TravelPod.com TravelStream™ — Recent Entries at TravelPod.com TravelStream™ most recent 25 entries from TravelPod.com. Travel Blogs | Travel Journals | Travelogues | Travel Diaries ( Since 1997 ) http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:28:32 -0500 http://www.travelpod.comThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. Five Guys Take a Trip - A Day Off — Key Largo, Florida, United States http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/zIgKsf3xnro/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257271515/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257271515/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:28:32 -0500 Our Experiences in the Philippines
Key Largo, Florida, United States

Wait a minute,  why the hell does everyone keep asking about Buster.  I keep telling you there is no Buster on the trip; never was, and we certainly didn't pick him up along the way so no more more asking about Buster okay?

I had decided I wouldn't dive today since I wasn't exactly sure what kind of shape I'd be in after last night in Key West.  We had breakfast at the Hideout and the rest of them went off to a day of diving on the Daune and Bibb; two USCG cutters sunk in 1987.  Since I didn't dive you'll have to ask them about the dives but understand the current was ripping.

Instead, I headed out with Buster to the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center located in Tavernier.  It wasn't bad, quiet and peaceful and a pleasant hour or so walk.  After that went to do a little souvenir shopping for Jane (sorry you couldn't make the trip dear but I got you a t-shirt) and a few pieces of dive gear I needed to replace.

And what trip to the Keys wouldn't be complete without a stop to see the African Queen.  Yep, that's right the original one from the movie.  You can actually take it for a cruise but Buster and I thought that it didn't look in that good of shape to take out on the water.  Besides we both wanted to be Humphrey Bogart.

They rest of the guys got back from diving and that evening went out for pizza at the Upper Crust which had a pretty tasty pie.

"Ah-ah!!!!  So there is a Buster!  I told you there was a dog on the trip, but Noooooo, you kept denying it.  Now just try to say there isn't a dog with you; you even had an argument with him.  Of course Buster should have played Bogart, he would have looked silly in a dress."

Pictures from the Trip                                 Five Guys Take a Trip - The Diving Continues

(Author's Note: Although this is dated in chronological order I've had to backtrack a bit since Internet access in Key Largo was being difficult, was having too much fun to check in, and too tired at the end to keep up.)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257271515/tpod.html Five Guys Take a Trip - The Diving Continues — Key Largo, Florida, United States http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/FBAPg8FVljs/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257271601/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257271601/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:27:04 -0500 Our Experiences in the Philippines
Key Largo, Florida, United States

It's Monday and during Breakfast at the Hideout we decide to take it easy and do some shallow diving today, so it's off to the dive boat where we dove the French Reef, Christmas Tree Reef and the Bentwood wreck.  What else can be said except that it was another good day of diving.

Buster stayed back at the houseboat where he relaxed and took a kayak out for an hour or so.

That evening we took another short road trip to Whale Harbor for the all you can eat seafood buffet.  It was okay but don't think any of us would recommend it. 

Pictures from the Trip                        Five Guys Take a Trip - The Last Day

(Author's Note: Although this is dated in chronological order I've had to backtrack a bit since Internet access in Key Largo was being difficult, was having too much fun to check in, and too tired at the end to keep up.)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257271601/tpod.html Five Guys Take a Trip - The Last Day — Key Largo, Florida, United States http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/02W4tVguNhk/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257597868/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257597868/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:25:35 -0500 Our Experiences in the Philippines
Key Largo, Florida, United States

Tuesday and the last day before the trip back.  George and the Paul squared head out to the Spiegel Grove for a final day of diving while Artie and I head out to the History of Diving Museum.  Who knows where Buster was, the last we saw of him he was chatting up some babe he had met down by the water's edge.

Had gotten a couple of free passes to the diving museum otherwise Artie and I probably wouldn't have gone but turned out to be a very good museum.  There was a lot of information and displays to view and from what we understand that was only a third of what they had but didn't have the space to display.  If you're down that way and taking a day from diving check them out.

Our last dinner in Key Largo was at Mrs. Mac's, another great meal and I finally got my Key Lime pie.

Pictures from the Trip                           Five Guys take a Trip - The Road Back

(Author's Note: Although this is dated in chronological order I've had to backtrack a bit since Internet access in Key Largo was being difficult, was having too much fun to check in, and too tired at the end to keep up.)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257597868/tpod.html Do I need my bullet proof vest? — Bogota, Colombia http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/ARVzvWf5tR8/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jim_a_scott/1/1257614582/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jim_a_scott/1/1257614582/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:24:58 -0500 James wonderings
Bogota, Colombia

Well I´m now in Bogota which has a bad reputation of being dangerous. Howver I am informed that it is a lot better than it used to be so I shal venture out without my body armer on!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jim_a_scott/1/1257614582/tpod.html vietnam mekong - phnom penh tour 7days/6night — Can Tho, Vietnam http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/XCQB9VsBTUc/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mekongtour/1/1257614303/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mekongtour/1/1257614303/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:23:48 -0500 mekongtour's Great Adventure
Can Tho, Vietnam

Mekong Delta River - Phnom Penh - Siem Reap
Mytho - Mytho - Cantho - Chau Doc - Phnom Penh - Siem Reap
7Days/6Nights

Day 1 : HCMC - My Tho - Ben Tre - Can Tho (L/-)
8 : 00 AM Pick up at hotel in HCMC. Depart for My Tho. Take the boat ride through the Bao Dinh natural canal, view the stilt houses and the fruit plantation along the river sides. Proceed to the Tortoise island. Lunch served in the heart of the orchard. Enjoy the nice boat ride through the Tan Thach natural canal in Ben Tre, cruise under the shadow of the water coconut trees. Visit the family where you can experience the agricultural lifestyle. Trekking through the fruit plantation in Thoi Son island, enjoy the rowing boat ride along the creeks before returning to My Tho by motorized boat. Proceed to Can Tho via Vinh Long, visit the snake market. Check in on arriving. Dinner on guests account. Overnight at your proposed hotel in Cantho.

Day 2 : Can Tho - Long Xuyen - Chau Doc (B/L/ -)
After breakfast. Visitors first take the boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong river (the Bassac river) . The boat trip later takes you to the Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets, which are the most original ones and bustling places of the region. Visitors will have the most probably tried the Vietnamese vermicelli soup? So, they will now go and see how it is made. Visitors then roam into the village to get in touch with the local people. Here, they have a chance to experience how to pass a Monkey bridge which is built by only one bamboo. Stop for lunch. Proceed to Chau Doc via Long Xuyen to visit the Thot Not bird Sanctuary. Check in on arriving in Chau Doc. Admire the landscape from the Sam Mountain summit down the Vietnamese - Cambodian border, visit the caved pagoda. Dinner on guests account. Overnight at your proposed hotel in Chaudoc.

Day 3 : Chau Doc - PhnomPenh ( B /- /-)
After breakfast. Visitors then take the nice rowing boat trip through the floating village to visit the fish farm to see how the Mekong Delta people raise fish on their floating house. Visit the Cham minority with their traditional weaving village. Change to the speed boat to board to PhnomPenh ( Schedule 9 : 30 - 14 : 30 ). Arrive in PhnomPenh around 14h00pm at the Sisowath tourist dock. Pick up and transfer to hotel. Free at leisure. Overnight at your proposed hotel in Phnom Penh.

Day 4 : Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (B/L/-)
After breakfast, City Tour to visit National Museum of Khmer Art, Silver Pagoda, on the same ground of the Royal Palace and the renowned Central Market. In the afternoon, witness the reign of terror during the Khmer Rouge Regime by visiting the Killing Field of the Choeung Ek, and the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crime. Before returning to the hotel, visit the famous Wat Phnom. Transfer to Pochentong airport for boarding to Sim Reap on late afternoon flight FT 996 ( 18 : 20 - 19 : 15 ). Pick up and transfer to your hotel. Dinner on guests account. Overnight at your proposed hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 5 : Siem Reap Angkor (B/L/-)
After breakfast, tour to small Circuit including Prasat Ravan, Banteay Dei, Srah Srang, Ta Prohm, Takeo, Thommanon, Chau Say, Tevoda, to the World Seventh Wonder of the Magical temple city of Angkor Wat until view sunset at Pnom Bakheng. Dinner on guests account. Overnight at your proposed hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 6 : Siem Reap Angkor (B/L/-)
Early morning, view sunrise at Angkor Wat. Transfer to hotel for breakfast. The same morning visit South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King. Afternoon, visit Grand Circuit including Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, Preah Khan, Baksei Chamkrong and South Gate of Angkor Thom. Dinner on guests account. Overnight at your proposed hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 7 : Siem Reap – departure (B/-/-)
Breakfast at the hotel. Free until transfer to the airport for departure.


Include
Entrance fees
Motorised boat
1 mineral water bottle/pax/day
Accommodation: hotel in cantho
Full transportation by as tour program indicated.
Full meals as indicated in the itinerary.
English- speaking guide (other languages are available upon request)

Not include
Personal expenditure
Tipping for guide and driver
Other services not mention above

Private tour:
To do the tour privately. The tour is not fixed, it is possible to be customized for your group. All service is reserved for your group only. You do not have to share the bus, boat, tour guide with other tourists. One exception, if you stay at the boat in Mekong - it is like the hotel in Mekong - you still have to share the boat with other people
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mekongtour/1/1257614303/tpod.html Five Guys take a Trip - The Road Back — Key Largo, Florida, United States http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/anAqQWttO3k/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257452557/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257452557/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:23:25 -0500 Our Experiences in the Philippines
Key Largo, Florida, United States

Although the diving is done and we are leaving Key Largo the trip itself isn't over and we get up at four in the morning to start the day's adventures with Paul Z. and Artie as the first drivers of the day.

Just like the trip down, we make a slight unplanned detour except this time play "Follow the Leader" following Artie and George (the navigator), miss the turn to I95 and keep heading merrily toward the west coast of Florida until we hit the toll booth and sheepishly make a u-turn putting us in the right direction.  George couldn't even use fatigue as an excuse since we were only an hour into the drive, not a good start to the long drive back.  And of course someone did ask him why we weren't staying on the Fl Turnpike when we turned off, but No, don't have to keep paying the toll by getting off it. 

And this is what we get for letting George and Artie lead, not only did we have to backtrack, they decide to stop for breakfast at of all places a McDonald's.  And not only any McD's but an annex stuck in one corner of a gas station.  With all the Cracker Barrels, Waffle Houses, and Huttle Houses you'd think they would have picked one of those.  But no, they had to go for the generic McD breakfast in the gas station route.  Even Buster was disappointed.

Now you may ask why we started out this morning at four.  It's for a long standing tradition for the guys who have done this trip before to stop at the Georgia Pig for lunch.  And since it's Barbeque I certainly wasn't going to be the one to go against tradition.  Of course it was planned perfectly and around 11:30 here comes Exit 29 and off we go.  Had a great lunch of a pulled pork sandwich, Brunswick stew and coleslaw and of course unsweetened ice tea.  Doesn't get any better than that.

After a leisurely lunch we're back on the road again; next stop; South of the Border where Artie wanted to pick up some souvenirs for whatever reason.  If you've never stopped at South of the Border, I'm not sure you'd need to.  It may have been that it was out of season or the downturn of the economy but most of the stores were closed and it was slightly depressing.  Even Buster was laying down on the floor of the car and didn't want to get out although it might have been from missing his girlfriend in Key Largo.

Anyway, it was rather uneventful after that, dropped Paul C. off in Virginia, and parted ways with Paul Z. just across the border in NJ since there wasn't any need for him to head all the way to Artie's to just turn around and head back west.  Artie, George and I continued on to Artie's house where we threw our gear in the back of George's truck and headed back west to his house where we arrived at 6:30 in the morning where Maggie was up and waiting.  She even made us breakfast, what a gal!  Then it was time for a shower and a quick nap.

Pictures from the Trip                               Five Guys Take a Trip - Epilogue


(Author's Note: Although this is dated in chronological order I've had to backtrack a bit since Internet access in Key Largo was difficult, was having too much fun to check in, and too tired at the end to keep up.)

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1257452557/tpod.html Five Guys Take a Trip — Stanhope, New Jersey, United States http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/0uBPcvtZGjA/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1256724368/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1256724368/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:20:02 -0500 Our Experiences in the Philippines
Stanhope, New Jersey, United States

Follow the zany adventures of five guys, a dog, and a truck load of dive gear as they make their way south from NJ cold down to Key Largo where they'll be staying for a week on a houseboat diving. 

Hold on, Russ is in NJ?  Now, I'm sure you saying "but I thought they were in the Philippines?", and you'd be right except we're heading to the states for Thanksgiving and I thought I'd fly over early for some diving with the old dive group.  So 24 hours later I touch down in Newark, get picked up by "Bob Smith" and crash.  But now it's Wednesday and we're off on our adventure

Wait a minute; a dog???  Where the hell did that come from, must still be the jet lag.  Scratch the dog, no dog, nope, not gonna happen.

Anyway; we start off in Stanhope, three guys, six tanks and assorted dive gear where we head to Scotch Plains; pick up the fourth member of the group; move gear, change cars and head to Virginia on a six hour trip to pick up the fifth and final member for this fun filled adventure.  NO, there is no dog, forget about the dog.

And then it's another 16 or so hours to sunny Florida for a week of diving and who knows what over misadventures.  So stay tuned for the further adventures of five guys (no dog!) as they drive down the east coast.  Updates and photos will follow.

Part Two - Let's go Diving
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjdemp/1/1256724368/tpod.html cam — Laguna Apoyo, Granada, Nicaragua http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/__db351Ti9k/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ccchrissie/2/1257196317/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ccchrissie/2/1257196317/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:19:20 -0500 Central America sin compromiso
Laguna Apoyo, Granada, Nicaragua

Nice grounds, views & hammocked deck. Lovely to be staying near the water at the bottom of the crater & it being clean & clear enough to swim in.  Reasonable visibility too & could see plenty of small fish. Tried to arrange a dive but apparently not possible this week. Not a lot else to do other than muck about in/on the water & enjoy the peace.

Sadly unable to do so in the Monkey Hut - got the noisiest room in history with staff banging around outside & above from 7am to 10pm+ - being downstairs where the wooden floor above is your ceiling is not clever, especially not so when ripped off for $20 for the privilege by the unfriendly staff not cut out for customer service! Could have stayed in the dorm but 3 tier bunks mean each bunk has barely 2" headroom - really claustrophobic.

Also someone played around with my food in the fridge - moved it from a sealed container to an unsealed one and left a short curly hair artfully arranged on top! Best go just for a day trip!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ccchrissie/2/1257196317/tpod.html Sweltering in Singapore — Singapore, Singapore http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/VA8KtjhKhuU/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtomkun/3/1257612592/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtomkun/3/1257612592/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:19:19 -0500 Our Asia-Pacific Trip
Singapore, Singapore

We had an excellent first full day in Singapore, complete with good company, good eats, and a LOT of heat.  It is incredibly hot here, a sharp contrast from China.  Unfortunately, I don't bode well in the heat.  But I'm trying not to complain because I know it is cold back home in Ottawa.  Given that we are only here until Tuesday, we tried to pack lots of sites and activities in today. 

This morning, Keith and Teng Fang took us to a "hawker's centre" near their house for breakfast.  This place is an outdoor eatery and market.  The top level consists of several stalls selling both Asian and Western cuisine.  The lower level is a food market complete with fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and fish.  We ate some Singaporean food for breakfast, which included toast with kaya butter, turnip cake, congee, peanut pancake and coffee.

After breakfast, we took a cab ride to Hort Park, which has only opened in the last few years.  Hort Park is considered a one-stop gardening hub.  There are several different themed gardens, trails, and plenty of green space opened to the public for leisure.  The park is beautifully landscaped and showcased a wide range of flora, trees, and other green shrubs.  We strolled along a "canopy trail", which led us to a WWII memorial/interpretive centre.  Lots of opportunities for photographs.  Unfortunately, I was distracted by the heat and inadvertently, stepped in some mud.  Not fun.

We then headed to Chinatown for lunch.  The menu included rice noodles with sauce and toppings such as shrimp, chicken or beef.  We quenched our thirst with a key lime iced drink - very refreshing on a hot day.  The noodles were not bad either.

After lunch, we strolled around the neighbourhood.  We stopped into the Buddhist Tooth Relic Temple, a relatively new temple in Singapore and very beautiful.  We strolled through the street markets, with vendors selling lots of souvenirs and other knick knacks.  It was not crowded like the markets in China or Hong Kong.  And the vendors were not aggressive salespeople.  It was quite pleasant to stroll and browse through the markets.

Our next stop was Little India.  (We took the subway to get to this neighbourhood).  Wandering through the streets of this neighbourhood was lots of fun.  Lots of shops can be found here selling a wide range of items such as jewellery, food, and clothing.  There are also some discount stores, including the ever popular Mustafa Centre.  The Mustafa Centre is very similar to Honest Ed's in Toronto - except Mustafa is opened 24 hours, 7 days a week.  This Centre sells everything you can imagine such as electronics, luggage, corningware, books, bathroom accessories, and food.  You name it, chances are you can find it here at Mustafa.  According to Keith, Mustafa gets incredibly busy after 10pm.  Who knows?  Maybe we'll check it out before we leave.

After a full day of walking in the heat, we sought refuge in a nearby mall and enjoyed some frozen treats.  Colin and I ordered durian and mango on shaved ice and a watermelon juice.  It certainly helped us to cool down while resting our feet at the same time.

During the evening, we ended up at Clarke Quay, a very trendy bar and restaurant district situated along the Singapore River.  We dined at Jumbo restaurant (No association with Jumbo in Hong Kong).  Keith and Teng Fang ordered for the whole table - again, very relaxing for us as we did not have to try to speak Mandarin.  Dinner was absolutely scrumptious!  We had a spicy vegetable stirfry, prawns cooked with cereal, fried rice, and the star dish: chilli crab.  The crab was messy to eat and a challenge to crack the shell.  But it was worth the effort.  And boy was the crab yummy.  Wish we could get stuff like this back home.  We walked off our dinner by strolling through this area before heading back to Keith and Teng Fang's house for the night.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtomkun/3/1257612592/tpod.html Arrived safely down South! — Maidstone, England, United Kingdom http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/i54pQC3kw_o/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/charliebears/1/1257610303/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/charliebears/1/1257610303/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:17:02 -0500 charliebears's Great Adventure
Maidstone, England, United Kingdom

Well, I arrived down in Kent safely yesterday and have now settled in to my new home for the next couple of weeks before we set of on the ride.

I Went out last night with Martyn and Jackie to get kitted out with my new biker gear! don't know about the pants but I like the hat & sun glasses.

This morning the sun was shining, so I went out to look at one of the motorcycle that will be taking me around the UK


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/charliebears/1/1257610303/tpod.html Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City — Beijing, China http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/p1FHgpS_x_s/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lexmarshall/1/1254953827/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lexmarshall/1/1254953827/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:16:45 -0500 lexmarshall's Great Adventure
Beijing, China

Survived the final sleeper train journey to arrive into Beijing at 6am. Spent the last hour of the journey talking to a sweet Chinese teenage girl who wanted to practice her English on me. (I decided not to practice my Mandarin on her as it consists of precisely four words, so the conversation was going to be pretty one-sided!). It was really interesting talking to her; I was surprised at how much access to western culture the Chinese clearly have. She had read all the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings novels, her favourite bands are Coldplay and Westlife (!) and her favourite movie is Twilight. Before I came to China I thought all western culture would be pretty much banned but it's not; you can find Kings of Leon CDs in the shops, Starbucks everywhere, you can get the BBC online and on the TV, but then at the same time things like Facebook and hotmail are banned. I can't work out how this whole capitalist communist state thing works and our guide Tomic doesn't seem to be able to explain it either.

After checking in to our hotel, we took the bus to Tiananmen Square. I have never seen so many people in one place in my life! Tiananmen Square can hold a million people and I should think there were close to half a million people there when we arrived. In order to actually get onto the Square we had to queue for about half an hour to go down a subway. Being a Westerner in China can have its plus points, especially in a crowd of a few tens of thousand Chinese, makes you easier to spot and less likely to lose your friends! Once we actually got onto the Square we had a quick look around the colourful floats from the National Day parade; it was really difficult to get a sense of how large the Square is because there were just so many people about. Interestingly there was no mention of any of the events that took place in 1989! No mention of tanks!! We then treked over to the other side of the Square to the entrance to the Tiananmen Gate and the entrance to the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City is HUGE! Trying to do a whistle stop tour around it in a couple of hours especially when you've come off the sleeper train at 6am and are pretty sleep deprived is probably not the best plan. We had a local guide who showed us through the Forbidden City, which is stunning and truly beautiful, but I was really not in the mood to take in anything she was saying. Trying to stay awake in the baking sunshine was about all I was capable of!

After a couple of hours rest back at the hotel, we headed out for a meal and then on to see a Kung Fu show. I wasn't majorly keen to go and see this, but as the rest of the group were going I thought I'd tag along too. I'm glad I did! Apparently the Shaolin Monks 'Legend of Kung Fu' show had just been on tour in London's West End for a month and it made me chuckle to think that we were seeing it for a fraction of the price of the inflated West End. It was actually more of a musical then a show, but it was spectacular and I was more impressed with it than the Acrobats that we saw the next night.




]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lexmarshall/1/1254953827/tpod.html last days in Turkey — Istanbul, Turkey http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/h1uFr63NNx4/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nwtmike/9/1256804189/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nwtmike/9/1256804189/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:54:46 -0500 Continental Wanderings II -- In search of the ultimate Turkish coffee
Istanbul, Turkey

Hej hej,

We're out of Turkey now and in Stockholm.  Pretty soon, we'll be moving on from here too -- a couple of gypsies taking advantage of one last travel surge to see family and friends before the twins arrive in early March.

Turkey was a great experience in so many ways.  Our favourite place was Erzurum and the surrounding area; however, Istanbul certainly kept us both entertained as well.  I wasn't crazy about the air quality in Istanbul on far too many days, nor the crazy traffic either.  However, I totally loved the life down by the water.

I did indeed find a good coffee joint to hang my hat a couple (or more) times.  It was at a little cafe called "Cinaralta" right on the water, near the ferry terminal in Cengelkoy, one of Istanbul's many port communities.  O and I would sit right by the water and watch the boat traffic slowly passing by. After dark, the changing colours of the lights on the Bosporous Bridge were a treat for the eyes, as well.

That's all I have for this entry.  There are some good pix from Istanbul attached, as well as at the ancient Roman ruins at Pamukkale...a stunning place to visit if you ever have a chance.

Bye for now,
  
Sven Bjornmikaelson saying "hejdoh" from Stockholm

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nwtmike/9/1256804189/tpod.html Killing Computer´s in Peru — Lima, Peru http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/5EpmmFCmjN8/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cetrece/1/1257612456/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cetrece/1/1257612456/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:53:26 -0500 Cetrece's South American Adventure
Lima, Peru

Hola,
Well just a quick note as Erin and I are off out to explore central Lima before coming back to meet our tour group later.
We were so impressed when we got to our hostel yesterday as we had our own computer in our room...not to mention the 5 beds..was huge room with balcony.ANYWAY...last night loaded some photo´s onto the computer and then this morning when i went to put them on for you guys to see.....Um the computer screen made a very large bang..and now doesn´t work!!!Luckily there are computers everywhere"!!!
Lima is very Brown looking city..well that was what it was like from the air...looked a bit like Morocco....its quite muggy too...havn´t had much cold but I suppose Cusco will provide that.
Anyway better go...didn´t think I would blog so much but computers are everwhere...I mean not even flash hotels have your own computer in your room!!!
Luv Erin and Cetrece


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cetrece/1/1257612456/tpod.html Dogs and Cats of Istanbul — Istanbul, Turkey http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/YwxLmlxPbDM/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nwtmike/9/1257574618/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nwtmike/9/1257574618/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:51:54 -0500 Continental Wanderings II -- In search of the ultimate Turkish coffee
Istanbul, Turkey

One of the most amazing things about Istanbul for me was the number of cats and dogs running around the place.  You see them just about everywhere.

One day, while hopping onto one of the many ferries that cross the Bosphorous (the extensive and incredibly busy waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, dividing Istanbul in two continents - Asia and Europe), we had to laugh when we saw a stray dog sitting right beside the gangway of the boat as it pulled in, loaded with people.  The boat worker tried to get the dog off, but at first it eluded him.

After all the arriving/departing passengers had gotten off/on, the worker managed to get the dog to hop off the boat just before the boat pulled away. The dog -- who was now quite probably and unexpectedly at an unfamiliar port -- quickly zig-zagged over the dock area, nose to the ground, sniffing to pick up a known scent.  Then, once she (I'll call her a girl, just for the heckuvit) was satisfied that she was completely lost, and to express her displeasure at being kicked off the boat, what did she do?  She took a crap, that's what.  Those that were watching on the boat all laughed (us included, of course).  Surprisingly, so did the dock worker who would then need to clean it up before the next ferry arrived.

And so it goes with the dogs and cats of Istanbul.  You see them practically everywhere, often where you'd least expect them.  And Istanbulers are quite OK with them.  You'll often see water or food bowls strategically placed for them by some shop-keeper, worker or resident.  Surprisingly, there isn't dog poop all over the place either.  "Someone" always cleans up the mess before it becomes a bigger mess.  Turks are (despite the overwhelming air pollution problems that way too many of their cities have) very neat and tidy people in general, so having poop all over the place just won't do.

Near the end of our Istanbul stay I said to Ozgur, "Why don't I do a dogs and cats of Istanbul blog entry?"  I then began to look for photo opps to include in this entry.  There aren't a ton of shots here, but I hope they tell the story.  Enjoy.  Bye for now,

Abdul Michaelhamed signing off

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nwtmike/9/1257574618/tpod.html Sunshine Coast — Noosa Heads, Noosa Heads http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/X0bqKtGDews/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lexmarshall/1/1250231821/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lexmarshall/1/1250231821/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:50:10 -0500 lexmarshall's Great Adventure
Noosa Heads, Noosa Heads

Noosa is absolutely gorgeous as is my hostel, which is a listed building set right by the beach and the National Park. Its been really hot and sunny here (about 27 degrees most days) so haven't done an awful lot other than go to the beach and eat lots of ice-cream. Lots of Brits up here and Europeans and we've spent most nights getting together for drinks. For drink read 'Goon'; this is Ozzie/Kiwi speak for boxed wine! Vino is so expensive over here that drinking from a bag with a tap, as you did when you were 15 years old, is the only way to get anything alcoholic down you this side of the hemisphere. You get past the whole tastes like paint stripper thing pretty fast!  My dorm is truly European with me an Italian guy (who snores very loudly!), a Dutch girl and a French girl. We all get along great so it's been great fun being roomies. Ventured out yesterday to the markets at Eumundi which are awesome. Some 600+ stalls selling loads of food, clothes and souvenirs and no tat in sight! The sea is pretty rough over here and the current pretty strong so not able to swim in it all the time. Been nice to escape from the city before heading to Sydney tomorrow. Only downside with Noosa is that it's very upmarket so if your on a budget you can't really afford anything other than an ice cream!


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lexmarshall/1/1250231821/tpod.html So much furniture, so little money — Ramstein-Miesenbach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/h7C0G7MuIs8/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/byron_and_tracy/1/1257608817/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/byron_and_tracy/1/1257608817/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:45:21 -0500 byron_and_tracy's Great Adventure
Ramstein-Miesenbach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Tracy and I are going to buy some gorgeous pieces of furniture during the next three years. Of that we are almost certain. It pains us now to see so many beautifully crafted antiques (book shelves, schrunks (armories), desks, tables, etc.) and know that they're out of our reach for now. The pieces you see pictured here were all somewhere between $1,300-$3,000, but honestly worth every penny.

This morning Tracy and I met DeAnna and Andrew at a bazaar near Ramstein AFB, which are popular among ex-patriot Americans and Germans alike. Many of the vendors are German, but some of the patrons are, as well.We walked among the many indoor kiosks for a couple of hours, looking at furniture and art, sampling cheeses, wines, and liqueurs, smelling soaps, etc. At a cheese shop set up by vendors from Holland I tried some hot sauces they had set up for sampling. I spooned a little of each kind on tiny pieces of bread to decide which one I was going to buy. They were all so delicious I had to sample each one twice to finally decide. I could only buy one bottle at $8.50 a piece or I would have bought two or three of them. I decided on jalapeno sauce, which was a 6 out of 10 on the heat meter. The habanero was 10 out of 10 and it was actually pretty hot, but not 10-out-of-10 hot, I'd say. It did burn my tongue, though, and that takes some serious heat to do.

Anyway, on our way back to the car we decided to try the vendors' foods: hot, garlic-buttered baguette with cheese, apple-cream crepe with coffee, and pizza. The coffee was mediocre, but I'm picky about my coffee. The bread and crepe were awesome. You can see a photo of them here.

From Ramstein, we all left for an antique store on top of what seemed like a mountain. As we approached the general area, I spied some kind of spire on top of a distant hill. The low-hanging clouds covered the higher sections of the spire, so it gave the appearance of going on infinitely upward. It looked genuinely magical, like something out of a Tolkein book. Winding around the low mountain (I would classify it as a 'cerro' in Spanish, since I don't know what to call it in English) we fianally arrived to an enormous old school house that had been converted into an antique store. The tiny town was called Schneeweiderhof and you might have a difficult time locating it on even a detailed map. But thanks to this blog you can see pictures of it here.

Tracy and I drooled and fantasized about much of the old furniture we saw, some of which can see. The photos, I swear, do not do the actual piece justice, since I used a 2-megapixel camera on a phone. We were at once excited and dolorous at the splendor of it all: dolorous in that we could reasonably afford none of it right now; excited in the idea that at three year's end we will most likely be able to beautify our future houses with an variety.

Until next time!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/byron_and_tracy/1/1257608817/tpod.html THE SEASONS IN CYPRUS — LARNACA CYPRUS, Larnaca, Cyprus http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/M5KL_UYH4Bc/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/greekcypriot/6/1257506015/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/greekcypriot/6/1257506015/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:43:27 -0500 THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS
LARNACA CYPRUS, Larnaca, Cyprus

CYPRUS 4 SEASONS

Cyprus epitomizes the Mediterranean weather with gorgeous sunshine and perfect temperatures every day of the year. Extreme temperatures are rare, making Cyprus an island for all seasons.

While Cyprus does not experience drastic seasonal fluctuations, each of the four seasons is distinctly different and has its own influence on the island's character and the activities on offer.

Sizzling Summer

Cloudless skies, high temperatures and cooling sea breezes mark the summer months that stretch from mid-May to mid-October. It's the perfect season for sunbathing, swimming and indulging in all kinds of water sports from scuba diving to sailing. You'll need lots of protection against the sun and sunscreen lotion is a must. Temperatures at the beach front can go up to 32 C, though it is markedly cooler in the Troodos and hiking up the mountains is still a possibility.

Cool Autumn

It is only towards the end of October that the evenings start to get cooler in Cyprus but the afternoons are still summery till mid-November. From October through to November the leaves start changing color and the vineyards take on crimson and gold hues. The highlight of the season is the annual Kypria festival during which prestigious international and local dramatic and musical performances are held all over Cyprus. Another highlight is the wine-tasting sessions that are held at all vineyards. Despite the cooler temperatures, the waters are still invitingly warm and it is still possible to enjoy swimming.

Not so Wintry Winter

Though December and January are winter months, you'll need to remind yourself that it's winter in Cyprus. The sun still shines brightly for about six hours during the day and evening rains are a distant possibility. Unlike its smaller neighbors, Cyprus does not shut down in winter and this is the best time to visit the many prominent heritage museums and sites when they are least crowded. The rain that has been threatening to fall finally makes good its threat in early February when there are occasional showers. Residents and visitors drop everything else and make a beeline for the Troodos in February, when the snowfall offers exciting skiing opportunities.

Delightful Spring

In Cyprus, the orchids wait for January so they can begin to bloom and by mid-February the entire countryside is verdant and lush with the meadows and flowers in full bloom. Carpets of red anemones and other multi-colored wild flowers can be seen everywhere. Day time temperatures by March are a cool 19C but they can drop to 9C at night. Spring is definitely in the air from the beginning of April to mid-May. Opportunities abound to go hiking and marvel at the pink cyclamens, wavy-leaved monkey orchid and 1,950 other species of flowering plants, of which 140 grow only on this wonderful garden island, and nowhere else.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/greekcypriot/6/1257506015/tpod.html FEEL THE HUMAN TOUCH — Larnaca, Larnaca, Cyprus http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/FRkIY-7jgGc/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/greekcypriot/6/1257452965/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/greekcypriot/6/1257452965/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:41:17 -0500 THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS
Larnaca, Larnaca, Cyprus


FEEL THE HUMAN TOUCH OF CYPRIOT PEOPLE


Cypriots are very hospitable people.  You will get the warmest of welcomes in Cyprus. The spirit of hospitality is very strong here.

Don’t be surprised if you are invited into their homes and be treated as a member of their family!

Stay in a restored village house or inn, part of the island’s agrotourism project, and experience rural living at first hand. 

THEMIS HOUSE  

Well, I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of such an Inn, whose name is Mrs Yiannoula. She owes one such agrotourism stone structure hotel at the village of LEMITHOU.                       

I was offered to stay for as long as I wished, as I wanted to see how agrotourism works on the island, however I could not accept her offer this time. I promised to be back soon, and probably we will both go up there together as we have become friends by now. 

Two days back we met at a music festival in Nicosia, and we agreed that the next time I visit the island to get together again and spend some time up there. 

This beautiful stone built agrotourism hotel is situated 47 kms north west of Limasol at the village of Lemithou, at an altitude of 1200 metres above sea level.

Check out the site here:

http://www.themishouse.com/uk/location.html
-----------





 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/greekcypriot/6/1257452965/tpod.html Fasting in Samui — Koh Samui, Surat Thani, Thailand http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/xzdsohNhKFk/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/chamster/1/1257611092/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/chamster/1/1257611092/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:39:19 -0500 Chamonix ski trip Dec 08
Koh Samui, Surat Thani, Thailand

Arrived into Bangkok first thing in the morning - nackered from the flight with a layover in Mumbai for a couple of hours. Had a couple of beers in the Airport with an interesting chap who I sat next to on the plane - retired Features writer for The Times who relocated to Pehnom Penh.

Made my way into the city to relax and find a nice hotel just to chill and maybe have a nap before getting the overnight train to Surat Thani which left at 7.30 that evening - I didnt want to spend a night in Bangkok.

Had a nice steam and massage in the Novotel on Siam Square and then made my way by Tuk Tuk to the station and managed to land myself the last first class cabin ticket available on the 7.30 train - result!! Id rather have the bottom bunk as the light can bother you when trying to sleep but the local bloke I was sharing with didnt mind putting the beds down straight away so I could sleep - I was mega exhausted by this time.

The private first class cabins are lovely - the cost was about 28 sterling and the journey south to Surat Thani was about 12 hours give or take a few minutes. I was woken with a Thai breakfast of fried egg bit of toast and OJ all for a handful of Baht.

There was a short hop on an air con bus to the ferry port which was about 1.5 hours and then jumped on the ferry which took me straight to Koh Samui. Lovely ride - again about 2 hours - lovely blue ocean and small islands all around - the FREEDOM!

So arrived in Nathon and was whisked away on the back of a moped for 250 baht to Lamai where I was booked in at the Spa Samui. I had been referred her by a couple of good friends as a good place for some serious Rand R.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/chamster/1/1257611092/tpod.html Power-Cuts In Palolem — Palolem, Goa, India http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/91cUKQDZPg4/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tec_sofie/1/1257351947/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tec_sofie/1/1257351947/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:38:56 -0500 tec_sofie's Great Adventure
Palolem, Goa, India


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tec_sofie/1/1257351947/tpod.html Madness in Mumbai — Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra, India http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/dRkb6cjMDPU/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tec_sofie/1/1257351821/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tec_sofie/1/1257351821/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:37:44 -0500 tec_sofie's Great Adventure
Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra, India

So here it is, our first entry on our 9.5 month trip.


Long overnight flight from Heathrow - upgraded to Club class though, result! Watched the new Terry Gillian movie 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus', probably not the best choice due to feeling completely destroyed the night before at the Monday night bday after-party at 68 Graham Road, so actually following what was going down was tricky for both of us. Sofie fell asleep.


Landed at Mumbai International Airport Terminal 2 at approximately 11:30am local time.


Messed around trying to work out where Terminal 1 was (3 hours till next flight!), Lots of people wanting pounds & dollars, lots of staring at Sofie as she is blonde, lots of people trying to "help" us.


Terminal 1 is in-fact about 25 minutes across town at a completely different place to the international airport - cue manic cab ride.


The taxi ride was frankly insane, lots of beeping, mental driving and our packs poking outta the boot which were 'securely' held by a shoelace around the boot handle. Awesome!


Made it to domestic terminal in good time, checked in (again), feeling jaded/tired but accomplished.

Awaiting Gate Call to Goa. 3pm flight. Tired but well excited still unsurprisingly.


We can smell Palolem Beach already, sea view bungalow here we come!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tec_sofie/1/1257351821/tpod.html Monkeys — Khon Kaen, Khon Kaen, Thailand http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/HSbVD1L42H0/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/acquaviva/1/1257606971/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/acquaviva/1/1257606971/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:35:56 -0500 Kim's Trip to Khon Kaen,Thailand
Khon Kaen, Khon Kaen, Thailand

*Note: I'll finish writing this blog entry tomorrow morning - just wanted to post this for now since Grey is eager to see my monkey pictures! :)
________________________________________

Today I went with O, Nan, their two dogs (Da-Wan and Yuro), Fei-Li, and six exchange students from China on a sightseeing trip to another province. We headed out around 9 and stopped en route to pick up breakfast from a roadside vendor. Nan bought everyone something called Sai Mai - crepes filled with spun sugar (like cotton candy). Not the healthiest breakfast in the world but it was awesome.

Our first stop was O's family's chicken farm in the Chiang Yuen District of the Maharasarakham Province. Her parents welcomes us into their home, fed us watermelon, and invited us to walk around the chicken farm. They have many, many, many chickens - around 2000 of them - and every morning, her mom goes to the wholesale market to sell the eggs for that day.  We dropped Da-Wan and Yuro off with O's parents, then hit the road for our next stop - Koh Sam Phi Park. We bought some bananas and headed into the park to see the monkeys. They swarmed over the van, climbing onto the windshield and reaching through the windows. We decided to get out of the van so that we could get better photos of the monkeys.By alternating banana-tossing with picture-taking, I was able to get great closeups of the monkeys without ever having a monkey touch me.  O wasn't quite as fortunate - a monkey snatched a plastic bag right out of her hand, but fortunately it didn't make contact with her skin - just with the plastic bag. We all jumped back into the van when we started running out of food and we closed the door. Monkeys were everywhere - on the roof of the van, on the rear view mirror, under the van, everywhere. It was an incredible experience - I'm so happy I had a chance to see the monkeys up close. It was kind of sad, though - the park wasn't well maintained and there was trash (plastic bags, bottles, etc) everywhere. As we were driving through the park, we saw a dead baby monkey in the grass next to the road. The monkeys were clearly extremely hungry...seeing them have to beg for food was a bit depressing.

After the monkey park, we headed to "Pizza Company," a restaurant in downtown Mahasarakham. It was a lot like a Pizza Hut, only cheaper and with stranger pizza toppings. The veggie pizza had corn and pineapple - yum! After we ate, we window shopped in the Sermthai Shopping Center, then went to Lotus (a grocery store) to pick up toiletries for the group. Afterwards, we headed back to O's parents' house to pick up the dogs.

We headed back to Khon Kaen, dropped the dogs off at O and Nan's apartment, and stopped at Big C (like Target) to do some grocery shopping for the week. Then we headed to the night market to meet O's parents so that she could pick up a piece of paperwork she'd forgotten earlier in the day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/acquaviva/1/1257606971/tpod.html Manizales, The Best City in Colombia — Manizales, Colombia http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/odxbDwWjEHI/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bhorne/1/1255017746/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bhorne/1/1255017746/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:34:34 -0500 bhorne's Great Adventure
Manizales, Colombia

Manizales is a tucked away secret high in the Andes Mountains. This is a gem of a city, witha cool climate, that will remid you of a European village. Many sidewalks cafes and college students are found here. This is a place most Americans have not known before. The city is sorrounded by beautiful lush green countryside and coffee farms. You can safely walk day or night and the city is very clean. In Palermo you can walk to everything and the hills will remind you of San Francisco. There are many friendly, beautiful women here. I liked it so much I moved here a year ago. Contact me for more information at www.bobhornejr@une.net.co
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bhorne/1/1255017746/tpod.html Co. Mayo — Westport, Western Ireland, Ireland http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/BE1vddFqnzY/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/katieware/1/1256289670/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/katieware/1/1256289670/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:25:21 -0500 Counting Sheep
Westport, Western Ireland, Ireland


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/katieware/1/1256289670/tpod.html 5 heavenly days in Halifax — Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Recent-Travel-Blogs-RSS/~3/Za6DtoV6OOQ/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/chamster/1/1257610038/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/chamster/1/1257610038/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:22:57 -0500 Chamonix ski trip Dec 08
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

OK - so took a Canadian Affair direct flight to Halifax - they only operate direct for about 6 months during early summer to late October. Very cheap - less than 300 sterling return and only about 5
hours.

So I was interrogated at the airport big time as I had an unopened M&S salad in my bag!! I was interviewed by lots of different people they went through the bag and also looked at all of my digital photos!! After about an hour they let me in but only after asking where I was going, who was I staying with, what my intentions were in the country!!

I met with Paulina and her son and cruised around Halifax for 5 days, The town has a lovely feel to it - bit oldy worldy. People seem to run on a differnet pace here but it definately has a lovely vibe to it.  Its quite a clean in the downtown area which is quite small but very attractive and easy to get about. Barrington street is the main area.

There are some lovely quaint shops in the downtown area and a lovely farmers market which we went to on the Sunday for a fab local breakfast of eggs, bacon and potatoes.

Weather was not particulary amazing - it rains a huge amount in Halifax with the temperature quite moderate - I think in the mid 60's.

Great 5 days - would love to go back to see it.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/chamster/1/1257610038/tpod.html