Buddha, boats and beers...

Our last day of work was spent among the ruins of the ancient capital of Siam, a UNESCO World Heritage site. About an hour from Bangkok, Ayutthaya is a beautiful spot full of ancient temples and lush gardens. It was truly stunning and a real privilege to have had such intimate access to some of the incredible locations there – including a view of the footprint of Bhudda.

As it was our last night in Bangkok and the three of us who had managed to escape illness decided to make the most of our last moments and make our way to the Chayo Praya River to see the city from a long-boat. We hailed a tuk-tuk to take us to a location where we could rent a private boat. He avoided traffic the entire way by using some (shady) back alleys and offered to wait the entire hour for us to return from our boat ride. A private boat cost us 1200 Baht and we grabbed some large size Singhas for the ride. It was perfect time as it was dusk and the sun was just getting ready to drop behind the amazing Wat Arun. Our boat, like most on the river, was brightly coloured, very long and was actually powered by a car engine. I will let my photos speak for themselves but the cruise was definitely one of the highlights of my stay in Bangkok…

Sure enough, our tuk-tuk driver was waiting for us when we returned to shore. We then decided to grab another drink and a bite. After a bit of shady dealings with our driver, and repeated offers to visit a ping pong show (yes…that kind of ping pong) we settled in at an Irish (strange I know) pub for drinks and dinner followed it up with a walk and some bartering for souvenirs.

I will definitely have to return to see more of Thailand but feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to see even a bit of this amazing country and meet some of it’s truly beautiful people. But my journey isn’t over yet…trip number 10 of 2010 (yes, I’ve met my goal!) awaits me in Tokyo!

TKO

Totally. Kick-Ass. Outing.

Knowing that I had very little personal time in Bangkok, the only thing really on my list to do was to see a Muay Thai Boxing Match. Fortunately for me, I was traveling with some equally blood-thirsty individuals and we made a plan to do it on Wednesday night. Ring-side seats for Rajdamnoen stadium were at a reasonable price of 2000 Baht a person. The fighters were mostly youngish (but incredibly tough) Thai boys.. And while the matches were great – it was the fans that were the highlight. People were screaming and yelling with the kind of passion rarely seen at any sporting event I’ve ever been to. And while not a drop of blood was spilled, we did see a knock-out. I know this kind of thing isn’t for everyone but, in all honesty, the scariest thing about the match was the cockroaches running around on the floor.

Motorcycle Mama

I needed to do some banking in downtown Bangkok and what’s the fastest way for a single person to travel across town, you ask? A motorcycle taxi! At first I was somewhat curious as to why a helmet is not required, but quickly embraced the idea as we whipped (very carefully) through the back alleys across the city to the bank and back. There are tons of motorcycles in the city and it’s not unusual to see an entire family on one bike.

Bangkok Weekend...

After a busy week, it was nice to be able to get out and see a bit of Bangkok. Our hotel location afforded us great proximity to some of the best shopping in the city...which is either a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it.

I set out with my new friends, both conveniently named Karen, and we took the Metro over to the shopping area. It was only one stop (and it would have been a short walk) but it was awesome to see their amazingly modern and clean transit system. It puts the TTC to shame. Once there, we realized the mall was not yet open but a friendly stranger decided to point us in the direction of a gem market. Turns out this random act of kindness was not actually random at all as locales are rewarded for sending tourists to gem markets and tailors. Regardless, the gem market was a success. After some bartering, Karen and I each left with a beautiful ring - mine a sparkly 2.5 karat Peridot (my birthstone) in a beautiful, simple gold setting.We hit the mall afterwards for some shopping (new, handmade leather shoes), lunch and a pedicure. We then made our way home via tuk-tuk. I could try and explain what a tuk-tuk is but I think it is better explained by this video. Our driver was extremely strange...waving at people and repeatedly saying "ladyboy" in a high pitched voice.  Check it out:



That evening we celebrated a very successful week of work with a nice dinner at Thang Long, an a-m-a-z-i-n-g Vietnamese restaurant just down the street from our hotel. Mmmmm! This was followed up by some cocktails and live music at Brown Sugar, a really cool jazz bar owned by a member of the Bangkok crew.

Sunday was a lazy day. It had nothing to do with the mojitos, I swear.

Despite wanting to lie around all day, I went for a walk to take in the sights of Bangkok for what would be my only real day off in the city. The nearby Erawan Shrine was an amazing spot to take some photos of the beautiful yellow flowers, golden elephants along with Thai dancers and musicians. I did a bit of shopping and lots and lots of walking – so much that I decided to treat my aching feet to a Thai massage. So for approximately $8 (250 Baht) I got the most amazing one-hour, full body massage of my life. I was brought to a curtained off room and given some pajamas to put on. For the next hour I was contorted, pushed, pulled, rubbed and climbed on. This was followed up with a cup of tea before I floated back to my hotel, and readied myself for another busy week.

Kanchanaburi

Our time in Kanchanaburi was mostly spent working. After a long, hot day in the sun (and with some major jet-lag settling in) it was a challenge just to stay awake long enough to have some dinner. And although I had good intentions, I was never even once able to stay up and enjoy a cold beer after work. Incredible, I know.

As Kanchanaburi is fairly remote, our accommodations were perfectly suitable but certainly less glam than some of the other hotels I have been lucky enough to stay at on business. The hotel staff were lovely (pretty much like every other Thai person I have ever met) and the food was delicious (when I wasn’t too tired to eat it). Real Thai food – not the kind you get at Spring Rolls at Fairview Mall (though I do like me some Spring Rolls). My room was large with a beautiful Thai style platform bed. The bed was so big that I alternated sides each night. The downside? Little-to-no hot water and tiny, little black beetles all over the floor. Like, hundreds of them. However, in my very zen state of jet-lag and exhaustion, I was able to block out the bugs, focus on the amazing bed and make the best of my stay.

To say it was hot was an understatement but every time I would get even remotely close to complaining, I would remind myself of the cold at home and power through.

I was lucky enough to spend my days in the jungle, on the banks of the River Kwai with some beautiful, ancient trees looming above. The history of this location was not lost on me as I spent November 11^th – Remembrance Day – here and proudly wore my poppy.

Some other highlights?

I was introduced to some amazing elephants that let me sit on their tusks and lifted me high in the air. I also visited a tiger temple which was presided over by an Abbott, a Bhuddist Monk who presented me with both a souvenir calendar as well as a tiger tooth necklace (which is meant to protect those who wear it).

And protect me it did. After a long week, we made our two hour journey back to the big city of Bangkok for the rest of our crazy adventure…

One Night in Bangkok

I have the best job.

Once again I am off traveling to an exotic, random locale in support of my work. So despite the less-than-glamorous aspects of a trip like this – the stress of all the planning, the jet-lag, the crazy hours, the inoculations - I do feel incredibly grateful to get to experience Thailand in this way. And, no, I can’t tell you about why I am here…well yet, anyhow.

The long flight here was, amazingly, quite pleasant. The empty seat next to me definitely made a world of difference on the thirteen hour flight from Toronto to Tokyo. Yet again I am traveling with someone I met for the first time (a business associate named Garry), so we were able to have a nice cold beer in the Tokyo airport and stretched our legs before the remaining six hours to Bangkok.

After finding our luggage, we met our driver and weren’t on the road for more than twenty minutes when we were pulled over by the police. But it was all just to let the King’s vehicle pass by us. The Royal family is very revered here in Thailand, so it was a privilege to see him drive by. But I like to think he was just coming to personally welcome us to his country.

After a good sleep and some breakfast, Garry and I decided to stretch our legs before the three hour journey to our final destination in Kanchanaburi. Lumpini Park is a short block from our hotel so we made our way down there to see the lake and people relaxing and enjoying the green space – children playing, soldiers riding their bikes, women with parasols and a couple practicing a ballroom dancing routine.

After some lunch we reluctantly get back in the van to fight some serious traffic and make our way three hours north west to Kanchanaburi – home of the bridge (yes, that bridge) on the River Kwai.

The 12 hour time change is not making sleep come easy. It’s late / early as I am writing this. So with a 5:45 call time in the morning, I think I had better try to get a few winks in before my busy day tomorrow. Till then…

Rockhouse, Negril

The last few days of my trip sort of blended together so I thought I'd just put together one all-encompassing post about my stay in Negril.

It was tough to leave Jake’s, if only for the amazing food. It’s a very special place and I do hope that I make it back there again someday. The bar has been set quite high, and because of that I am hoping that Negril doesn’t disappoint. O’Neill picks me up at noon for our two hour journey. We once again pass by the Black River but this time I get to see a whole new stretch of coastline as we continue north to Negril. The drive is a careful one – dodging potholes (and goats) the entire way, but I am excited to finally arrive at Rockhouse. I bid O’Neill farewell and after a quick and friendly check-in, Scarlett helps pull my very heavy suitcase to my room and shows me around the facilities. My room is fairly basic but has a beautiful big bed with mosquito netting - which I've come to realize is definitely not just for aesthetic reasons, though it does look pretty. It also has a day-bed, a strong air-conditioning unit (yay!) and, the best part, an outdoor shower.

The entire resort is lovely as the hotel perches on a volcanic rock cliff that overlooks beautiful reefs and grottoes. Despite the rocks, the hotel is quite lush and private. Shady paths wind through the facility filled with tropical trees, plants and flowers. The pool sits atop the rock and overlooks the sea and is the perfect place to catch a sunset (or happy hour). The restaurant and bar also overlooks the water and at night is lit with torches.

My experience at the hotel is relaxed and quiet. The hotel is mostly filled with couples who stay in the beautiful and private cabana-style rooms but there are a few large groups of people enjoying themselves by the pool. I met a really lovely group of two families traveling together from Brooklyn, NY - Cassandra, Abdul, Belinda, Sonya and Willow. They were nice enough to invite me to join them for a dinner at Sips n Bites - a local roadside Jamaican restaurant - where I had a great time trying to convince them to visit Toronto. I promised I would visit Brooklyn too - if only to check out Abdul (a chef) and Cassandra's restaurant: A Bistro.

Some highlights from my stay?

I took a morning outdoor yoga class with Fanette ($15) and was the only person to show up, so it was a private class. It was incredible and certainly was a great way to start my day. I definitely recommend this for any yoga fans visiting the hotel.

Secondly - I love breakfast and the Rockhouse does breakfast right: poached eggs, callaloo, roasted tomato and (the best part) jerk sausage. One morning I am happily surprised to have some breadfruit on my plate too - which was delicious!

Happy Hour is happy indeed - with 2 for 1 drinks between 5 and 6 pm.

Snorkeling (with my new underwater camera) was so easy. Equipment can be rented at the pool bar ($5 / day) and you can simply take any of the ladders down from the rocks and snorkel right beside the hotel.

It was sad to leave. I even tried to change my flight at the last minute, but no dice. So I reluctantly got in the van (Kenny's Tours transfer $80) back to the airport. It started to pour rain en route so that definitely made it easier to leave. I will definitely be back to Jamaica soon though...next time, it's Goldeneye!

Super Cool

I'm not really one for taking tours but I couldn't leave Treasure Beach without a visit to one particular local attraction: The Pelican Bar.

The Pelican Bar could quite possibly be the coolest place I have ever been. Set about a kilometre at sea on a sand bar, Pelican Bar is a shack on stilts made up of driftwood that serves cold drinks and fresh seafood. The staff at Jake's makes arrangements for a local - Captain Dennis - to shuttle me in his boat ($75) for a beer and a tour of the coastline. I am told to meet Dennis "down the beach and past the tree". Sure enough, I find him there wearing a shirt that says "Captain Dennis".

My ride is fittingly called "Super Cool". Dennis is a fantastic guy who points out all the highlights as we pass the pristine, untouched coastline and even spots (to my huge delight) a playful dolphin who follows us for almost the entire 25 minute boat ride to the bar.

The bar is even cooler than expected and is a real marvel of engineering. Apparently, it even remained untouched  by the last hurricane while nearby coastal homes were destroyed. The boys are just setting up shop when we arrive but the beer is cold and that is all that matters. The inside is decorated with flags from all over the world and there are two from Canada. I purchase a heart-shaped wooden sculpture from Andrae who carves his name in the back. I have a second beer, a good chat with Dennis and a married couple from Chicago, a quick dip in the warm, shallow waters and then we are back in the boat. Super Cool! While we don't see any more dolphins, we see plenty of swooping pelicans and a huge jumping tarpon. I bid Dennis farewell with a big hug and thank him for an awesome day and then hit Jack Sprat's for lunch.

Jack Sprat's is a restaurant owned by Jake's that is located just down the beach (before the tree). It's a very cool place with fresh seafood and pizza - which is what they seem to be famous for. I order the jerk sausage pizza (a half pie) along with a cold bottle of coke ($10 total) and it is to die for. Sigh. Life is super cool.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sunning and swimming and enjoyed a late dinner at Jake's - jerk chicken with rice and peas and coconut ice-cream (by far the best of some really good homemade ice-cream this week). I had picked up a DVD copy of The Harder They Come at the Jack Sprat gift-shop and decided to give it a watch on my lap-top. The movie is closely tied to Jake's as it's founder - Perry Henzell - is the writer / director / producer of this cult favourite from 1973.

Sadly, my time at Jake's is coming to an end as I make my way to Negril. More from the Rockhouse tomorrow...

Thursday, right?

I'm starting to forget which day of the week it is. That's a good thing in my books.

Thursday was all about chilling in the sun and I was definitely up for the task. There were no clouds in the sky...and very little wind...so it was necessary to develop a bit of a routine that involved sun, pool, bar, suntan lotion, then repeat. The pool here is a lovely mosaic-tiled, free-form design filled with saltwater. This is terrific because it allows you float around with very little work involved. I tested out my brand new underwater camera. It's great for it's ability to let me chill about ruining my camera near / in water and sand, but the picture quality just doesn't even remotely measure up to my SLR. I knew it wouldn't, but I was still hoping for a little better. I may have to upgrade when I get home.

It was a quiet day. And an early night - but not before another delicious dinner at Jake's poolside restaurant under the pretty lights up in the trees. This time I kicked things off with some Rum Punch and an appetizer portion of guacamole followed by a vegetarian pasta and some watermelon-ginger sorbet.

More food travel tales tomorrow...whatever day that is...

Banana Pancakes

My room has no clock and no phone. Sadly, this did not prevent me from waking up way too early. It must have been around six-ish when the pink sun started to stream through my bamboo covered windows so I hung out under the mosquito netting and read my book for a long while, and then decided to head to the pool area for some breakfast.

I selected the banana pancakes from the daily menu on the chalkboard - a very wise decision since they were possibly the best pancakes I have ever had (next to my grandmothers, of course). I also had some much needed Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and and a glass of fresh watermelon juice, all for under $10.

It was looking a bit gloomy but the sun started to peek through the clouds so I parked myself on the beach to catch some rays. I ended up sitting beside Mei-i, another solo traveler from NYC and we traded both travel tales and turns picking up rounds of cocktails from the poolside bar. Dougie - of Dougie's Bar - whipped us up some Passion fruit Margaritas and some of his famous Rum Punch before we moved onto the Red Stripes. It started to pour rain and thunder, so after a rainy swim in the pool we took shelter and ordered a bite of lunch. I ordered the traditional Pepperpot soup - a blended green soup made from callaloo, a vegetable popular to Jamaican cooking followed up with a warm apple and walnut cake that had a small and delicious scoop of grapenut ice-cream on top. Mei-i spent the afternoon taking a cooking class with the hotel's cook ($20) where she learned how to make (and got to eat) jerk shrimp. I spent it reading and writing on my terrace while listening to the thunder rumbling. As it was Mei-i's last evening (and her birthday), we decided to meet for drinks at Dougie's followed by dinner inside the hotel.

Over drinks we met some lovely new friends including a cool South African expat journalist from the Cayman Islands, who was traveling with her family. When we finally dragged ourselves away from Dougie's Rum Punch, we had yet another amazing meal. I had the Vegetable Rundown - a traditional coconut vegetable curry. Mei-i chose the lobster, which she knew was fresh because we saw the fisherman pull up in a boat to drop off a burlap sack of them that very morning. Everything was delicious. Sadly, we had no room for dessert.

It was thankfully much cooler than the night before, so I settled in with my almost completely devoured book (The African Safari Papers by Robert Sedlack) and fell asleep to the sound of the rain.

Jamaican me a very happy girl...

Some people just don't get it. I mention that I am going traveling again and they ask "why" instead of "where".

But that's fine by me. Everyone is different and I certainly don't expect that others find joy in the same things that make me happy. And I certainly don't write this blog to brag about how lucky I am (though I definitely feel very lucky) or to measure my choices against those of others. This blog is for me...and if you happen to like it, cool. If you don't, that's also cool, but you should stop reading now.

So, I am traveling again; and the answer is "Jamaica".

I left a hot and humid Toronto yesterday morning to begin my week long, solo vacation to Jamaica. My 4 hour direct flight with WestJet was moderately priced ($600 tax-in) and fairly uneventful. The WestJet crew made the trip quite fun with their comedy and singing...and even brought out free drinks for the adorable newlywed couple sitting next to me. I arrived at an equally hot and humid Montego Bay airport, found my bag (already waiting for me and pulled off the luggage carousel), located my driver and readied myself for the 2.5 hour drive to Treasure Beach.

Jake's Hotel is located in the sleepy fishing village of Treasure Beach, a somewhat remote destination on the west coast just south of the Black River. I have long wanted to visit Jake's which is often raved about in travel magazines as the coolest hotel in the Caribbean. The hotel has arranged a driver for me ($120 one way), a cool young guy named O'Neill who keeps me entertained with reggae from his iPod and points all of the key sights along the route. The road is pretty bumpy and filled with potholes. It takes some great care to navigate safely so I would definitely not recommend renting your own vehicle to make this trek. We pass a few large trucks stuck on very steep hills. There are people selling fruit, plants and fresh fish on the roadside. It rains a bit which makes the roads a bit trickier, but the air cooler which feels good from my open window. It's a long drive but was so much nicer than sitting in some resort shuttle bus and seeing nothing along the route.

Jake's is incredible - and exactly what I was expecting. I was greeted by my first name and taken to my (upgraded!) room. My room - called Cowrie 2 - is an upper level, large one bedroom dwelling. The best part - the wrought iron spiral staircase that leads you up to the amazing balcony with a view of the sea, complete with a table and chairs plus two cozy muskoka chairs. Inside the big bedroom area there is a large white bed with that features a romantic looking mosquito netting. There is a fridge filled with cold water, candles, a stereo, books (good books even) and a personalized welcome note from the Jake's family. The bathroom is large with a huge mosaic tiled shower and a separate dressing area. All this for little old me? Wow. 

After a bit of a rest in my luxury digs, I decided to head to the pool area to read, sip a cold Red Stripe, watch an incredible sunset and grab some dinner (delicious pumpkin soup, jerk tenderloin and chocolate chip ice-cream for dessert). I'm not sure the night could have been any better. Well...it's always better to share it with someone else, but I guess that's what this blog is for.

Till tomorrow...

Eight is great...

I am all booked to take my eighth trip in the eighth month of this year. Pretty incredible to think I may actually meet my goal - without going broke, failing at my job or having my cat forget who I am.

I was originally planning to go away with a couple of my girlfriends who, as teachers, have the summer off. We took an amazing, fun trip together last summer...and were hoping to recreate the madness of our adventure, but plans changed and I decided I still wanted to beach it up on a solo trip. For years I have been hoping and wishing to visit a particular Jamaican hotel that gets such glowing reviews and now I'll actually have the chance!

Jake's - one of Chris Blackwell's Island Outpost hotel's - is located on the remote and tourist-free southwest coast of Jamaica. Check out the website to see exactly why I am so excited to visit. It looks like just my kind of place - off the beaten path, a chill vibe, good food and a beautiful view of the sea. I will be there for 4 nights before heading into Negril for a 3 night stay. There, I will be shacking up cliff-side at the incredible Rockhouse Hotel. Check out the link - it looks so incredible.

I cannot wait!

Paris Take Two...

I was starting to feel a bit crummy as we were leaving South Africa but by the time we made it to Paris I was sick. A sore throat in a heat wave is not pleasant to say the least but I decided to just ignore it. I was in Paris after all, and time was a-wasting.

We arrived way too early to check-in at our hotel so we stored our luggage, cleaned up and grabbed some breakfast on a terrasse nearby . For those who have never had breakfast in Paris, "petit-dejeuner" generally consists of a coffee beverage (cappuccino, americano etc), orange juice, a pastry (pain chocolat or fresh croissant) plus tartine (toasted baguette served with butter and jam). Yes, croissant and baguette. Delicious.

After breakfast we decided to kill some time chilling in the Luxembourg Gardens. The sun was shining so we found a shady spot to people watch and listen to a student band perform in a gazebo . I was so wrapped up in what a perfect day it was that I decided to call my mother to check in and say hello...forgetting that it was 5am in Toronto. Oops, sorry Mom.

We spent the afternoon in and around the Eiffel tower and lunched near the fashionable Champs Elysees. Then, after a bit of a power nap we ventured out to the Marais for dinner at a bistro - Cafe Moderne. Dinner was delicious (and our waiters were cute and attentive...and French!) and we decided to splurge and treat ourselves to a good bottle of champagne to celebrate an amazing journey across two continents. And despite the fact that I wasn't feeling well, we still mustered up enough energy to visit the Rue de Lappe in the Bastille (an entire street of bars) to have a mojito at La Havanita. Bravo Janine!

Just one night in Paris isn't nearly enough time but I have no doubt that I will find myself there again very soon. Fingers crossed.

Incredible Nguni!

Wow - I don't even know where to start with this post. There is far too much to say.

I was fortunate enough to tack on some vacation time (as was Melissa) so that I could see a bit more of South Africa on this trip. So, on Sunday morning we flew to Port Elizabeth where we would start the next phase of our journey at the Nguni River Lodge. After the short flight, we met up with our driver at the airport for our hour long drive to the lodge. He was a fantastic guy who was more than happy to talk about his country and show us the sights along the route. We were warmly greeted at Nguni and introduced to our Guide, Rhynhardt, who wore a strange black bandage on his thumb. Hmmmm.

Rhynhardt loaded us up in the Land Rover and drove us to the main lodge while pointing out some of the wildlife along the way. Oh you know, like Zebras and stuff! We were greeted at the main lodge by the very cute Tami who gave us a cool towel, showed us around the main lodge and escorted us to our room.

However, before I get too deep into a description of the hotel, I would just like to say that the place is ridonkulous. I knew it would be really, really nice...but it was ten times nicer than I expected.

I will have to let my photos speak for themselves on the lodge itself, which is refreshingly far away from any wireless signal. It consists of an open-air building that faces a wide open plain with warthogs, baboons and rhino...yep rhino...grazing about. When Tami took us to our room we were literally jumping up and down with delight as we saw our huge room, plunge pool, outdoor shower and our huge egg-shaped bath. Ahh-mazing!

During our three night stay we went on a total of seven game drives. At three hours each, we spent a lot of time in the vehicle - but we loved it! Rhynhardt was determined to make sure we saw everything we could - including lions (twice), lion cubs (so cute and curious), brown hyena (apparently a first-ever sighting at the lodge) and elephants, including one who started to charge us but was scared off by Rhynhardt at the last minute (thankfully). We searched and searched for days for the very elusive Rhino with no luck. So I decided that we should stop looking and let the Rhino find us, which he promptly did by taking a stroll right in front of the lodge while we were having our lunch.

Now speaking of lunch, I do need to talk about the food at this place. As you may have noticed in my previous posts...I kinda like food. I like it a lot. And the food here was outstanding!  The ladies in the kitchen spoiled us with their cooking: huge brunches with perfectly poached eggs, fresh bread, homemade desserts (at lunch!), and a choice of one of three amazing dinners. Wow.

Some of the highlights of our stay?

Getting to know Rhynhardt our guide (and elephant saviour) - who joined for drinks in the evening and kept us entertained with some of his amazing stories. The black bandage on his thumb? Oh, that was just from being bitten by a Cobra, after which he was given the wrong anti-venom, nearly died and almost lost his thumb. All in a days work I suppose.

After each game drive we were met at the vehicle with a vanilla scented towel, cool or hot depending on the weather. Evenings were spent chilling by a warm fire with a glass of wine or brandy...or a double brandy and coke, which we were told is a South African thing. As we were one of only two guests in residence at any given time, it was generally quiet but we did have a fun time chatting and laughing with Rhynhardt and the lovely Manager, Craig.

I also decided to indulge a bit and booked a massage in my room. Which I followed up with a hot bath and an outdoor shower. Life is good. Like, really good.

My experience at Nguni was beyond expectation - but I would like to point at that it is also relatively affordable, with a cost in line with any moderately priced all-inclusive vacation one might take in North America. Our price included everything (2 game drives a day and gourmet meals) with the exception of drinks. But even with several bottles of good wine (about $10 CN a bottle), a Cohiba #4 cigar and an hour-long massage, I still only paid $150 extra when I left the resort.

After all that luxury it hurt to get back on a plane for another 11 hour trek...but Paris (deep sigh, close eyes, smile) was waiting for us on the other end.

Durban Day 2

We woke up early on our second day in Durban to sunshine! It was sunny and warm and lovely so we took a walk on the boardwalk, checked out some hot surfer men and indulged in a greasy Wimpy burger and fries for breakfast...'cause that's just how we roll. And then, we reluctantly got into our bikinis and headed to the beach for some tanning. The beach was full of all kinds of people having a great time - tourists, (hot) surfer men, families and locals (some even enjoying a swim in their underwear). At one point we witnessed a baptism taking place in the ocean...actually, more of an attempted baptism , as the entire group kept getting taken out by the large, crashing waves.

That night had quite possibly the most beautiful moon I have ever seen and I seriously fell deep in love with the city of Durban. Our room had windows that opened up wide and we were able to take in the big, gorgeous winter moon and the Indian Ocean while a warm breeze blew in and a blues band played below. Sigh. An unbelievably sexy night and Melissa and I both agreed that it was a major shame that we were there together...and not with someone else.

We then decided we would hit the town that night. After spending a week in a hoodie and jeans, without a hair dryer, it felt good to clean up a bit. So we walked down to the casino complex to grab dinner and watch the USA vs Ghana game. Things started off really well with the bartender giving us free drinks - a cotton candy mojito for me and a mojito for Melissa. Yay for us.We had a nice bottle of wine and delicious steaks, but over dinner I noticed something weird was going on at the tables next to us. We had been seated next to a group of Brazilian tourists - mostly men - who were obviously in town for the World Cup. There was about 60 of them seated at three long tables. Some of them kept staring at us - but when they took a photo of us, I thought it was a bit strange. Suddenly their driver, an African guy who spoke English, came over to our table to ask who we were. Again, weird. He explained that the Brazilians thought we were celebrities. ** Let me pause by saying I absolutely realize how completely ridiculous this story is. Seriously, weird and ridiculous.** So, we nervously laughed and said we were just regular girls from Canada. He returned to his group, but I am not sure what he told them because suddenly they all started lining up to have their photo taken with us!! Flashes started to go off in my face. Strange men were kissing my cheek and putting their arms around me. Some woman thrust her twelve year old son at me for a photo of a kiss on the cheek before squeezing in for a photo herself. After about 45 minutes, they finally left us alone, though we were informed by their driver that they were staying at our hotel. Crap. 

What the f*ck!? I like to think I live a pretty interesting life, but this was even weird by my standards. Our faces must be all over Facebook Brazil. So weird.

Once they were gone, we chilled out and ordered dessert and met some nice Portuguese men who had a drink with us before we hit the casino. I failed miserably at both Roulette and Black Jack before we walked back to the hotel...where, no joke, 4 Brazilians were waiting for us in the lobby.

Durban: Portugal vs Brazil!

After a very, very fun night...and little sleep, we made our way to Durban for the next part of our crazy adventure. We checked into our hotel – Southern Sun Elangeni - and were surprised to find that the room we were given keys to had not been cleaned yet, so we hit up the breakfast buffet. The hotel - an official FIFA hotel - was jammed full of Portuguese and Brazilian soccer fans who were getting ready for the 4pm match just down the street at the Moses Mabhida stadium. After breakfast, we were surprised to learn that we were being upgraded to a larger room (yay!) and our breakfast was free...things were looking up in Durban! But with no time for nap and an exciting afternoon ahead of us...we really needed to get our act together.

We hit the News Cafe in the nearby casino complex where we would meet up with Nick, a business colleague who we would be attending the game with, and his friends who were visiting from the UK. A couple of cold Savannah Dry, a table for 8 and we were all set. The pub was filled with painted faces and colourful jerseys...and the male:female ratio was definitely working in our favour. So much that a waitress came by to let us know that a gentleman wanted to buy us drinks. "Seriously?", I said. "I do not lie", she said. We asked for her expert opinion of what we should order and she suggested a fancy cocktail. Two "Faithfull Bitches" coming right up. Delicious. Though our admirer - Salvadore -  didn't have the courage to come by and say hello, he did send his phone number over via the waitress. Very nice...but weak, if you ask me.

Nick and friends arrived with a special guest - their waiter from the day before. Apparently they had a wonderful lunch (so wonderful that it lasted a whopping 11 hours and several bottles of wine long) and they tipped their waiter with a ticket to the game. Such a great story! And what a relief to know that we weren't the only ones nursing a bit of a hangover. 

We made our way along the waterfront through the madness of crazy fans to the incredible stadium. I will refrain from repeating just how lucky I think I am. It's starting to get annoying I'm sure, so I think I'll let my photos do the talking on this.


I should mention the vuvuzelas though...since that's the very first thing any one asks me about my trip. They weren't annoying and loud at all...no earplugs required. It definitely sounds worse on TV.

After the game we all met up back at our hotel at a fantastic Indian resto that I had seen recommended several times. The food didn't disappoint and we had a great time making bets amongst the table which culminated in a tie-breaker of "How many people at this table are wearing white underwear?". The answer: 1. The winner: Me! (The White Underwear: NOT Me!)


With all of us falling prey to our hangovers, we called it a night and bid farewell to our new friends.

South Africa: The Sequel

Yep, a sequel. Not only did I travel back to South Africa for the second time in three months - I was in fact returning for some work related to a movie sequel. After a daunting 11.5 hour flight, 2 hour stop-over, 1 hour flight and a 2 hour drive, all without any sleep, we arrived at our final destination: Port Edward, a sleepy, little place west of Durban on the wild coast of South Africa.We checked ourselves into the Estuary Country Hotel (a very pretty, no-frills resort with an incredible view of the Indian Ocean), found our footing and braced for a hectic and exciting week of work.

It was amazing to spend time in such a quiet, chill and comfortable place - the kind of random place I likely would never have seen if it weren't for my work. It actually reminded me quite a lot of home - like cottaging up north, only it's the Indian Ocean and there are monkeys in the trees.

Some of my highlights of the week?

For one, I spent the week working with and getting to know some new friends and colleagues. I started the week off with an amazingly fun dinner with a visiting colleague Saundra, her lovely family, Melissa and our new South African friend Andrew that included several bottles of vino, some Lamb, pumpkin soup "(it tastes like...October") and some heavy metal discourse. And, then, to celebrate the end of our crazy week of work,  six of us North American ladies ventured out for an awesome dinner at a place called Casa Toscana. "Casa" indeed - the restaurant was actually in a home, complete with a tub and shower in the bathroom. But the food was excellent - and so was our decision to order and share all six desserts off the menu!

Secondly, I may in fact be living on the wrong side of the world. I am a sucker for a foreign accent...but, man, throw in a tan and a sense of humour and I am left defenseless. South African men are lovely. Somebody  please send a few of them to Toronto ASAP.

Thirdly, I met some really nice, funny...and very "kiff"...people who decided to school me in South African slang. This involved a very detailed cheat-sheet of sorts - which included some handy words and phrases like "now now" (in the near future), "just now" (distant future or not at all), "Wil jy naii" ("wanna get jiggy?") and my personal favourite, "Zef" ("the kind of guy who bangs his sister").  Special thanks to Jaci, De Villiers and Craig for preparing me so well for the rest of my trip. Haha.

Lastly, we had a really fun night hanging with some of our new friends at a great little bar called Sally Can't Surf. It was a very late night that may have involved some tequila ("down down")...but well worth the exhaustion on our ride to Durban the following morning at...yikes...7 am.

Six and seven...

It's actually quite incredible that by the start of July, I will have already taken 7 trips so far this year. The latest two, which will be detailed in the following posts, include a return visit to South Africa for business during which I was able to tack on some personal time to see more of the gorgeous country there, plus a couple of short (but jam-packed) days in one of my favourite cities of all time: Paris!

Yes, Paris. Everyone loves Paris. I cannot even say "Paris" without eliciting a deep sigh, closing my eyes and smiling.

For this trip, I once again traveled with my business colleague Melissa who shares the same great affection for both Paris and South Africa. And although our stopover in Paris was very short, our mantra of "we're in Paris!" made sure that we didn't waste a minute...or a crumb of our baguette...while we were in the gorgeous city of light. After a long flight (7.5 hours) with a horrible movie (Valentine's Day...ugh) and no sleep, we navigated our way on the Metro to our hotel. Not the best idea when your luggage weighs in at a whopping 24 kilos but we did manage to find our hotel while getting a great upper body workout. Our adorable hotel - Hotel de la Sorbonne - was somewhat easy to locate across the street from the famous University and close to the Luxembourg Gardens. It's a tiny, boutique hotel with cute (very small, of course) rooms decorated in bold colours. Each room has a juliet balcony that overlooks a pretty an internal courtyard - and has it's own Mac that serves as your TV and computer. Rooms are inexpensive (under $200 CN) and are all roughly the same size (based on the layout map on the back of my door) so I would advise not to splurge on a superior room. Located in the Latin Quarter and close to Notre Dame, the hotel is easily accessed by the Luxembourg, Cluny or St-Michel Metro stops.

Once we settled in and cleaned up we made our way on foot through the Latin Quarter, the Marais and Bastille to take in the shops and sights. We took shelter from the rain at Cafe Bastille for a bite of dinner (Poulet et Risotto for me, Salmon for Melissa) and some good wine. We got lost on our walk back but a hailed a cab. This was probably not the safest move as our cabbie was watching a World Cup match on his GPS screen while he drove us. Thankfully no one scored...or crashed.

After a good nights sleep, a good Parisien breakfast (at Brasserie du Cercle Luxembourg) and a walk along the Champs Elysees, we braced ourselves for another long flight (11 hours)...and another incredible adventure in South Africa!

Turkoise

It’s true, I have been slacking on this blog. Though I highly doubt there are too many people who have even noticed. That said, I did meet some great people on my most recent trip to Turks and Caicos back in April and had promised to update this blog with some of our hilarious adventures involving a crazy cast of resort characters (most notably, Frank the Tank). The problem is, to be honest; I don’t have a lot to say about this particular trip. Which is a bit weird for me? I had a lovely time and all of my expectations were met tenfold (sun, sand, soul) but it really was about doing absolutely nothing. Doing absolutely nothing - but in the most gorgeous scenery imaginable. 

While I have always hoped to visit Turks and Caicos, being that it is an incredibly expensive place to visit I certainly didn’t expect to get there this year, or by myself for that matter. But, I like to think I have an eagle-eye when it comes to finding inexpensive flights. So when I spotted a West Jet flight for $320 (tax included) I took a chance and booked it. It was perfect - a direct, 3.5 hour flight and a 5 night visit to the island that would only cost me 4 vacation days. On an island like this, hotels are at a premium price so traveling alone can be an expensive endeavor. However, with such a low list of expectations, I figured I could easily, happily and affordably find a studio villa through homeaway.com or stay at the Comfort Suites (a popular low-cost option). But, an online advertising banner for Club Med caught my eye – thankfully – and I scored myself 5 nights of all inclusive accommodations and a Club Med membership for $600 (tax included). Seriously – an unbelievable deal.

My 10 am flight was slightly delayed but pretty uneventful. Considering what I paid, I would have been perfectly happy strapped to the wing. I scored a seat at the back in an empty row (my favourite) and was able to get a decent look at the island (and incredible blue sea) as we flew in. The one major piece I would give about Turks, is to prepare yourself for major chaos and a tiny bit of stress at the airport. The airport is very small with a teeny tiny little luggage belt and extremely congested luggage pick-up area. Add to that multiple flights coming in at roughly the same time (likely intended to streamline shuttles and domestic flights etc) making the baggage area utter chaos. And it’s not so much the baggage issue itself but the impatient people who are willing to push you out of the way, let their children run wild and complain as loud as they possibly can. They will threaten your chill if you are not properly prepared.  It wasn’t easy, but I did manage to ignore it and after about 30 minutes of patience I spotted my, ahem, leopard print suitcase and made my way outside to paradise.

Because I hadn’t purchased my air and hotel stay together, I did not have transfers included with my package. However, when I went outside there was in fact a Club Med representative (Diesel) waiting for me and I was able to take their shuttle for a $15US (versus a $30 taxi fare). Fantastic!  The ride was short – down an impeccably clean highway, past some local shops and homes. The island seems quiet, financially healthy (relative to other Caribbean islands I have visited), and dare I say it, a bit boring. We arrive at Club Med and are greeted by a group of G.O.’s (I’ll explain momentarily) with a cool towel and a cold drink, given a bit of orientation and escorted to our rooms.

I have to admit - I was more than pleasantly surprised with the resort. I didn't know much about the place before arriving. Club Med had always struck me as a place that had its heyday back in the eighties and nineties so I was expecting something a little less...current. While the resort definitely shows it's age - it was way nicer and newer than I dared to hope for. The rooms themselves are quite spartan, but they are clean and have anything you might need (flat-screen TV, telephone, coffee/tea service) with the exception of a balcony. But who needs to hang out in their room when a beach like that awaits outside.

I've been to many beautiful beaches (Maui, St.Martin, Mayan Riviera, Cuba, St. Barth's and Rio De Janeiro to name a few) but the beach here really is something special. The water really is THAT beautiful. Clear, calm...perfect. Club Med's long stretch of beach, while short on shade, has tons of chairs and hammocks.

The pool is lovely too....lots of chairs with soft, white cushions on them...and its in close proximity to the bar where you can keep yourself cool with a fresh mojito.

And although I did absolutely nothing...there are a ton of different things that you can try for free: trapeze, a snorkeling boat expedition, volleyball, bocce, water aerobics, soccer, ball hockey, baseball, sunset yoga on the dock. There was also some really cool late afternoon entertainment at the beach bar with a guitarist playing rock and pop music while the sun set and the party got started. The "show" each night was pretty good - mostly because it didn't take itself too seriously. The staff at the resort participate in the show which always includes a trapeze component which was always cool to watch.

The Club Med experience is definitely different than a regular resort, so it might not be for everyone. The staff (for the most part attractive and young) known as "G.O's" are encouraged to mingle with the guests during the day, at dinner and at the bar later which inevitably leads to some "intermingling" which could give the feeling of being transported back to highschool or spring break. That said, the casual set-up (communal tables for dinner etc) definitely works for the single traveler. I got to meet many people over the course of my trip just by sitting with them at dinner or drinks: Fernando and Mattias from Argentina, the lovely Kelly and Dr. Taylor, Kim from New York, Laura from D.C., Linda and her husband celebrating their wedding anniversary, Liz, Camille and the rest of the Club Med regulars...plus a woman from my hometown who chatted with me in the pool. Small world. Oh, and lest I forget the highlight of the trip - a real-life version of "Frank the Tank" who was rocking the party every night by removing his shirt and singing "ooh-ooh" into the mike. Though a bunch of us had secretly dubbed him Frank the Tank, we were shocked to find out that his name was actually Frank. So perfect.

Hmmm. Wait a minute, didn't I start off this post by saying I didn't have much to say?

Half way there...

It's only the 4th month of the year but I am getting ready for yet another vacation - which will be my 5th trip this year!
I had set for myself a fairly aggressive objective of traveling 10 times in 2010. By the end of April, I will already be half way there. This trip - a completely impulsive, last-minute purchase - will have me visit the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean for six days of relaxing in the sun. Though I have never been to these islands, I am not planning to do any research. This trip is all about the sun, the sand, the sea and the soul.
More scoop to follow next week.

Final day in Cape Town

We had a full day to spend in Cape Town before our evening flight, so we decided to make the best of it with an early start. While we had hoped to take a trip up to the top of Table Mountain in the cable car - high winds had foiled our plans. I wasn't so disappointed - it's a long way to the top and I am afraid of heights. So we decided to visit the Green Market Square where we perused the african crafts.

After I successfully negotiated the purchase of several cool items, we moved along for a quick drive through the Cape Flats. Our driver, Mark has a colleague - Tembhala -  who lives in the flats and he would escort us for a quick tour to see what life is really like there. While Cape Town is a beautiful modern city with terrific shopping and restaurants, it is also the site of some remarkably sad living conditions for it's less fortunate population. I will let my photographs speak for themselves but I will say that despite the conditions, the community here seems very joyful with big smiles seen on every corner.

Since we couldn't go up Table Mountain we decided to take a drive up Signal Hill to take some photos of the city below. A canon is fired from the top of Signal Hill every day at noon - it is good to know this beacuse it is incredibly loud and if you aren't prepared for it, it will surely frighten you. Afterwards, we lounged by the pool with a Pimm's Cup (yum) and then visited an African restaurant for dinner where we tasted a delicious Bobotie - a traditional African meat pie. Delicious.