Not so sunny - South Beach

More clouds and overcast this morning. Plus the temperature has definitely dropped. Stayed in bed hoping the skies would clear. Ventured out to the kitchen around 8ish and talked with R & E for a bit before they took off for a walk.  I threw a load in the laundry.  We had some breakfast and patiently watched as the rain began to come down in sheets.  All we could think of was last year at this time on our last day in LA when it actually hailed!!  What is it with us and the weather?  Wow, Let's go to the beach.

Versace Mansion

The walk over, the laundry done, everyone fed and dressed – the three musketeers (Roman, Geoff and myself – Elissa had better things to do) headed out to South Beach.  It may not have been in the teens, but it certainly was raw out there.  We did the obligatory walk down the beach to gawk at all the Deco and take stupid tourist pictures. When we had our fill of that, things started to get hungry and it was time for some Cuban food.  Our friend (Tundra Girl) had told me about Versailles in Little Havana - Roman said that was the place to go.  Back in the bus, R gave us a nice tour of the city, passing through Lincoln Mall, and the Venetian Islands.

Got seated relatively quickly and ordered a couple of dishes to split between all of us.  Pretty tasty stuff.  The place is definitely full of local character.  When we were fully sated, we headed back to the ranch.  Hung around the house until it was time to be dropped off at the airport.

Well, here we now sit at MIA.  We had some good luck and then some not so good luck.  We were able to get the exit seats without too much of a hassle.  We were all excited about that and were feeling pretty good when we got to Club America, only to be told that they were closing at 8pm.  It was 7:30 and our flight left at 11:55.  We were so looking forward to hanging around in the lap of luxury.  We sulked out of there and watched all the restaurants close around us one by one.  Managed to sneak in an order that we split at Island Chicken Café.  Just finished dinner and now everything is closed.  Time now is 9:02.  This is going to be a long wait.  I think they stopped heating the place as well.  It is freezing in here. Going to try someplace with heat and maybe watch a movie.

Never got around to the movie.  Met our fellow travelers.  Have to say, so far, everyone seems very nice and reasonably fit!

Next time…. Welcome to Lima!

The Hidden Miami

Opened the hotel black-out shades to an overcast grey morning.  Looks like I won't be hanging out at the pool today.  We got ourselves together and headed out for a leisurely stroll to the Coco Walk - passing a parade of various colored peacocks along the way. These are kind of like the painted cows we had in Boston a while back.  Decided to take Roman up on his suggestion of the Green St. Cafe (which is not on Green St. - go figure) for breakfast.  Sat outside and watched the beautiful people and their beautiful cars go by.  Had a nice breakfast and headed down to the waterfront for a walk along the marina before going back to the hotel.  As we approached our hotel, I noticed for the first time that it was located on Darwin St.  If that isn't Karma, I don't know what is!

All checked out by noon and Roman came to pick us up and take us back to his lovely home in Coral Gables. We were glad to be out of the hotel.  Not that there was anything wrong with it.  But it was just a hotel room, although I have to say that the bed was great! We are just not hotel folk. Back at Roman's, there was some discussion of where to go and what to do. After considering our options, we decided to get back on the bikes and ride from his house to Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens.  Roman showed us the way there then turned around and left us on our own to explore.  WOW what a beautiful place.  Flora, fauna, and sculptures galore.  Be sure to check out the photo album.  We had lunch at the small Cafe by the lake and then toured the grounds.

After having our fill of the gardens, we headed out to another path Roman told us about called the Hammocks.  Here you bike through a canopy of mangroves out to the beach and a small lagoon.  Met a very nice Montreal couple who were also biking (a bit more seriously than we were).  We chatted for a while -mostly bike talk.  Montreal is so bike friendly, and we have to say that they are not very bike friendly around here.  No regard for anything or anyone on the road.  And everyone seems to be on the phone everywhere you go.  These are some very busy folk.  We parted ways and headed back to the house.  We had a great time and now it was time to shower and go to dinner.

Roman suggested a place in Coral Gables called Tarpon Bend.  This place was totally nuts. It was mostly 20 somethings out on a Friday night.  You couldn't hear yourself think.  We nixed that idea and looked around for something more suitable for dining and conversation.  Ended up at a lovely little spot called the European Cafe.  Good food and good conversation.  Got back to the house at around 10:30 and finally met Elissa, Roman's wife.  More good conversation.  We are now well fed, tired, and tucked into our new room.  We are very thankful to Roman for showing us this Hidden Miami.

Next time... Sunning on South Beach?

Biking in the Everglades

 

It took a while to get started today. Roman picked us up around 10ish then headed to his house to pick up the bikes, Finally on the road by 11:30. Stopped for lunch which took just about forever. I won't even go into why. At last, we arrived at Shark Valley National Park, Everglades and headed down the bike path. This is really a wonderful experience. The pictures really speak for themselves. To view them, click on the photo album on the left.

We saw a variety of beautiful birds - some you could get up real close to see. And the alligators - well they're alligators and they were everywhere! The loop around the park is 15 miles. Not that much, but we were all pretty tired at the end. Fortunately, we had great weather for biking. Some sun and clouds with a bit of a windy breeze at times.

Roman gave us a mini-tour of Coral Gables the way home. We stopped off at a local TexMex place for a quick dinner then it was back to the hotel. Just in time to catch the Celtics/Lakers game. As I type this, Ray Allen has just beaten Reggie Miller's 3pt record. Go RAY!!

Tomorrow Geoff and I will venture out and explore Coconut Grove and if it is nice hang around the pool till it is time to checkout. Then we move to Roman's house. It feels real good to get out of the cold and to be able to do stuff outside!

Next time... The move to Coral Gables

Lift Off & Touch Down

Woke up to bright sunshine and no SNOW!!  It winds were howling last night - gusting at around 40mph.  But things calmed down by morning. The temperature dipped into the teens and the bay was frozen again.  Can't get out of here fast enough. We did the morning ritual things and then gathered out stuff.  Checked and double checked and just to make sure we checked once more that everything was taken care of and what was supposed to be in the car was before we locked the house up.

Driving to Cambridge was a piece of cake and only had to wait for Deidre for about 5 minutes.  She left work early to meet us and take us to Logan.  Uneventful ride to the airport, and we were pretty early as usual.  As we were walking up to the check-in, we ran into our friends and world travelers, Gail and Mark.  They are on their way to Antartica for two weeks - guess this just wasn't cold enough for them.  Turns out we were all on the same plane, but they will be traveling on from Miami.  We had lots of time for lunch and catching up and travel talk.  They are in our biking group and are a part of our European adventure this fall, the Vienna to Budapest leg.

Right now I am writing this on the plane.  It is only about a 3 1/2 hour flight.  We just watched the Denis Leary special on our netbook.  Hope we didn't laugh too loud.  It was pretty funny.  We will get in touch with Roman (G's friend) when we get to the hotel and maybe meet him at Jaguar.  Some sort of Latin cerviche bar in Coconut Grove - walking distance from the hotel.  Sounds tres yummy!

Finally got to the hotel after sitting on the tarmac for almost an hour. Good thing Mark and Gail had 3 hrs before their next flight.  Checked-in at around 7:30 and Roman came and picked us up.  Jaguar wasn't too far but we took the car anyway.  Very nice place, but a bit noisy.  Had drinks at the bar.  I was mesmorized at the cerviche chefs.  Very cool idea.  We ordered a couple of cerviche plates and moved outside where we could hear each other talk.  G & R chatted about the old days and we talked about traveling. The food was delicious.  Some plans were discussed about tomorrow.  Meeting Roman at 10.

Next time .... Biking in the Everglades?

Next Stop - Miami!

Well, the time has come to take the countdown off the sidebar.  We will be on our way tomorrow morning.  Going into Cambridge to meet Deidre who will take us to the airport and then keep our car while we are away. It is a great system and a win-win for all since they only have one car.

Like any traveler, I have been watching the weather, and as usual, everywhere we go it says RAIN!  I know I shouldn't believe these things.  They told us that it would be raining all through New Zealand and fortunately we didn't see too much of that.  At least, it will be warm rain or warmer than this rain. I have added "Weather Conditions" on the sidebar.  So you all can see how wet we ar actually getting!  (After packing, weather is always the next big worry.)

Heard from Geoff's friend in Miami today and he has room at his house to put us up for Friday night.  So we only need the hotel for 2 nights.  That'll save some $$ plus give us more of a chance to visit. After emailing with him back and forth over this past month, I am really looking forward to meeting him and his wife.  We are also trying to get in touch with one of Geoff's cousin's daughters, who lives in Miami Beach and works at a local hang out on South Beach.  Hopefully, we will get  a chance to stop in and say hi.

Not much more to say.  Keep an eye out for "Photo Albums" to appear on the sidebar.  I will add that as soon as I gather some pictures. 

At least the weather gods should be kind to us tomorrow.

Next time .... The Sunshine State

The Final Zip!

Well, I finally did it.  Zipped up the last zipper on the duffel.  Only one thing bothers me - last week when I weighed the thing it was around 23lbs.  Yesterday after I had finally finished (all except for the one important hair brush that is always last to go in), the thing had gained 7lbs,  Is this possible???? What did I do??  I know I snuck in an extra pair of pants and maybe another bathing suit - it certainly wasn't the traveling underwear.  I won't even go into the email we got from our Galapagos Guide who said to bring hiking boots!!!##@@!!  I refuse to take another pair of shoes.  So that's it.  I have 30 lbs of who-knows-what, still well below the 50 lb limit.  Not opening it again until Miami.  I thank all the ladies who emailed me sharing their packing horrors.  It must be built into our DNA.

Now on to more important things - Sports.  I am so very thankful that the Super Bowl is finally over and that Green Bay was victorious.  Hoping that Big Ben crawls back into the hole where he came from and doesn't come back out.  I am sorry to offend any Steeler fans out there.  I just can't stand the man or the team for that matter.  It was also nice to learn that Brady received the MVP unanimously - all 50 votes - first time anyone has done that.   So here's to next year.  It is time now to turn all our attention and enthusiasm over to our beloved Celtics, who find a way to miraculously keep winning.  Let's hope they can make it to the finish line.

Enjoyed a good time last week with friends and some family.  Tried a new restaurant, Fathoms, on Girls Night Out, decided this will be our place for a while.  Pete and Sue, G's brother, came down for a visit on one of the rare bright sunshiny days we have had.  We lunched on the waterfront at the Waterfront Grill and walked along the docks.  Later went for coffee at the Celtic Coffeehouse. A real warm and comfy place on a winter's day across from the Whaling Museum. Ran into some friends and we all chatted for a bit.  Also learned that our nephew just got engaged.  Hooray for them!  We had a wonderful day and a good time was had by all.

Forecast still looks good for take-off - very cold but clear.  Several of our friends happen to be flying to all kinds of places all over the globe and it seems we all leave Wednesday.  I wish them safe travels and wonderful adventures.  Clear skies for all.

Till next time ...

Sunset

No matter how many times I watch a sunset, it never ceases to amaze me. We are quite fortunate to be able to view these spectacular events 365 days a year, weather permitting. Since I have nothing much in the way of news to write about, I thought I would share these pictures.

It does get harder and harder to leave here.  But it is always good to come home.

Next time.... Prepare for take-off

One Week and Counting!

Snowed yet again yesterday.  It has since turned to rain and it looks mighty slushy out there.  At least I hope it is slush and not ice.  This morning might have seemed dismal when I woke, but when I looked out the window, I was greeted with these creatures.  Just had to throw on my boots and take a picture.

Can't say we were hit terribly hard with the snow but after doing a few errands it was time to settle inside for the afternoon,  Turned out to be the perfect opportunity to watch a 3 part BBC series on the Galapagos that I had gotten a while back on my brother's suggestion.  If you have not seen this show and have an opportunity to watch it, it is really beautiful.  If we are able to experience even a thimble full of what we saw, I will be thoroughly impressed.  Darwin only visited the islands once when he was quite young.  But once was enough to set him on the path to the theory of evolution which changed how we look at the world. At least for some of us!

In case you are wondering what Galapagos actually means, as I was, it is Spanish for tortoise - stemming from the same word that means saddle representing their giant shell.  The giant tortoises roam these islands like kings. When the Spaniards landed they dubbed this remote place The Islands of the Tortoise.

We will be busy this last week, taking care of last minute stuff, seeing friends, family, etc.  Not sure I will have much to write about until take-off.  But stay tuned you never know.

Till next time.....

Insomnia

"When do you find the time to write all this stuff?", my father-in-law asked me the other day.  "At 5am, naturally."

Yup, I can't sleep. Well I can't seem to sleep longer than 4 hours or so. Have no problem nodding off at 10pm but then I am awake at 1ish or 2ish and it is battle from then on. My mind is going a million miles an hour. What makes it even more infuriating is seeing hubby snoozing away without a care in the world. Even as I write this he is up there sleeping like a baby. ARRGGH!

What am I anxious about? Well, there is always air travel. Have to say that it is just not as fun as it used to be. I definitely need drugs to get through the whole experience. And speaking of drugs, I am still not crazy about taking all those preventive medications. Always leery of the dreaded side-effects. You've seen those ads!! Then there is the whole "group" thing and having to relinquish control. That probably scares me the most. I just have no idea what to expect. And, of course, I am always concerned about my foot and if I will be able to manage without too much pain. However, there is one bright point -- For once, I feel pretty confident that I have packed well. In fact, it has been days since I last repacked!

"Why do you worry so much?" Geoff is found of saying. I don't know, I always have. I think, in part, it is how I get stuff done. But it can be a bit nerve racking at times. I am sure I am not alone in this arena. I hear meditation helps - if only I could sit still for two seconds it might work. And if not meditation, there's always medication - may calm you down but you roam the earth like a zombie. So I have resigned myself to the fact that this is what I go through and hopefully it'll all work out. It usually does.
Next time.... One week and counting!

Keeping Busy

Yesterday we managed to get in a 2hr hike in the Rochester woods along the Haskell Swamp around an old mill site. It felt really good to get some oxygen into the brain.  The walk was wonderful.  Not only was it good to see folks again (we have all been shut-ins with the weather) but it was like walking through a winter wonderland.  We were fortunate to have a wonderful guide who shared her knowledge of what was here back in colonial times. And, as if it were planned, just as we emerged back into civilization the snow started up again.

It continues to snow or rain or just blow here.  I walk around in my heavy Alaska sweatshirt - not only is it warm but I might as well be there! On these snowy days, you have to find stuff to do inside to keep you from going nuts.  January is always a busy month for me anyway.  I have our bike club's roster and schedule to put out, which always provides a challenge.  There are the taxes, which I like to get a handle on before we leave. And the general preparation of house stuff before leaving the country.

But there are still long afternoons where you have to be creative - when you get tired of reading or sitting at the computer. I would be very happy playing scrabble everyday but Geoff doesn't like losing so much.  So for diversion, this Christmas my brother gave us a jigsaw puzzle of our house.  It is  an aerial shot with our house (a little speck)  in the center and a whole lot of blue ocean.  We sort of chuckled when we opened the gift but as the snows continued, we eventually got around to pulling it out and working on it. Although he will refuse to admit it, Geoff was immediately hooked. We set it up on a board and every chance he got he was right back at it.  He graciously left me the final piece to put in.  I have to say it looks pretty cool.  Now it is time to take it apart and save it for next winter.

The other  project we took on this winter was opening up every computer we have in the house - and there are several.  I bought a new mini bare-bones desktop with a bit more power so I can work on my books without crashing.  After we finished building that, we took my old computer apart and set it up for my brother's  media center.  Then we found ourselves with all this spare memory.  We opened up all the laptops, netbooks, anything else we could find, to see where we could squeeze more memory into what.  Now we are currently in the process of rebuilding and organizing our TV media computer.  Geoff is also toying with replacing the fan in the Acer which is my traveling blog machine.  However, ever since the fan arrived, the thing has been darn quiet - I think it's scared!  This has all been great fun, but I do hold my breath when I see every last screw come out and all the parts on the floor.  "How is he ever going to get that back together?" and somehow he always does - every last screw.  No wonder he likes jigsaw puzzles!

Next time....TBA

Baby It's Cold Outside

Woke up  the other morning and it was exactly a record-breaking 1degree outside with a -19 wind chill factor.  What the hell?? This is Fairhaven not Antarctica!  Took one look outside and thought we had been transported to the Tundra.  The bay was frozen clear across to the shipping channel in New Bedford. Could swear I saw a penguin out there.  Had to get a picture of this.  (Actually, I sent Geoff out for the shot -- way too cold for me).

This broke the 3 degree record in 2005, which was our first year here and probably the only other time we saw the bay this frozen.  Over the years, we have put in as much insulation as possible, so the house is quite comfortable now.  It is wonderful to watch the landscape change, however, for the past month we have nothing but on and off precipitation of one form or another.  Fortunately for us, we do not get as much snow on the coast as they do inland.  But, it has been hard for us to get anywhere lately.  Every time we plan a trip, whether it be Maine, Cambridge, or anywhere else, another storm hits.  Even as I write this, another one is on its way. We are keeping our fingers crossed that this nonsense will end with the end of this month and we will be able to get out of here on Feb. 9th.  We do have 3 days in Miami before we hook up with the group.  So there is a little leeway if we are delayed.  We did try to cover all bases.

This morning we are going to try to get a hike in before it snows AGAIN! Meeting up with the group to trek around the Rochester woods.  It's cloudy and cold, but we really do need to air out.

Dreaming of warmer climates.

Next time .....Keeping busy

Packing - Round 3!

Lucy came over the other day with her rolling duffel bag.  Wow, we didn't remember exactly how big this thing was.  It did the job in New Zealand because it had a great compartment to stuff all of our sports gear, but it is a bit overkill for this trek. Not to mention that it weighs 10lbs without anything even inside!  Looked like I needed something in between the carry-on and the monster duffel. 

We immediately took off for Marshall's.  As Karma would have it, the first thing we saw was an Eddie Bauer soft-sided rolling duffel bag in a beautiful maroon color.  Not too big, not too small, extremely lightweight and very affordable.  For the mere low price of $29.99, I had myself the perfect piece of adventure luggage. Couldn't wait to get home and start stuffing.  Kept everything in the ziplocks for organization but didn't have to worry about sucking out too much air.  They also sell some sort of organizer cubes for duffels - might look into that.  Meanwhile, I have just one more idea of how I can repack yet again to make it even better.

Aahhh, the satisfaction of having a well-packed bag.

Next time.... Baby it's cold outside!

The Real Travel Bugs

There was a time when I just grabbed a suitcase and headed for the plane.  The worst that ever happened was a touch of Montezuma's Revenge. And if you're smart you only get it once and hopefully learn your lesson.  So off I went into the unknown world never knowing what perils lurk behind the beautiful pictures in the travel brochures.  In this age of information and fear, we must be covered for all sorts of mishaps.  We are entering some exotic territory - one must be protected.

Of course, you cannot get these vaccines/medications at your regular doctor, no no.  One must go to the specialized Travel Clinic, where if you are not careful, you will spend all the money you were planning to take on that lovely vacation you planned.  Every clinic seems to have a totally different price schedule, so doing research pays off.  Eventually, I discovered that our insurance would pay for a visit (with the co-pay of course) and some of the vaccines if we schelped up to Boston.  Oh goodie, a day in the big city.  Not so much. Spent all day at Mass General and finally got out around rush hour.  Bummer.  But the deed was done.  Here is a taste of what to expect if you are traveling to this part of the globe.

High Altitude Sickness:  Since we are going from sea level to about 11,000ft high altitude (Cuzco, Peru) in two days time, we were warned of nausea, dizziness, and array of other symptoms.  Of course, the pills aren't without their side effects either.  I was hoping to go with Mother Nature on this one and brave it, but after some research, the fear factor sneaks in and  I will probably stick to science and swallow the pills.

Malaria: Next is the Amazon Jungle in Ecuador.  Although to hear our friends talk of it, it is more like Amazon-lite - you know the part they clean up for the tourists.  Well, they may sweep up the snakes, muzzle the piranhas and cage the tarantulas, but I sincerely doubt they are going to spray for mosquitoes!  Here we had a choice of some fine medications.  One made you psychotic with vivid nightmares - lovely.  Another came with chance of yeast infections and sunburns - fabulous.  These two were the more affordable choice.  We opted for the high priced designer drug, Malarone, which is supposed to be fairly well tolerated. I will let you know.  As a further protection, we are equipped with 3 different kinds of insect repellent.  And just because we can, Geoff had all of our "jungle clothes" hanging from the tree out front in the snow, spraying them with Permethrin - a bug repellent that attaches to fibers.  Good for 6 washings.

Sea Sickness:  From the jungle to the ocean.  Had to throw in the Dramamine just in case.

Yellow Fever:  Although not as big a threat as it once was, we were advised to get the vaccine.

Typhoid: This wasn't for South America, but as long as we were there, we figured we might as well get covered for the rest of the world.  We opted for the 5 yr pill therapy instead of the 3 yr injection.

This all gets topped off with a prescription for Cipro - just in case Montezuma should strike.

We are now armed with our rolling pharmacy.  All we have to do now is remember which pill to take when.  Oy Vey!

Next time... Round 3!

The Travel Bug & A Bit of History

You might ask yourself what a nice Jewish girl from the Bronx is doing going to the Amazon. It is really against everything you learn growing up as a young Jewish girl - with exception of my two great aunts, Hannah and Belle.  Every Saturday my brother and I would go to our grandmother's house,  not far from Yankee Stadium. We could hear the roar of the crowd from her apartment.  If we were lucky, Hannah and Belle (grandma's sisters) would be there to tell tales of their great adventures.

These were very independent women for their time.  Careers and no children, they worked together, traveled together and though husbands came and went, they were inseparable.  It was a time before airplanes, and travel was done mainly by ships and trains.  And when air travel did come into its own, they were pioneers on some of the very first Pan Am flights.  Coming home after circling the globe, they brought back with them stories that were captivating from places we had never dreamed of. Not having cameras, they would collect postcards.  If they weren't traveling together, they would send each other postcards.  I am now the keeper of this collection dating back to the early 1930's. I treasure them dearly and hope the act of collecting postcards isn't lost altogether our too techno world.

Listening to Hannah and Belle in grandma's kitchen must have certainly threw a switch inside me.  I started flying early when my mother would put me on a plane by myself to go down to Florida to stay with her sister.  My first real adventure came when I strapped on a backpack and hitch-hiked across Europe.  Fondly remembering throwing 3 coins in the Fountain of Trevi on my 21st birthday.  That trip was a real ice-breaker.  I went with very little and came home so full of knowledge and self-assurance that the world was there for the taking.

At heart, I am basically a homebody.  I enjoy having a nice place to live and enjoy being at home.  But there is always a voice inside of me saying "where do we go next?".  So more than anything it is wonderful to see the world but always great to come back home.

Next time... The real travel bugs!

Start Packing!

I was absolutely determined this trip to get all my stuff into a carry-on to not only avoid the fees but also the dreaded baggage claim.

Round 1:  I get the bag down from the attic, gather all my stuff, spread it out in the guest room, take one look at it, shake my head, and say "No Freakin' Way!"  Walk out and close the door.  Immediately call my friend to see if I can borrow the rolling duffel we took to NZ.  "Sure, I'm not going anywhere" Great!  However, after a couple of days of thought, I convinced myself that I can beat this challenge.

Round 2:  I go back into the room, zip locks in hand, and proceed to sort and cull.  After sucking every inch of air out of everything, I finally managed to get it all in and zipped - kinda like putting on a tight pair of jeans.  Unbelievable, I was so proud.  However, there was one little issue of the TSA liquid/gel regulation.  Geoff and I logically thought that we would get one quart bag (to fill with all our little 3oz bottles) for each bag we had - the carry-on and a backpack each - 4 bags.  Not so much.  One bag per person.  You have got to be kidding me.  I was fine with the toiletry stuff but what about sunscreen for the boat, and bug stuff for the jungle.  We were close but not nearly close enough.  So after that air-sucking packing job I did, we would have to check at least one bag to get the little stuff through.  What a scam. Well, as long as I have to check my bag, might as well let the air out!  Back on the phone with Lucy, hope to get the duffel this weekend so I can start Round 3.

It is early morning here and there is a full moon right outside my window setting into the bay.  Maybe I can brave the cold and get a picture.

Next time:  The travel bug