Update: The cruise was cancelled! About 36 hours before we were scheduled to depart I received an email saying the ship had hit an iceberg and the cruise had to be cancelled. My hurried Plan B was a trip to Patagonia with the help of the wonderful people at Swoop Patagonia. I have my reasons - more than 6 of them, actually This is Blonde giving you the scoop in this post. I … [Read more...]
What is it really like (for Americans) to travel to Cuba now?
What is it really like to travel to Cuba now? The internets are full of articles with headlines such as “CheapAir to start selling direct U.S.-Cuba flights on Wednesday”. If, as a U.S. citizen, you read only the headline and the first sentence you may think you are now free to book a vacation to Cuba. Finally you can go independently and do as you please when you arrive! This … [Read more...]
What is “luxury” travel to you?
Luxury travel: Necessity or root of all evil? We know people and travel companies who say they are all about luxury travel. Others practically have steam-clouds of indignation coming out of their ears at the mention of luxury. Is luxury high thread-count sheets? A butler with a silver tray (and an imperious attitude)? A personal sommelier? Someone who unpacks for you, … [Read more...]
2014: Where we traveled , what we liked and what we didn’t
Our travel in 2014 2014 was the year that we went from casual travel users to wild-eyed travel addicts. And, following in the footsteps of the late Amy Winehouse we won't go to rehab. We say "no, no, no" (but we do hope for a happier outcome). So, without further reference to dead rock stars here's our 2014 travel year in review: Doha What we liked: The … [Read more...]
Puno, Peru – Make the best of it!
Puno is one of the larger cities in Peru and (allegedly) the folklore capital of the country, but it isn't somewhere to go as a destination. Sorry, Puno, you have your charms but we are really just here to see your pretty cousin, Lake Titicaca. But Lake Titicaca and the Floating Islands of Uros are so worth experiencing that you may find yourself in Puno someday. We're here … [Read more...]
Fun things to do in Lima, Peru
If you're in Lima with a lover this can be a lot of fun. By "this" we mean a visit to El Parque del Amor or "The Park of Love". Lima has an impressive assortment of parks but only this one, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and opened on Valentine's Day 1993, is dedicated to romance. The statue is titled "The Kiss" and was sculpted by Victor Delfin. Apparently Victor liked his gals … [Read more...]
The Inca salt pans at Salineras de Maras, Peru
History of the Salineras Back in the 1400s even the amazingly clever Incas hadn't figured out that salt might cause high blood pressure, but they knew it tasted good so they made and consumed a lot of it. Oh those were the days! About 30 miles from Cusco you can tour the Salineras de Maras. Our group muddled out there on a gloomy day but, even in the gloom, … [Read more...]
The Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca
Blonde returned from Peru surprised that the highlight of her trip was Lake Titicaca and the man-made Floating Islands; home to the pre-Incan Uros people. Yes, Machu Picchu was fascinating. However, after having seen countless pictures of it, reading about it and seeing documentaries of it, it was a treat to finally visit, but not surprising. The Floating Islands of Lake … [Read more...]
UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Galapagos Islands
There are several reasons the majority of our travels involve visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The reasons are: Brunette not only does the trip research but she’s a small walking, talking human version of Wikipedia and her content knowledge of UNESCO World Heritage sites is astounding and more than a little odd. UNESCO World Heritage sites, particularly the ones in … [Read more...]
Capture the Color Photo Essay Contest
For a change we will try to leave the speaking (primarily) to the photographs: White: We were visiting Turkey but had no plan to see whirling dervishes. We thought they would just be cheesy shows put on for tourists. But our guide took us to an evening show at a caravanserai outside Cappadocia. There was nothing cheesy or fake in any way as we watched in fascination as … [Read more...]