TravelStream™ news feed for member ndsquirrel on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ndsquirrel en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:51:39 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1241884800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1241884800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1241884800/tpod.html Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:51:39 -0400 The Wanderer

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Pakenham, Victoria, Australia

The flight to Melbourne had a surprise stop in Sydney...well it was a surprise to me when I booked what I thought was a non-stop flight. Apparently the flight stops at Sydney and continues to Melbourne. Since it was using the same flight number, I assumed that we would deplane to allow the cleaning crew to work on the plane while they refueled it, but we would get back on the same plane...not the case we switched planes!

At the Melborne airport, mom and I got separate because in the customs declaration I declared that I was bringing in soiled golf shoes, so she went through the express line and I had to wait to get my bags inspected. Bonus, I also got my golf shoes cleaned. Now, I will have to identify my great aunt Aree, who I have not seen in over 30 years. Surprising, I recognized her immediately...definitely before she recognized me. I met her second husband, Ian. We spent some time wandering the Melborne Airport parking garage as Uncle Ian and Aunt Aree forgot where they parked the car...what can I say they are senior citizens. LOL

Uncle Ian got lost driving back to Pakenham. I also found out that he should not be driving because of his health condition. If I would have know this beforehand, Mom and I could have used the Melborne transportation system to get to Pakenham and they could have met us at the train station. At their home, I found out that Uncle Ian loves to brew his own beer. We cracked open a few bottles as Aunt Aree cooked up a good lunch. Over the meal, I discovered that Uncle Ian and I also share a passion, golf. He was really excited when I told him I would be golfing both the East and West course of the Royal Melborne Golf Club during my stay.

Sunday, Aunt Aree took us by train to the Port of Melborne, where we were to meet up with Nell (my first cousin once removed). Nell and I grew up together in Bangkok when Aunt Aree and my parents lived in the same neighborhood block. Nell was running late. Since I did not want to lose anytime while in Melborne, I went ahead and explored the downtown by myself while Mom and Aunt Aree waited for Nell to arrive. On Monday, I was able to have dinner with Nell and her son, Zen. It was good catching up with her and meeting my second cousin. We had a pleasant dinner as Zen was talking about his upcoming trip to Germany. Afterwards, Nell played some of her recordings and showed me her paintings. Nell is very talented.

Tuesday, Uncle Ian drove us around Pakenham and showed us his golf club. We had a plesant lunch with Uncle Ian, Aunt Aree and their friends. Overall it was a relaxing day before Mom and I explore the Great Ocean Road on Wednesday. It was great to reconnect with family and I wish Australia was not so far away. Hopefully, Uncle Ian, Aunt Aree or Nell can come to the states for a visit.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240313400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240313400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240313400/tpod.html Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:04:59 -0400 The Wanderer

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Panajachel, Western Highlands, Guatemala

My early morning started with an 5:30 am shuttle pick-up to Panajachel. There was a slight mis-communication when my driver arrived at 5:30 and I meet him at the hotel lobby but due to either of us speaking the other's language I did not think he was my driver. The driver then proceeded to my room while I waiting for what I thought would be another group van. It turned out that I was the only one needing a shuttle to Pana from Antigua. Once everything was straightened out we left for Pana around 6 am, but still arrived at 7:30 30 minutes before the boat tour was scheduled to begin. I walked to the waterfront to get an idea of what to expect for the rest of the day. I was floored with the view of Lake Atitlan and the backdrop of the three volcanoes (San Pedro, Toliman and Atitlan) which ringed the lake. The lake itself was a collapse crater from an ancient volcano. Walking the streets of Pana, I was amused that some vendors were selling bongs and crack pipes...this was a direct result of the towns history as the premier Central American hippie hangout during the 1960s and 1970s. Although the city now caters to more of the mainstream tourist industry, Pana still maintained its counter-culture heritage.

Precisely at 8 am, I was meet at Adrenalina's Pana office by my guide for today, Pablo. Pablo drove me to the town pier where we boarded the boat, which will be our main source of transportation today. We were joined by various other people, most of whom sat topside to enjoy the morning cruise. Our first destination on the lake was the town of San Pedro. As we approached the town, you could not help but notice this striking white building which at first I assumed was the Catholic Church. As part of the walking tour, Pablo explained to me that the building was build by a Baptist ministry and that there are a lot of evangelical Christians in the town. We climbed to the top of the building to get a great view of the lake and Volcano San Pedro. To provide some balance, we then ventured to the Catholic Church but the structure was not as impressive. Finally, Pablo showed me where the town folks process coffee, which next to tourism is the chief means of income for the locals.

Now that the winds have picked up, the ride to Santiago was quite choppy and we were getting a lot of spray as the boat bounced through the waves. At this point most people decided to spend the trip sheltered in the boat's passenger cabin. I and few other hardy souls still chose to ride topside. I struck a conversation with one, Liz, a bonds broker from New York. Being both seasoned world travelers, we traded stories of our various journeys. At Santiago, Pablo took me to a little museum which exhibit the various local costumes and a replica of the town's Maximon "Mayan evil saint". The true Maximon is housed in the village and the location changes from year to year. Pablo offered to take me to the house, but said I would be required to pay admission and to pay to take its picture. Instead I decided to have Pablo take me to the local Church and donated the money I would have paid to see the real Maximon to the little museum. The inside of the church was beautiful. Along the side walls, various religious figurines were clothed in different local outfits. The main altar had wood carvings of the saints fighting the evil Maximon. Also on the main aisle, there were various locals creating sand paintings. Pablo and I stopped at the local market to grab something to eat before boarding the boat.

The final destination of the boat cruise is a little village San Antonio Palopo. At the boat, I could tell Liz was a little disappointed that we did not explore Santiago, together. I apologized to her for not sharing the guide services of Pablo. As we approached San Antonio, both Liz and I noticed the cemetery on the hillside outside of town. A lot of the graves had brightly colored receptacles, which attracted us. We asked Pablo to take us there. I was saddened to see that the cemetery contain a lot of small markers for the children of the village who have died. This showed that living on the lake is still a hard existence. Liz has a great photographer's eye and she pointed out several great angles for my pictures. We had to hurry back to the boat since this was our shortest stopover.

On the trip back, Liz and I agreed to have dinner together. Since she was a vegetarian, I had her chose the restaurant, while I made arrangements with Adrenalina to catch a later shuttle back to Antigua. They were more than willing to obliged. Because of their great service the last two days, I decided to book the shuttle to Guatemala City Airport through Adrenalina, also. Instead of paying $40 if I booked through the hotel, I paid $12. Dinner with Liz was great and I learned what a truly amazing person she is. Liz spent her early twenties traveling the world as a scuba instructor. Tomorrow, she planned to do a dive on the lake to see a petrified forest. I wish I was not leaving tomorrow because I would have loved to join her. As a matter of fact, if I was to travel here again, I think I could spend 4-5 days on the lake kayaking, hiking and biking to various 12 villages along the shore.

On the ride back to Antigua, we were able to see the smoke rising from the top of Volcan de Fuego. Speaking of fuego, I did not put on any sunscreen today and my face is burning up. I know I will be peeling for weeks, but it will bring back happy memories of today's trip.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240252200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240252200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240252200/tpod.html Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:29:32 -0400 The Wanderer

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Pacaya, Western Highlands, Guatemala

After a morning of exploring Antigua, now was the time for my main goal of the day, a hike up the active volcano Pacaya. Pacaya is 2500m in elevation and located about 30 km south of Guatemala City, so it required a shuttle to the national park. I arranged for a tour through Adrenalina a few days before. I was impressed that I was picked up exact at 2:30 as arranged, especially since I was the last person of a group of 12. I chose the afternoon tour because I wanted to see the volcano at sunset; there were also tours available in the morning or where you can camp overnight. I came prepared with a flashlight provided by the hotel and new batteries bought at the supermarket. It was a long hour drive to the volcano especially since to save money I booked with the Spanish speaking tour. Although I heard several languages being spoken French, German and Russian, no one was speaking English.

We arrived at the park entrance where every one had to pay the admissions fee 40Q (Adrenalina tour does not include this only the transportation and the guide). The next thing was everyone was required to get a flashlight because we will be walking back after the sun sets. For those who were not prepared, they could buy a flashlight and batteries at the store...probably for an inflated price. Our guide, Aldo, met us at the store along with a half dozen kids selling walking sticks for 5Q. Eventually, after some haggling most of the group were able to get a stick for 2-3Q. Once everyone got the required equipment, we started our trek.

Aldo's goal was to have everyone up to the lava flow early enough to enjoy the spectacle and loiter awhile, but he wanted the group off the sharp unstable fresh lava beds before it got too dark. I knew I was in trouble because I had difficulty keeping up with Aldo's pace on the trail. The walk was pure assent up the nearby mountain...I was expecting/hoping for a series of switchbacks on this trek. My spirit was broken about 1/3 of the way there when Aldo pointed out the peak of Pacaya which was still quite a distance away. For the sake of the entire group, I swallowed my pride and hired a horse for the rest of the trek. Fortunately, there were locals who have been following our group who was happy to sell a ride on their horse. Knowing I was not in the position to bargain I accepted the fee of 100Q for an one way trip up the mountain. In hind sight I am glad I rode the horse up because it allowed me to enjoy the views along the trail vice suffering trying to keep up with the group. Two other members also chose to ride a horse, but they hired the horse at the beginning so I am sure they got a better deal.

We reached the top of the nearby mountain when I noticed a different group coming up a different trail. Based on their appearance, I do not think their hike was as strenuous and their trail probably gradually ascended using switchbacks. I console myself with the idea that our trail was more picturesque. At this vantage point you can see the entire volcano Pacaya and all its grandeur. In the distance there is a group of people snaking up the lava bed to the fresh lava flow. Pacaya has been active since 1965. Some of the group chose to ski down the ash slope towards the lava bed. I rode the horse down to the beginning of the lava bed where my not so free ride ended. It was not safe for the horse to traverse the lava bed with the sharp newly formed rocks and brittle footing. I had no problems climbing up the slope, although I was a bit concerned with the fact that through some of the cracks you can see molten rock. You also quickly learned that and white shaded rocks are still hot and should not be used as a handhold or lingered on. At the lava flow some of the people were roasting marsh-mellows...I did not want to get any where near that close to the molten rock. Because of the thermal conditions, the wind was whipping and all it takes was a sudden gust or a poorly placed step and you are a toasted human...No thanks.

My horse guide was a little disappointed that I did not hire the horse for the return journey, but I knew going down was much easier that going up. As it got dark, I discovered that my flashlight did not work. Fortunately a German, Elsa, shared her light. It is amazing that Elsa was fluent in four languages; German, French, Spanish and English. She was staying at a hostel that actually had bed lice as she showed me her pocked filled arms. Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the place to warn other travelers. At the end of the hike, several people purchased some beer. There I enjoyed a conversation with a couple from Israel on their Honeymoon. So there were people in my van who spoke English. LOL.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240156800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240156800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240156800/tpod.html Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:37:35 -0400 The Wanderer

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Chichicastenango, Western Highlands, Guatemala

It is my understanding, there are a couple of must see places in Guatemala...Antigua (check)...and the Sunday market in Chichicastenago. To enhance the experience, I chose not to book a shuttle instead I will be going to the market like the locals on one of the "chicken buses". Plotting the route looked simple enough; board the bus leaving Antigua for Chimaltenago and then transfer to one of the buses shuttling between Guatemala city and Santa Cruz del Quiche. The buses have signs on the front and side stating their destination, so how hard can it be?

The first leg was a piece of cake because I boarded the bus at the Antigua bus station and there were plenty of seats. When the conductor started collecting the fares from the passenger, I watched the man sitting next to me. He told the conductor his destination (Chimal) and gave him 5Q, so I did the same. At Chimal, my next task was to catch the right bus to Chichi. I realized I was on the wrong side of the road when I approached the first bus with signs for Quiche. I asked the conductor "donde" and his reply was Guatemala. I crossed the street/highway and bought a bag of sliced mangoes as I waited for the right bus. I was fortunate to find a seat on the next bus because it originated from Guatemala City and has had plenty of time to fill up with passengers. When the conductor was collecting the fee, I ran into a snag...no one nearby was going to Chichi. I took a guess that the fee would be 10Q but immediately knew it was incorrect based on the reactions of the conductor. After a few minutes of him yelling something in Spanish and me acting ignorant, the conductor gave up.

After a 2 hour ride, the bus stopped at 8 Calle in Chichi. I walked towards the Plaza where the main section of the market will be situated. There were vendors along 8 Calle trying to entice me to purchase their ware. The Calle opened up into the steps for the church of Santo Tomas. Having read that the people here are very superstitious about taking their picture, I made sure I was not focusing my camera at any one person. As a precaution I had the concierge at the hotel write in Spanish, "may I take your picture". Initially I walked around the outside of the market. The stalls on the outer edge are tailored towards tourist with various crafts and items go for souvenirs. 2/3 of the way around, I arrived at the church El Calvario located across the Plaza from Santo Tomas and also on 8 Calle. I headed away from the market on 8 Calle and took some pictures of the countryside, including a multi-colored cemetery. Making my way back in to the market, I stopped at Museo Rossbach for a break from the sun. For 5Q you could see an interesting collection of pre-Columbian artifacts, ceramics, stone carvings and jade pieces.

Getting hungry, I worked my way into the middle of the plaza to find a local food stall. To the amusement of the women working the stall, I sat down to have a good meal of fried chicken. In the middle of the market is where you can find the merchants selling the household items that regular Guatemalans would need. However if you were looking for fresh produce, one would need to go north of the Plaza and enter Centro Comercial building. Also I was pleasantly surprised to find a park and fountains in the middle of this chaos.

After a few hours of exploring/shopping, it was time to leave. Since Chichi does not have a bus terminal, I caught a "chicken bus" at the corner of 5 Calle and 5 Avenida. This time there were no available seats and I stood the whole trip back to Chimal. Also the highway leading back to Guatemala City was packed with traffic from those heading back from the market or heading back from a weekend retreat on Lake Atitlan. My one fear of traveling in Guatemala was getting robbed and for a moment there I thought it was going to happen. On the way back, the bus was stopped at gun point, but it turned out to be a case of road rage. You see the traffic heading back to Guatemala City was bumper to bumper but this was not an obstacle to our bus driver. He decided to drive on the left side of the road and occasionally honk his horn at the blind turns to warn the on coming traffic...riding the "chicken bus" is not for the faint of heart. Getting back to the man with a pistol, he refused to let the bus pass him and I assumed he threatened the driver with bodily harm if the driver proceeded. LOL

P.S. I did find out the true fare from Chimal to Chichi. It was 25Q because on the way back the conductor was smart enough to show me the required bills.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240070400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240070400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240070400/tpod.html Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:26:43 -0400 The Wanderer

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Antigua, Guatemala

On my flight into Guatemala City, I noticed two things. The air was smoggy or it could be fumes spuming out of the 3 active volcanoes in the area. Also, they laid out this city around some huge gorges with buildings on top of the plateau abreast to some terrifying drops. The limo pick-up I arranged with the hotel I am staying in Antigua, Soleil, was waiting for me when I arrived...convenience but at $40 a bit expensive for the 45 minute shuttle to Antigua.

A little history on the city...it was founded in 1543 and christened La Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de los Caballeros de Goathemala (The very Noble and very Loyal City of St. James of the Knights of Guatemala). The Spanish conquistadors probably fell in love with the countryside surrounded by 3 volcanoes. Because it served as the capital city for over 200 years, the city had many elaborate structures built; 32 churches, 18 monasteries/convents, 8 universities/colleges and 5 hospital. Unfortunately, the city planners did not realize that areas around volcanoes tend to be quite seismically active. After rebuilding the structures many times, the government had enough after a major earthquake in 1773 and moved the capital to present day Guatemala City. The former capital was renamed La Antigua Guatemala (the Old Guatemala). This was a blessing in distinguish because only the poorest inhabitants remained. Since they were of limited means, they could only repair the old structures instead of tearing down and building new structures; thus the city retained its colonial charm. In 1960 the city council realized that this elegant city would attract tourist and limited commercial development within the city. Now, the city is a tourist hot spot and a weekend retreat for wealthy Guatemalans.

RUNNING IN CIRCLES (APR 18)

Since I only had the afternoon, nothing major was planned other than to get acquainted with the city. After checking in and calling a few travel agencies about the various activities I want to do during my stay, I headed out on foot to explore the city. My first destination was Parque Central, a delightful park with a fountain in the middle. Many locals and tourist were enjoying a beautiful spring Saturday by strolling around the park. The park is also the starting point for many horse drawn carriage or horseback tours. To the south of the park was a building currently being restored, Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (Palace of the Captains General). To the east of the park was the Catedral de Santiago Apostal y San Jose Catedral where I watched a steady stream of people entering/exiting the church as one Saturday wedding started and another wedding finished. During a lull between weddings, I entered to take a look around and say a few prayers. I did not see any sign prohibiting photography so I took several pictures of the different devotional stations. Any feelings of impropriety was erased as I stumbled onto a couple sucking face in one of the niches...probably moved by the last wedding ceremony. I quickly left because I did not want to be struck by a stray bolt of lighting.

One of my goals for this afternoon was to hike up the nearby hillside to view the city from Cerro de la Cruz. It was highly recommended by the various guide books not to make this trip alone because of the potential of robbery. The local tourist police provided guided escorts up the hill at 10 am and 3 pm. Using the map in the Fodder's guidebook, I headed to the tourist police headquarters to find they are no longer located in that building. After asking a few people (difficult task considering I do not speak Spanish) I was given directions to a tourist information center. Using the map provided by the center, I went to another location which still did not house the tourist police. Again, I asked for directions. This time the directions led me to the correct location of the police station, which ironically was a few blocks from my hotel. Unfortunately, I was too late for the 3 pm escort and will have to come back another day.

My other mission was to arrange for the volcano hike and Lake Atitlan tour. By calling around I was able to find an agency, Adrenalina, willing to book these tours for a single person at a reasonable price. I walked back to Parque Central and up 5 Avenida to the agency's office. On Saturday and Sundays, 5 Avenida is closed to vehicular traffic to allow tourist to walk the street leading to the Arco de Santa Catalina. This pretty yellow arch is the only remaining structure of the once enormous Convent of St. Catherine. Further up the Avenida is the fully intact Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Merced (Church of Our Lady of Mercy). In my opinion this church is the most beautiful structure in the city and probably the country. Again, there was a steady procession of wedding ceremonies. During the walk to La Merced, I was able to enjoy the various street performers taking advantage of the traffic restriction and entertaining the crowds on 5 Avenida. After I booked my tour with Adrenalina and congratulated the owner of having such a prime location for his business, I stopped into a local pub, Reilly's, for a few pints and some pub grub. Other than my initial disappointment that they did not have Guinness on tap, I enjoyed myself in this Irish Island in a sea of Spanish extravagance. The bartender recommended I come back Sunday for their trivia night...apparently it is the thing to do in Antigua on Sunday other than attend mass. Fodder's guidebook also agreed.

AROUND THE TOWN (APR 19)

My plan for Sunday was to ride the infamous Guatemalan "chicken bus" to the famous Sunday market at ChiChicastenago (more details on this trip in a future entry). Walking up Alameda Santa Lucia towards the bus terminal, I stopped to admire the church of Santa Lucia and the Landivar Monument. Rafael Landivar was a Jesuit composer and was generally considered the finest poet of the colonial era.

When I returned from ChiChi, I trekked to the northwest end of the city. I was awed by the ruins of La Recoleccion and San Jeronimo. Heading east on 1 Calle, I arrived again at La Merced, but I did not mind another look at this gorgeous church. Further east, there is the remains of an old convent Santa Teresa, which is currently being used as the local jail. Finally I arrived at the Convento de las Capuchinas, which supposedly has the most beautiful ruins in Antigua, but I arrived after it closed at 5pm. Heading south on 3 Avenida, I spotted El Carmen. El Carmen used to be one of the finest churches in the city but the numerous earthquakes to its toll when finally the top half of the facade collapsed after the quake in 1976. Further south. there is a small park, which did not impress me. However the two buildings that booked ended the park, church of San Pedro and the Convento of Santa Clara, made this excursion worth the effort. After a long day at the market, I did not have the energy to go back to Reilly's for their trivia night and headed back to my hotel instead.

PREPARATORY STEPS (APR 20)

Before my hike to Pacaya volcano this afternoon (more details on this adventure in a future entry), I decided to finish my tour of Antigua. First on today's agenda is the hike up Cerro de la Cruz. Not wanting to miss the police escort, I left the hotel in plenty of time to get to the tourist police headquarters...now that I know the location. On my way there I saw a procession of school children marching along Alameda de Santa Lucia; the purpose of the parade escapes me. Also I wandered around a side street and found the gate to the local cemetery with an adjacent funeral home, which had an interesting crest. Even with my meandering, I was 15 minutes early. I was the only tourist this morning and got a personal escort to Cerro de la Cruz. What I thought was a guided walking tour turned out to be a ride to the top of the hill. I can not complain because I will have plenty of opportunity of hiking up a hill/mountain this afternoon. On the ride up, I spotted four young women making the trek unescorted and the location of the steps, which would have been the traditional route up the hill. The view on this hill was amazing and the police gave me 30 minutes to walk around and take pictures. Unfortunately my 30 minutes was up at the same time that the ladies finally arrived. I was hoping for an opportunity to practice some of my newly learned Spanish.

I had the policemen drop me off at Parque Central, there I had the usual Guatemalan breakfast of eggs and refried beans at a quaint restaurant, Cafe Condesa. The price was a little more expensive than most cafes, but dining in their gardens made it worth the price. I noticed a huge line at the museum in Ayuntamiento mainly of school kids...maybe this is where they marched to. After wards, I walked to Monasterio San Francisco. This is the location of the tomb of Hermano Pedro de Betancourt, a Franciscan monk who founded the hospital of Belen in Antigua and has been credited with several miracles. For 5Q you gain entry into the museum dedicated to his life and the ruins of the monastery. In the museum you were not allowed to take pictures, but it housed several hundred testimonials to the miraculous interventions attributed to this monk. In 2002, he was canonized and became Central America's first saint. The ruins was just as impressive with gardens laid out among the remains of fountains and other buildings of the monastery.

Since I still have time before my 2:30 pick for Pacaya, I decided to tour the ruins of Convento de las Capuchinas. The entrance fee was 30Q and I must be frank it was not worth that fee. Maybe once they complete the planned museum then it would be worth the price of admission. The gardens were not as impressive as the ones at the Monasterio San Francisco. Although the fountain was functioning, it still did not compare to the massive remains of the fountain at the monastery. The most interesting aspects of these ruins were the numerous figurines/heads taken off the other churches/convents/monasteries facade. The recreation of a typical nun's living quarter spooked the hell out of me with a mannequin of a nun staring back at you. When I first glanced at the figure it made the hairs on my skin rise.

Overall, Antigua is a beautiful city and I would recommend a journey there. I would allow 2-3 days to fully explore this city.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/7/1237125600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/7/1237125600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/7/1237125600/tpod.html Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:20:21 -0400 Vegas Visitation

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

It was a rough morning. I did not hear the wake up call and Bill had to shake me out of bed. When I was in the shower I heard the phone ring two more times. Apparently, the Wynn will call you back if you do not answer your requested wake up call. The second (or third depending on how you count it) was security checking to see if there was anything wrong, since you did not answer the original call. I commend the Wynn on providing this service, but I do not think my brother liked it too much. LOL. On my way to the parking garage, I saw the bartender partly responsible for my current state this morning. He gave me a knowing nod as I passed. The reason for such an early start to the day was that I had a 9 am tee time at Siena Golf Club. Partly due to poor directions and my less than 100% mental state, I got lost several times. By the time I arrived at the course, I missed my tee time; however as a single golfer it was not difficult to get paired up with another group at 10.

Siena Golf Course was a beautiful track nestled near the Spring Mountains. Based on the description on their homepage, there are dazzling views of the Vegas skyline, but I must have been looking the other way at those points...I never saw Vegas. Siena was designed by architects Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt. I am not familiar with their work but they must love sand because there are over 100 bunkers on this course. The reason I chose this course was that the #9 hole is listed in the book "1000 Holes to Play Before you Die". The hole measured 335 yards from the Blue tees with water along the entire left side. I hit a decent drive on to the fairway and followed up with a pitching wedge to the green in regulation. Unfortunately, I three putted. This was the only highlight of the front nine. I went out in 53 strokes.

On the back nine, I played a little better and kept up with Sean, person I got paired together, by shooting bogey golf until hole #15. #15 was a relatively short par 5 measuring 469 yards and 180 yard force carry over water on the tee shot. I had no problems clearing the water but my sand play failed when I landed in the green side bunker on the third shot. I needed three strokes before I reached the putting surface for my high score of the round, 8 on the hole. I finished great with a par on the 342 yard par 4 finishing hole. I landed on the fairway on the drive but was faced with a daunting approach shot over water. I chose to play in side by hitting the ball short and to the left of the green. I followed the decent chip shot with a one putt for an up and down par. Finishing with a 49 and a round of 102.

Now, I have to face the harassment of my brother and friends, who were waiting for me to finish to start a night of gaming...Yes, I go to Vegas and I spend the evening playing board games. Ironically, we played Formula Day, a game based on formula racing. In this game I also ran behind and finished last out of five.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1241730000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1241730000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1241730000/tpod.html Mon, 25 May 2009 02:31:15 -0400 The Wanderer

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los angeles, California, United States

Rocky start to the trip...due to weather my departure from Dulles was delayed by an hour. To make matters worst, I spent most of that hour in the airplane on the taxiway as we waited for clearance to depart. I was getting worried that I might make the connecting flight out of LAX for Melbourne. My mom will be meeting up with me at LAX for this 3 week trip to Australia and Thailand. When I arrived in LAX there were 3 messages on my cell phone from mom wondering where I was. All this worrying was over nothing because the flight to Melbourne was delayed due to mechanical problems. They had to replace the APU. I am not sure what an APU is...my guess is the Air Propelled Unit used to generate electricity while in flight. Hope the rest of my journey is filled with less drama.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240416000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240416000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/8/1240416000/tpod.html Sun, 24 May 2009 00:42:36 -0400 The Wanderer

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Guatemala City, Western Highlands, Guatemala

Once again, Adrenalina Tours did a good job...this time it was the airport shuttle from Antigua to Guatemala City. While I was pricing other agencies, I found several who offered shuttles at a lower price around $10 vice the $12 with Adrenalina, but they all insisted on a 7 am departure to catch my noon flight out of Guatemala City. Adrenalina said I could have a 9 am departure, which was the much preferred options for me because I did not feel like lounging at the airport terminal for 3-4 hours. Again, I was promptly picked up at the arranged time. This time I am sharing a van with 5 other people. I had a good conversation with an American woman from Oregon. She was here on business making arrangements with a village along Lake Atitlan to sell there textiles in the US. I wished her the best in this endeavor.

We arrived at the airport at 10, which gave me plenty of time to check in and grab a bite to eat. I lucked out when at the ticketing booth I was offered the exit row seat without any additional charge, how can I pass up the opportunity for the extra leg room. I think they wanted someone who can speak English to follow the instructions in the event of an emergency. I had a little confusion at the custom area because I failed to pay the departure tax before getting in line. I must have missed the mention of a departure tax in the travel guide. You had an option of paying Q20 or $3. Fortunately I still had some Quetzels and chose to pay with the local currency since $3=Q24 at the time.

My luck continued when a gorgeous blond sat down next to me on the plane. Apparently someone was sitting in her assigned seat...too bad. She was an American archaeologist spending several months on a dig in the Guatemalan highlands. She was taking a few days off and returning to the states to visit some friends in New York and Connecticut. A good way to end a good trip!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/7/1237036500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/7/1237036500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/7/1237036500/tpod.html Sat, 02 May 2009 00:55:48 -0400 Vegas Visitation

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

I left the blinds open last night, so I woke up as soon as the sun rose above the mountains. As I am looking out the window across to the golf course, I was over whelmed with an urge to play. The Wynn charges an outrages $500 to play on their golf course. The course was originally part of the Desert Inn Golf Course, but was redesigned by Tom Fazio when Steve Wynn bought the property. Before today I would have said that no course is worth spending that much money; however the temptation was too great with the course within a stone's throw. The deal was clinched when I called the pro shop and found out they provided Callaway clubs for rentals. In my bag I have X-18 irons, so I know I would be comfortable hitting the new X-22. What the hell, you only live once. I got a tee time after the dew delay and walked to the pro shop.

While waiting for my tee time, I spent some time on the range getting use to the clubs. I was paired up with another person but he/she never showed, so it will be me and my caddy Charlie sharing the cart. I am sure Charlie would have preferred the extra player/tip vice being able to ride for 18 holes. Charlie was an ex-golf pro from South Carolina who is spending his retirement in Las Vegas. He was kind enough to look the other way, when I pulled out my camera...there is a course rule prohibiting cameras on the golf course. As a matter of fact, he took some pictures of me throughout the round. Hey for $500 I want more souvenirs than my memories and a bag tag!

The pre-round warm up was helping because I was striking the ball, well. It prompted Charlie to guess that I was a 10-11 handicap golf and he was surprised when I told him I was a 22 handicapper. I warned him he will see my dark side soon enough. Mr. Hyde appeared on the 5th hole when I pulled two balls out of bounds to the left. Coupled with a 3 putt performance on the green and I posted a whopping 9 for that hole. I also lost balls on the 10th and 12th holes, but Charlie was kind enough to give me some replacement balls. In addition to those errant shots, I gave away several strokes in the short game. Part of the problem is that the rental clubs only come with a pitching wedge and a sand wedge, while my bag contains 5 wedges for the variety of short game shots. The other problem I was having was with the putter where I 4-putted two of the Fazio greens...both times when I reached the green in regulation!

After the disastrous #5, my game calmed down a bit when I made the next three greens in regulation. On the par 3, 149 yard, hole #6 I needed four putts when I hit the 8-iron to the back of the green while the pin was in the front. On the next hole (516 yard par 5), I drilled the drive 260 yards and followed up with a lay up 6 iron short of the water. An easy 9 iron pitch and again I was on the green in regulation; this time I 3 putted...getting better. On the third hole (444 yard par 4), I teed off with a 3 wood and hit it about 210 onto the fairway. I followed this with another splendid 3 wood, which found the green, but this time I made par on the number one handicap hole! I finished the front nine with 52...not bad considering I carded a 9 on the 5th hole.

I had a shaky start to the back nine, when I pulled my drive across the creek on the left. My provisional was safely on the fairway, but I had Charlie search the brush on the other side for the first ball. I took a picture of the ducks sleeping in the shade, while Charlie searched in vain. Charlie earned his tip on the 11th hole (157 yard par 3) when he gave me a right-left read. I swear I thought the ball was going to break left-right, but I trusted Charlie's advice. I sank the putt for an up & down par save. I parred one other hole on the back nine, #13 (428 yard par 4).

Charlie made the observation that I would be a good player in a scramble format because I could contribute to the team when I nail some of my shots and discard my horrible shots. My best shot came on the signature #18 hole (425 yard par 4). I drove the ball 220 yards onto the fairway with the trusty 3 wood. Now, I am faced with a daunting approach shot with water all along the left side and the green tucked into the left in front of a beautiful waterfall. I pushed the 2 hybrid out to the right and drew the ball back towards the green; just like I pictured it in my head. The putt was a scary uphill putt to a hole placed on top of the mount in the upper right hand corner of the green. Just one time, can I make this birdie putt? I did mention that I 4-putted two greens, right? That was the most disappointing 6 in my life...oh, well.

It was an enjoyable round but I do not think it was worth $500, perhaps if I made that birdie putt. For this price, I am expecting a sea side view and some history to the course. The closest thing to history, came when I walked over the Wilbur Clark (owner of the old Desert Inn and original founding father of Vegas) Bridge on the 17th hole, but it was no Swilcan Bridge. I felt bad that Charlie got the unlucky draw on getting assigned to a single. I tried to help things by finishing my round in 3.5 hours, so he could potential make an extra loop for the day. Plus I gave him a little more than the customary $50 tip for the encouraging words and that terrific read.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/7/1236961800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/7/1236961800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ndsquirrel/7/1236961800/tpod.html Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:41:09 -0400 Vegas Visitation

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Normally on my visits to Vegas, I am staying at one of the Harrahs Corporation casinos as part of some promotion. I think the economic downturn has affected the availability of my free stays because I have not received any good offers from Harrahs this year. Instead of staying at the apartment with my mother and brother, Bill, I will be staying at the Wynn casino. Bill is playing in a $1.2 million slot tournament with a $5000 buy-in. As part of the buy-in, he got a suite for the weekend and the meals & beverages free. This should be a good weekend. I was amazed by the size of the suite, the bathroom was bigger than some hotel rooms I have stayed in. You could see the Wynn golf course and the pools from the huge windows. Both the living area and the bedroom had a wall mounted plasma TV. On the walls are various prints from Picasso...very classy decorum.

You can tell that Wynn is trying to appeal to their Asian customers. The casino is decked out in red, Chinese color for good luck. There are no floors numbered in the forties, because the number 4 is bad luck in China...of course they still had a 14th, 24th, etc. floor. Maybe they only have their non-Asian clients staying on those floor? Bill and I had lunch at the restaurant, Red 8. 8 is a lucky number in China. Being a Friday in Lent, I had calamari salad as an appetizer and a shrimp dish for entree. The food was okay, but the service was a little slow. Since I have not slept all night, I crashed on the couch after lunch. I woke up as my brother was headed to the casino to put in some time on the video poker machines. I headed to the apartment to see my mother; plus I wanted to watch Battlestar Galactica on TV and the Wynn did not have the Sci-Fi channel. My mom was not at the apartment; she must be at Sam's Town casino playing Deuces Wild. I should have called her to let her know I was at the apartment because she was not back by 1:30 when I left. Still awake I went to the Harrahs casino and played Blackjack for about 1.5 hours to let the Harrahs Corporation know I am still alive.

On Saturday, I joined Bill for lunch at the convention room where the slot contest was taking place. Bill's flight does not play until 2 pm, so he was scouting the machines to see which ones were a little faster than most. The buffet they had was pretty good with a wide selection of dishes and sandwiches. From the bar, I had a specialty drink which tasked like a pink lemonade but was made with lemon vodka...yum. I met up with my mom in the afternoon along with a Realtor, Sandy. I spent the rest of the afternoon looking at houses with my mom. We found one house, which I will be placing an offer. Maybe next time I visit and I am not staying at a casino, I can be sleeping in my own room. After looking at half dozen homes, Sandy, mom and I had dinner at Lao-Thai. I found it funny that Sandy and my mom would continue to order the meals speaking Thai to the waitress, who is Thai but can not speak Thai. The food dishes came from the Northeast area of Thai and had a lot of Laotian influence. Sandy's previous occupation was a chef, so she knew where to go to get some authentic Thai food.

Bill and I capped off the night at one of the bars in the Encore casino. I thought the Wynn was bad in its overt attempt to appeal to the Asian customers; the Encore was way over the top decked in red...pleeaase! Bill ended up winning his entry fee back in the slot tournament, but he lost $8000 on the video poker machines. Our mission was to make up for that in free drinks. It was a lot of fun, people watching from our stools at the bar. We watched as well dressed people head towards the main nightclub; I did not bring any dress shoes so Bill and I would not be clubbing tonight. And we watched as the people, little more haggard looking, leave the club. I saw one poor woman, who had a little too much Vegas, vomit into a trash can. They had to wheel her out in a wheelchair. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...right?
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