About Me (Barbara Weibel)

Barbara Weibel After years of working 70 hours a week at jobs I detested, I felt like the proverbial "hole in the donut" - solid on the outside, but empty on the inside. Searching for meaning in my life, I abandoned my successful but unsatisfying career and set out on a six-month solo backpacking trip around the world to pursue my true passions of travel, writing, and photography. My blog features stories about the destinations I visit, people I meet, the crazy things...Read more here....


Monthly Archives: February 2010

Can’t view the above YouTube video of the Cliff Divers of Mazatlan, Mexico? Click here.

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Blissful, blissful sleep. At 9 p.m. last night I pulled the hand-loomed blanked up to my chin and sank into the two thin pillows doubled beneath my head. There was no television to distract me. My cell phone has no international service, so it wouldn’t be beeping every time I received an email. A few gringos conversed on the balcony outside of my hotel room door and street noises floated through the room’s only window, but I was so exhausted that I was asleep in moments and did not wake until morning. I have been existing on three or four hours of sleep per night for more than a month as I prepared for my four-month backpacking trip through Mexico, Central and South America and this 12 hours of uninterrupted unconsciousness was a balm to my sleep deprived condition.

Interior courtyard at Hotel Lerma, Mazatlan

Hotel Lerma is a typical family-owned Mexican hotel. The building is old and patched but charming, built in a rectangle around a large open-air courtyard. The entrance gate is locked at 10 p.m., providing additional safety for parked cars and guests, however since the owners live on site, there is always someone available to open the big wooden doors for guests who stay out late. My room is modest but clean, with terra cotta tile floors, heavy wooden furniture, and crazy colors – marine blue for the concrete walls and bright turquoise for the doors and windows. The bathroom is tiny but adequate: the toilet flushes, the sink has running water, and the shower, which sprays directly onto the floor in one corner of the room and drains through the tile floor, has hot water (although the water smells like a cross between shrimp and iron). Continue reading

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Just in time for my trip comes this video:

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Wow! Most blog carnivals fizzle out after a few weeks, but the Blogging Boomers Carnival is celebrating its 150th week today. It’s a true milestone, and as always, a fascinating array of posts are presented for your perusal at It’s All About Aging. Now let’s hear it for another 150 weeks!

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Celebrating 20 years

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Gap Adventures is offering a chance to win $40,000 in travel and travel related gear. The contest invites participants to submit an itinerary for the trip of their dreams, anywhere in the world, for as long as 16 days.

To enter, just log on to www.createyourownadventure.com and click on the “Get Started” button. Choose up to three countries to include in your itinerary, name your tour, and select the duration, highlights and activities. Then tell the judges why your adventure is like no other and deserves to win (Tip: The website says: “We’re looking for trips focused on sustainable adventure travel that provide life-changing experiences”). Once you’ve entered, get all your friends and family to vote for you, since the winning entry will be determined by a combination of user voting and a panel of nine judges, comprised of some of the most influential leaders in the travel industry. Continue reading

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Winter’s dreary skies and numbing temperatures make us yearn for warm Caribbean breezes but with today’s economy, most can only dream. Last December my visit to Curaçao was one of the most enjoyable Caribbean experiences ever, so I was delighted when I learned that Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino and Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club are offering a special “Curaçao Now” package that can turn those dreams into reality.

Guests who book at either resort for a stay May 1 through July 4, 2010 and/or August 15 through December 18, 2010, will receive the following:

  • $200 per person air credit from the Curaçao Tourist Board
  • $200 food and beverage credit
  • Fifth night free
  • One day complimentary diving excursion
  • One day complimentary car rental service
  • Two complimentary tickets to Museum Kura Hulanda (available at Hotel only)
  • Diving discounts (available at Lodge only)
  • Various additional shopping and museum discounts

Rates include air and start at $499 per person (based on a flight out of Miami) for a five-night stay at Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino, and $519 per person (based on flight out of Miami) for a five-night stay at Continue reading

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