Saturday, January 29, 2011

Cabo

 Yes...visiting Mexico twice in a one month span is a bit indulgent, even by my standards. But, I had been extremely sick, busy and stressed over the weeks leading up and just felt the need to wind down...so when I checked my Airmiles balance and realized I could spend very little cash to get away, it was a done deal. Airmiles now lets you apply your points balance as cash towards vacation packages (including last minute deals) from Sunquest and Transat Holidays.  My 4 night getaway to San Jose del Cabo would leave on a Thursday afternoon and return on Monday night - a short trip indeed, but a deal too good to pass up.

The flight there was long at 5.5 hours. I had grabbed a bite to eat at the airport and noticed a group of people having drinks at the bar having a great time. Good for them, I thought.  Little did I know that they would be the loudest, drunkest and (hate to say it) most annoying people on my flight. One of the women, who was about 50 years old, was actually stealing mini-liquor bottles from the flight attendants. What was I in for?

Landing at the airport in Cabo was pretty uneventful and the drive to the hotel (the five star, Riu Santa Fe) was about 25 minutes. I must admit, I have always been reluctant to visit the Pacific coast of Mexico only because I am so in love with the Caribbean sea. But when I saw the beautiful full moon and the mountains that night, I was a changed woman.

It was late when I arrived so I settled in and called a night. My a room was nice and had a fridge full of water, pop and beer which is a simple thing but makes a huge difference. I hit the pool early to lay in the sun and decided to park myself close to the infinity pool and bar...though it was a challenge with all of the best spots being reserved by the towels and books of people who were no doubt catching a few more hours sleep. The sun was lovely and I got most of the way through my book (Zeitoun by Dave Eggers). I ended up drinking way too many mojitos (and one enormous "Bob Marley" shot) and, no surprise, made some friends in the pool. (Hello to Cale if you are reading this!?)

Day two should have been a slow start after all those drinks the day before but I dragged my ass out of bed and decided to go Whale Watching. For $50 I was picked up at the beach of my hotel by a glass bottom boat and taken just two miles out to sea  to witness one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. HUGE whales - and tons of them - breaching and blowing near our boat. Unfortunately my camera wasn't fast enough on the rocky boat (and I was far too stunned by the beauty and size of the whales) to get any amazing photos, but I did get a few shots. I was lucky enough to experience this trip with two other young guys - Antonio and Julio - who were Mexican, from a town just two hours away. After the whales, our boat captain took us over to the famous Arch rock formation at the very tip of the Baja, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. It was so beautiful - the sun sparking on the turquoise green sea, sleepy sea lions, crabs clawing their way across the rocks, white sand beaches...

After my boat trip I retreated to, what I dubbed, the "quiet pool". I finished my book and chilled. Dinner was at the resort buffet which was excellent (except for the "chilled" red wine) and hung out in the bar area for a bit before calling it an early night. Lame, I know.

I spent my last day sunning myself at the quiet pool before taking a taxi into the town of Los Cabos (5 minute taxi) to have lunch in the pretty marina and watch the NFL games on a patio. Not a bad day, especially considering the temperature at home in Toronto was -30C.

My last day was a bit of a wash since I had to leave for the airport at 7:30 am. I finally reached my home in Toronto around 7:30pm and, thankfully, it had warmed up to -5C. It was a great trip but I am already getting the itch to get out of town again...time to start planning a February getaway.


































Thursday, January 27, 2011

Cozu-mellowing out...

At the beginning of 2010, I set a hugely aggressive goal of traveling ten times in the year. I thought I'd get close...but I had no idea I would actually surpass my goal. My Christmas vacation to Cozumel, Mexico was trip number 11.


My family - myself, my parents and two of my three brothers - decided to get away from the cold over the holidays and booked an amazing, last-minute deal to a resort in Cozumel, Mexico. Cozumel is an island just off the coast of Playa del Carmen, which is just south of Cancun. The island itself is quite small and underdeveloped but we were able to fly directly into it's airport. You can also access the island by a 40 minute ferry ride from Playa del Carmen. Known for it's beautiful reefs, Cozumel is a diver's destination - the beaches are a bit rocky and arid  and but the snorkeling and scuba is terrific. There are a few major resorts on the island, and we were happy to be staying at the Wyndham Cozumel. Our hotel was decent - on a good stretch of beach, great food, nice rooms - but it was even better after we were upgraded on our 3rd day to the "Sabor" section of the hotel. The Sabor section included a la carte meals, hammocks and water-slides running from the rooms to the pool.



















While I am very used to traveling over Christmas (and not at all sad to leave the snow), it was very unique to spend it in Mexico. The resort did a great job keeping things festive - decorating the resort, creating special holiday meals and even having Santa para-sail, then jet-ski to the beach and distribute gifts on Christmas day. And, we even enjoyed a nice Christmas dinner complete with our waiter, "Jesus", ironically wearing a full-on Santa suit. Christmas dinner served by Jesus himself. It doesn't get much better than that.





































My brother, Matthew, and I did a snorkeling tour ($40 US / person) which took us out in a glass bottom bottom to three different reefs over 2 hours. The snorkeling was really good and I was happy to have my water-proof camera, even though the camera doesn't really capture the colours very well.





































I also made sure that I left the resort and saw a little bit more of the island before I left. A walk just down the beach yielded a 30 minute massage for $15. Score.  I also headed into the little town of San Miguel. A cab cost me $20 US one-way and I was dropped off at town square where I shopped for a bit and then enjoyed happy hour - 2 strawberry margaritas, beef tacos, guacamole - plus a serenade from a guitarist.


It was a lovely getaway...but felt too short. I was tempted to stay longer but lots of important work was waiting for me back in Toronto. However, as soon as the work was over I would be making my way back to Mexico again (Cabo this time) in less than a month...but that story is for my next post.


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Lost in Translation

I was supposed to spend my Sunday taking a train to visit a traditional Japanese village just outside of Tokyo...but...I woke up and felt like I needed a rest. I decided instead to treat myself to a relaxing day of lunch (an amazing 6 course Italian meal), another walk around Harajuku and a visit to a hair salon (the stylist, who spoke no English,  was very excited to work on my long blonde hair). That night, I decided I would treat myself to one last luxury - drinks at the American Bar at the Park Hyatt. A gorgeous hotel, the Park Hyatt Tokyo is most famous for it's starring role in Sofia Coppola's film Lost in Translation. As a lover of hotels, I had actually hoped to stay there but did not make my booking in time to take advantage of a decent enough rate. The hotel lived up to it's reputation with impeccable service and an almost serene vibe. I parked myself close to the jazz musicians and a beautiful view of Tokyo from the 52nd floor, sampling three delicious champagne cocktails and an amazing cheese platter.  The pretty-much-perfect end to an already perfect day.






































On my last day, it was raining but I made my way out to do a bit of shopping (super cute new boots) before my bus to the airport. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed for 2 hours, giving me a whole 5 hours to kill in the airport. I promptly booked myself a massage at the spa inside my terminal. It was no Thai massage but it hit the spot for a fairly decent price. When I finally flew out of Tokyo, the sun was just starting the set and the city looked really beautiful. I wish I had the time to see even more of Japan...but. fingers crossed, I'll be back again soon.
Japan in the spring, anyone?

Fast & Furious: Tokyo Tour

This may, in fact, be the longest post I'll ever write. It was such an amazing, random, weird day that despite writing pages and pages I may still be leaving all kinds of crazy things out. But, before I already lose your attention with my run-on sentences...I'll try and get to the good parts.
I started the day off with some breakfast at an amazing French patisserie in the train station connected to my hotel. I had slept pretty well but some strong coffee was definitely in order. I was now 6 hours ahead of Bangkok time and my body was feeling the pain of two weeks of travel. I met up with Chris around 10am and we set out for a walk to Harajuku. I was hoping to see a bit of old (traditional Japan) and some new (architecture, fashion) on this trip, but the fashionable district of Harajuku was one must-see on my list.
We started the day off with a pit stop for some Japanese fast-food – yummy burgers, one was even served on a bun made of rice. We then hit the Harajuku flea-market that sits just on the edge of Yoyogi park. Hipsters of all sorts were selling their clothing cast-offs, no doubt just to make room in their closets for more. There was vintage everything – records, bags, shoes, jackets, stuffed animals – laid out on blankets and tables. We moved along through the beautiful Yoyogi park on our way to visit the Meiji Shinto Shrine. As it was mid November, the trees were full of colour and people were enjoying a leisurely, warm Saturday along the shores of the small lake, playing with their children or having a quiet moment under the shade of a tree. And there was some unusual sights to be seen, this is Japan after all. For one, we came across a “School Girl” photo-shoot. Right next to that, there was some sort of “fifteen-legged-race” going on with some students. We saw a strange looking man playing a ball game with his amazing little dog…and another two little dogs dressed in clothes (one wearing jeans!?) getting their photo taken by a professional photographer. We also saw lots of little girls dressed in traditional Japanese garb. As it turns out, there was a special celebration at the Shrine celebrating girls aged 3, 5 and 7. We came across this one little cutie who flashed us a big grin for the camera…then promptly resumed frowning as soon as the shutter clicked. I don’t think she was enjoying walking in her awkward shoes, but she looked so cute.







































































































The Shrine was really beautiful. Chris showed me around and schooled me in some of the customs involved with a visit. Then - the most amazingly cool thing happened! Not one, but two weddings were happening at the Shrine and we got to witness one of the wedding processions. So spectacular to see and I am so happy with the beautiful photos I was able to capture. 






































































After the Shrine, Chris and I wandered over to another area of the park and snuck into a traditional Archery competition. Very Kill Bill-esque. So cool!






































We then headed over to Harajuku for a trip down the famous Takeshita Dori. It was jammed with young kids buying clothes, strutting their stuff and hanging out. The fashions were pretty wild (and kawaii!) and I loved it. We wandered our way back to the metro after stopping to look at vintage kimono (I was too picky to find one I loved) and headed towards the neighborhood of Asakusa.  Our first stop in Asakusa was the Sensoji Temple - a beautiful ancient Bhuddist temple where we read our fortunes (all good!). We also walked around the neighborhood and saw lots of food stalls, souvenirs, Pachinko Halls and more vintage kimono (still no luck).










































































































































After grabbing a quick snack of pork and pizza "buns"at Family Mart (a Japanese convenience chain), we made our way by subway to Akihabara, also known as Electric Town...or, as I like to call it, Nerd Heaven. This is the area known for computers, electronics and anime...and French maid cafes (more to follow on  that one). We met up Chris' very pregnant wife Kaz outside a local department store and decided to sample some of the top quality cuisine from some of the vendors inside - pork sandwiches, traditional Japanese curry and pork cutlets - which we ate outside on the street while people-watching.  Afterwards we toured around to continue our people watching. We visited lots of touristy shops - including an Adult store that was seven floors of some of the weirdest, naughtiest  things I will likely ever see (ie a vending machine full of used School Girl panties. Nasty!) Lots of people dressed as their favourite anime characters and lots of white nerdy guys with Japanese girlfriends who are ten-times-hotter than them. Good for you fellas!  After being approached several times on the street, we decided to venture into one of the French Maid Cafes. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, basically it is a cafe (mostly) for men who want to have a drink and be doted on by a cute girl in a french maid costume. It may sound sexual...but it actually very tame. The girls will serve your drink, sit down, talk and flirt with you...maybe even play darts or boardgames with you (which costs extra). Chris and I went in for a chu-hi and played 3 games of darts (I beat Chris all three times!). It was really fun but, unfortunately...no cameras allowed. Sorry. Afterwards, we took another stroll and came across a girls pop group performing on a street corner. Very kawaii! Again, we were walking around, just waiting for the next weird thing to happen when we were handed a flyer for a "Cat Cafe". Hmmm. This was just too weird to pass up - 1 hour of unlimited cat petting and a free drink. Done. The cats were all very clean and beautiful but, surprisingly, unfriendly. One was a dwarf cat with short little legs. The clientele was all Japanese and they were very into the cats - except for one girl who was just sitting around reading. After that we hit an outdoor batting cage. I sucked, but Chris was pretty good. Then it was back to the subway to head over to our last stop on the tour - the neighborhood of Shinjuku.





































Shinjuku was a bit of a shadier place but definitely alive with lots of bars and nightlife. Chris really wanted to show me a cool place called Golden Gai - a neighborhood of teeny tiny bars - but for the life of us we could not locate it. Thankfully his Japanese was good enough for us to get directions to this amazing little spot! Hundreds of little bars that would never hold more than a dozen people could be found down a series of narrow alleyways. We visited Bar Albatross - a beautiful little place with dark red velvet banquettes and chandeliers. The four or five seats were full at the bar so we moved upstairs to sit in the loft and enjoy a...you guessed it...chu-hi. :) But it was getting late and we had to get moving or else Chris would miss his train home. We bid each-other a quick farewell on the subway - and I made my way back to my hotel a little sad that I wouldn't see Chris again for a long time. He's a terrific friend with an amazing sense of humour and a great attitude towards life and I am so grateful that he spent so much time showing me his new city. Now I'll just have to plot to find a way to visit again soon...









Sunday, January 23, 2011

Tokyo!

Almost immediately after meeting Chris in the lobby, we took off on a whirlwind tour of the neighborhood of Shibuya. As it was Friday night, the streets were filled with an after-work energy - people filing into bars and restaurants or waiting to meet up with friends for a night on the town. I was so overwhelmed  - by the speed of Chris' tour, the lights, the people, that I couldn't help but be reminded of one of my favourite scenes from Amelie.

I was almost immediately in love with Tokyo and I never saw it coming.
Our first stop was the Shibuya station to see the large scale mural "Myth of Tomorrow" by Taro Okamoto. Outside the station, we visited the statue of Hatchiko - a most famous dog whose loyalty to his owner is honoured in this station. You can read his amazing story here.
After passing through the incredible Shibuya Crossing - a set of traffic lights with a "pedestrian scramble" - we slowed down long enough to catch up over a few drinks. It was here that I was introduced to the deliciousness that is the "Chu-Hi".  Mmmm. Thankfully these drinks are not readily available in Canada or else I would be in big trouble. We followed that up with some sake, but sensing two young dudes across the bar were eyeing up the two young ladies who were sharing our table top, we decided to let them make friends and we moved on. So generous of us.






































Now it was time for Chris to deliver an important lesson in Japanese culture - I was to learn all about "kawaii". Which, if you don't know, translates to "cuteness" . Japanese girls live and die by cuteness. Think pink, fluffy, big eyes, small lips, hello kitty, stuffed animals, fur boots, and short skirts. Our first stop on the cuteness field trip was a little pet store with only the cutest pets. Teeny tiny dogs and the youngest, cutest, tiniest little kittens peered at you from their glass boxed cages with the biggest eyes you can imagine. Uh-oh - I seemed to be falling prey to the cute business but luckily we moved on before I found myself going back to Canada with a pocketful of over-priced pets.
But the cuteness wasn't over yet - next up was a Photo Booth shop filled with make-up, accessories, props and a whole bunch of over-sized photo-booths. After modeling several strange hats (Chris was wearing a rice ball hat!) we made our way into one of the booths for a photo shoot. On a screen in front of us we were instructed by a very "kawaii" looking girl on how we should pose "cute" for each photo. We then waited for our photos close by where we could add all the stars, hearts etc we wanted to our masterpiece - which, when printed out had exagerated large eyes and pink lips. Too funny...and weird.








































































After that we decided to cruise around Shibuya and see some of the shadier sights (umm...look up a place called "Strawberry Jam" on the net) and we came across a sign for "Drinks, Guns & Popcorn". Now really, who could possibly walk past a sign that said that? We made our way up three flights of stairs to a small space that looked like an apartment. As the sign said - it was a deal for one drink, one round of air-rifle shooting and...best part...all-you-can-eat-popcorn. While the young owner fetched us a couple of Chu-Hi and fired up his old-fashioned popcorn cart, we picked our weapons from the menu. We both shot a pistol - I was only okay - but I went back for more and tried the magine gun on for size. Much better!






































































We were pretty hungry at this point so we hit a popular chain of restaurants that charge only 250 yen for every dish on the menu. 3 dishes, 2 chu-hi's and a bottle of sake later it was time to call it a night as Chris had to catch the metro back home. I hit the sack exhausted...but excited for another whirlwind day in Japan tomorrow.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Turning Japanine

Knowing I would have to fly through Japan on my way home from Thailand (and that I could have a free stop-over), I jumped at the chance to visit with a good friend and see a bit of Tokyo. I must admit, like most people who have never been there, I was a bit unsure of how it would all unfold. Would it be outrageously expensive?  Would I be able to communicate without knowing a lick of Japanese? How would I read the street signs, navigate the metro or order from a menu? What would I eat? (Note that I don’t eat any fish or seafood , or even seaweed – which, I am well aware, is very unfashionable and likely a true crime on a visit to Tokyo.) And though I didn’t really have much time to dwell on these curiosities with all the action going on in Bangkok – I was happy to discover that Tokyo was a cinch to navigate, I ate well and my three night stay didn’t break the bank!

I arrived at Narita airport and followed the simple instructions in my Rough Guide to Tokyo for catching the Limousine Bus to my hotel. I purchased my return ticket for ¥6000 and for another ¥200 I added in a 2-Day Metro Pass. I could have easily navigated the subway, but with my 2 suitcases it would be easier not to have to switch trains and lug my bags around. The limo bus took about 2 hours to reach my hotel – Shibuya Hotel Excel Tokyu – in the Shibuya neighborhood. I booked a 3 night stay through Expedia for $250 / night – a decent, weekend rate for a good hotel in a major city. The Shibuya Excel stands directly at the Shibuya metro station and I was absolutely thrilled to find out my room was on the 23rd floor with windows overlooking the amazing Tokyo skyline and the famous Shibuya crossing. The room was fairly small but with a comfy bed and a fancy toilet (as is typical in Japan). And since my Blackberry had absolutely no service in Japan, thankfully there was a computer terminal conveniently located on each floor of the hotel for guests to use for free – which came in handy when trying to make plans to meet up with my friend, Chris.

Chris, an old Toronto friend from way back, met and married a lovely Japanese girl and has now been living just outside of Tokyo for the past few years. He is quite possibly the perfect tour guide - fun, up for anything and, most importantly, he shares my twisted sense of humour. Having toured some other visiting friends around the city previously, he had the Tokyo essentials all mapped out but left enough time for us both to explore some of the special brand of weirdness that is Tokyo. And there was lots of weirdness indeed…be sure to check out my next posts for the scoop.