Travel Blog

El Pescador in La Coruna

2006-08-26T00:35:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a clean and comfortable hotel that can be easily accessed by car, this is the place. It's far from fancy, but the rooms and bathrooms are clean, the plumbing and heating/airconditioning are in tiptop condition, and the underground parking has a lift that takes you straight to your floor. Ask for a room that faces the "playa" although don't expect a big blue sea under your balcony as the hotel is not beachfront. There is no restaurant as such (just a breakfast room) but there are loads of places within walking distance. I found this place by chance and we've been back there twice since our discovery.

About Heathrow Airport

2006-07-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

Heathrow airport is situated to the west of London. Its main commuter routes are the M4 and M25 Motorways and the A4 dual carriageway. The A4 is home to many Hotels on the section called Bath Road which runs along the north side of the Airport. The Bath Road has a long tradition of being popular with hotels and even in the early 1800's, London before Heathrow existed, the road was home many coaching inns used by travellers to rest their horses on the journey between London and the West of England.
There are three tube and train services into London. The more expensive but quicker option is the Heathrow express. This is a non-stop service and terminates at Paddington Station. Paddington is slightly North West of central London and close to Hyde Park. From here you would need to take a black taxi from the outside rank to your final destination. A newer service running along the same line is the Heathrow Connect. This service stops at stations along the way before terminating at Paddington station. Stations are Hayes, Southall, Hanwell, West Ealing and Ealing Broadway.

Berlin by bicycle

2006-07-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

Bicycle is great way to tour Berlin. Berlin offers many bicycle paths throughout the city, and has very few steep hills. Bicycles are a very popular method of transportation among Berlin residents, and there is almost always a certain level of bicycle traffic. Bicycle rentals are available in the city, although the prices vary. Seeing Berlin by bicycle is unquestionably a great way, that will acquaint the traveler with the big tourist sites, and the little Sprees and side streets as well. Although it's good to carry a map, in Berlin maps can be found at any U-Bahn station, and many Bus Stations, thus often eliminating the need to carry a map at all times. More on Wikitravel.

Thailand - review

2006-07-03T00:54:00.000-07:00

I have been living in Thailand since 1989. I have traveled extensively throughout the Kingdom and wanted to share my wonderful experiences of Thailand with others.

I lived in a remote area of north Thailand at Wat Thaton temple in the town of Thaton on the Burmese border for more than 3 years. Altough I am Christian I taught English to Monks, novices, high school students, the Thai Army, local and tourist police. I also did hill tribe programs buying clothes for the children, medicines and blankets for the families. I paid the villagers to build a bamboo schoolhouse and paid a teacher to teach Thai at the school who could speak their language. I taught them how to dispose of waste properly, keep the children and village clean and to use spoons instead of their fingers when eating which was a big source of their health problems. I provided seeds and Logan and lychee fruit trees for planting.

Rome, Hotel Santa Maria

2006-06-16T05:08:00.000-07:00

This hotel is fantastic! Rome was our first stop on our honeymoon. The Hotel Santa Maria has excellent rooms, service and breakfast. Not to mention the beautiful private courtyard you can enjoy anytime of the day. Very conveinent to all sites in Rome. Trastevere is an excellent location to stay while in Rome. I would recommend you stay at the Hotel Santa Maria.

Going to Ibiza

2006-06-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

So we woke up early to catch our flight to Ibiza after a long night of trying to contact the travel agency to confirm all the details. Nonetheless, we took an Airport shuttle and made it to Ibiza after a really short (45min) flight. We cabbed to our hotel (which was really nice, and by normal standards, not just hostel standards!)...We both loaded up on the salad buffet, thinking we might as well eat healthy once in a while! We hung out on the beach, played some ping pong, and just hung out under the sun.

We got the info on the clubs, which were only a 15 min walk away. Apparantly the party wasnt supposed to start until 3am so we napped and prepared for our big night.

At about 1am our friends from UBC came over and brought some of their friends and we just hung out till about 2:30am. We made the trek to the club (Pacha) and were lucky enough to get in for $20 euro each instead of the usual 40 (prob cuz we brought 4 girls with us). We danced to techno and sipped on our 8 euro Corona. We left around 6am and headed back to our hotel. We got a little disoriented between the music, alcohol, and time of day and ended up walking over an hour along the beach to get back to our hotel as the sun rose. It was very romantic.

The next day I slept on the beach the entire day - literally. Nick went bouldering on their wall and hung out in the room. We started partying at 1am again and met the girls at the club around 330. This time we only stayed til about 5am (and didnt have to pay cover). The club was cool but there were a lotta dudes (some of whom danced on stage topless...we figure they were "of the gay"). Nick got hit on by one of them - it was quite hilarious...Ask him about the hand down the back in Ibiza - he'll tell it better. We woke up relatively early and caught our plane back to Barcelona.

We decided not to hang out in Barcelona, even though we were supposed to meet Adam Mah (who we randomly met the 3 nights before in Barcelona) and we headed to Madrid...

Caribbean Cruises

2006-06-09T00:07:00.000-07:00

Few places on earth are more conducive to relaxation than the islands of the Caribbean. Perhaps it's the light, tropical breezes that gently soothe the soul. Or the warm waters and warm receptions that await you on every shore. One thing is certain: aboard a Celebrity cruise, a Caribbean vacation offers something for everyone. From snorkeling over ancient shipwrecks to visiting secluded locales off the beaten path, feel your cares melt away as you revel in the warmth of the tropics.

Souvenir Vendors At the Eiffel

2006-05-29T00:43:00.000-07:00

I don't mind souvenir vendors at all. Everyone has a living to make and this is their livelihood. However, I have to admit that there is an overkill of souvenir vendors leading to and in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower! If you walk to the Eiffel Tower from the Palais du Chaillot, you will see so many sidewalk vendors that it will blind you. Each and every one tries to get your attention so if you're not interested in buying anything, please do not meet their eyes. Otherwise, you stand to become an object of their affections. :) The souvenir vendors don't have actual stalls either. They put their goods on the bare sidewalks. So tread carefully too. I'm sure if you happen to accidentally squash their goods, you will pay for them. The sidewalks are large, but when there are lots of crowds (as usually is the case) space is at minimum. You have to be careful not to run into other tourists as well as to be careful not to step on the vendors' wares. Prices are so-so and I'm sure you can bargain with them. Lots of Eiffel Tower keychains, scarves, mini monuments, etc.

Weekend Getaways to Lake George

2006-05-24T00:26:00.000-07:00

When people find a great vacation getaway, they keep coming back. This 32-mile-long "Queen of American Lakes" is chock-full of lodging, attractions, eateries and just about any form of recreation you can name. A significant player in American history, Lake George is the site of two great forts, Fort William Henry and Fort Ticonderoga, both open to the public. Before plunging into the myriad activities in this family-friendly town, start off with a relaxing lake cruise to learn about the area. Then, take your pick of recreation: parasailing, fishing, diving, jet skiing, hiking, golfing, minigolf, horseback riding and more. If you've got kids in tow, you can't get away without visiting the Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom, New York's largest amusement park. Hikers gravitate to the international trail system or Prospect Mountain, which offers panoramic views from the top; for an easier way up, hop on the tram. Among the cleanest and clearest of major U.S. lakes, Lake George is as splendid today as when Thomas Jefferson described it as "...without comparison, the most beautiful water I ever saw."

Last night in Stockholm

2006-05-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

Our last night in Stockholm we stayed at the Frey Hotel. We chose it because it is very close to the express train to the Arlanda AIrport. It's decent but not great. The staff was nice.
The first thing we noticed was a strange odor throughout the building. Really weird configurations to get to our room... go up this elevator, down this hallway, up these stairs to a room that was fine. Nothing special. They had just remodeld their restaurant. Very nice looking, food was not good and I do not recommend it at all. I ordered soup and a salad and the greens were wiltered and the soup was cold. I had them reheat it and it took over fifteen minutes to return. Maybe it was just an off night for them, but it was a poor experience for us especailly after coming off really nice hotels and Restaurants. Fortunately we were only there for one night and up and out by 7:00 AM. The train station is close by. Thorughout our visit to Sweden we had grown to expect much more than Frey Hotel offered.

Germany Beer Tours

2006-05-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

THIRSTY?
Wanna try something different?
Time to kill between games?

THE BEER EXPERIENCE

Over a Weekend (or mid-week) . . . . or in a Day.
For groups of 8 to 20 people.
Beer adventures and more ...
Beer will never be the same again!

Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan

2006-05-04T02:26:00.000-07:00

Clean rooms, wonderful front desk staff, great breakfast buffets.

I had one small problem with my phone and one of the maintenance personnel overhead my comment. Next thing I know, he's upstairs fixing the phone! What service!

Very personable staff - always friendly and polite. I can't say enough about them.

The Tuesday night buffets are okay - get there early because the food does run out! The food by the pool area is good. As with everything in Puerto Rico, make sure you allow plenty of time - it's definitely NOT fast food!

Close to the airport, but you can't hear the noise unless you're by the pool.

Carnival Cruise Lines - Holiday

2006-04-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

Total Staterooms - 743
Private Balcony Staterooms - 10
Decks - 9
Passenger capacity - 1,452
Total crew - 660
Officers nationality - Italian
Tonnage - 46,052
Ship length - 728 feet
Registry - Bahamas

Built in 1985

My review: Crowne Plaza Berlin City Centre

2006-04-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

This hotel was clean and had a nice indoor pool that or children just loved. The breakfast was wonderful and the location was perfect for exploring Berlin on foot. However I have to knock this hotel down a point for it's air conditioning... it barely worked at all. As usual, the German people basically said "too bad", and I expected more from a "higher" class of hotel. Watch out for parking fees... $15 Euro a day.
Details: Crowne Plaza Berlin City Centre

Hotel in London

2006-04-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

I have stayed at many a hotel and I can happily say that none of them were BAD, although some better than others! But in looking through reviews of all the hotels I have stayed in there are some absolutely terrible reviews.

I agree with theartgirl, Americans in particular are used to paying much less for good hotel accomodation (except perhaps in NYC, San Francisco etc.)so it's a bit of a shock to the system when they spend the same amount on a European hotel. The system of star ratings is completely different here also, hotels are rated on totally different things.

One thing I will say though is on hotel service. I have read reviews of the smae hotel where in the same week one person says that the service staff were very rude and another person says that they were polite and helpful. Now I was in a Paris hotel not too long ago and the couple ahead of me at check in were extremely rude and obnoxious to the desk staff, then they wondered why the clerk was offhand with them and claimed to not speak English well, the man just started yelling slowly in English and got more and more annoyed and rude. When they had gone, I tried out my French on the same clerk who answered me politely in perfect English, and thanked me for attempting French. So just remember when you read a review about rude staff think about the behaviour of the person they were dealing with.

Carnival in RIO: Samba

2006-04-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

Samba remains a diverse and versatile art form. Over the years, Samba has evolved into different sub genres. Some of the most popular genres include Baiano, Mesemba, a Batucada, and Carnaval.

As a sound all its own, the samba additionally exists in different forms: samba canção (song samba), samba-choro, samba carnavalesco (carnival samba), samba enredo (theme samba) and samba de breque (break samba).

The Top Travel tips

2006-04-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

What should you take?
You never hear someone say "jeez, I wish I'd put more stuff in my pack before I left home..." That said, you might just get a free upgrade on the plane if you wear your one swish outfit at check in.

It's always a choice between time and money
Every travel option comes down to a choice between time and money. Sometimes you are trying to get around India before your money runs out, other times you need to get around before your visa runs out.

You can't see everything
There is always something else to see and somewhere else to go, sometimes you need to just stop and enjoy where you are - even if that place is stranded in a Hungarian train station overnight.

You’re never ripped off if you agree to the deal
There will always be someone who got a better deal on a plane ticket, a room or a 1970s copy of Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book. Haggling is a social skill not a battle to the death.

Will you be safe?
Safety is something you do - not a place you go. Listen to that niggling voice and you will never get robbed in a provincial Romanian train station.

Not all truths are self evident - truly
Truth is a funny thing - whether it means you question your ideas of wealth or hygiene or feminism or the real meaning of poor; you learn more if you question the things you always thought of as true.

TRINIDAD CARNIVAL

2006-04-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's the biggest in the Caribbean and it goes on for weeks—or, if you count activity in the Mas Camps—all year. Preparation begins in earnest after Christmas with steel band practices and warm-up parties and events. In January, the Chutney Soca Monarch Competition is great to see, a face-off between players of chutney music, combining calypso and soca and played on (East) Indian instruments. From mid-month you'll find Calypso tents open most nights, and you can preview the Calypsonians' latest hits—try The Revue and Spektakula. By February there's something on every day, with the selection of National Pan and Junior Calypso champs and the Carnival King and Queen contests being highlights. Carnival proper kicks off on the Sunday night before Ash Wednesday with Dimanche Gras, which segues into J'Ouvert at 4 a.m. Monday—a crazy mudslinging affair, literally. Everyone gets covered in dyed mud. Later that day and on Tuesday, the processions continue with bands, costumes, the lot, just about everywhere in both islands, but culminating in the epicenter: the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.