The Road Less Travelled: Phenix City, Alabama and Columbus, Georgia

Our gym trainer Chris suggested we should explore the Providence Canyon in Georgia-  a place both Bob and I never knew of. We always go somewhere in celebrating our yearly anniversary and curious what Chris suggested, last week we ventured to exploring the road less travelled- Phenix City, Alabama and Columbus, Georgia. Bob and I never have been to Alabama (probably the least state we would go), we have both been to Georgia on seperate occasions but only in Atlanta (and Savannah for me). It was a six and a half hour drive from Deland; we left around 930AM and arrived at Phenix city in Alabama (where we had our hotel reservation) at almost 4PM. We checked in then started exploring the place.

blue hour shot overlooking Columbus, GA from Phenix City with Chattahoochee River.

Our main activities have been mostly in the Georgia side; but we have our hotel in the Alabama side, in Phenix City. The state lines were separated by the Chattahoochee River and linked by the 13th Street bridge. once you crossed the bridge it’s Columbus. For a place we have never known, this is quite a surprising first impression- in a good way. Our hotel was by the river walk (both Georgia and Alabama sides has one); and as we went outside, we walked briefly and checked out the river. Beside our hotel is Troy University’s Phenix City Campus- it has a nice Roman building with columns. Humidity got on the way so we scratched the idea of crossing the bridge to Georgia by foot; instead we took our car and drove around.

We explored uptown Columbus. It was nice and quaint somehow comparable to downtown Deland. Here, there is the Columbus State University which was giving me a Stetson U vibe- but obviously in a much larger scale.  We walked around Uptown/Brodway and found the top rated The Cannon restaurant from trip advisor and we decided to have our early dinner. Then we continued walking around the block and finally decided to drive back to the hotel- in Phenix City to rest.

exploring Canyon No. 4 at Providence Canyon in Lumpkin, GA

Our Day 2 was packed. We started our drive at 9AM, navigating the up and down rolling hills of SR165 in Alabama. It was nice to see tall pines and oak trees, reminded me of my daily drive in West Boylston in Massachusetts. A couple of things that were noticeable are the numbers of churches we saw- big and small, in almost every five miles. Another thing is the mobile homes- there are lots of them. As we drove closer to Providence Canyon, our time changed. It fell back to an hour; realizing that we changed to central time zone. Bob and I couldn’t helped but smile; it felt like we were in a twilight zone episode- spooky as we were only the one driving the road.

Florence Marina State Park

Providence Canyon.  Unknownst to many, there is a little Grand Canyon in Lumpkin, Georgia. Unlike the one in Nevada/Arizona, this is an indirect creation from erosion of coastal planes from poor agricultural practices many years ago in this state, thus forming the canyon. There are a total of nine canyon sites to see- we did 5 of them by trekking the bronze colored soil trails with thin layer of water.  It was overcast but the colors are still beautiful. Short, different yet fun.

As we left the park, we stopped by at Florence Marina State Park which we saw by accident on the way.  It was a huge boat garage with the scenic view of Walter F. George Reservoir. We also checked out Fort Mitchell National Cemetery. I wanted to see if the flags were still up from Memorial Day and glad it was. I also noticed the unique way the soldiers wives’ names written behind the tombstones. Something unique and I have never seen in other national cemeteries I have been. We had our lunch at Mix Market Place in Broadway then headed back to our hotel to rest.

the calm before the storm 😂 our boat in a calm water.

White Water Rafting at the Chattahoochee River.  Our main event didn’t start until 5PM. When Bob planned this trip, he booked a river rafting to add to the adventure. So at 430PM, we headed to Whitewater Express for our prime adventure at Chattahoochee River. One of the Top 12 man-made adventures, this is the longest urban whitewater rafting in the world. The course consists of class II-V whitewater on the same 2.5 mile stretch of the river. There are two types of trips they do- a Classic and a Challenge- differed by the dam-controlled release. Bob of course chose the Challenge since it is wilder and stronger and water cranks up to 13000cfs making it instantly a class V rapids. He could sense some hesitances on my end (it was 5PM and a bit concern of water temperature) during the before boarding speech. I have the “Oh No” look in my most poker face. We were grouped into 2 with seven persons each group. I chose to be with Skip Jack’s (our guide) boat; whom later I learned is a former fire fighter. That gave me a relief for then I knew I will be saved should our raft flips.😂 Then we’re brought to the starting point; I felt the water the first time and it wasn’t that cold as I thought it would be. Now it makes sense the description they have in their website: “Wild as Colorado and Warm as Costa Rica.”

Image of our almost capsized raft on one of the crazy rapids.

Then off we go. Shortly after we encountered the first rapid. We made it out but then Skip Jack wanted to go back for a second time so we paddled through it one more time. We watched the other boat went through it but theirs flipped😲; so we pulled away and moved forward. The water was quiet for a bit until we met another baby rapids. 2 strokes…3 strokes… lean to the right… Skip Jack commanded for us to stay afloat. Then there’s the 24ft cascading water with a 2ft drop with whirlpool. He said that we have a greater chance to flip there- and if we do, the current will just sucked as in and if we see the chance to go out- swim on the right side and climbed the rocks; but if we follow his commands, we may get out of it That stuck my head. So I keenly listened and diligently followed his instructions. Then we hit the drop- it was so fast that I didn’t even feel nervous at all. All I was doing was paddling left and right, still trying to follow whatever Ski Jack was yelling for us to do. Then another one and a big one! All I knew was I fell off my seat and my butt is on the raft surface; the only thing that’s keeping me on the raft that was was my feet I tightly tucked under the seat of the person in front of me. When the water started to calm down, I slowly brought myself back on the seat I was supposed to be. That made me laugh so hard. It was then I realized what a class V water rafting felt.

enjoying Downtown Columbus, GA. The food, the beers and everything in between.

We paddled a calm water for a while, then a passed a medium rapids then cross the river and landed on to the rocks. We got off the water and carried our raft. And when I thought we were all done, we brought the boat into the water and started getting into it again. There is a nice spot with great rapids that we paddled into. It wasn’t as difficult like the last one, but our boat was almost capsized and one member of our boat sitting on the front fell off. The current was quite strong, but somehow we got closer to him and were able to bring him back on our boat. And we paddled to the rocks, got off the boat and carried our rafts and repeated what we did once again. We did this routine and enjoyed the rapids for four times.

We ended our night with another delicious dinner from Uptown Thai Food and headed home after. What a joyous adventure that was! Bob always knew how to spice our trip all the time👌🏼.

some good finds inside Eufala National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama.

Our Day 3 is more of a chill day.  We drove the same road  to see Eufala National Wildlife Refuge.  Similar to Lake Woodruff in Deland, the park was flat, so it we did an easy one mile walk each way.  We saw birds, wild flowers, and a deer that eventually run away from us.  On our way back to Columbus, we passed by St Joseph’s Ministry, but unfortunately the main church is close so we only got to see its ground. Then proceeded to to Columbus to have lunch at Animal Farm;  probably the best gastronomical experience we had while we were here. Then we decided to go walk around the river walk retracing the places we saw while at the water raft the previous day. When we got tired, we went back to the hotel and rest. Around 530 when we decided to head back to Broadway/Uptown Columbus to have dinner at Black Cow then walk around town for the sunset for one last time.

The Grandiose of the Grand Teton National Park

Bob loves the mountains; and I love them too. I couldn’t get more excited when he started planning a trip to Wyoming. The last for this year he said.

Top Photo: Obligatory shot of the welcome to Grand Teton National Park Sign

Bottom: Descending at Delta Lake hike; dinner at Hatchet Resort with Christian

After the many months of waiting, we finally made it to the Tetons. We had a smooth flight from Orlando to Dallas to Jackson Hole.  Both were on time and with no out of the ordinary issues. But somehow, the weather forecast in Jackson Hole was not what I anticipated.  It was overcast, alternating with rain when we arrived. So much with arranging a window seat for that million dollar scenic view of the mountains while still at miles high. Not to mention- it was cold and dreary when we walked to the parking lot. 😂

After we retrieved the car from the rental place and picked up some hiking essentials (a bear spray that cost 50$! And a bug spray that TSA confiscated on our way home- still lucky to NOT use both though), we hit the road for our day one of five adventure.

The rain limited our sightseeing for our first day, but it allowed us to go through the sites we wanted to visit. Kind of like we’re on the track still. The first stop we went to was the Mormon Rows with the view of the John Moulton Barn. With the thick clouds that were covering the mountain, I felt a bit disappointed- still pretty, but would have been nice to see the mountains for the backdraft. After which we went to the Glacier Look Out, JP Cunningham’s Cabin, and the Chapel of Transfiguration- but all were just covered with overcast clouds and rain. By then we decided to drive to and check in and have dinner at Hatchet Resort.

different shots of Mt Moran. L sunrise at Oxbow Bend 

Top R- sunrise at Schwabacher Landing    Bottom R: sunrise at Snake River

It wasn’t until our second day that we had the glimpse of the mighty Teton; atleast briefly in the morning- before sunrise.  We went early to Oxbow Bend for the sunrise and the reflection of Mt Moran at the bend in the Snake River.  It didn’t surprise me to see a lot of serious photographers shooting when we arrived. I played one too. It’s surreal to watch the clouds and cover and uncover the mountains. And for a brief moment saw how the sunrise lit up the peak of the mountain and brought out cotton candy colors. Added bonus were the reflections of the moon and the mountains and seeing flocks of ducks enjoying their morning swim too…magical. When the clouds totally covered  the mountain, it was time for us to leave. 😉

Delta Lake 📸 Christian.

Delta Lake Trail. Part of our itinerary is to hike the Delta Lake Trail. It is a 7.4 miles trail that starts at Lupine Meadows, classified as difficult trail,  it is made of flat inclined which turn to many switchbacks.  Not to mention the wildlife (we only saw a bear cub on our way up). It has a difficult 2400ft elevation gain; up over 9,000 ft. The last half mile after more than two hours on the trail, turned to be so difficult; reminded me of the hike in the Andes- rocky. This time I decided not to proceed and Bob followed suit.  Christian did. So he got the reward of seeing the pristine water of Delta Lake.  The sky had started to clear while we were retracing our steps down; it was then when we finally appreciate the beautiful trail we’re hiking.

Instead of hiking another trail that same day (I was beat- am sure both Bob and Christian too), we just decided to go have early dinner at Dornan’s where we had the full view of the mountains. This time, all elements included:  the massive rows of the mountains, some clouds and blue sky, and the yellow colors of trees signifying that fall has begun.

I was taking in the grandiose of the Grand Tetons while enjoying my pasta. I was silently admiring this natural canvass in front of me.  The last I had this imagery was when we were in Patagonia in 2022. This experience by far, is second to that.

Everyday view of the Tetons: Top: Highway 287 our main drive through; 

Bottom: Dornan's the only grocery and restaurant accessible to the park; 

Once done eating we stayed for a few more and finally started to head back to the resort. We made one stop at the visitor center, even here the pompous presence of the Grand Teton is so visible. Next to Arches Visitor Center in Moab, Utah, this one I can say is my next favorite. 🙂

We were tired and beat so we decided to rest early on our second night as we have an early trek to YNP in the next two days (see separate blog: ).

Day 5 is when we have a full day appreciation of The Grand Tetons.  It was our date with this majestic park. Our schedule was loaded. 😂

We were up and by the road at 530AM to catch the sunrise at 628AM at John Moulton Barn by the Mormon Rows (again).  Gauging from the amount of cars at the parking lot, I knew there were many people and photographers already awaiting for the sunrise when we got there. We parked by the street safely, and I bolted right away to have the glimpse of the most iconic sunrise shot of the Grand Teton. At one point, there were two spectators that tried to ruin the perfect shot for everyone so I have to yell at them “to cover up” at the top of my lungs; luckily they didn’t look back or else, it will be a blood bath (joke)😂😂.

sunrise at the John Moulton Barn at Mormon Rows.

When I thought I got the perfect shot, we left and moved to Teton Turn Point; which gave me another perspective of a sunrise of the mighty Teton. Quick clicks then off to Swchabacher Landing.  This one change my composition too; with the sagebrush on the foreground, it gave me another beautiful landscape.

Animals we saw on our hikes.  Moose; herds of bisons; and a bear cub; 

We did  a couple of stops along Highway 287E to take photos of the wildlife.  A herd of hundred bisons on our right side and the horses on the left side. Both sceneries were beautiful. Different in their own ways. I was in awe looking and taking photos of them. the horses are by far my favorite photo.

After hundreds of shots😂, we decided to go back to the hotel resort to have breakfast.  While we waited 45 mins to be served, we were planning strategically our day. When we’re done eating, we were off to another adventure.

Taggart Lake Trailhead.  This wasn’t an original part of the itinerary. But since our attempt to do Delta Lake on Day 2 was challenging; we chose an easy to moderate trail to hike so all could enjoy. The weather was perfect- and with clear blue sky, it allowed us to really see the views. This time I was enjoying the constant presence of  one of the peaks of the Grand Tetons. When we finally reach the lake, it was such a view!  We rested on one of the rocks and eat some snacks while enjoying its beauty. When its time, we headed down.  It was a beautiful easy three hour hike.

Taggart Lake

It’s so nice to know someone that lives local. A fellow Cape Codder and landscape photo enthusiast @christinewalshandersphoto who is based in Jackson Hole for now messaged and told me to go to The Moose Ponds around 5PM to see a bull moose. I told this to both Bob and Christian and glad we all agreed to check it out.  Boy, It did not disappoint! A 20 minute trek at Lupine Meadows to the pond gave us not one, nor two, but three moose which were quietly enjoying their dinner. That was wonderful to watch!  I would like to think that it was actually a family, which was an added bonus.

We watch them for sometime until we decided to finally go back to the car.  While still inside the park, we went one more time to the Chapel of Transfiguration, enjoyed some serenity, uttered a little prayer, took photos and decided to get some dinner at Dornan’s. And for the last time, enjoyed the sun setting behind the grandiose of the mighty Tetons.

my favorite photos of the horses with the Tetons at the background

Barcelona: Our Great Catalunya Experience

the highway we drove from Andorra to Barcelona with scenic mountain backdraft.

Our drive to Barcelona.  Unlike the drive to Andorra that was somehow adventurous yet terrifying, our drive to Barcelona is calmer. Yes, we have switchbacks too, and sometimes we don’t know if we are ascending or descending, but I knew for a fact that we were going down since I felt that gravitational pull from the way the car was moving. The road to Barcelona from Andorra was scenic- filled with mountains, pasturelands and small villages. Driving the highway we saw what resembled to be the Italian dolomites. We stopped briefly at a rest area and took some photo and just enjoyed the beauty of the countryside. Then off again. 3 hours later, we met the hustle and bustle of the city of Barcelona.

Truly a Five Star. We arrived at the Cotton House Hotel and attempted to check in right then but our room was not ready so we decided to just leave our luggages and explored the city. We didn’t go far, then we went back and tried checking in again.  By this time, we had our room ready. Man oh man… Bob really knows how to splurge to get the best room! Booked at a 5-star autograph collection series, our hotel was at the heart of Barcelona; central to all the “must sees” we tried to see- all within the walking distance. The reception… the bar… and the hotel room and its amenities, just fabulous! We were very pleased.

Top: The interior of our hotel room;

Bottom: L-R Our sumptuous paella #3 and #4 at Restaurante 7 Portes; and the vibrant Plaza Palau

When done unpacking and refreshing, we hit the town again. First stop- Barcelona Cathedral.  Located at the gothic quarter of Barcelona, this church is built between the 13th to 15th century.  Among the churches we saw this trip, this I would say is the grandest in terms of religious artifacts. I would say, similar to the Cathedral we saw in Santiago, Chile.  They are old and intricate, and overly satisfying visually. The climb to the rooftop was an added bonus. We got the view of the city, and the different architectures-old and new- that were thriving to this vibrant place.

When we finished exploring the catherdral, we continued to walk outside the city discovering paseos/alleys. They are quite similar to the old city of Montpellier; though different in architectural aesthetics, they resembled some similarities. I was enjoying it. Then we headed towards the marina in search of the Restaurante 7 Portes. When we were at the hotel upon check in, we asked the concierge and they recommended a few best places to eat paella and we chose this one. This did not disappoint- we savored a nice vegetarian (for Bob) and Black Paella (for me) with cold Catalonian white wine. That was quite a dinner from a topnotch place on a busy night. We were lucky to get a table with no reservation.😉

Left: The facade of the Barcelona Cathedral from a nearby street;

Top R: La Monumental Bull Arena

Bottom R: Casa Mila, a Gaudi masterpiece;

After we had a filling meal, we continued walking through the alleys looking for the Cathedral by the Sea. Bob and I are avid Netflix viewers, and one of the series we’ve seen was “La Catedral Del Mar” which was set in Barcelona and a real, non-fictional church. Its story was heartbreaking yet hopeful. We made sure that, at least we see this church whenever we get to Barcelona; we almost didn’t as it was almost 5PM by the time we got in, and the staff started to turn off lights, barricading the altar, and telling people in Catalan that they were closing the premise. It was brief, but glad we were able to see its inside.

Then we walked again through the paseos until we tumbled into Plaza Palau where lively music from the restaurant in all four corners were playing. Like the Grand Place in Brussels, there were tables and chairs around the central square set up for people who would like to dine. We attempted multiple times to get a seat and enjoy a drink or two of Spanish cervezas hoping to enjoy people watching but were denied. Dinner only they said🤣. So we settled a nice drink in the hotel bar instead. Then we called it a night and went back to our room.

Left: The facade of the La Cathedral Del Mar;

Top R: another Gaudi’s design- Casa Batlló.

Bottom R: The Spanish Arc d’ Triomphe in Barcelona

We must have slept so good. When we woke up, it was past nine.  We got ready and we headed to the nearby La Monumental Bull Arena. I have only seen bull fights on screens, Bob had seen a real one with Bernard in Neems back in the 90s. There was so much to take in as we walk into the empty arena. Sitting on one of the seats, I can’t help but wonder how it was inside in its hey day with obviously loud crowds and the toros/bulls fighting. We walked through the entirety of the arena. We saw the areas where matadors sought safety during the fights, the premium seats for the elites, and the seats for common people who still would watch the show. Then we walk behind the main arena and also saw the place where the bulls were kept, fed and bred. As for matadors, the small kitchenette, their locker rooms, and a small chapel- perhaps to say their last prayers?

The last bullfight in this ring was seen in 2011. After a local law passed banning all bullfights in Catalonia including Barcelona. This place is kept to preserve and for visitors to see the once prominent game of bullfighting as part of the Catalan’s rich culture.

When we finished wandering the arena, we headed to nearby Carrer de Sardenya, the street closer to Sagrada Familia. We took the opportunity to eat some food since we didn’t have breakfast. Our tour of the basilica was slotted not until the next couple of hours.  I had some Cold Mussels and Bob had Strawberry Shortcake and Apple Pie. This place maybe a hole on the wall, but I kid you not, the food was as good as we had last night.

Top L-R: The main entrance of SAgrda Familia; The altar and the massive pillars/columns;

Bottom L-R: the ceiling/canopy of the basilica; Bob and I trying to be corky while heading down the spiral staircase;

The Basilica of Sagrada Familia.  And then it’s time for the most awaited tour.   Before we entered the basilica, Bob and I went around the entire premise- the front, the sides, and the back to get a full scale of how big the church was. It occupies an entire block to simply describe it. One thing that I noticed by doing that was there were so much religious artifacts found outside. From the walls to the ceilings and steeples. Sculptures of the saints, the nativity, angels and gargoyles- some old and some new; it’s like a charcuterie of all things religious.

For those who don’t know, Sagrada Familia is known for being the largest basilica in the world that up to date, is under construction- continuously being built since the 1800s. Evidently, you can see it from almost every corner of the city. While we were walking and while we were at the roof of the Cathedral of Barcelona, its pompous appearance is visible everywhere.

When we got inside, It was massive. The ceiling was so high- but I immediately noticed that the basilica has minimal design. Couple of things I learned from the audio I was listening to: 1. the large display of artifacts outside was intentional- so people are enticed to go inside and pray and could focus on with less visual distractions 2. Gaudi (the architect that designed this basilica) intended to have the place of worship resembles the forest. The tall massive pillars of the church are similar to the mightiest trees we see in the deepest part of the woods. They branched out and form canopies through the ceiling- like the trees that protect you from the elements. You will notice this when you’re immersed inside. It was a unique and interesting vision. But personally, not what I expected of how it would be.

Our tour continued to one of the towers. The elevator lead us to a spiral stairs of one of the steeples; there were multiple stops that allowed us to see the city. Looking outside of the basilica gave us a different perspective of the city as compared to when we were at the rooftop of the cathedral.. In one of the platforms we stopped, we saw from the horizon there was a storm looming not far from us. Dark grey clouds that blanketed the city’s buildings. Of course my camera was ready😂!  Quite a scenery to experience.

It started raining by the time we were heading down. As it poured, we continued our tour inside- witnessing some 3D presentations and future rehabilitations and projects for the church. With no end in sight, Bob and I decided to walk and braved the rain with a brief stop to the souvenir shop to buy an umbrella for Bob (I have one)- the rain will not ruin our trip. We  headed to two of the famous houses that Gauldi also designed.- The Casa Mila and Casa Batlló. From the outside we noticed how crowded it was for both the houses (which were a block apart)- so we didn’t bother going in- besides, we didn’t have advanced reservations. 😂

Top: The Seafood Paella; Myself sautéing the ingredients;

Bottom L-R: Beet and Watermelon Gazpacho; Bob mixing the ingredients with the help of the lady from South Dakota;

It was too early for dinner but too late for a big lunch so we decided to have another tapas. We had some Fish Fritto and Calamari partnered with red and white sangria. Light meal after the crazy long walk from the rain. After that we went back to our hotel and recharged since the rain seemed to be not stopping. Around 8PM we decided to eat at a nearby La Panella Restaurant- another one of the medium upscale place. I ordered for my Tomato and Mozzarella Cheese Salad along with Steak while Bob had Fish. Of course we savored them with a glass of local draft beer. Another excellent dinner I should say.

Making our own Spanish Paella. The following day we woke up again around 9AM. We retraced our steps close to the cathedral since our cooking class was towards that area. Yes, we signed up for a cooking lesson and we are going to learn how to cook Paella🙂. Since we got early, we explored more of the alleys. Then it was almost eleven so we decided to head back and waited until our class started.

There were about twelve people in the class from different parts of the world but predominantly from the United States. After our individual introductions, we got to work. We peeled vegetables, cut them, and on to the actual nit and grits of cooking. Actually, there were more than a paella that we made that day. This class thought us how to make Beet and Watermelon Gazpacho, Tortilla de Patatas (Potato Omellete), Paella de Marisco (Seafood Paella), and Catalan Creme. I will admit and I am biased, all were delicious and mouth-watering. It was a fun-filled five hours learning to make Spanish dishes. Truly a great experience.

Bob and Jun are our names… Food is our game 🤣.

Since we were stuffed from all the food we cooked, we decided to go to Mercat de la Boqueria to buy my saffron. This is the key ingredient in making Spanish Paella and very expensive in the US. I paid 30Euro for a small bottle. From here we took a cab to go to Park Güell. Thinking that this park needs no reservation to enter, it was late when we realized that the tickets were sold out for the day. Ho hum… no park this time😢. The only consolation we got was- the park was located uphill, and we have the view of the sea from the street we were walking. We just decided to go back to our hotel and rest for a bit. Around seven when we walked again and tumbled upon the Arc de Triomf of Barcelona. Simple, not grand like the ones in Paris or Montpellier. It has a different material too- red brick. This must be nice at night when the entire promenade is lit up.

The weather was pretty much the same as yesterday; overcast then rain and wet. While walking around, we decided to have a light dinner at Mescat- a tapas restaurant.  What supposedly light meal (since we had so much to eat on our cooking class) ended up big and heavy😂. Fish Fritto, Grilled Padrano Pepper, Eggplant, Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad, and Callos were the dishes we savoured on our last night. By the time we left the restaurant were packed and people were on the queue waiting to be seated. Since it was still  raining, we just headed back to our hotel, continued packing and ultimately watched a television show. This was our last night in Barcelona.

Epilogue:

Our flight back home was met with many challenges. It started with driving in a bicycle lane in Barcelona… Heading to the wrong terminal which took us forever to get back to the right one… Returning the car which were flagged because of the tiny chip on the windshield that we never knew of… The last leg of our flight (Miami to Orlando) being cancelled and had us ended up renting a car with ridiculous rental fee. But despite all that, Bob and I got home safely with so much gratitude that our trip went well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained Bob said. ❤️

Sagrada Familia as seen at the rooftop of the Barcelona Cathedral.

Andorra: A Charming Principality

Facts: Andorra is a tiny, independent principality situated between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains.

A bird’s eyeview of the Valley of Andorra’s capital city- Andorra la Vella.

And off we go to Andorra. For four days, we had a great time with Bernard and his family. Now its our own time. We left Carcassonne, France almost 5PM and had another three hours to navigate our way to our hotel in Andorra. It was a beautiful drive at a country side. The sights of the Pyrenees Mountains were refreshing. The first fifty miles were kind of rolling hills of pasteur lands- reminded me of the highlands of Scotland and Virginia’s countryside combined. Something familiar but different.   

Main Street Andorra la Vella, the capital city of the country.

I am excited for this trip, but no expectations set as there is not so much I read about this small country. The books didn’t say anything grand except that it is one of the famous ski destinations on winter time in Europe and known for being tax haven; and the only person I knew made a trip this part of the world was my friend Grecia, who roamed this way sometime earlier this year.

It was around 730PM. The sun was hidden from the clouds that started to blanket the mighty mountains.  I remembered Bob saying, “look at the clouds.” Little that i knew, we will get a close encounter with them. our last thirty miles comprised of 180-degree switch backs driving up the mountain. At the 15-mile mark, we encountered a fork, thinking we have taken the right road, we hit a wrong turn. This time, the switch backs were becoming too sharp to turn around and for all we knew we were quickly gaining altitude in a steep incline. We are ascending. Feeling a sense of panic from Bob, I put my camera down and started talking through the road we were navigating. Bob is not a fan of heights; I have to calm him down and have him stay focus on just driving or we will both end up in the ravines we didn’t even know what they looked like🤣.  The clouds and fog were mixed, and they were thick; the driving was almost of zero visibility. When I thought we had been going down, a switchback would come and it was giving us an opposite result. Five minutes… ten minutes… the bend on the road went on and on… at fifteen minutes of driving, and I was guessing Bob was also at the peak of being tensed, then we went through a tunnel (which I thought was an old outpost for immigration boarder) that was about three minute drive. And for some reason as we exit from this- the sky was clear and the road was no longer as crazy as it was. 10 miles descend to Andorra’s capital city of Andorra la Vella.

The four churches we visited in Andorra:

Top: L-R Sant Antoni de la Grella and Sant Marti de la Cortinada;

Bottom: L-R Església de Sant Esteve and Sant Miguel d’Engolasters

We have not driven as many rotaries since our trip to Inverness in Scotland, and I could say that Andorra is also big on such. Our ten miles which usually can be driven for roughy 10 to 15 minutes, took 45 to get into our hotel. What I have observed since the time we hit the first roundabout, it wasn’t bare and boring rotaries; they were filled with different and unique art works- from local artists I assume🙂.

YOMO Centric is at the heart of the city, and driving into a busy, unfamiliar streets posted another challenge.  After two tries on how to get into the hotel parking, we finally found it and a place to park. We had a long day, and we were tired. We ended up having dinner at the hotel after we checked- our first Andorran meal was sumptuous.  After that, we called off the night.

Around Town. We only have one full day in Andorra so we made sure it was well spent.  Weather wasn’t cooperating when we woke up, it was 80% rain. After our inclusive breakfast buffet, we drove out and started our sight-seeing.

The Trip to Andorra (and Barcelona) was like a pilgrimage; we visited a handful of churches. Our first stop, at the height of a heavy rain was the Sant Marti de la Cortinada- a stone church rebuilt in the 17th century.  It wasn’t grand, but it has an interesting religious artifacts inside. As much as we wanted to explore the outside, the weather wasn’t cooperating, and we weren’t really that sure if we parked the right place so we left and off to another place.

Our trek around the trail of Lake Engolasters and our close account with Spartan challengers.

Lake Engolasters.  After we left Sant Marti, we headed southeast to Lake Engolasters. It was really raining, but Bob and I decided to proceed to at least trek around the lake even for a good two and a half mile. Along the trail we were met by Spartan challengers that dared the mud, rain and chilly weather in this event. Im sure they are used to them, they were buffs after all😂.

Once done, we retraced the road we travelled.  We had a brief stop and photographed the church of Sant Miguel d’Engolasters on its beautiful mountain back draft. The second church of the day. I walked across the church to look into the valley, and saw the panoramic view of the Andorra la Vella- this is such a beautiful bird’s eye view. Then we headed back down.

Pont de Sant Antoni de la Grella. One of the books that I bought about Andorra has a cover of this bridge, so Bob and I went to see it as well.  The bridge passes over the River Valira del Nord and brings you to the chapel of Sant Antoni de la Grella.  The bridge is medieval in construction and was remade in the mid-20th century while the chapel is built into the stone through which the Valira del Nord river passes. The chapel was restored in the 20th century. The chapel was closed; this was our third church of the day.🙂 When we left, we followed a bit of the walking trail, then back to where we parked our car.

Our one day itinerary:

Top: L-R Bob and I at Pont de Sant Antoni dela Grella Bridge; and a dessert

Bottom: Having Paella No2 at L’ Arrosseria after seeing multiple churches

Església de Sant Esteve.  About six miles north of the medieval bridge, we headed to Cathedral of Sant Esteve. The biggest among the church in Andorra we saw so far. It is Romanesque in origin, but modified in the 20th century which explains a modern touch inside; still it was nice. The location also has a mountainous backdraft and is accessible to almost everything- shop, residences, parks, and restaurants. By this time, I was getting hungry, so I asked Bob to have lunch then. While walking at the alleys nearby, we found a local restaurant, L’ Arrosseria. Among others this one was packed with diners, and I knew then what it meant- it must be good.  I ordered seafood paella and was served almost 50 minutes later- the second one from this trip- and it really didn’t disappoint; was actually worth the wait. Bob and I shared a big serving. We did some more walking then decided to head back to the hotel to recoup.

When finally rested, we walked around again and see more of the town and the shopping malls along the strip that were already closing for the day. Like the rotaries, the city is filled with so much arts, mostly of eccentric sculptures and architectural designs; and it is refreshing to see them as compare to the ads of so many ambulance-chaser lawyers in Florida.✌️ Since we still felt full and not really wanting to have another heavy meal, we decided to just sat and grabbed a dessert in a nearby restaurant.  We sat outside so we could watch people pass by.  I miss people watching.   Once our dessert plates were empty. we then headed back, the second time to our hotel and hit the sack.

When we woke up the following day, we had a repeat of our delightful buffet breakfast.  Then we walked the avenues of duty-free stores for the last time, bought some souvenirs then back to the hotel and checked out- then we took off to our next destination.  Barcelona here we come!

One of the many unique sights I will remember of Andorra.

Gallivanting in Southern France

In celebrating our yearly anniversary, Bob and I ventured to three countries this time: South France, Andorra, and Barcelona, Spain (the last two places I will write separately). We have spent more time with our friend Bernard and his family in this part of our travel but the experiences with all three places were equally unique and enjoyable.

Place de la Comédie, Montpellier, France

Before It All Happened. We have a tight flight schedule; our flight is not direct. We have a connecting flight in Philly before our final destination in Barcelona (Yes, this is the most feasible airport to go to Montpellier, France). We got to the airport with ample amount of time. While waiting at the gate to board, we noticed that plane wasn’t there yet, and the time kept on delaying.  What supposed to be a flight that leaves at 1340, didn’t take off until about 1430. Luckily, I strategically upgraded our seats so it would not be time consuming when we deplane compare to when we seat towards the back. With less than an hour as we got off in Philadelphia, we hurried. We made it to Gate A25 from B11- from one end to the other; boarding by then has started. After that, the flight to Barcelona was smooth. We sat next to a guy who is based in Barcelona; chatted with him from time to time in between watching movies and sleeping/resting and until we landed.

We arrived in Barcelona thirty minutes earlier.  Went through immigration and customs, took our luggages, and picked up our rental. Then we were on the road off to Montpellier.  Along the way, we stopped at an aire (rest area similar to big gas stations like Buccees or Wawa) we find in the freeway. 

Back home, I would get chips or Nathan’s hotdogs at any of these places, but was surprised to see how different it was here. It has a full service- like restaurants with buffet menus. From the sandwiches to the main courses, they all looked delicious. Not knowing what to expect, I ordered a Paella (one of the many I would have from this 10-day trip). It did not disappoint. It tasted good; I can say that this was better than the one I order at Los Dos Compadres back at home. It was quite a meal.

Top: Promenade de Peyrou

Bottom: L-R 1. The Arch de Triomphe de Montpellier, 2. one of the many alleys and streets of Montpellier

Montpellier. We met our friend Bernard three hours later. We were finally in Montpellier. Since he live in an old city, there was no room to park our car outside his apartment so we went to a public garage and parked our rental and headed to his apartment, unpacked our luggages and took a rest for a bit. Bernard has a very nice apartment- each room has its characters. The high ceiling is one that I liked most.

Once refreshed, we started gallivanting around town. Bob has been to Montpellier before, I have not. He was more into being re-oriented again in the area whereas myself- I was taking everything in. Such a charming town.  Busy with both locals and tourists but not like crazy as Paris.  Bernard brought us first to Place de la Comédie- a large square at the center of the town, with chairs and tables set outside the plaza, typical of French bistros. Then we walked to the alleys and old streets, where he showed us multiple old churches (that have beautiful facades. It was late in the afternoon then and most of them were close so we didn’t get the chance to see what were inside); walked by some novelty shops and local stores; and he showed some arts on the walls of the old apartments too. Then walked again. By this time we were at the Main Street and was approaching the Montpelier version of the Arch de Triomphe. According to Bernard, the Arch in Paris took inspiration from this one; but of course bigger and one of Paris’ main tourist attraction. Across the Arch we walked to Promenade du Peyru, where we saw the panoramic view of the city and the old aqueduct. Then more walking into the alleys and old streets, til we found a bistro and had a drink. I have my escargot and a pint of local beer.  After that we walked again the narrow passages I am becoming familiar with, until we reached Bernard’s apartment. Next to his apartment, is Mogador a Moroccan restaurant where we had our dinner. Vadim, his younger son joined us too. That was another great meal. We went back up after that and called it a day.

The view of the Pope’s castle across the River Rhone.

Avignon. Jet lag hit me. So I woke up at 3AM, tossed and turned- and at 530AM (European time) I decided to get up and explored the town on my own with my camera. I re-traced my steps to the places we walked the previous day; and some new streets and alleys as well. What a difference it make to shoot these beautiful places without the crowd. At one moment I was lost in my own world. The only thing was that weather was overcast. By 730AM I was back in the apartment and took a two hour power nap until Bob woke me up.

Our game plan was to go and pick up Victor (Bernard’s eldest son) at the train station then explore the city of Avignon. We left mid morning after a bread and cheese, and coffee breakfast that Bernard prepared. It took us about an hour driving, until we fetched Victor then headed to our first stop of the day. I have little to no knowledge of the different regions in France, but I am learning.  And this time,  I learned that this was the papal capital since the 14th century before it moved to Rome in the Vatican. The last pope that lived here was Pope Gregory in 1370.

Top L-R: 1. Bob infront of our glamping tent; 2. Bob and I leading the canoe (Bernard and Victor away behind us);

Bottom: 1. sumptuous dinner from the lodge; 2. the four of us at one of the stops while canoeing

The Palace was huge.  It took us approx about an hour and half to complete the tour.  What made the experience unique was that, it was interactive. We were given an iPad when we entered the palace, the goal was to scan a QR code and it will let you know what the room was about. When you focused on the walls, it will transmit a 3D hologram of what it was centuries ago. I thought that was cool.

When we’re done with the palace tour, we left Avignon and continued our journey.

Pon’t de Arc. I wasn’t really paying attention when Bob and Bernard were talking about our day’s adventure; all I know was that- since our original plan to go to Provence to see the lavender fields wasn’t gonna happen, we resorted to Plan B. Plan B was trip to the nature; and off we drove the beaten path. I forgot the name of the winding road, but before finally arriving to our final destination, we made multiple stops to appreciate France’s Gorges de l'Ardèche. Similar to Flume Gorge we once see while in New Hampshire.

It was almost 6PM when we arrived at Pon’t de Arc. Bernard booked two rooms (for us and for them) at a Prehistoric Lodge where we stayed for a night. I was in highschool or maybe college, in my “hiking the mountain days” that I last slept in a tent, It was a surprised that Bernard had booked us to one to stay over. Unexpectedly, the tent was fully equipped with king size bed, bath tub, and all modern amenities. This time and age its called “glamping.” Atleast not the one we pictured😉.

The famous Vallon Pont d’Arc.❤️

Pont d’ Arc was our off the grid surprised get away from Bernard; far from the hustle and bustle of the city. After we settled, and scouted the place for a bit, we had our dinner. Once again, the food was superb! I never had a bad meal here yet, so far. Once dinner was over, we headed back to our tent to rest; it was a long day after all.

Bob woke me up around 2AM and asked if I still want to see the stars like we planned the night before. We did. I was hoping to shoot a milky way, and attempted to do so but with no luck. I thought it might be too late since its June, and usually the milky way is at its peak around midnight during this time of the year. The clouds also started moving in. It was short but nice to once again enjoy the constellations. Bob used to watch them almost on a nightly basis when we lived in Princeton. Not long after, we headed back to our tent and sleep.

The next day we were off to our canoeing adventure. It was a two of hour of fun and just enjoying the serenity of nature and Bernard and Victor’s banters on how to paddle to make the canoe move forward🤣. Bob and I had kayaked before but we never had the experience of slides.  The water reservoir at Vallon Pont d’Arc de Ardeche has these.  Not only one but three (at least in the routes we signed up for) to add more thrills. About 3/4 of a mile before the end, we parked our canoes and rested just below the famous Vallon Pont d’Arc. This is one beautiful rock formation and quite a view. It was almost 2PM when we reached our final destination. We were wet, tired but packed with a lot of fun.   

the Arena of Nimes

Wheaded back to the lodge, paid our dues and changed. Then we off to our next destination.

Uzes, Orange and Nimes. Along the way to Bernard’s country house we stopped by three towns.  The first one was Uzes where we had a taste of French snacks.   I had my chocolate crepe and a scoop of Tiramisu ice cream. I said this before, the ice creams in France are a-lot richer in textures and more complex in flavors than what we have in the US because they use egg yolks.  When we were done, we’re back on the road.

We made a quick stop at the town of Orange because Bernard wanted to show us an old Roman coliseum. But unfortunately, there was an event that day and could not go inside- so we walked around instead and headed back to the car and drove away.

Then we stopped at Nimes. An old outpost for Roman empire, this town is known for well-preserved Roman architectures. We were lucky to see two of them- the Arena of Nimes (now used for concerts and some bullfights) and the Maison Carrée- a white limestone Roman temple which is about 2,000 years old. Bernard could not find a parking so Bob and I (and Victor) hopped off to take photos then hopped back on and drove away again.

Top: L-R: 1. Bernard and I outside the farmhouse; 2. Bea pouring some champagne

Bottom: All six of us having a nice French dinner; 2. our last lunch in Montpellier at Le Dome (Bernard’s family restaurant)

The last stop we had was at the farm stand and fromagerie along the way before we finally made to Sussargues- where the country house at.

When we entered the house Bernard gave us the grand tour since this was first for both Bob and I. I can’t help but admired the old character of this abode. Built in the 1890s, some of the house’s original features remain intact. The one that struck me most was the floor in the foyer- it brought me to my childhood as it resembled my grand mother’s flooring.

While we were settling for the day, Bernard was making dinner. When it was time, Bob and I were surprised of the simplicity yet sumptuous food he prepared. We had a Moroccan salad, cheese (that we purchased from the local fromagerie), olives, mixed nuts and saucisson charcuterie and fresh loaves of bread. Bea opened a bottle of Champagne and we had a toast. Then we enjoyed the dinner along with great conversation of what transpired during the day. We stayed up a few hours more, then decided to call the night off. We had done a lot that day and it was safe to say that we were all tired.   

The night was short. We closed our eyes and then it was daylight. This was our last day in France. When we were all set, we headed back to Montpellier one last time to collect luggages, shop for our cheese, saucissons and souvenirs to bring back home. Bernard brought us to the Dome- his family’s restaurant where we had a delicious lunch (I had the duck) for the last time.  When we’re done, we bid farewell  and headed to our next destination. This time, its just myself and Bob.

Carcassone. On the way to Andorra, Bernard told us to drive by the city of Carcassone and see the castle. Which we did. And 1.5 on the road and we were able to roam around inside this 12th century fortress.  Across the citadel there was also century old cemetery which we also explored. We didn’t stay long as it was getting late; we have almost four more hours to drive to the Pyrenees region. 

Four days are not enough; in retrospect, If only we have enough time, we would explore more of this city. But I can say, perhaps next time. Au Revoir La France!

Carcassone Castle

Seize The Moment

“There are only two times: NOW and TOO Late.” - Andh Do

Sometime in January while having breakfast with Menchu and Marlon, she came up with the idea that she wanted to go to Vegas on her birthday in March.  When Menchu said that, I didn’t think twice. For someone like her, time is of the essence. After Marlon and I fixed some glitches with our schedules, we booked our tickets. Fast forward to last week, all the fun happened.

Top Photo: L-R Meeting Dondon at the airport; seeing Chef Janjie at Island Pacific;

Bottom Photo: L-R: meeting with Lisa; dinner with Miguel’s family

Menchu and I arrived earlier on Thursday.  We travelled early that morning from Orlando, and made a connecting flight in LA. On our way, we met unexpectedly one of our Deland friends, Earl, who was heading to the Philippines (we parted ways in LA). We had a bit of a delay in our flight to Las Vegas, so by the time we got there, when Ryan (our friend based in Vegas) picked us up at the airport, we were hungry and we went straight to Island Pacific- a Filipino grocery shop that has ready-to-go food. My childhood friend Janjie happened to be the chef on duty there that time, (that I learned when I phoned him while waiting to board our flight in LA), so he got us free dinner while catching up. After that we headed to the hotel to check in. The Mirage was our home for the next few days, I am glad that Menchu booked our room facing the strip so we got a good view. While waiting for Marlon to arrive (who took a later flight from us), Menchu chose to rest, it’s a bonus that it was blue hour so I took some photos of the casinos and hotels from our window.  By the time Marlon came it was late, and instead of heading out, we decided to call it a night to rest since we all travelled earlier that day.

On day two, we woke up on east coast time. It was early, and we started to get up and ready; then took an uber to have breakfast at Chowking- a Filipino food chain that serves Filipino breakfast meal- longganisa (chorizo), bangus (milkfish), siomai (dimsum), and chicken noodle were the ones we ordered. Las Vegas is home to many Filipinos and this is one of the cities in the US that you can enjoy authentic Filipino food. We were like kids in the candy store literally.  Once done, we took another Uber to the Venetian and strolled inside.  We walked around its shopping mall, enjoyed the people riding the gondolas while the gondoliers sing to them.  Of course, we took pictures too! Bob told me on the phone that we were inside this hotel when we were here years ago, but I couldn’t recall it.  Nonetheless, it was enjoyable to experience a Venice-like ambiance here at the Venetian. When we were tired, we headed back up to the hotel and rested.

Shortly after, Ryan came and took us to some 25-minute trip to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. This is such a beautiful place! A total contrast from the hustle and bustle of the strip.  There were trails and hikers that we saw; I wish we had hiked, but we decided not to since some of us were not prepared and we were sort of time constraint since we have a show to catch later that day. Instead, our sight-seeing was consumed by taking a lot of photos as we stopped so much from point to point while driving the scenic loop of the park.

the scenic loop of the Red Rocks Canyon

Top: Menchu, Marlon and I before we watched the live show; Menchu and I at the street of Vegas;

Bottom: Menchu, Ryan and I enjoying a fine dining at Heritage Steakhouse;

Since we scratched the original plan to drive and stay to Zion National Park in Utah, we decided to book a Las Vegas Show instead. When we returned from our sight-seeing trip from the canyon, we refreshed and headed down to our hotel theater and watched “LOVE” by Cirque du Soleil. It is a Beatles-themed live show full of choreographed dancing and acrobatic performances that revolve around a trip through the band’s psychedelic era while rendering their popular and hit songs. It was an hour and a half of totally entertaining show.

The musical fountain show at the Bellagio.

We headed to the strip after the show and ended at Margaritaville to have dinner. Then walked again.  We made a stop at the Bellagio to watch the famous musical fountain show. I could no longer recall most of the things Bob and I did in the strip when we were there the last time, but I was mesmerized by this tourist attraction then, so seeing it once again brought back the excitement. It was nice to see the smiles from my friends’ face as well.  All of us, I should say, enjoyed the dancing fountain. We went to see the inside of the hotel too; I didn’t realize that the theme inside changes.  It was like a fantasy and fairy tale theme (something I couldn’t remember from the last time) and that was an added treat for all of us. Then we headed back to our hotel. 

We have a slow start on Saturday our 3rd day. Tired from the previous day’s busy schedule, we got up and readied around 9ish. My friend and former colleague Lisa, will be picking us up around 10 for a Hawaiian dish brunch at Zippy’s. Food aside, I haven’t seen Liza for so long! So it was a treat both literally and figuratively that we have spent time together. Our brunch went well. We never had a Hawaiian meal before, and I must say- they tasted like Filipino food. We were stuffed when we left.

Enjoying the scenic loop of the Red Rocks Canyon and the strip on Friday night.

We headed back to Lisa’s place when we finished brunch to spend more time catching up.  Then in the afternoon, we went back to the hotel, dropped Menchu off since she had to meet her aunt for their dinner while we headed to the Seven Magic Mountains for a brief photoshoot. This is a new popular “must-see” within the 30-mile range outside the strip. Personally, this is another one hyped by the social media influencers. I could compare this from the stacks of streetlights I saw in LACMA while in Los Angeles two years ago. After a few photo shots,  we went to Miguel’s (another friend who is based in Vegas) house and met his family.  We stayed for dinner and shared some stories.  Then off we went to Freemont Street- the old Vegas strip. Here they have live entertainment, and people were zip lining above us. It was action packed. By the time we finished we were so tired and decided to go back to the hotel and waited for Menchu to return and decided if we still wanted to go walk to the strip again. But the day’s heat combined with jet lag beat us, and little that we know- we all fell asleep with vague recollection of what time Menchu came back.

The Seven Magic Mountains

On Sunday our fourth day,  Marlon left early to meet his friends. He will go to the airport right after that so we said our goodbyes. Menchu, Ryan and I went to Seafood City once again for our Filipino brunch for the nth time😂 (I am now beginning to have withdrawal LOL). And then off to Tule Springs Fossil Beds- a national monument off the strip of Las Vegas too.  There was a hiking trail again I see, but like at Red Rocks, we were not prepared to do hiking- it was noon and hot. Also, it wasn’t as scenic like the Red Rocks Canyon but worth checking out. Shortly after, we headed back to the hotel and rested. Around 5pm we went down the hotel and have a fine dining at the Heritage Steakhouse- a restaurant owned by chef Tom Cholicchio (if you watch Top Chef, he is the resident judge- the stocky, bald one!😂)- to celebrate Menchu’s birthday. Vegas, in my opinion, next to New York- is home of the best chefs around the world because of the Casinos and entertainment. This was the kind of dining I was hoping for since we arrived on day one! Though the food we had so far were also great. The best part of all these dining experiences were the company of each other❤️🙃. After our luscious dinner, We walked inside the Palazzio,  Venetian (again) and Cesar’s Palace to window shop and did some sight-seeing for the last time. It was around nine when we decided to go back to our room.

The following day, was our time to say goodbye to Vegas. Ours wasn’t a “what happened in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” kind of trip; it was a brief, spontaneously planned, seizing the moment kind as we say. But all three of us, in that four short days, were able to meet old friends and relatives, and caught up with them, entertained by the strip, and got to see some nature too.  But most importantly, Menchu had a great time.

A view of the Las Vegas strip at sunset from our hotel window.

Cancun: Not Another New York Minute

When Bob and I planned four our 2024 Cancun Trip, we instantly have Lucia and Shayne in mind to tag along with us.  The challenge was, how are we going to coordinate with them? With their busy schedules.  When I phoned Lucia in October last year, I only asked her two questions- Have you been to Cancun? Would you and Shayne like to go? I remembered, it didn’t take long for her to answer both questions with a thousand percent of enthusiasm, and so Bob and I finalized our Westin reservation for two bedrooms for a 5days/4nights stay on March 3-7 in Lagunamar.

Down the Memory Lane: Lucia and and Shayne’s visit to our home in Cape Cod in 2017. Shayne’s celebrating his birthday. The fun that started It all..

Lucia was my room mate from when I was living in New York City in late 2000s and I know she is always fun to be with when we go out. And when she and Shayne were at the early stage of their relationship, they visited us in our home in Cape Cod. It was a weekend trip to Martha’s  Vineyard and a half day at Craigville Beach on an overcast, New England weather. Everything may be a blur, but Bob and I had a great time at the dinner celebrating Shayne’s Birthday.  That was 2017.  The last all four of us were together; so we are excited to bring that night’s laughter to a five day fun in Cancun.

Lucia and Shayne arrived earlier on Day 1.  They flew direct from Newark and was in Cancun by noon. We got there later in the afternoon from Orlando. They were able to manage to secure us the best room (yet so far) in all our stays in Cancun. Lucia was very good following our instructions- ocean view and above tree level upon check in.😉

The sun, sands, and the sea of Cancun. The view from both our balconies.

Introducing the Pina Colada Crews: all of us enjoying the pool and the beach.

Top (L-R): Day 2 enjoying the pool and the view; Shayne holding one of the many Pina Coladas we drank;

Bottom (L-R): Day 4 under the hut enjoying the beach; Lucia and I at the beach on sunrise.

After we unloaded our luggages we headed to Vento Bar and Grill and had our early dinner. While we’re enjoying our first Mexican meal of the day, we talked about the fun they had while waiting for us to arrive. Shayne must have  said Lucia already had a few of the Pina Coladas while both of them were lounging by the pool- we all had a laugh. Intrigued, Bob and I also ordered Pina Coladas after we had the frozen margaritas. Now we understood why Lucia (I’m sure Shayne too) had a “few.” 🤣

We continued the random chats and updates up at the balcony of our room.  Around 9PM we called it a night- after all it’s been a long day for all of us. It is nice to say that, even though we haven’t get together as frequent as we should be- we take up where we left off.

As always, Cancun always greet us with a beautiful sunrise. Our Day 2 was a no exception. I woke up around 6AM, went down to the ruins of the Yamil Lu’um (Scorpion Ruins) and took a better shot of sunrise with the ruins on the facade. Then I returned to our room. Shortly after, Lucia texted me and she’s already at the poolside and has saved our seat for the day.  I went down to meet with her and walked by the ocean, admired it, and shared how happy we were doing this trip together with our significant others.

Our day was mostly spent by the pool. Enjoying the view of the beach and occasionally swimming in and out while boozing with our now favorite drink- the one and only, Pina Colada! and Oh we had fun using the jacuzzi too!  Bob and I stayed by the pool probably until about 1PM when we both decided to go back to our room (Bob went to the gym, and I took my afternoon nap). Lucia and Shayne opted to stay basking under the sun.

Dinner at Elephant-Thai as we enjoy Junoon Thai. A brief break from the Pina Colada trademark.😉

We all met again at dinner time. Bob and I took Lucia and Shayne to our favorite restaurant, Elephan-Thai. This is one restaurant we never get tired going back to whenever we’re in Cancun and we were happy to share this with both of them too.  We were hoping that we get the hut that directly faces the lagoon to watch an amazing Cancun sunset, but, unfortunately all were taken.  We had the one at the middle which was equally beautiful.  We never had a bad experience with food here- and we’re so glad that Lucia and Shayne enjoyed them too. And for a change, we took a break from Pina Colada and fancied a Junoon Thai for drinks.  We strolled the mall for a bit, then headed back to the resort to get an early rest since we will be up early for our day trip.

Our call time to the lobby is at 730AM.  When all were set, we headed down and waited for our ride that will bring us to Chichen-Itza.  Not too long after our tour guide Primo, greeted and brought us to the van. It was two and a half hour drive to the temple, and we were seated at the last row. We didn’t have windows to look outside (we have to bend down in order to see outside from the seat in front of us), we could barely hear Primo as he talks to us about the Mayans; our only entertainment was the bumpy road that made our butts sore from our seats during the entire trip. LOL.

Pina Colada Crews at Chichén Itzá and Cenote Chukum.

When we got to Chichen Itza the sun was blazing hot. I can remember the first time we were here years ago, it was hot and humid too. We did the usual round about and took pictures of the temple, then Lucia and Shayne decided to find their way out. Meanwhile, Bob and I went to explore some more. The funny thing was, while minding our business, we heard a loud scream from one of the tourists- and we saw that a snake dropped from the trees and almost hit her on the head! What a shocker that was! Then we’re off to the next stop.

We’ve been going to Cancun since 2014, and each time we come we’re brought to different Cenotes- and Chukum is another one that gave us yet a different experience. We (or Bob) jumped and rappelled down in the past, and this time zipline to get into the water.  I (and Lucia) decided to not swim this time. But watching Bob and Shayne do it, almost tempted me to do it too. Ho hum, perhaps next time.

After the cenote experience, we headed for a Mexican buffet. Surprisingly, the food was good as well- specially the pulled pork along with the Mexican rice- yum.🙂 Then we’re off to the next and last stop.

The town of Vallodolid is a quaint town.  Primo said this is the real Mexico; and I kind of agreed with that. Old buildings- the old Spanish architectures all around the vicinity of the town; the quaint plaza with a fountain (I wish there was a water running)… somehow reminded me of old Luneta in Manila when I was growing up.   Lucia and I also explored the colorful building across from the park while Bob and Shayne were resting at the plaza. We looked around the stores (after using the restrooms) and of course another photo shoot! Shortly after we headed back to where the van was parked and up again to the 2.5 hour bumpy ride back.😂 When we finally back to the resort, we had dinner right away at the Duna Sports Bar then to the rooms for the night.

A one superb dinner at Ryoshi with all four of us.

After a long busy day from the previous day, our Day 4 for was exactly the opposite.  Bob and I were attending our owner’s meeting while Lucia and Shayne started their day watching the sunrise in the huts that Lucia reserved as early as 6AM?😂. When we’re done, we joined them relaxing and occasionally going to the water and chatting. Of course it is all accompanied by our favorite drink- Pina Colada! 🤣 By 4PM, we all head back to our rooms to clean up in preparation for: a. Lucia’s LinkedIn profile shoot🤣🤣 and; b. our dinner- the last time for this visit until our next time.

We’ve seen Ryoshi Restaurant when we were in Cancun the last time. Fairly new then, Bob and I never really ventured there since we always go back to the Thai place beside it. After all, we always had a great time and food there. But as we left our dinner the other night from the Thai place, we went to check out the menu at Ryoshi’s. It is a Japanese cuisine and we all thought we should try. And this night was the night.  When all the food we ordered came, this place did not disappoint.  Ryoshi just gave us an exemplary, gastronomical experience on our last night.  The food, the restaurant ambiance, the service (thumb’s up to Axel our host- who’s very attentive to us), the live shows, and the complimentary drinks! Simply put, it was top notch. After the show, we headed back to our hotel rooms and called the night. I felt a bit sad that our vacation is about to end and wished that it won’t.

The following day, we had our breakfast buffet by the resort.  We spent few more times chatting and shared some more laughters then decided to head back to our room and continue packing.  Lucia and Shayne went to the pool to swim a few more laps (that is what Shayne claimed✌️)  for the last time.  Shortly after, we said our goodbyes and then checked out and headed to the airport.

Time went by so quickly as we enjoy our 5 days/4nights get away from our busy schedules, or more of Lucia and Shayne’s busy schedules. Bob and I had a mission when we brought Lucia and Shayne with us- for them to have a relaxing time away from the stress of work and living in a busy environment. We hope they were able to decompress and recharge in this short time; after all, Cancun is not another New York Minute and I am glad that we all got time together to spend another “one for the books” memorable experience.

a stolen shot of Lucia and Shayne slowly strolling at Chichén Itzá. One moment at a time.

Weekend in New England

I was feeling homesick for quite a while and I have been wanting to go and see New England since December. One of my closest friends in Connecticut is celebrating her birthday and it was a perfect timing and excuse to go see and celebrate with her (and our other friends) and, at the same time to satisfy my want of being in NE. And so I booked a trip on February 8.

Portland Headlight house at sunrise on February 10.

Jenna, our friend for almost 20 years is celebrating her birthday in Maine!

The day I arrived was Jenna’s Birthday. She’s also traveling from New York.  After I picked her up at the train station in Milford, we went to David’s house to rest while we waited for him.  We planned for a dinner at a Korean Hotpot that night with another friend, Ulyn. When evening came and David had arrived, all three of us went to meet her at the restaurant.  It was actually Jena’s 51st, but with my frequent forgetfulness, I thought it was her big 50. She didn’t mind celebrating her special day like her milestone though.

The following morning we picked up another friend, Ryan, at the airport and travelled to Portland, Maine. I have been friends with Jenna and David for almost two decades now, and our ride to Maine consisted mostly of reminiscing of what we were as we begin our American dream almost 20 years ago-  thoughts about our former colleagues/room mates and where are they now; the struggles working in one of the badass neighborhood of Connecticut- Bridgeport, and the fun stuffs in between.  It was the shortest three and a half hour ride I had because the stories were non-stop.

We made multiple stops (to eat and pee) before we reached our final destination. We got off to Kennebunkport for the sunset and stroll around town.  Famously known as the summer Whitehouse because the former president Bush’s (the older one)  spent summers here. We took a few photos and bought some souvenirs then we headed to our hotel at dusk. The long day depleted all of us and so we decided to just stay in the hotel, eat the left over and called it a night.

Top Photos: David and Jenna, my friends for almost 2 decades; and Ryan since our university days in UP Diliman.

Bottom: Dinner at the Korean Hotpot in Milford with my BHCC homies!

Top: Exploring Kennebunkport on our way to Portland on Friday.

Bottom: Portland head at Sunrise

Exploring parts of coastal Maine. I woke up at 5AM the following day. All my friends were still asleep, so I tiptoed to get myself ready and walked out the room without disturbing them for my sunrise. It was an 8-mile drive to Cape Elizabeth, where Portland Headlight house is located. this place was beautiful! I could say that this is one of the prettiest lighthouse I have seen.  I spent a significant amount of time moving from one post to another capturing photos and witnessing the sunrise despite the cold and the wind. I left the park when the sun is full on blast. When I returned my friends were having breakfast.

When all were ready to explore, we headed to Old Orchard Beach Pier. This was my first time here; I never been this part of Maine.  Not too long ago Maine was hit by a back to back storms, and  I wasn’t sure if the rogue waves we witnessed were remnants of these storms; but nonetheless, they were mesmerizing to watch. After that we headed to Commercial Street in Downtown Portland to have a drink ( actually just myself) and light lunch of a bowl of clam chowder.  We did a little bit of sight-seeing- walk around town, peek inside local shops, took a photo of the “Welcome to Portland” sign, then we decided to go back to the hotel to take an afternoon nap. Before the day is over, we drove back to Cape Elizabeth to see Portland Lighthouse at sunset. We stayed here for sometime until the park is almost dark, then proceeded to Luke’s Lobster Restaurant in downtown for our lobster dinner as requested by the birthday girl.

On Sunday we went again to Portland headlight house for the last time then drove to Nubble lighthouse in York.  While this is also a beautiful scenery, I prefer the former one personally. We stayed here briefly as we (just Jenna)  encountered a minor mishaft. Then we decided to drive back down to David’s house in Connecticut.  I couldn’t believe how fast the days went by. What a weekend that was.

The casts of Maine Adventure!

Old Orchard Beach Pier

Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine

The Northeast Adventure of the Tres Amigos

What started just  a casual conversation amongst my work friends became a serious venture a couple of months ago when Casey, one of my work homies who has never been to Boston booked her flight. I followed suit. Then Julie did the same. So two weeks ago for five days, we all flew to Beantown on two separate flights. Julie took off first as she was on an earlier and different flight. Casey and I took the same flight but different seats.

Top: Casey on the plane to Boston; the three of us the the lobby of Omni Parker

Bottom: cannoli from Mike’s Pastry; Lobster Roll from Boston Chowdah

Julie said she’s visited Boston before. I lived in Massachusetts for years and Boston is my backyard so I am no stranger to this town.  But witnessing Casey’s  excitement seeing  Boston for the first time is priceless- a genuine feeling I must say. When we landed at Logan airport, Julie already got the rental car and picked us up and the northeast adventure of the tres amigos began.

Casey’s smiles and giggles continued while in the car as we drove towards downtown. Her reactions and her fascination about my great city was infectious so Julie and I pretty much tagged along. A short drive brought us to Omni Parker House Hotel and checked in.  In retrospect, I have lived in Massachusetts for many years but never had checked in at Omni, there’s just always different choices. It did not disappoint; we have almost the top floor with the view of the city hall. While pointing out, I told both of them that this is where the mighty teams of Boston parade when they win championships; or sometimes a big celebration like Pride. A very good choice of the hotel by Casey- for its location and its historical significance as she’d keep on talking about JFK and Jackie O. had stayed here.

The adventure of the tres amigos began at the Freedom Trail.

We rested  and refreshed for a little bit and then headed out to start the first on our itinerary- to walk the Freedom Trail. We started with King’s. Chapel Burying Ground across from our hotel.  Here lays prominent people of the state of Massachusetts such the likes of John Winthrop (first governor of Massachusetts), Mary Chilton (first European woman to step ashore New England), pilgrims and revolutionary heroes. Then the Boston City Hall to Faneuil Hall and crossed to Quincy Market.  By the entrance, we had a glimpse of the street performers who was putting on a show. We were all hungry so we went inside and grabbed lunch. Sitting at the dome, the center of the market, I introduced both of them to the real New England lobstah  and Chowdah.  I think they both liked that.😊

After that mouth-watering lunch, we proceeded walking following the trail to North End. We went inside Paul Revere House, now a museum that showcases the early life of the revolutionary hero as a silversmith.  Then we walked again. Both instagram (Casey insisted) and Bob told us to get the cannoli at the famous Mike’s Pastries. So we did; we only bought one and shared amongst us by the side of the Paul Revere statue behind the North End Church. And then more walk. As we crossed over Charlestown Bridge, I pointed the TD Garden- the home of the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics and the Zakim Bridge on the other side.

Left: The North End Church;

Top-Bottom: statue of Paul Revere with the North End church behind; the Paul Revere House; TD Garden

From afar I saw the Bunker Hill monument wrapped with scaffoldings and obviously was under repair but walked towards it. My disappointment quickly went away when we found that it remains open. When the staff asked if we want to climb the tower, I immediately said, “Yes!” Julie was hesitant to go up because she doesn’t do good with the stairs but Casey and I convinced her anyway.  After 294 steps, all three of us along with other tourists, were able to see the city of Boston from the small rectangular peepholes. I just wished it has more open space, clearer windows, sunnier day for us to appreciate the view more. The going down was more challenging to Julie than the going up. We took our time. Casey who bolted down so fast, already rested as she sat outside waiting for us.

Our last stop walking the Freedom Trail was the USS Constitution.  The last time I was here was in 2009 with Bob and my sister during her first visit to Boston. As I reminisce, I was also showing our photos to Casey back then.  While Julie decided to go to the museum, Casey and I explored the decks of this mighty vessel that weathered the War of 1812. When we’re done, we walked the Navy Yard and met with Julie at the museum shop.

We finished our tour of the Freedom Trail walk by grabbing a drink and sitting at the open space of the Anchor enjoying our trip and the view of the Boston skyline. After that, we took the ferry to the wharf and walk our way back to the hotel and rest for couple of hours.

dinner at Earl’s Rooftop Bar with my homies.

It was a damp night. It was Day 1 of our adventure and it is not over yet. I have told both my homies that we will have a nice dinner somewhere in Newbury Street- a swanky neighborhood in Boston, equivalent to 5th Ave of New York or Rodeo Drive in LA.  While walking to Newbury St and admiring town, the rain poured.  We sought shelter at Westin at Copley Square but ended walking the street again until we finally find the foot bridge that connects to Prudential to avoid being more soaked. Casey wasn’t happy. LOL.  Our initial plan to eat somewhere in Newbury was scratched off because of the rain, we looked at Eataly inside the Pru but it was too casual. Roaming around, we found Earls’ Rooftop Bar and so we decided to go and have our Italian dinner here instead. Dinner was spent talking about this trip- how fun it has turned out so far and how satisfied all three of us as we have seen so much considering it’s just the first day.

When it was over, we decided to walk back to the hotel as we enjoy the town. We stopped by at Beantown Pub to have a beer but Casey decided to walk back to the hotel instead as she is already tired. I can’t blame her, we walked a total of almost 12 miles. What a day that was!.

Our upscale dinner the night before was followed by another boujee breakfast on our second day as we have one at Parker’s Pub before checking out.  Casey had this idea, she wanted to know were Jackie O. sat during her date with the late JFK and our server did not disappoint her. We learned it was Table #40 and everyone was happy.😉

L- Head of the Charles Regatta Competition at Charles River;

R- The three of us at John Harvard’s statue in Harvard University

After we checked out we headed to Fenway Park- the home of the Boston Red Sox. Too bad that we only got to see the outside.  There was no tour of the field as there was a memorial happening inside and the entrances are heavily secured. Even then we all had a great time.

The sky was dark with a bit of rain shower on and off on our way to Harvard University. I noticed that Charles River have spectators; then I realized it was the Head of the Charles weekend.  We stopped and watched the yearly regatta competition. When the rain started to pick up, we made our way to Harvard University.  But it was cut short because the rain poured so hard. We got our pictures taken of John Harvard though.

Off to New Hampshire.

I was amazed how Julie navigated Boston traffic. We didn’t have so many crazy turns and one ways in Deland like Boston has; nor we have to switch drivers. She is able to bring all of us safely  outside the city off to New Hampshire for leaf peeping.  The fun part of our drive up north was stopping multiple times. The first one was at the welcome center in Salem, NH- had a photo op with the welcome sign (a Julie’s idea). Then we stopped at Market Basket for lunch. I bought my steamed lobstah- that later I ate in the carh.😂

Top: the view of Lake Winnipesauke in the town of Wolfeboro; one of the cascading falls at Diana’s Bath;

Bottom: The Saco Covered Bridge; the view of foliage in the White Mountains during train ride;

Along the way we stopped at Lake Winnipesaukee; in the town of Wolfeboro.  Not what I have envisioned for a scenic foliage due to the rain, but the colors were still up there. With our umbrella and rain coats we stopped for our photo op. Then drove again. It took us forever to get to our hotel in North Conway.  It seemed that we have been driving all day, not to mention the less road travelled Google map brought us to.

After we have checked in we went to Muddy Moose for dinner.  Bob and I dined here before and he recommended for us to go here too. After a nice dinner we went back to the room and called it a night. Day 3 is another day.

For some reason all three of us woke up early.  As I looked outside, I appreciated the beauty of the mountain we’re staying at. Colors are at their peak. It was still overcast but glad there wasn’t any rain like yesterday. Not just yet. We went down to have our breakfast then got ready after for our day adventure.

The steam train we rode stopped in Crawford, NH ; Top: photo-op before the train left;

Bottom: myself and Casey, like kids in a candy store admiring the beauty of White Mountains

Our scenic train ride was not until 1130AM and we have ample time to spend.  Casey was Instagram researching the night before so we decided to check out two locations she suggested- Diana’s Bath and Cathedral Ledge; both in Bartlett, a neighboring town.  We followed a trail to Diana’s bath. A combination of walking and a short hike brought us to a nice series of water falls.  We stayed here for a bit to both enjoy the scenery and take photos. Then off to Cathedral Ledge.

The drive up to Cathedral Ledge reminded me of driving Mt. Wachusett in Princeton, MA. Winding and enjoyable. Up the summit we were rewarded with a panoramic foliage view overlooking the white mountains. It’s so pretty up here! Our hearts were full.

The Conway scenic train was the highlight of our third day. A five hour ride at the white mountains- from North Conway to Crawford- such a spectacular experience; like a kid in a candy store. Most of the ride was raining and it was cold but the beauty of the mountains was just pure, and simply amazing. Bob and I have driven the white mountains many times, but this experience my friends and I was extra ordinaire.  The five hour train ride made us so hungry and tired. When we got off, we had dinner at Red Parka Pub.  After that, we settled back in the hotel and called the night off.

The scenic Kancamangus Highway in New Hampshire

Monday, our fourth day we had flexible schedule. What originally intended a ride to Flume Gorge turned out to be just a hop on hop off on our own terms. Julie may not be fond of it (she’s behind the wheels), but we did it anyway.  We first stopped at Echo Lake. Peaceful and serene, I took my camera out to do some long exposure while I let the two do their own things. It has a beautiful facade of the Cathedral Ledge that we enjoyed briefly until other tourists came. This reminded me of the Hathaway’s Pond in Cape Cod. Then we drove back to Main Street for the last time to buy our souvenirs.

The next hours were spent driving by the Kancamangus Highway.  I could say that this was the best ride I have of the scenic Kancamangus.  From North Conway to Lincoln, it was a  feast to the eyes.  Our first stop was Saco River Covered Bridge.  It took me a while to come back since I was photographing and I got scolded by consuming so much time from doing so😂. Then some more photos to the Swift River, but this time short and within the five minute grace period Julie had given me😂😂. Next was the Rocky Gorge; a scenic area with a foot bridge over the gorge which overlooks where Swift River narrows as it cascades to the gorge. Then to Sabaday Falls- another beautiful falls that I regretted not setting up my camera; I am glad I still have decent battery in my phone. The rest of the day are just basically driving and admiring the sceneries alongside the road.  Then it sank in, we were no longer in New Hampshire.

stolen shot of my homies in one of our walks in Lincoln, NH.

The last remaining hours we have on Monday was spent mainly at the hotel premise which overlooks the financial district of Boston. We were by the harbor. Once again, Julie and I both gave Casey a credit for booking this Hyatt Hotel. Top floor, harbor view, perfection! It was just so mesmerizing that we never left the room after we put down our luggages- we’re  just there watching the sun set. It was  mesmerizing that all three of us was recording it in our phone in time lapse. Once the sun was gone, we decided to get and eat our dinner- another boujee New England one for the last time.

our last night in Boston Harbor, I took advantage of our location and sneaked out to take this beautiful photo of Boston’s financial district.

and just like that, we ended our trip in my driveway with a group hug! ❤️❤️❤️

US Virgin Islands: A Tropic Paradiso

We are celebrating Bob’s birthday. It started on Thursday April 13th, when we made a short trip to St Leo Abbey in Pasco County. Bob and I attended the vespers rendered by the Benedictine monks and the regular mass the following day. We also took a short walk in River Rapids Trail at Hillsboro State Park at Zepyrhills, Florida. It was a short meaningful (and spiritual) Trip.  On the day of his actual birthday, I didn’t work and just spent the day with him opening his gift and his birthday cards with me and the fur kids with him.

This year, for our yearly birthday get away, we headed to the Caribbean’s tropical paradise. Our first trip to St. Thomas/St. John US Virgin Islands. The night before our flight we stayed in Orlando so we didn’t have to wake up super early for a 645AM departure. The flight from Orlando to Miami was smooth; at one point I thought that we will never make it as the line at TSA was long and we were crunch of time. But of course, my worries were invalidated as we were at the gate 10 minutes of the boarding time.

the view of St. John, USVI from our deck at Westin St. John Resorts

At Miami, the St Thomas flight was delayed. Bob and I kinda knew it as there was no plane at the gate when on the monitor its only 11 minutes before boarding. By the time it came, and off loaded the passengers and boarding us, and staying significant time at the runway, it was more than an hour. But after 2hr and 40mins up in the air, we landed at St Thomas. Its been a while since I experienced deplaning at the tarmac, so its kinda like cool walking to the gate. Reminds me of the local flights in small airports in the Philippines and Costa Rica.

Surprisingly, there is a Westin St John kiosk at the airport, where then we confirmed our villa reservations and our ferry ride.  A private limousine van took us to Red Hook, where the port to St John is located. It took us 45 minutes to get there. The fun part of the ride was the long winding roads and very steep switch backs! It was like being in a roller coaster ride at Disney. Oddly enough, the driver seems pretty used to it and was never bothered. Cheap thrill I may say.

The fifteen minute ferry ride to Westin St John Villas wasn’t bad. It wasn’t a bumpy ride either. The Caribbean waters amaze me- always green and pristine.  It took us a short 15 minutes until we set foot to Westin’s private dock; saves us the usual hustle of  off loading. They have free Cruzan drinks by the way.

Once we got to our room and checked in, we refreshed ourselves, rested for a bit and headed to Lemon Grass-one of the restaurants in the property for our dinner.  It was a Caribbean dinner buffet and I gorged myself with double servings of seafood paella, grilled mahi-mahi, BBQs and ceviches as Bob had some of them too. We enjoyed our dinner with white wine and with the beautiful live music of Caribbean beat. Then we headed back to our room after.

Day 2.

I have always been an early riser, so while Bob was still in his sleep with no dogs fighting on a king bed, I took the courage to jog in the steep hill. It was actually a good work out. When I returned, Bob was already having his coffee and so I joined him.

With a flexible agenda, we decided to do a bit of hiking. We chose Caneel Hill which trail starts by the town.  It was a little over an hour of a hike to the overlook.  On top you can see the south of St John. It was beautiful and panoramic. The color of the water is just magnificent, even from 700ft up view. We stayed on top for about 20minutes and began our descend. We were debating wether to complete the loop for another mile and a half to exit on the other side of the trail, or just go back to the same trail- in the end we decided to choose the same trail as we climb up.

The pristine, Turquoise water of Hawk’s Nest Beach at Caneel Bay, St. John’s, USVI.

One thing that caught me off guard here in USVI is the price of the taxi. For reference, the taxi is similar to the jeepneys we have in the Philippines, but charges an enormous dollars per person; Say a 3 mile single trip from point A to point B is averaging to about $10. I should have known when I paid $14 to a smoothie equivalent to a Slurpee from 7/11 that costs a couple of dollars. I just shook my head.😂

my favorite photo while aboard the sail boat waiting for the sunset behind us.

So we took the taxi from the town to one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen- the Hawk’s Nest Beach by Caneel Bay. Here I enjoyed swimming the most- calm, Turquoise and clear water. It was cool and refreshing. I could really get used to this. While resting, we looked into our map of where to go next and found a spot with an over look not far from the beach so we decided to walk up. The hill that overlooks Hawk’s Nest Beach was equally mesmerizing.  As we walk further, we discovered Peace Hill- another spot where you can see a 360 view of the bay and the other small islands.  Peace Hill is an old windmill site.  After sometime in this area, we headed back to Cruz bay-the main town, and ate lunch and then went back to our room to rest.

Later that afternoon, we took a sail boat to watch the sunset.  Bob has the habit of coming up with surprises, and even though this is partly a celebration of his birthday, he is the one that ends up surprising me.  That evening we sailed into the sunset while sipping unlimited champagne, drinking local beers, eating hors d’oeuvres (including caprese mozzarella cheeseballs, ceviches, corn dips and chips and sliders) aboard a 55-foot catamaran in Great Cruz Bay in the Caribbean with the best partner in the whole-wide world.  This was such an experience; we returned and ended our night  with our hearts being full.

sunset on board the 55-foot catamaran at Cruz Bay in the Caribbean islands of USVI.

Day 3.

the view of the south side of St John atop Windmill Bar. USVI.

I woke up early on our third day at the island still ecstatic with our experience the previous night.  I decided to go out and wait for the sunrise as I took pictures of the shore. Once done, I headed back to our room and joined Bob with his coffee again. Then we both prepared for our appointment.

After our meeting with ownership updates, Bob and I went to Windmill Bar in Cruz bay for lunch.  Again, the ride to the top- with all the switch backs; Bob and I would just look at each other as if we’re on a roller coaster ride. Up the Windmill Bar was equally beautiful also . With the cloudless sky, you can see a clear view of the smaller islands of the Virgin Islands.  It’s hot and we’re sweating! But there was little breeze to ease that out.  We took our time with our lunch as we enjoy our landscape. When we were finally done, we headed our way and took the taxi to Honeymoon Beach located at Caneel Bay.

Honeymoon Beach, unlike the ones we have at the Villa and Hawks’ Nest Beach, is a popular one.  It was almost 4pm when we arrived and the place was still relatively packed.  Since the last shuttle leaves at 5PM, Bob and I only stayed there for 30 minutes to enjoy the water and the sun. Then we waited for the shuttle to take us back to the entrance and hopped on another one to bring us to our resort.  That night, we decided to just eat at the resort restaurant and called the night.

Day 4.

the shopping street at Charlotte-Amali in St Thomas, USVI. The beautiful doors are the best part for me.

Oh Man!!! This was our fourth day! The day we planned to explore St Thomas. This was our last full day here at St John, and as we woke up- we just chill while drinking coffee as our Ferry to St Thomas doesn’t leave until 10AM.

From the ferry station at St Thomas, it was about 40 minutes to the shopping malls. We were dropped off around 1045 and have to be back at the same place by 3PM.  Bob and I decided to head to Glady’s Cafe- the restaurant the concierge from Westin recommended.  I had a flavorful Caribbean dish of Curry Goat 😊 and banana daiquiri. It was actually turned a great meal. Once done, we navigated the streets of Charlotte-Amali. For those who know me, I have fascinations to old doors, and this place did not disappoint.  AS we walk at the old streets, all I see are big wooden doors of European influence attached to the old buildings.  Some are painted, some maintained their rustic, original coats.  Oh I’m in heaven! We walk few more places and was hoping the church of St Peter & Paul was open (but it wasn’t) until we decided to start getting our souvenir shirts and ornaments at the different stores at the strip. The heat was also too excruciating that we decided to just find a place to kill time until our shuttle arrived.  When we finally got back to the resort, we took one more plunge at the beach… The last of our Caribbean experience until next time.

VANCOUVER: I SMILE EVEN WHEN IT RAINS

My obligatory photo at a Canadian sign in Victoria, BC

Two weeks ago, after four days of long and daunting time at work, I started my 6-day trip to Vancouver. I knew I was lacking sleep, and still tired from the days I worked, but I looked forward to this trip for the reason that, I am eager to see Remy; my very dear friend in Connecticut that moved to Canada in 2013. Another reason is that, I am also excited to explore Vancouver. They say it is wonderful.

My flight from Orlando to Dallas was an early flight. I had to wake up at 230AM as my flight leaves at 530AM. With the unpredictability of the airport lines at TSA, I had my friend Bhin brought me to the airport instead of Bob and left early. It was a smooth three-hour flight. Dallas was cloudy and overcast. Little that I know, this was also my preparatory to Vancouver weather 😉. The four-hour flight to Vancouver went fast as I slept mostly. The last thing I knew I was already queueing to the Canadian immigration and customs.

As I exited the airport, I finally met Remy once again. As I said, she’s one of my few good friends back when I was still working in Bridgeport. As a new nurse coming from the Philippines in mid 2000s, Remy helped me navigate the challenges of working overseas. She is among the many individuals that made an impact in my nursing career. She’s my house mate, my shopping/outlet buddy, (along with Irna and Ulyn); our “mother away from home” as she gives advice to almost each one of us like our true Moms. She is that one friend that you don’t see often (literally 10 years!), but when you finally reconnect, it all feels like yesterday.

After the meet and greet at the airport with her and his husband Ruel, we left and drove around the city. We were headed for lunch first. While driving, I noticed immediately the strong east Asian presence around; at one point I joked, “are you sure I am in Vancouver and not Seoul?” They both agreed.  As we parked the car, we walked in at Cloud 9- Chinese restaurant. I remembered right away that Chinese cuisine is Remy’s go to food😂. It brings memories of what we were a more than a decade ago- the window (or actual) shopping in the malls and straight to the Chinese food in the food court for a three course tray- good times!

Canada Place, Vancouver BC

Science World and Canada Place.  Once done with lunch, we headed to the city proper. We walked around Science World while waiting for Remy’s daughter Daniela. Science World Vancouver is a nice place, there are so much things to do- I saw group of people playing volleyball, kids at the playground, and rowers and kayakers even its 40degrees! it must be great to be here during summer. This center overlooks the beautiful False Creek. While admiring the sceneries, I am also mentally studying what to do after dusk with my camera. When Daniela arrived, she took us to the commuter train and headed to Canada place.  Walk around a bit more, then to the Korean restaurant to eat dinner.  Yes! this is the second asian place in a span of four hours! By the time we were done, it was past 9PM, (which means midnight in the eastcoast time) and as much as I’d like to stroll more, I was too tired from the past four days of working and my early travel, so we decided to head home and called it a day.

The following day I woke up early since I was in the east coast time. This is my day 2. When I came out of my room, Remy was making breakfast, so I decided to chat with her as she cooks in the kitchen.  After we ate, she and Ruel took me to a tour around their town. Coquitlam  is quite a unique town. It is too big of a town but small enough to be a city if this makes sense. It reminded me of Lake George area in the Adirondacks with the big body of water. We walked at Port Moody Marina. I took the opportunity to take photos of the board walk and the lake.  The forecast was once again cloudy and thirty percent rain, so after a few shots I put away my camera and we headed back to the car and rested at home.

Lunch with Remy’s family.

We planned to go to Sea and Sky Gondola and have a quick hike at Squamish. When Daniela arrived from work, we didn’t waste time and headed out right away. For some reason, as she drove the highway, I felt somehow sick. I felt like someone punched me in the gut and a cold wind blown my face as I feel nauseous.  I asked Daniela to drive in a nearby exit as I needed to get out of the car. I was having a full on “Bridesmaids crisis.”  For those who never seen the movie, what I was referencing and experiencing at that moment was similar to what all the characters were experiencing at the bridal shop after they ate at the Brazilian restaurant. Yes, exactly! Daniela pulled over the side of a busy traffic, there I was vomiting shamelessly, on the side of the road. Probably my most unforgettable experience of Vancouver. 😂

When we arrived at the park, I was too weak to get out.  I didn’t want to ruin the plan; so with all my strength, I got out of the car only to vomit the second time around. I saw the faces of concerns from all three of them. At this point,  I decided to no longer go and ride the Gondola. They wanted to cancel too, but told them to go and I will wait in the car to rest my stomach. I made few trips to the bathroom and a couple more episodes of vomiting while they were gone. When they came back, I was debating to be sent to the ER- I knew then I was suffering from Acute Gastroenteritis. But of course, as any stubborn nurses, I didn’t- because it was Friday and it was the weekend!

We headed back home. Remy, as usual became the mother once again and cooked some hot fish soup while I took a nap. I woke up as she knocked on my room saying that dinner was ready.  I only took a small amount of the broth and stuck with drinking my Gatorade. I stayed for little chats and headed to bed after a while. Tomorrow was another day.

Remy and I at the top of area of Stanley Park overlooking the other side of Vancouver.

Light Point Lighthouse and Stanley Park. When I woke up the following day, as if nothing happened except the fact that I was hungry. I did eat breakfast, but very cautiously as I did not want to experience what happened the previous day again. When we were all set, we headed out. The drive was short this time. The road was winding with beautiful view of course.  Our first destination was the Light Point Park.  No expectations; but when we parked our car, the facade reminded me of one of the hiking areas in Yosemite.  The walk to the lighthouse was a mile, and it was funny to see and hear Remy say that this was her first major hike (laugh out loud!). Her daughter Daniela and husband just both laugh.

The park and the lighthouses were beautiful; just like those in Cape Cod. Too bad that the lighthouse was not accessible like the ones from the Cape. After some personal photo shoots, we walked through the trails that brought us to the beach side where you can see the Vancouver skyscrapers- which by the way, is equally admirable. After about little over an hour of roaming around the park, we decided to drive within the area for lunch. Asian food for lunch? Anyone? Hahaha.  We decided to eat Japanese cuisine (I was still nervous on eating just anything at this time though) and once we’re done, we headed to Stanley Park.

We began our sightseeing on the top.  This time it was overlooking the opposite side of Vancouver (the first area we went to earlier this morning). Vancouver is growing now on me; indeed this is a beautiful city. I can understand now why they say it is wonderful even when it rains a lot. After some time, we headed down the lower part of the park. There we saw the Vancouver Rowing House- which is a Marina that overlooks the tall buildings of Vancouver. I’ve been noticing that there were so many commercial shipping vessels too, then I remembered (as I worked in a forwarding company in early 1990’s) that vancouver is one of the busiest ports in North America. We also saw some totem poles on the other side of the park. Monumental poles commonly seen in the Pacific Northwest. When we were done, we headed to our hotel to check in and put our bags. Then headed to Wooden Fish, a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner (Asian dish again of course!). When we headed back to the hotel, we had one final look of Vancouver at night. 🙂

the marina at Vancouver Rowing house that overlooks the high-rise buildings of Vancouver

We Woke up early on our day 4 as we had a 7AM reservation for the ferry ride to Victoria Island.  As we drove towards Tsawwassen ferry station, we were greeted by a very colorful Vancouver sunrise.  I was hoping that this will be the case throughout our stay in the island, but it wasn’t… Ho-hum. The drive was an hour trip, it gave us ample time to see the fullness of sunrise, have a cup of coffee and just waited until we boarded.  The ferry ride reminded me of when we go for a day trip in Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. I suddenly miss living in Cape Cod. The ride was fascinating. There were little islands on both sides; with houses and no people around (as I didn't see any). Obviously, these must be summer homes.  As we docked and started offloading from the ferry, there I see the uniqueness of  Victoria Island. I am impressed. Vancouver is really wonderful!

The Harley Castle, Victoria BC

Our first stop was Hatley castle.  This architecture is interesting as it is part of the school, the Royal Roads University. On our way inside the premise we saw runners as there was a road race that moment. We were redirected to park our car elsewhere as the lower ground parking was not available. Once again, Remy had a good hike with the steep hill😬. We didn’t get to see the inside as they are only open for tour from late spring to end of summer. The castle ground though was beautiful enough to admire.  It was pretty much a tour only by ourselves as there were no other visitors that flocked the castle.  Perhaps being early, and the rain had helped too. If I was too slow because I take a lot of pictures, I think Daniela broke my record as she spent so much time taking photos of mostly every corner of the castle🤣. At the bottom of the Royal Roads University was a picturesque view of the water.  This is really a beautiful place.

It was almost noontime when we headed to our hotel and checked in. We put our bags down and headed back outside again to eat lunch. Finally, we had Canadian/American Food! When we were done, we walked the quaint Main Street of Victoria, going in and out of every novelty shops while admiring the town. The rain started to pick up once again, and we all got tired so we decided to head back to our hotel and napped and rested. 

Victoria Parliament after sunset. Victoria BC 03/12/2023

When we woke up it was already dark. Remy and her family were reluctant to go out again. But I have a mission- I wanted to photograph the parliament at dark with lights.  While they were deciding what to order for dinner, I went out. As I walked the street of downtown, the rain was pouring too.  I was hoping it would stop totally but it only did briefly.  This was when I took the opportunity to photograph the Victoria Parliament and the other landscapes like the Fairmont Hotel’s reflections by the water. Shortly after, it rained again.  It was then I decided to call it a night and just go back to the hotel to spend time with Remy and her family.

On our last day in Victoria, the sun finally showed up; atleast for couple of hours.  We went to the local diner for breakfast then did the self-guided tour of the inside of the Parliament. It was nice to see what is inside and learn about the Canadian Parliament. The highlight of my day was a photo of myself and the late queen’s portrait ( sadly King Charles is still not in any of the official portraits). After our tour, we went back to the hotel, and completely checked out and started our journey back to Coquitlam.

When we got home it was almost dinner time. I started packing my bags and once done, had a wonderful home-cooked dinner with Remy’s family. I am so happy and blessed to see my friend Remy once again. I am grateful for the warm hospital her entire family showered me during my stay.

I can’t believe that my six day trip to Vancouver went so fast just like that. Although it was mostly wet during the entire time I was here, I still smile even when it rains.

the reflection of the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Victoria BC, Canada 03/12/2023

Our Home Away From Home

Westin beach front.

This is our fourth visit to Cancun. At this time we consider this place our second home. We first fall in love in this beautiful paradise in 2015 while trying to get away with the long cold winter of Massachusetts.  Cancun is our home away from home. And while we no longer escape a dreading winter weather,  we now come here to spend the long weekend and relax.

The first time we set foot at Westin Lagunamar, Bob and I were dumbstruck of the turquoise color of the ocean.  The same experience we have all through the years that we have come back. This time though we are not lodged on our home resort; instead we are staying at the Westin Resort and Spa which I believe the first one established than Lagunamar.  They are both nice, though there is wider shore of fine sands to walk on the latter.

1. the newly opened Mexican fusion restaurant- Sonora Grill; 2. Bob surprised by the fireworks before desert; 3. myself enjoying a Chichen-Iza Mezcal drink; 4. our friend JC explaining Mexican food to other owners.

The first two days are basically spent with owners events and updates. The night we arrived we were unexpectedly reunited with our concierge friend JC, who the last time, managed to arrange a great activity for us- wine and food tasting at an upscale Italian restaurant and a quick Mexican cooking lesson at the Ritz-Carlton.  And while this trip was a short notice for him, he’s still able to manage to squeeze us in to the food tasting event at the newly opened Mexican fusion restaurant at Sonora Grill.  I must say personally that this too, was a hit. The food were great, the drinks were phenomenal, and not to mention that we got to see other owners that we had opportunity to exchange travel experiences with.

The following day was a boring, 3 hours owner’s update. This is something we drag attending, but something came out good this time. But this is another story I will tell you some other time.  After this, the rest of the day was ours. We decided to head back to our hotel room after the update ordeal; and rest for a bit then head out and walk the east side of the beach. I am still amaze how beautiful the color of the water is- though I worry that this part of Cancun is not as pristine as the area in Lagunamar (I see more seaweeds and some garbage as we walk; perhaps it has something to do with the inability to bring large equipments-due to lack of shorelines to regularly clean it like I always see every morning in Lagunamar). As we reached the dead end, we headed back to our room and readied for our dinner.

sunset at Navio’s in Lagos del Sol, Cancun.

Navio’s is a restaurant half-mile across Westin. It is situated at Lagos del Sol, the lake side of Cancun which was perfect to see the sunset. I’d say the place is upscale and so it raises the bar of expectations with the food.  Bob and I ordered the pear salad with goat cheese and honey-lemon dressing for our starters. I had grilled octopus and he had the salmon fettuccine for the main. As we enjoyed these mouth-watering food, we both agreed that this meal is as equally superb from the owner’s dinner we had the previous night.  We finished our dinner with a guava cheesecake, which by the way, was unusual pick for dessert yet, also delicious. After that, we trailed back to our hotel with some non-sensical bantering along the way.

a facade of the Mayan temple on top of the rocks overlooking the turquoise water of the beach in Tulum.

The third day we booked a half day tour to Tulum and  once again, see another Mayan ruins.  It was an express tour and didn’t have much time to explore the entire vicinity.  In my opinion, unlike Chichen Iza and Coba, the Tulum ruins is rather simple. However, the biggest take away is that it faces a marvelous, untouched scenic view of the ocean with its signature of turquoise water and fine sands.  None-the-less, it was a good tour.

On our way back to the hotel it started to rain. The forecast for this day was 90 percent rain.  We were just lucky that while at tour and on our feet exploring the ruins, there was a glimpse of sunlight. By the time we got back to our hotel the rain has stopped. Bob and I decided to get some rest. When we woke up, we headed to the Thai restaurant we first discovered in 2017 the second time we were in Cancun.  The rain again has started as we wait for our food.  When dinner came, so as the hard rain.  It was a night to remember; for both the dinner and the rain.

On Sunday, we decided to just chill.  W had a nice breakfast buffet at our hotel; went for a walk at the other side of the beach and sunbathed and read books at the pool side.  In the evening, we had our dinner at La Parilla- (the local Mexican food at La Isla- we regularly go whenever in Cancun) where we have drinks of authentic Margaritas. Where else to end this short trip away from home?

sunrise In Westin Resort & Spa. Cancun, Mexico Nov 20, 2022

Patagonia: Insides and Insights of Traveling to the Edge of the World

September 27, 2022 at 2145PM we were still sitting at the the runway of Orlando International Airport. We were trying to catch our international flight to Santiago in Miami for our epic trip. This is a trip that took Bob and I almost a year to plan- its logistics and itineraries are all delicately tailored for a 13-day venture to Chilean Andes and Patagonia; and yet we’re still here, stuck and under the mercy of MCO airport air traffic controller to give our plane a go signal to take off.

the view of Miami before we land from our flight from Orlando.

Florida was experiencing a Category 3 hurricane and that was what holding us to depart from our original time. There were chaos every airports- Orlando was closing at 12 midnight, Tampa was at locked out, and Miami was a complete stand-still. These were the circumstances happening all at the same time. What we thought a cancelled trip because of hurricane Ian- miraculously, our plane from Orlando to Miami started flying up and up the turbulent clouds. Finally, our first plane took off two hours later from the original time we boarded in Orlando.

We had then enough time to transfer to our second plane in Miami to Santiago, Chile. Once again, it was a bit shaky after the initial take off but not quite as bad as when we took off from Orlando- then it started to get smooth. Next thing we know, we are thousands of miles away.

We made it to Chile!!!

I will divide this trip to Patagonia into 3 Parts: getting acquainted to Chile- which consists of the first days of knowing the cities (of Santiago, Valparaiso, Punta Arenas, and Puerto Natales); the hikes; and other worth-seeing tour destinations.

GETTING ACQUAINTED TO THE COUNTRY.

Our Day 1 and 3 were tours of Santiago and Valparaiso. We have a little bit of “rest” from the flights we took and our guide brought us to the main city that same day- our first day. We started our city tour at the foot of Santa Lucia Hills, climbed up to the top overlooking the high rise buildings and the panoramic view of the city. Santiago is home for the tallest building in South America- the Gran Torre Santiago. After spending sometime at the top of Sta. Lucia Hills, we went down and walked towards the art district in town. I was amazed of the talents of the people I see. It reminded me of the art district we once passed by while walking the streets of Old Quebec City.

Santiago has also unique architectures with Spanish influence- places like the Chilean national library, presidential palace, and other government establishments we passed by- similar to the old Manila in the Philippines and most latin American countries I have been. As we navigated through the inner-most avenidas (avenues) the more crowd we see. It is always nice to see the authentic soul of the new place; and this is what I like about guided tours. Of course, any visit to new places, expect that we will atleast see one catholic church 🙂.

The vibrant city of Valparaiso, Chile

On our 3rd day we explored the vibrant town of Valparaiso. This is similar to Manila’s Port Area/Manila Bay except that Valparaiso’s main attraction is up the hills and overlooking either the colorful houses situated on top of the hill or the view of the water and the aduana (port). Whichever side you look, they are equally picturesque. Our tour guide told us that this is the place to party when you are young😉. True enough, when we were out and about, there are more than enough young adults we see.

One thing I noticed was both streets of Santiago and Valparaiso are full of beautiful murals. They are everywhere. I think these two places have the most I have seen in any places I have been. I must say, Chileans must know how to channel their artsy talents.

On the same day after half day tour in Valparaiso we went to Casablanca. This is the wine valley of Chile. I must say, after the tour of the vineyard, the wines are all equally excellent like the best French wines I have tasted in the past.

But we had a setback. For some reason, our guides had a lapse in judgement during a trip to the winery. As we got into the car to go back to our hotel after the best wine tasting we ever had, Bob realized his backpack was missing; so I looked for mine immediately. Unfortunately it was gone too.😭

Villa Veramonte Vineyard in Casablanca, Chile

We were able to make it through the busy streets of Santiago and the fast paced crowds of Valparaiso with no incidences. But in a place that was supposed to be a very secure vineyard, Our guides put their guards down and left the car unattended which resulted to a break in our vehicle and our bags being stolen. 😢

What were taken: my camera bag, Bob’s back pack, my drone, two prime lenses, clothings and other small items for my camera and cash.

What was not taken: our fun to continue to explore the beautiful country of Chile.🇨🇱

We are safe and we’re OK. Bob and I were so thankful for the police station 63 in Curacavi that accommodated us in filing our police report along with Felipe our guide and Gabo our driver.

Michael Jordan once said, “Always turn a negative situation to a positive experience.” And I will leave today’s experience with the same mantra.

THE HIKES.

trekking the Andes with our guide Sebastian and a Canadian hiker Mike, and of course Bob😊

We begin our real adventure with the hike in the Andes on our Day 2. Our guide Sebastian drove us atleast two hours to the north of Santiago in San Jose de Maipo. This is a three hour trek of San Jose Volcano that eventually led us to Valle de La Engorda. When we finally found a place to settle, we had our lunch while admiring the panoramic view of both the volcano and the Andes.

This hiking experience here in the Andes was spectacular. When I thought the hike we did in Minturn, Colorado was amazing, this is waaaaay amazing. When we were in Colorado, the view of the rockies and its snow-capped mountains was such a treat from a distance, but this time it was a feast. The snow in the Andes is within reach. Its pureness is unbelievable that we even tried drinking the melting snow. This is really one unforgettable hike Bob and I ever made.

Top Photos: 1. Bob trying to drink the melting snow; 2. the descent from the mountain; Bottom Photos: 3. the welcome sign to Valle de la Engorda; 4. the Andes mountain ranges;

the Panoramic view of San Jose Volcano and the Andes ranges.

It was quarter past one when we begin our descent. I felt like that our bodies had started to adapt (atleast this was what I’d like to believe) in all the elements in this hike. Almost a year of training in the gym and mind setting- all worth it.🙂

Next stop, Patagonia!❤️

sunrise at Punta Arenas on Sunday.

Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales are the offshoots for our main visit to Torres del Paine National Park, the heart of Patagonia- Though both places are already parts of the Patagonia region. Both towns are quaint, reminded me of Puerto de Limon- a fishing town we visited in Costa Rica in 1997. They are also hilly and scenic when you climb up the highest part of town. This was what Bob and I did on the days that we didn’t have tours or after our last tour of the park. Once again, we’ve seen a lot of murals in most of the buildings; not to mention that it was windy all these times as we walk- something that reminded us of the days in the winter when we lived in Princeton, MA.

Torres del Paines National Park.

Torres del Paine National Park

After three combined nights from both Punta Arenas (one night) and Puerto Natales (two nights), we finally made at Torres del Paines National Park. We spent four days/three nights here.

Top Photos: 1. the start of the hike with eight members of our group; 2. the uphill/downhill trail; Bottom Photos: 3. the last 1km of rocky steep trail; 4. Bob and I during initial ascend.

The major hike happened on Monday. The goal was to climb the base of Torres del Paines. It is a 22km (my I-watch recorded 24km)/10hr hike. Divided into three parts- the uphill/down hill to the base camp, the hike to the forest, and the last 1km (or more) of rocky uphill trek to reach the base of Paine Massif.

There were 8 members in our group: our guide- Pablo, 3 Israelis, 1 Mexican Lady, 1 Portuguese, and Bob and I. The first hour we were all trekking at the same pace, but then somewhere on the hilly parts of the trail, the Israelis took off. We still see the Portuguese and Mexican from a distance, but then eventually, we lost sight of them too. Bob and I on the other hand, remained on our slow steady pace in the terrainous up and down hill trail. Hours later, we reached the base when all of them were waiting for us.

I couldn’t recall how much time we spent at the base. But what I remember was that not long enough, after I finished a bar of granola, we again started a trek. This was the second leg of the hike.

Bob and I kept the same slow steady pace. The trail has more vegetation and shaded but a lot of ups and switch backs. Bob was trekking ahead of me. I let it that way so I know he was not logging behind, and at the same time I could watch his steps. I liked the fact that we were doing this hike. We were on a mission. This is our bonding moment together, and again with nature- here in Patagonia.

I feel so proud of my hiking accomplishment! ❤️

From time to time we will see Pablo patiently waiting for and checking us. He did this a couple of times until we didn’t see him for long until the second stop after more than a couple of hours. At this time both Bob and I are extremely exhausted and we have a decision to make.

The next 2kms consist of rocky, very steep terrain (more or less about 60degrees inclination) that we will climb up. With the pace we have, Pablo said it could be another couple of hours for both of us to reach the base of the park. There is no doubt that Bob can definitely do it, but reconsidering the factors which include the degree of difficulty, the snow, the wind, etc. it may cost him all the energy he had and nothing remains during his descend. It was then we decided that he’ll stay and I will proceed. In all honesty, I was hesitant to leave him while I go. But he pushed me to, there’s should be atleast one of us to see the base of the Paine Massif when after all this is the main reason of this epic trip. It was a smart decision in retrospect.

After asking if Bob’s gonna be alright ( it was actually I more of assuring myself to be honest) Pablo and I proceeded. What my eyes saw next was a jaw dropping terrain. WTF was the words I uttered myself. For a second, I thought of going back and just joining Bob. I wasn’t sure what I got myself into- the steep and rocky descriptions were understatements. I took some deep breaths and I just said a little prayer and proceeded. Meanwhile, Pablo was navigating the trail like a walk in the park.

One of my wise professors said, “If you want to have an exceptional life, you have to put yourself in exceptional situations. Break outside your comfort zone and open yourself up to new opportunities through a challenge that's equal parts physical, mental, and spiritual.”

So I did it on my own pace. I stopped so many times that I could no longer count. Each time I look up, I felt my legs were about to come apart and the trail seemed to be never ending. It was a good decision that Bob didn’t proceed. I felt all my energy has been drained too. I passed by a group of hikers who were descending, and told me ten more minutes, so I pushed my self more and miraculously, Here is the base of Paine Massif.. Here is the heart of Torres del Paines right before my eyes!!!

I did it! I climbed the base of Patagonia!

the base of Paine Massif

The descent if not, was equally brutal than when I was climbing up. With little energy left, I just left my legs do whatever they want. I was a “Gumby” as Bob would always describe me whenever I come home tired and complained about standing for so long at work or doing a leg workout at the gym.

Just like when I was climbing, I was slow and always the last from my group. I wasn’t sure how long it took me to get to where we started, I didn’t track it anymore- in my mind all I want was for the day to be over so we could go back to the hotel, take a warm shower and sleep. More or less 3.5 hours and I saw the familiar trail where we began the hike. I was glad. I was happy as well that Bob emerged from the van. All I prayed when I was hiking on my own after we left him at the second leg was his safety going back. Thank God for this experience, it redefined my beliefs in myself.

WORTH-SEEING TOURS IN PATAGONIA

wild guanacos

The remaining days at Torres del Paine consist of half day tours and mini hikes to different trails within the park. Lago Grey Hotel, the hotel we stayed within the park is such a convenient lodging. The day after the epic hike at the base of Torres del Paine, we drove around the park. This activity let us see the different areas one can appreciate of Patagonia. We stopped for some minutes to appreciate the wild guanacos crossing the road, I think we did half of the loop driving; enough to see the other side of the mountain and to see Salto Grande, a thundering waterfalls in the Park.

On Sunday before our trip to Torres del Paine National Park, we had a half day tour to the Monumento Natural Los Pinguinos in Magdalena Island. These are Magellanic Penguins. The mating season happens between late September to early March when the adult male penguins begin to arrive in the colony to breed. The penguins can be as much as 120,000 count during the peak of the season. We were just so lucky that we saw some of them in their natural habitat; some were upclose too- or would walk beside you! After almost an hour of roaming around the park we boarded the boat again and navigated through Isla Marta, where all the sea lions hang out. We didn’t really get off this island but we watched the sea lions continuously honk at each other for sometime then we headed back to catamaran.

Magellanic penguin couple greeting us.

sea lions honking at Isla Marta.

Photos: 1. Bob and I infront of the massive Grey Glacier deposits; 2/3. Bob and I goofing with a piece of an iceberg floated to the shore; 4. A big chunk of iceberg separated and floating on the lake waiting to melt;

Lago Grey Glaciers. It was convenient for us that we stayed at Lago Grey Hotel. By Wednesday our Day 8, we took a three hour boat tour trip to Lake Grey Glaciers. I never seen one so this was an exciting thing to experience for both Bob and I. As we sail closer, we have spectacular views of radiant, blue ice, floating icebergs in turquoise-grey waters and was feeling the Patagonian wind on our faces. Such a delight!

The sight of the 98-foot (30 mts) walls of this impressive ice mass in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field was phenomenal! The close-up views when the boat stopped moving was absolutely breath taking; not to mention that while we mentally amass the view of the glaciers, the sights of Paine Grande Mount and Paine Massif were also virtual treats. With such a new experience, I felt like a kid in a candy store🙂.

I learned in this trip that Chile is among the top 5 countries that has the most glaciers.

glacier deposits at Grey Glaciers.

In the afternoon after our boat trip, Bob and I decided to walk to the lake. It was a two mile easy walk (yes, in the summertime the ice melts and over flows to where we were walking), but the wind was brutal- its about 60mph wind gusts in an open space and it was literally blowing both of us. The closest we experience something like this was during our vacation in Cape Cod in 2011 with Hurricane Irene. Bob had so much fun with this one as he loves the wind.

Day 9 was supposed to be watching the condors at the outlook. This one, Bob again was excited about. On our ride to where we are going to start our hike, we saw a group of three condors gliding with the strong wind. It seemed to us its a family, as the one was smaller compared to the other two. Our guide told us that the small ones must be being taught on how to fly by its parents. “School day,” she said. Makes sense🙂.

the Condor Overlook and Lago Pehoe

last hike at the Condor Outlook and Lago Pehoe.

By the time we begin our ascend, the wind started to pick up. After trekking for approximately 45 mins to an hour, we reached the peak to condor lookout. From a distant we still see the family of three until eventually they faded away. Unfortunately we couldn’t capture any of these as my telephoto lens was one of the stolen items from our bags in Casablanca; also the wind became too strong for the birds too fly and for us to stand. Our guide Claudia just surprised as with cookies and tea while enjoying the 60mph breeze and the view of the mountains. Shorlty after we began our descent. This was our last major itinerary. The rest of the day we made out (laugh out loud).

The last two remaining days were spent mostly by starting our journey back home. We left Lago Grey on Friday afternoon to Puerto Natales; spent one more night here and even explored the area briefly for the last time. The following day we flew back to Santiago where we spent another night until Sunday then off to the airport to fly back to the US.

Indeed this was an epic trip. ❤️

this was the only time that Torres del Paine clears up and the only time I was able to shoot sunrise; the wind though remains constant between 6070mph. By the time we left, locals said its going to be in a 100km/h on Saturday.

BEHIND THE INSPIRATION

Perhaps you may be wondering why my first blog is just an ordinary picture. Why not a photo of a beautiful landscape? a unique shot of something? or anything that is just impressive.  So many whys.. but here is why. 

This is a photo of me and Michelle; my bestfriend of 23 years.  I lost her from Ovarian Cancer which she battled for four years.  I lost her recently, exactly a month ago (we laid her to rest) as I published this first ever blog I created- and she was my inspiration.  She was and still is, in so many things- including photography.  

I have never taken photography seriously a great deal since high school (Photography was my elective in junior high). Yes, I owned cameras in the past- mostly the isometric ones when I was growing up. The ones you put films in them and develop in a photo lab later, hoping you captured great pictures. When digital cameras came into play in early 2000's the first person to own one that I knew was Michelle. She had the Sony digital camera; and we both loved how easy to take images with it without being worried of how much films we wasted. Then I got mine.  From then on, we took many pictures together of almost everything.  Photos of our loved ones and places we go together.  

I would like to think that I take good images, but I never considered to take it seriously. Photography has been placed in the back burner- as my life like many of you, is also busy juggling between work and domestic chores. In other words- I have no time. But not until recently, I found the passion again.  Having to go through with a lot of personal experiences and challenges in my life (my Mom and our cat Hank passing and two friends diagnosed with terminal disease one of whom was Michelle) in the last few years changed my overall life's perspective. It also bring the old time passion which I always like to do but never had the time- Photography. It has become my catharsis. My scapegoat to forget the sad experiences and at the same time heal my broken heart from the pain of losing my love ones.  In one of the birthday wishes Michelle gave me, she wrote me that she is encapsulating all our good memories in our hearts so that we will always have something we could turn to when we need respite from the outside world. That is exactly what photography does for me.  It has become my respite. 

I also feel I am more inspired now because I have a purpose- to capture the beauty of everything, that later I can rekindle even without being in the physical presence of the images- whether it's a person, a place or a thing. Just like this photo in this first blog.  In a typical photography critique class, this photo is an over exposed shot. But to every picture it has its story. This by far, is one of my favorite photos that was taken of me and Michelle- our very first trip to Miami, Florida in 2012. There were lots of fond memories it entailed in how exactly we ended there. But what I like most with this photo  is the way it captured both our smile while looking at another camera (and not really the one that took the shot). The face of happiness is as genuine as our friendship. Truly an inspiration. 

Michelle and I. First trip to Miami. February 2012.