37 Hours to Reach Puerto Galera, Philippines

Posted on July 22, 2012 by travelbynatasha

The Journey not the arrival matters.  –T. S. Eliot

Rocky dropped me off at the airport with my dive gear, clothes, and school supplies (to donate) all packed.  We are catching a flight on Singapore Airlines to Singapore via Moscow.  There is a one hour stop in Moscow where we go through passport control and have the “opportunity” to spend some money in Russia while the plane in cleaned and refueled.  From there we have another long flight to Singapore.  Dive Mom, ever cheerful, refers to Singapore as being “two naps away”.

Sipadan Water Village connected to Mabul island where I stayed on my first trip to this region in July 2004

I stayed in these huts when I was at Sipadan. They are now air-conditioned, but were not when I stayed there.
A very nice upgrade.

On my first long trip with Oceanic Ventures, I went to Mabul Island off the coast of Borneo where we stayed in a water village.  The entire dive resort was in huts that sat over the water and were connected by series of piers to each other and the land.  Our travel time to Mabul was 56 hours.  Because I simply can not sleep on airplanes, I slept a total of 4 hours in that time frame.  One of the other divers with our group was a physician who gave me a sleeping pill that lasted two hours.  At one point in the trip we had a four-hour layover so we went to a hotel, ate, took showers, and slept for 2 hours.  After that trip, nothing has ever been as long and 37 hour travel time to Puerto Galara didn’t seem so bad.

My g-seat, shown open, has saved my tailbone on many a long flight. These are commonly used by airline pilots.
©Jean Janssen

Our luggage was checked all the way to Manila, so your carry on had to include anything you were worried about losing and any electronics that you were worried about checking.  I had my laptop (so I could post to the blog), my good camera for land shots, my underwater camera with its housing and strobe, my tolietries, a change of clothes, a swimsuit, my mask, and my dive computers.  There were also the items needed inflight-my ipad for reading and electronic sudoku, my g-seat which saves my tailbone on long flights, my neck pillow, my socks, and my little friends-Ambien-that sometimes (fingers crossed) give me up to 8 hours of sleep.

My g-seat, now shown closed with the carry handle to the left, is light-weight and don’t take up too much room in a tote or backpack. I also love my two layer neck pillow-note the raised center-which is sold with a travel bag you can tie to your carry on. I highly recommend these two items for long trips.
©Jean Janssen

Singapore Airlines is the best I have ever traveled on.  Their economy seats are like Business class on some airlines.  The built-in TV in the headrest was about 10 inches wide.  There were footrests and they still hand out toiletries and socks to economy guests.  You can have your wine or beer complimentary, as well as a wide variety of snack choices and two meals-all in economy class.  They have lovely and helpful flight attendants that serve you graciously in the most beautiful uniforms.  (I never had a waist that small.)  Rocky discovered the beauty of the SA inflight staff on our trip to Indonesia.

Singapore Airlines flight attendant in uniform. She looks good even in the middle of the night on our flight from Moscow to Singapore.
©Jean Janssen

Dive Mom likes us at the airport 3 hours early-nothing like making a long journey even longer.  I got my trip t-shirt and checked in.  The weight allowance on Singapore Airlines is lower, 44 lbs rather than 50, so you have to be extra careful with the packing.  Significantly, they check the weight of your carry-on bag which is limited to 15 pounds.  That is a little tough given all the electronic gear I am carrying aboard.  They do have exemptions-one small camera, a laptop, a purse.  My purse was loaded down with anything small that weighted a lot.  Dive Mom presented her fully loaded backpack as her “purse”.

I got lounge privileges so I hung out there until boarding.  Ambien was my friend on the first flight.  I didn’t think it was working until I woke up 6 hours later when they were making noise with the breakfast service.  My stomach didn’t handle it well and the I found myself looking for an air sickness bag.  Finding none, I used the towel which fortunately was replaced for the next flight.

With Jess, Donna, and Cheryl in the Moscow airport.

Twelve hours after we took off, my dive buddy Donna met us at the airport in Moscow.  She was traveling in Siberia with her grandson and now will continue her travel with us while her grandson visits another grandmother in Russia.  She is the most amazing and interesting person.  When she wanted to learn Spanish, she bought the Harry Potter collection in Spanish (which she had already read in English) and taught herself the language.  Her husband doesn’t like to travel but that has never slower her down.  She has visited about 50 countries and has some of the most fabulous photographs to prove it.  She could retire, but by continuing to work she has travel money.  Plus they love her so much that they are flexible with her travel.

The second leg was another 12 hours, although the pilot got us in early.  I would have traded that hour for a smoother landing.  He landed on wheels on only one side of the plane, then shifted to the other side, before realizing that you could use all of them at the same time.  Good thing it was still dark outside so we didn’t have to see anything.  The airport at Singapore is amazing, but we are very early (before 6 am) so much is still closed.  Donna and I got into the airport lounge which has internet so I think I will send this post. I am typing on my computer which she is enjoying the g-seat.

The g-seat worked. Donna asleep in the airport lounge.
©Jean Janssen

About 12 hours to go….

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Anticipating the Philippines

Posted on July 21, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Dive Mom with one of our new friends. This was taken on my first big trip with Oceanic Ventures in July 2004 when I had only been certified a few months. We were off the coast of Borneo near Mabul Island, not far from the Philippines.
©Jean Janssen

Today I head out to the Philippines for a dive trip with my travel group  Oceanic Ventures.  I love traveling with Dive Mom. (Ann teaches diving to students of all ages which is how she acquired this title.  Even though we are the same age, I still let her “baby” me.)   I have a great travel agent that helps me with my cruise bookings, Beth Wehunt with Vacations To Go.  Dive Mom is my source for most of my diving adventures.  When I travel with her, she arranges all the air, transfers, accommodations, and diving.  Depending on the trip, sometimes meals and excursions are also included.  In addition to fabulous diving,  her goal is for us to experience the culture.  One of the ways she does this is for our group to bring along school supplies and used computers and to visit a local school to drop off the donations and meet the teachers and students.  Years later even if the dives start to run together (I can always consult my log), I always remember the cultural experiences on these trips and the opportunity to get to know the people.

Flag of the Philippines

I have never been to the Philippines, although I have been all around it, mostly on other dive trips.  I decided that I needed to educate myself a little.  I will sprinkle through my posts some of what I learned through my research, hopefully putting the comments in my upcoming blog posts in context.

Boarding the bangka (an outrigger canoe or boat) in Batangas headed to Mindoro Island and Sabang Beach at Puerto Galera

First you should remember that this Asian nation in the South Pacific is simply not that close.  Still got a globe in your house?  Turn it half way around and that will probably put you in approximately the right place.  To get there, we are flying from Houston to Moscow, Russia-Moscow to Singapore-Singapore to Manila.  From Manila we take a van to the coast and board a ferry at the Batangas Pier which will take us to Puerto Galera, our first destination in the Philippines.  If it sounds like it takes a long time to get there, you are right.  I leave on a Saturday and arrive on Monday.

Map of the region which includes the Golden Triangle of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia with one of the highest diversities of marine species in the world.

The Republic of the Philippines is a collection of 7, 107 islands in the South China Sea with Vietnam to the west, Borneo to the southwest, and Indonesia to the south.  Of the islands, only 2000 are inhabited and only 1000 are larger than 1 square km (.4 square mile).  2500 islands are not even named.   This is area prone to earthquakes and typhoons known alternatively as the Typhoon Belt and the Pacific Ring of Fire.  In 2000, a Brussels-based research center declared the Philippines the most disaster-prone country on earth.

The Philippines was a colony of Spain for 300 years and the Spanish influence can still be found in the names of cities, surnames,  the architecture, and religion.  80% of the population is Roman Catholic, Asia’s largest Catholic community.  The Philippines has been independent since the end of World War II.

This is the Philippine Tarsier, a small primate.
I hope to see one of my trip, but it might be rough as he is only 5 inches long.

The rain forests and extensive coastlines make it one of the ten most “biologically mega-diverse countries” in the world.  It offers some of world’s best scuba diving with unique critters.  (Like 180 different species of nudibranchs.)

It is the world’s 12th most populated country with an additional 11 million citizens that live outside the country, 3.1 million of those in the United States.  I think the rest are all working on cruise ships.  When I first started cruising years ago, much of the staff came from Eastern European nations.  Today, most cruise ships are staffed by Filipinos.  On our trip in April, over 85% of the staff was from the Philippines.

Off to do my packing…

Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.  –Maya Angelou

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A few final words-Mazatlan

Posted on June 27, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Cargo ship in route to Islas Marias, the Mary Islands.
©James J. Janssen Jr.

At breakfast under the palapa, we spotted the cargo ship going out to Islas Marias, the “Mary Islands”.  This group of islands about 62 miles off the coast of the Mexican mainland is named for three biblical women.  The area was named a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2010.  There is a federal penitentiary that was built on the largest of the islands in 1905.  Although operations ceased for a while, it was reactivated in 2004.  Prisoners live in huts, often with their families.  All the prisoners are male and all must work.  However, they can move about freely, although they are banned from the water and shoreline.  The cargo ship goes out several times a week to deliver food and bring back the goods manufactured by the prisoners.  This was our second sighting of the cargo ship during our visit.

The fabulous architecture of colonial Mazatlan.
©Jean Janssen

Today is a travel day.  3Jack2 wanted to pick up a few things before we left so we made an early trek into town.  It was the most active I had seen things.  There was even a little aerobic activity.  Like all our trips into town, you run across the “Chupa peso” as 3Jack3 likes to call them.  The “money suckers” will watch your car, wash it-with the dirtiest rag you have ever seen-or anything else for a little money.

The music from the aerobic studio and a peak inside showed that the class was going strong when we passed by. Note the chupa peso by the white car.
©Jean Janssen

The Mazatlan airport is small and easy to navigate.  Upon arrival, they still hand check all luggage.  There is also a second screening when you enter the secured area.  The second half of your tourist visa will be collected at the airport, so just leave it in your passport so you can find it on the day of departure.

The Mazatlan airport features free “entertainment”.  We saw a mime walking around the terminal; he was there again to wave goodbye as we boarded the airplane.  Rather strange if you ask me.  There was also an artist doing free caricatures.  He was actually quite good.  Finally, there were free popsicles, a welcome treat on a hot day that I would come to regret later.

Mazatlan from the air.
©Jean Janssen

Ivan was traveling back with us, in route to New Orleans.  He made the suggestion that I keep my camera out on the plane and I was able to get a nice shot of the city from the air.  I felt a little queasy on the flight, but I attributed this to a small plane and a little turbulence.  Later I remembered Ivan’s comments about the popsicle, “just colored water” and realized my mistake.  The kitchen water and water used in the ice machines had been filtered while in Mexico.  We had actually brushed our teeth using bottled water.  When the “Montezuma’s revenge “ hit, I figured out that the popsicle was not made with filtered water.  Wish I had just gotten a caricature.

3Jack3 didn’t have the best seat on the plane, but he was still in good spirits.
©Jean Janssen

We enjoyed the time with family and had a nice place to stay with unparalleled views.  We also had the luxury of a chef that meant we did not have to venture out in the evenings.  Under other circumstances, I am not sure I can recommend Mazatlan.  It is a dying city, especially for foreign tourists.  I love the colonial architecture, but the decay saddens me.  Game fishermen will continue to find their way to Mazatlan, but short of these anglers, I suspect their visitors will be more national tourists rather than foreigners.  It is a shame that the drug wars have resulted in fewer visitors.  The crime in all this is that it is only the high demand for these drugs in our country that fuels the problem.  I was fortunate to have had a positive experience.  Next up is the Philippines in July.

With my hosts on departure day.
©James J. Janssen Jr.

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A lazy day in Paradise-Mazatlan

Posted on June 27, 2012 by travelbynatasha

3Jack3 and his groupies in the college tees.
Most of us were showing our “best” side

Emma and Dudley are leaving today, so we started with a large breakfast under the palapa to fortify them for the journey.  When Maggie graduated, Emma started the tradition of taking pictures of all us in t-shirts from the college that the graduate was going to attend, so  3Jack2 had purchased t-shirts for all of us.  He had even taken a picture of Boris in Houston while they were visiting for the wedding.  It was photo day and we got pictures of all of us both front and back sides.

construction of the 4th and 5th levels
©Jean Janssen

Not much sun and with a storm coming in, we decided to watch a movie in the game room.  After the weather cleared, we took a tour of the construction at the house.  Our host, Ivan, is adding a medical research procedure and presentation wing to the complex.  There will be additional rooms for overnight guests (all with that breath-taking view), medical facilities, and a theater for presentations and performances.  The area can be accessed separately to preserve the family’s privacy.  Alternatively, the family will be able to reach all of the areas by an elevator that will take them to each level of the complex.  There are currently three levels.  When complete, there will be five levels to the property.

The new theater under construction. Ivan will use it for medical presentation, movies, puppet shows, and tango demonstrations.
©Jean Janssen

©Jean Janssen

Our hostess Olga and I enjoyed the pool in the afternoon.  It was later in the day, so we did not have the intense sun that had come with our pool outing the day before.  Along the Malecon there are several platforms for the cliff style divers, but we didn’t need to venture out to see that kind of performance today.  3Jack2 showed off his skills by jumping from the third floor balcony into the deep-water pool.  No surprise that he did this when Ivanova was out of sight.  He was fine, but there were no other takers.

©Jean Janssen

I asked Olga about the origin of the deep section of the pool, thinking it was for scuba dive training, but she told me that the original owner had built it specifically for the purpose that 3Jack2 had used it, to jump off the balcony.  Think I will stick to jumping in off the side or the small bridge that covers the connection between the main and deep-water sections of the pool.  Better yet, I’ll just use the stairs.

©Jean Janssen

We enjoyed our best sunset yet.  Emma and Dudley missed a good one.  Our last meal prepared by chef Manuel was wonderful-shrimp bisque, salad, steak, baked potatoes, grilled onions, quesadillas, and poached pineapple for dessert.  I had planned to watch a movie with 3Jack3 tonight, but after the filling meal, the conversation, and the five glasses of fresh sangria I enjoyed it was bedtime for me.

Our last sunset in Mazatlan
©Jean Janssen

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Game Fishing in Mazatlan

Posted on June 25, 2012 by travelbynatasha

A close up reveals the fish jumping
©James J. Janssen Jr.

The boys headed out on a fishing trip today.  They were all up very early as they had to be at the marina at 7:00.  There were steady rains in the morning and the start of their trip was delayed.  3Jack2, Rocky, and 3Jack3 determined their order in the chair before they left the dock.  The fishing trip itself was a graduation gift from Boris to 3Jack3; they had talked about going together for years.

A proud angler, 3Jack3 with his catch
@James J. Janssen Jr.

My nephew did me a favor and took the camera along so my brother was able to snap some pictures for me.  The marina was at El Cid, one of the nicest areas of the city near the Gold Coast.  We have seen lots of pelicans all week, but they were plentiful around the dock hoping for the castoffs.  Very few fish were caught today due to the weather, but 3Jack3 was lucky to have gotten one of only four fish caught today.  The crew told them they usually bring in multiple Dorado and a sailfish in each boat most days.  Mazatlan is known for its game fishing.

Pelican on the fishing dock waiting for the castoffs.
©James John Janssen III

The Artist District, Mazatlan
©Jean Janssen

The rest of us just lounged around and the boys just us at the pool directly after the they got back.   After everyone had a chance to cool down, we headed to the Artist District in Colonial Mazatlan to look around.  Most of the artists’ shops were closed, but we did see some children taking painting classes.

They are currently in the process of making this area a pedestrian mall.  We had to do some detouring around the street construction.  We passed the Mercado (market) and parked near the Cathedral.  It was cleaning day, but we were able to go in and take a look around.  The Malecon did not have many people on it today, but the area around the Cathedral and market were bustling with people, buses and carts.

Mom and 3Jack2 at the Mazatlan Cathedral
@Jean Janssen

After the Cathedral, we visited the plaza across the street with its large bandstand.  All of us remarked on the square trimming of the trees.  This is the loveliest area of the city we have seen.  After the plaza, we walked the colonial streets, dodging construction, until we reached the plaza near the opera house.  There were many sidewalk cafes and another bandstand.  The plaza was surrounded by stunningly beautiful yellow-flowering trees.  We were early and the chef is cooking for us tonight, otherwise we would have probably stayed to enjoy dinner on the plaza.   This area will be very full later in the day.

Colonial Mazatlan
©Jean Janssen

Our fishermen were tired and all of us were hot, so we went back to the house to enjoy a nap and late dinner.  We celebrated our hosts’ 49thwedding anniversary tonight and included in our group were some of their local friends.  Lots of wine flowing and wonderful food, providing a special end to another lazy day in paradise.

Dessert
©Jean Janssen

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Exploring Mazatlan, Mexico

Posted on June 24, 2012 by travelbynatasha

view from Cero de la Neveria. If the mountain in the distance looks familiar, thats because it is on the Pacifico beer label.
©Jean Janssen

We began today with a walk along the coastline on the concrete boardwalk, the Malecon, with its bronze statues and coves.  Cero De La Neveria (“icebox hill”)-the hill where the home is located-separates the colonial city from the modern city.  The hill got it name from the caves located within that were used for the refrigeration of the fish caught along the coastline with large blocks of ice before it was transported to other ports.  The caves also have chimneys that go up to some of the houses (like the next door neighbor).  We saw one cave, casa de Diablo, now gated with a bronze devil’s head on the iron, while walking on the Malecon.

Some of the local dancers at Panchos.
(aka Emma and 3Jack3)
©Jean Janssen

We walked until we almost reached the Gold Coast, where the foreign tourists stay.  The city itself is long and narrow as it grew along the coast and slightly inland.  The area we walked through was the coastline of the modern city where the Mexican nationals vacation.  The fishermen with their small boats were already back and sales were almost complete.  There had been a storm during the night, so their task was done in rough waters.

We only walked about four miles but added to that a steep walk down slick stone stairs and a winding road.  As hard as that was, the return was even more strenuous.  Of course this was the excuse I needed to enjoy the fabulous food and drinks.

In the old city of Mazatlan
@Jean Janssen

After showers it was breakfast under the palapa before we headed into the colonial city to check a few artists shops.  Our first stop was the ATM where my Spanish was again tested.  Fortunately, Ivanova was there to help me with the machine that did not offer an English translation to the instructions.  Emma was really out of luck as she had a 6-digit pin code.  Boris and I have found that when traveling abroad, most ATM machines will not accept cash cards with anything other than a 4-digit code.

samples of guayabera shirts

We saw wonderful buildings in varying states of repair.  Many of the streets were tree-lined and some of the colonial houses had elevated walkways alongside them.  There were many unique art pieces and Emma and Dudley picked out quite a few things to commemorate honeymoon trip #1.  I found a shop that specialized in the guayabera shirts that Boris loves.  There were multiple material choices and colors and I got Boris a linen shirt in a unique deep rust color.

In the Gold Coast tourist area. The truck parked in front is a party van. They load up people in the back of the truck and tour the city. Several pass the house daily.
©Jean Janssen

Dudley was not much of a shopper and 3Jack3 was ready for lunch, so we drove from the colonial area to the Gold Coast to get a little taste of different parts of the city.  The gateway to the Gold Coast (the area where the foreign tourist hotels are concentrated) is none other than a McDonalds.  This is where you lose some of the unique character of the Mazatlan and it starts to look like any other tourist city in Mexico.

3Jack3 enjoying his froglegs.
©Jean Janssen

We did have lunch at a wonderful restaurant, Panchos, which is right on the beach.  The restaurant was decorated in colorful tile work and carved wood and we felt the trade winds that keep the area cool as we enjoyed our lunch.  3Jack3 loves frog legs so we tried both the deep-fried and the ones sautéed in garlic.  Both were good, but I preferred the garlic ones.  They brought complementary chips and sauces to our table when we sat down, along with deep-fried and stuffed jalapeños.  Throughout the lunch the beach vendors tried to attract our attention with their offerings.  Panchos’ security kept us from being harassed.

After the meal, we did venture out onto the lovely beach and onto a stone breakwater where we snapped a few pictures.  Mom did end up getting a shirt from one of the vendors and Rocky got a straw hat with a chinstrap, something he needs for the fishing trip tomorrow.  Ivanova helped with the negotiating in Spanish.  She also spoke to the owners of a silver shop in the same center as Panchos and they sold us their jewelry at wholesale prices because we were family.

The Gold Coast beach near Pancho’s.
©Jean Janssen

A flock of pelicans silhouetted against the sunset.
©Jean Janssen

Finally we headed back to the house where we all put our suits on and headed straight to the pool.   Well all except for mom who we suspect went in for a nap.  The water was so refreshing.  We swam and sat out, while Nacho brought us drinks.  Paradise.  There was another gorgeous sunset this evening.  After dark, we had dinner under the palapa.  We watched the waves crash against the shore and the lighthouse sent light toward us as we waited on the terrace for dinner to begin.  We were all tired this evening.

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Travel to Mazatlan, Mexico

Posted on June 23, 2012 by travelbynatasha

The view from the living room balcony at the Correa home in Mazatlan where we are guests.
@Jean Janssen

Rocky and I are off to Mazatlan for a family trip.   When I was a child and teen, Mexico was a safe destination and a favorite spring break spot.  Then a series of kidnappings changed our feeling about young people crossing along the Texas and Mexico border.  The coastal cities in the Caribbean and Pacific remained popular destinations and going to Mexico meant a flight rather than a drive.  Mexico was also a bargain compared to other foreign destinations with a weak peso to our dollar.  The coastal cities got another boost to tourism when the cruise ship industry took off.

Our chef Manuel plating our dinner in the Palapa Kitchen.
© Jean Janssen

The drug wars in recent years have resulted in a lot of bad press for Mexico and travel to this country has dropped significantly.  The US State Department continues to issue safety warnings to Americans intending to visit our southern neighbor.   I have limited my personal travel to Mexico and I remain hesitant when considering the travel options here.  I continue to go to Cozumel for the diving and we have taken a few group trips to Cabo San Lucas.  We tend to hang around the resort more or rent a home with a cook to avoid going out in the evenings.  (This can be a very economical option for a large group splitting expenses.)  However, I find the city center in Cozumel very safe, even after dark.

sunset from the pool terrace our first night in Mazatlan
@ Jean Janssen

This trip we are staying at the home of my brother’s in-laws.  Originally, from Argentina, they immigrated to the United States when my sister-in-law, Ivanova, was eleven years old.  She grew up in New Orleans.  Her parents now split their time between New Orleans and Mazatlan.  The house in Mazatlan was built by a wealthy Texas homebuilder and has some very interesting architectural features.  All the rooms have an ocean view, particularly beautiful at sunset.  Ivaniva’s father saw a picture of the house in USA Today when it had been vacant for two years and pursued it from there.  They have owned the property for 10 years now.

The United plane we flew on was small, one seat on one side and two on the other.  It was a quick flight from Houston, just over two hours.  There were seven of us traveling together, meeting Ivanova and her parents who were already here.  (Boris just got the fixator off yesterday, but is not cleared for travel until August.)    My brother 3Jack2 met us at the terminal in Houston-he had flown in from Minneapolis-with Shipley’s donuts in hand.

I guess everyone has their own donut preference, but Shipley’s is it for me.  My dad loved them and we went most Sundays to get donuts after Mass.  Although there were many varieties which I tried, I came to appreciate my own father’s preference for the plain glazed.  These never made it to the display rack.  The plain glazed donuts were in such high demand that they boxed them right from the tray that came out of the fryer.  If we arrived “mid-rack” we would wait for the hot ones.  They came steaming out of the grease and a medal rod would pass over them coating them in the melted sugar glaze.  Sometimes they were still so hot, you couldn’t even pick them up to eat.  Sheer Heaven.

Arrival into the airports in Mexico usually means walking down stairs directly on to the tarmac.  Keep your sunglasses or umbrella handy when exiting the plane; you may need them.  When coming into Mexico, you still have to fill out the paper forms, but they have certainly gotten easier in the past few years.  This time one of the forms-the one for the head of household-was only offered in Spanish, a bit of a challenge for me.  However, I was surprised at how much I was able to figure just from being familiar with the type of form you fill out when entering a foreign country and the Spanish I have picked up from living in Texas.

3Jack2 and I goofing around on the pool terrace

Mexico has this interesting system where after clearing passport control you pick up your luggage, send it all through a scanner, then press a button which gives you a red or green light.  If you get green you are done and pass through.  If you pull a red, they inspect all your bags and those of anyone else in your family.  This is meant to be random, but I have always wondered about that.  I got red, so both Rocky and I had to have our bags inspected.  There was nothing much to see in my luggage, just swimsuits, sarongs, and flip-flops, my typical Mexico travel wear.

This gets me double the points in a game of slug bug.
© Jean Janssen

Ivanava’s Dad picked us up and took us in his van to the house.  It was certainly not a scenic ride; the first thing we passed was a prison.  My nephew started us in a game of slug bug where you get to (playfully) punch the person next to you if you spot and call out the color of a VW beetle.  There are a lot of the old models in Mexico, particularly in Acapulco.  One Thanksgiving we visited Acapulco and noticed that the white, “Herby-like” VW Beetles were used as taxis.  We decided to count them on one trip into town from the resort, but I stopped at 1000 about half way into our drive.

The local taxi, a pulmonia, which takes you most places-but not the airport-for $3 to $5.
©Jean Janssen

After slug bug, we moved on to counting the small open air taxis that look like extended golf carts affectionately called Pulmonias since you are inhaling all the fumes when you ride in one.  Apparently, these are a local specialty.

Spotted while roaming around the Correa home.
©Jean Janssen

Eventually we made it to the heart of the city and passed along side the water before ascending to the hillside house.   It was built on multi-levels.  (Boris could have never handled this.)  You enter on the highest level with the dinning room, living room, kitchen, game room, and balconies.  The next level down is a series of bedrooms, all with an ocean view and balcony, and the upper entrance to the two-story attached condos.  The next level down is for the infinity pool, saunas, sundeck and the lower entrance to the condos.  From this level, you can also go up a different series of stairs to access a beautiful palapa covering an outdoor cooking and dining area and the wine cellar-really a wine cave.  Cave storage for wine is all the rage in California as I learned during a group tour to some of the smaller wineries in Napa a few years ago. The caves are naturally cool.   I haven’t yet seen the whole house, but the palapa and wine cave were my favorites.

I have a dive buddy who likes to snap these “toe shots” while lounging by the pool.
©Jean Janssen

We arrived in the afternoon and enjoyed welcome cocktails on the pool terrace-two pina coladas for me.  After a light lunch of fruit and ceviche, we swam in the infinity pool.  It connects to a circular deepwater section that would be a wonderful training area for scuba divers.  The deep area was off-limits for our game of Marco Polo.  We did some “sun” bathing on a cloudy afternoon until the showers came.  All of us fell asleep in the sun to be woken by the raindrops.  Next was casual dress for dinner under the palapa.

Ready for dining under the palapa.
© Jean Janssen

Ivanava had hired a local chef for the week and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner of shish kabobs, rice, and beans.  The meal started with a sweet corn soup.  Not only was the food delicious, the presentation was lovely.  The chef prepared the meal next to our table and the process provided our evening’s entertainment.  We enjoyed wine from the adjacent cave.

We watched the sunset from the pool terrace.  After dark, we headed to the game room to choose from among the hundreds of movie DVDs our host had.  I will sleep well tonight.

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Graduation Day for Edina High School

Posted on June 16, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Today’s first look at Lake Calhoun.
©Jean Janssen

An early morning walk meant the beach was still deserted.
©Jean Janssen

Emma and I drove ourselves out to Lake Calhoun for another morning walk.  I started out in the opposite direction to get a different perspective on the view.  The crowd was a little different, but I am already spotting people I recognize.  Next it was back to the hotel for showers as we have a full day culminating in tonight’s graduation at the Target Center.  (Yes, you guessed it.  They are headquartered here.)

Emma and I took some time to go to the city center of Edina.  We have a favorite shop there, Hot Mama.  I mean really, who can resist a clothing store called Hot Mama.  You feel like you look better already.  The shopping/eating area at 50th and France is very popular.  I recommend the Edina Grill for lunch and just walking around the several streets that make up this area.  There is free public parking in the municipal garages.

spotted in the yard on our arrival
©Jean Janssen

Ivanava prepared a wonderful brunch for us.   We did a lot of hanging out today and then in the afternoon a photographer came over to grab some family pictures.  I thought that was a great idea.  Afterwards, we all headed downtown for the EHS graduation.  Edina High School is one of the top 100 high schools in the country according to Newsweek’s annual report and is ranked #1 in the Midwest.  I am very proud of my nephew, 3Jack3.

The Target Center is downtown and it seemed everyone was headed in that direction.
©Jean Janssen

Hat toss by EHS Class of 2012. (This is only about half the class, but I was excited I captured it.)
©Jean Janssen

Attending a graduation is a sports arena was a new one for me.  It was the first time I have had the opportunity to order nachos while I watched this type of ceremony.  (I didn’t actually order nachos, but the popcorn smelled so good I was really tempted to get some of that.)  They made great use of the Jumbotron  and if you watched the screen while the speakers presented, it was possible to catch a glimpse of your graduate.   Graduations are always special, but I thought this one particularly nice.

3Jack3 and I

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The city of 10,000 Lakes

Posted on June 13, 2012 by travelbynatasha

small sail boats on Lake Calhoun
©Jean Janssen

We got up early this morning.  Emma has been working hard to be in great shape for her wedding next weekend, so we wanted to get in a walk before the graduation weekend activities started for the day.  My brother, 3Jack2, a former marathon runner and a current national tennis qualifier, drove us over to Lake Calhoun where we enjoyed a 3.2 mile walk around the lake.  Actually, he ran around both Lake Calhoun and the adjacent Lake of the Isles, while Emma and I walked Calhoun.  (Emma at a much faster pace than I.)  Lake Calhoun is the largest lake in Minneapolis and is surrounded by beautiful stately homes.

One of the Tudor homes that borders Lake Calhoun
©Jean Janssen

In addition to the wide and well-marked walking and biking trails, Lake Calhoun is a great venue with two small beaches with lifeguard stands, a marina, a fishing pier, boat launching sites, and a sand volleyball court.  There is a nice view of downtown Minneapolis from several spots on the walk.  I always enjoy checking out the clever names people give their boats and spotted a small sailboat in the lakeside marina with a great one, “sick days”.

I loved the name of this sailboat on Lake Calhoun
©Jean Janssen

A home in Linden Hills
©Jean Janssen

After the walk, 3Jack2 drove us over to Lake Harriet which, although a smaller lake, has a greater number of sailboats than Lake Calhoun.  Lake Harriet is bordered by Linden Hills with wonderful cottages made of stone, stucco, and brick.

The bandstand at Lake Harriet
©Jean Janssen

There was a running event at Lake Harriet, but we were fortunate to pull in before they closed off the streets to vehicular travel.  The lake features a picturesque bandstand with outdoor seating that looks out on the water.  Lake Harriet is also home to a short section of the trolley line that formerly served this section of the city.  On Sundays, you can ride on it for a dollar.

It was Chill and Grill Day, as 3Jack2 likes to call lazy days by the pool with alfresco dining.  We followed the shade patterns and moved the lounge chairs accordingly.  Creme Fresh and Coco Vel-vet ran all around the pool chasing a ball and destroying pool noodles, once again providing entertainment.  We relived younger days and “rocked the pool.”

Entertainment by Creme Fresh and Coco Vel-vet
©Jean Janssen

A behind the back move by our teppanyaki chef
©Jean Janssen

At night we had a big family dinner at my nephew, 3Jack3’s favorite restaurant, Benihana.  He likes it so much that he has even taken one of their Teppanyaki Chef classes.  The food is great, but the experience depends upon your chef and Heri did a great job.  One slip up meant we got an extra filet mignon and who can argue with that.  3Jack3 is addicted to the yummy-yummy sauce and we all had to agree it was fabulous.

It was pouring down rain when we left and my brother pulled the car right up to the door to let us in. I mean right up to the door; he was up on the sidewalk.  I think if someone had tried to open the front door to the restaurant they would have hit the hood of his car.  Wish I had a picture of that to share.  I got pretty wet.  I sacrificed myself to save the camera with my pashmina.  As a travel blogger, I do have my priorities.

Sailboats on Lake Harriet
©Jean Janssen

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A Graduation in Minnesota

Posted on June 12, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Doing the “Mary Tyler Moore/Mary Richards hat toss in downtown Minneapolis

I am in Edina Minnesota (a suburb of Minneapolis) for my nephew’s high school graduation.  We were expecting this really cool weather (at least relative to Houston) and were surprised to wake up on the day of departure and find it was actually 1 degree warmer in Minneapolis.  It was not because it was cooler than usual in Texas.  We had arrived in Minnesota for the heat wave.

This was my first time away from Boris for more than a few hours since his accident last month.  I think we both need the break.  For those of you that don’t follow the blog regularly, Boris was in a serious car accident on Mothers’ Day.  He is non-weight bearing on one leg and has an external fixator.  He also has a cast on the hand he writes with.  His mobility and dexterity are extremely limited.  While I am away, he has 3-4 people stopping by each day to check on him.

I captured this shot of downtown Minneapolis from the walking trail around Lake Calhoun. The ducks were enjoying a swim.
©Jean Janssen

I have actually visited here more in the winter (or at least in temperatures that felt like it was winter) to enjoy the snow which we don’t get in Houston.  Minneapolis truly is the city of 10,000 lakes.  During the holiday season, there is perhaps nothing more beautiful than the frozen lake and the houses decorated with lights and other seasonal adornments.

I really didn’t know much about this area of the country before my brother moved here with his family.  There are so many companies headquartered here which always surprised me given the extreme winter temperatures. (I grew up convinced that Dairy Queen was a small town Texas-based business.  Wrong.  The company is headquartered in Edina.)  My theory is that, other than the obvious financial incentives these cities must offer companies, they are hoping their employees will be of the mind set that if it is too cold to go outside anyway they might as well just stay in and work.

hostas in their back yard
©Jean Janssen

I like all the green space you see when traveling on the freeways, even in the city.  At home it is businesses, billboards, and strip malls.  The days cool down in the evening so that even if the day is hot, the evening will be pleasant.  They can also have some wonderful plants-like the hostas at my brother’s home- that our tropical gulf coast climate will not permit.

Not weather I am prepared to handle

When you visit as different part of the country you realize people deal with different issues.  Our biggest worry is a hurricane, but I am used to the preparations you have to make for that.  I am not sure I could deal with the extreme weather conditions in Minnesota.  Each year, my brother has to have his pool drained and  an alcohol-based chemical run through the water lines to prevent broken pipes due to the  freezing temperatures.  At home it is dangerous for us to let the pool go dry.  We just circulate water through the lines when the temperature gets near freezing.  His family recently had to deal with another “nature issue”.  Their home was attacked by woodpeckers and they had to replace all the outside siding.  They have looked at the situation as an opportunity and my sister-in-law has done a wonderful job updating their home both inside and out.

Creme Fresh when she arrived in Minnesota
©Jean Janssen

This was just arrival day, so our activity was limited.  We enjoyed the entertainment offered by the two newest members of the family.  My sister-in-law, Ivanova, has always liked French Bulldogs.  They adopted their first, Creme Fresh, a fawn-colored female from a rescue organization.  She had been at a “puppy mill” and is enjoying a well-deserved retirement.  I met her first when she had been here only two months; she has now been with the family for a year and a half and she looks so much younger and healthier.   She also has a sister now, Coco Vel-vet, a chocolate brindle french bulldog who was also rescued from a puppy mill.

Creme Fresh and Coco Vel-vet today, complete with fairy wings, their halloween costumes
©Jean Janssen

Looking forward to our morning walk around one of the lakes…

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