As a hosted guest of Rancho Pescadero Resort during a press trip, I expected the resort management to make every effort to welcome and impress me, but I did not expect to become a part of their family. From the moment I arrived everyone – from resort managers, Josh and Christine; to Danny the bartender; to Carla in the front office; to the night watchman, Angel; right down to the owner, Lisa Harper and her partner, George Lilinoe – adopted me. While I’d like to think that had something to do with my charming personality and wit, I must confess that during my stay, every guest received the same care and attention and this may be why, with only four months under their belt, the resort is already receiving repeat guests.

Pool with floating beds

Miles and miles of wide, pristine beach, backed with beach beds, lounge chairs and fire pits

If a caring staff is not enough to entice you to visit Rancho Pescadero, the facilities will win you over. From the central reception and open-air restaurant, guests descend to suites, which arc toward a pommeling ocean in a sweeping semi-circle that enfolds a poolside bar, whirlpool spa, and gorgeous pool with floating beds. By day, sand paths lead over a low dune past tall cactus to miles of pristine, windswept beach, where long walks, fishing, or surfing are the order of the day. Not into physical activity? Luxuriate in one of the resort’s dunetop beach beds, roofed wood frames with a mattress and curtains that can be drawn if the sun gets too intense, or make an appointment for a treatment at the oceanfront spa cottage. After dark, barrel chairs surrounding a firepit encourage flame gazing or more star gazing.

Fire gazing is a popular and relaxing way to spend an hour unwinding

Grounds from the rooftop of one of the suites

The open air restaurant is a great place to watch the sunset over the Pacific

When it comes time to feed the belly as well as the soul, the restaurant creates mouthwatering daily selections from the fresh catch of the day, cuts of meat from the local butcher, and organic herbs and vegetables readily available in adjacent fields that supply Whole Foods Markets across the U.S. Although the kitchen is open for breakfast, I never had need to use it, since a tray of fresh-picked fruit and gourmet coffee is left at the door of each suite by 7:30 every morning, complements of the resort. For that matter it was hard to even leave my stunning suite, which featured an open-air floorplan with private patio, separate sitting room with a pillow-smothered couch and two high-back chairs, and a bedroom with mosquito-netted king-size bed (why, I don’t know, since I never felt the first sting of a mosquito). Even the bathroom was luxurious, featuring a Mexican style deep-well concrete sink and a sunken walk-in shower/tub constructed of Mexican tile.

King suite

View from a King suite

Luxurious bathrooms

My initial stay was for two days, but Lisa invited me back for two more days, and I had such a hard time tearing myself away that I added a fifth day. Priced from $185 to $240 per night (holidays slightly higher), Rancho Pescadero is eminently affordable, and the other services – spa, food, drinks, and tours to nearby natural attractions – are also affordable. Though brand new, the resort has been the subject of much interest within the travel industry. With published reviews by the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle, and recent visits by representatives of the New York Times and GQ Magazine, this (almost) undiscovered gem will not stay a secret for very long, but I have confidence that no matter how successful Rancho Pescadero becomes, Lisa and her crew will continue to make every single guest feel like a member of the family.

To reach Rancho Pescadero Resort, guests can fly into either San Jose del Cabo (1 hour and 45 minutes from the resort) or La Paz (1 hour and 20 minutes away) in Baja California. From there, you may either rent a car, or the resort can arrange for a shuttle at a cost of $200 USD each way, for up to six people. If, like me, you lean toward adventure and experiencing local culture, take a bus instead. Mexican buses are luxurious by U.S. standards, featuring wide reclining seats, window curtains, on-board movies with English subtitles, and air conditioning. My bus from La Paz to Rancho Pescadero cost $77 pesos, or about $6.50 U.S.

La Fonda de los Briseno, corner of Revolucion and Bravo, La Paz

At La Fonda de los Briseno, owner Jorge Briseno Jimenez hovered over me like a mother hen. I liked him immediately and the reason soon became apparent: ten years ago, Jorge and his wife Sylvia Gonzalez Ariola both walked away from their professional careers as lawyers to open La Fonda. At the time, they weren’t quite sure what they wanted to do with their lives, but they did know they no longer wanted to be attorneys. In Jorge’s family, food was a passion. “I would come home from school and find my mother at the table surrounded by three kinds of bread and a half dozen cheeses, with a pot of Shoemaker soup simmering on the stove; enough food for an army! And my father studied natural foods and vegetarian cooking long before they were popular.”

The outdoor patio of La Fonda

The couple decided to open a restaurant, featuring traditional Mexican recipes of Jorge’s mother and the business philosophy of his father, who always insisted that it is better to make a little bit of money from many people than a lot of money from a very few. The combination has been a huge success, with the La Fonda being named as a top restaurant in La Paz by AAA Guides, Let’s Go Guides, Moon Guides, Lonely Planet, and a plethora of Japanese travel guides. The restaurant became so popular that it spawned a handful of copy cat La Fondas, forcing Jorge to add “de los Briseno” to the end of his name.

Since it was my first visit I asked Jorge to choose for me. His selected menu began with a plate of homemade chips with green and red salsa and a plate of halved limes. Both of the salsas were delicious, although I especially liked the red, and the carafe of iced, slightly sweet Agua de Flor Jamaica (hibiscus tea) was an excellent accompaniment to the picante salsas. This appetizer was followed by Sopa Crema de Calabaza (creamed zucchini soup), a heavenly light cream base with a fresh, green taste that was slightly astringent and incredibly flavorful.

Homemade chips, red and green salsa, and fresh limes

Agua de Flor de Jamaica, a slightly sweet red tea steeped from Hibiscus flowers

Cream of zucchini soup

Combinacion Mexicana

The main course, Combinacion Mexicana, was the piece de resistance. This giant platter contained seven different typical Mexican dishes and was definitely too much food for one person, but I told myself I had to do my duty. Clockwise, beginning from the center bottom, the items were as follows:

1. Enmolada: a corn tortilla filled with onion and cheese (chicken for non-vegetarians), covered with chocolate-infused mole sauce, melted cheese, and cream.
2. Chile Relleno: Poblano chile filled with melted cheese, coated in egg batter and quick fried, topped with tomato sauce and creme.
3. Guacamole: made from an old family recipe that includes avocado, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and serrano chiles
4. Quesadilla: melted cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla
5. Frijoles Refritos (refried beans): made with canola or vegetable oil rather than traditional lard
6. Tostada: corn tortilla, spread with refried beans, tomatoes, avocado, grated cheese and finished with a creme garnish (includes grilled chicken for non-vegetarians)
7. White rice laced with sweet corn kernels (center)

The price for all this was a paltry $120 pesos, or less than $10 U.S.

Jorge Braseno Jimenez

I was so impressed with La Fonda that I returned the following day for a late afternoon Comida Corrida, literally “running dinner.” Between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., diners can choose from daily specials that include a drink, soup with pasta, and entree, all for 45-55 pesos, depending on the selection ($3.50 to $4.25 U.S.). Incredibly, La Fonda is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. To sample Jorge’s mother’s Shoemaker soup, a concoction of clear broth with potatoes, a cheese filled omelet, and fresh oregano, you’ll have to come in the morning, since the soup is only served for breakfast. As with other meals, the gourmet breakfast selections are priced at pauper prices. Scrambled eggs, beans and tortillas are less than $2 U.S. and the 10 peso (80 cents) coffee includes free refills, which is fairly rare in Mexico.

Best of all, as I was leaving, Jorge, Sylvia, and their son, Jorge Jr., invited me to dinner at their home when I return to La Paz. I can’t think of a better reason to come back.

The Lottery in Mexico - a lot like Bingo in the U.S.

Last night I happened upon a gathering of women in the central square in La Paz, Mexico. It was the announcer who first caught my attention – from the flow it sounded like he was calling Bingo numbers, except that he was calling out names of items. “El corona” – the crown. El arbol” – the tree. “Las caras” – the faces. I sneaked closer for a better view. A hundred or so women were gathered under the soft yellow lights to play “el loteria” – the lottery. Instead of numbers, the multi-colored cards held pictures of items. Intently, the players covered called items with bright pieces of polished glass or large corn kernels, hoping to be the lucky soul who covered every item first.

Mom won at Bingo occasionally, although never when I came along for the ride, and I sometimes wondered if I was bad luck for her, since I never won. Frankly, I never much liked Bingo, but I went because I’d do anything to spend more time with Mom. But standing there last night, I thought about my mother and suddenly knew she was there with me. I miss her so.

Additionally, the weather has turned unseasonably cold here in Baja, dropping into the 50’s at night. I brought long sleeve shirts, a sweater, hiking boots, heavy socks, and even mittens, but I don’t have a coat with me and if it’s cold in Baja it’s going to be freezing at Copper Canyon, up in the mountains on the Mexican mainland.

No worries, though. I have no concrete reservations so I just revised my schedule. The owners of Rancho Pescadero hooked me up with the local chiropractor, a genius named Mark who worked on me twice and relieved a lot of the pain. Since I need to let the knee and hip rest a few days before trying strenuous activity, I hopped a bus back to La Paz and checked into the Lorimar Hotel. It’s very basic and not the cleanest, but for $22 a night with a comfortable bed and free wifi, I’m not complaining. I found a broom last night and once I swept the floor it was perfectly acceptable.

The Lorimar is just off the Malecon and only a few blocks from el Centro, the central town square, so I spent the afternoon and evening wandering around town. Although there are many American and Canadian expats here, La Paz has retained its charm and culture. At its core, the Cathedral of Our Lady of La Paz watches over Velasco Garden, where men have their shoes shined and mothers treat their children to helados – frozen deserts sold by push-cart vendors. The cathedral, which dates back to 1861, was built with a peaked roof called “dos aguas” – two waters – and no towers. In 1910 the left tower was built and ten years later, the right tower was added. If you look closely you can spot the differences inn construction. The varying stone color and size, the mortar work, and the two different bells arrangements all lend a peculiar grace to the church.

Cathedral of Our Lady of La Paz

Madonna and child receive a hand washing in preparation for Semana Santa (Easter Week) celebration nside the Cathedral of Our Lady of La Paz

The cathedral’s interior is deceptively simple at first glance, until you look up and realize that the ceiling is crafted from wood strips that have been painstakingly bowed and fitted together to create an elaborate barreled design. I rested on one of the simple wooden pews and watch the ebb and flow of the church, so much a part of Mexican life. An elderly woman with toddler in hand entered from a door near the front and paused at the altar, showing the youngster how to cross herself and bow. Another woman sat in the front pew and began praying aloud. With its series of stunning stained glass windows, wood-carved stations of the cross, and a precious sculpture of the Virgin Mother and infant child that was being hand cleaned by a worker in preparation for Semana Santa (Easter Week), Our Lady of La Paz is one of the most serene cathedrals I have ever visited.

A bustling commercial area radiates from the central square, offering most any kind of merchandise desired. From the giant mercado to the smaller stores where penny candy can still be bought in bulk and glass Coca Cola bottles returned for deposit are stacked up in crates on the sidewalk, La Paz offers an authentic Mexican experience. I encountered no salesmen hawking timeshare sales and no boat captains pushing glass-bottom boat rides. Indeed, I want to go to Espiritu Santu Island to swim with the sea lions while I am here, and it took me all day to find a tour operator through which I could book the trip.

Mounds of fabric

Penny candy by the kilo

Bottle return

For women with flat butts - definitely not my problem. Really, do Mexican women still wear girdles?

Corner magazine stand

Solving the problems of the world from a park bench

Shoeshine entrepreneurs in el Centro

La Paz's lovely, broad Malecon, with obligatory gazebo

Everyone I met was kind and friendly. Three young shoeshine entrepreneurs in Velasco Park were equally as welcoming and willing to have their photos taken as the three senior gentlemen seated on nearby park benches. One woman with fire-engine red hair even stepped outside her hair salon, took me by the hand, and walked me down the street to show me where to find a particular store. La Paz’s Malecon, the broad promenade so prevalent in every seaside Mexican town, is sparkling clean and safe, making it the perfect place for an evening stroll after an authentic Mexican dinner. And I have discovered what may be the most authentic, most delicious, best priced restaurant in all of Mexico, but that’s a subject for my next post.

Not so long ago, virginal Cabo San Lucas was a sleepy village of sand streets and gaily painted wooden fishing launches, where excitement meant the sight of migrating whales or a fiery sunrise bursting through the rocky arch at Land’s End. Although sportsmen discovered Cabo’s legendary marlin fishing in the 1950’s and 60’s, it was the construction of a trans-peninsular highway in 1973 and completion of Los Cabos International Airport in the ’80’s that finally launched Cabo as a tourist mecca. During the ensuing development, lady Cabo not only spread her skirts across the broad coastal plain, she lifted them.

Boats jockey for position around Land's End

Medano Beach, just another string of upscale Americanized resorts

Cabo San Lucas was not one the places I planned to see on this trip but as with all long-term travel, my plans were fluid. For two nights I had been a hosted guest of the spectacular new Rancho Pescadero Resort, located about 45 miles north of Cabo, and the owner invited me to stay another two days. Since Rancho Pescadero is one of the most stunning properties I have ever visited, I jumped at the chance, but the resort was sold out for the next four days. In the interim, I decided to check out  Cabo San Lucas.

Darsena Marina from the upper level of Puerto Paraiso shopping center

I expected crowds, cruise ships, and cheap souvenir shops. I even expected to be pressured to sign up for tours. But I could not possibly have anticipated the depths to which Cabo has sunk. At Darsena Marina I was accosted every ten feet by salesmen offering the deal of the century. Timeshare salesmen promised me $180 to attend an 89 minute presentation for a new condo project and one boat captain after another insisted his glass bottom boat tour was the best in town. Puerto Paraiso shopping center, anchoring one side of the marina, was an abomination of man-made waterfalls cascading over fake rocks and ubiquitous franchise operations. I could have been anywhere in the world; nothing hinted of Mexico.

Puerto Paraiso shopping center

Beyond the marina, music blasted from the bars lining the main drag. At the most famous of the clubs, “Squid Roe,” the beat went on – literally all day and almost all night. Three of the four days I was in Cabo, a DJ took up the mike at 11 p.m. and screamed non-stop until 5 a.m. Although my hotel was three blocks away, I might as well have been next door.

Squid Roe nightclub

I am not alone in my criticism. Many of the locals I spoke to expressed sadness and regret over what has happened to their city, although most confessed to initially believing tourist dollars would make their lives better. The young girl whose phone number is scrawled on the bathroom wall may find redemption, but for Cabo there is little hope. Its Mexican soul was sold long ago.

My Baja Ferry to La Paz awaits

My first challenge came early in the trip. I needed to get from Mazatlan, on the west coast of Mexico’s mainland,across the Sea of Cortez to La Paz, a mid-size city halfway down the long, skinny peninsula that is the Mexican State of Baja California Sur. I quickly discovered that Baja Ferries sails between the cities and found their schedule and rates online, but even after scrutinizing their website there were many many questions left unanswered. In an attempt to help others who may wish to use the ferry, I have described more thoroughly the process below.

With the possible exception of holidays like Semana Santa, it is not necessary to buy a ticket well in advance – a day or two ahead of time will be just fine. The ticket office at the ferry terminal, located just south of the lighthouse at the inlet to Mazatlan harbor, is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Both credit and debit cards are accepted and you will need either your original passport or a copy to buy tickets. The ship sails from Mazatlan on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5 p.m., and from La Paz to Mazatlan on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday (5 p.m. on Sunday, 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday). The crossing takes about 12 hours.

Fresh shrimp in picante red saue with roasted vegetables, roasted cactus, and hand-made cheese at the Point Restaurant

Delicious guava tart at the Point Restaurant while waiting to board

On the departure day, you may drop off your checked baggage as early as 11 a..m. and spend a few hours doing touristy things until 3 p.m., when you are expected to be in the second floor waiting room in preparation for boarding. Your luggage is tagged by an attendant, who gives you a claim check and loads it on a long luggage carrier that is towed into the bowels of the ship just before departure. (Hold onto your claim check, as it is carefully examined upon arrival.) It is worth noting that you are not allowed access to your checked luggage during the crossing, although hand luggage may be carried on, so it is wise to pack a toothbrush and toothpaste in your carry-on. If you’re hungry, I wholeheartedly suggest walking next door to the Point Restaurant, which serves excellent food and offers a splendid view of the harbor. This turned out to be the absolute best meal I had in Mazatlan, and I was even more pleased I’d eaten a big meal on shore when I later sampled the mediocre (and fairly expensive) food on board the ship.

Loading tractor trailers into the bowels of the ship

Baja Ferries upper deck

Boarding begins promptly at 3 p.m., when a ship employee arrives to escort passengers across the busy tarmac, where dozens of semi-tractor trailers are being loaded into the bowels of the ship. As soon as there is a break in the truck traffic, passengers are led into the lower deck and up four flights of stairs to check in. An elevator is available for those who cannot negotiate stairs. On the day I departed, the majority of passengers had purchased “boarding rights” passage for $1,200 pesos (slightly less than $100 U.S.). This fare included an assigned seat in one of the ship’s large “salas”  - rooms outfitted with wide upholstered chairs that recline for sleeping.

Sala seating for "boarding right" passengers

In addition, private cabins with twin beds are available for an additional 600 pesos (~$50 U.S.). I splurged on the cabin because I was concerned about falling asleep in an open sala where anyone could walk off with my backpack, laptop, all my money, etc. However, I spoke to a number of passengers who made the crossing using only the seats and was told that this is never a problem due to the extensive security on board. One major drawback to the open sala is the loud music from the nearby bar and TV lounge. A cabin, on the other hand, not only has the benefit of being more comfortable and quiet, but also has a private bathroom with shower that is equipped with soap and shampoo, eliminating the need to carry these items in your hand luggage. Cabins also have electric receptacles, should you wish to plug in a laptop or cell phone, however since the ship was built in Europe, the receptacles are 220V with European style plugs that require both a converted and an adapter.

Baja Ferries private cabin

Bathroom in private cabin

Baja Feries Marbella Club Lounge

Baja Ferries TV Lounge

Baja Ferries cafeteria (the ship also has a fine dining option)

Around 6 a.m., ship’s personnel begin making announcements over the loudspeaker to ensure people are ready to disembark on time. One of the things that is not well explained on the Baja Ferries website is that the ship does not arrive at La Paz; rather it docks at the port of Pichilingue, located about 20 minutes from La Paz. We disembarked, retrieved our checked luggage from the roped-off area on the sidewalk, and joined the line to go through an inspection station manned by military personnel carrying semi-automatic weapons. As we waited, another man compared out claim tickets to the luggage we had picked from the pile. When I finally reached the inspector, he unzipped my backpack, took one look at my camera and swimsuit, and waved me through.

Disembarking at Pichilingue

Retrieving luggage and getting in line for inspection at the arrival port of Pichilingue

Though I had been told by ship’s personnel that I would need to hire a taxi to get to La Paz for $25-30 U.S., I discovered the trip can be done much more inexpensively in a colectivo, a van that caries up to 10 passengers (I paid $70 pesos, or about $6 U.S.). Be prepared for a short wait; colectivos do not leave until the majority of the seats have been sold, but they will drop you off anywhere in town you desire. In my case it was the bus station in El Centro, where for an additional $77 pesos I caught the bus to Todos Santos on the other side of the peninsula.

The tip of Baja comes into view at dawn

All in all, sailing with Baja Ferries was a very pleasant experience. I met some very nice Mexican folks, including a woman named Barbara (an uncommon Mexican name), enjoyed a smooth sail, slept like a baby, and got up early enough to watch the tip of Baja California come into view under a full moon.

Nancy and Paul Dardarian, Mazatlan, Mexico

But here’s the fun part. Nancy has Google alerts set up to email her when anyone writes about Mazatlan, so when my first blog post appeared about her adopted city, she read it and emailed, asking if I would be staying long enough to get together. They picked me up at my hotel last Sunday and treated me to lunch at one of the beach palapas along the Malecon – the traditional Ceviche they served me was so huge I could hardly finish half of it. Even better, they invited another expat friend, Michael, to join us for lunch, because they knew of my plans to hike Mexico’s remote Copper Canyon and Michael has hiked it twice. As a result I now have a remarkable amount of information about Copper Canyon – the kind of stuff that can’t even be found on the Internet. Serendipitous events like this aren’t uncommon; they happen to me all the time when I travel slow, without plans, and allow the path to unfold before me.

One thing is for sure. It’s definitely a small world out there.

But sometime during the past two days things shifted. I grew confident enough to stop pre-planning my utterances. Or maybe I should say over-confident. As long as everything was going well I did just fine. But whenever something unexpected happened that required immediate action, I suddenly lost it. With no anticipation of situations or pre-planning of sentences, pure gibberish came out of my mouth and I quickly reverted to English, lest I begin trying to speak Spanish by adding the letter “o” to the end of English words.

Although this seems like regression, I am aware that it’s really progress. Speaking a foreign language without having to think about it is a lot more difficult than repeating the same worn out phrases over and over again. I just want to get past the blithering idiot part to stage three – the one where I once again begin to dream in Spanish.

After investigating El Centro – the old town of Mazatlan – the second best way to experience the everyday life of Mazatlencos is to stroll along the Malecon, a 6.7 kilometer long (about four miles) beach front promenade. I began my walking tour at Pescadero Beach (Fisherman’s Beach), where scores of gaily painted wooden fishing boats rested on the beach. Every morning, fishermen gather on the beach just before dawn. They form crews of six or eight and help one another drag their simple boats across the sand and into the sea. By midday the boats are back with their fresh catch and the process is repeated in reverse; returning boats are dragged back onto land, the larger of them using a simple metal axle with two wheels, which is pushed into the water and gradually shoved under the boat, allowing the crew to leverage the weight of the vessel and shove it back into its allotted slot.

I strolled along Pescadero Beach at midday, chatting up gnarled old fishermen with dark tans and faces deeply creased from too many years in the sun. What type of fish had they caught? “Dorado,” was the most common answer, although some showed me yellow-tail tuna and what appeared to be Red Snapper. The men nodded and smiled, demonstrating their talents at repairing nets and untangling fishing line. I shot a video of the final boat being dragged from the sea and asked one of the younger crew members what they had caught. “Ah, mucho Dorado,” he claimed. Lots of Dorado. The others laughed and shook their heads. “Pero manana,” he added. But tomorrow.

Further south along the Malecon is a park, officially named Parque Glorieta Rodolfo Sanchez Taboada, but which the locals call “El Clavadista,” named for the cliff divers that perform here. Jumping from a high rocky promontory into a narrow channel of thrashing water that is no more than six feet deep, these divers must time their jump perfectly with the incoming waves. There are no signs at the park describing the dive performances and I never found it written up in any of the local tourist literature; I happened upon it quite by accident and initially stepped right over one of the young divers who was sprawled across the entryway to the tower, awaiting the next tour bus.

Eventually, from asking around I learned about the clavadistas and identified their ringleader, who offered to have one of his divers jump for the small sum of $25. I cried poor mouth – not a lie – and instead spent an hour chatting with him about the art of cliff diving. These young men receive no pay for their performance and exist on tips alone, mostly from the tour buses that arrive throughout the day, carrying cruise ship passengers on a three-hour tour of Mazatlan. When one of the buses pulled in, my new best friend motioned for me to stand at the edge of the cliff and ready my camcorder. At a nod from the jefe – the boss – one of the slouching young men stripped down to board shorts and climbed the tower. He stood for several moments at the top, shivering, stretching, and watching the waves roll in before stepping up onto the narrow rail and performing a perfect swan dive. I gave him $20 pesos (sightly less than $2 U.S.) and was on my way with effusive thanks to the jefe.

A long curve brought me into Olas Altas, a lovely neighborhood of oceanfront hotels, restaurants, and shops, beyond which lies Mazatlan’s historic old town, Art Museum, Archeological Museum, and Angela Peralta Theater. Although Mazatlan’s best beaches are found farther north, in the touristy “Golden Zone,” Olas Altas Beach is an enchanting crescent that glows pink in the rising and setting sun.

Olas Altas neighborhood along Mazatlan's Malecon

Olas Altas Beach and the Malecon

Paseo Centenario along the southern portion of Mazatlan's Malecon

Following a late lunch at El Cueva de Leon, where nothing is more than $50 pesos ($4 U.S.) and the fresh-caught seafood is delicious, I continued my stroll along the Malecon. The final stretch climbs through Paseo Centenario, with its stunning clifftop views, to the southernmost point where El Faro – Mazatlan’s lighthouse – hunkers atop the conical hill that guards the harbor entrance. The dirt and rock path up the hill is well trod but steep; just when I thought I was nearing the top I came to 300 concrete steps that negotiated the steepest part of the trail. At a height of 157 meters above sea level, El Faro is considered to be the highest natural lighthouse in the world. Its light reaches 30 nautical miles and the views from the top are spectacular.

The Malecon is best experienced on foot, however those who cannot or do not wish to walk can see its sights aboard a Pulmonia.  Built on old Volkswagen chassis, these open-air carts are unique to Mazatlan, having carried locals and visitors around the city since they first appeared in 1965.

Catedral Basilica de la Inmaculada Concepcion

To really discover Mazatlan one must leave the touristy “Golden Zone” along the town’s northern shores and venture into its historic old town. At its core is the lovely Moorish and Gothic style Cathedral Basilica de la Inmaculada Concepcion, which presides over Plaza Republica and calls the faithful to worship with a puzzling array of bell ringing at all hours of the day and night.

Vendors are the first to fill the surrounding arterial streets each morning as they hawk an endless array of fresh seafood, homemade pastries, religious trinkets and the like. They are quickly followed by shopkeepers who roll up metal doors and pull merchandise onto the sidewalks. Shoppers, workers, churchgoers, and occasional tourists stream through the narrow, hilly cobblestone streets, flowing as one back to the heart.

The Cathedral may be Mazatlan’s heart, but the city’s soul is bared at night. Historic buildings are bathed in a soft yellow glow from strategically placed spotlights, trees twinkle in multi-colored ice lights, and vivid neon signs blink in restaurant and bar windows. Passionate conversation and laughter spill into the street from open restaurant doorways and patios hidden from view by high wooden walls. Soon after dark, Mazatlecos begin gathering at Plazuela Machado. By day a pretty little park with a gazebo and cobblestone pathways, at night the Plaza is magically transformed into a giant open-air cafe with live music, dancing, and a craft fair. Anchoring the Plazuela Machado is the historic Angela Peralta Theatre, which offers free folkloric performances and nominally priced special events, such as the one night Flamenco performance that I attended for just $16 U.S.

Mazatlan is more than a tourist center. It is home to one of the largest fishing fleets in Mexico, which supplies much of the country with shrimp and tuna. The popular Cerveza El Pacifico brand of beer originated in Mazatlan and is still produced at the same brewery that opened in 1900; an on-site museum is a worth a visit. Since residents are not entirely dependent upon the tourist dollar the town has retained much of its authentic character, ensuring that Mazatlan’s heart and soul are easy to find and welcome all who come in search of it.

Mazatlan Sidewalks

Like a man who has two wives, my life shifts back and forth between time at home, where I enjoy all the creature comforts bestowed upon those of us who are lucky enough to live in the United States, and extended international travel, during which I often lack access to even the most basic amenities. Although I long ago stopped experiencing culture shock when visiting other countries, I still need time to settle in each time I hit the road.

When I backpacked around the world in 2007, it took more than a week in Vietnam before I relaxed into the rhythm of traveling. This time around, although it took me just two days to hit my stride, it was the little things that tripped me up. I had forgotten, for instance, that in Mexico, restaurants provide only tiny cafeteria-style napkins at the table. It had also slipped my mind that despite being a coffee-growing country, most locally owned Mexican restaurants do not serve brewed coffee and if they do, it is only available in the morning. For the first two days, I was repeatedly served a cup of hot water and a jar of Nescafe when I ordered coffee with dinner. Walking around town was a potential landmine. If I focused on landmarks in order to get back to my hotel I risked tripping on crazy patchwork sidewalks constructed of ceramic tiles and concrete, rife with standpipes and missing utility box covers. But if I watched my feet I risked getting lost. And then there were the health and hygiene issues. I had to remember not to drink the water (keep mouth shut in shower and do not rinse toothbrush) and to throw my used toilet paper in the wastebasket rather than flushing it.

Yet, there is a grace about Mazatlan and Mazatlecos that eased my way on this particular adventure. Within seconds of pulling a map out of my backpack, someone would inquire if I needed assistance. Unlike other Latin countries, no street urchins have tugged on my clothes and made big eyes, hoping for spare change. Drivers of Pulmonias – vehicles that resemble golf carts but which are really old Volkswagens converted into open-air taxis – slowed down and beeped once politely as they passed but quickly sped away when I shook my head. Everywhere, total strangers nodded and wished me “buenos dias.“

Three years ago in Vietnam, because the language was so difficult I learned only the words for thank you and hello and relied on familiar English, allowing the Vietnamese to struggle to communicate with me. However in Mazatlan, because my Spanish is fairly fluent I have been speaking it all day long. Each morning, Spanish words fly out of my mouth and verbs conjugate themselves, but by 5 p.m. my brain is so exhausted that I can’t even string together five Spanish words, much less understand what someone is saying to me.

Philosophers at a chess board

When this language exhaustion sets in, I have been using the old ploy of nodding and answering everything with “Si,” hoping that my affirmative response makes sense. I got away with this a few times, until I met two gentlemen on the Malecon – the broad promenade that runs along the ocean. They were sitting in a street cafe in front of a hotel, sipping over-sweetened Nescafe and playing chess on a battered board. Permission to take their photo came with a price: the older of the two launched into a philosophical stream of consciousness about the game of chess. Between his thick dialect, the blaring music, and noisy traffic, I understood only that he meets his friends there each night, that he doesn’t care if he wins or loses or how many pieces he captures, and something about the sunset. Politely, I just kept nodding and responding “Si.” Suddenly he stopped, looked over at his chess mate and shook his head. His next words, though still in Spanish, were embarrassingly clear to me. “She doesn’t understand a word I have said!”

Sunset along the Malecon

I sat down and listened more carefully. He was trying to explain what is truly important in life: good friends, good times, and beauty. He told me to slow down and open my eyes, gesturing toward the west, where a giant red ball was sinking slowly into the ocean, streaking the sky in gold and lavender. Believing that his message had finally been understood, he smiled a toothless grin and announced, “Now you may take your photo.” Sufficiently chastened, I snapped a quick shot and took my leave, but not before wishing him what so many other Mazatlecos have already wished me: “Te Dios bendiga.” May God bless you. “Igualmente,” he replied. The same to you.

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).

Typical room at Hotel Lerma, $12.50 per night

Bathroom with Mexican-style shower

Apparently this property used to be a favorite with Mexicans vacationing in Mazatlan but over the past few years it has been discovered by gringos like me who travel on a budget. I met two of them last night as I dragged my backpack and small suitcase up to the second floor. At the top of the stairs I was greeted by two U.S. expats, a 40-ish man who came in January for carnival and never left, and a retiree who spends three months per year in Mexico. As we chatted my nose told me everything I needed to know. “A little Ganja going on here?” I asked. The younger man hesitated, then grinned. “A little,” he admitted. Although I no longer partake, I am not likely to forget the sweet smell.

After settling in, I wandered around the neighborhood a bit. While most tourists stay in the “Golden Zone” – the part of town with all the glitzy, upscale tourist resorts – Hotel Lerma is in the old section of the city. I much prefer this area of town, with its authentic restaurants and historic buildings. On the Malecon, a broad promenade bordering the ocean, I found one of those authentic restaurants and enjoyed my first Mexican dinner of fresh shrimp covered in three different sauces (spicy barbecue, thick cream sauce, and a green chile sauce), along with tortillas, a basket of chips and salsa, and a giant fresh pineapple juice and coconut milk drink. My bill came to about $10, and this was an expensive restaurant; later I discovered dozens of street stalls where I can eat for $3 or $4. With delicious, inexpensive food and hotel rooms priced at $12.50 per night, it’s not hard to understand why so many Americans are moving to Mexico.

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.

The winner will travel on his or her dream tour, along with two of their friends. Joining them will be five other winners from a Mystery Draw. If you don’t have time to come up with a custom travel itinerary, you can enter just the Mystery Draw portion of the contest. In addition to trips, the $40,000 prize packages includes one Sony DSCWX1B Digital Still Camera, one Sony GPSCS3KA Geotagging Device, three Sony DPFD82 8” Digital Photo frames, three iPod Nanos. Deadline for entries is March 31, 2010.

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 Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club.

Located in Willemstad, Curaçao, the Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino is an 80-room luxury boutique resort featuring meticulously restored 18th and 19th century Dutch Colonial Caribbean buildings, multiple pools, award winning restaurants, a lavish spa, fitness center and more. The hotel is part of a village complex known as Project Kura Hulanda, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Lodge Kura Hulanda and Beach Club, a luxurious beachfront retreat located on Curaçao’s tranquil west end, features a beautiful white sand beach, spectacular swimming pool, and the seclusion of a unique island hideaway. The lodge offers guests the chance to experience world class diving, hiking, cycling and adventure within feet of the resort while local culture, dining, shopping and nightlife are available in Willemstad, just 45 minutes away.

For more information call Kura Hulanda at 877-264-3106, visit www.kurahulanda.com, or e-mail the hotel directly at: reservations@kurahulanda.com. Reservations must be made prior to March 15 to take advantage of this promotion.

Photo credits: Kura Hulanda Hotel and Lodge

Disclosure: Author Barbara Weibel visited Curaçao as part of a press trip provided by the Marriott Resort and Emerald Casino.

You'll want to bookmark/favorite this site. Image courtesy of BestTravelDeals.net

If you are always on the lookout for tips and bargains, love to travel, and love to tweet even more, you should definitely check out the Ultimate List of Twitter Travel Accounts just published at BestTravelDeals.net. This very comprehensive list shows the twitter user name for airlines, airports, trains, subways, rental cars, hotels, cruises, pet travel, booking sites, travel guides and reviews, travel tips, and travel blogs.

El Chepe - the train that runs through Mexico's Copper Canyon.

It’s time to reveal my tentative travel itinerary. I say tentative because I never really know what my route will be. Some places, I definitely want to visit; others are potential destinations and still others are only “if I have time.” I generally have a hotel or hostel reserved for the first few nights, but after that I just  go where the wind blows me and figure out travel arrangements as I go.

Three things high on my list this time around are taking the train through Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) in Mexico and spending time among the Tarahumara Indians, hiking the Inca Trail to Macchu Pichu in Peru, and visiting the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.

Several of my fellow digital nomads will also be traveling through Central and South America simultaneously and I hope to cross paths with some of them along the way; there’s even talk of a meet-up at Macchu Pichu. Since my plans are fluid, I’m open to any suggestions you may have for places along the way that are worth investigating or should not be missed, or any comments with regard to my schedule (if, for instance, a particular plan to go from one place to another by bus would be too long for a single day’s trip).

• Fly to Mazatlan Mexico (5 nights)
• Ferry across the Sea of Cortez to Baja; stay in La Paz and Todos Santos (6 nights)
• Ferry back across the Sea of Cortez to Los Mochis (1 day, stay overnight)
• Take the Copper Canyon train from Los Mochis to Bahuichivo (4 nights)
• Get back on the train to Divisadero, perched on the 9,000 ft. high rim overlooking Copper Canyon floor. Tarahumara Indians live all through the area. Women and children can be found at the train station fixing gorditas and burritos on steel drum stoves and selling handicrafts at the station and the hotels. Solitude, great hiking and breathtaking views. (2 nights)
• Get back on the train to Creel. Day trips to an Indian reservation containing a rock formation called Valley of the Mushrooms, the tiny village of San Ignacio with a 400-year-old mission and Lake Arereco. (2 nights)


Wildlife of Galapagos Islands

• Side trip to Batopilas, an 80 mile drive south of Creel. The area is inhabited by Tarahumara indians living in small cabins and caves in the surrounding mountains. With the Rio Batopilas flowing right through town and steep mountains along both sides of the river, there’s room for just one narrow street, made of cobblestones and lined with old stores and houses. About 1,000 people live here. Highlights include a five mile trip to to the small town and lost mission in Satevo, the ruins of the silver mining operation that dominated the region before the Mexican Revolution and the chance to walk deep into the mountains through old mind shafts nearly 100 years old. (2 nights)
• Possible side trip to Basaseachic Falls within Basaseachic National Park, which covers a spectacular part of Candameña Canyon. The Basaeachic Cascade is the second highest waterfall in Mexico and the 28th in the world. (3 nights)
• From Creel, make my way by bus to central Mexico via either Chihuahua, Hidalgo de Parral, or Cuauhtemoc to Zacatecas. (2 nights)
• Aguascalientes (maybe), Ganajuato (definitely), San Miguel de Allende (definitey), Queretaro (definitely). About 2 weeks in central Mexico.
• Bus to Mexico City, side bus trip to ruins at Teotihuacan; check to sees if it too late to see Monarch butterflies (3 nights)
• Bus to Cordoba (overnight)
• Bus to Xalapa/Veracruz, (2 nights)
• Bus to Coatzacoalcos (overnight)
• Bus to Palenque & ruins (thru Villahermosa) (2 nights)
• Bus through Campeche, then divert inland to Uxmal Ruins 2 (nights)
• Bus to Merida, tour Chichen Itza ruins and Il Kil Cenote. A little further east at Valladolid, see Cenote Zaci, Dzitnup Cenote, & Ek Balam. (4-5 nights)
• Bus to Cancun, tour ruins & see the local side of the island, 3-4 nights at CasaMagna Cancun Marriott Resort. Possible side trip to Isla Mujeres. (4-5 nights)
• Bus to Playa del Carmen; side trips to Tulum ruins & Cozumel. (3-4 nights)
• Bus into Costa Maya, visit Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Majahual, Quintana Roo, Bacalar & Lake of 7 Colors. (5-6 nights)
• Bus to Chetumal, overnight
• Hire taxi to cross over into Belize to Corozal, bus to Belize City. Visit Altun Ha ruins, cave tubing, Cockcomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (world’s first jaguar preserve). (4 nights)
• Ka’ana Resort & Spa, western Belize. (4 nights)
• Overland to Flores, Guatemala to see Tikal Ruins (2 nights)
• Fly to Guatemala City, onward to Antigua (4 nights)
• Fly Guatemala City to Cusco, Peru; stay 5 nights to acclimate to altitude before hiking Inca trail to Macchu Pichu for 4 days
• Train to Nazca, Peru, air tour to see the Nazca lines. (2 nights)
• Bus to Paracas, Peru, see natural bay known as Galapagos of Peru. (3 nights)
• Bus to Lima. (4-5 nights)
• Fly from Lima to Tumbes, Peru. (4 nights)
• Bus from Tumbes, Peru to Loja, Ecuador. Take pick-up truck taxi right from the bus terminal or off of the main square to Izhcayluma Eco-Hotel in Vilcabamba. (3 nights)
• Fly from Loja to Guayaquil, Ecuador (2 nights)
• Fly to Galapagos Islands. (2 nights)
• Return to Guayaquil and fly home

Photo credits: Copper Canyon: einalem; Macchu Pichu: Brad.Stevens

I let my shadow lug around my backpack while I relaxed on the beach in Byron Bay, Australia

Some people have itchy fingers. I have itchy travel feet. Since returning from my six-month round-the-world (RTW) trip in 2007 I’ve continued to travel in the U.S., staying on the road more than 50% of the time. I’ve been longing to strap on my backpack and head back out for another round of international travel but the timing just didn’t seem right. Last year was especially difficult; I finally had to tell the bank to take back a property I still owned in North Carolina, because I could no longer pay the mortgage. It was a gut-wrenching decision, fraught with irrational fears. After a lifetime of building up sterling credit, how would I live once it was ruined? Could I ever obtain another credit card or qualify for a car loan? Would bad credit keep a potential employer from hiring me? What if I settled down in one place – would I be able to rent an apartment? Even worse, I felt like a bad person, a lowlife, a loser. I had never even paid a bill late, much less default on a loan contract.

Things got worse. The bank decided to sue me rather than foreclose on the property. I won’t bore you with the gory details, other than to say my attorney is still battling this in court, but the whole experience has elicited yet another shift in my ever-evolving view of life. It all began in December of 2006, when I walked away from a successful career. For the previous ten years I had been selling real estate. I had no passion for the job, quite the opposite: even though I was a very talented Broker, I hated going to work every day. Deep down I knew I was selling my soul, yet I plodded along because it paid the bills and gave me the resources to travel a month each year. I never considered that it took every last day of those month-long vacations to regain my sanity, and that with each ensuing year my stress level ratcheted up and my ability to recover declined.

A combination of stress and illness finally brought me to my knees. For weeks I crawled between bedroom and bathroom, too exhausted to go to work and too disheartened to care. Bedridden and seriously ill, I was granted the one luxury that had eluded me over the past ten years: time to think. I realized that I could die and all the money in the world would do me no good. In that instant of crystal clarity, I knew my life had to change. I had to stop worrying about what my family would think, about letting my co-workers down, or about what society expected of me, and instead be true to myself. I decided to pursue my true passions of travel, writing and photography, regardless of the financial consequences. A year later, despite being unable to sell my house, I hit the road for my RTW trip.

By the time my trip ended, I knew that returning to corporate life was not an option. I resolved to pursue a career as a travel writer and photographer, despite being told (endlessly and insistently) that it would be an impossible undertaking at age 55, with no portfolio and not a single published clip to show. Those naysayers didn’t know me very well. Looking back, they probably did me a huge favor, since my reaction to being told I can’t so something is to do it, just to prove I can. Not only have I built up a substantial portfolio of published travel articles over the past three years, Hole In The Donut is now one of the top travel blogs in the world.

Challenges, however, persist. Because travel writing pays very little, I’ve had to make significant changes in my lifestyle. My house finally sold a couple of years ago – at a loss – and I have slowly sold or given away most of my material possessions. Letting go of my “stuff” has been a freeing experience; I now realize how much it was weighing me down. Thus unencumbered, it strikes me that there seems to be an inverse relationship between money and happiness. I have often noted that people in third-world countries, who have little in the way of wealth, seem to be blessed with an abundance of happiness. And so it is for me. I wake up each morning eager to write, to meet new people, and to learn about new cultures; for the first time in my life I am truly happy.

Occasional cryptic comments about how I am wasting my talent, or about how much money I could be making if I would just return to corporate life make it clear that not everyone approves of my choices, and it is sometimes hard to stay strong in the face of these not-so-veiled criticisms. But when I waver, I need only recall how miserable I used to be and how joyful I am today. And so, in ten days I will take another leap of faith and embark upon a four-month trip through Mexico, Central and South America. Budget being a major consideration, much of the time I will be staying at hostels or Couchsurfing and writing extensively about this mode of travel, which is becoming quite popular with the baby boom generation (after all, we invented backpacking). However it won’t all be budget; on occasion I will be hosted by upscale luxury resorts and I will be reporting on my experiences at these properties as well. I hope you will join me as I blog and tweet my way through five intriguing countries. Where, specifically, am I going? Check back on Tuesday, when I’ll be divulging the specific destinations I plan to visit.

Commenters on the original YouTube video were split in their opinions about the woman’s actions. Some pointed out that an elephant seal can be aggressive and weigh up to 6,000 pounds, while others objected more vehemently, arguing that this type of interaction irrevocably alters the natural state of wild animals. Although I agree that we should never try to initiate this type of behavior, I also believe that animals – especially mammals – crave affection. In my opinion, if the animal initiates contact, interaction is acceptable. I do wonder about the original video. Was it removed because of the controversy (commenters in social media venues can be brutal) over her actions? Did the tour company find out about the footage and ask her to remove it? I guess we will never know, I am just grateful it’s back.

Krabi islands and karst stones in southern Thailand

I’ve visited Thailand four times and will be traveling there for a fifth visit this fall. Just the thought of returning is exciting, but this time something extra special is in the works. I have been invited to stay at the the world’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserve Phulay Bay, located in Krabi on Thailand’s southern peninsula. I have been to Krabi – or I should say I have been through it; on my most recent trip I caught the ferry from Krabi to the Phi Phi Islands – but I have never stayed in Krabi. In this area of Thailand, jungle-clad limestone pinnacles protrude from a sea of such pure turquoise that it makes my eyes hurt. The scenery is so exquisite that it’s it’s how I imagine heaven must look, and the photos I’ve seen of the new Ritz-CarltonReserve Phulay Bay are equally gorgeous. I simply cannot wait!

The Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay arrival pavilion

The property has been designed for those who wish to escape the stresses of everyday life and immerse themselves in a personally-tailored-to-suit luxury vacation experience. Set on the shores of the Andaman Sea, Phulay Bay is a striking 54-villa and pavilion boutique hotel offering unspoiled views of the naturally rugged shoreline.

The resort is the vision and work of Thai architect Lek Bunnag, who has combined modern styling with distinctive accents from Thai, Middle Eastern and Moroccan cultures. Bunnag takes inspiration from beautiful things from around the world to create an environment where the senses are continuously triggered and enlivened.

Phulay Bay Pool landscape

From the moment guests arrive, they will know they are somewhere special: 20ft high aubergine walls and ‘hedges’ made from indigenous trees create a sense of wonder from the outside and a great sense of peace and stillness on the inside. Guests enter the resort through the high walls and walk over a stepping-stone pathway leading to an island, where a magnificent Thai pavilion is surrounded by thousands of gently flickering candles. From the resort’s own scent and signature drink to the 100% Thai silk soft furnishings and traditional story-telling Lanna art that adorns the walls, everything reflects the natural beauty of Thailand.

No two of the resort’s 16 signature Reserve Villas are the same. Guests can opt for a villa with a lap pool and lawn area for sun worshiping, a private rooftop for alfresco dining and sunset viewing, or a completely secluded pool bathing area for total privacy. Inside, luxury prevails with oversize beds, deep sunken baths, walk in closets, expansive decked gardens and magical ‘keyhole’ doorways.

(Hold your cursor over each photo for a description of the image)

Guests can ‘design’ or tailor-make their experience at Phulay Bay. Their personal butler can organize a light BBQ lunch at a favorite beach spot, a meditation class with local monks, elephant trekking to a remote picnic spot, a sea plane tour of region’s dramatic scenery, an in-villa personal yoga session, a boat journey to surrounding islands – the possibilities are endless.

World-class culinary experiences are available throughout the resort’s six restaurants, each of which have been designed to accommodate a small number of guests for highly personalized and non-intrusive service. Chef will personally meet diners to better understand their tastes and preferences and all ingredients will be sourced from local markets and cooked fresh. Included is the resort’s signature Thai restaurant, Sri Trang, a stylish restaurant set on its own jetty overlooking the shoreline. Guests can also choose to dine under the stars in a private sala at Lae Lay, the resort’s seafront pavilion, beautifully appointed with oversize chairs and lanterns that hang among rustling trees.

By day, an infinity pool bar furnished with soft loungers and silk pillows serves more casual cuisine, while the resort’s sunset lounge offers with day beds, oversize pillows, chill-out lounge bar music and candle lanterns for a truly intimate and relaxing feel. RAW spa café prepares fresh, uncooked and unaltered vegan products and has a green hydroponic bar growing the resort’s own wheatgrass and lettuce (you all know me well enough by now to know the latter is where I will be hanging out).

ESPA Spa at Phulay Bay is a sanctuary for relaxation and rejuvenation. Stepping stones meander through the traditional Thai pavilions, leading to relaxation terraces surrounded by vegetation and reflection ponds. The Spa is equipped with 11 treatment rooms, including single and couples massage rooms and two VIP treatment suites with their own expansive decks for massage and showering.

The website for the new Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay describes the property as “spellbinding” and for once, I believe this is just not PR speak. Opening rates are as follows: Resort Pavilion 19,550 Thai Baht ($590 U.S), Ocean Pavilion 21,250 Thai Baht ($640 U.S.), Beach Villa 27,200 Thai Baht ($820 U.S.), Reserve Villa 44,200 Thai Baht ($1,333 U.S.), and Royal Beach Villa 68,000 Thai Baht ($2,051 U.S.), exclusive of 18.7% service charges and taxes.

All photos courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay

Jane Addams, photo courtesy of University of Illinois

Jane Addams attracted national attention when, with with her friend Ellen G. Starr, she founded Chicago’s Hull House in 1889. The facility was located on the city’s near west side, in a densely urban neighborhood populated primarily by struggling immigrants. Modeled after the settlement houses in London, the mission of Hull House was to assist immigrants by providing a center for a civic and social life, improve the quality of education, and to investigate and improve the conditions in the industrial districts of Chicago.

Hull House provided kindergarten and day care facilities for the children of working mothers; an employment bureau; an art gallery; libraries; English and citizenship classes; and theater, music and art classes. By virtue of its efforts, the Illinois Legislature enacted protective legislation for women and children, setting the stage for passage of a Federal child labor law in 1916. As her notoriety grew, Addams was appointed to Chicago’s Board of Education, helped to found the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy, and led investigations on midwifery, narcotics consumption, milk supplies, and sanitary conditions in Chicago. Yet despite her laudable work, when Addams opposed the country’s entry into World War One, she was branded a traitor by the press and expelled from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Fortunately, history treated Addams with more respect; fourteen years later she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work and pacifist ideals.

Jane Addams Hull House Museum historical landmark

Of the 13 buildings that once comprised the Hull House complex, only the original home and adjacent dining hall escaped the wrecking ball when a six square block area was razed to make way for the University of Illinois at Chicago. The original home was restored and converted to the Jane Addams Hull House Museum, which today attracts more than 30,000 visitors a year who come to learn about women’s history, immigration and labor rights.

The Museum’s collection includes more than 1100 artifacts related to Hull House history and 100 oral interviews with people who have shared their stories about Hull House and the surrounding neighborhood. Remaining true to its history as a place where the public has gathered to discuss the most critical social issues of our time, the Museum continues the tradition by hosting programs that are free and open to the public. Every Tuesday from 12:00-1:00pm, local residents gather at a modern day soup kitchen to eat soup made from fresh, organic ingredients, many of which come from the museum’s on-site organic garden. Other events include classes on canning and preserving foods and weekly screenings of Sex Positive, a free documentary film series for people who like sex.

Interior spaces are decorated with period furniture and historical displays

Hull House Museum, located at 800 S. Halsted Street in Chicago, is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. After touring the original house, dining hall, and organic garden, visitors can also visit historic Maxwell Street and Haymarket Square, as well as the vibrant neighborhoods of Little Italy, Greek Town, and Pilsen, all of which are within walking distance of Hull House.

“On the plateau, researchers realized that progressive degradation of the environment trapped the local population into a life of subsistence farming. It’s a process that has occurred across the globe, where poor agricultural communities find themselves overusing their land in order to survive, depleting its fertility and further impoverishing themselves. One thing that became apparent early on is the connection between damaged environments and human poverty. In many parts of the world there’s been a vicious cycle: continuous use of the land has led to subsistence agriculture and generation by generation, this has further degraded the soils.”

Shot on location in China, Rwanda and Ethiopia, Hope in a Changing Climate is a truly uplifting story of how ecosystem restoration helps stabilize climate, reduce poverty, and support sustainable agriculture.

iPad's 9.56 inch high by 7.47 inch wide touch screen can be used in portrait or landscape orientation

The sleek design and giant touchpad screen had me salivating. Since I’m an avid reader, I’d intended to buy a Kindle before leaving on my next extended trip, which would eliminate the need to carry heavy books. With the iPad’s new iBook reader and built-in iBookshelf store I no longer need to buy a Kindle. I also appreciated the full size digital keyboard on the touchscreen, as well as the portable keyboard and docking station that makes data entry a breeze. As I would have expected of an Apple product, the iPad features total integration and syncing between iMail, iCalendar, iPhoto, Address Book, iTunes, and Notes, as well as supporting web browsing, video, YouTube, Google Maps, and Multimedia content such as full-length movies.

Docking station (right) and docking station with external keyboard (left)

One of the most impressive features of the iPad is its 3G connectivity. Apple has partnered with AT&T to provide 250 Mb of data transfer for $19.99 per month, or unlimited data for $29.99 per month. Best of all, this will NOT require a contract and users can cancel the 3G service at any time. Since I currently pay $60 per month for an Air Card, the iPad would save me $30 per month. I could also turn off the 3G connectivity and rely on Wi-Fi alone, allowing me to stay connected while traveling internationally without breaking the bank, as I do on my iPhone. There is also a new battery, which provides up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music. Sweet!

On the other hand, some nagging questions remained after the unveiling. Naysayers have been questioning whether customers will buy an additional device that would be a bridge between cell phone and laptop. For me, this discussion misses the point. As a travel writer and photographer, I lug around a lot of heavy equipment: Macbook laptop, SLR camera and lenses, tripod, video camera, iPhone, external hard drive, Air Card, USB adapters, cords, etc. I am not interested in adding another device to the mix; I hoped to replace my laptop with the iPad in order to reduce the weight in my pack, but the device must also meet my functional needs.

Protective case converts to hold the iPad upright or at an angle for typing on a full-size virtual keyboard

Because I often travel for months at a time and work from the road, certain features are absolutely essential. Currently, I use the Mac version of Microsoft Office for word processing, spreadsheets, and slide presentations, so I was pleased to see that Apple has completely redesigned iWorks for the iPad. Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and Power Point presentations seamlessly cross-platform with iWorks Pages, Numbers, and Keynote applications. However I must have Photoshop available for post-processing of my photos and Dreamweaver for web design. From what I have read on the Apple site, it appears that it will not be possible to load any software on the iPad, other than apps from the Apple store. Strike one.

Camera Connection Kit provides two adapters: 30-pin connector to USB and SD Card slot

When traveling, I also shoot in excess of 300 photos per day in both jpg and raw format. I back up my photos each night to the laptop and delete them from the camera’s flash card in order to make room for the next day’s shoot. The iPad has no USB port (a serious flaw, in my opinion), however I could use the iPad’s Camera Connection Kit adapters and convert the 30-pin connector to either a USB port or an SD Card Reader, either of which would allow me to import photos and videos from the camera. Unfortunately, with only 16, 32, or 64 Gb of flash storage, even the largest iPad storage would not be large enough to backup all my photos during an extended trip. I could back up to my USB external hard drive, however this would require me to import from the SD card to the iPad first, then download from the iPad to the external hard drive. It is unclear whether the iPad will support this function and even if it does, the process is cumbersome at best. Strike two.

Finally, I use a variety of software to produce podcasts and videos for my blog (iMovie, iSkySoft, Audacity) and there is no indication if these will be accessible on the iPad. Alas, strike three. Of course, there may be modifications to the product before it is released, and future versions may well incorporate some of my needs, but for the moment it looks like the iPad falls just short of my needs.

WEAR YOUR SUNGLASSES WHEN DRIVING IN A HEAVY RAIN:
During a heavy downpour, visibility is bad, even with the wipers on high. Wearing your sunglasses will vastly improve visibility, even at night. The drops on the windshield will still be visible, but not the sheet of falling rain. It also helps to eliminate the “blindness” from the spray of passing semi’s, and the “kick up” if you are following a semi or car in the rain.

NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY:
Snow, ice, slush, or even rain can cause wheel-spin and hydroplaning. If the cruise control is on when the tires lose contact with the pavement, the car accelerates to a higher rate of speed and takes off like an airplane. Although cruise control can be disengaged by tapping the brake pedal, the extra reaction time required to recognize that a car’s wheels are spinning can be crucial (especially for drivers lured into a hazardous level of inattentiveness on long, flat stretches of road). Better just to turn off the cruise control in bad weather.

I’ve checked out the validity of both tips on Snopes.com. The cruise control tip has been verified, and the sunglasses tip is still being verified, but I checked with a friend of mine who drives a lot and she confirmed that the trick does indeed work.