Bon Voyage!

Aruba Pictures

2011-11-26T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here I am! Yay, I am finally recapping my experience in Aruba. Quickly, I have to say that Aruba is beautiful. Like most places in the world, each has its own beauty. Once I arrived, I realize that it is much busier than 5 years ago when I was there. More people, buildings, hotels, stores, etc... Right now they are building newer hotels, resorts and casinos. Some older building are broken down, but others are replacing them. I was astonished that I did not have to drive far to buy food from the supermarkets. They are less than a mile away. Plus you are always closer to the ocean. The beach is beautiful. The water is clean and crystal clear. There are no refineries along the coast that would disrupt your ocean view.

The first day, I had the time to drive around on my rental car and tour around my resort. My room has a kitchenette. The hotel used to own by Blue Green time share, but sold it to Tropicana. Yet, half of the other side of the resort still runs by Cabana/ Blue Green. The beach was walking distance.

I ate at a restaurant next to the lighthouse. A wonderful experience to watch the sunset from up there. Just make sure to reserve it.

Baby Beach is located south of Aruba.

Aruba

2011-11-21T23:51:00.000-08:00

Aruba was so cool. The water was warm and clear. The sunsets were amazing! The water was calm during the time when the sun set. There are so many things to see. I will more pictures this week.

Hardships

2011-11-20T05:16:00.000-08:00

Just recently I saw the most heartbreaking picture of a malnourished child eating crumbled bread off the floor. It was a powerful image, because it is real. I heard people all the time telling me how we are so lucky, blessed and protected here. I sometimes forget or perhaps had forgotten that even though we love traveling and experiencing the wonders of the world, there are people struggling to get by or survive under our nose. I spoke to my teacher, who is a buddhist monk, a few weeks ago. He told me that he had traveled over 30 something countries for charity work and services. Of all those places, nothing is compared to our home here. I was touched. Especially, the one when he was in one of the country where he saw a family was searching rocks/ shells in the sea to sell them to the tourists. The sun damaged their skin and their bodies were barely skin and bones. He was so heartbroken that he wanted to cry.

My future plans are to have some money set aside so I can do some more good deeds for those people. I will try my best to do whatever I can to make a good impact into their lives and my own (including family and friends). If, for the end of our days when we lie down and no one else is there to hold our hands or love us. At least we gave a big shot in doing something that we are most proud that will warm our mind and soul. Something that we feel good and always remember. Something that transform us into a much richer and fulfilled person. To do small or big deeds, will eventually transforms us to a better person, much more beautiful and handsome than ever before. It is my time to do something special. I am thankful for all the wonderful things that God had given me. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am so thankful. Hope all of you have a wonderful "Happy Thanksgiving!"

Visiting Yosemite

2011-11-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

Yosemite is a unique place located in the middle of California. There are numerous hills, meadows, mountains, waterfalls, and lakes within this area which is hard to believe. I must say, once you enter the park and drive on the winding road for awhile to the Yosemite Valley. You will witness a breathtaking lookout just like this one. If you are coming from the southern side of the Yosemite (Wowana Road), you will enter into the long tunnel to the gateway into the Yosemite Valley. Driving in the tunnel makes you feel the anticipation for something special. Then at the end of the tunnel you will see tons of people standing around at the lookout/ viewpoint taking pictures. Look closely you can see a magnificent Bridal Veil Fall from right.

From this road, you can continue down and will come across the unique areas. They are very clever to have free shuttle that stops at the main areas. There are many things happening in this area. I feel it is like Disneyland once you enter the park. Just be aware that you might see Bears, deers, bats, and other animals. You will be surrounded by many people here, in case you are worried. Try not to leave food or scented items in your car while you are asleep. It can attract bears or other wild animals. Plus, you can do a lot of things like bicycling, hiking, rafting, sun bathing. They also have rentals for bicycles/raft, grocery stores, restaurants, and information centers. The park also have activities for night time hikers, children's learning center, etc... If you stay in the park at a campsite. Some nights they will ask you if you would like to join for a story telling around the large fire pit.

Can you imagine seeing a person standing on top of this huge, massive Half Dome? This picture was taken at the Glacier Point which is a different route if you want to have this view. There is only one way in and one way out here. From above at Glacier Point, you soak in all the beauty of nature. They have a few trails for you and a small shop. If you follow the trail up to Glacier Point which is not very far. You can observe different angles of the park and if you have good vision, you can see the famous sites. At night, I would drive up here to star gaze. It is extremely beautiful. The air, sound of waterfalls, and the numerous stars. It is amazing! It is a unique experience of its own. When the sky is clear with no moon, you can see the clusters of stars forming a large linear plane that gives a unique view point looking out of the Milky Way galaxy. If you have telescopes, this is the place. Try bringing warm clothes or even a sleeping bag to lie on your back while watching the stars. There are plenty of paved concrete. I stayed at the Bridal Veil campsite a 15-20 minutes away from Glacier Point which is located above the Yosemite Valley. It is a first come, first serve site. Up here you can see the bottom of the Yosemite Valley which is really neat. You can also see people, cars, streams, waterfalls, campsites, and stores. It's fun to see different viewpoints. I highly recommend it.

This area was taken at the Tuolumne Meadows location north eastern part of Yosemite National Park. We went on the Tioga Pass, a winding road that goes eastward towards Nevada. You''ll also be able to see large coniferous trees, lakes, rock climber and meadows like the one shown above. It's a little less crowded than the valley. I didn't spend much time here, just look around and take a quick shot. I had my little puppy, Teddy, and since the park does not allow pets on unpaved trails, I can't take him on certain hiking areas.

Aw...serenity.

Mr. Teddy posing.

Camp fire at Bridal Veil Campsite. You can burn dead wood or branches unlimited. It help clear up the grounds and is healthy for the forest.

I guess my shirt matches with the water landscape.

Make sure to put away all foods and scented items into the locker.

Overlooking the Sierra Nevada. Location behind the Half Dome or northeast of Yosemite Valley.

Bonaire

2011-11-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

After staying in Curacao for a few days. I headed off to Bonaire on a small plane. It only took us a few minutes. Riding on the small plane you get a great view of the ocean and island, because the plane can fly in at a much lower altitude. Once we landed into the airport.

I realize that it is much smaller than the Aruba airport. Some of the rental car companies are located outside the airport. A taxi driver saw us and told us if we want to get a ride he can take us there for 10 dollars. My hubby, instead, left me there with the luggage and walked out to find the rental car. There was a plaza in front of the airport, but realized later that it is not there. Another man said that he works for the rental car and he was suppose to have the print out of our name. I was reluctant to believe him, because he looks like an ordinary cab driver. He later called the rental company for our name to confirm and asked me where is my husband. Finally, I saw a person that was helping some guests into the van and he was working for our rental car company. Both men spoke and they seem like they work together. So I was much assured and able to go with him. He was a big and friendly person. We drove a bit and found my hubby heading back to the airport. We picked him up and they took us to the the rental car place. The man said that here in Bonaire you are to be relaxed and take your time. We didn't have to pay a dime to get there.

My most concern part of traveling is being picked up by the wrong people. It is a foreign country and people are different. You just have to watch out for yourself and take things slowly, especially if you are on vacation. My hubby was a bit hasty, and took off without even calling the rental company to see where they are. I guess he didn't want to pay phone calls.

This island is known as the Diver's island. The island is small and encompasses rich resources like manufacturing salt at the southern tip of the island.

They are very big in conserving their environment. If you snorkel or dive you need to pay a permit. You are given a plastic tag that can be placed onto your eye piece so rangers can see and doesn't have to check on you.

We stayed at a hotel that was rebuilding. So the room we stayed in wasn't as nice or comfortable as I thought. Most of the amenities for our room that they posted on their website was not even there. Yet, we tried to focus our attention outside more. There is a cute place called Lilly's nearby. They have gelato and coffee. You get to have free wireless. A lot of medical students hang out here, because their school is close by. They have a small town that have lots of restaurants and shops along the coastal edge where most of the dutch cruise ships docks. On cruise ship days, tons of people come out to sell goods and souvenirs.

Bonaire has a large park that takes up most of their island. Located above the small town Rincon. It is very beautiful inside the park. You get to see hidden beaches, light house, flamingos, iguanas, pigs, goats, crest bird, and other animals roaming freely in the park. They have a map for you to look at. The road is not paved, so its best if you have a jeep or truck.

We got a Kia, it is automatic and small. So it was pretty rough on the car. On the second day we stayed there. It was raining and thundering so we decided to stay in the car. Unfortunately, after a few minutes my husband decided to turn on the switch. It wouldn't turn on the car. We tried so many times that a couple nearby even tried to help us. We don't have jumper cables in our rental cars. We waited for almost 2 to 3 hours until the ranger does their rounds to escort people outside the park. They also don't have jumper cables. If we had a manual car we could jump start the car on its own.Finally they said that we would have to follow them until they complete their rounds of checking out visitors. After the rangers made a few calls. He found someone that has the jumper cables. We were so happy. The park terrains were very rugged so just imagine the ranger driving in full speed to get out and in again to jump start our car. He was really nice and friendly. Its so funny, because we got to see the park ranger's home and when they are not in their attire. They all smiled and said "Hi." We were so embarrassed that we had to bother them during their off work. If it wasn't for them we would have to leave our car there for the night since the park was closed and we would probably have a hard time getting it out the next day. Plus, our flight was tomorrow morning. So we were really lucky. We figured out that the car front lights was on during the time we were in the car listening to the radio station.

On the positive note, I had a wonderful time on the island.

The best snorkeling area in the park.

The most amazing thing about this place is that you feel you are in a Safari, where you can freely roam in your car to visit unique areas. You can also hike, swim, snorkel, dive, picnic, and also have a small restaurant located at the southern tip of the park. I saw beautiful fishes of different colors and sizes. The reefs were beautiful.The ranger will tell you where it is. They would tell you what time you should visit and leave by to get out of the park before it closes. After closing we saw some researchers coming in the gates. So it seems like there are others that are present in the park even after hours. The ranger told us that there are local people coming in to fish. Sometimes they fish until morning, "crazy" he said. When you hike you have to be really careful, many people get lost here. It is a big park with lots of trees and bushes. You won't see snakes or dangerous animals, but you can easily get hurt at night walking on tough terrains. Most of the platforms along the coast are formed by lava towards the eastern or northern part of the island. So if you wear slippers like I did, it hurts. Its like walking on glasses. On certain beaches you also get to see crumbled coral reefs. They look so intriguing with different shapes and sizes, plus lots of hermit crabs.

A Trip to the Caribbean!

2011-11-17T01:36:00.000-08:00

I went to three of the Caribbean islands. The three islands were Curacao, Bonaire, and Aruba. These islands used to be the ABC islands, but recently they changed. All of the islands are located close to Venezuela. It is warm year round. The ocean water is filled with beautiful fishes. The water is clear along the western part of the islands. While the eastern part are rugged with lava rocks or cliffs with pounding waves from the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the locals recommended me to snorkel or dive along the western parts of the islands. The water is calmer with abundance of coral reefs and fishes. Plus you avoid hammer head sharks. I had visited Aruba five years ago. Just a few weeks ago, this island is becoming more busier than before with tourists and it was during the low season of October.

My first stop was Curacao. An island with a sense of flair and many activities. As you know, all of the islands are small and have their own uniqueness. The locals speaks mostly four languages; Dutch, Spanish, English, and Native language. The Arawak's were the first people to inhabit the island until the Dutch and the Spanish people arrived. Later on they brought the slaves. So you can understand why they had to learn all four languages by the time they graduate from school. In addition, majority of the income comes from tourist which even benefits to communicate with so many diverse visitors.

As I stepped off the plane, I suddenly felt a sense of adventure. It was warm and humid with scattered showers. I walked outside and found that there were familiar eateries from the U.S. I believe it was Cinnamon Bun, Sbarro, etc... The good thing about this airport is that there are plenty of car rentals. You definitely would need a car rental (Hertz, Budget,..) to get yourself around the island. You can drive around the whole island in one day if you like. I'd realize that staying in the Westpunt is the best for me, because it is more calmer and relaxing. It is the hidden gem of the island. Don't expect high rise hotels or lines of stores. If you want something like it you would need to head down to Willemstad (30-40minutes away). There are more bustling, restaurants, stores, over there.

We stayed in the Lodge Kura Hulanda Westpunt. We drove there in our small, white, Daihatsu car. It was ideal, because of the small roads. The land is filled with greenery. The climate is very pleasant for the plants, so it is very common to have them grow off the roofs or outside walls. The lodge is beautifully landscaped to make it seem like you are in the forest. The lodge we stayed are made to have 3 separate tenants. Inside it is tiny, but the cute architecture won my heart. Each day you let them clean your room, they would give you a Hershey's chocolate. The lodge is guarded 24 hours. It is a resort that meets most of my needs. Such as, directly from the beach, library (made like a Tahiti Hut), bar, pool, cave, diving/snorkeling rentals, bar & grill near the beach. They even have a walkway down the cliff for you to check out the Indian caves and to snorkel. Make sure the water is in calm condition before you enter the waters. The resort is not huge, but it have all the amenities, plus friendly staffs.

So many hermit crabs along the coastal beaches.

The yellow building was taken when I was walking around the resort. I did not stay here. I think it is a residential home. The resort also sales part of the land to the public I believe. The landscape is gorgeous right above the cliffs and ocean. This place is a bit hidden. Just follow the signs once you arrive to Westpunt, pass the local homes and you are there. Sometime kids would walk home along the small roads, so drive slowly and carefully.

If you want nice soft sandy beaches you would have to travel away a few miles down south from the Lodge. Not to say the beach inside the resort is unpleasant, it is mostly covered with large broken coral reefs along the beach. The other beach is open to the public, but don't forget to take all your valuables with you. Even for a few seconds. One of the place I really liked and snorkel is the Knip Bay. When the sun shines onto the waters. The water illuminates from light blue to turquoise hues. It is beautiful. Buses filled with tourists would stop here once in a while. I bought an inflatable for myself to lie down on the waters. It is bright pink. This color against the bright blue water would have drawn a lot of attention from the tourist above looking down from the cliffs. Yet, I still felt I was in Paradise Island. If only I had taken this picture when the sun was shining onto the waters.

Knip Bay Beach in Westpunt, Curacao

Food

The good thing about staying at Kura Hulanda Lodge is that we got free wireless. I was able to use my laptop and search for the best places to eat around Westpunt. I realized that the best restaurant in the island is less than a mile away from the resort. It is very romantic, serene, friendly staff, outdoor dining under the stars, soft music, and unique table settings. The food is deliciously cooked and seasoned. I love curry, so I got myself a curry dish with chicken and rice. I felt like I was home even though I was miles away. My hubby had ox tail stew with rice and he loved it. We also tried the conch tacos which tasted pretty good. It didn't taste too salty or chewy. The place only opens on certain evenings. Try to get your reservations to ensure your seats. Initially, I was afraid to enter the area, because it looks like a home from the outside. I saw customers parking in front so I knew it was a genuine restaurant. The name is Landhuis Misje. They even have a website. To enter you go through the big gates into the back. The waiter was really friendly and fun the whole time we were there. I saw a falling star while gazing the night sky. Some dishes are expensive, but overall it is the best tasting restaurant in the island by visitors from Tripadvisor.com.

Iguana and lizards are everywhere.

Willemstad, Curacao

Throughout the island I saw different and bright painted buildings and homes.

Very unusual arts and souvenirs.

Most of the fruits and vegetables here were brought from Venezuela through boats. They dock and unload their goods at the floating market and sells them to the locals in Curacao.

A Valuable Tip to Enjoy Vacation to the Fullest

2010-10-26T04:19:00.000-07:00

Case in point, I love to travel, but there are times when I feel I'm not enjoying my trip. I begin to miss things and then I started to miss people, then later negative things like worry creeps into my mind. It seems that it would take days or months for my mind to reap the pleasure of serenity. Hehehe. I think it takes time for our mind to steadily remove ourselves from our hectic days. Perhaps, it could be the sense of repetitives from work or our usual daily routines. Like worry about things I need to do at work. Did I forget something that I might get in trouble, or could things be a mess when I come back from vacation? It can be even worse when co-workers/boss calls you during your vacation to ask questions about things at work. How do you completely let go? How do you feel when work and vacation does not split? How do you completely tell people that you will be off and can't accept calls without feeling guilty? I am open for comments. I know that it is crucial to have a break from work, but how can you fully relax yourself and not worry?

One tip I can say that works is from reading an article about being mindfulness. Which means to be aware of what you are doing. For instance, if you run or walk, do you ever think about your sensations like the movement of your legs, or intake/output of your breaths for a moment? Or do you feel like your mind roams and thinks of all sorts of situations, negatives or positives? Unaware of your thoughts you start to wonder why do I think about these things. Well, this is the kind of reasons why some people can't enjoy their vacations to their fullest. Their mind is unaware or detached from the beautiful beaches or landscapes. Their mind gets bottled up or caught up to all sorts of situations that they might not even notice what they were doing earlier. Its like doing two things at the same time, but your memory could only capture one.

It takes time to practice to learn to be more aware. As we get older we have more things to think and worry. Which I believe shows responsibilty and judgement. Yet, for us, we need clarity and restoration for our mind/body to be healthy. So the solution is to be aware of your surroundings and focus on any particular event/ place/ object/ scene/ conversation etc... Hopefully, you would be able to remove yourself from the worries or stressful thoughts. Just observe and use your senses to feel or interact with your surroundings. Hopefully, you would notice that you would be able to enjoy and remember more of your vacation for years.

Bon Voyage!

When I was in Oahu, Hawaii

2010-10-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

I feel so fortunate to travel and explore more of Hawaii. My first trip I went to three islands, Kuaii, Maui, and Oahu for two weeks period. It was a lot to absorb that I had a hard time to relax. Luckily, last Spring I was able to go for about a week in May. I saw so many cool package deals like staying at the Waikiki Circle Hotel and airline ticket for less that 600 dollars for 5 nights at travelocity. It was during the cooler season so the water was a bit cooler. Especially at the Hanauma Bay. Anyhow, they suggested to go during the summer. Summer may be great but it could be very over crowding. From my impression it seems a bit crowded when I went there. I stayed in a hotel that was located in front of the popular Waikiki Beach, only 1 crossing street away and you are there. It was nice to see some people walking around and activity. At night I would go out of my hotel and enjoy the night life. In Waikiki there are plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, beach, monuments, shrimp trucks, etc.

During the day, I would travel around with my rental car to different areas of the island. Such as, the northern and eastern part of the island. You can always, especially if it is your first time, is to take the tour. Since I'd been here before, I would rather take the time to enjoy the scenic stops. It is totally worth it. Outside of Waikiki you can still find beautiful white sandy beaches and wonderful areas to snorkel (Hanauma Bay). I heard that during the winter you can enjoy watching surfers up in North Shore. There are plenty of things to see. I feel that each island is unique, but if you want to do a lot of activities in one island, I suggest this is the one. Plus, since most of international flights stop in Oahu and many hotels are in the surrounding area, your chances of getting competitive package deals are on your side. What I did was stayed at Oahu and booked a 1 day adventure ticket to the Big Island. I saw the Lava Flow and the famous Banyan Trees that was planted by many famous/political figures like Babe Ruth and Richard Nixon. The funny thing is that the guide said that Richard Nixon's Banyan Tree was planted a little crooked. In case you want more exploration try book a day trip to the other islands by helicopter, interisland flights that ranges $70+, or by cataraman boats, etc..

Sandy Beach of Oahu.

Hanauma Bay, prior to entering you need to watch a 5 minute introduction that talks about the island's history, how it came about and ways to protect the coral reefs.

Honolulu Airport has an outdoor/indoor design. Once you step out of the plane you can feel the warmth and breeze.

This was taken at the International Market located at the Kalakaua Ave. in Waikiki

We found a Shrimp truck! You can find them mostly in Waikiki or Northshore.

Garlic Shrimps yummy!

Looking down from the top of the Diamond Head.

Another picture taken from the top of the Diamond Head.

Shaved Ice with different flavors only about $3.50. I bought it in Northshore. Everyone would eat it right at the store, because the ice melts fast. You have so many options of flavors, like watermelon, strawberry, bubble gum, kiwi, etc. I had so much fun going back there to get seconds.

Sunset at Northshore.

At this park you can see the China Man's Hat Island.

St. Maarten

2010-10-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

I went to St. Maarten two weeks ago because my boyfriend needed a vacation. We wanted a place where the water is warm and the people were friendly. I admit, this island sure has it. It was raining when we arrived which comes and goes through out our time there. This is one of the exciting trips I'd ever made. I was a bit hesistant to go to the carribean in September, because of hurricane season. We watched the news carefully for almost a month prior to leaving to the island. So far we heard about the hurricane Igor heading northeast towards Bermuda. Luckily for us we didn't have to cancel any of our plans. For those that do not know where St. Maarten is, it is located a few hours southeast of Florida. There are many islands in the Carribean that its hard to choose which one to visit.

Orientale Beach located on the eastern part of the island.

Attracting thousands of tourists or more each year to witness a plane taking off in front of them about a couple of feet away. You can also see planes landing above you while you are below them. Larger planes would have to land closer to the water in order to have enough runway.

Johnny Cake. Taste plain like a fried bread.

Gazing at the Sunset from my hotel in Grand Case.