Falling in Love with Niagara

After visiting both Iguazu Falls in South America and Victoria Falls in Southern Africa, I have now finally made it to Niagara Falls a few hours from NYC.  The biggest hurdle to visiting Niagara was that most of my friends made the trip as kids, but luckily my dear friend Norm was up for the adventure.  We dubbed this our honeymoon and rented Marilyn Monroe's classic "Niagara" for the road.

A one hour flight to Buffalo and a 40 minute cab ride to Canada was all it took to get the perfect view of Niagara Falls.  We went all out with a top floor, balcony room at the Sheraton-on-the-Falls.  The view of the American Falls was spectacular!  The Canadian, or Horseshoe Falls, was shrouded in mist most of the time, but lovely just the same.

Norm and I spent a sunny day walking all around, behind and in the falls. The only view we missed was from a barrel going over, and we saw a video of that.  The area surrounding the American Falls is a state park, the most visited in the nation, and it is truly the best way to enjoy the area.  We heard that the town nearby was sad and not worth stopping so we didn't.  The Canadian side boasts the best views of both falls and the cheesy but fun attractions of the Maid of the Mist, and the exhilarating Journey Behind the Falls.  Unfortunately, the Canadian side hotels and restaurants are frighteningly touristy.  At least we were treated to perfect views during all our meals.  Our favorite dinner was in the new Niagara Fallsview Casino.  While we didn't hit the jackpot gambling, we did at Noir 17 with an amazing meal and beautifully paired wines.

On Sunday we headed a half hour north along the river to Niagara-on-the-Lake, called "the prettiest town in Canada." It's indeed adorable.  Our walk around Lake Ontario with a view of Toronto was amazing.  The real attraction here is the local wine country and their specialty, Vidal Icewine.  We visited Peller Estates and were treated to a behind the scenes tour and tasting.  We could hardly carry all our Icewine purchases!  We also stopped at Reif Estate Winery on the way back to the falls and add more bottles to our collection.

Niagara Falls Honeymoon--check!  Next stop Angel Falls...Anyone want to go to Venezuela?   

Luck of the Irish

Last week I had the difficult assignment of accompanying a group of journalists to the Jameson Irish Whiskey distillery.  It was a rough job, but someone had to do it!  Without a doubt, this trip is one of the highlights of my MMC travel assignments!

Here’s my taste of Ireland…

Dublin

From the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St. Stephen’s Green, everything looks beautiful!  Our merry band of nine started off with lunch at the Old Jameson Distillery (first Jameson and Ginger consumed in Ireland). The Irish Whiskey making history tour and “experience bar” set the tone for our trip—we would be eating and drinking constantly!    

We had wonderful meals including a tasting dinner at Chapter One, which goes on my list of most fabulous meals.  There was Pub crawling, Temple Bar hopping and the best nightcap spot, No. 27 Bar in the Shelbourne Hotel.  I also had a chance to shop Grafton Street, visit the Irish Writers Museum, the National Gallery of Ireland, where I fell in love with Jack B. Yeats, and The Hugh Lane gallery.  Of course I made it over to Trinity  College to see the ancient Book of Kells and even took in a comedy “Grumpy Old Women” (not comments please!) at the gorgeous 140 year old Gaiety Theatre.  In sum, even in the cold rain, Dublin rocks!

County Cork

Our group took the train for a couple of hours south to County Cork to experience the current Jameson Distillery and meet with the men behind the whiskey.  We had behind the scenes tours of the whiskey making operation and got to meet one of Ireland’s three remaining Coopers.  A Cooper is a chap who makes the wood barrels that store wine and spirits.  Today most barrels or casks are made by machine, but it still takes a Cooper to repair them.  He was charming!

All full of whiskey expertise, we had a special dinner in the Jameson Master Distiller's cottage.  Barry Crockett, the Master Distiller, was actually raised in the cottage since the honor was passed down from father to son, like the Cooper trade.  I started to wonder what I'll do back at home without a perfectly paired tasting menu presented to me for dinner each night.  Oh, and did I mention that I’m falling in love with Irish Whiskey?

OK, if I had to cook these fabulous meals myself, I'd enroll in the Ballymaloe Cookery School (http://www.cookingisfun.ie/) which we visited before another fabulous lunch at the Ballymaloe House.  Ballymaloe is an Irish manor house on a rural 200 acre estate.  I would say it doesn’t get much better than this, but it does.  The highlight of our trip was our stay in Castlemartyr Hotel (http://www.castlemartyrresort.ie/), a classic 18^th century manor house located next to the ruins of an 800 year old castle built by knights.  The history is presented in five star luxury.  The bar was formerly a chapel, but the spa and swimming pool were all brand new.  They opened the hotel just for our Jameson group, so it felt like we all had a private staff.  My Irish country experience is complete!

Sláinte!

The Cuban Countryside

Thank God that my Dad taught me to drive a stick shift at the age of 12 because that meant Norm had to navigate (without a map) and ask directions in Spanish on our drive out of Havana.  It was a sight to see! Our first stop was Las Terrazas, a biosphere reserve in the Sierra Del Rosario Mountains, which everyone raves about.  The former French coffee plantation was lovely, but the river below was a bit disappointing.  It felt like a creek with a picnic area.  We didn't linger to swim and reached our final destination, the Parque Nacional Vinales, in an hour.

One of the oldest landscapes in Cuba, Vinales is magical.  There are large "mogotes" (hills) made of limestone covered in vegetation around the area.  They grow tabacco, coffee, and fruit in this picturesque setting.  Although there are plenty of casas (private homes with rooms to rent) in Vinales, we chose the Hotel La Ermita, a fun 50's style motel with a groovy pool and restaurant with an amazing view.  We were delighted to meet some interesting Aussies at the hotel to eat, drink and swap stories with.

Vinales was full of firsts for Norm.  It was his first time in a cave and on horseback.  The horseback ride was a fantastic way to see the national park and one of the trip highlights for both of us.  We rode past men plowing with oxen, serene lakes, banana groves, and stopped at our guides' family farm. It was truly special.

My second favorite experience was the tobacco tour. We sat with a farmer on his porch and Norm enjoyed Cuba's number one export.  We also visited a factory where the cigars are rolled. They still have someone read the newspaper and novels to the workers.  It sure was a shame not to be able to bring home a taste of Cuba to our friends!

Our next stop was Cayo Levisa.  It was island time!  We drove for a little over an hour through small towns to a ferry dock in the middle of nowhere.  This is where we ran into our first problem on the trip.  We were supposed to return our rental car here, but there was no Cuba car office.  So much for that plan.  We ended up keeping the car for another three days that we didn't need.

We forgot about the car immediately as the ferry transported us to an idyllic barrier island with one resort and an endless beach.  We spent three days lying in the sun, swimming, reading, eating fresh seafood and drinking rum cocktails.  It simply doesn't get much better.  We took one boat trip where I went for a dive on a lovely reef and Norm snorkeled above.

We left our bungalow on Cayo Levisa kicking and screaming.  But, we were excited to drive back to explore a little more of Habana before returning to reality.  Our trip gave Norm and me a real taste of life in Cuba from the cosmopolitan culture to the natural beauty of the country.  I look forward to the day that all Americans are allowed this experience!

Havana Day Dreamin'

After spending all day in Cancun waiting for our connection to Cuba, I was thrilled to see that the Hotel Florida was restored to its former splendor.  We were ideally located right in the middle of Havana's historic Vieja district.  I had arranged for a guide to meet us at the hotel on Saturday morning to take us on an all day walking tour of the city.  Diana Castellanos (dmca1983@gmail.com), a 27 year old English teacher at the local university, was a charming companion.  She not only showed us around the important historic sights, but also taught us about life in Havana today.

In addition to experiencing lovely places like the Plaza de Armas with its dripping Spanish moss and many of Hemmingway's haunts, we also saw the neighborhoods without running water and evidence of decades without access to goods.  From the old cars to the music pouring out of every doorway we were transported to another time and place.

One of our Havana highlights was enjoying mojitos in the lobbies and on the roofs of restored hotels like the Ambos Mundos, the Inglaterra, the Sevilla, the Santa Isabel (our favorite) and the Hotel Nacional (over in the Vedado). We loved learning about the history of Cuba in the former Presidents Palace-now the Museo de la Revolution, the Coleccion de Artes Cubano, and the Governor's Mansion.  We spent a lot of time strolling along El Prado, Obispo Street, and the Malecon.  Of course we also hit some nightclubs like Casa de Musica and the Havana Cafe at the Hotel Cohiba, and went to a painful operetta in the faded glory of the Gran Teatro de la Habana.  We had a grand time!

Havana is a sultry, colorful, intriguing and exotic city.  It was hard to pull ourselves away to see the countryside.  But, adventures awaited--like driving without a map...

Cuba Libre

My fascination with Cuba began as a child when I learned that I was born during the Cuban Missile Crisis. For years I've wanted to visit the island that's only 90 miles off Key West.  I'm happy to say that both the island and its people lived up to my dreams!

First of all, this trip was more difficult to plan that my journey around the globe.  Calculating (not my strong suit to start with) in four currencies with no access to credit cards to fall back on is a challenge. Unlike other countries, prices are higher if you walk up without a reservation, but you can't make a reservations with American credit cards... In the end I used a combination of working through "my man in Havana" Jorge (jorgeguide2004@gmail.com) for some reservations and figured others out on the fly.

Our 10 Day Itinerary

April 30 -- Fly to Cancun, transfer to Mexicana flight to Havana
May 1-2 -- Havana, Hotel Florida
May 3 -- Rent car and drive to Las Terrazas in Sierra del Rosario Mountains, on to Vinales National Park
May 4 -- Valley of Vinales, Hotel La Ermita
May 5 -- Drive to Cayo Levisa ferry to barrier island
May 6-7 -- Cayo Levisa Resort
May 8 -- Drive along coast to Havana, Hotel Florida
May 9 -- Fly to Cancun on Cubana airline, transfer to New York

Thankful in Jamaica

Two weeks ago, I decided that all I wanted for Thanksgiving was to relax on a Caribbean beach.  I booked a last minute flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica and was settled on Negril beach on Wednesday to celebrate the holiday!

I stayed at the Negril Yoga Center (http://www.negrilyoga.com/ room Casa I) which was in essence a beautiful garden with bungalows surrounding a large wooden yoga platform.  My days began with outdoor yoga, progressed to the beach and a simple lunch at One Love restaurant (beach hut serving one dish a day), back to reading on my veranda and then out to eat in local haunts and listening to reggae with my bungalow neighbors (Kajsa/Maya from Sweden, Igmar from Santorini, and Paul from Australia).  Rinse and repeat for five days!

I did take in a few of the Negril must-dos.  I went to Rick's Cafe to see cliff diving at sunset, drank rum at Margaritaville, experienced the famed Hedonism resort and danced the night away at a jerk festival.  But mostly, I just fell in love with Jamaica.  I have never been so relaxed on a trip.

I would love to have seen more of the countryside like the waterfalls, mountains and gone to the Bob Marley museum... but I just couldn't tear myself away from the sand and warm Caribbean Sea.  Thankfully, I will have something new to visit on my next trip to this island paradise--Yeahmon!

Getting Wet in Galapagos

After a quick trip back to Quito to pick-up my scuba gear, it was time to join my dive buddies for the flight to the Galapagos Islands.  The Galapagos Archipelago lies over 600 miles off the coast of mainland Ecuador.  Although there are 13 major volcanic islands and many more small islands in the Galapagos, only 5 are inhabited. The entire area is a national park and human interaction is very regulated and kept to a minimum.  The best thing about the Galapagos Islands is that the animals and marine life do not shy away from humans.  It is easy to get upclose and personal with the real Galapagos residents.

We landed in San Cristal and boarded our home for the next week, the Peter Hughes dive boat Sky Dancer.  As one of only five boats certified for diving in the Galapagos, we got right to business with a check dive and navigation to outer islands.  The itinerary was packed with 4 dives a day and a long navigation out to Wolf and Darwin islands--diving Mecca.  The group was primarily British with a couple from Canada, Peru and one other American onboard also.  My roommate and dive buddy Alison was a British diplomat, who had just finished a three year assignment in India.  Our cabin was on the top deck with large windows and a nice bathroom.  The diving was nothing short of spectacular and we were lucky to have Fabricio, the most experienced Dive guide in the Galapagos (over 10,000 dives) leading our group.  We saw it all!  Swimming with countless whale sharks and hammerheads topped everyone's list.  We also saw beautiful Manta Rays, dolphins, turtles, sea lions.  The lava formations under the islands did have some nice color and tropical fish, but we spent a lot of the time staring into the blue for big game. 

It was so exciting to cross the Equator and go from cold to warm waters in different currents.  I was the least experienced of my group and learned a great deal.  I completed my Nitrox course and got a new certification while on board. Despite my infected eye and head cold, I logged three dives a day and saw I came to see.  My personal highlight was playing with the baby sea lion!

We made a couple of land stops during the cruise to check out some of the famous wildlife on the islands like the giant tortoises, marine iguanas, both species of sea lions, and the strange bird population.  Education was a priority on the trip including lively discussions on the history and current environmental protection steps in the region.  We even had a last night dinner celebration in the town on Santa Cruz where we toasted our great diving experience!

After the flight back to Quito, I grabbed a taxi directly to the La Mitad Del Mundo (middle of the world city) to see the yellow painted line of the Equator. Had to do it!  While the myths about drain directions in the different hemisphere's aren't true, you do weigh less at the Equator.  Every little .3% helps.

My last night in Ecuador was wonderful.  We had a group dinner on the terrace of the Secret Garden with sweeping views of the city lights.  I am thankful for these 16 days to unplug, test my limits and focus on the natural beauty in Ecuador!

Adventures in Banos

One big attraction in Banos is the series of waterfalls in the area. You can bike ride for 60k and see them, like my roomies did, or you can take the local short tour bus to the same places. Guess which I chose... I boarded the cute little bus with locals and had a ball. We rode in cable cars across gorges to waterfalls and hiked down to the bottom to feel the rush of the MacKay Falls. Loved it!

After my half day of waterfall action I decided that something had to be done about the extreme stye on my eye. It looked like a volcano and was ruining my photos! I consulted with my doctor in NYC who thought that I should wait until I get home to take action and not scuba dive in the meantime (Don´t know what part of I´m on a dive trip to the Galapagos didn´t translate). I went to a local doctor who spoke no English, but "absesso" conveyed. He got some surgical tools and a neddle from a rolled up dinner napkin and went at my eye until I screamed, which is more than the other adventure activities could do. I was off with a handfull of prescriptions to prevent death from absesso and a $35 bill. Wish me luck.

The next day it was time for more thrills. My Dutch friends and my new German friend, Sandra, and I went Canyoning. Basically we hiked up a mountain and repelled down through four waterfalls and then slid down two more. It was serious fun and we felt like we had taken on nature and won!

We spent all our early evenings in the public baths melting away. One friend, Carson, enjoyed the baths so much he couldn´t bring himself to move on to the next town. Or was it the intoxicating atmosphere of Banos?

I left Banos on a luxury bus back to Quito this morning ($3.50 for 4 hour trip) and arrived in the early afternoon. I had time to see some more of the old town Quito and to climb the spires of the Basilica del Voto National, which has Galapagos animals to protect it instead of mythical creatures. I just had dinner at the hostel with a fabulous view of Quito and am getting ready for my next adventure. I will be under water in the Galapagos Islands living aboard a boat for a week and will summarize the experience when I come back to civilization. Adios!

The Great Crater Lake and Beyond

Several of our merry band of travelers were headed to the adventure town of Banos, but in very different ways. Two adorable Dutch girls, Anya and Marsha and me hired the driver from Cotopaxi to take us off the beaten path and visit the volcano crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa. Anya read something about it in her guidebook and it sounded like an adventure. Enrique and Harley joined the party and rode all day in the back of the pickup truck!

It was a beautiful day and I feel like I got to see the real Ecuador. Women in traditional dress with hats and fushia ponchos, families working the fields, a bustling town market, etc. We stopped for lunch in a small town where we bought rolls from the bakery and a whole chicken and cheese from another place to make divine sandwiches for a picnic. Our Barcelona born Enrique was invaluable to get things done and make sure we weren't missing anything fun.

The drive was scenic, but nothing could have prepared me for the beauty of the Laguna Quilotoa. Stunning! We were all silent as we peered over the edge at the glowing green lake nestled in the volcano crater. The locals claim the lake has no bottom and it does look magical. We hiked down taking photos constantly and arranged to ride donkeys back to the top. It was so worth the long drive!

We hit Banos at about 6pm on Wednesday and our friends from Cotopaxi were walking to the new hostel, Plantas y Blanco, at the exact same time. It was a cause for celebration--it doesn´t take much! Our hostel has a cafe/bar roof deck with a waterfall view--all for $7.50 a night in a 4 bed room with our own bath.

Banos is where travelers and locals come to have a good time. There are countless adventure activities and the premier attraction is the public hot baths, said to have healing powers. The thermal baths and many area waterfalls are gifts from the impressive local active volcano Tungurahua (throat of fire).

I had a lovely dinner with Anya and Marsha and we planned our activities to get the most out of this exciting town!

Getting High in Cotopaxi

The Secret Garden Cotopaxi hostel is a family home, working farm, and retreat all in one. The view of six volcanos with the snow covered Cotopaxi as the star was simply breathtaking. We arrived in time to settle into our quaint bunk rooms (mine had 8 beds surrounding a potbelly stove) and have lunch. After being served a lovely meal of Ecuadorian stew at the long wooden table we were invited on a nice hike up to a nearby waterfall. I pulled on the rubber boots and headed out with the group, 4 dogs and two guides.

I am just lucky to be alive! We went over, under, through and around thick vegetation, slippery rocks, sheer drops in big rubber boots with the oxygen available at 12,000ft. The waterfall was beautiful, but more importantly we bonded as a group, basically trying to stay alive! If it were not for Patrick, from Switzerland, who pulled or pushed me on many occasions, you would have nothing to read. Patrick, who just finished his degree in molecular biology, won the money for his South American trip on a game show that sounds like our Family Feud. The stories are wonderful here...

The waterfall experience made the next days´ Cotopaxi climb to the Jose Rivas Refuge seem possible. I survived with the limited air available at 16,000ft and made my way up the ground lava to the Refuge. This is the place the climbers sleep before leaving at 1am to head to the summit. None of our group took this on! The weather changes rapidly on the volcano and we were rewarded with some great sun to match the cold wind whipping down from the glacier. It was a great experience!

My two days at the hostel were truly special. We woke up each day with the sun and the rooster. The first person up checked the sunrise and woke everyone if it was a clear shot of Cotopaxi. If so, we would all grab cameras and tumble out in pjs to get the shot before climbing back in until breakfast at 7:30. Everyone did different activities during the day meeting back for an afternoon of laziness in hammocks before snacks and cocktails at 5pm. Big group dinners turned into fun evenings chatting by the fire. When we turned in exhausted, the staff had built a fire in our stove and lit candles everywhere. What an experience!

Operation Ecuador

My vacation got off to a rocky start last Saturday with airline malfunctions threatening my first day in Ecuador. But, persistence pays and got me to an alternate city, Guayaquil, with a free hotel. I ended up having a ball in the coastal town of Guayaquil, an easy flight to Quito the next day and a great story to tell.

Quito is not only the capital, but also the soul of Ecuador. Nestled in the Andes, at almost 10,000ft it is the world's second highest capital. The area called Old Town is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the location of my hostel home base in Ecuador, The Secret Garden. The top floor of the hostel is an open air cafe/bar with a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and lively Quito.

Within minutes of arriving at the Secret Garden, I met an delightful Australian couple who were headed to the art museum that happened to top my list for the afternoon. The Museo del Banco Central put the pre colonial, colonial and revolutionary periods and art movements in context for me. I am now eager to learn more as I travel around this small and proud country.

By some miracle, my luggage arrived on the evening flight from Miami and I picked up my bags without incident. I made it back to the hostel in time for dessert and to spend the evening sitting around a fire built in a wheel barrow hearing travel stories and soaking up the lights of Quito. My list of places to see is growing by the minute.

The next morning me and about 16 others from the hostel hopped in two trucks for a ride out to the middle of nowhere. We tied the backpacks on the roof and headed to the Cotopaxi National Park.

Merci Montreal

Last Wednesday, I opened one of those emails promoting last minute travel deals. I saw Montreal RT for $128 and started packing. One call to Steve in Boston and he jumped in the car to meet me at the cool Hotel Nelligan in Old Montreal. It was hard to believe that a 55 minute flight transported me to such a cosmopolitan city with old world flair. Still wondering why it took me so long to visit...

Before Steve arrived on Saturday, I spent several hours in the Museum of Fine Arts. "Grandeur Nature," the exhibition of American and Canadian landscape paintings and photography was outstanding and made me want to spend more time with nature. Next trip Niagara!

When Steve wheeled into town my cultural tour of Montreal shifted to roof top terrace cocktails--the perfect way to see such a lovely city! We drank and danced our way around the Plateau area and the Village, took a long walk by the Saint-Laurent River, which is brilliantly incorporated into the city, had great meals in Old Montreal and even went on a tour of the Notre-Dame Basilica, which dates back to 1642.

For lunch today, I joined Marie-Josee, an amazing woman who owns a top PR firm in Montreal called CASACOM. She took me to a delightful tented terrace where we had local venison and talked of the joys and challenges of life in our profession. Armed with Marie-Josee's recommendations I shopped my way around the trendy parts of Montreal, finding a few things I simply had to take back with me to NYC. Back at home tonight, I'm already missing the opportunity to cave the local Montreal delicacy of french fries covered in gravy. Maybe next time!