impression on me, but it wasn’t until twelve years later, that I went again.  The second time, I was actually in a traveling church choir, where we had stopped in San Francisco literally for the afternoon, enabling us just to spend some time exploring Chinatown.  I remember going into a downstairs Chinese restaurant, where the food was served family style, dishes brought out for the entire, large rounded table.  I remember hearing a funeral procession pass by, and then, perhaps oddly, because I now associate this more with New Orleans funerals than anything on the West Coast, the funeral music seemed to abruptly change from a dirge to something jazzy and joyful.  The third and my last time there, was nearly fourteen years ago.  I had moved away from home and lived now in the city of Los Angeles and had flown into the Bay Area to see old friends, now living in San Jose, Redwood City, and in the City itself.  Taking in the sights of San Francisco as an adult, rather than as a teenager or child, made for a completely different experience, but one no less impressive.

  We traveled easily by BART into the Market District, we crossed over to Haight-Ashbury or The Haight to walk the campus at UC Berkeley.   We rode cable cars and I ate again in Chinatown, walked the hills, and simply explored.  But that trip, too, lasted only a day or two.  Since those first two trips, I’ve been to other great cities of the world — Paris, London, even Moscow — and San Francisco is at the top of the list for me.  I have a friend now, who wants to make a quick two day trip from Los Angeles to the City, and I can’t see spending that small amount of time there.  Instead, I’d rather find a San Francisco cheap hotel, and, for a change, linger in this terrfic place for as long as I possibly can.  I’ve been there three times to date, but maybe maybe the fourth time will be the charm and I’ll stay.

• Exchanging ideas in Bali

  Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

  I don’t quite understand all of the Balinese thinking, but whatever it is they’re doing and the way that they are living, it’s clear to me that it’s working. Everything the Balinese do is intentional and with as purpose. Every symbol has a meaning and every meaning has a story to go along with it. The details in their temples reveal a culture that is true to its beliefs and strong in their traditions.

  Megwi is also know for its ancestral shrines for the former ruling Megwi family. Did I mention that Bali has shrines galore? There are so many shrines in Bali that if I took a picture of each one we’d have to stop every half block and we’d never get anywhere fast.

  So, on to Tanah Lot. This was our must see landmark. It’s been written about extensively and is heavily promoted as a tourist destination. I knew this, but I was still unprepared for what I saw. First, after paying to park, we headed in the direction the signs pointed us in, they moved us down several narrow streets that had all kinds of souvenirs and goods on both sides. It was chaos to the extreme. It felt like a flee market. There were hoards of hawkers, tourists, shops and trash all messing up a stunning area. I realize the locals rely on this destination for income, but they are ruthless in trying to pry every last dollar from your pocket. It was totally draining.

  The temple sits on a small island and offers an incredible sight at sunset. We waited for the sun to dip and what a spectacular show! There seemed to be many professional photographers taking photos of the sunset. We now can see why, there’s no other place like it.

  After we saw Tanah Lot, our drive started us toward where we had booked a hotel in Bali Indonesia, we had him first make a stop at a money exchangers, and we’re not sure if it was the area, but the gal behind the exchanger window looked at our $100 USD and she wouldn’t take them. She asked if we had others, and then she examined them very carefully and then reject almost all the bills we had. We asked her why and she said they were too old and that her bank doesn’t like to get older bills and they get less money for them. For your information if coming to Bali, don’t exchange $20 USD because the exchange rate is much lower, you get less money for them. Bring the $100 USD, just don’t stop at that exchange place we did.

• The Globe Theatre in London

  Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

  Michael and his sister Louise took a trip to London together last spring and it was definitely one of the best trips of their lives. They had been planning it for over a year and in part it was intended to be college graduation celebration for Louise though it was much more than that. Louise had never been to London before and Michael had only been once. Almost from the moment they stepped foot off the airplane the adventures began. They arrived at their hotel in London and before they even had a chance to settle in they headed back out to explore the city.

  The first thing they did was find a comfortable local pub and have a nice plate of fish and chips. That might sound like an entirely tourist oriented thing to do, but as it turns out they both loved fish and chips and would take the opportunity to enjoy a plate any chance they got. They had to agree though, that these tasted particularly good. After their meal they took the Tube over to Piccadilly Square where they were fascinated by the crowds and the sights. Most of their trip had that whirlwind quality to it though they both made efforts to savor the moments. While they were there they visited the London Zoo, St. Paul’s and of course Westminster and the Tower of London. So many stories and such and incredibly history was written on the walls in that historic institution.

  They also were able to enjoy a performance at the Globe Theatre down by the river. Louise had taken a few Shakespeare classes at school and had studied Romeo and Juliet, which is the play they saw. Both of them were impressed with the skill of the actors and the quality of the production. They enjoyed what Louise referred to as the dumb show, before the play. And while the Globe had been recently rebuilt, it also contained a wondrous sense of history that thrilled and enticed the brother and sister who were visiting this great world city. They enjoyed their trip so much that they decided to take a vacation together at least once a year, and at least until they had families of their own.

• Gilbert and Sullivan at Knoxville Opera

  Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

  There is simply no instrument like the oboe. That was Sally’s honest belief for over twenty years. She had first begun playing the oboe when she was ten years old. She had already played the clarinet for a year in her school’s orchestra, but when she was ten she visited an uncle who lived in Denver and he happened to play the oboe. While they were there her mother asked her uncle Steve to bring out his oboe and play it for Sally. Her intention was simply to demonstrate how good you could actually become when you practiced your instrument. Not surprisingly, Sally had been having issues committing to clarinet practice. But it was almost as if the ten-year-old had a life-changing event once Steve brought it out and began playing.

  Sally thought the instrument was interesting though similar looking to the clarinet, they didn’t have one in her small school, but once she heard it being played she knew without a doubt that it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Her mother immediately suspected her of trying to use her interest in the oboe as a way of getting out of practicing the clarinet, but Sally continued to persist and finally her mother brought this up to her instructor at school. The instructor immediately welcomed the idea and Sally became the first oboe player at her elementary school.

  She remembered these early experiences while she sat in her room in one of the hotels Knoxville. In addition to loving the oboe she also loved the opera and had always preferred playing with opera companies to symphony orchestras though she frequently did both. And now she was in Knoxville making her final preparations for her audition with the Knoxville Opera. She had always been impressed with this company and would love begin working with them prior to the beginning of the New Year. They have both the Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan and The Barber of Seville by Rossini on the schedule for early 2010. They begin the year with tragic Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti. The soprano part in the mad scene always brings Sally to tears.

• Yoga in Singapore

  Monday, November 30th, 2009

  Traveling in another country with fitness and health in mind can be a wonderful way to learn about another culture.  There are many old techniques and traditions that can be discovered, and many of these have been practiced continually for thousands of years, and learning new techniques in a new place is just one way to really internalize the lessons.  When you are in new surroundings, the usual habits of mind are usually much more in the background, and you’re more prone to giving yourself over to the new experience in a total way, and that in itself can be of enormous benefit to your health, because learning how to let go of preconceived notions is a secret to health.

  When visiting Singapore, spa resorts are a wonderful alternative to the usual hotels, because they don’t just offer a luxurious place to rest at the end of the day, but offer a program for physical and emotional health that is the focus of the waking hours as well.  It’s a precious way to truly pamper yourself, because the entire time is devoted to your own well-being, and there’s no need for worrying about how to fill your itinerary with new and exciting things.  In a place like Singapore, there is so much to see and do here if you are visiting the city state, that it can be too much for one trip, but taking a spa treatment can introduce you to the place in a beautifully relaxing way.

  There is a great culture for health in Singapore already, with many different yoga studios that help to keep the local population in touch with their essence.  This is a system for finding the mind and body connection so that real healing can take place.  It might even be a good idea to incorporate some of the local practices by taking in a few classes at studios like True Yoga, in order to supplement your spa resort holiday.

• Jackson Mississippi Named After President Andrew Jackson

  Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

  Jackson is not only the largest city in the state of Mississippi, it is also huge in social significance and historical relevance. It is commonly referred to as the city with soul, which is also its current official slogan. This is reflective of its namesake, President Andrew Jackson, and his battle of New Orleans for which the city was named. Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and served for two terms. He held the office from March of 1829 through March of 1837. He had two Vice Presidents, John C. Calhoun, who had also served under the previous office of President John Quincy Adams, and also Martin Van Buren who go on to become the next President. His portrait appears on the US twenty dollar bill.

  Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, the ides of March, two parents who had immigrated from Northern Ireland just two years prior. When he was thirteen he joined the local regiment of the Revolutionary War and served as a courier. Both he and his brother Robert Jackson became captured and were held by the British as prisoners of war. He later became the final US president who had served in the Revolutionary War.

  The Battle of New Orleans, for which Jackson became a national hero, occurred in January of 1815. On the eighth of the month British troops invaded New Orleans and Jackson’s five thousand soldiers were up against the seven thousand five hundred British soldiers. The odds were against Jackson and his troops, though through his leadership they were able to overcome the deficit and ultimately beat the British and regain New Orleans. It was during this conflict that Jackson earned his nickname Old Hickory, because it was said he was as tough as old hickory. After this conflict Jackson became a national hero. Tourists who visit the city and stay in one of the hotels Jackson should be interested in its famous namesake and may also be interested in making a comparison between this somewhat controversial historic figure and the current state of this city with soul.

• Cape Town Supernature

  Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

  There are always so many spectacular attractions in South Africa, any time of year, and you can see some of the liveliest festivals and street fairs anywhere.  There’s also fantastic shopping opportunities, where elegant and intriguing new items of great personal interest can draw your attention, and you might find yourself suddenly charmed by the objects you’re seeing, and the place begins to speak to you in a way you don’t even recognize.  But it’s still lovely, and somehow feels more profound than it did a moment ago.  And even though you’re shopping, even though it’s only shopping, there’s something else coming through, and it’s making you feel simultaneously fascinated and fascinating, and you’re part of the scene you’ve been observing. It can be a very heady experience, and Cape Town is one of the most appealing cities in the country, with beaches that are probably ranked on nearly everyone’s list at the top.  Cape Town hotels can offer a splendid sense of luxury here, a place away from the place, as it were.  There’s a spectacular effort to make things perfect for your relaxation, so that you can unwind and really enjoy the rhythms of another place.  The rhythms of this place are old and new all at once, drawing from some of the original rhythms that turned the human heartbeat into the sound of a drum. These rhythms have evolved over the centuries into something entirely other, with multiple rhythms playing simultaneously in some of the most advanced musical forms.  Interestingly enough, the polyrhythm is still as complex and sophisticated as it was 300 years ago, suggesting that culture reached a certain peak, and is still waiting for the next movement forward into the next beyond.  It’s still connected to the heartbeat, however, and some of the most sacred rhythms connect the heart to the rhythms of nature, and in the liveliest of festivals, the line between human energies and rhythm becomes inseparable from natural rhythm, and these moments are utterly transcendent, and though they come from nature, are given the word supernatural, although no one can remember exactly why.

• Damien Rice Performs on Austin City Limits

  Thursday, November 19th, 2009

  The popular PBS television series Austin City Limits is well known for showcasing some of the brightest new talent on the music scene as well featuring some of the biggest stars from all musical genres. It is also the longest running musical television series and just like a true rock and roll star, it shows no signs of slowing down. And while the series was developed primarily to support and showcase Texas musicians, it has grown to include performers and bands from across the globe. A large annual music festival has taken the name and occurs in Austin every year. Many people visit the city during festival days and the best Austin hotels fill up during this time.

  Damien Rice is just one of multitudes of musicians to perform on the Austin City Limits stage. He’s an excellent example of the large pool of musicians that are featured on the program and demonstrates its open ended genre support. Rice is from Ireland and plays a unique folk rock style of music. He was born in December of 1973 in Celbridge, Ireland. He is an incredibly talented singer, musician and song writer and plays multiple instruments. Among them are the guitar, which is his standard performance partner, though he also plays the piano, drums, violin and cello. He has had a dynamic career and life and has spent time working as a farmer in the Tuscan fields of Italy.

  After his stint as a farmer in Italy, Rice managed to busk his way around Europe. Busking is a common term for the practice of performing in streets and other public places. Musicians are a standard element of buskers though any form of performance is also included in the genre. There are also psychics, artists and magicians who make their living or at least part of it by presenting their skills and services in public markets and major open city street areas. This is more common in large cities than small towns. Rice was successful in this type of performing and it also gave him plenty of experience for various stage work. He is one of the most engaging singer/musicians working today and has a strong loyal fan base.

• Rajasthani Folk

  Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

  With tourism as one of the main focuses of the state, Rajasthan is a travelers dream.  With fantastic and mysterious deserts, old temples, and spectacular palaces that are so delightfully constructed that they are often featured in international cinema, there is a luscious array of possibilities to quench the traveler’s urge to see something different.  It is also one of the most romantic places in the world to get cozy and get away from the rest of the world.  There is also an incredible array of luxury hotels.  Rajasthan offers many unique opportunities to follow your bliss, and at times, to find it.  There is a certain magic to the place that tends to rub off on the visitors, where you can truly enjoy yourself, and sometimes in spite of yourself.

  There are few places in the world that can live up to its reputation, but here, you can tour a royal palace, enjoy a spa in your own hotel, and visit a wildlife refuge, all in the same day.  There is certainly plenty to do while you’re here, but if you’ve come to enjoy each other’s company, and follow the days as they unfold, that’s also certainly possible here.  There is a wealth of splendid distractions to fill out the lazy days, and you’ll certainly enjoy the many different culinary treasures offered here.  The local food is extremely diverse, and the best chefs will combine the best of the traditional recipes and add some innovation to the mix, and you’ll see why Indian food is considered to be some of the finest in the world.  You may also find yourselves distracted by the local folk music, and that’s another adventure in itself.

  Rajasthani folk songs are spectacularly simple, drawing on a number of traditions to make songs that comment on current situations or relate stories from the history and traditions of the region.  The best songs are about love, like they usually are.  Ragas are some of the most common types of songs you’re likely to hear, and there are many practitioners and scholars of this famous music.  The Rajasthani folk tradition is based on some simple melodies, and sometimes takes in the more complex classical forms to round out the sound, making for a lively improvisational music that is a pleasure to listen to, and one of the many things here that can make life sweet.

• Sydney Class

  Monday, November 16th, 2009

  Sydney is in a class of its own as far as cities go. This is truly a modern city at it’s best. Everyone is welcome and flock here from all over the world to vacation in this wonderful city. Sydney is ranked very high in the Pacific for its quality of life. There are plenty of jobs here and the education is world class. Health care is available to all in this cosmopolitan city.  Sydney has a great blend of superior businesses and educational facilities with luxurious leisure and play.

  Australia’s largest and oldest city is famous for its Sydney Opera House. The main photo used on the millions of post cards mailed from the area. The City is placed on an absolutely breath taking harbor that is coupled with easy to get to white sandy beaches. The harbor separates the city in to two, north and south. Each side has a bustling village with beach side homes and inner city shopping and eating. Each village being distinctly different from the other.

  The Sydney area has a moderate climate which appeals to the beach goers and the great outdoors men. Around the city there are five major national parks leaving almost 5000 miles of open space to play and roam. Travelers can feel comfortable knowing that this city is a secure place for families, with all the facilities and transportation needed to enjoy this modern metropolis. They often start their journey from one of the five star hotels in Sydney.

  People can find any style of restaurant to dine in this multicultural city. Each dish is enhanced by the local fresh fish, produce and of course world class wines. Visitor and locals have the opportunity to get out in the night and see so many performing art shows. From the Opera and the Symphony to the Dance company and the Theatre company there is a impressive show going on every night. The talent is the best in the world as this city draws the most distinctive performers, directors, and writer to its sought after scene.

• Menorca’s beautiful beaches

  Monday, November 16th, 2009

  How about traveling to a climate so moderate that natives went about most of their daily life in the nude, and only learned to wear clothes from sea traders?  A place where once the inhabitants preferred to be paid for their labors with wine instead of coins?  How about Menorca?  The island is also known as Minorca, and its name derives from Minorica (“minor island”), one of the Spanish Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, taking its name because of its proximity to its larger neighboring island, Majorca.

  Many people believe they’ve found their own personal Shangri-La,  after checking into one of the luxury hotels menorca offers its visitors.  The island boasts a population today of around 88,000.  Over the centuries, it’s changed hands many times, from the Phoenicians to the Romans, and, eventually, to Spain.

  If you’re not a beach lover, you have the option to explore the historical remains of many past cultures: tombs, ancient monuments, castles, old forts.  The island has plenty of these things — hundreds of sites from different eras.  Just outside Mahon, for instance, you’ll find Fort Marlborough, a British fort overseeing the harbor, containing mazes of caves and tunnels.

  If you do like beaches, there’s everything from lengthy sandy ones at Son Bou to the more rugged beaches of Tortugas and Morella.  You can reach most of them in tourist areas; however, a good many, smaller pristine ones are hidden.  You’ll need a car for that.  One island favorite is Cala Mitjaneta.  Some beaches are harder to reach than others, because there aren’t any roads to them.  That means long, hard walks, sometimes climbing very steep terrains.  You have to be in shape for these trips!  For some, going to Menorca can be a life-changing experience, where they find their own personal paradise.

  A word of caution, though: Today, the islanders keep their clothes on, even though the temperature remains moderate enough to go without.   It’s actually illegal to go naked as the ancient ancestors once did, although a few beaches still cater to the naturalist impulse, but you may have to search to find them!

• Zappa Ibiza

  Thursday, November 12th, 2009

  There are enough attractions in Ibiza to keep visitors of all ages very content for many weeks, and one visit here is invariably too short, but it will demonstrate to you that the hype about the island is true.  It’s one of the most exciting places in the world at night time, and there are many opportunities during the day to find new adventures that can be both educational and fun.  The history of Ibiza is amazingly vast, with prehistories, invasions, and even Visigoths in the whole mix.  For pure beach heaven, this is it.  When you’re looking for any excuse to relax in the sun, you can find many people here who are having the same idea as you, and you can confer about whether or not it’s a good idea while you’re soaking in the rays on some of the world’s most magnificent coastlines.

  There are, as you expect in a city with so many tourists, a lot of choices for accommodation in Ibiza.  Town hotel lodgings are a great choice if you’re looking for luxury with difference.  These are splendid locations to set up your base here, and consider your own legacy in Ibiza.  There have been many famous people here who have passed through here enough times that they started to become a little famous to the locals as well.  You might want to join this club, because chances are very high that once here, you’ll be coming back.  You might decide to hang out at the Cafe Del Mar as often as Frank Zappa did.

  He was one of the most influential people of his day, and continues to inspire generations of people with creative minds and urges.  He was one of the famous celebrities of the 1970s and 1980s that gave Ibiza its reputation as a pre-eminent place for the glamorous to have an escape.  Given Frank Zappa‘s consistently ironic presence, it’s either mildly humorous or close to hysterically funny that he would be in the same league as Kate Moss, but it’s somehow perfectly fitting as well.

• Menorca Easter Parade

  Thursday, November 12th, 2009

  The Menorcans speak Castellan as well as Catalan, but thank goodness most people we ran into spoke English. We were here in Menorca for a long Easter weekend, my friend and I picked this least known of the Balearic Islands, which is located off the west coast of Spain. Compared to Ibiza and Mallorca, this island is small and unassuming. This is exactly what we were looking for, because we really needed to unwind and de-stress. Menorca is a perfect island getaway.

  We rented a car and spent four days getting to know this tiny isle. It has beach hamlets that are cute and we visited the two biggest towns, Ciutadella and Port Mao. This island is great for a long weekend, but not for a much longer stay, say like two weeks. There was just enough to keep us interested and occupied, but not so much that we felt pressured to hit another museum at the expense of an all important afternoon siesta. This island allowed us to soak up the unique, local take on Spanish island culture. Simple, relaxed and great finding a table at one of the many seaside restaurants, or downing the fresh catch of the day topped off with a nice bottle of Catalan rose’ wine.

  The days leading up to Easter has given us an extra treat, the Good Friday procession in downtown Mao was delightful. The whole town participates, or watches the parade. We were staying at one of the best Menorca hotels, which was just brief walk down to the parade and thoroughly enjoyed the parade that was a mix between a Halloween parade and a Neo white supremacist revival. Really! There were hundreds of men and boys dressed in these long robes with pointed hoods parading through town. Each group was dressed in the colors of one of the confraternities and carrying passion-themed floats and banging on drums and tooting on horns. Very surreal. Very intriguing. Not your usual American Main Street parade. Worth every minute.

• Our Weekend in NY Will be Filled With Great Broadway Plays

  Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

  My fiance tells me all the time she wants to see a Broadway play on Broadway. It is something she has dreamed of for a long time. We have seen several touring Broadway productions like Phantom, Choirs Line and Le Miserable she has enjoyed them all.

  So if surprised her the other morning and told her we would be going to New York City for a weekend in early December. She was so excited, I was happy to see that. I said for her to go to New York Broadway tickets and get tickets to a couple of shows that she wanted to see that weekend. Of course I didn’t have to say that twice. She grabbed her cup of coffee and off to the computer she went.

  After a bit of deliberation she made her decision and we will be going to three plays. Wicked, Spamalot and Phantom of the Opera. Even though she has seen Phantom before she said she wanted to see it on Broadway. Who am I to say, so we are going to see Phantom again.

  We will be arriving in New York City on Thursday afternoon and be catching Wicked on Friday evening. Saturday we see Spamalot and the Sunday matinee of Phantom.

  In between we will be going to see the Museum of Modern Art’s, ‘What Was Good Design’ exhibition. A showing of pieces from the Moderns collection of everyday objects, many piece are from the Mid Century Modern Collection and there is a showing of contemporary drawings from the Rothschild Foundation Collection called ‘Compass in Hand’. These shows will be for me more than my fiance but I know she will be happy to make the sacrifice since we are going to three plays.

  She has never been to the City before and I like to sow her a good time and fit in as much as ewe can. Sunday night we’ll take the carriage ride around Central Park and if time permits we’ll sail on the Circle Line, circling Manhattan in a tour boat. Something I haven’t done since I was a kid. Well whether we make it or not we will have a very full weekend.